Professor brings Tai Chi and Kung Fu to the forefront as an outlet for students

A practice of mindfulness and self-defense

Claire Harrell and Na’Jay Lewis • April 20, 2026

On this episode, The State Hornet interviewed Mark Wheeler, a philosophy professor and instructor of Tai Chi and Kung Fu classes at Sac State. He discusses what his job entails as the instructor of Tai Chi and Kung Fu classes, the importance of martial arts, his own personal experiences and how it can benefit students.

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About the Contributors

Claire Harrell, Multimedia Staffer

(she/her) Claire Harrell is a third-year student majoring in journalism. She is going into her second semester at The State Hornet as a multimedia staffer. She hopes to gain skills in broadcast and multimedia to help her in her dream of working in broadcast journalism. In her free time, Claire enjoys reading, going on hikes, and spending time with her family and friends.

Na’Jay Lewis, Multimedia Staffer

(he/him) Na’Jay Lewis is a fourth-year student majoring in journalism major with a minor in ethnic studies. This is his second semester at The State Hornet. He loves sports, wrestling, video games and is looking forward to learning how to produce compelling content creation as a part of the multimedia section in a meaningful way. His favorite sports teams are the Warriors, 49ers and Giants. His favorite hobbies are exercising, watching the NBA and NFL and playing sports video games like Madden and NBA 2K.