The Sunflower v. 128 i. 28 (April 18, 2024)

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Lipscomb’s AJ McGinnis commits to Wichita State basketball

BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com

On Saturday night, redshirt junior guard AJ McGinnis committed to the Shockers from Lipscomb University through the transfer portal.

The veteran guard has at least one season of eligibility remaining with the possibility of staying for a second year.

McGinnis faced off against the Shockers in November, scoring a team-high 17 points for Lipscomb and five 3-pointers in the loss.

The 6-foot-4 guard started 32 games this past season with the Bisons and averaged 13.2 points per game in 29.9 minutes of play. The sharpshooter made 77 3-pointers on a 39.7% accuracy and shot 83.3% from the free throw line.

At Lipscomb, McGinnis was used primarily as a shooter and not a creator or otherwise strong offensive or defensive difference-maker, averaging 2.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.5 steals.

In his first three years of collegiate basketball, McGinnis averaged 6.1 points per game, but the 2023-2024 campaign was a major step up.

McGinnis began his college journey as a freshman at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, then transferred to Cincinnati where he suffered a season-ending injury before transferring to Lipscomb for the past two seasons.

With Wichita State’s top shooter, Colby Rogers transferring to Memphis, McGinnis will most likely fill Rogers’ spot on the court. Mills currently has three scholarships remaining for the 2024-2025 season.

Basketball’s Colby Rogers commits to Memphis

BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com

After entering the transfer portal last month, redshirt junior Colby Rogers has officially committed to stay in the American Athletic Conference under head coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis.

Rogers announced his commitment to the Tigers after taking an official visit on Sunday. He had received multiple offers from Alabama, Kansas and Michigan, among other schools.

During the 2024 Athletic Conference Tournament, Rogers broke the Wichita State record for most 3-pointers made in a single season and managed to finish off the season with 99 3-pointers. He helped upset Memphis to advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament with 13 points.

During the 2023-24 season, Rogers led Wichita State in scoring, averaging 16.4 points and shooting 40.9% from three. Rogers’ collegiate career began at California Polytechnic University in 2019. He played two seasons there and was its secondleading scorer both seasons. He entered the transfer portal and played for Siena College in New York during the 2021-2022 season. He sat out the 2022-2023 season at Wichita State to satisfy NCAA transfer rules.

Colby Rogers runs down the court past the Memphis defense. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Bassist and vocalist of the band Tall Glass of Root Beer plays on his knees near the end of their act. The group took first place at the Wichita State’s first Shockers Got Talent on April 11. | Photos by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Skylar Isenegger, singer and pianist, performs “Snow Angel” by Reneé Rapp.

Isenegger took second place at the Shockers Got Talent event, winning an $800 prize.

Noah Carter, a singer, performs his routine for the April 11 Shockers Got Talent. Carter won the People’s Choice Award for his performance of “The Best is Yet to Come” by Michael Bublé.

Sena sings for her talent at the April 11 Shockers Got Talent. Sena performed “Jason’s Song (Gave It Away)” by Ariana Grande.

First to perform at SAC’s Shockers Got Talent was rapper STML. STML performed a freestyle rap written for the event.

Kuña Paraguay, a dance group, poses with their props near the end of their routine. The duo took third place in the competition, winning a $500 scholarship prize.

Wichita State dance group, KVersity, performs a routine

during the 2024 Shockers Got Talent. The dance group performed to the song “Talk Saxy” by RIIZE.

Putting the puzzle together: Computer science student creates mobile game

BY JACINDA HALL podcast@thesunflower.com

Zane Wallace is a freshman getting used to the transition from high school to college. He came to college knowing exactly what he wanted to achieve — creating his own mobile game.

Now a computer science major at Wichita State, Wallace has created“Boxmania,” a 2D puzzle game app. Throughout his high school career, Wallace took different computer science classes, including video game programming, during his senior year.

“(I took) a class called advanced programming, which all it really was my teacher's way of letting anyone progress through their computer science knowledge,” Wallace said. “So, towards the end of that class, I wanted to make a game, and I didn't know how or when to start, so I spent the majority of that class just kind of messing around.”

During that class, Wallace was able to figure out how he could make his game work on his computer. After he was able to do that, he tried it out on mobile devices and continued working on the game during his senior year.

Wallace’s friend Izzy Encapera, who worked on the graphics for “Boxmania,” said Wallace was the brain behind the game.

“I kind of just tried to give him advice where I could and when he wanted it,” Encapera said. “I was flattered that he put me in credits, but at the end of the day, it was definitely him who did all the work, but all my little pieces of influence — I really enjoyed giving.” When it came to the graphics, Wallace went to Encapera with a request for it to be simple with a darker color scheme.

“He wanted it to be about the game more than being very

flashy or overwhelming to the eye,” Encapera said. “I learned he wanted really simple when I was trying different thought ideas and he didn't like those stuff, but I got to kind of a bigger better idea of what he'd enjoy eventually.”

Wallace’s friend Ayman Hemed, who was a beta tester for the game, said when he started, there were around 30 game levels.

“Over time, he kept on adding more and more levels,” Hemed said.

Testers would report back the difficulty of each level or if there were any bugs or glitches that were found in the game.

Hemed, who has known Wallace since high school, said he doesn’t see his friend stopping with “Boxmania.”

“Zane is a really good guy,” Hemed said. “There's probably a lot more to come from there.”

Since coming to Wichita State, Wallace has been working on other projects that could benefit others in the future, such as an ice cream indicator app for the dining hall as part of a class project.

“(The idea is that) you have the app on your phone, and when you load it up, it'll say if it's active or not active, and then it's kind of like crowdsourced,” Wallace said.

“If you see that it’s active, you press a button on the app, and then it changes it to active, and then everyone else who opens the app will see that it's active, and then if you see that it's not active, you press inactive, and then everyone else will see that it's inactive.”

For those interested in studying computer science, Wallace has a piece of advice.

“You got to start somewhere,” Wallace said. “And if you don't feel like you can do something, start something small and then work your way up.”

“Boxmania” is available for download on the iOS App Store. Upcoming updates for the game can be found on Instagram @boxmania.game.

Wichita State student team develops technology for astronauts on Mars

BY LOREN AMELUNKE loren.amelunke@outlook.com

A team from Wichita State submitted a design proposal that was selected by NASA to be further developed in the NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) competition.

NASA ultimately plans on colonizing Mars after collecting research from its upcoming Artemis missions to the moon. The goal for the NASA SUITS competition is to design user interfaces, which serve as the point of contact between humans and computers, as well as space suit features to help navigation on Mars and communication with the Local Mission Control Console (LMCC).

The Wichita State team, CosmoShox, is highly collaborative. It features graphic designers, game designers, mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers and other backgrounds.

CosmoShox co-leader Denae Berry described the development team as a “horizontal hierarchy”

where no role is above another; developers may have different areas of expertise, which they can share to create well-informed ideas.

CosmoShox developer Elliott Chambon said the competition used to be about the moon. NASA’s paradigm shift to researching Mars poses many additional challenges for the team to tackle.

“You’re so far away from Earth that there’s no mission control contact or anything, so they’re trying to have a local mission control on the base that would communicate to the astronaut outside,” Chambon said.

Berry said that the brainstorming process was very long.

“We wanted to make sure that we were addressing every single detail because, obviously, this is space, and if something goes wrong, you quite literally do die,” Berry said.

The students need to be able to design an interface that can pick up rocks for samples, keep track of which oxygen tank is being used and effectively communicate with LMCC.

Berry highlighted that using the design thinking model requires one to work backward from the solution.

“Don’t think about the solution,” Berry said. “Just think about the problem — and then from there, you can actually do the proper market research to reinforce if that problem exists and needs to be fulfilled.”

The team uses a design thinking framework: Scrum. The key to their methods is to develop the most basic part of the design so that it is ready to be pushed to the market if needed.

Berry said that although NASA SUITS is a competition, all of the teams share ideas.

“You are challenging yourself to create the best prototype,” Berry said. “You’re not competing against others because as soon as you start competing against another limitation, you’re limiting how good the product can be. Whereas, if you’re collaborating, you’re creating the atmosphere for getting the best product possible.”

TRIO and nationally recognized speaker join forces to maximize student potential

BY LYDIA STEEBY steebylk@gmail.com

Not everyone has access to the resources they need to succeed in college. Whether that’s because of poverty, disability, or lack of knowledge, TRIO Student Support Services, also known as TRIO or SSS, aims to be that resource.

“If you were a member of this program, you would be able to, number one, have access to textbooks. Number two, have access to technology. Number three, have access to scholarships that are exclusively for SSS participants,” Linda Rhone, TRIO’s executive director for the college readiness and retention program, said.

When she first attempted college, Rhone was academically dismissed due to poor grades. It was through application and perseverance that she was able to return to Wichita State and get her degree. Now, Rhone has been in the field of education for 30 years and taught at the K-12 and college levels.

“From the time that I got back in college until the time that I

defended my doctoral dissertation, I ran like something was after me,” Rhone said. “And the only thing I can attribute it to is I just had something rise up inside of me that made me say, ‘You know what? I’m being given a chance.’”

Now Rhone works to help students have that same chance as part of TRIO. As a federally funded program, TRIO’s goal is to help students make the most out of their college experiences and engage outside the classroom.

“The federal government wants … for people to learn alternative paths to use for their degrees. Get some experience. Do some mock interviews. Get yourself a couple of versions of your resume. Get out there and do a short internship if you can. Do some sort of community-based thing. Get a mentor and let that person let you shadow them.

You’ll need some substance, more than just saying, ‘Here you go, I got a degree,’” Rhone said.

Chelsea Martinez, the communications, marketing and academic advising specialist for TRIO, explained that the program

MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

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helps students meet these federal goals by hosting workshops.

“Our workshops are to help increase their academic and life skill development,” Martinez said. “We’ve also done mental health workshops, we do a lot of resume writing, and we focus on financial literacy, specifically, and employability skills,” Martinez said.

BRINGING A NATIONAL SPEAKER

In March, nationally recognized speaker Joshua Fredenburg hosted a workshop organized by TRIO, which was designed to help students identify their interests and make the most out of their college experiences.

“Here’s the challenge: How many of your friends have actually taken the time to sit down and ask themselves, ‘What are my seeds of greatness on the inside? What is it that I possess?’” Fredenburg said.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Fredenburg dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player when he started college at California State University, Long Beach but didn’t make the team. Unable to

play basketball professionally, he relied on two pieces of advice from his grandmother to find a new direction.

“The first one is this: that failure is a preparation for success. But this is the big one: rejection is direction … anytime you are rejected, anytime a door is closed, if you have the right perspective, it can be a setup for something great,” Fredenburg said.

Unexpectedly, Fredenburg found that opportunity in a public speaking class.

“I’m standing in the classroom, and I give my presentation and I’m speaking, and I’m like ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh. I’m so amazing.’ And I get an A in the class,” he said. “But the A wasn’t what was most powerful. What was most powerful is I unlocked a gift that I always had, that I never knew about.”

Fredenburg knew he not only had a gift for speaking but a passion for it, too. He explained that the next thing he did was get actively involved in his campus community and took every opportunity to speak. He said that if he hadn’t failed to join the

basketball team, he would never have discovered public speaking.

“The question is, are you taking advantage of the opportunities that are available to you as a college student while you were in school?” Fredenburg said. “Just because you have a degree does not guarantee you a great career. I know it’s not popular, but it’s true. You can have the paper, but not have a job,” Fredenburg said.

He said that giving every speech “110%,” no matter how many people watch him, has helped him develop his skills.

“That’s the pinnacle of vision, when your gift meets your passion, and your passion meets what you would do for free, and what you do for free meets what you would do to help others,” Fredenburg said. Both Fredenburg and TRIO representatives emphasized the importance of using the resources college provides to prepare outside of the classroom for future careers.

Information about upcoming TRIO events can be found on their Facebook and Instagram.

Denae Berry, a design innovation graduate student at Wichita State University, draws an innovation empathy map in a posed photo. “Don’t think about the solution,” Berry said. “Just think about the problem — and then from there you can actually do the proper market research to reinforce if that problem exists and needs to be fulfilled.” | Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower

WALLACE

Softball comes up short against OSU

BY JACOB UNRUH assistantsports@thesunflower.com

For the second time this season, Wichita State’s softball team pushed No. 6 ranked Oklahoma State University to the brink of an upset, and for the second time this season, the Shockers came up short on Wednesday night, losing to the Cowgirls in Wilkins Stadium, 6-5.

Wichita State dropped its overall record to 19-18, while Oklahoma State improved to 36-8.

Oklahoma State pushed a run across in the top of the first, putting two runners on base through bunts. Sophomore second baseman Sami Hood saved the Shockers from allowing more damage, making a diving grab on a ground ball that led to a double play for the first two outs of the inning.

Wichita State responded in

the bottom of the second when a two-out ground ball from senior Jessica Garcia went through the legs of Cowgirls sophomore Tallen Edwards at third base and allowed Hood to tie the game.

In the third inning, the Shockers took the lead on a tworun bomb from sophomore Taylor Sedlacek into left field. The team’s momentum carried into the fourth when Wichita State managed two more runs to take a 5-1 lead.

Oklahoma State flipped the game in the fifth. Three hits and a wild pitch scored a run and knocked senior starting pitcher Lauren Howell out of the game, but the Cowgirls weren’t done scoring when junior Alison Cooper stepped into the pitching circle.

Oklahoma State scored four more runs in the inning to retake the lead, 6-5. Wichita State had a golden opportunity to respond in the sixth with two runners on base and the top of the order at the

plate. Graduate student CC Wong grounded out, and senior Addison Barnard foul tipped into the catcher’s mitt to end the threat as groans could be heard from the crowd.

Cooper held the Cowgirls scoreless in the seventh, preserving the one-run deficit into the final inning. Wichita State couldn’t capitalize, going hitless in the seventh to end the game.

Of the six runs scored by Oklahoma State, only three were earned. Cooper picked up the loss to drop her record to 5-6 on the season.

The Shockers left six runners on base compared to Oklahoma State’s one. Wichita State head coach Kristi Bredbenner said she thought the team was swinging for the fences instead of looking to put the ball in play.

“If the defense has to work, you have a chance of them making an error or the ball getting through,” Bredbenner said. “If you’re striking

out trying to hit a home run, nobody’s going to touch it. So those are moments that we have got to learn from and continue to keep growing.”

Junior Krystin Nelson was the only Shocker to pick up multiple hits, going two-for-three. Wichita State’s only extra-base hit was Sedlacek’s third-inning homer.

Sedlacek said that even though the team couldn’t come through with a win against Oklahoma State, she thought they built momentum.

“Every time we play OSU, we know it’s going to be kind of a close battle,” Sedlacek said. “And this year, we just couldn’t come out on top, but I felt like we played really well.”

Wichita State will attempt to avoid a fourth consecutive conference series loss over the weekend when it takes on the University of Alabama at Birmingham at home. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday.

Disastrous second inning results in home loss for baseball

BY OWEN PROTHRO

At home against Oral Roberts University (ORU) on Wednesday, Wichita State baseball gave up six runs in the second inning en route to an 8-3 loss. The Shockers’ overall record dropped to 21-17 this season and 15-8 at home after the loss. ORU improved its record to 13-21-1. Wichita State head coach Brian Green said the players who came in and competed on the mound were positive to look at after the loss.

“The guys who came in during the middle innings were able to at least keep (us in) the game,” Green said. “If offensively we could have done something, that would have

got us back into it.”

Wichita State was 4-for-31 at the plate as a team, scoring its only runs off of sacrifice ground outs in the second and sixth innings and a wild pitch in the third.

“I thought that we performed better than the numbers,” Green said. “But anytime you get four hits, you’re probably not going to win.”

Sophomore Caleb Anderson got the start on the mound for the Shockers and earned his second loss of the season. Anderson went 1 1/3 innings and gave up the costly six runs with one out in the second.

“We felt the matchup was good,” Green said. “We intended for him to go three or four innings, and he was nibbling. He didn’t have his stuff, and he wasn’t really getting

after it.” Green said that going down by six in the second inning changed the shape of the game.

“It was confident in the dugout,” Green said. “And we got back with one and then two and then it was four. At that point, we were confident and prepared … I just think we couldn’t get anything going at the plate.”

Freshman Drew Iverson stepped in relief for Anderson and got the Shockers out of the jam in the second inning with two critical strikeouts to end the inning.

“I knew that I’d have to dig deep, get after it and compete,” Iverson said. “I knew if I did that, I would succeed or do the best of my abilities and get out of it.”

Women’s tennis digs deep for win on senior day

Wichita State’s No. 68-ranked women’s tennis team won its senior day match against Louisiana Tech University on Saturday, 4-2. The Shockers wrapped up the regular season with a 12-9 record after the win. Louisiana Tech dropped to 14-8 overall.

Graduate student Jessica Anzo and redshirt senior Natsumi Kurahashi were honored during the match.

“Whether it’s injuries or school or life or whatever, these two come every day ready to work and communicate well,” Wichita State head coach Colin Foster said. “They have good attitudes, and they really represent and have always represented our team and themselves in this university really well.”

Wichita State earned the early doubles point as it came down to the final match.

On court two, the duo of freshman Xin Tong Wang and Kurahashi breezed by with a 6-0 win. Sophomore Theodora Chantava and freshman Giorgia Roselli lost on court three, 6-4.

Sophomore Kristina Kudryavtseva and Anzo’s match on the second court went back and forth, and the pair of Shockers won the doubles point for Wichita State in 11 extra points, 7(7)-6(4).

“It was both me and Kristina working together as a team,” Anzo said. “Coach (Foster) says, ‘You can control what you can control, just focus on one point at a time.’”

Anzo said winning her final doubles match at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex brought her joy and excitement.

“I was a little bit relieved but mostly excited,” Anzo said. “I’m glad me and Kristina were able to pull it out today.”

Tightly contested matches continued throughout singles play, and the Shockers managed to walk away with the overall win.

On court four, junior Anne Knuettel lost in two sets by 6-1 in each, bringing the overall score to a 1-1 tie.

After losing the first set on court three, Chantava bounced back and won the next two sets by scores of 6-0 and 6-1.

Kurahashi won her final singles match at home on court two, flying past her opponent in two sets, 6-4 and 6-3.

“I tried to keep her moving and use the wind today,” Kurahashi said. “I also tried to play more aggressively … because most of the time, she (the other player) will be aggressive to me.”

Wang lost on court one after winning the first set, 6-4. In sets two and three, Wang lost by scores of 6-4 to bring the Bulldogs within one point, 3-2.

Iverson pitched three full innings, the most for him this season, made three strikeouts, and gave up two hits. Iverson said his fastball was working best for him on the mound.

“Lots of away, coming inside on the hitter too sometimes to set up the off-speed,” Iverson said. Going into its series on the road against No. 9 East Carolina University, Green said the team will need a short memory.

“Get rid of this one, and get back into our process and keys at the plate,” Green said.

Wichita State baseball’s series at East Carolina University will be from Friday, April 19, to Sunday, April 21. The first pitch is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m.

Kudryavtseva brought home the win for Wichita State on court five in another back-and-forth match. Kudryavtseva won 7-5 in set one, lost 6-2 in set two, then bounced back in set three, winning 6-4. Anzo’s match on court six was left unfinished. Rob Foster, father of Colin Foster, said it was important to come out and show support on this special occasion.

“You feel like it’s part of the family here,” Rob said. “It’s nice to see Natsu(mi) and Jess(ica) finish their careers here, and we wanted to support that, so we came out for the big weekend.”

The Shockers’ women’s tennis team will shift their focus to the American Athletic Conference Championship in Dallas, Texas, from Wednesday, April 17, to Sunday, April 21.

Freshman Jeremiah Arnett throws the ball to get a strikeout on April 17 against ORU. Arnett had one strikeout and no errors. | Photo by Brian Chavez | The Sunflower

Natsumi Kurahashi played her last home game at Wichita State as a redshirt senior on April 13. | Photo by Garima Thapa | The Sunflower

‘Quiet

on Set’ opens the door to hard conversations

Piper Pinnetti

piperpinnetti12@gmail.com REVIEW

The lights blind the kids on set. The creator is yelling at them, striking fear into them, as a female employee is forced to massage him. The whole set is uncomfortable and awkward.

In the realm of investigative documentaries, navigating the delicate terrain of troublesome or traumatic events requires finesse.

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” courageously dives into the untold story of toxic and abusive environments lurking within the kids’ television of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The episodes are available to watch by subscription on Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

Each episode of the docuseries reveals distressing accounts from former child stars and crew members, shedding light on the imbalance of power in the industry. I could not help but be moved by the gut-wrenching narratives, all having the potential to spur real change.

From the testimonies of individuals like Drake Bell, whose candid revelations shock viewers, to the conspicuous absences of voices like Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande.

The two interviews would have been amazing for the storytelling of their experiences, but I am not surprised that McCurdy has not come forward in this documentary. She has previously discussed her experiences as a child actor in her book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” and on her podcast, “Hard Feelings.” She painted a vivid

picture of the industry’s darker corners, and the storytelling unfolds with raw authenticity. It seems she spoke out on her own terms and is ready to move on.

The absence of Grande leaves lingering questions. The documentary’s depiction of unsettling scenes involving young actors adds to the disquieting realization of what was once deemed acceptable for children’s television. I love her as an artist, but I am recognizing the impact she could have as a pop star speaking out on the behind the scenes to better the industry.

Central to the narrative are the “in plain sight” moments, where clips from Nickelodeon shows under Dan Schneider’s reign are juxtaposed against the discomfort and coercion experienced by underage performers.

The series illuminates instances where body image, skin color and inappropriate references pervaded

Vampire Weekend releases the perfect album for reflecting while moving straight forward

Maleah Evans

maleah.evans04@gmail.com REVIEW

Vampire Weekend’s fifth studio album has a melancholic feel to it, with tones of jazz and electronic beats that work entirely too well together. The deeper meaning of the album delves into the idea of finding new within the old.

“Only God Was Above Us” is full of references to past songs and albums by the band and long time listeners will be able to hear these call-backs, like in “Connect” which ties to previous “Mansard Roof.”

The album tells the story of New York from an observable emotional distance. Listeners can visualize the city as a giant that is falling apart, haunted by the ghosts of people who have since passed on.

Despite it being a story of New York, I was able to connect some parts of it to myself and my own experiences. The album works to embrace the past in its entirety, but also emphasizes that you will never be able to fully wrap around it.

The album comes in at 47 minutes, with 10 songs. I have two favorites, “Hope” and “PrepSchool Gangsters.”

“Hope” is the album’s closer, and it is the longest song on the album. Its lyrics completely contrast the name of the song, giving it a wrathful energy.

“The embassy’s abandoned now / The flag that flew is on the ground / The painting burned, the statue drowned / I hope you let it go.”

Despite the sinister lyrics, the singer’s voice is soft and melodic, giving the song a soft and simmering vibe, much like a campfire. It can seem warm and inviting from afar, but getting closer can cause burns.

“Prep-School Gangsters” alludes to the rampant favoritism that often surrounds prep and Ivy

League schools. These schools statistically often favor a certain type of person: White AngloSaxon Protestants (WASPs) who come from money. The schools shun the kinds of people who fit the bill of the narrator: outsiders.

The narrator claims that everyone has more similarities than believed and alludes to how arbitrary these labels are.

“Call it business, call it war / Cutting class through revolvin’ doors / Yours was better, mine was worse / ‘Til it took on the fifth-gen curse / Call me jealous, call me mad / Now I got the thing you had / Somewhere in your family tree / There was someone just like me.”

Another song from the album that I didn’t like at first, but grew on me was “Gen-X Cops.”

This song tells the story from the perspective of the singer, a millennial, and discusses the woes and troubles that the previous generation left behind; however, I think this could apply to any generation. Especially because the singer never fully identifies what generation he is singing about, it is something for listeners to infer and make relatable to themselves.

“It wasn’t built for me / It’s your academy / But in my time, you taught me how to see / Each generation makes its own apology.”

If you are a fan of heavy hitting lyrics, coupled with soft vocals and melodies and are searching for something new with a nostalgic feel, “Only God Was Above Us” is the perfect album for you.

the production environment, prompting reflection on the industry’s past transgressions with heartfelt interviews.

“Quiet on Set” presents a compelling case against Schneider, revealing a pattern of allegations ranging from humiliating female employees to fostering inappropriate relationships and with child actors.

Amanda Bynes is another missed interview from the series. Bynes was inarguably the closest to Schneider, even meeting with him outside the set. One scene featured a fully-dressed Schneider sitting in a hot tub with Bynes. It was weird.

His crew included two nowconvicted sex offenders, Jason Handy and Brian Peck. Handy, a production assistant, was sentenced to only six years in prison after pleading no contest to performing lewd acts on a minor, a child, distributing sexually explicit material and child exploitation.

The mother of one of his victims made an appearance on the show, sharing her and her daughter’s experience.

Peck additionally pleaded no contest to two charges related to sexual abuse against an anonymous child, now revealed as Drake Bell, known best from the sitcom show “Drake and Josh,” and was only sentenced to 16 months in prison.

With witnesses, detailed testimonies, a heaping amount of evidence, and even confessions, these criminals are able to walk on the street again. Peck, a literal abuser and pedophile, was free in less than two years and even found his way back into the television industry.

For those who grew up watching Nickelodeon’s programming, “Quiet on Set” evokes a mix of nostalgia, intrigue and profound discomfort. The story of Bell in the third episode,

“The Darkest Secret,” and his experiences during and after child acting had me teared up. The only reason I was able to avoid crying in my bed was because I had to split watching the episode in two sessions.

Take the trigger warnings in the beginning of episodes seriously, and pause or take a break when wanted during this documentary, especially if you have any experiences with child sexual abuse.

These revelations underscore the urgent need for accountability and reform in the entertainment industry. Yet, amidst the unsettling revelations, there is a glimmer of hope that this documentary can pave the way for justice and healing for those who endured trauma behind the scenes.

Nickelodeon parted ways with Schneider in 2018. The TV channel paired with Schneider in a joint statement to Deadline Hollywood, “Following many conversations together about next directions and future opportunities, Nickelodeon and our long-time creative partner Dan Schneider/Schneider’s Bakery have agreed to not extend the current deal.”

Following Schneider’s parting, the channel paid him millions of dollars. They sent him on his merry way after all of his chaos — a giant PR stunt wrapped in a nice orange bow and sent away in an explosion of Nickelodeon’s classic green slime.

“Quiet on Set” serves as a poignant reminder of the need to confront the darker chapters of our favorite shows growing up. It challenges us to argue with the systematic issues that perpetuated harm with the child TV industry and continue to affect us today.

Sheryl Crow’s ‘Evolution’ doesn’t live up to its titular promise, not that it needs to

Tyler Guthrie tylereguthrie2022@gmail.com REVIEW

Legendary country and rock artist Sheryl Crow has returned with her 12th studio album, “Evolution.” With it, she displays yet another album of country rock ballads; however, there aren’t too many songs here that are too memorable in her overall discography.

The album starts with one of its best songs, although its subject matter is a bit offbeat; the song is called “Alarm Clock.” It is a very relatable song to everyone who hates living their life. The lyrics talk about living a life of luxury, but this life only exists in dreams.

Crow is brought back to reality when her alarm clock wakes her up. This is a song that is even kind of humorous in its setup and even sappy-sounding chorus: “That is why I hate my alarm clock.” My issue with this song is that it is written by a millionaire celebrity with a successful career that spans almost three decades. This song may have been relatable to Crow at one point in her life, many years before her fame and success, but it is not relevant to her image now. Because of this, the song feels like it is pandering to her audience instead of being for them. In spite of that, it is an incredible song and a perfect start to the album.

A song that feels more relatable to Crow’s life (also to any of her audience’s life) is the track “Love Life.” It is a ballad-like song that talks about Crow reminiscing on her childhood friend, who had kids at a bad financial time in her life and she has had to go from job to job.

Upon meeting with this old friend after all these years, Crow asks her how she has been able to live life as best as she can. Her friend tells her that the current moment won’t be forever, and so she looks forward to the future for its changes. It is a beautiful message for the album with such a natural flow. One downfall is that the ending to the song goes on for a bit too long with repetition of “na

na.” But the flow of the “na na”s is groovy and the transition into it is immaculate.

The title track, “Evolution,” is the best song on the album and it is the most unique song concept the album offers. It begins with Crow hearing a song on the radio that sounds like something that she wrote; however, she could tell there is no soul and passion put into the project. She then worries about how her children will grow up in an unknown future.

The main drive behind the song is how will the human race evolve as technology continues to wrap itself around us, whether it’s AI-generated music or what technology holds in store. Crow believes the solution to this problem will lie somewhere in the heart, saying that a certain kind of love will lead to an escape. I appreciate her bold take on this subject matter, since it is a topic which needs to be discussed, especially by long-time players in the music industry.

As for the song itself, the verses build into the astounding choruses. Finally, it is the most unique and incredible sounding part of this album: a guitar solo played by Tom Morello, who has used genius guitar tactics to make his fretboard sound like an electric synthesizer.

It is something one wouldn’t expect to hear from Crow, especially on a Sheryl Crow song discussing the discomforts of the direction our modern society is heading. The guitar solo had a

whiny, mechanical aura to it, as if stating that technology has already overtaken our lives.

The final song, “Waiting in the Wings,” is a simple country rock ballad that closes the album very nicely. My greatest takeaway from it is its subject matter and how it’s written. The song has an uplifting message about being the one voice to stand behind a struggling person. This person has the world against them and it continues to bring them down. Crow says that her support is “ten-thousand voices,” the round of applause in the silence, and that she will be waiting in the wings while her friend is onstage. What makes this song work so well is the solid writing. It paints a beautiful picture with precise metaphors as to how much she supports and cares for this friend.

This album is a nice listen and is another set of Sheryl Crow songs to vibe to. However, besides “Evolution,” “Alarm Clock” and “Love Life,” there aren’t too many stand out tracks. For instance, “Do It Again,” doesn’t switch up at the chorus, but just gets a little louder. “Broken Record” is a bit too cliche with its writing about feeling dogged, or “like a broken record,” as the song goes. “Don’t Walk Away” is a piano ballad that feels too simplistic and dull-sounding in its execution.

Overall, this album proves that Crow, being in the later stages of her life, has still got it, but with few modern changes to her sound and style.

Photo courtesy of Maxine Productions

Photo courtesy of Old Green Barn Productions

Photo courtesy of Columbia Records

ARTS & CULTURE

Record-breaking artist to paint mural at Wichita State

BY MIA HENNEN editor@thesunflower.com

After breaking a Guinness World Record for her work on the Beachner Grain elevator mural in north Wichita, Nathalia Gallego is back, this time to create a mural at Wichita State University.

Gallego, known as GLeo, is a Columbian street artist and muralist whose work has been displayed all over the world. Her soon-to-be mural at Wichita State will be on the Duerksen Fine Arts Center amphitheater and is part of the university’s efforts to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

In a part-English, part-Spanish and part-Spanglish discussion hosted by the Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita artist Armando Minjarez and GLeo discussed their collaborative process in the past and how it will extend to the planned mural.

“When we work collaboratively, there’s a lot of emotion and feeling that goes into it,” Minjarez said. “You’re building a relationship with somebody or with a team or with your crew, and your vibes have to vibe, right?”

‘RIPPLES OF COLLABORATION’

The artists’ relationship began when Minjarez reached out to GLeo via Instagram to work on the Beachner Grain elevator mural over five years ago as part of Horizontes, a community project that aimed to “connect two underrepresented neighborhoods in north Wichita.”

“We’ve been saying that this (new mural) is done in the spirit

When we work collaboratively, there’s a lot of emotion and feeling that goes into it. “

of Horizontes,” Minjarez said. “What that means for us is that Horizontes … was about solidarity but also an understanding that those (Latine and other underrepresented) communities have been here in Wichita for a very long time.”

Minjarez said there are narratives that imply “that we just arrive, and then ‘Oh God. How do we deal with, you know, these Brown people that don’t speak English?’”

Minjarez extended this idea to Wichita State, saying he wants to see tangible support for Latine and Hispanic students, especially as the university attempts to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

“The university is wanting to recruit; a mural is not going to do it,” Minjarez said. “Hopefully it’ll start a conversation, but ultimately, the university needs to put more money into hiring more staff and faculty that can support those students.”

The WSU mural project began to take life with the work of Kristin Beal, a curator at the Ulrich, and Minjarez, who used to work in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Throughout the discussion, Minjarez and GLeo continued to return to “ripples of collaboration,” an idea they saw emerge throughout their time on the grain elevator

mural, as well as other Horizontes projects.

“There’s layers, right, whenever you’re working, when you engage people in a meaningful way,” Minjarez said.

GLeo said this idea became evident when trying to communicate as someone not fluent in English. She said throughout her work in Wichita, Minjarez and other community members took “care” to support her passion and work.

“When I’m in a collaboration, I really try to make sure that everything is working out for anyone involved,” Minjarez said, translating for GLeo. “It can also be difficult because as you’re making sure that you’re taking care of everyone else, you stop taking care

of yourself … or you feel like you’re being egotistical by taking care of yourself.”

WORKING WITH COMMUNITY

Initially, GLeo created potential designs for the mural, but upon meeting with students in the Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO), she scrapped her ideas and began anew.

Kariana Massingill, membership and retention coordinator for HALO, said much of the research and knowledge done by HALO for Belonging Plaza, a mobile monument, will be used in the GLeo’s creation of the mural. Recently, Belonging Plaza honored several Latine Shockers, an effort put

together by the students in HALO.

“It was very fun, just like finding out more about people’s lives and how long Latino and Hispanic representation has been on campus and … how much it has grown,” Massingill said. “It’s very nice to see just how far we’ve gone and how much we can continue to grow from there.”

Massingill said it was exciting for students to meet GLeo and have a hand in the mural.

“From what (GLeo) told us, she’s just very excited and just happy to see students wanting to be involved and help as much as possible within this project,” Massingill said. “She’s very thankful.”

Midwest band Ferris Wheel Regulars are Wichita regulars, too

BY AINSLEY SMYTH

ainsley.smyth3@gmail.com

Brothers Paul and Jack DiGiovanni and their friend Luke

Goter grew up in Wichita and, by high school, they were deeply immersed in the local rock scene, looking up to bands like Kill Vargas and The Cavves.

Now Goter and Paul are students at Wichita State, and all three have been playing together as a band for almost two years.

The identical DiGiovanni brothers (two out of a set of triplets) were the first to jump into making music, forming their band Ferris Wheel Regulars in their basement. Goter would eventually join the brothers and drummer Matt Bianco for their 2023 album, “Distance Holds the Past.” Goter described their music as space rock or Midwest emo. For Paul, the space rock label isn’t just a broad designation of long, winding, “spacey” rock, but is also an apt description of the songs he

co-writes with his brother.

“We write in a lot of analogies of space and science,” Paul said.

“It’s nerdy; it’s goofy, but we try to do it in a way that’s tasteful.”

Goter said their previous friendship has made collaborating

easier for the band. Besides music, the group shares a love of baseball, even playing a show in uniforms last year.

“We don’t get sick of each other,” Goter said. “I mean, when we’ve been on the road together

for a while, sometimes things can get a little dicey, but we just have a really good bond.”

It’s safe to say that Goter, whose parents are a clarinet teacher at WSU and a middle school band director, has been surrounded by music his whole life. Following in his parent’s footsteps as a music education major, Goter has played bass and trombone in multiple ensembles at WSU.

From jazz to funk to Ferris Wheel Regulars’ “nerdy” rock, Goter is familiar with many styles of music.

“When I graduate and become an actual music teacher, I’ll be able to confidently teach in these different styles,” he said.

Paul is also turning his love of music into a career. This May, he’s graduating with a degree in audio production, and he’s already put his education to use, taking charge of production on “Distance Holds the Past,” and working with other local acts.

“Being on both sides of that was really interesting because it’s like, ‘I have these songs; how do I get it to where I want it to be?” he said. “I learned a lot.”

This album was different from their earlier projects in more ways than one.

“We got into a lot more heavy music, especially during COVID time and in the years leading up to recording the ‘Distance Holds the Past’ record,” Paul said. “We wanted to make music that was very dynamic and (in) one part of the song, super hard-hitting, screamy, and then it just cuts to a beautiful interlude or something.”

Ferris Wheel Regulars does not plan to stop anytime soon. Paul and Goter said they want to keep playing local shows and touring when they can.

“At the end of the day, if it’s a show with one person listening, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that song was awesome,’ that’s a goal completed for me,” Paul said.

ARMANDO MINJAREZ Wichita artist

Wichita artist Armando Minjarez and Nathalia Gallego, or GLeo, discuss collaborating on art projects together. GLeo is well-known for her work as a street artist; in 2018, she designed the mural on the Beachner Grain elevator in north Wichita, which set a Guinness World Record. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Jack DiGiovanni, Luke Goter and Paul DiGiovanni of Ferris Wheel Regulars perform. | Photo courtesy of Ferris Wheel Regulars

IN THE STREETS

The

by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower

Attendees of Open Streets ICT bike down the 17th Street. Almost two miles from Oliver to Volutsia, the south neighborhood of WSU was blocked off for the event on April 14.