An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
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01.21.2020 Vol. 220 No. 079
Martin Luther King Jr.
Legacy of leadership BY LOGAN.METZGER @iowastatedaily.com
As a way to honor a man who inspired thousands, one day a year is set apart in recognition. The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) holiday Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service website. “The MLK Day of Service inspires hundreds of thousands of Americans to come together to serve their community,” according to the Corporation for National and Community Service website. “Citizens in all 50 states deliver meals, refurbish schools and community centers and collect food and clothing.” On MLK Day, volunteers can also recruit mentors, support job-seekers, build homes and provide other services for veterans and military families and help citizens improve their financial literacy skills. After a long struggle, legislation was signed in 1983 to mark the birthday of King as a federal holiday. Americans first observed the holiday in 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service and charged the Corporation for National and Community Service with leading this effort. This
DESIGNED BY BROOKLYN WILLIAMS
MLK pg4
Farmers to install prairie strips on land BY SAGE.SMITH @iowastatedaily.com Farmers in the U.S. will be able to collect federal conservation payments for installing prairie strips on their land, according to a news release. Researchers at Iowa State helped to bridge the gap between the latest science and federal policy. Scientists at Iowa State have been conducting prairie strips research for more than 10 years. A range of environmental benefits associated with the practice have been documented. The 2018 Farm Bill named prairie strips as a conservation practice eligible to participate in the Conservation Reserve Program for the first time. Prairie strips is the strategic planting of small amounts of prairie within corn and soybean fields. These prairie strips reduce soil and nutrient loss from steep ground, provide habitat for wildlife and improve water infiltration. A 2017 Iowa State study found converting as little as 10 percent of the cropped area to prairie conservation strips — compared with all-crop watersheds — reduced soil loss by 95 percent and phosphorus losses in surface runoff by 70 percent. The bird abundance and pollinator more than doubled. The news release said most conservation practices aim for a single measurable benefit, but Iowa State experiments show prairie strips address multiple concerns. Lisa Schulte Moore, professor of natural resource ecology and management, is a scientist on the Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) team.
COURTESY OF ANNA MACDONALD Iowa State has been conducting experiments at a field outside Iowa City since 2007.
Schulte Moore said prairie strips are among the least expensive conservation practices on a per-acre basis. “The 2018 Farm Bill sent a clear signal from Congress and the White House that this is the direction we want our farm conservation programs to go,” Schulte Moore said in the news release. “We’ve heard from farmers who have been waiting so they can sign up portions of their fields for prairie strips. With last year’s heavy rainfall events, they are looking for good options to both slow erosion and deal with challenging acres.” New signups for the Conservation Reserve Program opened in December. Farmers will receive a yearly rental payment from the Conservation Reserve Program for converting environmentally sensitive land from production
and establishing conservation practices. Prairie strips are now an official practice under the Conservation Reserve Program Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers Initiative (CLEAR). The initiative prioritizes water quality practices on the land that will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings and harmful algal blooms, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. When developing a policy to implement this law, the United States Department of Agriculture sought input from Iowa State researchers who, over the last decade, developed much of the science on prairie strips, according to the news release. The new prairie strips policy has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. Farmers can offer to apply prairie strips through the ongoing Conservation Reserve Program signup, located at their local United States Department of Agriculture Service Center. Omar de Kok-Mercado, program coordinator in the natural resource ecology and management department, coordinated the efforts of the STRIPS team to develop technical specifications for the prairies strips policy. “The new rules specific to prairie strips will provide greater clarity, flexibility and reliability for farmers who want to implement the practice,” de Kok-Mercado said in the news release. Farmers can find out more about prairie strips and the Conservation Reserve Program by visiting their local United States Department of Agriculture Service Center.
TUESDAY
Spotify releases playlists for pets BY OLIVIA.RUF @iowastatedaily.com Music is no longer just for humans but for our loyal animal companions as well. Spotify has introduced a new feature where members can create custom playlists for their pets. On Jan. 15, the Swedish streaming service Spotify announced they have created a process to “help you craft the ‘pawfect’ algorithmically generated playlist for you and your pet to enjoy together,” according to Spotify’s website. Spotify conducted an online survey with 5,000 pet owners from the U.S., U.K., Spain, Australia and Italy. They included some factual information with the release of this new option on the streaming service. “Fifty-five percent of pet owners think their pet enjoys the same music as them,” according to Spotify’s website. “Most pet owners also think that music can reduce stress, boost happiness and keep their pets happy.” Other statistics Spotify found included 80 percent of pet owners believe their pets like music, 71 percent of pet owners have played music for their pets, 69 percent of pet owners sing to their pets while 57 percent dance with their pets and almost one in five pet owners named their pets after a music group or artist. The top five artist-inspired pet names are Bob Marley, Elvis, Freddie Mercury, Bowie and Ozzy, according to Spotify’s website. There are only four steps in creating a playlist for a pet. Step one, listeners choose the type of pet they are making the playlist for. The list includes dogs, cats, iguanas, hamsters and birds. However, the website has yet to add fish and more exotic pets. Step two asks for users to explain a little about their pet’s personality. Users measure their pet’s personality traits on a scale. A couple of questions ask if the pet is shy or friendly, or whether they are more relaxed or energetic. These personality scales help Spotify curate the perfect vibe for your pet’s playlist. The owner’s listening history also plays a large role in determining the pet’s music taste. Step three is the playlist name and cover photo. Users enter their pet’s name and submit a photo for the cover of their playlist. Users will also receive a personalized share card to send to their friends when sending other listeners a link to the playlist. Step four is simply to “listen and share.” The audio streaming company has also announced the launch of a podcast with soothing music along with “dog-directed praise” and reassurance intended for dogs who spend time home alone as a way of de-stressing them while their owners are gone. According to CNN, Spotify collaborated with animal experts in curating these playlists. To create a pet playlist on Spotify, go to the Spotify website and login with a pre-existing account or create a new account. This feature is open to users with premium and free accounts.