November 13, 2019
Volume 146, Issue 12
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Art student Isaac Bird preps for senior art exhibition Haleigh McDonald Washburn Review
If you mention the name Isaac Bird to students or faculty members at Washburn a majority of them will most likely smile and say something like “Isaac is quite the character” and after meeting him. They are exactly right. Bird will be graduating this spring semester with the accomplishment of being on the president’s honor roll for most of his four years at Washburn and he plans on going to graduate school to become an art professor. Bird discovered and crafted his many talents and passions like sports, playing guitar and piano and most importantly art during his years of homeschool. He gives a lot of credit to his mom, dad, younger sister and coaches for shaping him into an outgoing, confident, caring and hard-working person and he appreciates the fact that they have always accepted him and encouraged him to do what he loves, which is teach art.
“There wasn’t really ever any pressure for me to be a specific way,” said Bird. “I’m very confident and secure in being however I want to be.” Being homeschooled allowed Bird to focus on the things he truly loves like drawing and writing poems, but it has also given him a special perspective on life. “It’s super easy to be a good person, be nice, take care of people, be funny and be kind. Driving a cool car and dressing nice, that’s what people think is cool, but I feel like that is way less cool than making people happy,” said Bird. This insight is the main reason why he wants to teach art to students, because he can bring a unique viewpoint to teaching and changing students’ lives. He wants to inspire students to find what makes them happy and prioritize spreading kindness to the people around them. One of Bird’s biggest inspirations is Washburn art professor Ben Wills. “He [Wills] is everything
I want to be like. He is an artist and a musician and a really powerful educator and he is super energetic and supportive of students,” said Bird. Professor Wills thinks similarly of Bird. “Isaac is a very ambitious student and very fun to have in the classroom. His relentless and punishing optimism and enthusiasm will make him an inspiring guy to be around so art education is kind of perfect for him,” said Wills. Isaac’s senior art showcase will be in the art building Monday Nov. 11 to Nov. 22 and he said you can expect to see inspiring narrative pieces of art and poetry. “Every drawing, every poem that I make is like me releasing energy back into the world that I’ve gathered from my community. I am a product of my community, so everything I make is from them and for them” said Bird. Community is the most important thing to Bird, that is why he chose to
WASHBURN REVIEW - Haleigh McDonald
Artist and scholar: Isaac Bird talks with fellow classmates while setting up the focus scene for an art class.
study art at Washburn. “The community at Washburn has completely changed who I am and who I want to be and has shaped me. It’s always been about people for me and Washburn has good people,” said Bird. Bird’s constant positivity, kindness and involvement around Washburn’s campus is what helped him earn the title as 2019 Top Bod. “I think about them announcing my name and I swear I just laugh. That’s
so wild I never dreamed of being Top Bod. It’s a really cool feeling, it was humbling that my university thinks I’m worthy of such an honor,” said Bird. Isaac wants to encourage people to come to his art show and give him a high five or come talk to him if you see him around campus. “Get out there and spend some time doing something you love today or tomorrow, I would appreciate it personally,” said Bird.
Kansas Leadership Center sparks gun safety conversation Matthew Self Washburn Review
WASHBURN REVIEW - Matthew L. Self
Around the table: People of varying backgrounds spoke with each other about the topic of gun safety in the community. There were no wrong answers and all had a voice in this open discussion.
The debate over proper gun legislation has been raging for many years now. Recently those debates have taken on a greater urgency as the rise of mass shootings has pushed gun safety to the forefront of American minds. But as debates take place over gun rights in our state capitals, smaller discussions can be found at the local level, including our own campus. At 6 p.m. Thursday in the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center a group of concerned citizens came together to discuss the topic of gun safety at an event labeled: Perspectives on Gun Use and Public Safety, A Community Issue & A Community Conversation. The group also included members of the Topeka Police Department and a great deal of Washburn students. Members of the local state government,
such as Shawnee County commissioner Bill Riphahn and city council member Michael Padilla, could also be seen at the event. The discussions focused on gun use and how it affected public safety. Organizations involved are Topeka Justice Unity and Ministry Project, Topeka Center for Peace and Justice, Washburn University Leadership Institute, Topeka Youth Commission, Kansas Leadership Center, the Valeo Behavioral Health and Family Service and Guidance Center. After the initial announcements were made, the 60 or so participants were introduced to the ‘actors’ for the evening. Each of the actors portrayed someone who has been involved with guns in the past and who now either supports gun restrictions or rejects it. Thus, each actor presented a different perspective on gun safety. Continued on page 2
Christina Valdivia-Alcala speaks to first-generation students Jackson Woods Washburn Review
The first-generation college experience is easier for some than others, and the We Are First student organization wants people to know that important figures in their community have experienced struggles in college as well. Councilwoman-elect Christina Valdivia Alcala was invited to speak at the student organization’s Nov. 6 meeting. She shared her story about how she came to Washburn University and talked about her experience while here. She considers herself to be first generation in multiple ways. Her parent’s ancestors were Mexican and she searched for how she related to that identity for much of her life. This is because, despite this ancestry, she was pressured to assimilate into the US, including not being raised to speak Spanish. Even though she struggled in high school, she was encouraged to go to college by her mother. After graduating from high school, she went to Wichita State University, but did not have the support structure there to help her. Groups
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that we have at Washburn now like HALO and We Are First did not exist then. She became a nontraditional student at Washburn starting in 1990 as a parent. She was a history major in an environment where all her professors were white. Her professors were not people whom she was able to tell what she was dealing with as a college student. After all her hard work, including challenging work on oral histories from women, she was able to walk at graduation. Unfortunately, she later found out she was one class short of receiving her degree and did not go back and complete it. Savannah Rodriguez, president of We Are First, was one of the organizers of this event. “We want people to know there’s not only one path you can take,” said Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a sophomore transfer student in her first semester at Washburn, and is double-majoring in political science and religious studies. She was recruited to be president of We Are First by Graciela Berumen, the first-generation retention specialist at Washburn.
WASHBURN REVIEW - Jackson Woods
A lifetime of struggle: Councilwoman-elect Christina Valdivia-Alcala talks to students about what she has overcome. Valdivia-Alcala won the Nov. 5, 2019 election for Topeka City Council District 2.
Berumen was Rodriguez’s WU101 teacher, and recognized her leadership skills that could be put to use in the student organization. Valdivia-Alcala places a lot of value on being connected with her community, and believes that everyone should make connections with people who share mindsets.
Gallery: High School Art Day
Valdvia-Alcala commented on what she would tell her college self so that students could hear her advice. “Unity is crucial. Unity between brown, black and white,” said Valdivia-Alcala. “Demand change from your government, because it’s past time for asking.”
Article: Multicultural Day no longer planned