Final ‘Food for Fines’ for the semester now available

For students, faculty and staff with unpaid parking tickets, the Student Government Association is now accepting donations in exchange for parking citation fees. From May 9 to May 12, nonperishables, new hygiene items and other goods can be dropped off at RSC office 219 in lieu of ticket fees. 

Seven items are required for ticket fees between $0-$30 and 14 items for $31-$50 tickets. All donations will be provided to the Shocker Support Locker, Wichita State’s on-campus food bank facility.

Additional information can be found on the Wichita State Food for Fines website.

Internet issues resolved ahead of finals week

Students, faculty and staff were subject to interrupted or completely disconnected internet access during the last weekend in April after an unauthorized attempt to access the university’s systems was detected. 

The attempted breach spurred WSU to shut down its servers to protect student and employee data. Since the initial shutdown two weeks ago, students, faculty and staff have regained access to WSU servers and the internet, according to the university. 

During the outage, professors were unable to host Zoom calls, make Blackboard updates or announcements, or contact their students via email from the university’s wifi. After most services were restored by last Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, students were able to submit the last of their finals without too many additional hiccups.

Textbook Buyback now available at Shocker Store

For students with gently-used textbooks looking to make some quick cash, the Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Store will compensate students for new and used textbooks from May 8 to May 13. Students can participate in the Textbook Buyback event during normal business hours, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Wichita State granted $.4.2 million for need-based aid

Pell Grant-eligible Kansas students will receive additional scholarship opportunities this fall after the Kansas legislature granted Wichita State $4.2 million for need-based scholarships. 

The scholarships, allocated by House Bill 2184, will be available to Kansas-resident high school students enrolled at WSU for the fall 2023 semester with a GPA of at least 2.5 and who have a family income of $50,000 or less. 

Additional information regarding the ‘Shocker Promise’ scholarships can be found on the Wichita State University website.

National Crime Gun Intelligence Center opens on campus

President Richard Muma was joined by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Steven Dettelbach for the grand opening ceremony of Innovation Campuses’ newest ballistics lab and law enforcement training center on Monday morning.

The National Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Excellence will focus on the study of ballistics and shell casings to assist police officers nationwide in decreasing the number of gun violence perpetrators. 

According to The Wichita Eagle, more than 200 examiners will work to assess casings from crime scenes to determine the type of gun they were fired from. There is even potential for bullets to be linked to unsolved shootings if fired from the same gun, or if the shooter used the same ammunition.

As the first ballistic research and training facility to be partnered with a university, WSU criminal justice students can utilize some of the center’s new technology to help better prepare them for their future careers.

Cessna parking lot to close for summer to accommodate stadium renovations

In preparation for the summer renovations on Cessna Stadium, parking lots on the stadium’s east side will be closed beginning on June 1. Lot 3N, 11, and 3S will close over the summer as Wichita State begins demolition on the east stands of the stadium. 

While lots 3N and 11 are expected to open again in time for the fall semester, lot S3 will remain permanently closed, as it will house new stadium amenities.

The first set of renovations will focus on the east side of the track and will include underground utility work, increased stadium seating, a ticket pavilion, new restrooms and storage facilities, and a new plaza.

New ‘Entrepreneur’ sculpture revealed at Barton School

WSU Alum Chris Brunner was honored at the W. Frank Barton School of Business last Wednesday evening at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the unveiling of his newest sculpture, “The Entrepreneur.” Brunner was commissioned to design and build the piece by the Barton School, and each element of the piece aims to reflect the journey of Barton business students. 

The sculpture is now available for viewing at the entrance of Woolsey Hall, the newest addition to the Barton School of Business.

Keeping up with the Crime Log:

The Wichita State Police Department (WSUPD) maintains a daily log of incidents on the WSU campus and surrounding area. Each case and its details can be accessed via the Crime Log website on the WSU homepage.

This week some notable entries were 

Partnership between WSUPD and WPD: 

WSUPD assisted the Wichita Police Department (WPD) on two separate occasions this week. The first, which occurred on May 6 at North Crestview Street, called WSUPD officers to assist with an ‘officer in trouble’ call. The second occurred on May 8 after a motor vehicle accident, with at least one reported injury, at 17th and Oliver. WSUPD provided traffic control, while WPD assessed and provided medical services to one of the victims.

Medical emergencies 

WSUPD also had two instances where they provided and called for additional medical services on campus. Officers were flagged down on the evening of May 5 to contact emergency medical services for an individual in need of aid on WuShock Drive. 

On the morning of May 8, officers were called to Shocker Hall to respond to a medical emergency.