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The Sunflower
Wichita State's independent, student-run news source

The Sunflower
Wichita State's independent, student-run news source

The Sunflower
Mel Bright

Mel Bright, Former reporter

Mel Bright was a reporter and photographer for The Sunflower. When Bright is not in school, they loves to dance, act and they do photography on the side for fun. Bright uses they/them pronouns.

All content by Mel Bright
A Transgender Day of Remembrance participant drops a stone into a glass jar of water. Each pebble symbolizes a life that was lost, and the ripples represent the impact that person had on others.

Spectrum holds ceremony to recognize lost transgender lives

Mel Bright, Reporter
November 22, 2023
Stickers, pronoun buttons and rainbow pins on the Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies information table were available for attendees.

Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies Vice President Allison Campbell reads the names of more than 60 transgender people who were killed this year. Campbell and Spectrum Treasurer Damaris Mireles took turns reading the names as attendees dropped pebbles into glass jars filled with water.

Spectrum Secretary James Owsley shares a few words on behalf of Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion during the Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony on Nov. 20. Transgender Day of Remembrance is celebrated annually, and was inspired by transgender advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith, who was killed in 1998.

On behalf of M-Care Healthcare, Tiffany Moos shares a view words regarding her organizations services and commitment to providing healthcare to LGBTQ+ individuals. Moos, a nurse practitioner, said M-Care equipped her with the resources to care for the LGBTQ+ people in her life.

Photos of more than 60 transgender individuals who were killed within the last year in the United States adorn the table at the front of the room. Participants were invited to drop a pebble into a glass jar to honor each lost life.

A bucket of pride flags and a jar of safe sex tools, including internal and external condoms, sit on the Spectrum: LGBTQ & Allies informational table. Along with engaging in advocacy for transgender people, the group also shares safe sex resources.

Diwali is a holiday that is celebrated on the darkest day of the year, and it usually lasts for five days. One origin of this holiday is to celebrate Lord Krishna's destruction of the demon Naraka. This holiday symbolized the victory of light over darkness.

‘Good over evil’: Office of Diversity and Inclusion celebrates Diwali

Mel Bright, Reporter
November 15, 2023
Graduate students Demy Alexander, Nirasha Kavindi and Sarangan Rajendran, attended the Diwali event and encouraged other students to attend events surrounding other cultures.

This is a mandela that is made to celebrate Diwali. This mandela decoration is an example of decorations that emphasize the vibrance of the holiday.

Gift bags were offered to guests. These bags had information on what the Diwali holiday is and what it means to Indian culture.

Students Alekhya Bayana, Bhargavi Somepalli and Anusha Potla walk into the Office of Diversity and Inclusion event to celebrate the Diwali holiday.

On Nov. 13, students gathered in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to celebrate Diwali, a holiday of Indian culture.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion provided food and refreshments for those attending the Celebrating Diwali event.

Senior Emaan Syed answers a question on Chinese culture during a game of Tradition Jeopardy. The game and event was a part of Student Government Association's annual Diversity Week.

Anoushka Raju, president of Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion, leads the Tradition Jeopardy game on Nov. 1. The game and event was a part of Student Government Association's annual Diversity Week.

Senior Emaan Syed, junior AJ Haynes, and first-year student Lesly Hernandez, play on the same team for Tradition Jeopardy on Nov. 1. Their team ended up winning the game.

Junior Margaret Carr, and sophomore Nhan Huynh play Tradition Jeopardy on Nov. 1. The two were on the same team.

Anoushka Raju, president of Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion, leads the Tradition Jeopardy game on Nov. 1. The game and event was a part of Student Government Association's annual Diversity Week.

[Photo] Third annual Diversity Week emphasizes L.O.V.E.

November 10, 2023
Black Student Union helped organize the Culture Cuisine event alongside the Office of Diversity and Inclusion on Nov. 1. The event gave students a chance to try different foods from across the world.

Students wait in line at the Culture Cuisine event on Nov. 1. The event was a part of Student Government Association's Diversity Week.

Mediteranean food presented at the Culture Cuisine event on Nov. 1.

Iris Okere and Gabriel Fonseca pose for a photo.

Italian food presented at the Culture Cuisine event on Nov. 1.

Students wait in line at the Culture Cuisine event on Nov. 1. The event was a part of Student Government Association's Diversity Week.

BSU helped organize the evnt alongside office of diversity and inclusions.

(Illustration)

OPINION: Professors should not teach race from the white man’s perspective

Mel Bright, Reporter
November 1, 2023
Sigma Tau Delta President Hannah Holliday makes a bookmark with the crafts supplied at the Fall Flannel Festival on Oct. 23.

‘An English major’s favorite season’: English honor society celebrates fall season

Mel Bright, Reporter
October 26, 2023
Charmaine ternes, atendee, talks to Sarah jane Crespo, the event facilitator.

brenda Lichman, atendee and Education Curator, attends the event with her family and conversates with them.

One small step is a program that matches people with different political beliefs to have canversations about everything but politics. This is so both parties will see each other as human and not as opposing parties.

Decoration at the tables for the Fall Flannel festival.

Sigma Tau delta President, Hannah Holliday, makes a bookmark with the crafts supplied at the festivsl for everyone to make fall decoration.

There was a spooky season basket up as a prize for those who follow sigma tau deltas instagram.

Instructions to win a spooky season basket from sigma Tau Delta.

Cookies and Tea were provided as snacks at the event.

The fall Flannel Festival was lead by sigma tau delta, an English Honor Society.

The audience was asked to discuss with the people next to them about how to improve mental health in students.

[Photo] ‘The ticket to the next level’: Wellness initiative shares strategies for campus and community

Isabel Ordoñez, Reporter
October 15, 2023
Larry Burks Sr., director of Military and Veteran Services in Student Life Listing, participates in a group discussion on how to better the Wichita State community on Oct. 11.

Dyanna-Rose Munoz, Dyana Paloma, Diana Austin and Jamie Olmsted speak together at the Wichita State Wellness event on Oct. 11.

Shirley Lefever, Teri Hall, Vicki Whisenhant, and other employees at Wichita State laugh together. At the Wichita State Wellness event on Oct. 11, the audience was asked to talk to the people next to them about how to improve student's mental health.

Provost Shirley Lefever talks to the audience about a strategy to work on Wichita State wellness. The strategy involved creating a committee with the goal of promoting and celebrating wellness activities.

Brenda Blasetti, arts and culture chair for SAC, and Garima Thapa, SAC president pose for a photo at WU's Birthday bash.

WSU students dance with WU for his 75th Birthday Bash.

Graduate student Chaithanya Boddu joined WU to dance to the cupid shuffle.

Graduate students Kaavya Sri Balasubramanyam and Aakriti Adhikari joined WU to dance the cupid shuffle at Wu's Birthday Bash on Oct. 2.

Jocelyn Mallonee and Haven Watson get a photo with Wu for his birthday.

The RSC was decorated to celebrate WU's 75th Birthday Bash on Oct. 2.

Students line up to get a photo with WU for his 75th birthday.

The RSC was decorated with balloons, streamers, and banners for WU, Wichita State's mascot, who turned 75 on Oct. 2.

Many students showed up to the RSC to celebrate WU, Wichita State's mascot, for his 75th birthday.

Students line up to get a photo with WU for his 75th birthday.

During the Birthday Bash celebration in the RSC, a table was set up with games and prizes.

Sweets were given out for WU's Birthday Bash on Oct. 2.

DJ Magnum played music during WU's Birthday Bash in the RSC on Oct. 2.

At Wu's Birthday Bash, a table was selling t-shirts for the event and for Shocktoberfest.

The ASL event had name tags for people to put on right when they walked in.

The ASL welcome event provided food and drinks for guests.

The ASL welcome event had food and drinks for guests

The ASL event had name tags for people to sign their name and wear.

Junior Spencer Oliver is majoring in ASL and came to the ASL event to find others within the major. Oliver, who took online ASL classes, said that having someone to practice ASL with really helps with learning the language.

The ASL event welcomed American Sign Language as a new major at Wichita State University. Educators and students within the major were at the event to show their support.

Kimberly Hofmann, an ASL educator, came to the event to show her support for teaching the language to students.

James Clark, an educator that teaches to students all around Wichita, and his interpreter Darla DeSpain, said it is important that ASL is at least taught to everyone due to a shortage of interpreters.

[Photo] Fairmount College welcomes ASL faculty to language department

September 25, 2023
The welcoming event emphasized that ASL should be taught at a young age.

Bleeding Heart Studio jewelery. The studio raises awareness for pollinators by creating jewelry as a creative outlet.

Vendors lined up around the inside and the outside of the museum in order to spread awareness for planting native plants for bee and monarch habitats.

Seth, a community member and vendor at the Bee fest, explained how important it was to create habitats for bees and monarchs by planting native plants.

The flowers on display at ICT Bee Fest were all native plants.

The bee fest had a lot of flowers where bees could be seen pollinating.

Adam Dixon, a vendor at the bee fest, said that when you plant native plants, even in small places, you're helping a lot of species

Adam Dixon, a vendor at the bee fest, helped people become familiar with the seeds of native plants. Adam said that planting native plants at home helps the local ecosystem.

At the Bee Fest, families had the option to go outside and catch butterflies.

Alan Sailor, a vendor at the bee fest working with Grassland Groupies,promotes native plant growing for monarch butterfly habitats, which are close to being on the endangered species list.

Kaitlyn Dunson, vendor, explains how male bees protect themselves without stingers, which is by vibrating really hard, causing the human to let go.

[Photo] ICT Bee Fest educates community with a celebration for pollinators, native plants

September 19, 2023
Kaitlyn dunson, A bee vendor at the Bee fest, set up a bee petting zoo with male bees, who dont have stingers. The goal of this is to raise awareness by showing people that they don't have to fear bees.

Dana Smyser, vendor, is the creator of Bleeding Heart Studios, a vintage jewelry line. Her goal is to raise awareness for bees by using jewelry as an artistic outlet.

Bee City Wichita, a vendor at the Bee Fest, works alongside the Xerxes society to support pollinators and raise awareness for Bees by empowering people with the knowledge of things that they can do from their backyard like planting native plants.

Renae Giefer, a vendor with Hidden River Prairie Nursery, raises awareness for bee habitats by growing native plants.

Hidden River Prarie Nursery, a vendor at the Bee Fest, raises awareness for bee habitats by growing native plants for bee habitats.

Marquetta Atkins-Woods speaks about her appreciation and hope for the new generation during a talk event at the Ulrich Museum of Art on Sept. 5. The talk was titled “Social Justice in Our Community."

Marquetta Atkins-Woods speaks about her appreciation and hope for the new generation during a talk event at the Ulrich Museum of Art on Sept. 5. The talk was titled “Social Justice in Our Community."

[Photo] Social justice talk at Ulrich highlights empowerment of youth

September 6, 2023
Marquetta Atkins-Woods speaks about her appreciation and hope for the new generation during a talk event at the Ulrich Museum of Art on Sept. 5. The talk was titled “Social Justice in Our Community."

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