Author: Caelin Bragg

Sophie Martins chose Wichita State University for the opportunities she saw at the university, which culminated in being elected as the student body vice president at Wichita State during the 2023-24 academic year and getting a Legal Education Accelerated Degree, which will propel her into law school, alongside graduating with her bachelor’s degree.

Iris Okere joined Wichita State University for its affordability and distance to her home in Texas. Here, she found WSU to be a place full of opportunities for her, including a chance grow her own confidence and independence through the challenges she faced, and in her final year, she was elected to the position of student body president in the Student Government Association.

Join Campus Recreation for its annual 5K Pumpkin Run starting at 9 a.m. Oct. 19 on campus. Early signups receive a discounted rate to register.

Participants will receive a free Pumpkin Run T-shirt, and everyone who crosses the finish line will receive a finisher medal. Registration for the 5K Pumpkin Run is $27 through June 30, so sign up now. Get a personal referral code to sign up your friends, family and/or coworkers, and if five people sign up with the code, you get $15 off your race fee.

Additionally, signups are also open for the Little Pumpkin Fun Run 1K and Virtual 5K events:

• The Little Pumpkin Fun Run 1K, which is from 10:19 to 10:45 a.m. Oct. 19, is designed for children 10 years old or younger. Signups cost $17 through June 30.
• The Virtual 5K registration is $37 and allows participants to run from anywhere.

Sierra Marie Bonn struggled to balance her work and education, but with the help of scholarships from the Miss Kansas Organization, she was able to earn an undergraduate and graduate degree from Wichita State University. She graduates with her Master of Innovation Design and following graduation, she will compete in the 2024 Miss Kansas Competition and continue working on the non-profit organization she founded while she was a student, Let’s Go Full STEAM Ahead.

Christen Brouillette came to Wichita State University from Texas, which they found hard to transition to, but with the help of peers, faculty and the resources available at WSU, they were able to find success. They hope to work as a historian or archivist following graduation.

The military brought Morgan Campbell and her family to Wichita, and she decided to make it her home. She has earned a master’s degree in social work, and she plans “to promote safety, growth and opportunities” for families in her practice.

As a full-time employee of Wichita State University, Gabriel Fonseca struggled to balance work, classes and a personal life while he pursued his doctoral degree; but, ultimately, the support of the university community helped him persevere.

With two young children at home, U.S. Air Force Major Jade Driggs needed to learn to ask and accept help from others while she was working toward her Ph.D. in human factors psychology. She chose Wichita State University for its impressive human factors psychology program and the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Wichita State University’s Amanda Schmalzried has won the 2024 Bela Kiralyfalvi Student Playwriting Competition for her play, “The Angel of Death.”

Schmalzried’s play was among 29 scripts submitted from 24 colleges and universities across the nation. She is the seventh Wichita State student who has won the competition in its 49-year history.

“The Angel of Death” will be presented as a staged reading in March 2025 at the Welsbacher Theatre in the WSU Hughes Metroplex.

Last night Wichita State Police officers were able to investigate and clear a non-credible bomb threat within a few short hours, restoring campus to normal operations.

The call indicated the presence of an explosive device at Wallace Hall and the 21st Street Starbucks. While police quickly suspected the threat was not real, immediate action was taken by our emergency response team, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, to ensure that there was no credible danger to our community.

The WSU campus community was alerted of the reported threat through the RAVE system. All individuals were asked to evacuate and avoid these areas.

The all-clear was issued at 12:45 a.m. on Friday morning.

As operations return to normal, now is a good reminder that false threats like these are a crime and tax the time and resources of many people, including our first responders.

The safety and security of our campus community are of the utmost priority. Though there is no threat to campus, diligence is always important.

Remember, if you see something, say something by calling 978-3450 or 911.