Standing up. Comedienne, impressionist, Melissa Villasenor performed in the

Washburn room in the spring of 2012. From her childhood, Villasenor has dreamed

of making a career of her talent, and hopes to eventually make a name for herself as

an actress.

Photo courtesy Linnzi Fusco

to come out of it,” said Villasenor. “But it was probably the most beautiful experience of my career. If I hadn’t taken that opportunity, I’d probably still be working at Forever 21,” said Villasenor. “It was just so great for me.”

Even with stand up as her current main focus, Villasenor has other goals in life.

“I love standup, but I also want to be given the opportunity to do TV and film,” said Villasenor. “But personally, I really want to be on Saturday Night Live—that’s been one of my dreams for my entire life.”

Villasenor also has a current side project that she

hopes to accomplish soon between shows. “I’m working on a short story book,” said Villasenor.

“Maybe I’ll do a cartoon too, I like to draw and could do a voiceover for it.”

Having performed stand up comedy for the past two years, performing at Washburn University was nothing for Villasenor.

“I feel that tonight was a great show,” said Villasenor. “I left the stage really happy, and as a comedienne, that’s all I can ask for.”

Comedian leaves impression at WU

Special Instructions

HJTemplate

MICS31001L©2009 Herff Jones, Inc.,

All Rights ReservedEvenPage

700

xWashburn UniversityJob # Schoolx12249

Black Ink Includes Spot Color(s) Process 4-Color (CMYK)

Photo courtesy Washburn Review archive

HJTemplate Special Instructions

OddPage

701

xWashburn UniversityJob # Schoolx12249

MICS31001R©2009 Herff Jones, Inc.,

All Rights Reserved

Black Ink Includes Spot Color(s) Process 4-Color (CMYK)

When the Mabee Library was first built in 1978, it was simply a place to house books, but that was before the interim dean of libraries,

Alan Bearman, was hired in 2008.After reviewing thousands of suggestions and data

from student focus groups, Bearman set out to make drastic changes.

“The philosophy of the library switched from instead of focusing on the collection to developing relationships with students,” said Judy Druse, assistant to the dean.

One of the first tasks was to update reference books to the most current information. Removing some of the collection provided more space for students and faculty. Students suggested a coffee shop, and through the initiation of the Washburn Student Government Association, a coffee shop was opened in February of 2011.

Druse said that the most important thing the Library could do was to add variety to its studying options. There are now overstuffed chairs, booths, couches, computers, desks, even some walls and tables have been painted white so students could use them to write on. Druse pointed out that studies have shown most college students start their homework at 11:00 p.m. when the Library used to close, so hours were

extended to 2:00 a.m.“What we did was change the Library to meet the

needs of 21st century students,” said Bearman. While Bearman didn’t try to model Washburn’s

Mabee Library after any specific library, there were several libraries that helped to influence the changes. A lot of the changes have been physical ones, but the online library system has changed drastically as well.

“The site used to be very static and full of library lingo,” said Bearman. “Now when a student pulls up the website it’s user friendly and easy to navigate. It searches 30 different databases for the books and articles you’re looking for.”

As for future changes, Druse would like to see more resources go to the library’s Washburn University Experience program for freshmen, more resources for the writing center and information and computer literacy programs. She hoped to see more space added to the library in the form of a building addition.

“Libraries constantly evolve because of technology, and because of student need,” said Bearman. “A library should be a place to promote student success, which means that in everything we do, we should be trying to personalize the experience for students. A student should be able to come into a library and find a place that suits his or her study skill.”

Alan Bearman

By Summer Workman

Librarian 25

Dean arranges student-focused library renovations

A heart for the art-world. People of all ages attended Michael Allen’s senior art

exhibit, “effect,” which took place in the fall of 2011 only months before Allen was

hired as the preparator of the Mulvane Art Museum.

Photo by Anthony Richardson

Michael Allen 27

Finding a job after graduation and finding a job that you love are two challenging tasks. Luckily for Michael D. Allen, he killed two birds with

one stone.Born in Wichita and raised in Plainville, Kan., Allen

graduated from Washburn University in the fall of 2011 with Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and was appointed the position of exhibition preparator for the Mulvane Art Museum in January of 2012.

“It takes a variety of different types of talents and skills in order to do this job,” said Cindi Morrison, director of the Mulvane Art Museum. “Michael was the one that suited our needs as the permanent preparator.”

Allen was selected to be a student assistant to the previous preparator, Michael Hager. After working as Mulvane’s preparator for about eight years, Hager decided that he wanted to teach full time as a printmaking professor in the Washburn Art Department. Allen served as an intern for about two years before Hager made the switch to teacher, and Allen was offered a full-time staff position.

“He’s willing to do whatever it takes, and we need that kind of person around here,” said Morrison.

A preparator in a museum is someone who prepares and handles artwork, displays, and/or furniture for an exhibition. This includes matting and framing, carpentry work, helping keep the location database and inventory on stored artwork, and other various needs for the museum and exhibitions.

“He is also helpful with the photography of the

collection,” said Morrison, “as we bring the pieces out when we are having an appraisal done for the insurance value of the works.”

Being an artist himself, Allen knows the value of art and tends to it with great care. Morrison states that Allen has all of the talents and expertise that the museum requires, and is very organized.

“He’s very orderly…and boy do we like that around here,” said Morrison. “When you’re working with 4,000 pieces in a collection, orderliness is a good talent to have.”

Allen’s first order of business was the installation of the four exhibits that showed on the First Friday Art Walk of Feb. 3, which required him to hang paintings, display origami and industrial sculptures, show almost 1,500 matted works, and build six movable walls.

“That was quite a challenge,” said Allen. “I really had to jump in with both feet and hit the ground running.”

As an artist, Allen has done three solo shows, numerous exhibitions, and recently had his work chosen in a five state photo competition. Allen was also the featured artist of March 2012 at the Flying Monkey Handcrafted Brews café located at 17th and Washburn Ave. in College Hill.

Allen is known mostly for photography, with some mixed media works, and does a lot of wet paint photography and manipulations, that transcend the ordinary. Examples of Allen’s work can be found at thealleneffect.com.

Michael D. Allen

Story by Tanner Ballengee

Recent WU graduate becomes preparator of Mulvane

Capturing creativity. Visitors of Michael Allen’s senior art exhibit, “effect,” admired

his amazing photographic creations in the fall of 2011 at the Washburn Art Building.

Photo by Anthony Richardson

w

Walking into the Whiting Fieldhouse entrance, one is greeted by the sight of trophy cases serving testament to the success of Washburn

athletics. In the spring of 2012, it was once again time to make room for more hardware.

For just the fifth time in the history of Washburn basketball, both the men’s and women’s teams stood atop the conference at the end of the season. While the Lady Blues picked up their eighth overall MIAA conference title, the Ichabods picked up their first since 2005.

“It’s great that we got that for [Washburn head coach Bob Chipman],” said junior forward Bobby Chipman, who is Coach Chipman’s son. “It’s something that I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.”

In the South Central Region of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament, the second-round matchup between the No. 1-seed Midwestern State University Mustangs and the sharp-shooting No. 4-seed Ichabods was worthy of attendance—but MSU took the win 72-63, ending the Ichabods season with an overall record of 25-8.

The Ichabods took a slice of the MIAA title during the regular season, but won the MIAA Tournament to become MIAA Champions. The Lady Blues, on the other hand, won both titles outright to become a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“The championship feels great,” said Washburn Lady Blues Head Coach Ron McHenry, “We knew from day one this group was going to be pretty good. We struggled early on in the season, and didn’t have any

By Rob Burkett and Luke Warnken

Washburn claims

Kicking butt. Junior forward Sierra Moeller cut down the net after the Lady Blues

won the regular season MIAA championship title. As the No. 1 team in their region,

the Lady Blue went on to host the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, where

they lost 71-65 to Emporia State University in the second round, despite beating the

Hornets in the other three meetings.

Photo by Rob Burkett

leaders, or anybody who wanted to step up and take the lead. We’ve pulled together some leadership here at the end. It was there they just had to step up and do it.”

Specifically, the leadership came from the four seniors on the team—center Cassie Lombardino and guards Ebonie Williams, Stevi Schultz and Megan Lassley.

In the regular season finale, that leadership was exemplified at halftime in the locker room.

“We weren’t playing like this is a championship game,” said Schultz. “We would have been champions no matter what, but we’ve been saying all season that we don’t like to share. So I said, ‘Lets play like it’s a championship game’ and we did in the second half.”

The Lady Blues went on to host the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament’s South Central Regional, where they lost 71-65 to their “Turnpike Tussle” foe, No. 5-seed Emporia State University, ending their season with an overall record of 29-5. The Lady Blues had already beaten ESU three times prior—twice in the regular season and once in the MIAA Tournament Championship.

“I didn’t think playing four times was the big difference, but sometimes when you’re not expecting to win and you’ve been beat three times, what do you have to lose?” said McHenry. “I thought that was really what their mentality was. They just weren’t fearful to lose. It can work both ways. We had pressure of being the No. 1 seed and hosting, where they were pretty loose and ready to play.”

dual MIAA titles

Taking names. Junior guard Martin Mitchell cut down the net after the Ichabods

won their fifth MIAA Tournament with a 67-63 win over Pittsburg State University.

Their postseason ended with a 72-63 loss to Midwestern State University in the

second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Photo by Rob Burkett

The stage performance of “Ruined” left an impression on the hearts and minds of Washburn students in the spring of 2012.

It premiered at the Andrew J. and Georgia Neese Gray Theatre with a “Talk Back” after every show, where audience members discussed issues brought forth from the performance.

As the prominent rock band, Eve 6, once wrote: “Rape is a word with a face.” Truer words have never been sung of the terrible global epidemic—and this sentiment was portrayed by the story of “Ruined,” as well.

“It’s about women in the Congo who have survived gang rapes, what happens to them afterwards and their struggles to make a life for themselves,” said Sharon Sullivan, associate professor of the Washburn theatre department. “It sounds grim and it is, in a way, but the play also offers up some hope, as well.”

Covering some of the issues brought up in “Ruined,” the diversity initiative showed a documentary film entitled “The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo” in the Kansas Room of the Memorial Union. In fact, the play was, at one point, scheduled so that students would have the opportunity to be educated about these issues before attending the play.

“We’re going to donate three dollars of every ticket to the City of Joy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is an organization that helps survivors of these sexual assaults,” said Sullivan.

Since its inception, City of Joy has provided women a place to reconcile psychologically as they reconstruct their existences, turn agony to inspiration, and return back into their homes to lead others out of suffering.

Not only was “Ruined” a breathtaking spectacle for the audience—it was a remarkable experience for the cast, as well.

“Being African myself, I feel like this play is showing a side of the war that not many people get to see,” said Washburn student Farai Harreld, who portrayed the character Salima in the play. “It’s destroyed countless homes, lives and populations.”

Despite the wretched nature of the play’s topic, many walked away from the theatre after the show with a newly-found pragmatic optimism and affection for their fellow man.

“And even though there are a lot of sad things, it’s basically a story about hope and survival, the resilience of the human spirit and, ultimately, about our ability to love one another,” said Sullivan.

Story by Kelly Hurla and Matthew Kelly

32 Performance

‘Ruined’Play sheds light on the darkest of issues

Actin’ Out. The actors from “Ruined” portrayed their characters well, and had the

audience rooting for them or hating them. The themes portrayed in the play were

serious, involving death, as well as love, and addressed issues at the same time.

Photos by Kelly Andrews

Talents

The creations of Adam Koger are more than just art, as any student who visited his senior exhibit can testify. His exhibit told the story

of his life—a story of abandonment, emptiness and bewildering beauty.

Koger’s exhibit, entitled “evolution,” lined the walls of the Washburn Art Building shortly after the start of the 2011 fall semester. It was widely comprised of Koger’s photographic pieces, but some of his drawings were on display, as well.

One might be curious at this point. What photography could be so thought provoking? The answer was for the students to decide, but it might have had something to do with the subject of Koger’s pictures—abandoned houses.

Koger had pictures of 12 abandoned houses in his exhibit. As for his interest in the empty shells of human life, one might look at his past.

“Two years ago, I became a single father,” said Koger. “The mother decided she didn’t want to be a mom. I was left to raise a daughter by myself and finish school. I felt kind of abandoned at the time.”

Koger’s first college experience was at Kansas State University, where he spent four years—only to leave in

2004 without obtaining a degree.“I was taking things in the wrong direction,

partying too much late at night and enrolling in 8:30 a.m. classes,” said Koger.

He started attending Washburn in the fall of 2007 after his daughter was born, and began taking life more seriously—not just when it came to his studies, but his artwork as well.

At first, Koger didn’t know exactly what images he wanted to capture. It began when he was driving through back roads and admiring the countryside. The drive was peaceful and relaxing for Koger.

“I wasn’t looking for abandoned houses. They started drawing me,” said Koger.

Although Koger’s feelings of abandonment left him depressed at first, after almost three years of parenthood, his feelings changed for the better. In order to deal with his emotions, Koger channeled them through his photos. He explained that, for him, using art as an outlet was therapeutic, and has helped him to rise above the negativity.

“It’s not that I feel sad anymore, now it’s almost become an abandoning of those first abandoned feelings,” said Koger.

Adam KogerStory by Kelly Hurla and Matthew Kelly

Photo by Mike Goehring

Single father uses art to tell his story

Art 37

Fishing addictionStory by Josh Rouse

Somthing fishy. Scott Stormann holds a freshly caught bass on

display during a day of fishing and relaxation. As a student and

member of the popular funk band Echo Lake, Stormann has a busy

schedule, but is never too busy for a weekend at the lake.

Photos by Josh Rouse

For many Washburn students, the word “fishing” brought up memories from the past, many involving parents or grandparents, small Mickey

Mouse fishing poles, tackle boxes and the first time they put a worm on a hook.

While school and work prevented some from continuing their fishing expeditions, others kept up with it over the years. Whether it was the occasional weekend trip or a summertime hobby, college students still managed to make time for fishing despite hectic schedules.

Two Washburn students who often found time to fish despite a busy schedule were Scott Stormann and Matt Mirsch, both of the popular funk band Echo Lake. When they weren’t rehearsing, studying or working, the pair continued a tradition of going fishing that started in high school.

“We used to fish every now and again, because Matt’s dad was a big fisherman and my dad was,” said Stormann. “We’ve been fishing since we were little, but this summer we really started fishing a lot, like hardcore. I’ve been going out every weekend and Matt comes along probably once every other weekend with me and we’ve been going catfishing and bass fishing.”

Mirsch said his bandmate’s passion for fishing bordered on mania, though he didn’t mind going along for the ride.

“Scott has an addiction,” said Mirsch. “I fish because I like to eat, Scott fishes because he’s addicted to the adrenaline rush of the catch and he should probably see someone about that. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Others shared in the passion, often finding the fishing experience to be therapeutic and a stress-reliever.

“My favorite part about fishing is being outside preferably in the morning when the mist is coming off the water,” said Joe Wayner, senior art major.

Wayner, who owns a taxidermy business, saw fishing as a way to socialize and to test his own skills.

“I love going with family and friends and just catching up,” said Wayner. “I also like seeing if I still can target and catch certain species of fish.”

Stormann recalled several fishing trips during the course of the 2011 summer that were memorable, particularly in areas they didn’t always fish.

“I had a good time fishing out at this place called Prairie Lake up in Holton, [Kan.],” said Stormann. “We went up there fishing one night and it was a full moon. We didn’t catch anything big but we were catching them every time our bait would touch the water.”

Not all memories from the summer were particularly pleasant for Mirsch, however. During their second fishing trip of the summer, Mirsch caught himself with a treble hook from a lure that required medical

attention.“Well, I remember it like it was yesterday,” recalled

Mirsch. “It was a beautiful day out, ya know, with all the neat stuff in nature... I went for a really good, long cast, so I put some oomph behind it. Next thing I know my pole fell apart where it attaches it detaches and my line was a bit funky and I thought the pole just hit me in the shoulder blade. So I started trying to put the pole back together and I realized the lure got stuck in my shirt. Then I was like this is really stuck in my shirt, it’s really in there deep. Then I pulled it a little bit and said ‘I think I got myself a little bit... I think it’s in there pretty deep.’

“We tried to get it out and were unsuccessful and I made a call to Prompt Care and I was the highlight of the day in the doctor’s office and they took care of me very kindly at Sunflower Prompt.”

Stormann said that after the quick hospital trip, they went right back out and continued fishing, but with little luck.

“I got like three in a row right before he hooked himself and then when we went back out, we didn’t catch shit,” said Stormann.

Always a fisherman. For many students fishing is remembered as

something they did as children, long before they took on their stressful

college schedules. Matt Mirsch doesn’t see it that way. Alongside his fishing

buddy Scott Stormann, Mirsch spends about every other weekend at the

lake, when he’s not working, studying or practicing with his band mates.

Talents 39

96 Talents Photos by Josh Rouse

Gut spilling Lego sculpture. New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya’s exhibit has

set a new attendance record at the Mulvane Art Museum. The exhibit featured

sculptures made entirely from Legos, and has caught the interest, not only

Topekans, but visitors from all over the world.

Art of the brickStory by Matt Kelly

As Washburn students quickly learned, no one’s ever too old to appreciate Legos. An exhibit, “The Art of the Brick,” featured

28 Lego brick sculptures by New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya, and set a new attendance record at the Mulvane Art Museum.

The exhibit ran from June 17 to Sept. 18 in 2011, and brought in a total of 60,412 visitors—30,103 of which also visited the Mulvane ArtLab to create their own Lego sculptures.

Sawaya’s sculptures had raised so much interest, visitors came from all over the world to see the exhibit—from Texas to Taiwan—from 50 states and 14 countries.

Prior to “The Art of the Brick,” the Mulvane’s record number of visitors was set at 11,000 in 1993. Over the years, an average of 3,000 people have visited the Mulvane every month.

Sawaya said each of his sculptures have a special meaning to him because they show how far he’s come as an artist, and help visitors to reacquaint themselves with their inner children, while simultaneously revealing intricate ideas. His unique art form has allowed him to use everyday “tinker toys” in a way that no one has before.

Cindi Morrison, director of the Mulvane Art Museum, couldn’t have been more pleased by the turnout.

“My hat is off to the members of the Mulvane staff, Washburn students, faculty and staff, especially our custodians and facility services staff, our volunteers and members of the Friends Board of Directors for all of their help and support to make this a truly extraordinary experience for our visitors,” said Morrison.

Morrison said that although the museum’s numbers have been steadily rising over the last few years, no one could possibly have expected for the exhibit to be so wildly successful.

“We knew that the Art of the Brick exhibit would be popular, but I think that we’ve all been surprised at the sheer volume of new visitors to the museum,” said Morrison.

For many who live in Topeka, it has been gratifying for globally-acclaimed art like Sawaya’s to be a part of the culture for a time. Since 1924, the Mulvane has had a reputation for helping to raise an interest in Topeka culture—not only through the museum itself, but through the ArtLab, as well.

“These attendance numbers speak to the value of the arts in our community during tough economic times, as it is clear that this exhibition has brought new tourists who certainly have filled their gas tanks and had a bite to eat while they were in Topeka,” said Morrison.

97

Perfect harmonyStory by Ivy Marcus and Matthew Kelly

Photos by Rob Burkett

Assemblage of artistic sound. From Washburn Singers to wind ensembles,

String Quartet to Jazz Band, the entire music department was showcased in

the seamless Mosaic Concert at White Concert Hall. Each piece was about

five minutes long, and would start directly after the one before it.

Norman said, while the concert is fast-paced, it is also easy to enjoy due to the eclectic range of music presented. Everything from band and orchestra to piano solos, jazz combos and choir voices can be expected at each year’s performance.

The entire music department gets involved in the concert, professors included. Once the pieces have been decided, the performers and groups practice separately. There is one group rehearsal that takes place, according to Norman, in which they work out lighting, and positioning.

“Getting ready has been a lot of hard work,” said Jaron Marcus, a junior piano performance major. “Dr. Kellam is always good at preparing his students, and it’s always fun to be a part of his choir.”

Marcus commented that while he enjoyed performing in the concert, he also enjoyed being able to watch the majority of it and appreciate the music. He especially enjoyed watching his teachers perform.

“I think the piece I liked the most last year was the brass piece by Mr. Norman,” said Marcus.

Admission to the concert was $10. All proceeds were used to support the Music Student Travel Fund.

For music lovers with Attention Deficit Disorder, the Mosaic Concert is like crack cocaine—except the delightful high one might receive from this

event is actually good for the soul. The word mosaic is defined as something made

from many diverse elements, and is perfect for the Mosaic Concert, which took place at Washburn twice in 2011.

What is the Mosaic Concert all about? The best way to describe it would be as a collage of musical groups, brought together to perform under the same roof.

There were no breaks between each piece of music—instead there was a constant flow of sound. As soon as one piece ended, another began. The singers and musicians were spread throughout White Concert Hall, surrounding the audience with music.

“It’s sort of like short attention span theater,” said Mark Norman, director of bands. “Each piece is about five minutes. It would start off with the wind ensemble on stage, then the women’s choir in the balcony and so on. They go one right after the other...you end up getting about 20 pieces of music in an hour and 15 minutes.”

Music 43

Photo by Candice Morris

Another rung on the ladder. Professor Tom Averill is a writer-in-

residence at Washburn, and teaches courses in creative writing, as

well as Kansas literature, folklore and film. Averill has published

three novels: “Secrets of the Tsil Cafe” (2001), “The Slow Air of

Ewan MacPherson” (2003) and his latest, “Rode” (2011), in addition

to many other shorts stories, and written works.

ww

If a Washburn student had an interest in literature, chances are, that student had heard of professor Tom Averill. Averill, Washburn writer-in-residence, saw the

release of his new novel “Rode,” in 2011, having already published books and shorts stories as far back as 1971 in Kansas University’s literary magazine “The Cottonwood.”

“It’s a little bit of a coming-of-age [novel],” said Averill. “It’s a little bit of a love story all the way through and it’s an adventure story.”

The basis for the novel comes from the song “Tennessee Stud,” originally performed by Jimmy Driftwood in the late 1950s before being covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, and the Grammy Award-winning version by Eddie Arnold. Averill first heard the song at the 1973 Walnut Music Festival in Winfield, Kan., and the song stuck with him.

“I sang it as a lullaby, because it was long and rhythmic and there was only one murder, to my children,” said Averill. “I knew the song so well, and I’d always liked the song and it had a great plot to it. I just thought it would make a nice novel.”

Since most people are able to hear the various versions of “Tennessee Stud” on the Internet and through several other outlets, Averill had to find a way to still make his “anti-Western” significant and enjoyable to readers.

“It’s not about what happens,” said Averill. “It’s about how it happens, which is always more interesting than what [happens].”

For research, Averill traveled the route of the song from Tennessee to Mexico, even stopping by Conway, Ark., to look over Jimmy Driftwood’s papers. “Rode” also allowed Averill to combine writing with his interest in history by reading about the American West and its history.

With a career spanning as long as Averill’s, he has noticed how his writing has changed over the decades.

“I leave more out,” said Averill. “I enjoy a good plot more than I did when I started writing. I have more of a sense of humor than I did when I first started writing, and I’m probably better at just physical detail and letting it carry a story or a sentence or a scene than I used to be.”

Though Averill had no intention of becoming a teacher, he likes to think of it as his true occupation.

“I think if you think of yourself as a teacher who writes, then the writing seems like just a hobby or something you do on the side,” said Averill. “If you think of yourself as a writer who’s teaching, then you tend to get into that attitude that you’re a slave to your day job and you’re this writer who’s trapped in this teaching world.”

Averill enjoys writing and teaching because he thinks they reflect off each other, even when he is participating in his classes’ writing exercises.

“Sometimes I’ll solve problems I’m having in my writing when I’m talking to students in class about dialogue or plot or something, and I do writing in class,” said Averill.

Thomas Fox AverillStory by Sam Sayler

WU professor publishes novel

Literature 45

96 Athletics