WSU Activities and Traditions

Shocker Traditions

From sports and student groups to concerts and dances, the school year at WSU is chock-full of Shocker tradition and fun.

Welcomefest

The school year starts off with a bang as Shockers new and old participate in a crazy week of activities, including late-night outdoor movies, dances and the popular Aloha Beach Party.

Clash of the Colleges

First-year students, faculty and administrators gird for battle, coming together to vie in a multi-sport free-for-all to capture Clash of the Colleges bragging rights for the year.

Shocktoberfest

This long-standing WSU tradition features a week of fun events, activities, and student organizations competing to win the coveted Shocktoberfest Trophy.

Interfest

Twice a year, WSU celebrates its standing as the most diverse college in Kansas with a feast that features student-prepared cuisine from around the globe. You're guaranteed to find something new and delicious.

Family Weekend

Family Weekend invites friends and family of current students to campus for a fun-filled weekend of activities and events designed to introduce them to life in Shocker Nation.

Hippodrome

As WSU's longest-running tradition – every spring since 1928 – Hippodrome is an all-school party promoting Shocker pride through contests and live entertainment leading up to the main event – the Hippodrome skits.

The Toast

The WSU community celebrates its graduating students with a champagne toast and mixer on the steps of the Rhatigan Student Center. The perfect way to send our Shockers out into the world.

Campus Activities & Events

Get involved

Rip 'em up! Tear 'em up! Let's go, Shocks!

Shocker Nation. It's one of the most loyal, rabid fan bases in all of college sports and when you become a WSU student, you're immediately a new citizen. Students get free tickets to WSU's nationally prominent NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball games as they battle against foes like Tulsa, Memphis, Tulane, North Texas, UAB, Florida Atlantic and Temple in the powerful American Conference. #shockersup

GoShockers.com

Tulips: A Wichita State Tradition

A welcome sign of spring, Wichita State's tulip beds have been a beloved tradition for more than 50 years. Each fall, WSU groundskeepers plant more than 9,000 bulbs that turn the campus into a riot of color when they bloom.

Read a KMUW story about WSU's tulips

WSU History

More than a century of innovation in education

When Wichita State first opened its doors in 1895, students rode horses to class, telegraph machines were cutting-edge technology and Wichita had only been a city for roughly 25 years.

A lot has changed.

The past century has featured a remarkable evolution for Wichita State, one in which the school has grown from a small Christian college to a large state university – punctuated by two name changes and a few thousand extra students.

Together with the City of Wichita, WSU has built one of the most unique partnerships in Kansas. It's a relationship that supplies the lifeblood of a thriving community and makes it possible to provide the most well-rounded education in the region.

Today, the university continues its evolution through collaboration, innovation, applied learning and entrepreneurship – creating the ideal environment for students, industry and community to work together and build a bright future for our city, region and world.

THE COLLEGE TOUR

What's a Shocker?

From our founding in 1895, discover how Shocker Nation has evolved into the innovation and research mecca it is today. Dive into the origins of our beloved mascot WuShock, explore our history and traditions, and learn about some of our trailblazing alumni.