Gallery • 3 Photos

Nithin Reddy Nagapur

Sara Rue in a dinosaur costume at the Staff Senate meeting on June 20.

An inside joke among Wichita State’s Staff Senate led to the discovery of a new dinosaur species at Denise Gimlin’s last meeting as president.

The new species, or Senator Sara Rue in an inflatable dinosaur costume, made an appearance at the June 20 meeting.

“I had some Zoom meeting where I had changed my name to ‘Sara-saurus-rex’ … It was unrelated to Staff Senate, but sometimes with Zoom, when you change your name, it saves it,” Rue said. “The next meeting I logged into was a Senate meeting and it just says ‘Sara-saurus-rex.’

“I just figured for (Gimlin’s) last day as president, it would be funny to wear my T-Rex costume.”

Gimlin thanked Senate members for various work over the last year, noting her efforts to improve staff wages. 

“I think we have a lot to be proud of,” Gimlins said. “While year two of the market-based compensation was not what we had hoped, we know that progress isn’t always as fast as we want it to be. That said, I have let no opportunity pass by without reminding any administrator who would listen to me  that staff need and deserve to be paid a fair wage.”

Gimlin ended this session by installing Jason Bosch, assistant dean for the Engineering Student Success Center, in the role of president. Bosch, who has served as president-elect over the last year, talked about working alongside Gimlin.

“I’ve had the opportunity over the last six months to see Denise working in a capacity that no one else has been able to see her in,” Bosch said. “And I can tell you the same level of passion and fervor and advocacy that she has here, she has in those meetings (with administrators).”

Bosch closed the meeting after a few other discussion items and the announcement of new at-large senators, which include Angela Linder, Kendra Nguyen, Naquela Pack and Rue.

The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on July 25 at 3:30 p.m. in room 142 of the Rhatigan Student Center.