Wichita State’s mascot, WuShock, is one of a kind.
WuShock, a 7-foot, muscle-bound bundle of wheat, derived from a time when players would spend their summers shocking wheat. A shock is a bundle of wheat tied together after harvest. Kansas is the country’s leading producer of wheat.
In 1954, a cheerleader for the university built a prototype WuShock costume using $20 worth of supplies. His mother helped him assemble the costume out of draped cloth, a wire frame, football shoulder pads, and a Ping-Pong ball nose. In 1970, a professionally-made suit debuted. The suit has transformed several times since then.