Category: Events and Recreation

Student Activities Council (SAC) invites all Shockers to a variety of events to kick off the fall 2023 semester:

• Open House: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22 in 233 Rhatigan Student Center. Meet the execs, eat pizza and mingle with your peers.
• Big Bingo: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25 in the Koch Arena Practice Gym. Win big at Big Bingo. Admission is available at no additional charge.
• Glow Party: 8-11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31 in Beggs Ballroom of the Rhatigan Student Center. Dance the night away with DJ Magnum.

Graduate students are invited to the upcoming Graduate Student Welcome event from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 25 in the CAC Theater to learn about the vast amount of resources available on campus.

Students will hear more from the Graduate School and Student Affairs departments, such as Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, CARE Team, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Shocker Career Accelerator and more. Afterwards, attendees can head over to the Rhatigan Student Center for the on-campus job fair. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Office of Academic Affairs will celebrate the career and accomplishments of Kathy Downes, dean of University Libraries, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 31 in 262 Rhatigan Student Center, Herrman Room.

Downes has served as dean since 2017 and has worked for over 40 years at Wichita State. During her time with WSU Libraries, she spearheaded many facility expansions, including coordinating the west addition project from 1985 to 1989 and helping with the 2019 expansion of the 24-hour study room. She also co-led the systems migration from NOTIS to Voyager and initiated an ongoing project to prepare for the next generation of cloud-based library services. Many other transformations and enhancements of Ablah Library’s learning spaces, collections and services were also led by her.

She will retire in September 2023. Please join us in congratulating her on a successful academic career and wishing her a happy retirement.

Join the Women Leadership Initiative from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6 in the 142 Rhatigan Student Center, Harvest Room to network and learn more about the initiative, connect, collaborate, celebrate and build community. Appetizers and nonalcoholic drinks will be available along with a cash bar.

The Women Leadership Initiative is looking for any faculty, staff or student who would like to be a part of the conversation, planning and implementation of programs designed to advance women’s leadership at all levels on campus. It will discuss organizing mentoring circles, a women’s conference and campus culture enhancement while networking with each other.

Connect with the Colleges is a great way to meet the faculty and staff who work tirelessly to ensure you receive the best education possible at Wichita State.

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21 and Tuesday, Aug. 22, stop by the specific lobbies and areas to engage with your college, ask questions and meet other Shockers on campus.

See where you can connect with your college:

• College of Applied Studies: Heskett Center lobby and Corbin Education Center lobby
• Barton School of Business: Woolsey Hall lobby
• College of Engineering: Wallace Hall west courtyard
• College of Fine Arts: McKnight Art Center lobby
• College of Health Professions: Ahlberg Hall lobby
• Cohen Honors College and Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Lindquist Hall lobby

Join Campus Recreation at 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 in the Heskett Center for a beach party. Bring your suit and dive into the Heskett Center eight-lane pool, or just hang out on the patio and enjoy an evening of activities and fun.

Come to the Heskett Center from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 for snacks and an eventful gaming night and at the Esports Hub Open House, hosted by Campus Recreation.

This event is available to all Shockers at no additional charge by showing your Shocker ID.

Campus Recreation is excited to host its annual RecFest event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Looking to make new friends, discover thrilling recreational activities and embrace the spirit of healthy competition? RecFest is here to provide you with the perfect platform to do just that.

Join the event as Campus Recreation introduces you to the vibrant world of intramurals, sports clubs and a plethora of recreational activities that it has meticulously curated. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or simply looking to dip your toes into a new hobby, RecFest has something for everyone.

Dive into the variety of booths and representatives will be on hand to answer questions and help you discover opportunities that align with your interests.

New graduate students are invited to attend two orientation events Thursday, Aug. 17.

Grad Life 101, also know as the “unofficial orientation”, is a peer-to-peer session where incoming students can ask members of the Graduate Student Council about grad life at WSU from noon to 1 p.m. in 266 Rhatigan Student Center, Pike Room.

After the session, the Graduate School will host a graduate orientation refresher, with information on Graduate School basic regulations and services to grad students, from 2 to 4 p.m. in 208 Hubbard Hall.

Connect with Shockers all across campus by submitting an item to Shocker Blast, Wichita State’s internal student newsletter.

If you are a member of a WSU student organization and want to share your campus event with fellow students, submit an item for consideration in Shocker Blast. Please keep in mind the following consideration criteria:

• Submissions run up to twice in the newsletter and should be 150 words or fewer in length.
• Images should be 800×600 pixels in size and contain less than 20 words. Text must also be accessible, so it must be large-sized font and contrasted with the background.
• Submissions may be edited. If significant changes are required, we will reach back out prior to publication in the newsletter.

Final publication consideration is at the discretion of Strategic Communications. For more information, contact Caelin Bragg at caelin.bragg@wichita.edu.

Also submit your event to the campus events calendar.