Wichita State University
Shocker Traditions
Interfest
Twice a year, WSU celebrates its standing as the most diverse college in Kansas with a feast that features student-prepared cuisine from around the globe. You're guaranteed to find something new and delicious.
Family Weekend
Family Weekend invites friends and family of current students to campus for a fun-filled weekend of activities and events designed to introduce them to life in Shocker Nation.
Hippodrome
As WSU's longest-running tradition – every spring since 1928 – Hippodrome is an all-school party promoting Shocker pride through contests and live entertainment leading up to the main event – the Hippodrome skits.
The Toast
The WSU community celebrates its graduating students with a champagne toast and mixer on the steps of the Rhatigan Student Center. The perfect way to send our Shockers out into the world.
Tulips: A Wichita State Tradition
A welcome sign of spring, Wichita State's tulip beds have been a beloved tradition for more than 50 years. Each fall, WSU groundskeepers plant more than 9,000 bulbs that turn the campus into a riot of color when they bloom.
More than a century of innovation in education
WSU History
When Wichita State first opened its doors in 1895, students rode horses to class, telegraph machines were cutting-edge technology and Wichita had only been a city for roughly 25 years.
A lot has changed.
The past century has featured a remarkable evolution for Wichita State, one in which the school has grown from a small Christian college to a large state university – punctuated by two name changes and a few thousand extra students.
Together with the City of Wichita, WSU has built one of the most unique partnerships in Kansas. It's a relationship that supplies the lifeblood of a thriving community and makes it possible to provide the most well-rounded education in the region.
Today, the university continues its evolution through collaboration, innovation, applied learning and entrepreneurship – creating the ideal environment for students, industry and community to work together and build a bright future for our city, region and world.
