Every time I walk through Wichita State’s campus, there’s a high chance I’ll see someone I know, which, like many introverts, I find incredibly terrifying. 

Running into people new and known has been a byproduct of my job. 

Since starting at Wichita State many (two) years ago, I’ve worked at The Sunflower, Wichita State’s independent, student-led news source since 1896. And when I say “student-led,” I mean it. Students do everything, from the newspapers distributed around campus at 5 a.m. every week to the late nights spent writing and designing pages.

Being a college journalist means that when I’m not writing, I’m talking to people. This has been great for meeting people, but not so great when I want to put on my headphones and act mysterious walking through campus. 

Regardless, I love that my job offers me the opportunity to get to talk to various people on campus, whether I’m randomly walking up to them to ask for their opinion on some niche subject or sitting down with them for hours over coffee to learn and share their stories.

It’s no surprise that in a world where the news is constantly accessible and — what feels like — constantly terrible, people choose to avert their eyes. And it certainly doesn’t help that news is often labeled as fake or biased. 

My goal as The Sunflower’s editor-in-chief, though, is to show that the news is real and to be trusted. The great thing about The Sunflower is our main audience is students; we’re by students, for students. We get what people want to know, and we strive to find and tell it.

As Wichita State’s independent, student-run news source, we tell the story of students, faculty, staff, community and anyone else you can think of who might be tied to the university.

Our staff is always here to listen to the concerns of those on campus or share achievements, big or small.

We publish stories constantly, so whether your jam is sports or maybe you just want to see what our staff members have to say on controversial topics, we have something for you. Our website is updated daily, and we publish a print newspaper every week on Thursday morning. 

Those who are brave enough to venture to the southwest portion of campus, visit our newsroom in the basement of Elliott Hall. We’re the first door on the right when you go down the stairs. Visitors are always welcome, whether they want to check the place out or have something to share.

For others who might be a bit more reserved (I feel you), feel free to email me at [email protected] or leave a tip on our website. The rest of our staff can be reached via email, which can be found on our staff page.

I briefly touched on my introverted feelings, but I do mean it from the bottom of my heart that I am willing to listen to anyone and everyone who wants to share their story or just a bit of knowledge. The Sunflower is here to listen to you, Wichita State’s students, faculty, staff and the broader Wichita community.