12.09.22

Self-taught student develops new Wildcat 91.9 app, up for best app award

MARGARET LATENSER news editor

It’s 2 a.m. on a school night, and Brody Zwiebel sits at his computer. He frequently switches his browser from YouTube tutorials to Draftbit, an app developing software. Zwiebel is determined to power through his sleep deprivation to create an improved app for the Wildcat 91.9 radio station.

“I would go from like 9 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m.,” Zwiebal said. “I just kept working on it until I got it to a place where I could show someone, then we would go over what was working and what wasn’t. Then, we would go

back to the drawing board.”

The new app allows listeners to stream shows live, access old shows and gives employees a chance to promote their work.

Zwiebel, a freshman in journalism, has never attempted to create an app, but he was chosen for the task because of his background in computer science.

“I was literally just told, ‘Hey do you want to build an app?’” Zwiebel said.

“They were just looking for someone to do it, and I had helped with the website, so I decided to try it, and it turned into this whole thing.

So now I am a developer, I guess.”

Zwiebal said Wildcat 91.9 wanted a new app because the old one needed improvements.

“It was fine for what it was for the time, but we wanted more functionality out of it,” Zwiebal said. “Plus, it was being hosted by another company so we did not have any control over the app, and no one at the station could modify the app.”

Zwiebel said the learning process had its ups and downs.

“A lot of it was frustrating, especially in the beginning because I didn’t understand anything,” Zwiebal said. “I would make some progress, and then I would

not understand something so I would go straight to YouTube and watch and try to understand what I was looking at.”

Jacob Cummings, assistant chief operator for Wildcat 91.9, said he was often a test dummy for Zwiebel’s late night ideas; he saw the creative process first hand.

“The way Brody developed the app was very masterful, and I applaud him for his ingenuity in the face of adversity,” Cummings said.

Zwiebal said he will continue to make improvements to the app.

“If I do something new on the app, I have to try it with a bunch of people and

see if it works,” Zwiebal said.

“We just made the new show page and updated the functionality of the staff page. There was an issue with the top of the page being whitened out. I had to go in af-

ter they told me and spend about three or four hours trying to figure out how to make it clear.”

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Zwiebal said he appreciates the process.

“Besides the frustration it has been a lot of fun,” Zwiebal said. “And it is fun managing it and keeping up with updates, making sure everything works and getting ideas from people about what can be done.”

The live functionality of the new app is a beneficial part of the upgrade.

“You can just open it up now and listen to us and hear exactly what is on the air at that time,” Zwiebal said.

The new app also gives the radio employees more exposure, Zwiebel said.

“Since we are student driven, and everything is

made by students, getting all that content out there and making it more accessible for people to listen is the best,” Zwiebal said.

Zwiebel had a strict timeline for the project in order to submit the finished product to the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Awards. He began teaching himself on Sept. 27 and submitted the app on Nov. 1.

“After I taught myself with the videos, the actual build time for the app was like a week for the very first version of it, and we have been working on it ever since,” Zwiebel said.

He said his hard work paid off, and the app was nominated for the best app award.

“The finalists will be announced later this month,” Zwiebal said.

Dawson Wagner, programming and news director for Wildcat 91.9, said he is excited about the app’s improvements and proud of Zwiebel’s work.

“The technical work behind creating an app that can stream the radio station, play old shows and showcase our entire staff on is just incredible,” Wagner said. “We wouldn’t be at the point we are as one of the leading radio stations in the nation if it wasn’t for Brody’s continued dedication to Wildcat 91.9.”

You

You and good luck on finals

students for a great semester

public that we have a heart for helping people. ... We have a reason to be here, to help with something bigger than ourselves.”

MEREDITH MCCALMON staff writer

Greek life organizations at Kansas State are dedicated to their philanthropies and host events for different national and local causes. This brings different sororities, fraternities and members of the student body together to have some fun and raise money. Here are a couple recent events hosted by K-State greek life.

entirety of the week they raised $10,000 for Zeta Tau Alpha National Breast Cancer Education and Awareness.

“Greek life has a great opportunity to rally around a cause, and in college kids’ formative years it instills a sense of keeping in mind the bigger purpose that we have,” Virginia Fullerton, vice president of philanthropic services for Zeta, said. “It’s important to teach our members of Zeta about the good they can do for their community.”

Delta Upsilon joined Alpha Xi Delta on Nov. 3. for their annual Pancake Fest. Tickets were sold for $5, and the event took place at the DU house. Patrons were offered a variety of breakfast foods and could participate in karaoke. The proceeds for the event were donated to the Families in Transition (FIT) Closet, which is associated with Alpha Xi’s philanthropy: The Kindly Hearts Initiative. The FIT Closet serves children of the Manhattan-Ogden school district by offering free supplies such as clothing, school supplies and hygiene products.

members and other students to enjoy pancakes and watch a fraternity pancake eating contest. Tickets were $5 in advance and $6 at the door. The sorority raised $3,300 for their cause, and Theta Xi fraternity was crowned

Zeta Tau Alpha members at a basketball tournament for their “Big Man on Campus Competition.”

Religion Directory

Sigma Kappa and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity sold cookies and donuts to raise money for Children’s Mercy. The drive-thru event took place on Nov. 14. at the Pike house. Students purchased tickets for $5, and the event raised a total of $3,000.

“It didn’t take a lot of preparation other than selling the tickets, posting about it, and getting the cookies and donuts,” Shea Larson, vice president of philanthropic services for Sigma Kappa, said. “We had more of a turnout than I expected.”

Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted their annual Shrimp Boil on Nov. 8. This year, the proceeds from the event were donated to SAE’s house mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks prior. Members of the house cooked shrimp and vegetables and served it to students who purchased a $5 ticket. SAE raised $3,500, and their house mom used the proceeds to cover many of her medical bills.

“Greek life sometimes doesn’t get the best reputation,” Landyn Luttrell, philanthropy chair of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, said. “This really shows the

“A lot of girls volunteer at the FIT Closet weekly,” Graysen Yahne, vice president of philanthropy for AIpha Xi, said. “I love being able to see the direct impact our philanthropy has on people, and being local is super cool.”

Manhattan Jewish Congregation

1509 Wreath Ave, Manhattan www.mhkjc.org 785 477-5759

Every year Delta Delta Delta raises money for their national philanthropy — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — with Delta House of Pancakes. The event welcomes greek life

Zeta Tau Alpha hosted a week-long event of different competitions where greek life members competed to win the title of “Big Man on Campus.” The competition took place from Oct. 9-13, and the activities included a basketball tournament, talent show, and fundraising competition through an app called Crowd Change. Zeta concluded the week with their Zetar Tots event, where members of the community visited the Zeta house for tater tots and other food. Zeta members were required to sell five tickets each for Zetar Tots, and throughout the

Members of Delta Delta Delta sorority cheer on participants in their pancake eating contest to bene t St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

Wildcat

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Alyssa Schieffer

One of my favorite elements of art is its ability to bring people into your thoughts, feelings and experiences. I use my work as a vessel for my own emotions. By showing my work, people who’ve felt the emotions depicted in this piece could feel heard. My goal in showing and creating art like this is to show others that they are not alone in dealing with heavy emotions like these.

GRACE NEEDHAM arts & culture editor

There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the new movie “Don’t Worry Darling,” considering it stars famous singer Harry Styles and actress Florence Pugh. This leaves viewers to wonder if the film is actually good because of the plot, cinematography and character development, or if movie-goers are simply fangirling over the famous pop star’s appearance.

The story follows Alice Chambers, played by Florence Pugh, a lovely young housewife who tends to her house and her husband. The story seemingly takes place in the 1950s; the quaint cars are bright with pastel paint jobs, every green lawn is manicured to perfection and the enchanting little houses circle pristine cul-de-sacs. However, something is immediately off.

It’s almost as though the scenes glitch slightly throughout the story.

Harry Styles plays Jack Chambers, Alice’s husband. Every day he goes off to work, and Alice stays home cleaning the house and cooking a meal for him. Jack works for a company called The Victory Project. Alice often questions the nature of his work throughout the film but is always told the men’s work there is top secret.

Alice maintains a vibrant social life — she is constantly visiting her neighbors, attending dinner parties and laying out by the pool. One day, as she’s riding in the town’s trolley, she watches a plane spiral out of the sky and into the nearby mountains. Panicked, she asks the trolley driver to stop and runs out to see if she can help. However, upon approaching the plane crash, she instead comes across an

odd white structure with mirror windows and no door. As she approaches the building, the world seems to vibrate. Then, everything goes black.

Alice finds herself back in bed and emerges into the kitchen to find Jack cooking her a meal. She tries to explain to him what happened, but he tells her when he got home she was fast asleep. She convinces herself it was all a dream.

Margaret, one of Alice’s close friends, is seen as an outcast because of her “outbursts.” She is convinced the women need to leave the town, which they are strictly forbidden to do. One day, Alice comes across Margaret standing atop her house with a knife in hand. As she slits her throat and falls, Alice attempts to run toward her but is pulled back by men in red jumpsuits. After this, everything descends into chaos.

Spoiler alert: viewers come to find out the entire 1950s Victory Project setup is actually a virtual simulation. In real life, Alice Chambers is a nurse who works long hours while Jack Chambers, her degenerate boyfriend, can’t keep a job and instead spends all of his days on the computer. Jack, unsatisfied with his life and his inability to provide, finds the simulation and decides to join.

Alice has no say in whether or not to enter the simulation; Jack chooses for her. Each day when he “goes to work,” he is actually leaving the simulation to maintain their apartment and both of their physical bodies. When Alice discovers this, she tries to warn the other women, but none believe her. She ends up murdering Jack, seemingly by accident, and attempts to leave the village. As she races out of the town, she’s

chased by the same men in red jumpsuits. It is left up to viewers to decide if she makes it out of the simulation.

The premise of the movie is interesting enough, but the character development isn’t there. It would have been beneficial to the story had we seen more about Jack in the real world. It is left unclear how he came upon The Victory Project and why it was created. Viewers do not get to know if the man behind the simulation is profiting or if he has some other ulterior motive.

It also would have been better if the audience got to see more parallels between Florence’s character in real life and the simulation. In real life, Alice is a driven, motivated nurse with a passion for helping people, but in the simulation, all she does is cook and clean. Viewers don’t see her passion or drive. However, the cinematography, sets and props are done exquisitely and are, quite honestly, the stars of the show.

Consider watching “Don’t Worry Darling” for more of a mindless pastime and not for a philosophical experience.

KIRA BISHOP copy chief

Mind reading, crafty card tricks and potential friendly pickpocketing are all fun experiences you may have with Jack Reid, Manhattan’s up-and-coming magician. The 25-year-old local began doing magic professionally about six years ago, deciding to pursue his passion for magic rather than take a college route. In the beginning, Reid struggled with building his business.

“At the time, there were not many resources on how to get started,” Reid said. “There was a lot of struggling, but it turns out I have ADHD, so that threw a curveball with trying to get serious, sit down and do the business stuff, because it was

really overwhelming.”

Reid said he has been able to take the leap and create more success for himself this year.

“Before this year I was doing maybe two shows a year. In April of this year, that’s when I started getting like two shows per month, and then this month alone I have 12 shows booked,” Reid said.

Reid has really been impacted by his ADHD and has recently been trying to imbue his performances with more emotion.

“I’ve been wanting to express myself more intrinsically and kind of express how I view the world. It is hard to write a show … because when you think magic, you don’t think deep, meaningful, tearin-your-eye kind of thing,” Reid said. “It has been really

hard to balance that out and figure out what I want to say. Most of the [performances] have had a hidden meaning of wanting to have fun and being yourself. Right now, the show that I have been working on has been kind of about my ADHD — not expressing that blatantly but taking more softer approaches.”

Reid can be seen in Aggieville on Friday and Saturday nights when the weather is nice, performing for tips from passersby. Recently he has performed indoors at Auntie Mae’s Parlor and Manhattan Brewing Company.

Jeff Denney, owner of Auntie Mae’s, says that Reid’s performance is very engaging.

“He is a really sharp guy — really bright and funny,” Denney said. “It’s part comedy and part magic. He keeps

the crowd laughing and his allusions are pretty amazing.”

Breezy Scroggs, taproom manager at Manhattan Brewing Company, said after the first time hosting Reid, she knew they had to have him perform again in the future.

“Everyone just loved him. He is super personable and all of his tricks were amazing,” Scroggs said. “Everyone was amazed by the card tricks he did. I really want to have him as a regular gig at the brewery.”

Reid said there is one thing that keeps him driven, even though he has occasional doubts.

“I love magic almost more than anything,” Reid said. “Magic just made the most sense to me and it’s something that I think about

all the time. As soon as I get up on stage all those worries and stressors go away, and I

just try

kick ass as much as I can.”

KIER BISHOP staff writer

Gabby Gregory began the 2022 season with a hot start, helping K-State win 10 out of 11 non-conference games, averaging a career-high 20.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

Gregory spent her first three years at the University of Oklahoma under head coach Sherri Coale before entering the transfer portal.

“I was interested in K-State when I was in high school,” Gregory said. “I ultimately chose Oklahoma, but I was very close with K-State staff. Even coming out of high school they were in my top five. So when I entered the transfer portal, obviously I still had that connection.”

Gregory’s relationships with K-State staff and faculty made her feel at home and helped her move seamlessly from Oklahoma to K-State.

“Coach Mittie drove to Norman to sit down with me and my family, you know, and just do a visit with us,” Gregory said. “So entering the portal and talking to them was super easy, just because I already had that connection.”

Gregory said relationships with the young players helps build chemistry and cohesion within the team. Sophomores Serena Sundell, Jaelyn Glenn and Brylee Glenn have taken a large step in helping bolster the team.

Sundell improved on her numbers from last sea-

son averaging 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.2 steals per game.

“The twins and Serena, they just continue to get better as the season goes on,” Gregory said. “They all had great freshman years and coming into the closing non-conference schedule I think they’re all getting better every game.”

Freshman Eliza Maupin has slowly played more minutes as the season has progressed. She had over 20 minutes of playing time in each of her last two games, scoring 10 points in her last game against UMKC.

“Eliza Maupin has proven that she is an incredible basketball player,” Gregory said. “Her growth just from the first weeks in June

to now. It’s just a huge improvement that she’s made, and obviously her ceiling is very high.”

Gregory’s own drive for basketball began with her father. He’s played a huge role in her basketball career, pushing her to be her best in the face of adversity.

“He’s always the one that has not only motivated me, but he’s always been the one to hold me accountable,” Gregory said.

Moving forward, Gregory and the team look to keep the wins coming as they move closer to conference play.

“I want to finish out non-conference undefeated at home. I think that would be an incredible thing to go into conference play.” Gregory said. “If we could stay undefeated at home throughout the season, that would be huge. The fans at Bramlage are incredible, so that would be something that is definitely attainable.”

K-State fans will have to wait until New Year’s to watch conference play begin, but this exciting start to the season provides a level of confidence in the strong veteran leaders on the team, especially in Gregory.

After the shot rebounds, senior guard Gabby Gregory grabs the ball during the game against Fort Hays State on October 31, 2022 at Bramlage Coliseum. The wildcats won 74-63.

BIG XII CHAMPIONS

Photos by Benjamin Voller | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Photo Spread by Zoe Schumacher | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Fall sports recap : A semester to remember

TOBY HAMMES staff writer

VOLLEYBALL: 15-14

• Sep. 26: Junior Mackenzie Morris recorded her 1,000th career dig, becoming the fastest in school history to reach this milestone.

• Oct. 4: Freshman Shaylee Myers recognized as Big 12 Rookie of the Week.

• Nov. 27: Kansas State announced Suzie Fritz, the Wildcats’ most successful volleyball coach, will not return after 22 years of head coaching.

• Nov. 29: Morris named the final Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week.

• Nov. 29: Senior Sydney Bolding named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and Myers to the All-Big 12 Rookie Team.

FOOTBALL: 10-3

• Sep. 24: Adrian Martinez led Wildcats (3-1) over No. 6 Oklahoma with five total touchdowns, marking the third time in four meetings that K-State defeated Oklahoma.

• Oct. 29: Will Howard tied the K-State single-game record with four touchdown passes in a 48-0 win over No. 9 Oklahoma State — the first time the Wildcats have taken down multiple AP top 10 teams in one season.

• Dec. 2: Wildcats defeated TCU (12-1) in first Big 12 Championship game since 2003.

• Dec. 31: K-State to take on Alabama (10-2) in the Wildcats’ first Sugar Bowl appearance.

• Under first-year offensive coordinator Collin Klein,

the Wildcats totaled over 375 yards in every Big 12 game — a program first.

MEN’S GOLF

• Sep. 13: Wildcats opened fall season with a victory at the Wildcat Invitational.

• Sep. 27: For the first time in program history, all five players in the scoring lineup scored under par en route to the second title at the Old Town Collegiate tournament.

• Oct. 11: K-State won a record-third consecutive championship at the Oregon State Invitational.

• Oct. 17: In Big 12 Match Play, K-State defeated Texas, the reigning national champions, and tied No. 1 Texas Tech.

• K-State will pick up in the spring on pace for the lowest stroke average in team history (279.93).

WOMEN’S GOLF

• Sep. 13: Senior Manon Donche-Gay, senior Haley Vargas and junior Gabriela McNelly all placed in the top 50 in the season opener at the Dick McGuire Invitational.

• Sep. 21: Vargas tied for 29th at Texas A&M’s Mo’Morial — her third time leading the Wildcats in scoring.

• Oct. 11: Vargas continued her rise at the Dale McNamara Invitational, placing third overall (out of 75) with a career-low 54hole score at 1-under-par.

• Oct. 30: Wildcats finished the fall season at San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico. Vargas’ 1-overpar final round marked 100% of her fall rounds counting towards the team score.

SOCCER: 6-10-3

• Sep. 1: Senior Marisa Weichel scored the 100th goal in team history.

• Junior Kyler Goins became the third player in program history to score five or more goals in a season on a career-high 12 points (five goals, two assists).

• Junior goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer set records of career starts in goal (41), career saves (207) and career shutouts (10).

• K-State (6-10-3, 2-5-2 Big 12) tied the school record for wins in a season.

• Wildcats placed eighth in the Big 12, qualifying for the first Big 12 Soccer Championship in the program’s short history.

CROSS COUNTRY

• Sep. 3: Wildcats opened the season with the Bob Timmons

Classic at Rim Rock Farm with the women finishing first and men second.

• Sep. 3: Junior Hannah Stewart placed second with a personal-best time of 18:07.8, the best 5K time ever by a Wildcat at Rim Rock Farm.

• Sep. 17: Both men and women’s teams finished first at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational.

• Oct. 28: K-State finished in the top four at the Big 12 Championship. Women finished 7th.

• Nov. 11: Wildcats concluded the season at the NCAA Midwest Regionals with an 11th place finish for the men and 18th for the women. Senior Stephen Kielhofner earned All-Region honors.

LUKE LAZARCZYK sports editor

This Week In History (2003): The Wildcats play the spoiler against the Sooners

SHAW staff writer

The 2003 edition of the Big 12 Conference championship was supposed to be a one-sided game. With No. 1 ranked Oklahoma entering the game at a perfect 12-0 for the season and favored by two touchdowns over a three-loss Kansas State team, the game was expected to be over quickly.

Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson did not allow that to happen. He had the game of his life against the Sooners and delivered K-State the most program-defining victory in school history.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, K-State saw more success than in the past. From 1993 to 2002, the Wildcats won nine or more games in every single season but one. This also included 11 wins in five of six seasons from 1997 to 2002.

In 2003, more of the same was expected, but nobody thought the Wildcats would be near the top of the Big 12 come the end of the season.

The season was a roller coaster. The Wildcats won 10 games yet again but faced a myriad of challenges throughout the season similar to their Big 12 title in 2022. In September, the team was stunned at home, losing 27-20 to a Mid-American Conference school in Marshall.

They then lost back-toback games to conference opponents in Texas and Oklahoma State to fall to 4-3 on the season and 0-2 in conference play.

Following a three-week lull, the Wildcats rebounded to win their final six games which included a 38-9 victory over the No. 18 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln. It was the program’s first win in Lincoln

since 1968 and guaranteed them the Big 12 North Division title for the third time.

Meanwhile in Norman, things couldn’t have been going any better for the Sooners. Head coach and former Kansas State defensive coordinator Bob Stoops entered Norman in 1999. He led the Sooners to a national championship in just his second season in 2000, defeating the Wildcats in the Big 12 championship along the way.

In 2003, the team was loaded with talent, led by quarterback Jason White, wide receiver Mark Clayton, running back Kejuan Jones, defensive tackle Tommie Harris and linebacker Teddy Lehman. The Sooners entered the 2003 Big 12 Championship undefeated and considered by many as one of the greatest teams in college football history.

The Sooners outscored

their opponents 601-214 in 2003, averaging six touchdowns per game and allowing just 15 points per game. The team’s closest victory came in just the second week of the season when they defeated Alabama, 20-13. They had also defeated ranked conference opponents in Texas and Oklahoma State by multiple scores.

To say the game was a David vs. Goliath matchup was a major understatement, and early on, it looked like K-State had little chance of winning.

On their opening possession, the Sooners drove right down the field and scored first as Jones eluded multiple K-State defenders for a 42 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Oklahoma lead.

Things started to change in the second quarter. After a slow start, Roberson began to get things going.

Roberson started his historic evening by hitting tight end Brian Casey for a 19-yard touchdown to tie the score at seven, then connected with wide receiver James Terry for

a long 63-yard touchdown giving the Wildcats a 14-7 lead.

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.

Senior tight end Thomas Hill holds up the Big 12 Championship trophy after K-State defeated the No. 1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners 35-7, Dec. 6. K-State rebounded from three straight losses early in the season to make an appearance at the championship game.

AJ

Archive photo by Kelly Glasscock | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP