Category: Events and Recreation

Wichita State Dining Services is excited to celebrate Black History Month with a special event at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Shocker Dining Hall.

For this occasion, it has created a menu of soul food recipes, selected by a team of experts comprised of Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle, vice president and chief diversity officer of Military and Veterans Affairs; Dr. Kevin Harrison, Cohen Honors College assistant teaching professor and director of diversity equity and inclusion; and Riccardo Harris, executive director of Wichita GEAR UP.

To further celebrate the rich history and cultural contributions of African Americans, Dining Services will also have a live music showcase. This is an opportunity for the community to come together and honor Black history and culture. Meal cost is $9.46 plus tax.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry will host Dr. Rachelle Farber from the University of Kansas at its next colloquium at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22 in 224 McKinley Hall.

Dr. Farber will present “Developing an Atomistic Understanding of Materials Growth and Performance: From Heterogeneous Catalysis to Particle Accelerator Technology.” Refreshments will be provided.

Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies and Wichita State’s LGBTQ+ student organization will host an event at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 in 265 Rhatigan Student Center to show support for the transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students.

Join them as they come together to celebrate trans and nonbinary voices. Hear about current research on diverse gender identities as well as personal stories from queer folks on campus about how they came to find their identity.

WSU Libraries is hosting “Market Research for Startups,” partnering with the Kansas Small Business Development Center, the next workshop in its Entrepreneurship Research Series from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 on Zoom.

How does one know if forming a startup is a good idea? The answer is research. Any business can thrive by understanding industry trends, identifying competitors and determining its target market.

Hypnotist Chris Jones will perform his mind boggling act in front of an audience at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24 in the CAC Theater. Students get in at no charge, faculty and staff get in for $5, and the general public gets in for $8. No registration is required for the event.

Jones is a hypnotist, comedian and the host of the prank series Double Take on Facebook Watch. Jones is well known for his appearance on America’s Got Talent. Since his first TV appearance, Jones has performed on shows like The Steve Harvey Show, Windy City Live, Good Day Chicago, Penn and Teller, Scam School, and the Adam Carolla Show.

This event is coordinated by the Student Activities Council. For questions or additional information on SAC-sponsored events, email sac@wichita.edu or call 316-978-3022.

In celebration of Black History Month, the College of Applied Studies (CAS) Diversity Committee invites the campus community to its event, “Being Black in higher education: A Black History Month faculty lecture event,” from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 via Zoom.

The presenters for the event will be Dr. Bobby Berry, assistant dean for diversity and outreach in CAS and assistant professor, and Dr. Valerie J. Thompson, assistant professor of educational leadership and educational psychology in Intervention Service & Leadership in Education (ISLE).

Dr. Berry’s presentation will be “African-American male students at a predominately white institution: Perceptions of adaption and identity,” and Dr. Thompson’s presentation will be “The toxicity of the StrongBlackWoman narrative within student affairs.”

After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This event is part of the CAS Diversity Committee Faculty, Staff and Community of Color Lecture series. For more information, contact Dr. Thompson at valerie.thompson@wichita.edu.

In commemoration of Black History Month, the Offices of Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion and the African American Faculty and Staff Association invite the campus community for an evening of building community and a screening of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (rated PG) at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27 the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes.

Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is first-come, first-served. There will be food from the Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes while participants connect over discussion prior to the screening.

Tina Murano’s work is a visual representation of different states of mind, from being stuck to a state of flow. Illustrator, animator, web developer, consultant and designer. Joshua Smith synthesizes these skills in the service of telling compelling stories.

Both are faculty at WSU’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries and artists featured in Transmissions: The XXIV Faculty Biennial, on exhibit until April 22 in the Polk/Wilson Gallery. Join them at 11:15 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 22 in the Beren Gallery at the Ulrich Museum of Art to learn about their inspiration and processes. Refreshments will follow the presentations.

Join Turning Point USA at WSU for Chick-fil-A and a screening of “What is a Woman?” by Matt Walsh at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 in 203 Rhatigan Student Center.

The Immersive Leadership Institute (ILI) is a four-day, three-night overnight experience from May 15 to May 18 that immerses participants in personal and professional leadership development opportunities facilitated in both small and large groups, as well as interactive challenge activities.

ILI is for students wanting to develop and strengthen their leadership skills through self-discovery. ILI is great for students with any level of leadership experience, and students will walk away with improved skills in leading ethically. Topics include emotional intelligence, unique leadership styles, values congruence, ethical leadership, and perceptions and assumptions.

Transportation, food, lodging and ILI T-shirt are all included. Attending ILI can also be taken for one academic credit hour (tuition costs apply if taken for credit) and will satisfy step one of the Engineering+ requirement (for Engineering students). Participants are selected by application only, which closes April 23.