Staff
Shea Sylvia | Editor-in-Chief
Shea took the less conventional road to Wichita by way of Los Angeles, where she discovered blogging as a way to capture her often surreal adventures (and misadventures) in the City of Angels. From Hollywood parties to the Sundance Film Festival to an office window overlooking Rodeo Drive, there was no shortage of blogworthy material.
By the time she settled into Wichita in 2004, Shea was blogging professionally for b5media, one of the largest blog networks on the web, where she spent four years as an entertainment writer. Her biggest coup? The very first exclusive interview with reality TV villains Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, which generated enough traffic (and vitriol from commenters) to crash six b5media servers. After a stint as a dating columnist for Wichita’s own Naked City Magazine, Shea decided to venture out on her own, developing the concept for verb [ICT] – a hybrid blog/magazine with a decidedly Wichita slant.
Shea spends her free time cooking, reading anything she can get her hands on, checking out garage sales in search of discarded treasures, and goofing around the ICT with her boyfriend and their two pugs.
Steph Barnard | Managing Editor
email | twitter | blog | portfolio
Steph somehow let her boyfriend con her into moving to Kansas from Wisconsin so he could go to graduate school at Wichita State University. She’s done her best to make the most of it and, as such, is thrilled to be a part of verb [ICT].
Steph has a BA in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She’s a substitute teacher for several area school districts and spends her free time knitting, spoiling her cat and thrift shopping. Steph is a copy editor at heart but also loves to write about fashion, politics, restaurants and whatever else she happens to be interested in this week.
Ashley Perkins | Editor-at-Large
Ashley is a life-long Wichita resident, now in her second year teaching high school journalism and advising the newspaper and yearbook staff at her alma mater.
Her love for writing began in high school and she has since written for several publications, most recently Naked City Magazine. Ashley is very excited to be an editor and contributor for verb [ICT].
Ashley is currently getting her Master of Arts in Education from WSU. In her (limited) free time, she enjoys watching any TV show Bravo can come up with and sipping dirty martinis at Mort’s in Old Town. Cheers!
Veronica Hill | Editor-at-Large
As a student, sorority girl, and aspiring actress, Veronica finds herself living one day at a time. A Kansas girl through and through, she spent the first 15 years of her young life in Western Kansas, then moved east, where she graduated from high school in Salina. She now attends Wichita State University and is loving every minute she spends exploring the ICT.
When she isn’t working at one of her two jobs, going to school or entertaining, you’ll find Veronica somewhere chillin’ out max and relaxin’ all cool.
Useless tidbits about Veronica: Can’t use lead pencils. Doesn’t eat peanut butter. Has an awkward, slightly creepy fascination with boys with crew cuts
Bailey Ketterman | Staff Writer & Copy Editor
Bailey is a small-town girl, whom, after a brief stint in the big city of Wichita, has gone back to her roots in the boondocks.
A wife, mother, and step-mother at the ripe old age of 26, she further devotes herself to thankless activities by teaching high school English to the fine youth of rural Cowley County. In doing so, she has found her first (seemingly useless) degree in Psychology more than helpful, as it really isn’t what you know, it’s how you use mind control to coerce kids into learning. It also helps that she has the sense of humor of a 12-year-old boy.
Likes: Sushi, martinis, puns, caffeine, indie movies, and adolescent humor and literature.
Dislikes: Intolerance, bad grammar, skinny jeans.
Tyler Stalder | Technology & Business Manager
Tyler spends his days as a web developer, specializing in internal application development and design. This role includes making data pretty (information architecture), easy (usability), and mappy (neo-cartography). He begrudgingly spends his evenings answering Shea’s pesky technology and business questions.
Hailing from Chapman, Kansas, Tyler attended Fort Hays State University where he received his Bachelors of Science in Information, Networking, and Telecommunications before moving to Wichita in the summer of 2008.
Tyler enjoys perusing Old Town during Final Friday, chowing down on River City Brewery’s white pizza, rock climbing, and taking random, spontaneous trips. You’re likely to find him (along with his MacBook Pro and moleskine notebook) at Caffe Posto on Sunday afternoons.
Andrea Anglin | Staff Writer
Andrea Anglin is a life-long Wichitian who briefly left for Colorado only to come home again, more thankful than ever to live in the ICT. Yes, a willing defector from Colorado. While many can’t believe it, Andrea believes there is truly “no place like home”.
A graduate of Wichita State University, Andrea spent her career in the nonprofit sector, doing public relations for those who love to do good. After more than a dozen years in the rat race, Andrea took a cut in pay to stay home to be more available for her family including her two stunningly gorgeous, intelligent children. With a new low-key lifestyle Andrea enjoys taking on an occasional PR job and doing whatever she wants which includes blogging, writing, cooking and reading. The verb best describing Andrea is most definitely, create.
Aimee Brock | Staff Writer
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Aimee. She lived a comfortable life in the majestic kingdom of Wichita. But she was not like other girls. They wanted to be princesses. Aimee wanted to be a dinosaur. When she told others about her dream, they were less-than supportive.
“Silly Aimee! You cannot be a dinosaur. You are a little girl. And a very weird one, at that! Now put on your pointy princess hat and puffy-sleeved dress and go have a tea party with the others.”
So for a very long time, she did just that – played nicely with the other girls. But as soon as they turned their backs, she would pull her arms in her sleeves, kick the dirt and quietly roar to herself.
The End.
Jana Curl | Staff Writer
Jana grew up in Maize, Kansas and aside from a 5 and 1/2 year stint in Kansas City, has lived in Wichita her entire adult life. She graduated from Wichita State University and is proud to be a Shocker.
Jana worked in advertising for 8 years and then made the leap to the corporate side to work in Bank Marketing.
If there is a reality TV show on, there is a pretty good chance Jana is watching it. She is a huge sports fan and thinks that March Madness is better than Christmas.
She calls the southwest side of Wichita home where she lives with her husband and their pets, Sassy the Magic 8 Ball, Sonny the cat and Shelby the dog.
Jenn Garvin | Staff Writer
Jenn recently graduated from Kansas State University after studying Animal Sciences, Pre-Veterinary Medicine, and International Agriculture. Originally intending to be a veterinarian, she decided to be a defender of justice instead.
After (randomly) discovering she could sing opera during her sophomore year in college, Jenn was invited to perform in an international choir, which led to travels around Europe, a CD, and a film. Her junior year was spent taking cross country road trips and experimenting with writing literature, most of it unfinished. Her senior year was put off (much to the dismay of her already confused and frustrated collegiate adviser) to accept a teaching job in Ghana, West Africa. After teaching at the Liberian refugee camp, she decided to start an after-school program for young refugee girls that involved finger painting, singing Beatles classics in Twi-nglish, and waltzing. Her last year of school would have been terribly boring after all of that, if she hadn’t backpacked through Baja and met the dreamy hunk that is her boyfriend.
Random Skills: Speaks some Ewe, Twi, French, Spanish, Italian and Hebrew. Knows how to diagnose and tune her car. Dances ballet. Plays piano. Roasts a perfect chicken. Pulls the most awesome pranks. Can probably identify at least ten deadly food safety hazards in any kitchen.
Random Unskills: Can’t jump straight up. Has trouble with a 23 year old cowlick. Probably won’t laugh when it’s appropriate. Always, without fail, spills something on her new favorite white t-shirt.
Other Randomness: Was bitten by a mountain lion, grew up on an idyllic farm in Tennessee, has been diagnosed with two different kinds of Malaria, loves to sail, write, compose, eat, and go to opening nights at the movies. Has, in the past two years, lost most of her stuff to a house fire, a flood, two robberies, and a tornado. She calls that “streamlining”.
Her Message to the World: $5,000 dollars can either pay for breast implants, or run an African elementary school for a decade. Priorities, people.
Denise Grays | Staff Writer & Photographer
Denise is a born and bred Wichitan. While she received her degree in Psychology at Wichita State University, she has also indulged in her photography hobby since she received her first 35mm camera from her Dad at the age of 12. She combines her love of photography and her love of music by taking her little point and shoot to shows around the ICT. Improving her photography and supporting live local music? What’s better than that?
When she’s not firing flashbulbs in your face, Denise works in the mental health field. She has worked in some arena of social service since graduating from WSU and has always felt she had a calling to help others.
Carly Holmes | Staff Writer
Carly is a lifelong Kansan and Wichita State University graduate. She loved studying human interaction as a sociology major and now puts her degree to use by regularly people-watching (and, more importantly, advocating for people with developmental disabilities).
When she isn’t writing about her dating experiences or rating local watering holes for verb [ICT] readers, Carly can be found eating Lucky Charms in her mom’s basement, wearing her fluffy red robe and making up dance routines to Miley Cyrus songs. You’re likely to spot Carly around town sampling the many dining opportunities (she is currently on a quest to find the best salsa/chip combo in ICT), singing (bad karaoke to Pat Benatar, mostly), drinking (local wheat beers are her favorites), and volunteering for causes close to her heart.
Tim Kaul | Staff Writer
Tim decided to tackle the same 10 questions we ask everyone else… and answer them about himself.
Name, Age, Occupation: Timothy Kaul, 32, Help Desk Geek and aspiring writer for the bestest ICT online lifestyle magazine in the whole wide world.
What’s currently stored up on your DVR? I don’t have a DVR, or cable. But I have been watching the first 2 seasons of Mad Men
If you had to karaoke, what song would you choose? Bust A Move by Young MC or For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, oh who am I kidding I’ll sing nearly anything.
What’s in your pocket? Blackberry, Pocket Knife, Keys, Wallet,
What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? Year One, 97mins of my life I’ll never get back.
What’s your best kept secret about Wichita? Starlite Drive In. Can take the kids and watch 3 movies on the cheap. Plus they have the best concession nachos in town.
What is your vice and where do you go to get it? New Restaurants. Everywhere you look.
What’s the last book you read? Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau
What’s the one local event you never miss? Pronto Pups at the River Fest.
Where are you going next? To Finn’s
Maria Mannani | Staff Writer
Maria is a senior at Wichita State University, majoring in Communication with an emphasis in Print Journalism. She currently works as a marketing assistant for NRPGroup Inc., a news reporter for The Sunflower News, a freelance writer for Naked City magazine, and a news reporter for Scoopfire.com.
Born and raised in Wichita, Maria’s hobbies include shopping, cooking, exercising, and home decor. She has one cat, Midnight, who she adores. On the weekends, she can usually be found in Old Town, at random restaurants that serve primarily breakfast, or at the mall.
Amanda Mundt | Staff Writer
Born and raised in the Wichita area, Amanda will stand up loud and proud for the good ol’ hometown of Haysville and the Dirty South Side. She graduated from Wichita State University where she studied a little bit of everything, not a lot of anything, prepared to be a jack of all trades and master of none, and wasted a lot of potential. She currently applies this wealth of knowledge in the social services field.
Amanda rediscovered her love for satirical writing during her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer, when she frequently sent home emails chronicling her experiences in West Africa. Since returning to the States in early 2008, she has maintained a nomadic lifestyle that involves moving every 3-5 months as she has an irrational fear of commitment (any lease longer than 6 months will make her hyperventilate). If you see her hauling tubs across your apartment complex courtyard soon, offer her a hand. She might offer you a beer in return.
Amanda is excited to be a part of verb [ICT] and sees it as an opportunity to promote a city with a lot to love and a lot to offer. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys being the coolest aunt ever, injuring herself on a softball field or tennis court, and finding new ways to make life an adventure. She’s also been known to frequent local drinking establishments on occasion, especially when there are two-for-one captain and cokes involved.
Stephanie Seery | Staff Writer
Stephanie doesn’t actually live in Wichita anymore, but she’s spending more and more of her free time there. She liveson 6 acres between Cheney and Cheney lake. She has fun with her husband tending an organic garden and raising chickens. However, since that doesn’t pay the bills, she works in an infectious disease clinic as a master paper pusher and needle jockey. Yep, she’ll draw your blood, give you an injection, refill your meds, and argue with your insurance company…all before lunch. She started out as a Medical Assistant, and since then has been a perpetual college student most of her life. Hopefully this will all lead up to a Master’s degree as a Physician’s Assistant very soon.
Meanwhile, she volunteers for First Friday, hangs out at the Indian Center occasionally, likes to use the West branch of the Y, and can be found anywhere with good coffee and free Wi-Fi (hiding in the corner). She’s married with five, yes, FIVE, children. Now you know why she’s hiding out in coffee shops; it’s the relative peace and quiet.
You’ll find out fast that she’s Native American. She’s a proud member of the Creek tribe, and she’ll probably laugh in your face if you try to tell her about your great-great-grandma who was part Cherokee. Stephanie can make traditional Creek dishes, including really great fry bread, if you’re ever looking to clog your arteries.
You can talk her into going out for sushi anytime, and also to sing karaoke, go dancing, or spend some time thrift store hopping. She can be bribed with chocolate covered expresso beans, shiny things, and awesome hats. Her favorite places to spend her paycheck are the local health food stores, bookstores, anyplace that sells beads, and all the ethnic food markets.
Finally? She can’t turn a cartwheel. She is a horrible photographer. Never let her drive a truck and trailer in reverse. Ever.
Liz Sothman | Staff Writer
A Kansas native, Liz spent her first 18 years in Northwest Kansas before venturing to Wichita to complete her degree in Strategic Communication. As a small town girl who always wanted to be a city girl, she loves all that there is to do and explore in the ICT. Liz is a recent graduate from Wichita State University, taking things day by day and living life to the fullest.
Liz’s passions include coffee, cooking, traveling, and drinking moderate amounts of wine, all activities usually accompanied by her boyfriend. Liz also has a sidekick, Riley, which just so happens to be the cutest Siamese cat to have ever came from the Kansas Humane Society.
Other useful things to know about Liz: Sushi is the way to her heart, fall is her favorite time of year, and she despises cheesecake.
Matt Tharp | Staff Writer, Photographer & Designer
As Matt says, no one does bios better than Playboy. Here’s his:
Favorite Activities: Designing logos, painting, and researching the newest Japanese denim brands.
Guilty Pleasures: Watching the Disney Channel with my son.
Ambitions: Build a profitable brand and open a boutique for my many obsessions.
Best Concert: Hm… Tied between Counting Crows and TV on the Radio
Favorite Books: Takashi Murakami/Superflat, Y the Last Man, and Watchmen
Favorite Movies: Akira and Role Models
Favorite TV show: Entourage
Sports played: Basketball
Pets: Mastiff (Gustofson) and Shitzu (Zeus)
Foods I crave: Pizza and Chick-Fil-A
People I admire: Jonathan Ive & Steve Jobs for making amazing designs that you put in your pocket and then selling a bajillion of them. And my wife – no one keeps it real more than she does.
Jobs before Modeling: (Ha!) My jobs have all been redesigning businesses so they can make more money.
Favorite song to sing: Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz got me laid. So I guess that one.
Sexiest city in the world: Tie between SF, NYC, and every major city in Europe
In the morning: I’m dreaming.
Good First Date Idea: Thai Food works every time. On my last first date, we ate Thai Food… and I married her.
