Entry No. 38 — the Wichita file — filed under: roadside-oddity
WuShock: Fighting-Mad Wheat Statue
Standing eight feet tall outside the Steve Clark YMCA on Wichita State's campus, WuShock is a bronze bundle of wheat with bulging muscles, a WSU letter sweater, bare feet, and a wheat stalk clenched in his teeth — fists raised and ready to throw down. The mascot himself has been a Kansas icon since 1948 (the name fuses "Wu" from Wichita State University with "Shock" from wheat-shocking), but this one-of-a-kind sculpture — designed by Wade Hampton and cast in bronze by Connie Ernatt — only arrived in 2020. WSU itself quietly brands it a campus "hidden gem" that even current students tend to overlook, which is exactly the kind of endorsement that should put it on your radar. Roadside America has already flagged it as a genuine offbeat oddity; most Wichitans still haven't made the pilgrimage.
The story
Most college mascots are predatory big cats, birds of prey, or stoic historical figures. Wichita State decided in 1948 to go a different route by weaponizing agriculture. 'WuShock'—a portmanteau blending 'WU' for Wichita State University with 'shock' from the manual labor of hand-bundling wheat—is quite literally an angry, ambulatory stalk of grain. While the foam mascot suit has roamed sidelines for decades, the university escalated things in September 2020 by dropping an eight-foot bronze statue of the combative crop right onto campus.
Designed by Wade Hampton and cast in bronze by artist Connie Ernatt, this is not a gentle homage to Kansas farmlands. The sculpture depicts WuShock in full pugilistic mode: bare feet rooted to the pavement, veins bulging under a classic WSU letter sweater, a single wheat stalk clamped between his teeth, and two heavy bronze fists cocked and ready to throw down. He sits outside the Steve Clark YMCA and Student Wellness Center, permanently stationed at the junction of Mike Oatman and Mid-Campus Drives.
WSU quietly tags the statue as a campus 'hidden gem' that plenty of enrolled students manage to bypass entirely. You do not need tickets, a campus ID, or gym access to stand face-to-chest with an eight-foot swole bushel of grain. It sits in a open public plaza, existing purely so you can record physical evidence that Kansas built a shrine to a furious agricultural bundle.
What it's like
To find WuShock, navigate to the open entry plaza where Mike Oatman Drive meets Mid-Campus Drive on WSU's main campus. Because the statue stands entirely outdoors in front of the Steve Clark YMCA, you don't need to step indoors or show a gym membership to walk right up and pose mid-fist-pump. It is free and accessible year-round, though you will want daylight to capture the bronze details in a photo. If you go during a weekday class term, track down a metered visitor parking spot to avoid a ticket; pull up on a weekend, evening, or over summer break for much easier parking.
The move: Roll up to the Steve Clark YMCA entry plaza, take the required selfie with WuShock mid-fist-pump, then wander the surrounding campus before grabbing food on nearby 21st Street — it's a thirty-minute detour that earns you full weird-Wichita bragging rights.
📍 Before you go It stands on the open entry plaza where Mike Oatman and Mid-Campus Drives meet, fronting the Student Wellness Center on WSU's main campus in northeast Wichita (near 21st and Hillside). The plaza is public, so you walk right up and pose — no membership or going indoors needed. The bronze is viewable year-round; aim for daylight for the selfie. As on most campuses, weekday-term parking may want a visitor permit or metered lot, while evenings, weekends, and summer are easier. For a better pairing than the obvious food run, hit the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection ringing the nearby Ulrich Museum — 80-plus works on a free self-guided loop.
- 📍 West Wichita (WSU Campus)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2060 N. Mid-Campus Drive, Wichita, KS 67208
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Celestial Mechanic (buried spaceman sculpture, WSU campus) — Walk 0.1 miles across campus to see another bizarre outdoor artwork—a half-excavated astronaut statue left in a pasture to rust naturally before installation.
- Original Pizza Hut Museum — Head 0.2 miles over to WSU's Innovation Campus to see the original 500-square-foot brick building where two WSU students launched Pizza Hut in 1958.
- Wilner Auditorium at Wichita State University — Stroll half a mile west to check out WSU's historic drama building, rumored to be haunted by former speech and drama director George Wilner.
Good to know
Do I need to go inside the YMCA or pay a fee to see WuShock?
No. The bronze statue stands on the outdoor entry plaza outside the building, so it is free and accessible 24/7.
What does the name WuShock actually mean?
The name fuses 'WU' (Wichita State University) with 'wheat-shocking,' which refers to the traditional method of harvesting and bundling wheat stalks into shocks.
Who built the statue and when was it placed on campus?
The sculpture was designed by Wade Hampton and cast in bronze by Connie Ernatt, arriving on campus in September 2020.
How is parking managed near the statue?
During weekday class hours, you should park in metered or visitor-designated spaces. Parking is significantly easier on evenings, weekends, and summer breaks.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · news.wichita.edu · wichita.edu · kwch.com
last checked: 2026-06-09