Author: Loren Belew

Join the Shockers Vote! Coalition for its Election Day Bash from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7 in the Rhatigan Student Center atrium. There will be food, prizes and T-shirts available while supplies last.

The event is open to all WSU students, faculty and staff, and everyone is welcome to attend. For questions, call 316-978-7016 or email CivicEngagement@wichita.edu.

In celebration of National Vote Early Day, the Shockers Vote! Coalition will host a trivia game from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 in 142 Rhatigan Student Center.

Prizes will be awarded for the winners of the game, and all game participants will receive a 2023 Shockers Vote T-shirt. Food will be available as supplies last. While attending, participants will be invited to leave a note on the interactive art exhibit saying why voting is important to them.

Registration is not required and everyone is welcome. For questions, email civicengagement@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7016.

Join the Shockers Vote! Coalition for a USD 259 School Board forum from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25 in 211 Hubbard Hall. The forum is a partnership with the the Shockers Vote! Coalition, Wichita Beacon, Loud Light and the League of Women Voters.

All candidates for the USD 259 School Board races have been invited. The forum will provide an opportunity for each candidate to answer a series of questions, and the candidates will be allowed 90 seconds for their answers as well as introductory and closing remarks. Content for the question has come from Wichita State students as well as from Wichita Beacon readers, who were invited to submit questions in September.

The forum will be moderated by Sophie Martins, student body vice president.

The event is open to the public and tickets are not required. For additional questions, reach out to the Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership office by either calling 316-978-7016 or emailing civicengagement@wichita.edu.

Would you like to get involved in the 2024 election? The Shockers Vote delegation will lead the planning, implementation and facilitation of all Shockers Vote initiatives leading into the 2024 election.

Delegation positions consist of the following: president, marketing, deliberative dialogue and voter engagement. The Ambassador position will take place from January 2024 to December 2024. Interviews for the positions will take place in November, and applicants will be notified of their placement in early December. Delegates will be compensated for their work.

Learn more about available positions, and applications are due Nov. 10. For questions, email Loren Belew at loren.belew@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7016.

Join the Mayoral Forum from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18 in the CAC Theater, in partnership with the Wichita Beacon, Loud Light and the League of Women Voters.

The forum will host both 2023 mayoral candidates. The forum will provide an opportunity for each candidate to answer a series of ten questions. Each candidate will be allowed 90 seconds for their answer and an additional 30 seconds for a rebuttal. Content for the question has come from WSU students as well as from Beacon readers who were invited to submit questions in September.

The forum will be moderated by Neal Allen — associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science — and a Wichita State student selected to represent student voices.

The event is open to the public and tickets are not required. For additional questions, reach out to the Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership office by either calling 316-978-7016 or emailing civicengagement@wichita.edu.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Alternative Spring Break trip in Boulder Creek, California. The trip will involve volunteering as camp counselors at Camp Campbell’s Outdoor Science School. The California Outdoor Science Association is sponsored by the California Department of Education. WSU volunteers will serve as camp counselors through the week and assist with the outdoor school’s programming.

The cost of the trip is $200 per student. The cost includes transportation (airfare to/from, housing, meals and excursions). The full payment of $200 must be received along with the application by Dec. 9, 2023. For more information about the trip, attend an upcoming informational meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 in 216 Rhatigan Student Center, SEAL office.

For more information, email loren.belew@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7016.

Join the Community Service Board for its largest one day volunteer event. Work with your fellow Shockers for a morning of volunteering throughout the community Oct. 7.

Individuals, groups, organizations, students, staff and faculty are all invited to attend. The kick-off will begin in 208 Hubbard Hall at 9 a.m., check-in is from 8:30 to 8:50 a.m., with a breakfast and kick-off celebration. Participants will then load the buses and be at a service site by 10 a.m. Volunteers will work until noon and return to Hubbard Hall for lunch and closing festivities. The event will end by 1:30 p.m.

Register to volunteer by Oct. 5. Space is limited.

The Shockers Vote Coalition is seeking students to join and help plan election initiatives and events. The coalition’s next meeting will be from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 in 216 Rhatigan Student Center.

Bring your lunch and stop by to learn about the ways you can help plan civic engagement initiatives on campus. The coalition’s meetings and activities are nonpartisan, and everyone is welcome to attend. For questions, email, Loren Belew at loren.belew@wichita.edu.

Join WSU’s largest one-day volunteer event, Wu’s Big Event, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 7. This year’s event will bring together 300 of your fellow shockers for a morning of volunteering together. Registration includes breakfast, lunch, a T-shirt and transportation to and from volunteer event.

For more information about Wu’s Big Event or any other questions, email the Community Service Board at csb@wichita.edu or call 316-978-7016.

Join the Community Service Board (CSB) volunteering at the Kansas Food Bank Warehouse from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1.

Volunteer work may include helping assemble food packs to support the Food for Kids program or work with other projects to support the mission of the Kansas Food Bank Warehouse. Students may sign up on VolunteerICT.

For more information about the event or to learn more about the CSB, email CSB@wichita.edu.