What are we proud of at Wichita State University?
39. Wheatshockers
What does it mean to be a Shocker? It's deeply rooted - literally - in history.
If you're a student, you likely have a part-time job to help you pay for the semester's expenses, right? That hasn't changed at any point in the last 125 years, but the type of work has.
Students in the late 1890s and early 1900s shocked wheat during the summer and early fall.
A horse-drawn machine would cut the wheat at a certain point on the stem, and then farmers would bundle the wheat into "shocks" by hand. After bundling and bringing out a cart, farmers would load all of the wheat up and move it to processing and sale.
Our Shocker identity isn't something to leave behind or discredit - it's our calling card.
It's the working spirit of Shockers since our foundation that defines who we are. We work with our hands. We fund our own future. We hold true to our roots, even in times of great change or turmoil.
We may not shock wheat now, but we still have the ethic and spirit of those who did.
40. Miro - Ulrich Museum of Art
Ever noticed the colorful mural along Perimeter Rd.? That’s Spanish artist Joan Miro’s Personanages Oiseaux (Bird People) adorning the façade of the Ulrich Museum of Art. It’s one of Joan Miro’s largest works in the United States and his only glass mosaic mural, and was unveiled at WSU in 1978. Quite a treasure.
41. Campus trees
"I don't know if you've noticed, but we have a gorgeous campus."
-Dr. James Rhatigan, former Vice President for Student Affairs, 1970-1996
Trees have always been a big part of campus beauty. In 1895, the Fairmount College actually shipped trees onto campus from New England for planting. In the 1970s, around 25-30,000 more were planted in a widespread campus beautification effort.
42. Shocker Bowling
43. GoBabyGo
44. Student Health Services
45. Research centers
