The Sunflower v. 130 i. 21 (March 3, 2026)

How LAS is approaching its budget reductions

BY TALIYAH WINN, KAMI STEINLE &

LEWIS editor@thesunflower.com

Wichita State is facing a

$7.9 million budget cut for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. Academic Affairs — the administrative division on campus that oversees curriculum and faculty affairs — has asked the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for a reduction between $1.4 to $1.5 million.

At a town hall for LAS faculty on Thursday, Dean Sarah Beth Estes presented a $1.5 million budget reduction proposal for the college, though she said some of the numbers may fluctuate in the process. The reductions target four areas: Cutting down searches for new faculty and staff, fewer class offerings, consolidating department resources, and shifting some college functions to pull from a different budget pool.

“(The colleges) all got targets,” Estes said. “Ours is not the largest.”

WAKE UP CALL

Estes declined to answer questions from The Sunflower directly following the town hall.

WSU President Richard Muma announced a projected 3% budget reduction within the General Use budget last fall, which rose to 7% earlier this year. The GU budget is spread throughout the university, made up of tuition revenue and state funding.

Academic Affairs is expected to cut its budget by $5.4 million, according to a presentation from Provost Monica Lounsbery in a

faculty senate meeting on Feb. 9.

The Sunflower has made multiple attempts to contact deans from the College of LAS, College of Health Professions, College of Applied Studies, College of Engineering and College of Fine Arts to gather information about budget plans for each. None have responded as of Friday.

At the town hall, Estes said she wasn’t sure how other colleges were handling budget cuts.

“I don’t know how they’re doing it. I have not heard that there are

Jan. 6 police officer explains the dangers of misinformation

BY JOSH PFLEGER-BERNAT

jbernat13@gmail.com

Hundreds came to hear former Washington, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone speak about his experience on Jan. 6 and what he sees as threats against American democracy.

“Humans have the ability to become incredibly violent, that’s what happened on Jan. 6,” Fanone said, addressing the crowd at WSU’s Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex.

Fanone spoke publicly about what happened at the Capitol after false narratives were being pushed by political leaders, he said. He thought it was necessary to set the record straight on what happened that day.

His first comments came just over a week after Jan. 6 in a Washington Post interview.

The event at the Metroplex was a continuation of that mission. The talk was hosted on Feb. 28 by Leading Kansas, a nonpartisan entity seeking to hold elected officials accountable to the people they serve.

The central theme of Fanone’s comments was on the importance of service, building community coalitions and opposing the glorification of violence.

Fanone’s experience of the Jan. 6 riot

Fanone was motivated to serve as a police officer after the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. He labels himself a patriotic citizen wanting to make the U.S. a better place.

Jan. 6 was a wake-up call.

On Jan. 6, 2021, rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Fanone was a police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department at the time.

Months after Jan. 6, CNN aired Fanone’s body cam footage. It gave a firsthand account of the crowd assaulting him. He

For the first time in history, the metropolitan police retreated … this wasn’t organized, this was chaos.”

MICHAEL FANONE Former Capitol police officer

suffered physical and mental injuries from the event.

He recalled yelling that he had kids in an appeal to the mob’s humanity. One person in the crowd assisted him in getting back to his fellow officers.

Fanone said the events of that day showed him the effects of agitated political rhetoric in the real world.

“For the first time in history, the metropolitan police retreated … this wasn’t organized, this was chaos,” Fanone said.

Change through dialogue

The aftermath of Jan. 6 was no better for Fanone or his family. His mother was forced to move due to an onslaught of threats and people showing up at her home.

His children were quite young when it happened. His oldest daughter, now 23 years old, learned what happened to her father by watching it live on television.

Fanone agreed with Leading Kansas organizers’ desire to hold politicians and political leaders accountable. His perspective was that many had leveraged their credibility to sell a lie, leading to the events at the Capitol.

He pointed to comments made by U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), who claimed videos of Jan. 6 showed an average tourism day in the Capitol. Photos taken inside the Capitol showed Clyde barricading doors to the House chambers to keep rioters out.

other town halls,” she said. Lounsbery previously told The Sunflower that the university was reducing searches for faculty and staff by allowing certain jobs to remain vacant after an employee retired or resigned. Lounsbery also said that the same number of classes may be offered, but at fewer time slots.

Several faculty members in the College of Engineering have been cut, as well as staff in the Athletics Department.

Fanone released his own body camera footage in response to Clyde’s comments.

Political figures using their platform to redefine what happened on Jan. 6 was key in affirming Fanone’s belief that change was crucially needed for the U.S. He said that if the president can openly lie about clearly recorded events, change must occur from the bottom up.

He spoke about how even in a worst-case scenario, change is always possible, even if you have to completely start over.

“You burn down a forest, there is opportunity to build something bigger and more beautiful than what you lost,” Fanone said.

For him, building toward something better was contingent on community building and creating opportunities for people to engage with politics.

That same message was voiced by Rebecca Armstrong, a member of Leading Kansas. She thinks the event is a first step.

“It helps start a dialogue,” Armstrong said.

Fanone said he believes that anyone can start the process of speaking to their community and making an impact.

“I’m not anyone special,” Fanone said. “I’m just someone who was placed in a particular moment at a particular time.”

He also focused on community building when speaking on recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“We should all be outraged, especially for the immigrant community,” Fanone said. “Immigration enforcement is one thing, targeting these communities echoes a Jim Crow past.”

ICE has created national outrage in recent months over the violent and sometimes fatal actions of its agents, particularly in Minneapolis.

news@thesunflower.com

The student fees commission began reviewing every student fee-funded entity without knowing an official total budget that it will work with to make its draft budget.

Starting at 9 a.m. Monday and ending Thursday, the commission will hear from the entities, and draft a suggested budget that will be presented to the Student Senate at a following Senate meeting. Once approved, that budget will outline how much each group or service gets.

Wichita State’s budget office is responsible for giving a total budget to the commission and has estimated there will be around $10.6 million this year. But the estimate is not official. The total ask from the entities is around $10.4 million. Student fees hearings are held in Rhatigan Student Center 233. The hearings are open to the public and are live-streamed on SGA’s YouTube channel.

HEARING SCHEDULE

The Student Fee Commisioners began meeting at 9:30 a.m. March 2. Here are the remaining student fee entity hearings: March 3

9:30-10 a.m. — The Sunflower and Sunflower Reserve

10-10:30 a.m. — NISS Student Digital Toolbox 10:30-11

Fanone said he thinks these events are due to ICE performing duties it wasn’t meant to.

“Local police do the police work, federal agencies provide resources,” Fanone said.

ICE has seen a major increase in agreements with local law enforcement agencies. The Kansas Senate is considering a bill that would provide federal agents with the same state protections as local law enforcement. SB452l has gone through the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, and will be coming up for a vote on the Senate floor.

Fanone also talked about the recent U.S. strike on Iran. The topic hit Fanone personally. Many of his friends served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they struggled to get necessary care afterward from Veterans Affairs.

He said his love for his country inspired him to serve as a police officer. Fanone said he thinks many were manipulated based on their desire to serve, then sent to fight conflicts built on false premises. He said it worries him that similar things are happening now.

It was important to Fanone to continue aspiring to something better. He said he believes young people are central to that, though he joked he’s not sure how to do so as a 45-year-old man.

Armstrong echoed this sentiment. She said she believes many young people are starved for effective information.

“Information is essential,” Armstrong said. “We can’t have a good democracy, we can’t have a strong economy, we can’t have good healthcare or education without bonafide information.”

She thinks that without community building efforts the status quo will remain.

“When our legislators come together, they’ve been paid by very wealthy people to be in that position,” Armstrong said. “When you have 10% or even 25% of your electorate voting, those people aren’t being elected in.”

WSU will participate in severe weather preparedness drill Wednesday

BY JOSH PFLEGER-BERNAT

jbernat13@gmail.com

Wichita State will hold a severe weather preparedness drill on March 4 at 10 a.m. as part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week, an initiative by the State of Kansas and the National Weather Service. Students, faculty, staff and guests on campus are required to go to a designated shelter when severe weather sirens are heard and wait for an all clear to be given. The Wichita State tornado shelters webpage has a list of designated shelters. This drill is done to provide information to those overseeing campus safety and evaluate the effectiveness of WSU’s emergency preparedness during tornadoes. Contact Andrew Clem, Environment, Health and Safety Department director, at 316-978-7904 or andrew. clem@wichita.edu for more information.

Here’s how Wichita sales tax election will affect students

BY KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com

Wichitans will vote to implement a 1% sales tax in the city of Wichita in a special election on March 3.

If the sales tax proposal passes, it will fund four areas for improvement and provide property tax relief for up to $150 million. The areas that will receive funding include $225 million for public safety, $150 million for homeless and housing services, $250 million towards Century II and convention center improvements and $75 million to a downtown public performing arts center construction.

“The first thing people should know is that it’s a penny on every dollar,” District 1 Council Member Joseph Shepard said. “While that does sound minimal to some, what we do know is that there are a plethora of working-class families… (that) makes a world of a difference for them.”

Kansas’ current sales tax rate is 6.5% — which excludes grocery sales — and Sedgwick County charges an additional 1%, including groceries. The vote would add another 1% tax at the city level — also including groceries — bringing the total to 8.5% in the city of Wichita.

If the vote passes, the sales tax will be implemented on July 1 and will expire in 2033.

Shepard said public safety and making sure there is affordable

LAS BUDGET / FROM PAGE 1

Changing the funding source of some parts of the college might lead to increased student fees

The Restricted Use budget is made up partially of student fee money, while General Use funds come entirely from tuition and state funding.

Estes said that aspects of the college may switch from getting money from the GU budget to this funding source.

The Kansas legislature is currently considering a measure to block public universities from raising tuition to cover budget shortfalls. By moving funding from GU (partially funded by tuition) to RU (partially funded by student fees), the college could increase its budget through raising fees.

Estes has been holding town halls every week this February to hear input and answer questions from faculty, so they can be included in the budget reduction process. At Thursday’s town hall, department consolidations and the university’s athletics budget were the main focuses.

Administrative consolidation

Some LAS departments will have to merge resources, but Estes said most changes would be “administrative.”

Estes said she has already started preliminary talks with chairs of small departments, which will likely be impacted by this. She did not provide a definition of a small department. She said she will schedule meetings with department chairs to begin the process of consolidating resources next week.

“Monday (March 2), we will begin meeting about (consolidation), and they will be logistically effective by July 1,”

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housing for citizens is something that is important to upkeep for the city council because it helps maximize efforts to “create a city where every citizen wants to live, work, learn.”

“It’s important for students to learn about elections and to vote,” Shocker Vote Coalition coordinator Loren Belew said. “Learn about what’s on their ballot and what’s going on in their community.”

Shepard said that the city council members are aware of the financial effects the tax could have on Wichitans and have put guardrails in place aimed at protecting these residents. Such as the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which gives

Estes said. “If you are thinking people have to move, no. It’s administrative.”

All of the LAS academic programs are expected to remain where they are now, but the structure and resources between departments may be impacted. Deborah Gordon, associate professor in the Women’s, Intersectionality and Ethnicities studies program, described what she expects with administrative consolidations.

“When she says administrative consolidation, that’s important because I think a lot of faculty think we are going to be put together in one big department. That’s not what she’s talking about,” Gordon said. “She’s talking about, like, sharing an administrative assistant.”

One of the departments that may experience consolidations is philosophy.

“We are one of the small departments that she was talking about,” Chair of Philosophy Patrick Bondy said after the town hall. “It’s likely — I’m not guaranteed that we’re going to be consolidated — but it seems likely for this stage of it all. It will be department consolidations. Programs would stay basically the same.”

Estes said that since her interview for the dean position, the university administration has raised concerns about small programs in LAS.

“From the time I was on campus, I was being told, ‘You have too many small departments.’ ‘You have too many small departments,’” Estes said. “I was doing my level best this year to not hear that, to not deal with that because I thought we had enough to do, and I didn’t think that would be something that we wanted to engage with like, ‘Hello, you don’t know me, but we are going to consolidate.’”

eligible families $55 per year per household. LIEAP is funded federally and provides low-income Kansans financial assistance with their home energy bills based on factors like income, available resources and household size.

While some revenue from the sales tax would go to local property tax relief, Shepard said the City Council is also looking at ways to help renters.

“(We’re) also looking into the Homestead Act to ensure that our seniors, our veterans, those with disabilities will also be able to have rent relief,” Shepard said. “Or working with developers and contractors to be able to offset some of those costs that it takes to build affordable homes, so that more homes can be built for those populations.”

Faculty at the town hall expressed concern and confusion about the process of consolidating.

“With the consolidation of departments, it looks to me, and I speak for myself. It’s so much shrouded in secrecy about what that process is going to look like,” said Mercy Umeri, an assistant professor in the Hugo Walls School of Public Affairs. “Is there any point where we all know, as we come to this weekly meeting, what’s going on?”

“I will tell you that the process of consolidating feels this way no matter how you do it,” Estes said in her response. “It feels terrible. We don’t want to do it, we didn’t choose to do it and we have to do it.”

Despite frustration about budget reductions, multiple faculty members at the meeting said they appreciated the work Estes was doing and the existence of the town halls, including Gordon.

“I think the town hall meetings are really good,” Gordon said after the meeting. “I think the dean is establishing a very open and much more transparent relationship among the faculty and between the faculty and the dean’s office… These are not something other deans have done in the past. And I think it’s really good, especially when you’re facing budget cuts.”

Sustainability, looking ahead at the LAS budget

“The one goal all of our programs share is enrollment,” Estes said.

At the town hall, Estes stressed the need to generate funding through enrollment and possibly increasing course fees. LAS course fees are currently $8.21 per credit hour, the lowest compared to other colleges, like health professions at $20, fine arts at $40, business at $76 and engineering at $97.

“Another part of the revenue is

On Thursday, the Shocker Vote Coalition held a lunchtime talk with the Kansas Public Finance Center to inform students about the upcoming election and the different types of taxes. Belew said they hold these types of events to help “provide information so students can make the best vote for them and understand what they’re voting for.”

“It’s their city,” Shepard said about students. “I think that every decision that happens in the city of Wichita impacts them. Whether they are here for four years to get their degree or they’re going to make Wichita their home.”

students who pay or have financial aid,” Estes said. “We need to get out of offering our classes for nothing; that means we need to get cleaned up.”

Estes also said LAS is going to focus on recruitment, especially from Wichita high school career centers.

“What is special about our programs, and where does that all connect to all the different pathways that run into those programs?” Estes said. “We’ve got to identify those pathways, and then we have to work those books and put our resources toward ensuring that students know about us and understand what a great experience they’re going to have by engaging in our programs.”

Estes also said that part of the budget for each academic college is going toward the athletics department, due to last summer’s landmark House vs. NCAA settlement, which allows universities to compensate student athletes directly.

Multiple faculty members expressed that they don’t support giving funds to athletics because “they’re not infusing money into academics,” Gordon said.

Associate Professor of Philosophy Susan Castro — also an at-large senator in WSU’s Faculty Senate — said she would propose this resolution to stop giving funds toward athletics and to have “a discussion with the executive committee.”

The Faculty Senate can write resolutions representing the opinion of the faculty, but a decision would ultimately be made by the university’s leadership. The WSU Faculty Senate meets at 3:30 p.m. every second and fourth Monday in 110A Woosley Hall. Meetings are open to the public, including students.

‘A LOT OF POSITIVES’

Baseball wins 3 of 4 during series vs. Omaha

BY EVAN LONG

Many say that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. Wichita State shortstop Alex Ulloa takes a simple approach to this complicated task.

“Not trying to do too much. Stick to the opposite way,” Ulloa said. “When I start getting a little pull-happy to left (field), I find myself in trouble, striking out a little bit more, chasing a little bit more than I want to.”

The simplistic approach was displayed in the Shockers’ weekend series against Omaha as Ulloa recorded six hits, three runs and three RBIs. His best performance of the four-game series was in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon when he notched three hits, one run and two RBIs.

“I just stick inside my game, try not to do too much and good things happen,” said Ulloa, a Florida native.

Despite a big day at the plate from Ulloa and several other Shockers, Wichita State lost Game 2 of a doubleheader 15-8 at Eck Stadium, ending a five-game winning streak. The Shockers defeated Omaha 5-2 in the opening game. They also defeated the Mavericks 3-2 Thursday and 10-3 Friday.

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

Kenyon Giles’ smile radiated across the Convocation Center and flashed across TV screens during his postgame interview, a towel draped over his head and surrounded by teammates.

He had every reason to beam.

Amid Wichita State basketball’s dominant 84-67 victory over Texas-San Antonio on Sunday — the Shockers’ fifth consecutive win and their first 20-win season since 2019-20 — Giles found a spot atop program history by setting the single-season 3-point record.

He buried triple No. 102 this season, surpassing Colby Rogers’ record of 99 set in 2023-24. Giles has achieved the feat on an efficient, year-wide clip of 38.1%, and did it in four fewer games than the 34 it took Rogers.

“All-time leader,” teammate TJ Williams yelled playfully during Giles’ postgame interview with ESPN+. Giles, a senior guard, simply replied, “me.”

He finished the night with a team-high 28 points, drilling 6-of-15 shots from long range during the rout. It marked his fifth-consecutive game with 20 or more points and his 16th overall this season.

Yet the record-breaking night didn’t begin with a bang. By halftime, Giles had scored just seven points on a single 3-pointer.

Shocker Sports Roundup: What you missed over the last week

BY EVAN TONG & MACK

evantong3@gmail.com & mackred22@gmail.com

Men’s golf

Wichita State men’s golf took their talents to Vegas to play at the Lake Las Vegas Invitational from Monday to Wednesday. The Shockers came out with a ninthplace finish out of 12 teams at the tournament with 865 strokes, just one over par.

Senior Jose Miguel Ramirez made the top-20 among individuals at the tournament by shooting three under par in a fourway tie for 18th place.

Wichita State will tee off next at the Golden Nugget Invitational in Lake Charles, La., at The Country Club at the Golden Nugget, Monday and Tuesday. – Evan Tong

Men’s tennis

To go 3-1, that’s a good series. (We) went 7-1 in our first eight at home. Happy with the progress of the team.”

BRIAN GREEN Head baseball coach “

Ulloa’s straightforward hitting mindset worked at Florida International the previous two years as well, where he hit .301 with 18 home runs and had 22 multi-hit games. Wichita State also hit well overall as a team over the weekend. The Shockers (9-3) recorded 10 hits and eight runs in game two of the doubleheader and 29 hits in the three previous games of the series.

“I thought we had a really good approach against Drew (Iverson),” head coach Brian Green said. “We know Drew, he pitched here. We were using the middle of the field, using the opposite side of the field.”

After Ulloa smacked an RBI single and came around to score, Wichita State led 6-3. The Mavericks (4-6) tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the fifth inning.

Then, in the bottom of the fifth, senior third baseman Jayson Jones was 0-3 in the game and down 0-2 in the count in his fourth

However, the deep trust from his teammates and coaches, forged in the heat of summer workouts, allowed him to remain aggressive and hunt for his spots.

“You can never give up,” Giles said in his postgame radio interview. “If you can always find a shot, it will harm the defense. I have to keep applying pressure on the defense, and my teammates are going to find me.”

Now that he owns the all-time program record, Giles’ focus has immediately shifted to what he insists matters most: Winning late in the season.

“Coach (Paul Mills) talked to us, ‘It’s March. March is for men,’” he said in his postgame radio interview. “We have to go be men, handle business.”

For Giles, that focused, competitive mindset isn’t new. It’s rooted in his upbringing in Chesapeake, Va., where two older brothers instilled in him the value of learning from losses and the unwavering truth that seeing another mark in the win column far outweighs individual statistics.

He has carried that philosophy to Wichita State (20-10, 12-5 American), where the Shockers have now secured at least a doublebye in the American Conference Championship, scheduled from March 11-15. A senior day win Saturday against Florida Atlantic would push Wichita State into the No. 2 seed at the tournament and a

at-bat before smashing a two-run home run to left field to put the Shockers back on top 8-6.

However, the Shockers’ bats went silent after Jones’ home run, and Omaha put up nine unanswered runs to finish the game.

“We got a little overconfident and got away from our approach,” Green said. “I think that enabled them to get back into the game. I thought we had an opportunity to really do a lot more offensively.”

Despite Wichita State’s offensive success in the first half of the game, the Shockers left 11 runners on base.

While Wichita State’s pitching had been dominant early in the season — the Shockers boasted a team ERA of 2.76 entering the series — it faltered in the series finale on Saturday.

Junior left-handed pitcher Reese Kortum started for Wichita State in Game 2 of the doubleheader. He retired the first six batters he faced, but the

bye all the way to the semifinals.

“They (Giles’ brothers) always told me winning is everything,” Giles told The Sunflower on Feb. 20. “You know, you have good games, but you lost.

“I was always chasing them, wanting to be better than them. Especially growing up, playing them one-on-one, they would beat me, and that instilled a lot of competitiveness in me.”

Years later, Giles began his final chase for the record almost as soon as the second half started Sunday. Less than four minutes after the break, he drained a triple, leaving him one shy of Rogers’ mark.

Giles tied it not even two minutes later when junior center Will Berg set a perfect screen on his defender, creating ample space for an uncontested pull-up.

Then, after shaking off another late UTSA closeout, Giles found himself on top of Wichita State’s all-time list since the inception of the 3-point line in the 1980s, giving the Shockers a commanding 61-43 lead. He tacked on two more by the end of the game for good measure and ended the second half with 21 points.

“KG was able to get hot,” coach Paul Mills said in his postgame radio interview.

One-hundred two and counting: That’s where Giles is at now. But, as he understands best, victories are what matters most this time of the season.

6-foot-5 lefty exited the game after giving up five hits and three earned runs in four innings.

Wichita State brought in junior right-handed pitcher Brok Eddy and junior left-handed pitcher Mitchell Johnson in relief, who both gave up three runs. In total, six relievers allowed nine earned runs in five innings.

“We’ve had great starting pitching, we’ve had great long relief,” Green said. “Today you get into a situation in a doubleheader where Johnny (Nuanez) doesn’t have his best stuff, he comes out early (in Game 1), and that really stretches the staff.”

Even though Wichita State had a disappointing end to Game 4 against Omaha, the Shockers are 9-3 after their first three series of the season.

Wichita State faces West Georgia next in a four-game series starting at 3:05 p.m. on Friday at Eck Stadium.

“There’s a lot of positives for us,” Green said. “We’re really still just trying to figure out who we are. Outside of the last couple innings, our pitching staff was doing a really good job.

“To go 3-1, that’s a good series,” he continued. “(We) went 7-1 in our first eight at home. Happy with the progress of the team.”

The Shockers rose above .500 over the week, culminating in a four-game win streak. They played back-to-back in Texas, against Abilene Christian University on Feb. 26 and the University of Texas-Arlington on Feb. 27. Wichita State capped off the week with a win against No. 52 ranked Nebraska, 5-2. The team will be back at home for its matchup against Oklahoma State on Sunday. The first serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex. – Tong

Women’s basketball

The women’s basketball team dropped its game on the road at Tulane Saturday afternoon, 62-54, despite featuring 15 lead changes. Now 7-22 and 4-12 in conference play, the Shockers are essentially out of the race for a berth to the American Conference Championship from March 10-14. And even though Wichita State didn’t allow the Green Wave to connect on a single 3-pointer — a feat the Shockers haven’t made since 2018 — Tulane shot 47% for the game. The Shockers ended at 34%, including a 6% mark during the entire second quarter. Next up, Wichita State will play its final home game of the season at 6 p.m. Tuesday when North Texas visits Koch Arena for senior night. – Mack Smith

ARTS & CULTURE

LETTERING CREATIVITY, ART FOUND IN EVERYDAY OBJECTS

An attendee asks Irma Puškarević for more material to create art with. Puškarević teaches graphic design

and

Literary journal marks half a century publishing student work

BY MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com

Mikrokosmos, Wichita State’s student literary journal, has entered its 50th year of publishing student work.

“From the onset of this program, Mikrokosmos has been a thriving part of WSU,” Anna Pellerin, the editor-in-chief of Mikrokosmos and its online offshoot, Mojo, said. “I think it stuck around because it’s a huge draw for the school.”

Mojo came back in 2024 after a four year COVID-19 hiatus. While Mikrokosmos traditionally focuses on publishing local work, its editors have developed Mojo as a way to extend the search for written literature nationwide.

Brodie Staton, one of the undergraduate editors for Mikrokosmos and Mojo, joined the staff after he submitted work in a prior year and wanted to get more involved in WSU’s English department.

“I hadn’t been interested in poetry at all up until about a year ago,” he said. “Somebody recommended (a piece to) me, they said, ‘OK read this, but read it out loud this time,’ and I did that, and something clicked.”

The group of contributors is primarily made up of Master of Fine Arts students, but any student at the university is able to join the staff or submit their works.

Each year, Mikrokosmos hosts a contest for local writers. The last application period was in November 2025, but it changes from year to year. Anyone who is affiliated with the university can apply, from current students to alumni.

“We host a contest for fiction and poetry, and they are judged by non-WSU (affiliated) people,” Pellerin said. “Our fiction contest is being judged by Brian Druckenmiller in upstate New York.

He’s published an absurd amount of short stories. And then for poetry we have Michael Pryor, who was Wichita State’s visiting poet last year.”

The first, second and third place contest winners receive cash prizes. This year, all entries will be published in Mikrokosmos.

“(The number of submissions) varies from year to year,” she said. “Last year we got tons, this year we didn’t get much.”

Pellerin came to Wichita State to complete her master’s in fine arts. She said the publication was a big draw for her.

“I only wanted to apply to schools that had literary magazines, and WSU checked both of those boxes,” she said. “(It) had a magazine run by graduate students, so I knew it was something I was interested in doing.”

The magazine is currently

processing its submissions. Pellerin said that this year, several came from contest participants, but Mojo received 118 poems, 59 fiction pieces and 10 nonfiction pieces.

The MFA in Creative Writing program at Wichita State itself is in its 52nd year, and Mikrokosmos has been around almost since its inception.

“Not only is it something fun and exciting to do, it also is just a gateway to so many different job opportunities,” Pellerin said. “If you want to get into editing, if you want to go further in grad school and eventually start your own literary magazine, this is where you establish those skills.”

This year is Pellerin’s second year as editor-in-chief.

“To be a part of this, I feel like I’m leaving a mark at WSU, because so many wonderful writers come through these programs,” she said.

Submissions for the next volume of Mikrokosmos will open at the start of the fall semester.

“Submit (your work), send in everything to everywhere,” Staton said. “That’s how you can improve, and submitting to Mikro is free.”

This volume, which is the 72nd, will come out in May. Copies can be purchased for $5 by emailing mikrokosmos@wichita. edu or mojoeditor@gmail.com.

PREVIEW: Student production of ‘Ride the Cyclone’ will explore themes of life, death and teenage angst

BY MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com

The Wichita State music theatre club is taking its own spin on “Ride the Cyclone,” opening March 12.

The musical, written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, follows a tragic accident at a fair that leads to the death of six Canadian students.

Show director Alexandra Enmark, a sophomore studying theatre and design, said that directing this show is “frankly amazing.”

“It’s been in my top Spotify list forever,” she said. “I love this show so much, when I heard I was directing it, I literally screamed … it has such a strong ensemble within the characters.”

The show follows the ghosts of the six high-school students after their deaths on the Cyclone rollercoaster. Karnak, played by Bennie Randolph, the show’s narrator and a musical fortune teller, feels guilt for being unable to prevent their deaths, and brings forth the spirits of the students for them to tell their story through song, to win the ultimate prize from him — the chance to come back to life.

One of the other main characters, Jane Doe, played by Aubrey Johnson, has one of the more haunting narratives in the

show. In the accident she lost her head, and it was replaced with the head of a doll. Her experience in the afterlife is of mourning the fact that she no longer remembers who she was.

Another character, Ricky Potts, played by Connor Harris, explores some of the freedoms offered in the afterlife, as he is able to move and speak freely without the hindrance of the disability that ruled his life before. His arc surrounds his joy of being able to speak for the first time, and he is finally able to tell the stories that he built in his head without the aid of technology.

Enmark’s favorite part of the production has been working with her crew to bring the story to life and figuring out how to direct a show with heavier themes.

“The show explores a lot of what it means to live and die,” she said. “It discovers a lot of nuances and humor within that, and overall, what it is like to be a teenager.

“I hope people come to see it, because I think it’s kind of eye-opening, but I think we’re bringing a new perspective to it that people haven’t seen.”

“Ride the Cyclone” runs March 12 - March 14, with performances at 7:30 p.m. each day. Tickets are $15.

Mya Scott opinion@thesunflower.com OPINION

As someone who copes with humor, even I have limits on what’s jokable and what’s not. Topics that don’t apply to me or that I have not experienced are off the table, which includes wars and being bombed. But a lot of social media right now doesn’t seem to share my view.

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran with missile attacks after decades of troubled history and amid negotiations that supposedly were going well. Now, days removed from the initial attacks, CBS reports on Monday that there have been four U.S. military deaths, at least 11 people killed in Israel and 555 people killed in Iran.

I believe that war is almost always unnecessary, especially when schools full of children are being bombed, but I am not here to comment on the righteousness or necessity of the attacks. I am here because the internet’s response to the war is tone deaf at best, downright nasty at worst.

Comment sections on TikToks about the war have been filled

Josh Pfleger-Bernat jbernat13@gmail.com OPINION

The City of Wichita is seeking to further enrich wealthy business interests, while making workingclass people pay to fix its past mistakes.

Votes will decide on March 3 on a ballot initiative to implement a 1% city-wide sales tax. The proposal was put together by Wichita Forward, a coalition of citizens, with most being owners of private businesses.

Regardless of the result, the sales tax proposal accomplished something many think of as impossible in our divisive political climate. It has brought people from across the political spectrum under one umbrella of opposing it. Wichita Forward claims to provide a way to fund critical necessities for the city. Over the course of seven years, the group projects a 1% sales tax to generate $850 million in revenue. That money will be distributed among five proposed areas. On the surface, these all sound like reasonable items that the average person would want to see funded. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details, and this requires pushing through the coordinated media campaign to understand the reality of the proposal.

The main point at the center of Wichita Forward’s proposal is that the city must implement a 1% sales

Somewhere, hundreds of families are grieving a person who won’t ever come home. Every death is someone’s baby who they won’t ever get to hold again.”

with phrases like “first war, kinda nervous,” or “our generation is so unserious.”

These are people’s lives being lost. Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. People’s neighbors and teachers are being bombed and killed in a war not everyone asked for. Somewhere, hundreds of families are grieving a person who won’t ever come home. Every death is someone’s baby who they won’t ever get to hold again.

Making jokes about deaths that don’t affect you isn’t cute or funny or a good way to gain clout on the internet. It’s childish and disgusting.

U.S. citizens who live near major military bases have posted about how scared they are on TikTok, and people have commented on those posts, celebrating the fact that they don’t live in a more targetable city, with GIFs and reaction photos.

Rubbing your fortune in the

tax, or property taxes will rise to make up for inadequate revenue for the city. Property tax increases have been controversial in Kansas, with the Kansas Legislature looking to address the issue in its current session.

By asserting that the city is struggling to get by, which is not in line with the city’s financial report for 2024, the proposal assumes that simply bringing more money in would solve many problems the city is facing.

To be clear, more funding for the areas outlined in the sales tax proposal would be beneficial. The problem is that it would not make up for how the city has neglected to address these issues adequately.

Let’s take a look at funding allocated for the Wichita Fire Department. Two main concerns have made headlines recently — mold in fire stations and slow fire response times.

Ted Bush, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 135 President, supports the sales tax initiative and has said that mold in fire stations has been a known problem for decades.

Response times by the Wichita Fire Department fall below the national standard of four minutes.

The Wichita Eagle found that the city has known about these issues for decades, but has failed to follow through with actual solutions.

The revenue generated from the sales tax would not cover the funding needed to address response times, thus repeating the cycle of Wichita city officials being aware of an issue, but failing to put together adequate solutions to solve it.

face of someone who is genuinely scared for their life isn’t the hilarious thing you think it is. It doesn’t matter if Iran doesn’t have the resources to attack the U.S. at their disposal right now; that is always subject to change, as alliances could be formed.

War is also unpredictable. Just because something isn’t considered a target at this moment, doesn’t mean it couldn’t change and that frightens me beyond belief because my city could become a target at any time.

As someone who lives in the Air Capital of the World, I feel fear every time I hear a plane fly overhead. I’m scared I won’t live to see 21, and people are making jokes about it. I’m terrified I’ll never get married or buy the lake house I’ve always wanted. I’ve called my mom every day since the conflict began because I’m scared of not being able to say ‘I love you’ enough to her before I die.

The examples of issues faced by the fire department may indicate that the city is finally addressing them by attempting to garner funds to pay for much-needed repairs.

A 6% tax on hotel rooms is meant to make up for operating deficits at Century II, but some of the revenue was found to be going to Visit Wichita, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. Visit Wichita has funded studies aimed at expanding the Bob Brown Expo Hall, which is attached to Century II, and is a key point in the sales tax proposal.

The issue is that the money from this “guest tax” is meant to be spent in a specific order of priorities. Century II’s operating and maintenance deficits are supposed to be covered before any money is sent to Visit Wichita.

Despite that, there have been repeated incidents of the city not covering all of the deficits that Century II accumulated, yet still paid money to Visit Wichita.

Instead of recognizing this issue and addressing it, the city has decided to fast-track a rushed sales tax proposal onto the general public. Rather than the sales tax vote occurring along with the August primary or November general election, the city council voted for the ballot to be on a special election, giving less time for residents to understand the ballot measure.

The city doubled down on this by voting against moving the ballot question to the later election dates after approving the ballot to be voted on by the public. Special elections have shown to have

Mandatory attendance has been a controversial issue among college students for many, many years.

I understand and have experienced both the unfairness of mandatory attendance, but also the cruciality of it. Ultimately, I believe that attendance should not be mandatory.

Mandatory attendance creates discomfort for a lot of students to miss any class at all, even if there is an emergency or a very important, once-in-a-lifetime event like attending your sibling’s wedding.

If being flippant on social media is how you cope with your own anxieties about this whole mess, keep that to yourself.

To the wannabe journalists who keep spreading misinformation, please just stop and for the people listening to them, please stop getting your news exclusively from social media. There are dozens of viable news organizations that present accurate and timely information like, BBC or AP News. Wait for the facts to be fully revealed or at least fact-check the information before reposting something to your story.

And to the people on the internet spreading disinformation about the war to raise the tensions and people’s fears, you are a specific kind of evil that I can’t even describe. Fueling the flames of people’s unease for fun is purely immature and vile, and adds no real benefit to society.

I shouldn’t even have to write this out, but here I am. Don’t publicly joke about the deaths this war has caused. Don’t laugh at people’s fears. The future is uncertain and frightening right now, no matter where you live or what flag you fly. It’s unnecessary to cause more heartache for a few likes and comments.

The threat of a docked grade can be a big intimidation factor that makes classes more worrisome, especially for those depending on having near-perfect grades, like those relying on scholarships. That’s why some students still show up when they are sick, injured or mentally unwell. However, not everyone can show up to class every time.

I have missed class because I stayed up late taking care of my blood sugar. As a diabetic who was going through insurance issues, this wasn’t easy to take care of.

I have also missed class because work can get in the way sometimes, and as a student wanting to eat, I need to work.

Despite all of the complaints about it, it does help people to learn better when they show up to class on time.

Even though teachers aren’t at large about deciding mandatory attendance, they do have the power to make exceptions and give leeway when it comes to students.

So while mandatory attendance can be unfair toward people who have to manage difficult circumstances, it is not going anywhere. So students who are negatively affected by attendance policies should advocate for themselves.

Teachers are human, too. They understand the troubles that life can bring. Most instructors have been where we are now. So please, if you are having trouble making it to class on time for one reason or another, talk to your teachers.

some of the lowest turnout rates, especially compared to presidential and midterm elections.

I, for one, see the disregard for voters who are facing obstacles to vote on the sales tax, combined with the city’s history of not allocating tax revenue correctly and being unable to address longrunning issues. When a well-funded private coalition of wealthy business interests wants to push the financial burden of the city’s past failures onto average Wichitans, the city happily obliges.

The issues the sales tax aims to address are valid concerns that need solutions. Maybe the city could seek to better its operational and administrative practices first, instead of throwing money at problems it has shown an inability to handle.

I hear there is a large group of wealthy individuals in Wichita who want to better the city. Maybe the city could scrape its pocketbooks before those of the people struggling to get by.

SPARKING CREATIVITY

PIZZA

Tuesday,

12:30

Come

WOMEN’S

Support

senior night as they take on the University of North Texas Mean Green. Current students can get free tickets digitally before the game.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: TEA PARTY AND PANEL

Wednesday, March 4 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Rhatigan Student Center

Celebrate women’s history month, hear from a panel of local women leaders and enjoy tea with other students. Hosted by the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging.

ARTIST TALK: TAIOMAH RUTLEDGE

Thursday, March 5 6 - 7 p.m.

Ulrich Museum of Art

Learn from multimedia artist Taiomah Rutledge, co-founder of the Warclan Collective, about his works exploring themes of identity, generational memory and cultural reclamation.

ONE-NIGHT ONLY WITH JULIUS THOMAS III

Thursday, March 5

7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Wiedemann Hall

Experience a performance from Julius Thomas III, known for Broadway and television performances in “Hamilton,” “Motown: The Musical” and “Sesame Street.”

SYMPHONIC BAND

Thursday, March 5

7:30 p.m.

Wichita Heights High School

Listen to a performance from the Wichita State Symphonic Band, focusing on winds and percussion. The band will perform both traditional and new pieces.

BASEBALL VS. WEST GEORGIA Friday, March 6 - Sunday March 8 Time varies Eck Stadium

Support Shocker Baseball as they take on West Georgia in a four-game series, including a double header on Saturday.

THE TENDER LAND OPERA Friday, March 6 / Sunday, March 8 7:30 p.m. / 3 p.m. Duerksen Fine Arts Center

Experience a performance of the opera “The Tender Land” by Aaron Copland. The performance is part of Wichita State Opera’s celebration of America’s 250th Birthday.

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC Saturday, March 7 3 p.m.

Charles Koch Arena

Support the Shockers on senior night as they take on the Florida Atlantic University Owls. Current students can get free tickets digitally before the game.

24-HOUR PLAY FESTIVAL Saturday, March 7

7:30 p.m.

Wilner Auditorium

Come to the 24-hour play festival to see new plays written by both local authors and globally recognized playwrights, performed by Wichita State theater students.