The Sunflower v. 130 i. 28 (April 28, 2026)

Student body president, vice president and others inaugurated for SGA’s 69th session

BY KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com

Student Body President Jayden Island was inaugurated into office on Thursday, officially beginning the 69th session of the Student Government Association.

Alongside Island, Student Body

Vice President Anoushka Raju, Chief Justice Vincent Duong and the 25 senators were inaugurated after being elected by their peers earlier this month.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era in student

government — an era filled with breakthroughs, hope and growth for the future,” Island said in their inaugural address.

Island started their speech by thanking students.

“Being able to engage with our student body and better understand the issues affecting them has helped us to develop a strategic plan for what we hope to accomplish during our term and connect with them on a deeper level,” Island said.

Witnessing uncertainties in

higher education and feeling “cast aside” by those who represent students made Island feel as though they couldn’t fit in. But getting involved with student government, Island “bore witness to a true passion for student service.”

After serving as an underserved senator and undergraduate student advocate, Island still said they felt Wichita State could evolve and better transform its students. One platform point of the Island and Raju campaign was to encourage school spirit.

A main point of Island’s speech was focused on giving students a voice, saying that they hope students “don’t have to believe that not speaking out is an option.”

University President Richard Muma opened the inauguration ceremony with words of praise for the former student body presidential administration and hope for the next.

“Your work in this next year is going to be so exciting, and I can’t wait to work with you,” Muma said.

KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com

After taking a position at Wichita State that he says was not at the appropriate level for his expertise, Chris Stone is leaving to pursue a more favorable role in New York.

‘PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT’

BY MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com

Adecade ago, Barbara Myers, a Wichita State graduate student and administrative specialist in the Department of Art, Design and Creative Industries founded Friends of the Wichita Pioneers.

The nonprofit organization cleans and cares for grave sites at Highland Cemetery.

Myers works full-time for the university and said that the organization is another full-time job on top of that.

“It’s a juggle,” she said. “I really like working at the university because it gives me the time to run to anthropology (class) or go out to the cemetery … it’s been very good, but it’s hard to leave here, go home and then work another full-time job.”

The idea for Friends of the Wichita Pioneers came from Myers’ love of history and a graduate school thesis project.

“I originally decided to do this because I was going to be studying history,” Myers said. “One of the projects I was working on in a class before that was to find people from Wichita’s history, and of course, where are they all buried? Highland Cemetery.”

Once Myers arrived at the cemetery, she realized how far into disarray it had fallen and decided she wanted to restore it.

“I found out who owned it, which was the city, got ahold of the city, and I said, ‘Can we do some work?’ and they said ‘You would have to have a non-profit, you would have to get permission from the (grave) owners, which is the families.’”

After that conversation, the first thing she did was start creating her nonprofit: getting incorporated with the state, registering as a 501c3 and getting insurance, which she said took her around a year.

“It’s absolutely worth it once we can get ahold of people and say ‘We’re researching your great great grandparents and we’d like to know more about them, can you tell us?’” Myers said. “We found people all over the country that really didn’t even know they had family here, so that’s been really nice.”

Volunteer-created, volunteer-led

Volunteers run the entire organization, and they charge nothing to give families information about their ancestors. They accept donations, fundraise and seek grants to raise money for the cleaning supplies and some of the tools.

Dalton Sanders has been working with Myers since the organization started, when they met in a class they took with WSU history professor Jay Price.

“I don’t know the singular event that got involved,” Sanders said. “It’s my volunteering thing, I like having one thing that (is) something to volunteer for, and that’s my thing. (It) helps me get back to the community in my own way, where I feel like I’m useful and value is added.”

National and local celebrities

Myers said that her favorite discovery of a family tie to Wichita has been Sandra Day O’Connor’s family. O’Connor was the first

woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice, nominated by Ronald Reagan.

“Sandra Day O’Connor’s greatgrandmother was from here, and they were only here for a couple of years,” she said. “She’s the only one here of the family; the rest of them moved on to where they are now. But when I got ahold of them … they had no idea.

“There’s a few (other) celebrities, people from Wichita’s history, who maybe the name means more if you’re from Wichita.”

New tools and projects

Sanders has a history and engineering background, which he said has been helpful in designing tools to assist the group.

“I designed our tripod that we use to lift stones out of the ground … or if they’ve fallen over, we use the tripod as well to put the stone on top of its base,” he said.

The organization is starting a new, smaller project within Highland, researching people who died in the 1930s and ‘40s for the county.

“They had very small markers that just had their initials and a number, and so there’s no family, they were just buried,” Myers said. “A lot of the stones have settled under the ground, and so some of them may be a foot below the ground now, so we’re going to bring those back up so that they’re still going to be respected like everyone else.

“Those are the ones that mean the most to me, the ones that you know probably didn’t have family, but they still deserve (respect).”

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

Ausha Moore isn’t just avoiding a sophomore slump. She’s turning it into a sophomore surge.

“I feel like I had a freshman slump,” Moore said. “I don’t feel like I had a very good freshman year.” It wasn’t as bad as she makes it sound. Call it an adjustment year. Moore hit .283, started all 57

‘People who deserve it’ Myers said the passion that goes into her organization’s work comes from the need to treat people with respect.

“It’s bringing relevance and respect to people who deserve it, just like everyone else,” she said.

“I am a historian (but) I never said 10 years ago, ‘I want to be a cemetery historian,’ but seeing how some of them are taken care of so badly through the course of grad school, the project I ended up doing for my thesis was finding segregated cemeteries in Kansas.”

During that project, Myers said she found about 85 segregated cemeteries.

“Seeing those people get the respect that they weren’t given at the time means a lot to me,” she said.

of North Texas’ games, drove in 26 runs and hit five homers. As she saw it, she “could only get better, couldn’t get any worse.” But even with steady production by most metrics, something about the game didn’t fully feel right. Toward the end of the season, Moore said she struggled mentally, and she wasn’t alone in her experience of that season. She then bet on herself and entered the

In the fall, Stone will be starting a tenured position at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, New York.

“I’m currently underemployed,” Stone said. “I’m overqualified for my position as a faculty member, I’m not in a tenure track position and I wanted to be on the tenure track,” Stone has been with WSU for seven years, currently as the department chair of management in the Barton School of Business. He is also the coordinator for the graduate human resources program.

“Taking care of people is one of my passions; that’s why I was interested in management or behavior in the first place, so being a department chair gives me the opportunity to do that,” Stone said. “Take care of my faculty, make sure they get what they need from the dean, kind of serve as a buffer between them and the administration.”

Alongside his current position, he serves as Faculty Senate president and has been a part of the senate on and off during his time at WSU.

“It’s been interesting, it’s really busy,” Stone said. “You know, a lot of people asking you for things. I really enjoy learning how the campus operates.”

Until a few years ago, Stone advised the Society of Human Resources Management at WSU.

“It was challenging, because I was the SHRM advisor before COVID, then COVID happened and everyone was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to do things online,’” Stone said. “Well, nobody wants to go to events online, and SHRM is mostly about networking, so it’s really hard to build a community around that.” Graduate business student Fabiola Ayarza-Anorga, who was a part of SHRM and took multiple classes with Stone, said that Stone has been a mentor to her during her time at WSU, and his influence on her academic and professional journey has been very meaningful to her.

“I could put a lot of trust on him because I felt very comfortable talking to him,” Ayarza-Anorga said. “... He was potentially very important, not only for me, but also for other students who really needed the support of somebody who understands and listens.” Ayarza-Anorga works at the Shocker Career Accelerator and as the co-advisor for WSU’s SHRM chapter. She said that everything she learned from Stone has greatly helped her in both of these positions.

transfer portal, searching for more than just a change of scenery, but a place where the game might feel right again.

It was a chance to rediscover the hitter she knew she could be. A chance to find a program and culture that could bring out the best version of her on and off the field. A chance to call somewhere her forever home. BY

Student Senate honors eight graduating members

BY KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com

Eight retiring members of Wichita State’s Student Senate were granted emeritus status during its final meeting of the 68th session on April 22.

Emeritus status is granted to some retiring members of the Student Senate based on their “commitment to the association and its ideals” and their impact on the association. A Student Government Association member must write a bill granting emeritus status, and the Student Senate votes to approve or fail each bill.

Riley Hansen

Riley Hansen has served as a senator representing honors students for three years. During the most recent session, she oversaw the growth of many new members within the Student Senate as the chairperson for the Student Services Committee.

“As long as I’ve known her, she’s always given us the space and support to explore our own initiatives,” Sen. Braeden Miller said. “... I just feel extremely grateful that during my first session serving the Student Government Association I got to do it with Chairperson Hansen.”

Jasmine Peng

Jasmine Peng served as a health professions senator and the chairperson for the Diversity, Empowerment and Inclusion Committee this year. Recently, she has played a role in helping make sure SGA is compliant with state and university policies. Peng has

In the previous issue, The Sunflower ran a mistake in “Wichita State seeks 4% tuition increase to address funding cuts” that incorrectly stated that Wichita State plans to request a 4% increase in tuition rates. The university is actually considering a 4-5% increase. The story also referred to Vice President of Strategic Communications and Marketing Shelly Coleman-Martins as Shelly Coleman-Martin.

Since last week’s publication that included “Corbin Education Center offering tours to raise money for conservation,” Director of Strategic Communications Lainie MazzulloHart, members of the Allen House and the Friends of Corbin have told The Sunflower that Wichita State does not have any current plans to turn the Corbin Education Center into a museum. The Friends of Corbin, an organization dedicated to supporting the preservation of the Corbin Education Center, is interested in preserving the building. The Sunflower is committed to accuracy and takes care to prevent errors in its publications. Therefore, we believe in being transparent when addressing and correcting inaccuracies when they occur.

been in the senate for four years, previously serving as an at-large senator.

“A lot of you guys mentioned during my bill that I made you feel welcomed when you first started. Chairperson Peng was that person for me,” Hansen said. “... I have always known that if I don’t know anyone else in the room, I can go sit next to Chairperson Peng.”

Jia Wen Wang

Former Student Body President

Jia Wen Wang was previously an underserved senator, and served on the Diversity, Empowerment and Inclusion, and Budget and Finance Committees in the 65th session, then later as the student body treasurer in the 66th and 67th sessions.

“Throughout each step of the way, whether it’s serving as the student body treasurer, whether it’s serving as the student body president, you have always made the SGA space feel welcoming, inclusive to everyone that’s here in this space,” Speaker of the Student Senate Matthew Phan said to Wang. “... When you think of someone that serves as student body president, that serves on behalf of the student body, they all think of you.”

Amy Nguyen

For her three years of service in SGA, former Vice President Amy Nguyen was also granted emeritus status. Previously, Nguyen served as the director of public relations in the 66th session and director of engagement and outreach in the 67th.

“Each and every senator, I can say, has been touched by you,” Phan said to Nguyen. “Touched by your impact, even if it’s not a direct impact, the example that you set for leadership has truly changed our Student Government Association. I’m also proud to say that, between the two of us, you’re the better vice president within the past two sessions.”

Victoria Owens

Victoria Owens was the speaker of the senate in the 67th session. Owens resigned from the senate partway through the 68th session due to time constraints, Sen. Andrew Hatch said, but in her time in SGA, she served as chairperson for the Academic Affairs and Student Services Committees.

“She embodies what emeritus status should be and has more than earned the title,” Hatch said. “... Recognizing outstanding work is the bare minimum that we can do to give people their flowers, as we have done for the rest of the night.”

Lesly Hernandez

Lesly Hernandez has been in the judicial branch of SGA since the 66th session. Starting as an associate justice and then serving as chief justice for two terms, she has mentored many members of SGA and participated in 22 court cases.

“I absolutely love Lesly Hernandez,” Nguyen said. “I had the pleasure of working with her in multiple spaces, and I can confidently say that Lesly is someone who I genuinely look up to, literally. She does everything with such grace, love and care.

That girl genuinely has so much passion and has done incredible work for the student body as a whole.”

Lily Arens

Legislative and Policy Affairs

Director Lily Arens has served in SGA since the 65th session, when she joined the Freshman Leadership Council. Later, she was elected as a fine arts senator and chair of the subcommittee of Student Affairs in the 66th session, and served in her director role for the last two year. She has also been the fine arts finance commissioner for three years.

“She has been an amazing advocate for the students on campus in everything that she does,” Hatch said. “We have had the pleasure of working together both in senate and trauma bonding over student fees, just an absolute great example of what a member of the cabinet should be and has been for years.”

Abby Otten

Abby Otten has served as an engineering senator for the 68th session, but followed the senate closely before joining and was a part of the Student Organization Council.

Phan praised Otten’s passion and dedication.

“I remember in our first SGA interaction, for the Student Organization Council – I distinctly remember a SOC meeting and Abby by far was the most passionate one in the meeting to talk about student organizations’ needs for the student body,” Phan said.

“He has been one of the persons who have been pushing me to apply for so many jobs during my career,” AyarzaAnorga said. “Not to lose faith, not to lose my goal, who I am, always make sure I remember all my talent I have.”

Stone’s first full-time position after finishing college was at Emporia State in 2015, but for about a year, he was a part-time adjunct professor at WSU before that.

He was at ESU for about three years, starting as a management professor, and in his third year, became associate department chair.

Stone said he first left Emporia State because his wife was a faculty member in the College of Education at WSU. At Emporia State, he was on a tenure-track, but accepted a nontenure track position at WSU so he wouldn’t have to commute.

“Then my wife left the university,” Stone said. “I followed her to this job, and so she’s going to follow me. Kansas was never going to be our last stop; that was never in the cards. The opportunity came up, so I applied for the position.”

Stone said his wife left the university in 2022 after the College of Education went through leadership changes that left her feeling unsupported by the administration at the time.

“She wanted to be a professor and teach teachers, so it was heartbreaking for her,” Stone said. “Because of that, I do hold some kind of resentment towards the institution, but also as an organizational studies, organizational behavior guy, I understand that the greater institution, the entire university, is not a human entity.”

His first experience with teaching was during his PhD program as a graduate research and teaching assistant.

He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Texas, San Antonio in 2014. Growing up, he said he lived mostly in the Memphis, Tennessee area. Later, he joined the air force where he lived overseas for a couple of years, and was then stationed in San Antonio and went back to graduate school once his tour ended.

At Marist University, Stone said he’s excited to be able to teach smaller classes in person as he did at Emporia State. At WSU, he teaches mostly online.

“I’m so happy for his students that had classes face-to-face with him at some point,” AyarzaAnorga said. “... He is the coolest teacher and people always remember him because he has a very good mood to talk and (is) always smiling, always open to help other people and listen and interact with students.”

Ayarza-Anorga said that Stone is very personable and provides great support to his students. She said, as an international student from Peru, she’s faced a lot of challenges and has been very fortunate to have him guide her.

“I do enjoy the few relationships I build with my students, but most of them hide behind the turned off camera, you know, it is what it is,” Stone said. “I don’t have the same engagement that I did say, at Emporia State, where I had smaller classes and most of them were face to face, so we’re looking forward to that.”

SPORTS

A little about men’s basketball’s latest transfer portal additions

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

The men’s basketball team signed two newcomers from the transfer portal April 23 and 24.

Bryce Heard, a former Dayton wing, and Cyr Malonga, a center who most recently played for New Mexico State, are the third and fourth transfer portal additions ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Bryce Heard Heard, a 6-foot-6 soon-tobe-junior, committed Thursday morning, which was first reported

Women’s tennis NCAA Tournament bound for first time since 2018

BY MACK SMITH

mackred22@gmail.com

For the first time since 2018, the Wichita State women’s tennis team will compete in the NCAA Tournament.

The Shockers found out they will play in the Norman Regional this weekend during Monday’s selection show.

WSU finished the season 21-4, which included a record-breaking 19-game win streak.

The Shockers made it to the conference championship game but fell to Rice, 4-2.

WSU will play a former American Conference foe, SMU, in the first round of the tournament. The Shockers beat the Mustangs earlier this season.

On the other side of the bracket, host Oklahoma will play Kansas. WSU has also played the Sooners and Jayhawks this season.

The Shockers’ first-round game will be on Saturday. The time has yet to be announced.

At first, however, the transfer portal felt uncertain. Moore said she feared there may not be a phone call or text.

“That might sound crazy, I guess, but that’s just how I felt,” Moore said. “I mean, I hit .280, had 30 strikeouts. I didn’t feel like I put my best foot forward to even begin to go somewhere else.

“I know the type of hitter that I could have been, and I don’t feel like I was that my freshman year.” Enter Wichita State.

Assistant coach Elizabeth Economon had done the bulk of Moore’s recruitment while the Del City, Okla., native attended Carl Albert High School. Though Moore initially attended North Texas, she never left the Shockers’ radar.

The WSU coaching staff had seen flashes of what she could become — moments throughout last season that hinted at more than just talent. Moore even hit a three-run home run during the quarterfinals of the conference tournament that sent the Shockers packing.

“I thought, ‘Okay, this kid’s

by Sam Kayser on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Heard comes to WSU after one season at North Carolina State and one at Dayton. He will have at least two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The Wichita Eagle reported Saturday that Heard took an official visit with the Shockers the weekend of April 18.

Heard received only 6.3 minutes a game while at NC State.

His production increased while at Dayton, which reached the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals last season and finished 25-12 and in fourth place in the Atlantic 10. Heard averaged 18.4 minutes per game during his time with the Flyers and saw his scoring average increase from 1.2 points a game as a freshman to 6.6 points as a sophomore.

His shooting numbers jumped, too, as he went from 31.8% from the floor, 20% from 3-point range and 66.7% from the foul line at NC State to 43.8% from the field,

36.6% from deep and 79.1% at the line with Dayton last season.

Cyr Malonga

Malonga announced his commitment last Friday afternoon on his personal Instagram account. The Shockers are now 4-for-4 on transfer portal visits this offseason, as guards Jordan Frison and Jahari Long, and Heard took visits as well.

Malonga brings three seasons of experience with him, including time spent in the American Conference. He will have at least one year of eligibility remaining entering his senior year.

Malonga, a 6-foot-11 Congo native, played 24 games with the Aggies last season and started 16 of them — 15 of which were at the beginning of the year. His role shrank by the end of the year and finished with averages of 3.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.4 blocks per game.

Malonga spent two years at East Carolina before then. As a freshman, he played in 28 games and in 18 games as a sophomore.

Women’s hoops hires experienced associate head coach

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

Wichita State women’s basketball added veteran leadership to its sidelines Monday afternoon — and it wasn’t through the transfer portal.

Instead, the team announced Melanie Balcomb was hired as an associate head coach. Balcomb most recently was the head coach at Division II Ohio Dominican for three seasons.

“Melanie Balcomb brings championship experience, a Final Four pedigree and a track record of developing elite players at the highest level,” WSU head coach Terry Nooner said in a statement.

“She’s a proven leader who knows how to build, sustain and elevate programs.”

Balcomb has 21 years of Division I head coaching experience and led teams to 15-straight NCAA Tournament appearances — three at Xavier from 1999-2001 and 12 at Vanderbilt from 2003-14.

Balcomb led Xavier to a program-record 31 wins and an

ELIZABETH ECONOMON

Associate head coach, WSU softball

two jacks against us and had some really good at bats. You saw that there is a lot of potential in her.”

So when Moore’s name popped up in the portal, Wichita State didn’t hesitate.

“For us, it was an immediate text,” Bredbenner said. “Coach E texted her. I texted her, creating that conversation right away because we knew she could be a game changer for us.”

What started as an uncertainty became a chance for Moore to reset. And not just her career, but how she felt about the game itself.

A chance to grow into what she and the coaching staff envisioned.

A chance, maybe, to fall back in love with softball.

After one visit to campus, she was sold. The conversations with the coaching staff made her feel she belonged, both as a player and

She’s a proven leader who knows how to build, sustain and elevate programs.”

TERRY NOONER Head coach, WSU women’s basketball “

NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001 during her tenure in Cincinnati, Ohio. She finished with a record of 135-78.

Balcomb continued to raise the bar during her 14 seasons as Vanderbilt’s head coach from 20022016. Along with 12-straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Balcomb’s guidance, she’s also the all-time winningest head coach in Commodores history at 310-149.

Vanderbilt recorded 11 consecutive 20-plus-win seasons while she was there.

Balcomb was also on Dawn Staley’s staff at South Carolina when the Gamecocks won their first national championship in 2017.

type of coaches that they were,” Moore said. “As soon as I stepped on campus, I kind of knew that this is where I wanted to go.”

Not long after, she committed. That decision is now defining Moore’s season and, in many ways, reshaping how she feels about the game.

One of the latest examples came during the Charlotte roadtrip.

That’s when Moore rifled a program record-tying three home runs and set a new mark with nine RBIs in a single game during the series finale. None of them were cheap either.

Her first one, in the second at bat of the game, traveled over the center field wall after the 49ers’ pitcher served Moore one down the middle. Her second, in the same inning, was carried past the fence in left field — a grand slam that shut the door on the 49ers before they

“It’s exciting,” Economon said. “It’s also reassuring that what we’re doing is working because we’re seeing a lot of growth there.

“We’re seeing a lot of growth in a lot of our players. So, I think our system and our processes are good. When you see output and success, then you feel like, ‘Okay, good, we’re going to stay the course, we’re going to keep doing our things.’”

Now, Moore is entering the conversation as one of the program’s top players — being mentioned alongside names like CC Wong, Addison Barnard, Lauren Lucas and Sydney McKinney. She isn’t ready to put herself there yet, though.

everybody’s familiar with. So they know there’s work to be done.

“As soon as they were interested, I was like, ‘All this feels familiar. This feels good.’ So they were engaged from the get-go and they bought in on the process.”

It’s a process that has already reshaped Moore’s career. More quietly, it restored something she didn’t fully realize was gone.

“I always had the talent, but I feel like I didn’t always have the belief in myself to go out there and do it,” Moore said. “I feel like just consistently proving to myself that I am capable has been the biggest factor for me. Working with the coaches really helped.”

Economon sees the difference not in just performance, but in Moore’s presence.

“When you see the work paying off, I think it’s more rewarding,” she said. “The success, the on-field stuff is always rewarding.

“But to see how happy she is or how comfortable she is, that’s the best part because I think happy, comfortable, confident people play better softball.”

Moore’s trifecta was complete when, on a 3-1 count in the third, she sent one to right field for her third homer of the afternoon on a pitch in the outer half of the zone.

“I was just seeing the ball big that day and the opportunity kept

“The energy was high and we knew going into that weekend that we needed to get a sweep, and so I was just really proud of our team

games this year, conference in home runs (20), RBIs base percentage (.576), walks (43) and hit by pitch (13). Her strikeout numbers have dipped drastically from 29 last season to 13 this year.

But as it stands, Moore is up there. Her slugging percentage (.929) ranks third all-time in a single season, only behind the numbers Barnard put up in 2022 and 2024. Moore’s home run total ranks fifth in program history, and her on base percentage would place her in second.

“I would have never thought that I would even be in the conversation,” she said. “I still have a long way to go before I can even be considered in those realms.

“It’s definitely driving me to be the best that I can be.”

Economon sees that drive through Moore’s work ethic. It’s the same kind of drive that hinted this turnaround might be possible from the beginning and that the comparisons aren’t empty words.

Before fall practices began, while most newcomers were still adjusting to campus, Moore was ready to get to work immediately. For Economon, that mindset stood out.

“It was a breath of fresh air,” she said. “We’ve had great players here in the past, and she (Moore) knows that. And a lot of the other newcomers, they’ve seen that.

“We talk about the CC Wongs and the Lauren Lucases and Syd McKinneys and Addie Barnards. Like, those are people that

More importantly, Moore’s relationship with the game feels different now. Not just improved, but restored.

The growth, the confidence, the production — they can only tell part of the story. What’s changed most is how she feels when stepping onto the field.

For the first time since arriving on a college campus, Moore has found something that once felt out of reach.

A place where she can fully be herself.

A place where the game feels like it once did.

A place she can call a forever home, which Moore said is what Wichita State has meant to her.

“They’ve given me another chance to love the game again,” Moore said. “I feel like I fell out of love with it my freshman year. They’ve given me the opportunity and the space to feel safe enough to open up to them and be who I am.

“Hitting good or bad, it doesn’t matter — I’m surrounded by people who love me and who want to see me succeed, and I think that’s the biggest prize I could ask for.”

ARTS & CULTURE

AN EVENING WITHOUT REST

Impulse Percussion Group performs with the Britain Moore Duo

BY PEYTON ECK

eckpeyton3@gmail.com

There’s no rest for the wicked, and there certainly wasn’t rest for the Wichita State University Impulse Percussion Group during last week’s “Sleepless in Wichita” performance.

Joined by guest percussionists the Britain Moore Duo, Impulse captivated the Miller Concert Hall with a lively program that had guests dancing in their seats on April 20.

Ten musicians make up Impulse: Adam Tillberg, Sarah Woosley Carter, Michaela Anderson, Noah Buller, Garrett Knight, Broonie John Lingala, Miranda Marler, Ari Solomon, Kyan Tenpenny and Katie Valentine.

The Britain Moore Duo, composed of steel pan specialist Mat Britain alongside vibes and marimba artist Dan Moore, has been performing together for over 40 years – but their first performance was right here at WSU as students.

The duo first met as student musicians while attending the university. They’re one of the

longest-running percussion duos still active today and are known for their unique blend of musical styles.

“We’re as old as cassette tapes. But that was our start, and we’ve stayed in touch,” Britain said.

The pair met in a student steel band and came together while working to compose a cassette with the band. Moore was brought in to play marimba, and Britain had pulled him aside during a lunch break to fill in parts. By the time the rest of the band returned, they had their first two demos.

After their time at WSU, the two found themselves on separate life paths. Britain was in Ohio, performing gigs and failing to get arrested, which is a running joke between the duo. Moore had been teaching at Montana State University.

“It’s still unclear who made the first phone calls to say, ‘Hey, we should do something,’” Moore said.

In the early days of forming, they decided to go on tour together; however, they hadn’t come up with what to play. The first thought was the music they

had recorded together on cassette, but neither could remember it. So, they started from scratch.

They went on to travel the summers together, playing on riverboats and cruises – ‘whatever we can, take a chance’ gigs.

“And here we are 40 years later, still trying to get arrested,” said Moore.

The April performance took its name from the featured piece ‘Sleepless,’ an arrangement that Moore wrote in a day’s time, staying awake overnight to complete it.

Moore also composed program pieces “Cricket City” and “Calypso #2.”

During “Calypso #2,” the Britain Moore Duo was joined by Gerald ‘Jerry’ Scholl, Impulse’s director and the head of the percussion department. Scholl then returned during an intermission ‘concert talk’ with the duo.

The duo also arranged several pieces for the program, music that they play consistently in their travels. That music included “The Nearness of You” by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington and a collection of music by

Armando ‘Chick’ Corea, including “Open Your Eyes You Can Fly” and “Crystal Silence.” Impulse swapped in and out with the duo for performing time, playing music such as “Le Tombeau de Couperin” by Maurice Ravel, “Pattern Transformation” by Lukas Ligeti, “Ogoun Badagris” by Christopher Rouse and “Rituals” by David Skidmore. They also featured classical works from the legendary composers Richard Strauss and Johann Sebastian Bach, “Neue Pizzicato Polka” and “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” respectively. The entire performance is available on the Wichita State School of Music’s Youtube.

‘Time

Stands Still’ shares the reality of life after witnessing war

BY MIA MALCOM

miamalcolm4@gmail.com

After witnessing and capturing pictures in the Iraq war, a photojournalist and her significant other are faced with the challenging question of, is living to tell the truth of misery more important than living in joy?

Wichita State University’s School of Performing Arts had opening night for the play “Time Stands Still” on April 22 in the Welsbacher Theater, directed by Sheldon Mba.

The show follows a photojournalist, Sarah Goodman played by Mia Dennett, and her significant other, James, played by Colton Farmer, both of whom are trying to readjust to life after returning from covering the Iraq War. In the show, they face significant challenges because a roadside bomb injured Sarah, but she craves to go back anyway.

As a person who took only one drama class but has seen many theatrical performances, the opening night of this play had some of the best live acting I’ve seen in a long time. Farmer’s embodiment of James particularly stood out to me. It seemed so effortless and real compared to some of the acting I’ve seen before; it was very well done. I found myself invested in the story from the beginning, like I was watching life from an observer’s standpoint. The sound design was minimal, which created more emphasis on the silent tension during pauses and the words themselves.

With the focus on conversation, it can be harder for some to get invested; however, this was one of the hardest-hitting plays that I have ever seen. Not only because of the phenomenal acting, but because the play hit close to home to me as a journalist.

There is a scene that shows Sarah, James, Mandy played by Olivia Lybarger, and Richard played by Gabriel Almodovar. Richard is the couple’s longtime friend and colleague, and Mandy is Richard’s significant other. They are in the living room going through photos Sarah took while in Iraq.

One of the photos the group witnesses depicts a child that is near death and it did not sit right

with Mandy. Mandy and Sarah begin to argue about why Sarah did not help the child, but Sarah keeps her professional attitude about capturing and sharing the truth with others without intervening. Mandy, however, believes that pictures may share the truth but doesn’t think a single person can do anything from a different part of the world just by seeing it.

Once that argument was had, I was fully invested in the show, and the actors absolutely nailed their performance in that scene.

‘Time Stands Still” uses a single set with multiple prop changes throughout the performance, allowing the audience to focus on the acting and dialogue. The prop changes were used to show what was going on in a scene.

Such as the wedding night where beer bottles are seen and James behaves drunkenly. The set looked like a studio apartment containing a couch and a recliner chair and, behind them, raised up a few steps, was a bed. There was also a functional kitchen included in the set.

Coffee was made on set and the sink worked so they poured water on set as well. It really was like I was watching someone else’s life.

Another aspect that really drew my attention were the windows. Lighting was used so that day and night were able to be shown and I thought that was a great detail to include. I also enjoyed the warm lighting used throughout.

The actors also changed outfits multiple times throughout the play in order to showcase different events and time moving forward, and I think that was a great way to do so. The outfits ranged from dresses and suits on James and Sarah’s wedding day to casual attire such as shirts, jeans, sweaters, and light jackets.

Overall, I think this play was phenomenal.

The acting was so engaging and natural, and the way that the messages were depicted and brought up throughout was so engaging. It was a very well done

Students celebrate Japanese culture with annual Japan Festival

Martial arts performances, artist booths, presentations and a haiku contest take place in the Rhatigan Student Center.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to an article written by Kami Steinle on April 20 entitled “Corbin Education Center offering tours to raise money for conservation.” In the article, tour guide DJ Spaeth is quoted as saying that Corbin “is not functional” for the needs of students and faculty.

Spaeth’s comments should NOT be interpreted to represent the views of longtime faculty, staff and students whose offices and classrooms are located in Corbin Education Center. I am in my 16th year of teaching in Wichita State

OPINION

University’s College of Education, and my office and classrooms have been housed in Corbin since I began in 2010—with the exception of 17 months (March 2024 through Aug. 2025) when the building was rendered uninhabitable due to flood damage. During that time, my colleagues and I moved to the basement of Hubbard Hall and taught classes in various buildings across campus. Let me just say, we were ecstatic to move back to Corbin last fall.

Our students were thrilled too. Since moving back, my students have commented about how Corbin is the most accessible building

on campus in terms of elevator location and ease of access to the main floor. They have expressed appreciation for the student study space, the attractive and comfortable classrooms (many of which are equipped with flexible seating) and the natural light that pours into every classroom and office space. Faculty members frequently bring their students out to the promenade by the fountain for learning activities and class discussions. And we all take pride in teaching and learning in a historic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright specifically for those purposes. Corbin Education Center

Automatic

service registration is

This December, a major shift in the United States’ military policy will take effect. Young men ages 18-26 will be automatically registered for the Selective Service.

At first glance, it appears that our nation is simply streamlining a process that already exists, maybe even taking an extra task off a young man’s plate. In reality, the enforcement of this is at the very least, suspiciously timed and at most, exceptionally dangerous.

For decades, 18-26-year-old men have been required to independently register for the draft. There has not been an official draft since the Vietnam War.

Some states, such as Arizona and Delaware, already have an automatized system in place when an individual registers for a form of state identification.

This administration and its supporters will say that this new

Whiteface

“Whiteface” does exist literally; someone who is not white can paint their face white in an attempt to mimic a white person for a costume. A recent example is Druski’s viral political comedy skit, and the most famous probably being the Wayans Bro’s “White Chicks.”

However, whiteface as a systematic entertainment, which plays a part in the historic stigmatization and disenfranchisement of a group of people, does not exist.

Whiteface may trigger white people, but it does not have the mass amount of power that blackface does. Blackface is an institutional foundation in

policy is simply a formality and a much needed update. In doing this, they say they are making the process more efficient and fair.

It is hard to ignore that datasharing and automatic systems help maintain a majority of our information in this century. Automatizing the draft means fewer gaps and fewer penalties for (accidental) noncompliance. This is a win-win for everybody, right?

In this logic alone, there are glaring ethical issues.

First, automatizing the draft on a national level is essentially removing the act of consent from the process. Enforcing this policy takes away the conscious awareness that these young men have when they choose to register. Instead, the process is done through databases.

And while the penalties for choosing to dodge the draft are extremely severe and it is seemingly compliance over consent, registering is still somewhat of a choice.

Second, this system doesn’t just apply to United States citizens. It includes refugees and green card holders, as well as immigrants without legal resident status. This

American comedic history. It’s in its own sub-genre of comedy, solely meant to make fun and dehumanize Black people while entertaining their oppressors.

Blackface is when a white or light-skinned person paints their face black or a darker color to mimic the appearance of a Black person.

It began in 1828 during the Jim Crow Era by white performer Thomas Rice, who played the “Black” character Jim Crow, the source of the term that refers to discriminatory laws during that era.

During these shows, Rice would, in blackface, play into the stereotypes and stigmatizations of Black people in a highly dramatized way, performing for comedy. These performances did irreparable damage to a common person’s view and understanding of blackness in ways that are still prevalent today. The way Black people were portrayed in the media in other

is part of our identity as teacher educators and future teachers. I would also like to note that for anyone interested in visiting Corbin Education Center to observe and photograph Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural design, the building is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., year-round, except for winter break. Come by and see Wright’s design being used as it was intended: a space for teaching and learning.

Katie Cramer Professor of English Education Wichita State University

Kansas lawmakers further their agenda through politicizing women’s healthcare (again)

Lawmakers are responsible for creating, amending and passing laws that are in the best interest of all their constituents. Yet, Kansas lawmakers have managed to misinterpret their job description as that of a doctor, yet again, with the proposition of House Bill 2729.

The bill would “amend informed consent provisions of the Woman’sRight-to-Know Act (Act) concerning required information and required notice signs for both abortion procedures and medication abortion.”

administration’s efforts to enforce this policy while simultaneously having an abrasive stance on immigration furthers this ethical issue.

And finally, it’s the timing of it all. We are not in an age of global or even national stability. This change being enacted can not simply be viewed as an administrative upgrade. The fact that it is being framed to citizens this way is dangerous.

It would be easy to deflect and say that this policy was passed in December 2025, before the United States was fighting a war against Iran. But with the reality of rising tensions and debate over U.S. involvement in the war, it is difficult to think it is all merely a coincidence.

That being said, there is no automatic draft currently, nor is there a guarantee that one will occur. Trump can not authorize this alone.

There is a thin line between “this changes nothing” and “this changes everything.” And when it comes to automating something as complex as war, we as citizens have a responsibility to remain engaged and critically observant.

countries was also affected. Blackface systematically established Black people as caricatures for entertainment and not as people.

Whiteface simply does not and cannot have this effect on society. There is no argument that it can. People who say otherwise have a flawed misunderstanding of blackface.

It was not just a costume or dressing up; this was a performance used to reinforce stereotypes that continue to have long-term ramifications on the Black community to this day.

Whiteface is in the media right now because of the Druski and Erica Kirk drama. Druski, a Black comedian, dressed in whiteface and made a comedy sketch about a white political character. Kirk and her companies felt that the character was making fun of her.

Many ask, “What if it were the other way around?” to which I say

This bill was introduced per the request of the pro-life organization Kansans for Life, and passed 31-9 in the Senate and 87-37 in the House.

Governor Laura Kelly vetoed it, as well as House Bill 2727, which would make it easier for individuals who have had abortions to sue doctors or clinics for providing a necessary medical procedure.

It’s unsettling that Kansas lawmakers are attempting to manipulate their way back into the offices of medical professionals and their patients on behalf of pro-life organizations and ideology.

In 2022, the people of this state rejected the Value Them Both Amendment, securing the right for an individual to make the medical decision to have an abortion. Citizens of Kansas have made it clear that we don’t want the government involved in women’s decisions about pregnancy.

Kelly considered Kansas lawmakers’ decision to advocate for these bills preposterous, stating, “Kansans have made it clear that they want the government to stay out of women’s private health care decisions. This bill does the opposite” and “At some point, I hope the politicians in Topeka will recognize that Kansans want them out of their doctors’ offices, but

until they do, I’ll continue to veto bills like this” about HB 2927. Advocates for HB 2729 will tell you that this bill shouldn’t be controversial. The requirement that physicians provide patients with approved packets with governmentcontrolled verbiage of informed consent, risks of abortion and “abortion reversal” are formalities.

In response, the question that needs to be asked is what exactly do they believe is going on in these rooms? There is already an efficient and effective process set in place.

It seems convenient that a system that has worked well for thousands of people in this state suddenly needs to be changed to appease politicians and religious advocates.

It’s important to note that another advocate for HB 2729 includes the Kansas Catholic Conference. Lucrecia Nold, the organization’s policy specialist, stated that this bill was vital, saying, “Many women who obtain abortions do so under pressure, without adequate information and later experience profound grief and regret. Informed consent is not a bureaucratic formality. It is a safeguard for human dignity.”

The Kansas Catholic Conference heavily promoted the Value Them Both bill. The hypocrisy in Nold’s statement is astounding. To speak so passionately about women who obtain abortions under pressure while simultaneously being part of an organization that advocated for women to be pressured into pregnancy is dumbfounding.

Many of the governor’s vetoes were overridden prior to the legislative session concluding. As Kansans we have to see these bills for what they are.

This is not about the residents of this state, our best interest or even our consent. This isn’t about protecting individuals needing, wanting or simply having abortions. This is about Kansas lawmakers forcing pro-life ideology on its residents to advance their political agenda.

communities

it has been and continues to be. Or, people say that the joke is out of bounds – coming from the same people who insist that everyone else are snowflakes, and can’t take a joke. The truth is, white people have always and will always make tasteless, race-based jokes, including the usage of blackface.

I honestly don’t see why Black people on small scales, every now and then, can’t do the same. Whiteface may hurt your feelings, you may find it unfunny, but it has zero historical ramifications as an entertainment art form, therefore, to me is

CHARITY TUNES

Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosts Paddy Palooza concert event, donates proceeds to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals

CIVIC

LAVENDER

by the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging.

SPANISH GRADUATION CEREMONY Thursday, April 30

6 - 8:30 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center

Come to the Spanish Speaking Graduation Celebration, hosted by the Adelante Juntos Faculty and Staff Association. The event will take place in Beggs Ballroom.

SOFTBALL VS. MEMPHIS Thursday, April 30 - Saturday, May 2 Times Vary Wilkins Stadium

Come support the Shocker softball team as they take on the University of Memphis at Wilkins Stadium. Students can pick up free digital tickets with a valid Shocker ID.

ORATORIO CONCERT

Sunday, May 3

3 p.m.

Duerksen Fine Arts Center

Listen to a performance from the WSU ensembles and orchestra featuring works by Linda Tutas Haugen, Johannes Brahms and Craig Hella Johnson.