Author: Caelin Bragg

Niki Noland is a spring 2025 Wichita State graduate who majored in studio art, concentrating in print media. Before leaving Wichita State and the College of Fine Arts, Noland directly impacted Wichita’s art scene, interning for the City of Wichita’s Arts and Cultural Services Department and public art manager, Jana Erwin.

As a student, Noland was active on campus and in the art, design and creative industries program. They were a mentor for the College of Fine Arts You Belong Here: Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program. As a mentor, they developed leadership qualities by assisting mentees with academic and professional work. Noland, true to their major, was also a member of the printmaking club. Additionally, they were involved in the Shocker Sound Machine and the Model UN Board. Active within Shocker Nation’s arts and clubs, Noland’s internship for City of Wichita’s Arts and Cultural Services Department was a perfect match.

Visit the Braeburn Square Shocker Store today, Oct. 3 for a Friday Flash Sale and save 50% on a select Under Armour crew sweatshirt. Not valid with other discounts or promotions. Store hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Grammy Award winning artist Lupe Fiasco will close out Shocktoberfest with a performance at Shocker Madness at 6 p.n. Saturday, Oct. 4 in Charles Koch Arena. Best known for hits like “Superstar” and “Battle Scars” he will bring his lyrical talents to Wichita State following Shocktoberfest Awards, Royalty announcements, presentation of men’s and women’s basketball, and more.

Doors open at 5 p.m., a clear bag policy is in place and students are asked to check-in at the Ticket Box Office. Shocker Madness and the concert are free and no ticket is required.

The Department of Women’s, Ethnicity and Intersectional Studies has transitioned into a program housed in the Department of English. To celebrate this new partnership, the annual lecture series, Words by Women, will focus on Midwestern women writers.

Traci Brimhall is a university distinguished professor of creative writing and narrative medicine at Kansas State University, and the 2025 Poet-in-Residence at the Guggenheim Museum. She is the author of five poetry collections including “Love Prodigal.” Her nonfiction debut, “The Grief Artist,” will be published in 2026.

Join a reception at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 in the Ulrich Museum of Art lobby, followed by the program at 6 p.m. in the Dr. Sam and Jacque Kouri Collection Study Center. Everyone is welcome at the free event.

Writing Now Reading Now | Words by Women is presented by Fairmount College of Liberal Arts, Watermark Books & Cafe, the English department and the Ulrich Museum.

Tuition Assistance applications for the spring 2026 semester are now being accepted through the online application form. The online application will be available through the end of the business day Jan. 6, 2026. Also, with the recent changes to the tuition assistance program, applications can now be submitted for both spring and summer 2026 in one application.

Due to the volume of applications received each semester, requests to submit late applications will be automatically denied. There will be no exceptions.

Full program details can be found at wichita.edu/tuitionassistance. Questions may be directed to tuitionassistance@wichita.edu.

Grammy Award winning artist Lupe Fiasco will close out Shocktoberfest with a performance at Shocker Madness at 6 p.n. Saturday, Oct. 4 in Charles Koch Arena. Best known for hits like “Superstar” and “Battle Scars” he will bring his lyrical talents to Wichita State following Shocktoberfest Awards, Royalty announcements, presentation of men’s and women’s basketball, and more.

Doors open at 5 p.m., a clear bag policy is in place and students are asked to check-in at the Ticket Box Office. Shocker Madness and the concert are free and no ticket is required.

Fill Charles Koch Arena and cheer on Shocker volleyball as it takes on Tulsa for its home opener at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Guests at the event will receive a commemorative pickleball paddle while supplies last. Student organization members who check-in at the Shocktoberfest table have a chance at earning up to $300 towards their student group for every five members present.

Shocktoberfest continues through Saturday, October 4 with the Entrepreneur Market, Brew Garden, Shocktoberfest Awards, and closes out with a performance by Lupe Fiasco at Shocker Madness. View the entire schedule of events at wichita.edu/shocktoberfest.

Kick-off Shocktoberfest weekend at the Braeburn Square Patio Party from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 at Braeburn Square on the Innovation Campus. This casual and fun-filled gathering promises an unforgettable evening to connect with Shocker Nation. Enjoy deals from our vendors, food trucks, games and music. Students in attendance will receive a ticket for a free treat of their choice from one of the participating sponsors.

Student organization members who check-in at the Shocktoberfest table have a chance at earning up to $300 towards their student group. Shocktoberfest continues through Saturday, Oct. 4 and closes out with a performance by Lupe Fiasco at Shocker Madness. View the entire schedule of events at wichita.edu/shocktoberfest.

Do you know students who are passionate about campus life, advocacy or leadership?

Encourage them to apply for Leadership for Free Expression, a two-day program hosted by the Kansas Leadership Center. This unique opportunity equips students with tools to engage in respectful, impactful conversations and demonstrations around the issues they care about most.

The program:

• Is ideal for student government reps, RAs, club leaders, athletes and campus advocates
• Builds skills in civil discourse, risk-aware advocacy and productive engagement with campus authorities
• Connects students across Kansas for powerful peer learning

Let’s help students lead with purpose and confidence.

Spots are limited, so share this opportunity today. The registration deadline is Oct. 24.

Annually, WSU remembers the 1970 football team, administrators and supporters who tragically died in the Oct. 2, 1970, plane crash in Colorado. Their names are immortalized at the Memorial ’70 sculpture located on campus at 18th and Hillside.

Additionally, the Survivors Monument was dedicated in 2020 to the eight players who survived the plane crash and the other 35 individuals from the football team that landed safely on separate plane. The Randy Jackson Survivor Tree, planted in 2010 near Memorial ‘70, was donated in Jackson’s memory after he passed away from pancreatic cancer. The survivor tree sapling was derived from the 100-year-old Survivor Tree of the Oklahoma City bombing.