Wichita State News: Alumni

WSU Alumni Speaker Series to feature Kansas Gov. Parkinson

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson will be the featured speaker in the Wichita State University Alumni Association-sponsored Rise & Shine Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series Wednesday, Jan. 20.

The event is scheduled in the Marcus Welcome Center.

The breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., with informal lectures at 8 a.m., followed by a question-and-answer period that ends at about 8:30 a.m.

There is an admission charge, and advance reservations are required. The cost is $18 for alumni association members, $20 for nonmembers and $10 for students.

Speaker information and online reservations are available at http://webs.wichita.edu/alumni/breakfast2009.asp. For additional information, contact the WSU Alumni Association at (316) 978-3290.

Parkinson, '80, became Kansas' 45th governor in April 2009. This WSU secondary education graduate has targeted economics, energy and education, a trio of difficult and interwoven issues.

A successful businessman and former legislator, Parkinson graduated summa cum laude from WSU and first in his class from the University of Kansas School of Law. After entering private practice, he formed his own law firm in 1986.

He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1990 and two years later to the Kansas Senate. In 2006, he joined Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as lieutenant governor. Under his political leadership, wind farms have tripled in Kansas, and the state (the future home to the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility) is leveraging resources from the American Recovery Act to create jobs, rebuild infrastructure and continue investment in public schools.

Following is a list of other speakers in the 2009-10 breakfast series:

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

Herb Krumsick, '66, senior vice president of J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc., Wichita, has 40 years of experience in real estate, having brokered, bought and/or sold more than

$1 billion in commercial projects during his career. He has given more than 285 speeches and seminars on a national basis, is a partner and real estate asset manager for three groups of investors, and is a stockholder in the ownership of millions of square feet of commercial real estate.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Kevin Hooper, fs '99, who enjoyed a 10-year playing career in professional baseball, was named manager of the Wichita Wingnuts in 2009. During his pro career, he won three championships, spent parts of two seasons in the Major Leagues and totaled 1,116 base hits. Prior to turning pro, he was a four-year star at WSU, helping the Shockers reach the College World Series in 1996. He still ranks in the Top 10 in Shocker history in runs (5th, 287), hits (7th, 315), doubles (7th, 58) and triples (9th, 17).

Friday, April 30, 2010

Julie-Ellen Acosta, '80/'84, is vice president of Leadership Talent Management, an HR function within The Boeing Co. In this role, she is responsible for the selection and development of employees who will become future company leaders. She also takes the lead on providing managers and employees with the tools they need to build leadership skills that align with key company areas. Prior to her current position, she served as vice president of aerostructures, manufacturing and support technologies for Boeing Phantom Works (now Boeing R&D).

Memorial '70 documentary screening Oct. 1; observance Oct. 2

Wichita State University is hosting a sneak preview screening of the documentary "Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

This is a ticketed event. Tickets are free, but are required for a seat in the auditorium. Survivors, surviving family members and 1970 players have been invited to attend.

Tickets are available at the Fine Arts Box Office in Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Box office hours are noon-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a limit of six tickets per person. Requests for more than six tickets should be directed to Carmen Hytche at (316) 978-3142 or carmen.hytche@wichita.edu.

The documentary is produced by KPTS Channel 8, the local public broadcasting station. For more information about the documentary and to see some of the content, photos and video clips, visit http://www.kpts.org/wsucrash.php.

In an annual ceremony of remembrance, a wreath will be placed at Wichita State's Memorial '70 at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2. The brief ceremony will honor the 31 WSU football players, administrators and supporters who died in a plane crash Oct. 2, 1970. The plane crashed near Silver Plume, Colo., en route to a game with Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

The ceremony is open to the public. The Memorial '70 sculpture is located on Alumni Drive near 18th and Hillside.

WSU alum, Wal-Mart executive headlines November lecture

Wichita State University alumnus Mitchell Slape, senior vice president of international business development for Wal-Mart International, is the featured speaker for the 2009 James P. Schwartz Lecture.

Mitchell Slape

Slape will give his speech, "Meeting Customer Needs in Today's Global Reality," twice.

The first event is from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, in the CAC Theater on the WSU campus. Tickets are free, but required. They can be picked up in 100 Clinton Hall. There are about 50 tickets left.

He will also give a speech during a luncheon from 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m. that same day at the Hyatt Regency Wichita. Cost is $50 per person or $450 for a table of 10.

RSVP to the Center for Management Development in Clinton Hall or call Joan Adkisson at (316) 978-6403 by Thursday, Oct. 22.

Slape is responsible for leading Wal-Mart's international merger and acquisition activities, international real estate and construction activities, and global format development efforts.

He joined Wal-Mart in 1995. Since then, he has served in a variety of roles at the Bentonville, Ark., headquarters, as well as overseas in Argentina and South Korea.

Slape is from Wichita. He received his bachelor's in finance from WSU.

WSU Alumni Speaker Series begins 13th season

For the 13th season, the success stories of five Shockers will be featured in the 2009-10 Wichita State University Alumni Association-sponsored Rise & Shine Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series.

All events will be held at the Marcus Welcome Center. Breakfasts begin at 7:30 a.m. with informal lectures at 8 a.m., followed by a question-and-answer period that ends at about 8:30 a.m.

There is an admission charge, and advance reservations are requested. Speaker information and online reservations are available at http://webs.wichita.edu/alumni/breakfast2009.asp.

For additional information, contact the WSU Alumni Association at (316) 978-3290.

Monday, Sept. 21

Mary Lee Esty '60, a social worker with a doctorate in health psychology, is president of the Neurotherapy Center of Washington Inc., Bethesda, Md. Her specialty is using biofeedback, neurofeedback and other practices to help people overcome problems associated with chronic and life-threatening injuries and illnesses. She began using biofeedback and neurofeedback in 1989 and has treated more than 1,400 patients since then.

Invited to speak — TBD

Mark Parkinson '80 became Kansas' 45th governor in April 2009. A successful businessman and former legislator, he graduated summa cum laude from WSU and then first in his class from the Kansas University School of Law. After entering private practice, he formed his own law firm in 1986. He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1990 and two years later to the Kansas Senate. In 2006, he joined Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as lieutenant governor. Under his political leadership, wind farms have tripled in Kansas, and the state (the future home to the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility) is leveraging resources from the American Recovery Act to create jobs, rebuild infrastructure and continue investment in public schools.

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010

Herb Krumsick '66, senior vice president of J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc., Wichita, has 40 years of experience in real estate, having brokered, bought and/or sold more than $1 billion in commercial projects during his career. He has given more than 285 speeches and seminars on a national basis, is a partner and real estate asset manager for three groups of investors, and is a stockholder in the ownership of millions of square feet of commercial real estate.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Kevin Hooper fs '99, who enjoyed a 10-year playing career in professional baseball, was named manager of the Wichita Wingnuts in 2009. During his pro career, he won three championships, spent parts of two seasons in the Major Leagues and totaled 1,116 base hits. Prior to turning pro, he was a four-year star at WSU, helping the Shockers reach the College World Series in 1996. He still ranks in the top 10 in Shocker history in runs (5th, 287), hits (7th, 315), doubles (7th, 58) and triples (9th, 17).

Friday, April 30, 2010

Julie-Ellen Acosta '80/'84 is vice president of Leadership Talent Management, an HR function within The Boeing Co. In this role, she is responsible for the selection and development of employees who will become future company leaders. She also takes the lead on providing managers and employees with the tools they need to build leadership skills that align with key company areas. Prior to her current position, she served as vice president of aerostructures, manufacturing and support technologies for Boeing Phantom Works (now Boeing R&D).

College grads go job hunting in a tight market

This WSU Newsline Podcast is available at http://www.wichita.edu/newslinepodcast. See the transcript below:

You're listening to the podcast edition of the Wichita State University audio newsline. Learn more about WSU — the home of Thinkers, Doers, Movers and Shockers — on the Web at wichita.edu.

After five years of annual increases in employment, hiring of college graduates is expected to fall by 22 percent in 2009 compared to 2008, according to a survey of businesses by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Jill Pletcher, director of career services at Wichita State University, says this is the most difficult situation for job seekers in decades.

Pletcher: "This is definitely one of the most difficult times for job seekers, really in decades. Even since 9/11, it tends to be more widespread. It seems to be deeper cuts, not only on a national level, but a global level as well."

Even in good times, there's plenty of competition for jobs, but according to Pletcher, this year college graduates aren't just competing against each other.

Pletcher: "One of the challenges in a down economy is that the competition for jobs is extremely keen. So not only is it difficult to find a job, but the people that you are competing with will be other college graduates as well as very experienced people as well."

So what is a job seeker to do? Pletcher explains.

Pletcher: "In terms of finding a job, certainly to look at online resources, but really that's where everyone is looking, so one of the things that we strongly suggest is that you begin talking with people who have the potential power to hire you."

In spite of a tight job market, some graduates will have reason for optimism.

Pletcher: "Some of the fields that still have openings would be some of those in health care, for example. Nursing is one that comes to mind. Also some of the education types of fields, special education. Or maybe it will take, rather than working in a large district, perhaps going to some of the smaller districts where there will be still some openings available."

Pletcher talks about what someone should do if they can't find work.

Pletcher: "One of the things, if you cannot find work, would be find other ways to spend time. I think a very productive one would be to find some volunteer opportunities for two reasons. One is that it occupies time and is a very significant way to give back to the community. But it's also a way to build skills, so there would be some volunteer opportunities then that could build on some of the things that you might want to hone skills in anyway. And so it serves a dual purpose."

And college graduates probably should be satisfied finding a job even if it's not their dream job.

Pletcher: "I think new grads probably can't afford to be quite as picky as they might have in another economy. So really taking any kind of a job I think can really be beneficial. It shows that you have been employed. I would recommend that people in a job then do a stellar job, so that when they move on to a different position they have a great referral, recommendation kind of a thing in place."

Unemployment among peers of this year's graduates is on the rise. A Chicago-based outplacement firm, Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc., said that the unemployment rate among those age 20 to 24 rose to 13.9 percent in March, up from 9.2 percent a year ago, and that unemployment among 25- to 29-year-olds reached 10.9 percent in January, the highest rate since 1983.

Challenger Gray & Christmas advised new graduates looking to crack the tightened job market to adopt an aggressive approach, including advertising their job search among former bosses, internship supervisors and teachers; doggedly pursuing face-to-face interviews with potential employers by visiting job sites and waiting as long as it takes for a meeting; and using Web research skills and networking connections such as Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Joe Kleinsasser for Wichita State University.

Shocker football players return to Cessna Stadium

The public is invited to a community event as part of the May 15-16 Wichita State University all-football reunion, sponsored by the WSU Alumni Association.

Beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, the east stands of Cessna Stadium will be open to Shocker football fans for introductions of returning players, followed by a punt, pass and kick competition.

Among participants planning to be at the event are star players, including Linwood Sexton, Prince McJunkins, James "Jumpy" Geathers, Joe Williams and coach Willie "Jeff" Jeffries.

The public can come onto the field after the competition to talk with players and get autographs.

Attendees are advised to use only the stadium's east entrance and to be aware that parking will be at a premium, as graduation exercises will be taking place at the same time in Charles Koch Arena.

No tickets are required to attend.

For more information on the event, call Amanda Zedrick at (316) 978-3874.

(This WSU Alumni Association-sponsored football reunion is not affiliated with any individual, group or organization whose mission is to restart football at Wichita State University.)

Greteman Group founder to speak at alumni breakfast series

Sonia Greteman, founder of Wichita branding agency Greteman Group, will be the next speaker at the 2008-09 Wichita State University Distinguished Alumni Speaker Breakfast Series.

The event is at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 26, in the Marcus Welcome Center at WSU. Cost is $15 per person and $10 per student.

Sonia Greteman

Greteman, '82, has built Greteman Group into an industry leader. Since founding the firm in 1989, she has developed a team that offers full marketing, advertising, public relations, interactive and environmental support.

Clients – from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entrepreneurs – span the globe. Her firm, which is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary, has just launched its new Altitude Attitude brand.

Greteman was recently named as an inductee to the Broadcast and Media Professionals of Wichita Hall of Fame.

The WSU alumni lecture is the fifth of six presentations in the breakfast series.

RSVP by Thursday, March 19 at www.wichita.edu/alumnibreakfastseries.

For more information, contact Mandy Fleming at (316) 978-3290 or mandy.fleming@wichita.edu.

Alumni Association announces 2008 Alumni Awards recipients

Seven individuals of acclaim will be recognized with 2008 Wichita State University Alumni Awards at a banquet set to begin 6 p.m., Thu., Feb. 12, at the Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive.

A Wichita State tradition, the awards have been presented by the WSU Alumni Association every year since 1955.

Receiving the WSU Alumni Achievement Award is Marilyn B. Pauly, a 1972 Wichita State business graduate and who has made her mark as one of Kansas' leading bank executives.

Now the vice chairwoman of Commerce Bank, Pauly served as president of Bank IV from 1993 until her retirement in 2000, having risen to that position from her start in 1969 as a part-time clerk.

During her three-decade trailblazing tenure, she became at the age of 24 the youngest woman in Bank IV history to be named an officer. Pauly also has a rich history of commitment to professional, civic and community activities.

Charles G. and Elizabeth B. Koch, who are known for their wide-ranging philanthropic works, are the WSU Alumni Recognition Award recipients.

Charles Koch, a 2004 WSU President's Medal honoree, is chairman of the board and CEO of Koch Industries, Inc., a position he has held since 1967.

His avid interest in and commitment to scientific and social progress led him to the development of the Market-Based Management business philosophy, which he describes in his book, "The Science of Success," published in 2007.

Liz Koch is active in community affairs on behalf of Koch Industries and its affiliated foundations. She serves as president and director of the Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation, and a director of the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

She is also president and a director of the Allen-Lambe House Charitable Foundation, trustee of Koch Cultural Trust, and a director of the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation.

The University Recognition Award goes to Dean E. Headley, a 1982 WSU business graduate and an associate professor of marketing in the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State.

Headley joined the Barton School faculty in 1988 and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in marketing research and services marketing.

For the past 18 years, Headley's research efforts have targeted the commercial airline industry. He and co-author Brent Bowen are widely known for the development and annual release of the Airline Quality Rating.

V. Kaye Monk-Morgan, director of WSU's Upward Bound Math Science Regional Center, is the recipient of the Young Alumna Award.

Through her work at the center, which is 100 percent federally funded, Monk-Morgan helps advance the interests of low-income, disadvantaged high school students in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and in health-related fields.

She earned a Master of Public Administration in 1996 and a Bachelor of Science in 1993 from Wichita State.

The Laura Cross Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Ruth E. Matz, who in 1981 accepted a position as secretary for Wichita State's athletic director, beginning her 27-year career with the university.

Her many WSU athletics work highlights include organizing the travel party's trip to the White House after the Shocker baseball team won the College World Series in 1989.

The Honorable Wesley E. Brown is the Award of Distinction honoree. After entering the law profession in 1933, Judge Brown served as a county attorney, was a partner in the private firm of Williams, Martindell, Carey & Brown and, in 1962, was nominated by President Kennedy as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

After his Senate confirmation and taking the oath of office, he began hearing cases on April 13, 1962. Although he took senior status in 1979, Brown continues to hear cases — at the age of 101.

These extraordinary individuals will be honored for their accomplishments and service beginning with a champagne reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the awards presentation.

The cost is $50 per person, and the event is open to the public.

Advance reservations are required and must be made by Wed., Feb. 4.

Online reservations can be made at www.wichita.edu/awards You can also call at (316) 978-3290 or (888) 316-2586 or fax at (316) 978-3088.

Miss Kansas wants to help kids across the state

Miss Kansas 2008 supports a platform that reflects her background, her experiences and her growth.

Emily Deaver, as Miss Kansas, speaks to kids, college students and adults about her life before the crown. Her background is a huge part of her message to young people across Kansas.

"This is who I am," she said.

Deaver struggled with alcohol abuse in high school, and her troubles continued through college at Wichita State University.

She looked hard at what her friends were doing, what she was doing and where that was taking her: nowhere.

"I realized I had a lot more to offer the world of myself," she said.

There has never been a Miss Kansas to come out with "Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention" as their platform, or with Deaver's background.

"She chose (a platform) where she felt she could really help society," said Priscilla Stanley, Deaver's pageant director for Miss Augusta.

And regardless of whether it was a good idea to tell the state about her past, Deaver said she opened her "can of worms."

"I made that decision," she said. "And I'm not going to go back and regret it."

Deaver said it took her a long time to deal with her alcohol abuse, but therapy and a passion for music helped her.

She is a jazz studies major at WSU and, after her year as Miss Kansas, she will finish her degree and study film scoring in California.

For her talent as Miss Kansas and in the upcoming Miss America competition Jan. 24, 2009, she will sing and play piano to the old jazz standard, "What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"

"She is a very talented young lady," Stanley said. "It's just great what she's doing."

Deaver said her talent is less about the notes and technicality, and more about the emotion coming through.

"(Jazz) gave me something to be passionate about," she said, "gave me something to love."

Her mother, Karen Deaver, said the music and the jazz was what her daughter needed. Very few college students choose music as their vocation.

"I knew Emily could always work," her mother said, "but she needed to follow her dream. You go for what's really in your heart. Do the things that bring you joy and peace and happiness."

This Miss Kansas was never at the top of her class or on the undefeated team, and she wasn't picked to sing all the solos.

"One big growing experience that I think so many people forget about is that you don't have to win," Deaver's mother said.

"Right now, Emily is the top, but she hasn't had a life of that."

After Deaver lost her first Miss Augusta pageant at 17, she cried. After losing the Miss Cheney pageant the same year, her mother said she was "flat out mad."

When she competed for Miss Augusta the second time at 19, she won by storm.

"It must have been meant to be," her mother said.

Deaver said the judges saw that she was having fun, but knew she could handle the job.

"If it's all about the crown, you're missing out on the journey of it," she said.

From her experiences, Deaver said she feels wise and appreciative of life and good friends, and she tells her story across the state, from elementary schools to detention centers.

Her message to young people and parents is to talk and be open and have healthy communication. Deaver supports a Fox Kansas campaign geared toward parents and tearing down communication barriers.

"It's about sitting down and having dinner with your kids," she said.

Even if Miss Kansas speaks to children and young adults only once, she said, the message will get to them.

"There will always be kids who don't want to hear it," she said, "but there are kids looking for help. Even if it's just one kid, it's totally worth it."

One of her largest projects is her involvement with the Kansas Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, of which she is a member.

"I could have been one of those kids," she said. "I don't want to forget about the kids who are already in trouble."

Deaver said she will continue to stay on the board after her year as Miss Kansas. If she is crowned Miss America, she said she will stick with the board and her platform.

Although people believe Miss America is a beauty pageant, Deaver said she sees the Miss America of today as a humanitarian, not a model.

"It's not necessarily about the crown," she said. "It's about making a difference."

WSU prepared former student to be foreign diplomat

Mark Seibel grew up in Hillsboro, Kan., and envisioned himself to be a small town man for the rest of his life, he said from his office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

After two years at Tabor College, Seibel transferred to and graduated from Wichita State University in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science and again in 1989 with a master's degree.

Seibel was majoring in history at Tabor and had planned to go to law school, but he said WSU political science professors ignited his passion to explore the field of international relations.

"I had had all of my political science classes from WSU professors," Seibel said. "Each of them had an impact in their own way."

WSU professors also taught political science classes at Tabor, which did not have a political science major.

"(Associate professor Kenneth) Ciboski's 'Politics in Developing Areas' and (associate professor and emeritus James) McKenney's 'Introduction to International Relations' first sparked my interest in pursuing a different career path than the small town lawyer I envisioned for myself my freshman year," Seibel said.

He realized he would have to go to a different college to pursue a career in political science.

"I encouraged him to come over here from Tabor," Ciboski said, "because I knew he was a very bright student."

Seibel stepped out of his small town ideals when he traveled to the Soviet Union in 1983 with Ciboski before transferring to WSU.

Ciboski said students need to travel and be exposed to different political systems and cultures, which is why he has taken 12 groups of students to the Soviet Union.

"They could see what was available and what wasn't," he said. "A lot of students said they would never complain again about any service in the United States."

Though Seibel left Russia with a strong negative impression, he took away an enlightened attitude from his trip, which he said crystallized his desire to explore international relations and pursue a career as a diplomat.

"It was my first exposure to foreign travel and foreign culture," he said. "It was so far from anything I had experienced (in Hillsboro)."

Seibel said talking to people from other countries with different points of view and different levels of education was fascinating, and he wanted more.

He successfully fulfilled his desire in 1991 when he joined the Foreign Services, where, he said, he draws on some knowledge he received from WSU every day.

Seibel serves as consul and second secretary, chief of the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

His responsibility is to complete the paperwork and process properly, in good time and in a manner that welcomes Russian immigrants to the United States.

Seibel said he does immigrant visas for Russian orphans adopted by American families. The best part is when he tells parents the visa is approved and they've come to the end of that long, difficult process.

"Seeing that look of joy," he said, "I like that."

The well-rounded education and individual attention he received at WSU prepared him to work in his position at the embassy, Seibel said.

"I feel that my current posting to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow has brought me back full circle," he said, "to the time that I rode past the embassy in a tour bus full of WSU students and wondered what people were doing in that building and whether I might be cut out for that work."

He said the encouragement and mentoring he received from WSU professors gave him the confidence and the ability to set out on the path that brought him back to Moscow, now, working in the same building he rode past as a student 25 years ago.

Creator of WuShock costume still proud to be a Shocker

It's been five decades since Dave Johnson went to the University of Wichita on a four-year art scholarship, but his ties and loyalty still run deep.

Johnson's office at Dave Johnson Sales on West Kellogg is adorned with Shocker memorabilia. He's still friends with WSU basketball legend Cleo Littleton, whose contracting firm is repainting Johnson's store. And Johnson is always willing to be an ambassador for the university he loves.

This month, as Wichita State celebrates the 60th anniversary of the university's mascot, WuShock, Johnson's contributions to WSU also will be honored.

Dave Johnson

In 1954, six years after Wilbur Elsea designed the first mascot for WSU, Johnson took it one step further and created a mascot costume that lives on today as WuShock.

Of course, it looks a lot different now. Johnson's original design included a ping-pong ball nose that lit up and football pads for shoulders that the head rested on. And he insists the initial color was slightly different than today's Shocker yellow.

Johnson said he never thought what he created then would still be around 60 years later.

In the beginning...

It all started when Johnson came to the university on a four-year art scholarship. The North High graduate was elected as a cheerleader, and he traveled with the football and basketball teams to their various competitions through the country.

At that time, the university's athletics program was one of the best in the country. But Johnson felt like something was missing when the team played in the National Invitational Tournament in Madison Square Garden and didn't have a mascot running around like all the other teams.

That gave him an idea.

"And when I came back I designed a costume," he said.

Actually, he made two – one for himself and one for his cheerleading partner. They were called WuShock and Shadow. The costumes were made for about $20 each.

"I had a lot of fun with it," Johnson said. "It was more or less the attitude of WuShock that made it successful."

Unfortunately, the original WuShock doesn't exist anymore. After WU hit a last-second shot against rival Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater, the hostile crowd went after Johnson.

The only thing left was the head.

Johnson, who was born and raised in Wichita, said being known as the original WuShock is a title he holds proudly.

"I am an avid supporter of Wichita State University," he said. "I'm proud to be a Shocker."

WuShock designer leaves lasting impression on WSU

The story of Wilbur Elsea's creative hand in WuShock's birth has been told many times in many places in the 60 years of the WSU mascot's existence. It's a simple tale of a design student being in the right place at the right time, told best by the artist himself.

Wilbur Elsea

Elsea these days can best be found either at an easel painting landscapes or with his coffee klatch of about a dozen retired friends who attempt "to solve all the problems of the world," he said.

Earlier days saw Elsea through college graduation, followed by three independent advertising design firms that he helped build as co-owner: Key Studio, Key Standard Advertising, formed with Les Quillen, and finally Quillen Elsea.

He took up landscape painting in 1990, shortly after retiring, only to find another satisfying business through exhibiting and selling his artworks.

Drawing a mascot for WSU was just a class assignment, he said, in Walter Lingel's design course. The end-of-semester task, linked to a Kappa Pi art fraternity contest, was to come up with a mascot that reflected the spirit of the university.

"There were no limits," Elsea said. "It could be anything."

This was in 1948, when WSU was the Wichita University. Its student body had unofficially been dubbed "Wheatshockers" back in 1904 during Fairmount College days when outdoor sporting events were played in wheat fields. The nickname had stuck, later shortening to today's "Shockers."

Elsea, who had served as a Marine during World War II, thought the university needed a tough mascot with "no-nonsense scowl." So he created a gruff-faced shock of wheat, complete with arms and legs, that won the contest.

What's in a name?

WuShock's name came from freshman Jack Kersting in another contest run by The Sunflower, WSU's student newspaper. The mascot gained flesh and blood six years later when student Dave Johnson, a cheerleader, designed a costume that he officially and proudly wore for athletic events.

WuShock was off and running through a history that is well-documented, even earning space online in Wikipedia, a worldwide log of knowledge. And Elsea's history as the artist who drafted the character is in almost every historical reference.

"I'm amazed that my 15 minutes of fame has lasted this long," said Elsea. "Maybe it's because there's not another university that has the courage of Wichita State to adopt a mascot that is so 'far out.' "

WuShock certainly has drawn attention over the years. The mascot has been the subject of praise and criticism, admiration and disbelief. WuShock has even competed nationally in sports publications for most unusual mascot, no matter how much the costume has evolved through small design changes.

All the while, WuShock has entertained Shocker fans, contributed to charitable causes, appeared in movies -- and these days is the subject of a modern marketing campaign that highlights Shockers in the community through television, radio and print commercials that place the full-bodied mascot in various work settings around town.

Wu in different forms

WuShock also has been richly documented in photos and even editorial cartoons.

Richard Crowson, former editorial cartoonist for The Wichita Eagle, spent 20 years observing WuShock and caricaturing the character in the newspaper when appropriate situations arose.

He also has done WuShock in various configurations for WSU's alumni magazine, The Shocker.

"Wu has that great hair going on, which makes for a fun time when it comes to cartooning him," said Crowson. "Plus the grass skirt. For a while in the old days he wore a grass skirt, and that's the way I still like to draw him. The barefoot thing is cool, too."

WuShock "has to be about the most original and off-the-wall mascot in the nation," Crowson said. "I dearly love the guy."

Elsea has always appreciated others' cartoon forms of WuShock. He said that Harold Kemper, a WSU student who went on to design humorous cards for Hallmark, was the first cartoonist to caricature WuShock in editorial cartoons for The Sunflower.

It's been a pleasure to watch WuShock all these years, said Elsea. He and his wife, Marilyn, will definitely be on hand for the birthday celebration.

Look who's 60: WuShock!

How do you throw a birthday party for a 60-year-old Wichita State University icon, aka WuShock? You invite about 10,000 of the mascot's closest friends to a WSU basketball game.

The birthday bash will occur during halftime of the WSU-UMKC men's basketball game, which starts at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Charles Koch Arena.

Early-arriving fans will receive a special party hat and a piece of birthday cake.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

The halftime will feature a retrospective video, a special appearance by the first Wu, Dave Johnson, and Wu's creator, Wilbur Elsea. Fans also will be asked to join in singing happy birthday to WuShock.

WuShock has only made one special request — lots of presents — not for himself, but for Toys for Tots. He encourages fans to bring new, unused toys to the game to help brighten the holidays for many children.

WuShock Trivia

1. In 1904, when Wichita State University was known as Fairmount College, football manager R.J. Kirk is credited with inventing the name "Wheat Shockers" for a poster contest to advertise a game against the Chilocco Indians.

2. Wichita University had used, in its early years, a shock of wheat as its symbol because of the area's wheat production. In those days when wheat was shocked or headed, most athletes earned a stake for college expenses by working all summer in the harvest. In the fall, they came back tough enough to play 60-minute games on a stubbled wheat field.

3. Members of the pep club were known as "Wheaties," so the wheat designation was quite fitting.

4. Although the name "Wheat Shockers" was never officially adopted, it eventually caught on and was combined into one word. Eventually the nickname was shortened to the "Shockers," the nickname Wichita State teams are known as today.

5. The story of WuShock began in 1948 when Wichita University art department students were invited by the Kappa Pi art fraternity to compete in the creation of a design to typify the spirit of the school. The contest was wide open with no theme established for the contest.

6. Junior Wilbur Elsea, a Marine during World War II, was the winner of the contest. He decided "the school needed a mascot who gave a tough impression ... with a serious, no-nonsense scowl."

7. The 1950 Parnassus (yearbook) cover was designed by Elsea from his original WuShock caricature. He was honored with a $20 cash award for winning first place in the Parnassus cover design contest that year.

8. In the Oct. 7, 1948, issue of "The Sunflower," an advertisement appeared urging students to submit names for the school's newly chosen mascot. Jack Kersting won the contest with the current name — WuShock.

9. Dave Johnson, a Wichita University cheerleader, changed the mascot from ink into flesh and blood in 1954. He and members of the art department brought WuShock to life as a costume.

10. On Feb. 7, 1987, WuShock experienced the most publicized event of his life. During a men's basketball game against Southern Illinois, WuShock was tossed out of the game by the referees. Wu's crime? During a time-out he was witnessed by referees pretending to be a blind referee. One of the referees didn't take too kindly to Wu's riling the crowd up, so he tossed him.

WSU receives additional donation of Boehm sculptures

In 1994, Betty and Oliver Elliott donated part of their Boehm (pronounced "beam") sculpture collection to the Wichita State University Foundation.

This summer, their daughters, Nancy Martin and Carole Lindley, donated the rest. The collection contains nearly 140 pieces, which depict birds, flowers and animals in their natural habitats.

The Elliotts, who helped establish the Elliott School of Communication at WSU, started collecting the pieces in 1977.

"My father always had a love for birds," Lindley said. "My mother was drawn more to the flowers."

Martin said her mother was taken with the sculptures' beauty and took joy in admiring the pieces every day.

"Each new addition to the collection was Mother's favorite," Martin said.

Both daughters remember going for walks with their father to look for birds.

"Every family vacation, regardless of locale, included some time looking for birds that were unique to the area," said Martin.

The sculptures are now on display at WSU's Woodman Alumni Center, Elliott Hall and the president's home.

"They mean so much to the president and me because we knew Betty Elliott so well," said First Lady Shirley Beggs. "We loved and admired her."

The Elliotts also established scholarships, professorships and faculty funds.

"Their gifts continue to grow," said Susan Huxman, director of the Elliott School of Communication. "The Elliotts were very generous people."

Edward Marshall Boehm achieved recognition for his artistic and technical excellence, not only in the United States but widely throughout the world.

His sculptures are on display at the Vatican Museum in Rome, the White House, Buckingham Palace, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Smithsonian Institution. He died of a heart attack in 1969.

WSU Opera & Musical Theatre to present 'Iolanthe'

Parody and politics combine for comic effect in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Iolanthe," which Wichita State's Opera and Musical Theatre will present at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, in Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

Myrna Paris

Myrna Paris, a distinguished WSU alumna and noted interpreter of Gilbert and Sullivan, will guest star as the Fairy Queen in two performances, Nov. 7 and 9.

Her appearances include the New York City Opera, St. Louis Opera Theatre, Music Theatre of Wichita, Houston Grand Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre and Wichita Grand Opera.

Marie King

"Iolanthe" is a "proto-Python parody of that grandest of all German romantic opera composers, Richard Wagner," said Marie King, director of Opera and Musical Theatre.

Gilbert's wacky plot somehow manages to bring a troupe of Valkyries into the British House of Parliament, wreaking havoc and dispensing mirth, King said. And she calls Sullivan's lively score one of his finest, providing a "delightful pseudo-Wagnerian atmosphere" amid the inevitable patter songs and rollicking choruses.

The plot features the fairy Iolanthe who, 25 years earlier, had committed the sin of marrying a mortal, who happens to be England's Lord High Chancellor. For her crime, she was banished from Fairyland. Unbeknownst to her erstwhile husband, the union produced a son, Strephon, who loves Phyllis, a ward of the court.

She is also the object of affection of not only the entire House of Peers, but the Lord Chancellor himself. Complication and suspicions tangle the story, untangled only by myriad legal machinations and fairy transformations.

With the exception of Paris, the cast is composed of current WSU students, with graduate students Stephanie Gilmore in the title role, Mathan Black as the Lord High Chancellor and Dru Rutledge as Phyllis.

Dixie Roberts, also working toward her master's of music degree, alternates with Paris as the Fairy Queen. Undergraduates include Jacob January as Strephon, Aaron Short as Lord Tolloller, Nicholas Gilmore as Lord Montarrarat and Bernie Zuniga as Private Willis.

The production is designed by Rachel Prochaska, sets; Rebecca Maholland, costumes; and Tyler Lessin, lights. Mark Laycock conducts the WSU Symphony Orchestra.

"Iolanthe" is rated G.