CONTENTS

Two hundred years ago, your eyes would have swept across a different landscape — a vista of grand distance, of gently undulating horizon and, except for the brilliant bursts of spring and fall wildflowers, muted colors. No cattle, but the shaggy bulk of lumbering bison.

In a round-about way, it was one of the great artists of the early Italian Renaissance, Piero della Francesca (d. 1492), who first beckoned Ronald Christ, Wichita State professor of painting and drawing, to the International School of Art in Umbria, Italy.

Businessman and former Shocker basketball great Cleo Littleton remembers the best of times — and the worst of times.

Letters arrive from Poulsbo, Wash., and Chapel Hill, N.C.

Shockers everywhere, at events long ago to happenings just the other day, always have something interesting to say.

Shockers, tall and short, in costume and not, are having fun all over.

More than 60 members of the Class of 1950 gathered on campus for many activities slated during 50-Year Reunion festivities at Wichita State University May 11-13.

What a journey!

In the past, only schools such as MIT, Columbia and UCLA have had the opportunity to directly help students with their entrepreneurial dreams.

Nineteen long-time Wichita State University faculty members and staff from varied backgrounds and diverse fields have retired this spring.

Gleanings provides bite-sized university news from all disciplines.

A gallery of both literary and visual art, Shock Art showcases works by Wichita State alumni, faculty and students.

Writer Cliff Tarpy finds adventure with National Geographic.

When WSU President Don Beggs moved into his Morrison Hall office last year, he found an unexpected connection to the university's first president, a vividly colored bust of Plato.

Sing in me, Muse, and through me sing the praises of that Shocker Baseball team skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderers, harried for years on end, after they won the College World Series on the flat field of Omaha.

Jim Mann '56 gives the lead gift for the establishment of the Linwood Sexton Endowed Scholarship and Current Scholarship.

Comings, goings, appointments, retirements, honors, accolades and other personal alumni news.

These WSU alumni and university friends leave lasting legacies.

Diane Quantic, WSU association professor of English, writes on learning to read the Great Plains.

Newsworthy info about alumni and university personalities and happenings — all packaged up in bite-size reads.