163 years ago, Kansas wasn’t a state yet. On Jan. 29, of 1861, the Kansas Bill was passed by both houses and President James Buchanan signed the bill into law, admitting Kansas as the 34th state into the union. Instead of celebrating Kansas, Cadence LeBoeuf said that it’s also a time to take a critical look at the state. 

“Maybe look back on what your state has done for you and the people around you and decide whether it’s really worth celebrating or maybe taking a more critical look at,” LeBoeuf, a junior studying music theatre, said.

LeBoeuf was born in Oklahoma but has been in Kansas for just over three years.

“I haven’t really had the chance to explore or go around much of Kansas, so I’m pretty much only in Wichita,” LeBoeuf said. “I would say that I am pretty proud of the community that I’m within, it’s pretty uplifting and supportive of the career path that I want to go down.” 

Jennifer Siviseth, a senior studying computer science, said it makes sense to celebrate Kansas’ birthday since we celebrate our own.

Siviseth was born in Wichita and says there is a sense of community within the state. 

“You grew up around the people in the area, we’re used to it (the community),” Siviseth said. 

Wichita State’s Student Engagement, Advocacy & Leadership (SEAL) will be putting on a celebration of its own, giving students the opportunity to decorate cookies in the RSC on Monday, Feb. 30.

Fun facts about Kansas: