The week of February 23-28 was a Shocker of a party! There were games and activities for everyone: students, faculty and staff, alumni and friends of the university during Shockerland, Homecoming 2015.
On Monday, Feb. 23 WSU students began voting for their choice of king and queen from a Shockerland royalty court made up of Shocker seniors. Vying for Homecoming 2015 crowns were Carli Kingsley, a Wichita native studying integrated marketing communication; Andrew Gannon, who's majoring in finance and real estate; Katelyn Doherty, who hails from Overland Park, Kan., and is studying marketing and music; Caleb Davis, who's studying accounting and economics; Jessica Crumrine, who is from Newton, Kan., and is majoring in marketing and minoring in management and management information systems; Tyler Pennick, a communications major with a focus on electronic media who comes from Haysville, Kan.; Taylor Gladding, from Marquette, Kan., who is studying criminal justice; Chris Wiebe, a Wichita native who is majoring in business management and marketing; Jessica Bloomquist, an elementary education major from Topeka, Kan., and Quang Nguyen, who is a marketing major and serves as vice president of the Asian Student Conference at Wichita State.
Also on Monday, faculty and staff were putting the finishing touches on their office Homecoming decorations. The office with the best decorations, as determined by fellow WSU employees, won a Shockerland office party, and the 2015 winner was judged to be the President's Office, with its elaborately detailed decorations based on the classic boardgame Candyland, which served as the theme of Homecoming 2015.
Tuesday, Feb. 24 got off to an early start with a WSU Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series breakfast lecture featuring internationally noted sculptor Glenn Zweygardt '67. Later that day, Shocker students tested their balance during an epic Totally Twister event, held at the Heskett Center.
Every day in Shocker Nation is full of Shocker spirit. Yet Wednesday, Feb. 25 was designated Shocker Spirit Day, and Shockers from just about everywhere shared their Shocker pride by wearing school colors. Yellow-and-black clad Shockers were invited to post photos on the WSUAA's Facebook page, and many did just that, including Dustin Soza from Austin, Texas, and Nancy Hanne '87 from Mahtomedi, Minn. Wednesday evening, the men's basketball team took on Indiana State in Terre Haute. Many Shocker fans in the Wichita area headed to Fox & Hound Sports Tavern to watch the game, while Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes at the RSC played host to a watch party for Shocker students.
On Thursday, Feb. 26 WSU students competed in the Shockers Got Talent competition. Participants performed in front of an esteemed panel of judges for a top prize of $1,000, which was won by singer Kenzie Elyse. Taking second place was another singer, John Smith, while sax man Clinton Liddell played his way to third-place honors.
Friday, Feb. 27 brought with it such harsh winter weather that the Nearly Naked Run, which was to have been preceded by a bonfire and followed by a pancake feed, was postponed. The weeklong Homecoming celebration culminated on Saturday, Feb. 28 with the crowning of Queen Jessica Crumrine and King Chris Wiebe during halftime of the Wichita State vs. Northern Iowa Panthers game in Charles Koch Arena – a game the Shockers won 74-60.
Thanks to Baseline Creative, a Wichita marketing, design and advertising firm, and WSU's Shocker Sports Grill and Lanes for their sponsorship of Shockerland: Homecoming 2015.
