Fall 2023 Indigo Magazine by Washburn Student Media

VOL. 16 ISSUE 2 FALL 2023

MAGAZINE

In-Office & Virtual Counseling

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ichabods UPCOMING EVENTS!

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www.washburn.edu/career-services 2 | Bod Magazine

Letter from the Editor Since this is my first time ever creating a magazine, I thoroughly found it challenging but I would do it all over again. I mostly took on this position because I enjoyed seeing the last editor work on their magazine and because one day, I want to write a book. I have learned a ton during this experience. Firstly, I gained an appreciation for time put into the magazine and the process of gathering the necessary elements for a magazine overall. There are a lot of people involved in creating this project and every single person's role is important to how the magazine turns out. Secondly, I discovered that InDesign is an important skill to have. Attempting to grasp its intricacies on the fly can be a headache. I personally struggled with InDesign because I attempted to learn while working on multiple design layouts. YouTube is only so helpful, but I am grateful for Regina Cassell and Christina Noland who sat with me multiple times and taught me what I needed to know.

Lastly, at the end of this project and looking at all of what has been accomplished I learned I am more creative than what I gave myself credit for. Before the magazine, I assumed my creative abilities ended at words and nothing more. I enjoyed the task of creating designs to complement the words written on the pages, and I loved seeing all of the designs that were created by the designers. Designing the magazine was the most fun but also the hardest part. When I joined Washburn Student Media, I did not expect much from this job and I did not expect it to become a newfound passion of mine. I have had my own self doubts with the position I am in, but I overcame them with reassurance from my team and people outside of the office. Working alongside everyone has been a blessing, and I am grateful for the unwavering support I've received. This magazine has offered me profound insights into leadership and self-discovery. I hope you (the readers) enjoy the stories in the magazine and enjoy looking at the pages because they are all beautiful.

Remember - words and ideas can change the world LeSha' Davis Editor-in-Chief, Indigo Magazine

Spring 2023 Indigo • 3

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LeSha' Davis

FACULTY ADVISER

Regina Cassell

WRITERS Karli Bayliss Aja Carter LeSha' Davis Humphry Del Castillo Larissa Morgan Sydney Peterson Jayme Thompson PHOTOGRAPHERS Aja Carter LeSha' Davis Christina Noland Jayme Thompson

ON THE COVER:

The cover is a collage of images we have gathered over this semester. The magazine highlighted a lot of campus and Topeka related topics.

DESIGNERS LeSha' Davis Eden Conrad Karli Bayliss Caroline Rea Jayme Thompson COPY EDITORS Aja Carter LeSha’ Davis Jeremy Ford Jayme Thompson

@wu_studentmedia @wustudentmedia @wu_studentmedia Washburn University Student Media linktr.ee/wustudentmedia

ADVERTISING Karli Bayliss Mia Anthony

2023 Kansas Collegiate Media Awards

x5 4

Honorable Mention

Overall Magazine: All-Kansas

Table of Contents Ad Astra Per Aspera

06 IT TOOK A STRIKE

With streaming services blasting through screens across the world, it’s clear that streaming is a popular way to consume films and TV shows.

BIG PHARMA AND CANCER'S CURE Whether a close family member or someone in your community battled it out, everyone can think of a memory when they hear that nasty word, “cancer.”

18 EIGHT INTERESTING KANSAS FACTS Dodge City is thought to be the windiest city in the U.S., with an average wind speed of 15mph.

MOMENTUM 2027 In the heart of Kansas, a city named Topeka often recognized for its diverse history and vibrant community, there is a conversation taking shape.

27 BEST WAYS TO FIND A STUDY GROUP One of the hardest things to find on campus is a group of people whose schedules all fit together and can all sit together to study for hours on end.

29 501 DISTRICT FIGHTS HUNGER

Within Topeka, Unified School District 501 has more students in poverty than other school districts in the city. It has made great strides to combat the hunger for their community.

IDENTITY THROUGH ART & INK In a survey that was conducted on the Washburn campus, 40 out of 100 people had tattoos.

strike

It took a

Entertainment industry breathes a sigh of relief with the end of the writers strike 6

BY HUMPHRY DEL CASTILLO & KARLI BAYLISS

With streaming services blasting through screens across the world, it’s clear that streaming is a popular way to consume films and TV shows. However, for 148 days, the production of these films and TV shows came to a screeching halt. Why is season three of “Euphoria” delayed? Where did all the late-night talk shows go? Why did they never release “Bat Girl”? It’s all because of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Starting Tuesday, May 2, 2023, a multitude of writers in the film industry ceased all creative writing in protest of unfair wages and working conditions. This strike would last until Wednesday, Sept. 27, making it the second longestlasting writers strike in history. This strike created a ripple effect that impacted everyone from experts in the industry to those at home waiting for the next season of “Stranger Things.” Those not plugged into the industry may find it difficult to understand how a strike in Los Angeles could affect them at home. Many still aren’t aware of what exactly happened. In order to recognize its influence, it’s important to understand what the writers strike was all about and what caused it. The main motivation for the strike was to protest against the unfair pay writers were receiving. In an effort to cut costs, production studios leveraged streaming services and AI technologies. Although studios saved money, pay was not distributed evenly.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADIN REPLOGLE

Picketers express their grievances with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Adin Replogle, senior mass media major, captured this moment while participating in the Los Angeles strikes over the summer. Spring 2023 Indigo • 7

“

How the strikes worked is they would create, with signs, a solid, unbroken picket line across all the major entrances to Warner Brothers and their space. The effect of that is one, people honk, which annoys the executives inside thoroughly, which is half the fun. It keeps people’s minds on it as they drive by. -Adin Replogle

In 2020, when theaters were declining and streaming services became the most popular way to watch film and TV, writers were getting paid very little in residuals. Residuals are percentages of sales writers get when their work is reused or redistributed. Traditionally, residuals were based on theatrical views and box office numbers upon a film’s release. Since traditional companies like CBS, ABC and Disney weren’t expecting the sudden rise of streaming services, they didn’t invest in streaming early on. Thus, writers’ contracts weren’t optimized for streaming and they didn’t receive fair residuals for the distribution of their work on these platforms. Matthew Nyquist, acting department chair for the Washburn University Department of Mass Media and USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate, is a filmmaker who has production experience and insights into the film industry. Nyquist shared his knowledge on the disparity of residual distribution. “Let’s say you write on a sitcom. You get paid $150,000 plus you get residuals when it’s actually shown, so you get paid pretty well. For the same show on Netflix, you might get like $1,500 and you’re not really getting residuals. If you get residuals, it’s like a penny or something really crazy,” Nyquist said. The Writers Guild of America is a union entity for writers that decides minimum wage and maximum work hours. They also support writers by offering benefits 8

such as health insurance and content protection. Being part of the guild is essential for professional writers as membership makes it easier to find work in the industry. In 2020, in an attempt to renegotiate its contracts, the WGA approached the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers asking to receive better residuals. The AMPTP is an organization that serves as a negotiating middleman between the WGA and over 350 producers, streaming services, production studios and television networks. With the decline of the film industry during COVID-19, the executives knew that the industry would crumble if the WGA decided to strike at that moment. However, they were not willing to pay writers adequately at that time due to cost cuts caused by the less-profitable streaming business model. So, instead of renegotiation, they offered, in good faith, to revisit the discussion in the future. They never revisited the discussion. Many may wonder why studios avoid paying writers adequately with the film and TV industry being as lucrative as it is. If writers aren’t getting the pay they deserve, where

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADIN REPLOGLE

Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild supporters form picket lines around the Warner Brothers lot. According to Replogle, the Netflix and Amazon lots were more popular spots to picket. is the money going? When comparing CEO salaries with the salaries of writers, it becomes clear. “The entertainment industry makes a ridiculous amount of money. But when you pay your CEOs $650,000 a day, it’s a disproportionate amount and that’s kind of what a lot of the fight is,” said Nyquist. “They didn’t used to make that much. They always made a lot but they never made that much ahead of everybody else.” AI is another lever that production studios pulled in order to cut costs. One way that they planned on implementing this technology is by using it to write entire scripts and then hiring a writer to retouch it. Doing this would take away most of the need for

writers and put them at risk of losing their jobs. The advent of AI technology is dangerous for professional writers and a looming worry for prospective writers. Jess Seidel, a mass media senior at Washburn University and former president of the Washburn Film Association, is a passionate, prospective writer who worries about her future competing with AI. She kept a close eye on the strike as it progressed over the summer. “It is a little disheartening to watch. Do I really want to go into an industry where the executives value my work so little? They’re like, yeah, we’ll just replace them with a computer. It’s fine, it doesn’t have to be good, it just needs to be words on a page. It doesn’t matter if it’s well written, has heart, is art. We don’t care, we just want it to be cheap,” Seidel said. Although AI is a big worry for Seidel, the fact that AI currently isn’t great at writing scripts with the same depth as humans gives her hope for the future. “AI can’t create things, it can only steal the most basic and cliché things, and so I think that gives me hope. Even if the companies are not particularly valuing the writer’s work, I think the public does. I think the consumers of media care,” Seidel said. During the strike, the WGA was very strict on the restrictions that writers had to follow. Writing scripts, pitching ideas, negotiating deals and even revising small script details like stage direction were rigorously prohibited. These restrictions were put in place to magnify the guild’s cause and push studios to provide better pay. The WGA was adamant with its enforcement and failure to abide by its rules would result in a permanent ban from the guild. For many, guild membership is their ticket into the industry, so banishment from the guild would be a career-shattering moment. “Violating any of these rules whatsoever will ban you for life from ever joining the WGA, which means you basically can’t write a studio movie, you can’t do a TV show, even indie features may be difficult,” Nyquist said. Being banned from the WGA only adds to the mountain of stress for emerging film professionals. Adin Replogle, a senior mass media major at Washburn University, was careful to avoid this stumbling block. Although he was hard at work on a feature film, Replogle ceased all writing in solidarity with the strike. “For a while there with the strike, back when people were figuring out the rules, I just stopped all of my projects, stopped writing, because I didn’t understand the rules yet. I didn’t want to accidentally break one and get blacklisted from the industry forever. So for about a month Spring 2023 Indigo • 9

signs, a solid, unbroken picket line across all the major entrances to Warner Brothers and their space. The effect of that is one, people honk, which annoys the executives inside thoroughly, which is half the fun. It keeps people’s minds on it as they drive by,” Replogle said. Writers refusing to work created a ripple effect that was massive. The damage was felt by viewers at home, professionals within the industry and in areas around the world. When writers stopped working, the whole film and TV industry halted, pulling many people away from their sources of income. Especially in Los Angeles, one of the most expensive cities to live in the United States and a factory town for the film industry, the sudden pause hurt everyone involved

“

Even if the companies are not particularly valuing the writer’s work, I think the public does. I think the consumers of media care. -Jess Seidel

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADIN REPLOGLE

Picketers encourage Los Angeles traffic to honk in solidarity of the strike. The picket lines were organized and maintained by strike captains, who act as a liaison between teams of members and the WGA. or so, I stopped writing. But currently, I’m working on a feature, and so all things going well, I can make that again at the end of the strike,” Replogle said. Replogle received a grant from Washburn University to participate in the Los Angeles strikes through the Washburn Transformational Experience program. He used this opportunity to develop primary research on the strike as well as gain insights into the industry and get his foot in the door. Spending his time on the Warner Brothers lot, Replogle watched as 50 to 150 participants would come and go in shifts to participate in the strike. “How the strikes worked is they would create, with

with filmmaking. This extends beyond high-profile positions like writers and directors and into the more underappreciated roles on set. Such roles include carpenters who build the sets, truck drivers who transport the sets, nurses who care for the staff, studio teachers who guide children on set, makeup artists, electricians and more. With so many people out of their jobs, the economic impact of the strike was felt greatly. Some examples of the economic implications of the strike involve Nyquist’s friends and former classmates in the industry. “None of them are working right now. They’re all freaking out. My Facebook, for example, is full of them, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I going to do? I can’t pay my rent.’ Even people that are pretty successful.” “I have a friend that just bought a new house before all this happened. He was a writer on one of the ‘Star Trek’ shows. He was doing very well and then had to strike. And then his wife is a VFX person on some pretty big shows and because of the writers strike, she’s also not working. Once you don’t have content to create, that’s being written,

it goes on down the road. Eventually, no one’s working,” Nyquist said. Internationally, the effects of the strike are just as prevalent. When American-produced movies are filmed in foreign countries, they contribute greatly to their economies. Bringing large crews from America to live and work in other countries for extended periods of time can boost economies considerably just from spending money on hotels, food, local products and more. Local professionals are also involved with the production of American films. “When an American movie shoots over there, they’ll hire a lot of local people so that they’re not taking everyone over there,” said Nyquist. “Also, there’s laws where if you shoot over there, you have to have a certain percentage of local workers so it does have a massive effect.”

On Sept. 24, WGA reached a tentative deal with the AMPTP. Members of the WGA voted to accept the deal two days after it was proposed, ending the writers strike officially at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 27. The 148-day strike brought about positive changes to the WGA’s contract with entertainment companies, including better streaming residuals, pay bumps, minimum staffing requirements and regulations on AI use in the industry. It’s clear that the ripple effect of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike was palpable. Film and TV production abruptly stopping, people losing their income and the WGA tirelessly fighting for better wages combined just as well as toothpaste and orange juice — not very well. But, fortunately, with newly revised WGA contracts and the end of the second-longest writers strike, the entertainment industry finally breathes a sigh of relief.

Washburn University

THEATRE

Spring 2024 Productions at Neese-Gray Theatre (130 Garvey Hall)

Brothers of the Dust By Darren Canady

February 23, 24, 29, March 1, 2 @ 7:30 p.m. and March 3 @ 2 p.m.

The Colton brothers show up unexpectedly at the family farm. After many years, this reunion reveals surprising past events that shake their foundation and their future paths. Auditions on Dec. 5, 2023 @ 5:30-8:00 p.m. Casting 7 Black actors; male and female roles. See www.washburn.edu/theatre for updates.

Witch By Jen Silverman

April 19, 20, 25, 26, 27@ 7:30 p.m. and April 28 @ 2 p.m.

Flowers, plants, antiques, and much more! universityflowerstopekaks.com 785.232.4012

Flowers whisper what words can’t say.

When a devil visits a small village to find souls, he finds the town 'witch,' Elizabeth, is a curious challenge. In a witty and subversive retelling of a Jacobean fable, the worth of a soul is explored. Auditions in January, 2024. See www.washburn.edu/ theatre for updates.

Spring 2023 Indigo • 11

Big Pharma hiding the cure to cancer?

BY JEREMY FORD

“One in five people will get cancer. Everyone is affected by it,” said John Mullican, a professor and chair for the department of biology. Whether a close family member or someone in your community battled it out, everyone can think of a memory when they hear that nasty word, “cancer.” It is widely known as the deadliest disease and has been named incurable. Or is it? Some people believe that the cure to cancer is being hidden because companies can make more profits from treating it rather than curing it. This networking of pharmaceutical and medical companies is globally known as Big Pharma. Big Pharma makes billions of dollars each year by gradually raising the prices of medicine to continue to make profits. They also have spent billions of dollars on fines, law cases and settlements. Big Pharma has been under fire from conspiracy theorists for many years over several different allegations: distributing harmful medicine to HIV patients, creating ineffective COVID-19 vaccines and hiding the cure to cancer are the three theories with the largest following in the U.S. Each theory against

Big Pharma shares the familiar criticism that they are employing all of these nefarious tactics to maximize their profits. While it seems quite unethical, many wouldn’t put it past the wealthy elite to sacrifice others for their own monetary gain. “I think it would be incredibly stupid to keep something so important hidden from the world, especially if it were for selfish reasons,” said Tyler Foltz, junior physical therapist assistant major. But hiding the cure to cancer is much more difficult than one thinks. To get to the bottom of the cancer cure debate, it is important to know the causes of cancer and how it all works. The human body is a complex machine made of many different parts, but the focus will be on cells for right now. “The human body has 10 trillion cells. That’s a 10 with 13 zeros behind it. And each cell has its own function,” Mullican said. If a cell gets out of line and begins to not do its function, the cell self-destructs before it is able to mutate. This self-destruction method is called apoptosis, which

These killer cells are constantly in

murder mode. They are the perfect assassin; their only purpose is to

find cancer cells and kill them. So

if the body has so many solutions,

why is cancer still such a problem?

occurs constantly, meaning cancer cells are being destroyed every day. Apoptosis keeps cells in check to protect the trillions of other cells in our body. The reason for these cells becoming insufficient is due to the number of times the cell’s DNA has been copied. Proteins in a cell’s DNA are constantly being copied and replaced. For example, if you continue to make copies of a photo but you always copy the most recent photo and not the original, the photo will get fuzzier and more distorted until eventually you aren’t even able to tell what it is anymore. The same thing happens in DNA.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PICSART

Cancer is widely known as the deadliest disease in the world. Although there is no cure, doctors have been working hard to find the answer.

Cells can become cancerous because proteins are copied and copied until they can’t be used properly anymore. The reason that many of these cancer cells don’t cause major harm to the body is because there are many other distinct mutations that need to line up for cancer to cause extreme damage. Many different mutations are needed for cancer to take over. One of these mutations is within the tumor suppressor gene. These genes work to fix any errors in our DNA so that the cells aren’t corrupted. They also ensure that normal cells don’t recklessly multiply. If the gene becomes damaged, the cells forget how to repair themselves and begin to reproduce unchecked. This means that the cancer cells can rapidly reproduce. The second notable mutation happens in the oncogenes. They are a switch that tells the body when and when not to Spring 2023 Indigo • 13

Whether a close family member or someone in your community battled it out, everyone can think of a memory when they hear that nasty word, “cancer.”

rapidly multiply. As humans develop and grow, the switch is on. Once the body doesn’t need to grow anymore, the oncogenes turn off. If these oncogenes get corrupted, they turn themselves back on and begin multiplying again. “The oncogenes are the gas pedal, and the tumor suppressor genes are the brake pedal. In cancerous cells, the gas is constantly down, and the brakes don’t work. The car starts to go crazy,” said Mullican. The aforementioned apoptosis is the third mutation necessary for cancer cells to cause havoc. So, for a cell to become cancerous, it must not be able to repair itself, be able to rapidly multiply and not be able to self-destruct. However, that doesn’t mean that these cells can’t be destroyed before it’s too late. These cancer cells can be found in the body because they are producing oncogene proteins. After the switch turns off, it should never come back on. If there are oncogene proteins, there is something wrong with the cell. That means the cancerous cell won’t last very long unless it mutates. If the cancer cell mutates to hide proteins, there is still a way to kill these nasty things: the killer cell. Cancer cells also produce a protein called an MHC molecule that healthy cells don’t create. The immune system scans the body looking for the presence of any of these molecules. When the immune system finds a cell with MHC molecules, it destroys it. While the immune

system is looking for only the presence of MHC molecules, killer cells are looking for cells with the absence of any molecules at all. Cells without molecules are hiding something, and cells that are hiding something must be killed. It is similar to a child telling their parents that they got all A’s on a report card but not actually letting the parents see it. So when a killer cell finds a mischievous cell, it knows that the cell is up to no good. These killer cells are constantly in murder mode. They are the perfect assassin; their only purpose is to find cancer cells and kill them. So if the body has so many solutions, why is cancer still such a problem? Sometimes these cells can continue to mutate and learn how to reject a single killer cell. After that, the cancer begins to grow before more backup killer cells can arrive. From there, it’s an arms race to see which cell can multiply and mutate to outnumber the other. Now that the basics of cancer is understood, the reason for there being no definite cure can be easily explained. “There are so many kinds of cancer with so many different mutations and protein structures. There is no magical bullet for cancer,” said Mullican. Because one type of cancer can have many kinds of protein structures as well as pathways and locations within the body, it makes it much more difficult to create a single

“

I think it would be incredibly stupid to keep something so important hidden from the world, especially if it were for

selfish reasons. drug to cure all the types of cancers. This means that scientists must create a couple hundred different drugs to battle every type of mutation. Creating that many drugs costs an extreme amount of money, both in researching and production of the medicine, and is usually limited to the extremely wealthy. Immunotherapy, a type of treatment for cancer, can cost upwards of $500,000 per patient. The facts show that making a cure for cancer is not only extremely difficult, but also extremely expensive. However, many people say that the cure is already created but is being hidden by scientists. Looking at the facts of cancer research can quickly disprove this ideology. “There are over a million scientists worldwide who are constantly researching and collaborating about cancer treatment. If someone found a cure, it would spread in an instant,” said Mullican. With all the constant networking within the scientific community, it would be impossible for a scientist to find the cure and not let it seep through the cracks. Additionally, it makes no logical sense to keep a cure hidden from the public. “Scientists have put billions of dollars into this research. It would make more sense for them to profit from the selling of a cure rather than dump more and more resources into the research for it,” said Mullican. There is no logical or ethical reason for Big Pharma to keep a cancer cure hidden from the public. There also is irrefutable evidence that a total cure has not been found.

-Tyler Foltz However, scientists work day and night to come together and cure the incurable disease. It might not happen tomorrow, but many are hopeful it will be sooner than expected. “I’d say [it will take] at least a decade before a cure can completely rid someone of any cancer,” said Foltz. “I just hope they find [a cure] before I ever have to deal with it.”

For those interested in learning more about cancer and its development, visit Kurzegast - In a Nutshell on YouTube, or scan the QR code to learn more about cancer and how it works.

Spring 2023 Indigo • 15

EIGHT INTERESTING KANSAS FACTS DESIGN BY KARLI BAYLISS

Dodge City is thought to be the windiest city in the U.S., with an average wind speed of 15 mph

Former Topeka school, Bethel Bible College, is cited as the birthplace of Pentecostalism

Brothers Dan and Frank

The U.S. Navy has named

Carney founded Pizza

three ships USS Topeka

Hut in Wichita in 1958

after the city

Topeka is home to Ron Lessman’s Truckhenge, a farm turned art park and nature attraction

The only salt mine in the U.S. with an underground museum open to tourists is in Hutchinson, KS

The world’s largest ball of sisal twine built by a community sits in Cawker City, KS Ichabod Washburn, who pledged $25,000 to help save Lincoln College, never got the chance to see the school that would later be named after him footnotes: 1) https://www.treehugger.com/windiest-cities-us-4858513, image courtesy of slate. com; 2) https://isolatedtraveller.com/20-interesting-facts-about-topeka/, image courtesy of kshs. org; 3) https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-overall/kansas-underground-salt-museumhutchinson, image courtesy of @undergrounddarkride on flickr; 4) http://truckhengefarm. com, image courtesy of @where_is_marty on instagram; 5) http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/ encyclopedia/doc/egp.ind.049.xml, image courtesy of The Original Pizza Hut Museum on

Facebook; 6) https://isolatedtraveller.com/20-interesting-facts-about-topeka/, image courtesy of @comsublant on twitter; 7) https://www.washburn.edu/about/facts/ichabod/index.html, image of washburn university courtesy of kshs.org, image of ichabod washburn courtesy of washburn university archives; 8) https://kansassampler.org/8wondersofkansas-overall/ball-of-twinecawker-city, image courtesy of http://thecancellationstation.blogspot.com.

Spring 2023 Indigo • 19

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA NOLAND

Mammoth Creative sets up a video shoot for a commercial in downtown Topeka. Local residents represent people from across the city while the Kansas Capitol stands in the background.

Momentum 2027 Plans to Build

Community Unity & Prosperity BY LESHA' DAVIS

In the heart of Kansas, a city named Topeka often recognized for its diverse history and vibrant community, there is a conversation taking shape. When Topekans talk about their city sometimes they emphasize more bad than good. Words like ‘struggle,’ ‘poor,’ ‘depressing’ and ‘unexciting’ are what Topekans usually associate Topeka with. 2027 Momentum is attempting to change the narrative when the city of Topeka is the topic of the conversation. Tonyce Jackson a Topekan and Washburn Alumni can see where multiple groups are working towards the same goals but feels like there is a disconnect as well. “I think there are a lot of groups in Topeka and a lot of things to do in the future. We all have the same goal but we're doing it differently and so it's only successful in small groups. But there are a bunch of groups where it is successful,” Jackson said. Jayce Wessel, Washburn Alumni did not feel like Washburn University and Topeka were a community and also felt that Topeka communities were not working together. Coming from Cottonwood Falls, KS Wessel believed her small town is more of a community but lacked opportunities when compared to Topeka. “I feel like Topeka doesn't really have unity, but I feel like we're definitely growing more towards that Topeka is. And it also kind of feels like Washburn is kind of cut off from Topeka, like the two separate entities even though Washburn is in Topeka,” Wessel said. “I do love Topeka, but there's definitely a lot of improvements when it

comes to unity and events and building community within Topeka.” Developers or visitors of the city take what is said about Topeka from locals to get a better idea of what Topeka is about. If there is nothing good said and if there is not a good image created by the words being used when describing Topeka this could lead to people not wanting to move or put money into the city. “They listen to see how we talk about ourselves. They listen to see how they're going to be treated, and Topekans are really known for being very nice and treating people well, but they don't talk well about themselves. They don't talk about how nice this community is,” said Michelle Stubblefield, Senior Vice-President of Strategy at Greater Topeka Partnership.

“

What we do here at the Greater Topeka partnership, and what the strategy does both align, because ultimately, it's about creating economic prosperity for everyone. -Michelle Stubblefield

Spring 2023 Indigo • 21

Stubblefield works closely with the 2027 momentum strategy as a guard and is very knowledgeable on the strategic plan. She was one of the leaders over the 2022 momentum. Topeka and Shawnee County community leaders such as business owners, nonprofits, education and more makes up the steering committee. These leaders take the lead over the initiatives and the plans made towards the momentum being done. The committee worked with a consultant to review the progress and lessons learned from the previous momentum. “We got a group of community leadership from throughout the community, we made it replicable of the community itself. It was extremely diverse. Anywhere from a CEO to a high school student to a nonprofit,” said Stubblefield. “Then what we did was we got the script together, we brought in a consultant and kind of really talked about the last plan. We also did focus groups, one on one interviews and surveyed the community itself.” The steering committee was able to create the plan for the momentum after learning what the communities needed. Greater Topeka Partnership as a whole is connected to the momentum 2027 strategic plan because the steering committee wanted an organization to take on the role of guarding and overseeing the strategy moving forward. Greater Topeka Partnership is not exactly implementing the initiatives themselves. The role of their organization is housing the strategic plan. Their job is to either lead, leverage, collaborate or convene different partners in the community to ensure the initiatives under momentum 2027 are carried out. “What we do here at the Greater Topeka partnership, and what the strategy does both align, because ultimately, it's about creating economic prosperity for everyone,” Stubblefield said. Momentum 2027 is a five-year plan, made up of four primary goals and 21 initiatives versus the 54 initiatives in the previous momentum 2022 plan. At the center of the goals is equity, surrounding equity is a place to live,

a place to prosper, a place to learn and a place to belong. Since so many different communities were involved in making this strategic plan there is also an equity council that provides input to ensure the benefits of the plan reaches marginalized groups. “We have an Equity Council, that Equity Council is comprised of industry professionals, who are allies of marginalized groups, and basically, we bring them together to take a look at what's happening in the strategy,” said Stubblefield. The representatives of this council act as allies to the marginalized communities. Sometimes the conversations can be tough, but the council wants to make sure the needs of marginalized groups are being met throughout this momentum. “We bring them together to take a look at what's happening in the strategy. And then they ask questions, they’ll look at the strategy and say, ‘Hey, how are we reaching this segment? Who is missing from the table? What can we do to make sure that this group is being represented?’ And plus, this group also has the tough conversations, to make sure that we're addressing whatever issue is bubbling up at the time from an equity lens," Stubblefield said. Greater Topeka Partnership helps coordinate efforts

“

Washburn has a responsibility to make sure that they're graduating people and equipping their students with empathy, the tools and the knowledge to be able to go into a community and help it be a community. -Tonyce Jackson

PHOTO BY LESHA' DAVIS

For the commercial different groups practice their moves and the camera crew set up the scene of the commercial. Since it was a cold day multiple people moved around or huddled together to stay warm. of different organizations and partners that lead the 21 initiates. This will ensure their goals align with the overall goals of creating economic prosperity for all residents of Topeka and Shawnee County. “We keep a hold of it, we say, ‘Hey, maybe we need somebody to work on this, or this person or this organization should take the lead.’ The Greater Topeka Partnership, make sure that everything's being recorded. We have an executive committee that oversees the strategy to make sure that it's moving in the right direction and providing recommendations and those different things. But ultimately, it's a community that does the work,” Stubblefield said. Eric Grospitch, Vice President of Student Life, serves the momentum 2027 as a steering committee member. An initiative he is quite knowledgeable about is Washburn Now which use to be Washburn Next. “We asked to change the language to Washburn Now because we didn’t want to feel like we had to wait to change things that we needed to do to fit the growth of the University, and the growth of the economic development in Topeka and Shawnee County,” Grospitch said. Washburn Now focuses on the economic growth of students at Washburn University and Washburn Tech. The plans for both campuses are working together

to train students and then connect them with local employers. The campus is often working towards ways to bring students the best opportunities. The initiative is not to take away from what is already being done, it’s to make it even better with help from the community. Washburn’s plans are to prepare students for jobs in Shawnee County, work with leaders in the community and ensure students will have an abundance of job opportunities regardless of their major. Improving academic programs, certificates and scholarships can ensure employers have a wider pool of educated employees. With the help of Washburn Career Services students will gain professionalism and help on their job search as well. Washburn students’ development while on campus is very important for this initiative growth and bringing new businesses to Shawnee County. “The idea was for us to look really closely at what are the academic programs, what are the certificate programs for Tech, and what are the things that we can do to best serve our employers in Shawnee County, thus making our students have a place to get jobs when they're done," Grospitch said. Jackson also emphasizes the role the university plays in

Spring 2023 Indigo • 23

“

I feel like Washburn really set me up for success, it pushed me getting my degree, pushed me out of my comfort zone, which in turn made me more prepared for this role. Washburn set me up with the tools to learn whatever I needed to and be effective in whatever I was doing. -Kaitlyn Kriley

making sure students graduate and also receive the tools they need to build better communities. “Washburn has a responsibility to make sure that they're graduating people and equipping their students with empathy, the tools and the knowledge to be able to go into a community and help it be a community," Jackson said. Focusing on these aspects of the Washburn Now initiatives create a stable plan of the poverty rate in Topeka decreasing, it also falls under ‘a place to learn’ and the growth of equity which is at the center of the momentum 2027 goals. The Washburn Now initiative is created so more students want to continue living and supporting the community but sometimes students do not share this dream. This could be harmful and not make them feel like there is opportunity outside of Washburn. “I'm very, very grateful for that community and that support system, but I do say that I feel like there were some instances where it kind of was just assumed that I wouldn't get my master's degree done here. And I feel like that kind of just undermined

PHOTO BY LESHA' DAVIS

Washburn mascot 'Mr. Ichabod' is on the stage during the commercial shoot. The Ichabod waved at the camera and was always photo ready. my plans of moving away,” Wessel said. “I didn't feel supported in that instance. And it didn't really help me prepare for that transition as much. It was just kind of assumed like, ‘Oh, you're getting your master's degree, you must be going to Washburn’, which I understand professors and advisors and administrators want us to stay here, but not everybody wants to stay here.” Wessel is not located in Kansas and is currently living in St. Louis, MO. She comes back to Topeka to visit friends and her favorite faculty members.

Sometimes students choose to stay in Topeka or Kansas, or they leave to seek a higher education. It is not uncommon to see recent graduates working on campus as well. According to Jackson, Washburn offered her a position on campus but since she already had a job she declined. She is still active on campus by staying involved in events, talking at conferences held on campus and keeping in contact with faculty. After graduating from Washburn University Kaitlyn Kriley is now working as an administrative specialist on campus. Kriley believes Washburn gave her the tools and the guidance she needed for life after graduation. “I feel like Washburn really set me up for success, it pushed me getting my degree, pushed me out of my comfort zone, which in turn made me more prepared for this role. Washburn set me up with the tools to learn whatever I needed to and be effective in whatever I was doing,” Kriley said. As an alumna working on campus, she sees her role as helping current students complete their degrees and feel less overwhelmed as new students. Kriley recognizes what it is like to be in a foreign place and not knowing how to speak to new people. Working with new students has given her the ability to encourage and reassure the new students that Washburn is the right place. The 2027 momentum initiative is creating a more positive change to the city. Taking the initiative to unite diverse voices and create a place for people to build their dreams. As community leaders and institutions collaborate

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF GREATER TOPEKA PARTNERSHIP

This diagram is the four primary goals of the momentum. Located in the middle is the word "equity", because it is important to create a space for everyone. to shape Topeka's narrative, this will improve the city community, lower poverty rates and grow overall. With each graduate's story emphasizing the supportive community at Washburn, and the importance of education, Topeka could be the thriving city they hope for.

Spring 2023 Indigo • 25

Best ways to find a study group BY SYDNEY PETERSON

One of the hardest things to find on campus is a group of people whose schedules all fit together and can all sit together to study for hours on end. This can be especially difficult for the introverts or those who don’t know anyone on campus. There are a few ways that someone can fix this problem:

1 Incoming freshmen are told about the Navigate app, which is a place where students can connect with “study buddies” who are in their classes. The app is connected to their Washburn account and will show all the classes that they are currently enrolled in. If someone is to join these groups, other students can see their name and are able to connect with them in hopes of setting up a time to go over course material.

2 This one might be a little more difficult for the introverts. Talk to people in classes, groups or at events around campus. No one is going to yell at another person for just starting a conversation with them. It is typically easier to do this on the first day of classes since

everyone is learning each other’s names and getting used to their classes. However, this can still be done later in the year as well. More often than not, students are willing to go over material with others since they will have to do it anyway. Ask people if they are willing to meet up and study together.

3 Unless someone is needing help with a specific class or assignment, it is okay to study with people in different majors. In some cases this is more helpful. Someone who is not in the same major or even the same classes can look at each other’s work, especially essays, with a more objective eye. This can help make each other’s writing clearer and more precise.

more ease. If someone is a student who lives on campus, it would be extremely helpful to find someone who also lives on campus as they are more willing to have study sessions at later times or even well into the night.

5 If all else fails, the best place to go would be the library. When students go here, they’re surrounded by people who are studying, which can help them feel the need to actually focus. While there are many places on campus where students can go to study, such as the Memorial Union, Mabee Library has the atmosphere and resources that make it a common place for students to hang out and study. There are a variety of places in Mabee that allow for flexible studying and noise levels, and it is open until 9 p.m. most nights.

When someone is able to find a person who is willing to study with them, they typically stop at one person. However, it can be a little difficult to meet up on a consistent basis, especially if they have other commitments. It will be more helpful in the long run if they are able to find more than one person to study with. This way they might be able to work around schedules with

Spring 2023 Indigo • 27

PHOTO BY AJA CARTER

Harvesters raise awareness to hunger in Topeka with a Feastival. Attendees enjoyed food from various vendors and packed boxes with apples for those in need.

T fight against hunger

opeka Public Schools & Harvesters to Benefit 501 District

BY AJA CARTER & JAYME THOMPSON

Within Topeka, Unified School District 501 has more students in poverty than other school districts in the city. The 501 district has made great strides to combat the hunger for their students as well as their community. In the 2023-24 school year, USD 501 has a grant called Community Eligibility Provision that allows every student in the district to eat lunch and breakfast for free. This grant remains for a total of four years. “It does not matter your socioeconomic status. You will receive free breakfast and free lunch; pretty amazing,” said Tiffany Anderson, superintendent of USD 501. The grant was written by the team under Larry Robbins, deputy superintendent of operations. He oversees all Topeka Public Schools operations and the Food Service Program. USD 501 is the only school district in the county

with this grant, and one of a few in the region. “There are no barriers. Our only real barrier is our mindset. The mindset of the nutrition staff was to ensure that every student ate without cost, which is pretty remarkable,” Anderson said. Topeka Public Schools have consistently had about 7079% of their students on free and reduced lunch. Currently, they have around 70% of students eating free or reduced, which demonstrates a small improvement across time. Richard Smith, food nutrition manager, has worked with the district since 2013, and he oversees a large part of food distribution. He works at Topeka High School and nine other satellite schools. He is responsible for a staff of about 20 people at Topeka High and roughly 35 overall. They work to feed students by ordering, cooking and delivering the food to students. Spring 2023 Indigo • 29

“

Our mission is that we mobilize the power of the community to enable access to healthy nutritious food, and then to really work towards addressing the impact and root causes of hunger. -Jessica Kejr

With these programs, there are some organizations that also aid in providing food for Topeka Public Schools and the community. Harvesters, a regional food bank, provides food services to 26 counties in Missouri and Kansas, including the 501 district. They receive food through donations from different organizations, which helps their team fight against hunger. The Topeka Public Schools Community Cupboard is one example of the work Harvesters does with schools. The cupboard is a resource for Topeka Public School families that provides food and clothing. The main office is located at Quinton Heights Education Center, 2331 SW. Topeka Blvd. At Topeka High, they serve around 800 meals to students every day. However, they also send out between 1,200-1,500 meals to the other schools in the district. In addition, they are responsible for catering if a special event calls for it, such as occasional athletic dinners. “I like to make the kids involved in the menu. That’s helped me raise the amount of kids that actually eat here because they have ownership in it,” Smith said. The CEP grant will continue throughout the summer to allow students to eat breakfast and lunch for free. There are multiple community agencies that partner with the district to help students during the summer but also the people of Topeka. These programs go from June to July, just before the school year begins. “[...] that is such a privilege to be able to close the food gap over the summer in that way,” Anderson said. “These are all no-cost meals which we really get to be an extension for the entire county of Topeka and that is such a privilege to be able to close the food gap over the summer in that way,” Anderson said. 30

In addition, Harvesters partners with 760 agencies, which includes food pantries, shelters and community kitchens to feed over 226,000 people each month. To become a partner with Harvesters, an agency must be a non-profit, meaning the organization doesn’t generate profit for their owners. The agency must also be within Harvesters’ service area showing a need for food and clear plans on how they will provide to the communities they’re looking to reach. They also provide a couple of programs to target certain communities, such as the BackSnack, school pantries and Kids Cafe. Each of these programs specifically provides meals to children and students in need. Though these programs work well for students, Harvesters are now looking into moving forward towards more school pantries. They’ve found that though students are being fed, members within their homes may not have the same resources. Jessica Kejr, director of programs and Food+ for Harvesters, spoke on this issue. “[...] a backpack is good for one kid over the weekend, but it's not meant to serve an entire family. It's just not enough food,” Kejr said. “And so we’re kind of moving towards the school pantry model where there's a school pantry right there on-site at school or at a community location.” There are food pantries that operate from schools such as Jardine and Robinson. The pantries run on opposite weeks so that there is the opportunity for people to access food each week. The food is available not only to students, but also to families and people in need. These pantries would be accessible to all people in the community. Harvesters also has a program called Food+, which seeks to create a “healthy and thriving community where no one is hungry.” The program looks at the root causes of food insecurity, which is “lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life,” according to Feeding America. Kejr emphasized the team's mission of learning more about hunger and providing healthier food. “Our mission is that we mobilize the power of the community to enable access to healthy nutritious food, and then to really work towards addressing the impact and root causes of hunger,” Kejr said.

PHOTO BY JAYME THOMPSON

A cafeteria worker from Topeka High makes plates for students just before the lunch rush comes in. There were multiple options to eat, such as pizza and fries or a salad. She went on to explain the need to understand these root issues to end hunger. “We know we need to work upstream as well and it takes more than food to end hunger and wanting to look at those root causes,” Kejr said. Some of these root causes include healthcare, workforce and transportation. Harvesters tailored this Food+ to look into these specific areas and use the information to help neighborhoods experiencing food insecurities. Due to current economic issues and coming off the

“

There are no barriers. Our only real barrier is our mindset. The mindset of the nutrition staff was to ensure that every student ate without cost, which is pretty remarkable. -Tiffany Anderson Spring 2023 Indigo • 31

pandemic, Harvesters and other food banks nationally may be experiencing a slight food shortage. Kejr spoke on these issues and the effects they’ve had on food donations. Harvesters is seeing less food and aid coming in from other organizations due to the current economic crisis. The team has decided to combat the issue by finding other sources of support. “Definitely always looking for other ways of sources of support and thinking of how we move upstream so there's fewer and fewer people who need help from the bank,” Kejr said. “Maybe that's through policy advocacy.” Kejr mentioned having a Farm Bill, which would support farmers and community food access. Other steps of providing could be through donations or purchasing food. Kejr encourages everyone to volunteer at Harvesters or other food pantries and to help out with the fight against hunger. “It takes all of us and if you can do big stuff, great, do big stuff. But, we all can do a small step,” Kejr said. “We can all speak up and give voice to when there's certain things that we need to advocate around, the needs and the people that are facing food insecurity.” To learn more about opportunities for food, go to the websites of Topeka Public Schools or Harvesters.

PHOTO BY AJA CARTER

A Volunteer at the Harvesters Festival packs a box full of apples. The boxes were set to be shipped off for those in need of food.

PHOTO BY AJA CARTER

Harvesters food truck sits outside waiting to be packed with boxes. Harvesters hosted a festival to provide food and spread awareness of hunger in Topeka.

Topeka Tattoo Shops

Matryoshka Tattoo 918 N. Kansas Ave.

Absolute Tattoo 1212 S. Kansas Ave.

Olympus Ink Tattoo 1507 SW 21st St. #207E

4. 5.

Work by Sara Myer Tattoo artist at Matryoshka Tattoo

Fine Line Tattoo 1915 SW Gage Blvd. Looking Glass Tattoo 2110 SW Brandywine Lane #140

77ink Tattoo Studio 2727 SW Wanamaker Road

Vixens Ink 3615 NW 46th St.

A tattoo that Sara Myer, local tattoo artist, tattooed on a client at Matryoshka Tattoo. She loved to talk about tattoos and the ideas that people gave her.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA MYER

A tattoo done by Myer in watercolor style. She enjoyed the ability to be creative as well as put a spin on the tattoo.

Spring 2023 Indigo • 33

Expressing Identity through art and ink

BY LARISSA MORGAN

In a survey that was conducted on the Washburn campus, 40 out of 100 people had tattoos. When someone gets a tattoo, first they typically set up an appointment with a tattoo artist. Then, it’s a process of choosing a tattoo gun, because they have different needles for different types of reasons. The needles must go farther into the skin than the dermis since the outer layer of skin sheds. Hannah Roberts, a freshman English major, has multiple tattoos. Roberts wanted some tattoos that related to her favorite authors, while others represented an abusive relationship. She also has an Arabic writing tattoo on her chest. “It’s a different translation of ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ It says, ‘My God, my God, for this I was spared’, which I thought made more sense,” Roberts said. People tend to get different tattoos for many reasons, such as self-expression, cultural or religious reasons, personal growth or remembrance of a friend or family member. Some people enjoy tattoos so much that they become ink enthusiasts. This means they have grown addicted to getting tattoos. Sierra Jeter, senior political science and Spanish major, talks about her recommendations for getting a first tattoo. “I think your first tattoo should definitely be your thighs… or even your biceps,” Jeter said. Tattoos can go on any part of the body, but the arms are the most commonplace. They can also be hidden from the world and people wouldn’t even know if someone has a tattoo or not. Muffy Walter, assistant professor of English, has the quote “Your silence will not protect you” tattooed from the essay “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” by Audre Lorde on her right forearm. Walter explains how she wanted a black artist to tattoo

the quote to have a meaning for the tattoo. “I’ve been told that my brother even quoted this while at work,” Walter said. International student Jesper Lingberg, a freshman in history, used a computer program to design his “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars” tattoo that has some gaming aspects to it. “My tattoos signify my love for movies as well as my youth,” Lindberg said. Students like JoAnna Marks, a junior political science major, have a tattoo that remembers people from her family. She also has a tattoo of an afro woman on her shoulder that she got to appreciate her hair before her locks. “It’s just her with the afro and no face,” Marks said. Jeter also explains how she has tattoos that represent an inside joke with people, and she has a tattoo that a friend drew for her. “We used to work together and we were really close, and she drew this. She loves drawing [...] it’s like my femininity tattoo,” Jeter said. Tattoo artists go through a process just to get their license to tattoo. Each state has a different approach, and the tattoo industry is a picky industry. To be a tattoo artist you must know art, but then after knowing art you also must do what is known as an apprenticeship. During an apprenticeship, you build your portfolio and learn different tattoo styles. Sara Myer, a local tattoo artist at Matryoshka Tattoo, shared her experience as a tattoo artist. “Many [tattoo] shops do custom designs… sometimes people will come in and be like ‘I saw this image on the internet. I want exactly that’,” Myer said. “Tattoos tend to come and go based on trends as well as just what people want to have a voice about in society today.”

Jace Kinnamon

JoAnna Marks

Sierra Jeter

Jiya Rai

Elijah Griffin

Hannah Robert Spring 2023 Indigo • 35

Jace Kinnamon, olympic sports strength and conditioning coordinator, reveals his favorite animal, a penguin, on his upper thigh. He explained how this penguin brings a smile to his face and gives him a positive mental boost. Sierra Jeter, a senior political science and Spanish major, shows off her femininity tattoo on her ribs. She loved the line work that was put into the design. Jiya Rai, an undeclared freshman,shares a zodiac tattoo on her left upper arm. The tattoo was her best friends idea and now they share matching tattoos. Elijah Griffin, an integrated studies junior, displays his leg sleeve that include “E’s Secret Stuff", a Naruto symbol and "Joker". The inspiration behind his leg sleeve was his childhood and he feels like it described him as a person. JoAnna Marks, a junior political science major, shows her shoulder tattoo and chest piece in remembrance of her mother and sister. She enjoyed the aspect of keeping her family close to her heart. Marks’ tattoo of an afro woman on her right shoulder blade . She wanted to show off her appreciation of her hair before her locks. Hannah Robert's, a freshman English major, chest tattoo with Arabic writing across the piece. She seemed proud of the woman she has become even from the traumatic past that she overcame. Maria Arzat, volunteer assistant strength and conditioning coach, stretches right lower arm out of her tattoo. She said that her tattoo of Chicago and camping represent home which is Illinois. Jesse Mort, an actuarial science junior, lays left forearm on a table showing his shadow mark from Skyrim tattoo. He and a

friend from back home have matching tattoos. Jasper Lindberg, a freshman history major, shows the details of his tattoo that he designed. He was excited to show off his handiwork and his tattoo. Desiree Cain, a psychology junior, talks about her semicolon tattoo on her left forearm. She mentioned how it symbolizes how many people lost and how it helps her from those thoughts as well. Muffy Walter’s, associate professor of English, tattoo from Audre Lorde quote. She was proud of how that quote has helped people stand up for others.

CONNECT WITH US TM

@wu_studentmedia

Maria Arzat

Desiree Cain

Jesse Mort

Elijah Griffin

Muffy Walters

Jasper Lindberg

JoAnna Marks Spring 2023 Indigo • 37

Washburn Crossword 1

Across: 1. Where you can browse the archives 3. Washburn's official street 5. Lincoln ___________ 7. This campus org brings entertainment 10. Our campus bell tower 13. Stadium where the 2023 national soccer team finalists play 14. Namesake of new law building 16. Husband of JuliAnn 18. Acronym for WU student body leadership org. 19. Not for ourselves alone

Down: 1. The union where students gather 2. Where you go to find "News that matters to WU," _______.org 4. The arena where commencement happens 6. A philanthropic event to celebrate Washburn's birthday 7. Initiative for Career Services 8. Millions will be spent to renovate this building 9. Statue in front of Morgan Hall 11. Many flags fly at the I-____ 12. The rousing WU cheer 15. Find the wall to climb here 17. Our crime-fighting building Answer Key

Learn more here: washburnreview.org/share-your-voice

Spring 2023 Indigo • 39

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