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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

CEDAR FALLS, IA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

THE TANYA WARREN ERA In her 17th year at UNI, Coach Warren sets record for conference wins after 18-point comeback

OPINION

Opinion Columnist Grant Pedersen supports keeping Area Education Agencies intact after proposed legislation.

SEE PAGE 5

MALLORY SCHMITZ News Editor

After an 18-point comeback, a career-best performance from point guard Maya McDermott and a victory that broke the all-time conference wins record in the Missouri Valley, Head Women’s Basketball Coach

ISABELLE BRADLEY

CAMPUS LIFE

Maguire, Garfield or Holland? Film Critic Callee Fair determines once and for all who is the best Spiderman.

SEE PAGE 6

Tanya Warren seemed to have one word on her mind: “Blessed.”

It all happened Saturday afternoon in the Panther’s second match-up of the season against the Murray State Racers—the team with the third-highest scoring offense in the nation. Despite secur-

SAE lists longtime legacy for $1.3 million

Governor Appoints UNI professor as Iowa Poet Laureate Governor Kim Reynolds has appointed UNI’s Vince Gotera, a professor in the Department of Languages & Literatures, to serve a two-year term as Iowa Poet Laureate and the fifth poet laureate of the state. The Iowa Poet Laureate is an honorary appointment made by the governor to recognize the importance of poetry in Iowans’ everyday lives.

Staff Writer

Mens basketball’s Nate Heise on his path to UNI, seeing the game from a new perspective and future plans.

SEE PAGE 11

See WARREN WIN, page 8

Fraternity house for sale News briefs

TAYLOR NOHRENBERG

SPORTS

ing a 95-75 victory over the Racers in January, the Panthers had a slow start to the first quarter. The Racers put forth a 13-0 run in the first five minutes, leading the Panthers 15-2.

One of the University of Northern Iowa’s most notable fraternity and sorority houses belonging to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity is going up on the real estate market at a whopping price tag of $1.3 million.

Sitting in the midst of 23rd Street’s numerous buildings and residences, the 48-person fraternity house with around 14,600 square feet of living space built in 1998 is the largest house in UNI’s fraternity and sorority community. The

MALLORY SCHMITZ

After reigning as the largest fraternity or sorority house on campus for nearly 25 years, the SAE house on 23rd Street has been listed for sale.

The chapter declined to comment on the reason behind the selling of the house.

second largest is the Alpha Xi Delta sorority house at nine bedrooms and roughly 3,200 square feet of living space.

SAE came to UNI back in 1965, making them the oldest active fraternity chapter on campus, and one of two active national fraternities remain-

ing. Nationally, the organization has around 220 chapters. Iowa’s Drake University, Simpson College and Iowa State University also currently have SAE chapters.

See SAE HOUSE, page 2

Heathers the Musical TheatreUNI is bringing the dark comedy cult classic film “Heathers” to the stage at the Strayer-Wood Theatre. Showings will be 7:30 p.m. Feb. 23-24 and March 1-2. Additional performances will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 25 and March 3.

Tickets can be purchased online at unitix.evenue.net or in person at the StrayerWood Theater ticket office.

PAGE 2

NEWS

SAE HOUSE

continued from page 1

The University of Iowa previously had an SAE chapter, but it was removed from the campus following hazing and violations of SAE governing laws.

It is uncertain as to why the fraternity is selling the building. According to the membership data collected by the UNI Office of Student Life, enrollment numbers have been steadily dropping since fall of 2020.

In spring of 2022, SAE membership was at 42 members. Their membership has been dropping steadily since that time, with only 24 active

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | members as of fall 2023. the State College of Iowa’s SAE fraternity President The College Eye. Blake Sailer declined to The current SAE house comment on the sale and isn’t the only structure the what the future holds for the fraternity has inhabited. The housing of SAE’s future and lot on 23rd Street used to be current members. home to two houses, one of The listing was original- which was the former SAE ly posted on Jan. 22, 2024 house.

by Fischels Commercial and According to the Oct. Residential Group based in 15, 1993, publication of the Waterloo.

Northern Iowan, the SAE When SAE was first estab- chapter paid off the $44,000, lished on campus in 1965, it 20-year mortgage of the merged with the chapter of house that previously sat on Alpha Chi Epsilon, a local their current lot in just under fraternity established in 10 years thanks to various 1915. It is the only local UNI fundraisers and local donafraternity still connected to tions by SAE alumni. This an active national chapter. made SAE the only fraterAt that time, UNI had one nity and sorority to own a of four other SAE chapters house mortgage-free at the located in Iowa, according to time.

Data collected from UNI Office of Student Life FSL Academic Reports.

Data collected from UNI Office of Student Life FSL Academic Reports.

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VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

NI ARCHIVES

The house’s construction had to be halted in October 1998 due to insufficient funds. It resumed about a year later, and the fraternity men were able to move in in January 2000.

The chapter then decided to build the current mansion that sits on 23rd Street by tearing down that house and the house adjacent, but not without hiccups.

Peters Construction, Inc. was tasked with constructing the 48-member house, but the project came to a standstill around October 1998, as financing was not in order to continue work. A year later, the $1.3 million project recommenced as funds were allocated. Construction of some aspects of the home were held off for a later date to accommodate for funding changes.

SAE members were able to move into the house upon completion back in January 2000.

The sale of SAE’s house comes after the disbanding of two other fraternities, Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Phi Epsilon, after the 2022-23 school year due to dropping membership numbers.

Last year around September, UNI saw the attempted entrance of Chi Phi into UNI’s fraternity and sorority life (FSL). The chapter was set to reach their goal of 20 to 25 members, but they did not reach full membership in order to become an established organization.

In a September 2023 interview, FSL Advisor Josh Farris said total FSL enrollments may be declining, but across the board are remaining steady. Looking back at The Northern Iowan is published semi-weekly on Monday and Thursday during the academic year, except for holidays and examination periods, by the University of Northern Iowa, L011 Maucker Union, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0166 under the auspices of the Board of Student Publications.

Advertising errors that are the fault of the Northern Iowan will be corrected at no cost to the advertiser only if the Northern Iowan office is notified within seven days of the original publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time.

The Northern Iowan is funded in part with student activity fees.

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the data collected from the Office of Student Life, FSL enrollment remained steady at 199 members across the 2022 and 2023 school years. At the time of the September interview, both Farris and Interfraternity Council President Chase Anderson remained optimistic that membership will only increase as UNI sees greater enrollment numbers.

Farris was reached out to by the Northern Iowan for this article, but declined public comment.

UNI’s fall 2023 enrollment is seeing a greater number of students with an increase of 75 students from the previous year thanks to incoming freshman, transfer students and graduate students. Currently, FSL enrollment numbers make up 2.85% of the full-time student population.

Despite SAE numbers dropping, the organization is keeping vibes upbeat with various events hosted by the group, the most recent being a Super Bowl potluck and a Rocket League tournament in February. The fraternity also hosts a blood drive in Maucker Union for their primary philanthropic group, the American Red Cross, twice every semester.

For more information on UNI Greek life, visit https:// union.uni.edu/involvement/ fsl or on Instagram @saeatuni for upcoming events.

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PAGE 3

NEWS

MALLORY SCHMITZ News Editor

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

From campus to the Statehouse: LLT at work NOAH HACKBART

Staff Writer

Editor’s note: Noah Hackbart currently serves as the Director of Governmental Relations for Northern Iowa Student Government.

The Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) is the primary advocacy organization for the student body of the University of Northern Iowa. A large portion of that advocacy is enacted through the organization’s student Legislative Liaison Team (LLT). This is a team of UNI students who interview for positions that fluctuate in size from year to year. Applications for the team are open to students from all areas of campus. As Director of Governmental Relations for NISG, it is my job to lead the team when we make weekly trips to the Statehouse.

Team members this year include senior Aaron Burger, senior Molly Scott, junior Jalen McNeal, junior Tristan McDonough and freshman Alli Webster, and they all come from various areas of study, as the team is open to everyone.

NOAH HACKBART

2024 LLT members Jalen McNeal, Noah Hackbart and Molly Scott in the House of Representatives Gallery

No trip to the Statehouse is ever the same and each day consists of a new challenge, a new connection or a new experience. Our team gets up bright and early on Wednesdays and makes the two-hour trip to the State Capitol in Des Moines in our well-known purple polos.

NOAH HACKBART

2024 LLT members Alli Webster, Molly Scott and Noah Hackbart with Representative Heather Matson.

We spend most of our time in meetings with House and Senate leadership, connecting with our local legislators and speaking with legislators whose districts make up UNI, the Cedar Valley and its surrounding communities. We also meet with members of the education appropriations subcommittees from both chambers as they set appropriation and funding levels for each of Iowa’s public universities.

For context about UNI’s overall governmental relations operations, the university has its own State Relations Officer who works for the Board of Regents office and sits on the University Council and within the President’s Cabinet. Each regent institution gets its own State Relations Officer, but they often work in tandem as the regent system is tight-knit with similar priorities. However, Iowa State University, The University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa have separate officers as each

institution has unique needs in the eyes of the state. For example, UNI is the state’s only regional comprehensive university and has different needs than its other public university counterparts. The State Relations Officer works with UNI senior leadership and the Board office to prepare for each legislative session.

The NISG Director of Governmental Relations position serves in the Student Body President’s cabinet and is more the advocacy arm of the student body and not the university administration. LLT is also the advocacy arm of the student body and each year our agenda is set depending on what pressing issues students across campus are talking about. One of those issues is mental health. This overarching problem has touched many of us and continues to grow. In meetings with student leaders, students clubs and organizations, and with leadership from the Student Health Center and

UNI Counseling Center, it is a problem we must always be working on. This session, our NISG Upper Cabinet has been working with the student governments at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University on a joint one-time funding request to the legislature for mental health resources on our campuses. This request made its way into the official request to the state by the Board of Regents and the work for its advocacy falls to the Legislative Liaison Team. Last session, LLT followed and supported the counseling compact, a bill that was eventually passed by both chambers and signed into law by the Governor. LLT efforts in the past have supported efforts to fund and update the ITTC and pass medical amnesty for students. We are very much a proactive team and we do lots of research and find data before we present asks or information to legislators.

This is a non-partisan group of UNI students that take time out of their busy schedules to advocate for their peers and make a difference for everyone on campus. Funding the regent universities is paramount to the survival of these institutions and supporting funding efforts for more mental health resources is something we will continue to work on throughout this entire session. UNI Day at the Capitol, which is held on March 5 of this year is another great opportunity for students to meet their local legislators and explain the importance of public higher education in the state of Iowa. For updates on what we are doing for you as a student government, check out our instagram @northerniowastudentgov or our website at nisg.uni.edu. We are here to support you.

State Senator Giddens to host drop-by event on campus CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Staff Writer

Students will have the opportunity to express concerns, questions and feedback to Iowa State Senator Eric Giddens this Friday, Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Maucker Union’s State College Room.

Giddens said anyone is welcome, and his goal with this drop-by event is to listen to UNI students as he continues his job up at the Statehouse.

“If you feel like you have something to say, come share,” Giddens said. “If you have concerns about what the state is doing, come and share those. If you see things the

state government is doing that you like, I want to hear that too.”

He continued by saying he wants to hear from students what the State of Iowa could be doing to keep more young people in the state.

“I want to be doing what I can to support,” He said. “I want UNI students to see this state as an attractive option for them after they graduate, and so the only way to really do that is for me to hear from UNI students with what we can be doing better to support you in your future.”

Giddens said this will be a great opportunity for students to get their voices heard when it comes to certain policies

they may be concerned about.

“I can take those concerns back to Des Moines and can try to influence my colleagues to listen a little bit more to your concerns because young people are the future of this state. And without young people, I have serious concerns about the future.”

Giddens previously worked at the Center for Energy and Environmental Education on UNI’s campus, and he said he is excited to be back on campus.

“I love UNI, and I’m excited to be back on Friday, meet with UNI students and just listen. I hope we have a good strong turnout.”

COURTESY/SENATOR ERIC GIDDENS

State Senator Giddens invites students to share their concerns about what the state is doing with him in Maucker Union’s State College Room this Friday.

PAGE 4

N.I. EN ESPAÑOL FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

SOPHIE HOFFMEIER Managing Editor

KARINA ORTIZ Spanish Editor

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

Del campus al Capitolio: LLT en acción NOAH HACKBART

Escritor

MONSE HERRERA Traductora

El Gobierno Estudiantil del Norte de Iowa (NISG por sus siglas en inglés) es la principal organización de defensa del cuerpo estudiantil de la Universidad del Norte de Iowa (UNI). Una gran parte de esa promoción se lleva a cabo a través del Equipo de Enlace Legislativo (LLT por sus siglas en inglés) estudiantil de la organización. Este es un equipo de estudiantes de UNI que entrevistan para puestos que fluctúan en tamaño de un año a otro. Las solicitudes para el equipo están abiertas a estudiantes de todas las áreas del campus. Como Director de Relaciones Gubernamentales de NISG, mi trabajo es liderar el equipo cuando hacemos viajes semanales al Capitolio.

Los miembros del equipo de este año incluyen al estudiante de último año Aaron Burger, Molly Scott de último año, Jalen McNeal de tercer año, Tristan McDonough y Alli Webster de primer año, y todos provienen de diversas áreas de estudio, ya que el equipo es abierto a todos.

Cada viaje al Capitolio nunca es igual y cada día consiste en un nuevo desafío, una nueva conexión o una nueva experiencia. Nuestro equipo se levanta temprano los miércoles y hace el viaje de dos horas al Capitolio Estatal en Des Moines con nuestras conocidas polos moradas.

Pasamos la mayor parte de nuestro tiempo en reuniones con los líderes de la Cámara y el Senado, conectándonos con nuestros legisladores locales y hablando con legisladores cuyos distritos conforman UNI, Cedar Valley y sus comunidades circundantes.

También nos reunimos con miembros de los subcomités de asignación educativas de ambas cámaras mientras establecen niveles de asignación y financiamiento para cada una de las universidades públicas de Iowa.

Para contextualizar las operaciones generales de relaciones gubernamentales de UNI, la universidad tiene su propio Oficial de Relaciones Estatales que trabaja para la oficina de la Junta de Regentes y forma parte del Consejo Universitario y del Gabinete del Presidente. Cada institución regente tiene su propio Oficial de Relaciones Estatales, pero a menudo trabajan en conjunto ya que el sistema regente está muy unido con prioridades similares. Sin embargo, la Universidad Estatal de Iowa,

COURTESÍA/NOAH HACKBART

Los miembros del LLT 2024 Alli Webster, Noah Hackbart, Tristan McDonough y Aaron Burger con la presidenta y senadora del Senado de Iowa, Amy Sinclair.

la Universidad de Iowa y la Universidad del Norte de Iowa tienen funcionarios separados ya que cada institución tiene necesidades únicas a los ojos del estado. Por ejemplo, UNI es la única universidad integral regional del estado y tiene necesidades diferentes a las de sus otras universidades públi-

COURTESÍA/NOAH HACKBART

cas. El Oficial de Relaciones Estatales trabaja con los altos dirigentes de UNI y la oficina de la Junta Directiva para preparar cada sesión legislativa.

El puesto de Director de Relaciones Gubernamentales de NISG sirve en el gabinete del presidente del cuerpo

estudiantil y es más el brazo de defensa del cuerpo estudiantil y no la administración de la universidad. LLT también es el brazo de defensa del cuerpo estudiantil y cada año nuestra agenda se establece dependiendo de los temas urgentes de los que hablan los estudiantes en todo el campus.

Los miembros del LLT 2024 Noah Hackbart, Aaron Burger, Tristan McDonough y Alli Webster con los representantes Bob Kressig y Lindsay James.

Uno de esos problemas es la salud mental. Este problema nos ha afectado a muchos de nosotros y continúa creciendo.

En las reuniones con líderes estudiantiles, clubes y organizaciones de estudiantes, y con el liderazgo del Centro de Salud Estudiantil y el Centro de Consejería UNI, es un problema en el que siempre debemos estar trabajando. En esta sesión, nuestro Gabinete Superior del NISG ha estado trabajando con los gobiernos estudiantiles de la Universidad de Iowa y la Universidad Estatal de Iowa en una solicitud conjunta de financiación única a la legislatura para recursos de salud mental en nuestros campus. Esta solicitud llegó a la solicitud oficial al estado por parte de la Junta de Regentes y el trabajo para su promoción recae en el Equipo de Enlace Legislativo.

En la última sesión, el LLT siguió y apoyó el pacto de asesoramiento, un proyecto de ley que finalmente fue aprobado por ambas cámaras y promulgado por la Gobernadora. Los esfuerzos de LLT en el pasado han apoyado esfuerzos para financiar y actualizar el Centro de Tecnología y Enseñanza Innovadora (ITTC por sus siglas en inglés) y aprobar una amnistía médica para los estudiantes. Somos un equipo muy proactivo e investigamos mucho y encontramos datos antes de presentar solicitudes o información a los legisladores.

Este es un grupo no partidista de estudiantes de UNI que se toman tiempo de sus apretadas agendas para defender a sus compañeros y marcar una diferencia para todos en el campus. Financiar las universidades regentes es fundamental para la supervivencia de estas instituciones y apoyar los esfuerzos de financiación para obtener más recursos de salud mental es algo en lo que continuaremos trabajando durante toda esta sesión. El Día de UNI en el Capitolio, que se celebra el 5 de marzo de este año, es otra gran oportunidad para que los estudiantes se reúnan con sus legisladores locales y les expliquen la importancia de la educación superior pública en el estado de Iowa. Para obtener actualizaciones sobre lo que estamos haciendo por usted como gobierno estudiantil, consulte nuestro Instagram @northerniowastudentgov o nuestro sitio web en nisg.uni. edu. Estamos aquí para apoyarte.

PAGE 5

OPINION

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Executive Editor

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

Disclaimer: The following opinion articles featured do not reflect the opinion of the Northern Iowan newspaper or staff as a whole.

Maintaining a ‘AEAs are just fine’ democracy is not Iowa AEAs in a spectator sport need of support the state took the test out of 70,000 Iowa students with disabilities. Each student has individual educational goals, and standardized tests do not always align with these goals.

Since the Condition of the State address, thousands of Iowans have participated in grass-roots efforts to block the bill's passage. Representatives have been bombarded with GRANT PEDERSEN emails since the start of the Opinion Columnist session in early January.

As a result of this advocaEditor’s Note: Grant Pedersen cy, the AEA supporters won has relatives who work for their first victory when the Iowa AEAs. chair of the House Education On Jan. 8, 2024, the Iowa Committee, Skylar Wheeler, General Assembly gaveled made it clear the current bill into session to begin the secwould not pass the House. ond year of its 90th sesOn the other hand, sion. The next day, the governor's bill Iowa Governor with amendment Kim Reynolds passed a Senate held her annuSubcommittee. al Condition Because of of the State this, the bill address in the is still techHouse chamnically ber, laying alive, but out her goals it must be to be accomapproved by plished by the Senate the legisEducation lature this Committee to year. Within pass the first her speech, legislative funR e y n o l d s nel on Feb. 14th addressed many to be considered for admirable goals, such a full vote this session. as raising starting teacher Many legislatures balked at pay to $50,000.Nevertheless, the over 100-page bill, makto the surprise ing it clear of many legCOURTESY/Iowa Capital Dispatch they were islatures, she blind-sightlaid out her Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds laid out a plan in January that would “reored by the plan to "reorga- ganize” the Area Education Agency (AEA) system in our state. Created in governor's 1974 by the Iowa State Legislature, the goal of AEAs is to provide equity nize” the Area in educational services across the state of Iowa. steamrollEducation ing of legisAgency (AEA) tioned loss of autonomy in lation. system within our state. favor of control from Des The main goal I hope to Area Education Agencies Moines. potray from this piece is not were created in 1974 by the While I am not in favor to simply give my opinion, Iowa Legislature to provide of this bill, I am in favor but to inform the University equity in educational serof constructively changing of Northern Iowa campus vices across our state. Before government systems for the community about an ongoing the conception of the AEAs’ better over time. What Gov. conversation under the Gold Iowa operated on a counReynolds is currently doing to Dome in Des Moines. ty-wide educational support the AEAs is not constructive, Many of my fellow stusystem; this was ineffecbut destructive. She has been dents may have been served tive as it became a resource quoted in a post via her guber- through the AEA system, struggle between the urban natorial Facebook account as from speech services to senior counties with capitol and the bluntly saying, “the AEA sys- athletic posters in the homerural counties without. AEAs, tem is failing,” as of Jan. 26, town gym. I encourage all which have operated under the 2024. Through these words, people reading this article to direction of elected boards for the governor is hurting hun- do their own research on this the last 50 years, were creatdreds of Iowans who pour topic. ed this way to establish local their hearts and souls into Currently, the AEAs need control within each agency's their work at the AEAs every Iowans who believe in their service area. The AEA sysday. mission to inform legislatures tem has evolved into a central Many other educational that what they are considerpiece of Iowa’s education sysadvocates have criticized the ing is shortsighted and mistem and is envied throughout governor's use of standardized informed. If this bill passes, the country. tests to push the narrative that hundreds of people across the Circling back to the presthe AEAs are “failing.” The state will be at risk of losent, Gov. Reynolds has progovernor has referred to NAEP ing their jobs. The AEAs are posed drastic and damaging or the National Assessment for just fine, and they don’t need cuts that will harm the AEAs Educational Progress in this someone in Des Moines dicto its core. These proposals regard. According to Central tating their every move while were introduced after the State Rivers AEA, only 266 Special serving kids in need. of the State address with the Ed fourth graders across

following proposed changes

release of House Study Bill 542.

If House Study Bill 542 is to be passed, the central change to be enacted is that the AEAs will lose their current level of local autonomy, thus putting them under the direct supervision of the Iowa Dept. of Education and its Director, McKenzie Snow.

Other changes proposed in the original bill include eliminating the position of chief administrator as well as other administrative positions, eliminating media and educational services and the before-men-

STEVE CORBIN

Guest Columnist

Martin Niemoller, a German Lutheran pastor, composed a 1946 post-World War II confessional titled “First they came for the Socialists... ” The four-line composition explains, in straight-forward language, how the Nazis rose to power by methodically silencing German intellectuals and clergy.

The best known version of the prose is housed in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Let’s be frank. Since the Tea Party’s founding in 2009, several groups – on their own accord and/or in conjunction with political parties, biased think tanks, Political Action Committees and politicians – are trying to silence you and me via multiple measures. If Pastor Niemoller’s 1946 verse reflected America in 2024, it might read: First they came for restricting women’s reproductive rights and the rights of LGBTQIA, transgender youth, people with mental health issues, the physically disabled and the homeless, and I did not speak out – because I decided the issues are too complex to handle.

Then they came for banning of books and dissing public education, and I did not speak out – because I didn’t have kids in school.

Then they came for denouncing Black Lives Matter and people from other countries while accepting white nationalism and evangelical Christian nationalism, and I did not speak out – because I didn’t know how to get involved.

Then they came to disrespect diversity, equity, inclusion, affirmative action and sexual harassment claims, and I did not speak out – because I was only one person.

Then they came to praising the autocratic leaders of Russia, China, North Korea, Hungary and Argentina, and I did not speak out – because I didn’t know who to express my concerns to.

Then they came for isola-

tionism, dismantling America’s allies and throwing global free trade, Trans-Pacific Partnership, NATO and United Nations under the bus, and I did not speak out – because I was not in a leadership position.

Then they came wanting to reduce funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare, and I did not speak out – because I was too busy working two jobs to make ends meet.

Then they came to eliminate eminent domain and void asylum immigration laws despite 98% of Americans being of immigrant descent, and I did not speak out – because my elected representatives are also ignoring the issues.

Then they came for ridiculing and trying to defund the Department of Justice, I.R.S., Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation and Department of Defense, and I did not speak out – because that was for politicians and not me to resolve.

Then they came for freeing the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists, eradicating votes of fellow citizens, threatening the lives of volunteer election workers, identifying legal judicial actions as witch-hunts, ignoring the Constitution’s 14th Amendment and claiming presidential immunity reigns supreme, and I did not speak out – because I decided that was up to the courts to decide.

Then they came for ignoring bipartisanship, the $34 trillion national debt, $1.7 trillion federal deficit, aid to Ukraine and climate change, and I did not speak out – because I was afraid to take a stance against my political party’s wishes.

Then they came to impose politically-favored gerrymandering, the unification of church and state, hands-off with gun ownership and usage restrictions and re-electing politicians who put their party before the people and claim to be your “revenge and retribution” candidate, and I did not speak out – because I was getting tired of political shenanigans.

Then they came to realize “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [and women] to do nothing” plus knowing maintaining democracy is not a spectator sport and vowed to vote on Nov. 5 so America would not revert to dictatorial-authoritarian control – because, if not, “Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

PAGE 6

BAILEY KLINKHAMMER

CAMPUS LIFE

Campus Life Editor

Who is the best Spider-Man? FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

CALLEE FAIR

Film Critic

It has been 22 years since the first “Spider-Man” was released in theaters on May 3, 2002. Witnessing copyright wars and three other “Spider-Man” series in between, fans of this famous superhero are still getting treated with more with Marvel r umored to be preparing for their fourth installment of Tom Holland’s adaptation as Spider-Man to be released sometime this year.

Comic book legend Stan Lee crafted this character in August 1962 where Spid e r- M a n first appeared in, “Amazing Fantasy #15,” His intention with the superhero was to create a hero that had never been seen before. With the popularity in comic books booming among teens, Lee wanted a

hero that everybody could identify with. Perhaps, that is why we are still talking about Spider-Man after all of these years.

The beauty behind Spider-Man is that he isn’t a picture-perfect superhero who has it all together.

Spider-Man is your average teeanger who can barely talk to a girl without turning the conversation into an awkward mess. On top of that, he struggles with grief of his Uncle Ben as well as the loss of his parents. SpiderMan shows us that through tragedies and in our darkest moments, t h a t ’s w h e r e o u r greatest st reng ths a r e revealed.

More or less, he is a character that everyone can

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relate to and was specifically designed this way by artist Steve Ditko and Lee. In an interview with Larry King in 2010, Lee explained what makes the Spider-Man costume so special is that “any kid could imagine they are Spider-Man.” Although it wasn’t done intentionally, Lee claims that it’s the “best thing they did,” so that anyone could imagine being under the mask.

Over the years, we have seen three different live action actors take on the duty of being under the mask. The question is, who did it better?

Let’s start off with the OG: Tobey Maguire. His performance as SpiderMan was any comic book fan’s dream. Maguire is so convincing as a reserved, nerdy guy that it makes for the perfect Peter Parker. It really does feel like when you are watching the original trilogy you are going through the transformation of gaining these powers with him. Maguire embodies Peter Parker’s essence in a way that fellow Spider-Man actors Holland and Andrew Garfield can’t.

From chasing down the school bus helplessly in the first scene we are i nt roduce d to him, we get to see Peter Parker at his core.

A pusho v e r he a do v e r h e e l s for the popular girl, who sits at the very bottom of the social ladder.

His social f laws come off as genuinely cringy, which brings Peter Parker to his realistic unattractive level.

In contrast to Garf ield and Holland’s performances, their social “f laws” are wisecrack jokes which are hilarious, but they don’t

COURTESY/JUSTJARED According to Fair, Holland is the best Spider-Man because of his social awkwardness combined with his nerdy charm. When bringing Sprider-Man from the comics to the big screen, Holland trumps the others.

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

bring the same feeling of unpopularity that Maguire’s does.

When talking about his portrayal of Spider-Man as a hero, this is where things get a little rocky. While Maguire plays the perfect Peter Parker, Garfield and Holland play better Spider-Man. Maguire’s performance inside the suit is

The beauty behind Spider-Man is that he isn’t a picture-perfect superhero who has it all together.

CALLEE FAIR

Film Critic

still entertaining and fun to watch, but there is a bit of a disconnect between Peter Parker’s and Spider-Man’s personalities in the original trilogy. Again, it’s not like he did a bad job, Garfield’s performance as Spider-Man was just so much better.

Garfield brought so much emotion inside the suit. One could argue that it’s “easy” to play someone masked, but I would actually argue against this. Acting while wearing a full costume limits any amount of facial expressions which is crucial to an actor’s performance. A lot can be read with the eyes and with a look. Almost all portrayed emotion first comes from the face, so limiting the Spider-Man actors’ abilities to portray emotion from the face during impactful action scenes is a challenge. However, the challenge never comes across as such in any of Garfield’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” movies. His body language tells such a compelling story with each action scene he is in. Whether the scene is full of comedic relief, or a scene full of heart, he uses the suit to further emphasize Spider-Man’s wit and charm to its fullest potential. Not to mention, his chemistry and banter with co-star Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is one of the best parts of the films, if not the best. Their portrayal of Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy’s relationship translates perfectly on screen from their iconic love story in the comic books.

Where Garfield falls short in his portrayal of Spider-Man isn’t really even his fault, but he is just too cool to be Peter Parker. The whole concept of Spider-

Man revolves around the fact that he is a nobody who becomes somebody because he was at the right place and the right time.

With Garfield’s portrayal of Spider-Man, I never really got the sense that he was a “nobody”. His charisma and witty one-liners had always led me away from the idea of him being a realistic Peter Parker. While that kind of humor works especially well when he has the mask on being Spider-Man’s persona, it doesn’t translate well to the contrast of who Peter Parker is to his core.

Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man balances both personas the best out of all three actors. He has the ideal height, age and personality to play Spider-Man and Peter Parker. He is more than believable as the geeky kid in high school and brings youth to the character that we have never seen on screen before. Holland manages to carry that same nerdy aura and uses it to his advantage when wearing the suit. He seamlessly carries the confidence of Spider-Man while dialing it back when playing Peter Parker. While he is not written as the unpopular loner as Maguire’s SpiderMan was, it works because of all the socially-awkward scenes written in place of it—which Holland nails.

The only downfall of this portrayal would be all of the advanced technology included. While it makes it fit into the world Marvel has created, it almost takes away from the down-to-earth feel of the story that Spider-Man was intended to be in the beginning.

I don’t think that there necessarily is a “best” Spider-Man, nor do I interpret these portrayals this way. How fortunate are we to get to see three different versions of Spider-Man on the screen? Maguire’s depiction of Spider-Man is a classic, and brings the story to life. Garfield’s portrayal explores his intelligence, humor and overall shows why Spider-Man is so fun to watch. However, if there is a best, there is no denying that Holland brings both of these performances together to create something new audiences can respect and resonate with.

PAGE 7 BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

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BAILEY KLINKHAMMER

PAGE 8

CAMPUS LIFE FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

WARREN WIN

continued from page 1

Junior guard Kayba Laube broke the run with a quick 3-pointer. However, the battle against Murray State’s aggressive offense would continue as the Racers tallied 11 more points. Maya McDermott would end the quarter with a layup and made two free throws, bringing the score to 26-13.

The Panthers began to find their groove in the second quarter. After a Murray State layup to start the frame, Grace Boffeli got the Panthers on the board with a layup of her own just above the eight-minute mark. The back-and-forth between the teams continued, with McDermott scoring eight points of her own in a one minute span. Another basket

by McDermott, a 3 pointer

by Taryn Wharton, and a jumper and two free throws

by Boffeli brought the Panthers within seven points of the Racers with three minutes left of the half.

Murray S t a t e’s

shooting remained hot, pulling ahead again at the end of the half 48-36.

Over the course of the third quarter, the Panthers hung with the Racers’ scoring, both teams scoring 24 points a piece during the period. Two McDermott jumpers and one from Cailyn Morgan weren’t enough to stave off an 18-point lead by the Racers. McDermott went on to score nine more points by the end of the quarter.

Wharton narrowed the lead to 12 points with a pair of free throws to close out the frame.

With just 10 minutes lift to play, the Panthers started the fourth period strong with a steal by Laube and a consequent layup by Goebel. The UNI defense held the Racers to just 15 points while putting on a 29 point performance, featuring 11 points from Boffeli, two Goebel layups and three 3 point jumpers from McDermott.

McDer mot t tallied six assists over the course of the g a m e , including a pass under the basket to Boffeli that would result in the first Panther lead of the game with just 24 seconds left on the clock. A key defensive rebound by Goebel

ISABELLE BRADLEY

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BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

That’s what makes coaching here a blessing.

They’re selfless, selfless young women and they are a joy every single day.

TANYA WARREN

Head Coach, UNI Women’s Basketball

would close the game, 87-89.

McDermott ended the game with 36 points, a career-high performance and a tie for the season-high points in one game in the MVC. She made four freethrows, keeping her spot as the top free throw shooter in the nation.

The 18-point deficit comeback pulled UNI into a tie for fourth place in the conference with Southern Illinois.

It also marked a milestone for UNI women’s basketball: Warren’s 202nd conference win, setting a new record for winningest coach in the Valley.

Warren stepped into the role of head coach at UNI in 2007—her first collegiate head coaching position. She was the first Black woman to coach basketball in the Missouri Valley Conference and was the first Black woman t o become a head coach of any sport at U NI. During her time, she has brought t h e Panthers to three NCAA Division 1 tournament appearances, including the team’s first ever appearance in 2010. She has won two MVC regular season conference titles in 2011 and 2016, two MVC tournament championships in 2010 and 2011 and has been named a three-time MVC Coach of the Year.

Coach Warren reflected on Saturday’s game during Monday’s coaches press conference.

“We just found a way, made big play after big play both offensively and defensively,” Warren said. “I’m extremely proud of them.”

During her time as a college athlete, Warren was a legendary guard at Creighton University from 1983-1988.

She racked up 1,566 career points as a Bluejay and still sits on several top ten lists for the university.

Following McDermott’s 36 -point perfor mance, Warren had plenty of praise from one point guard to another.

“I’ve been very blessed to coach some really really good point guards, and she certainly has etched her name amongst those,” she said.

“In the first quarter when I subbed Maya out, I literally looked her in the eye and I said, ‘I tell you this every single game. You are the best point guard in this league.

Now you just got to go play like it.’” Warren said.

“She not only took those words to heart, she went beyond,” she said. “And what you love about Maya, she’s more excited for her teammates scoring than she is for herself.”

Warren was quick to recognize all of the team’s components that led to victory that day. She noted the team’s ability to find McDermott and get her the ball, to set screens to get her open and overall get her in position to score.

Boffeli also brought 21 points to the table, Wharton adding 12 points from the bench and Laube leading with eight assists.

As the final buzzer solidified the late-game win, the

Panther bench erupted in cheers for their teammates.

That display of character, Warren said, makes all the difference.

“That’s what makes coaching here a blessing.

They’re self less, self less young women and they are a joy, every single day. No matter whether we win or lose, they are a joy, and I’m proud and honored to coach them,” she said.

When asked about her newfound record title, Warren thought back to her start at UNI and former UNI Athletic Director Rick Hartzell who made it all possible.

“17 years ago when we took over this program, our vision was to build a program, not just a team, and that’s the thing that I’m most proud of,” she said. “I have been blessed to have been surrounded by amazing people, coaches, players, administrators, and I can’t help but to go back and thank Rick Hartzell for 17 years ago thinking outside the box and giving me an opportunity.”

Warren has signed a contract to stick with the Panthers through the 20282029 season. The Panthers take on Southern Illinois at 6 p.m. Thursday night in the McLeod Center.

ISABELLE BRADLEY

Coach Tanya Warren said Maya McDermott, pictured above, is ‘the best point guard in the league.’

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CADEN SHEA

SPORTS

Sports Editor

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

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VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Grace Boffeli wins second Player of the Week award NICOLE WATERS

Sports Writer

Grace Boffeli was named MVC Player of the Week last week after her back-toback double-doubles. This is Boffeli’s second honor so far this season. The Panthers traveled to two away games, which were at Illinois State and Bradley where Boffeli had 17 points and 13 rebounds against the Redbirds and 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Braves.

Boffeli led the Panther offense and rebounding against the Redbirds and was one of two players against the Braves to record a 20+ point performance. Her double-doubles were her fifth and sixth so far this season and her 29th and 30th of her career.

Grace Boffeli was named the preseason MVC Player of the Year as well as being named to the All-MVC First Team. She currently ranks no. 5 on UNI’s all time career rebounding list.

Boffeli has been a huge key for the Panthers this season averaging about 16 points a game and starting in every game thus far. She has played

a total of 422 minutes this season and has recorded 144 rebounds offense and defense combined. She has 26 assists on the season followed by seven blocks and six steals.

Grace Boffeli helped to boost her team to wins against Illinois State and Bradley prior to her Player of the Week award. Against Illinois State, she had 17 points and three assists that helped boost the Panthers to a win. She went 8-12 from the field and 1-1 from behind the arc in the game. She also recorded a career high 13 rebounds in the game which helped her to secure her fifth double-double of the season and the 29th of her career as a Panther.

Against the Bradley Braves, she had 22 points, one steal, and three assists in a win against the Braves.

She went 9-11 from the field and 1-1 from behind the arc during the game. Boffeli recorded 10 rebounds in their wins against the Braves also.

Those rebounds helped her to secure her sixth double-double of the season, and the 30th of her career.

Grace Boffeli has been a pillar for the team during her tenure as a Panther.

MAHEDI ISLAM

BASKETBALL

Panthers avenge loss and defeat Braves COHEN KAMAUS

Sports Writer

The UNI men’s basketball team used a hot start on offense and a physical effort on defense to earn a big conference win over Bradley, avenging a late January loss.

“UNI was a better team today,” Bradley head coach Brian Wardle said. “They came out and were real physical with us offensively. We knew what they were going to do defensively, they just exe-

cuted very well.”

The Panthers brought the energy early, getting out to a 12-6 lead at the first media timeout. Five different players scored in the first four minutes of the game. The Panthers kept packing on the lead, shooting 51.7% from the field in the first half. UNI dominated Bradley on the boards 19-13, allowing for little-to-no second chance opportunities.

After 20 minutes of play, the Panthers led the Braves 44-26.

The second half was tough

The Panthers meet for a huddle in the middle of a game.

ELLIE MARMIE

sledding for the Panther offense. After shooting lights out in the first half, UNI made just five field goals in the last 20 minutes, shooting at a 22.7% efficiency. While the Panthers struggled to put the ball in the basket, Bradley’s shooters got hot. An 18-point halftime lead was cut down to just four points with eight minutes remaining in the game. The free-throw line is what kept the Panthers rolling.

Converting on 24-27 attempts and on 88.9% efficiency, pivotal free throws were made down the stretch to distance the Panthers from the Braves in the end.

UNI saw tremendous production out of their bench players. The Panther bench outscored the Braves bench 19-2. Three-point shooting was also an important aspect of the Panthers win, nailing home 10 3-pointers, good enough for 41.7%. Both teams committed 13 turnovers.

Panther center Jacob Hutson led UNI in scoring with 14 points, including going 8-8 from the charity stripe, which was a career high. Hutson brought the intensity all day for the Panthers, drawing multiple fouls on Bradley’s big men.

Bowen Born tacked on 12 points and three steals.

With his 12-point performance, Born surpassed the 1,400 career point threshold, moving into 10th place on the program’s all-time scoring list and passing Robbie Sieverding (1998-2002) with 1,405 points. He also sits two 3-point field goals away from 200 in his career, a milestone only six other UNI players have reached.

UNI junior Tytan Anderson notched a double-double, compiling 10 points and 12 rebounds along with four assists. Nate Heise added 11 points including three long balls. While his stat line might not be eye-popping, freshman RJ Taylor provided quality minutes for the Panthers.

Taylor committed zero turnovers as the primary ball handler and provided excellent defense on an experienced Bradley backcourt. Trey Campbell and Landon Wolf had eight points a piece.

For Bradley, junior guard Connor Hickman led the way with 22 points, including multiple second-half threes that were banked in. Malevy Leons contributed 16 points and five boards and 5’8” guard Duke Deen finished with 11 points.

Darius Hannah added 10 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes of action.

This win was UNI’s first

victory over Bradley since Feb. 2, 2022, snapping a fourgame losing streak against the Braves. The win also pulled UNI within a game of tying the all-time series record against the Braves. Bradley currently owns the series lead over UNI at 38-37.

Looking ahead, the Panthers only have four regular season games remaining.

All four games are conference opponents. UNI will take on the Illinois State Redbirds on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game can be watched on ESPN2 and listened to on the Panther Sports Radio Network. The Panthers come back home for an in-state rivalry game vs. the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 24. Drake sits atop of the Missouri Valley Conference with a 22-5 record with hopes of getting into the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

Valparaiso comes to town on Feb 27., a team the Panthers defeated on Valentine’s Day 86-67. To close out the season, the Panthers head east to play Southern Illinois in a game that will likely have conference tournament seeding implications. The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament takes place March 7-10 in St. Louis.

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CADEN SHEA

SPORTS FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

OPINION

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Sports Editor

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

Conference Realignment will have dire consequences MICHAEL SPAHN

Sports Writer

Picture this: You’re a member of Penn State’s basketball team and you just finished up a road game against UCLA on a Wednesday night. The game gets done around 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time. You do your postgame interviews, shower, grab something to eat and eventually board the plane at around 10:30 p.m.

The plane leaves by 11:00 p.m. and you sit on a five-hour flight only to get back to campus at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

This is one of the many geographical concerns that the Big 10’s new conference realignment will face for a variety of different sports. This past summer it was announced that UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington would be joining the Big 10 conference.

One of the main reasons being money. The Big 10 is one of the most popular conferences in college football which is enticing to popular athletic schools.

Not to mention their schools’ former conference (The Pac-12) television deal is expiring, which means they won’t have to pay a

The Power 5 will turn into the Power 4 with the removal of the Pac-12.

fee for leaving.

The timing makes sense, but you can’t help but think about the amount of traveling schools will have to do. The team that’s furthest east in the Big 10 is Rutgers, which is around a five-hour flight from each of the new West Coast teams joining the conference.

The same situation is going down in a different conference, as Stanford and California will be joining the ACC, which is a predominantly East Coast conference. A flight from Syracuse, New York to California is around 5-6 hours.

COURTESY/GALIN EDUCATION

The whole thing just seems unreasonable when the geographic conference structure was perfectly set up.

When one school leaves a conference, it also puts other schools in a panic to make sure they have a place to play for the future. Schools like BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF all got promoted from their mid-major conference to take the places of Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado also had to join due to the PAC-12’s dismantling. Unfortunately for schools like Washington State and Oregon State, they have to become affiliate members of the West Coast Conference, which is Mid-Major. When one domino fell it immediately impacted many other schools throughout America.

Throughout the entirety of college athletics, conferences have been based on proximity between other schools. The SEC had teams in the South, The Big 10 had the Midwest, the ACC had the East Coast, the Big 12 had states in the central part of the country and the PAC-12 had the West Coast. Combined, these schools are considered “The Power 5” and the highest form of Division 1 athletics. It will now be known as “The Power 4” as the PAC-12, which is known as “the conference of champions”, will no longer be a conference.

It’s unfortunate for the fans of collegiate sports that grew up and have known this conference structure of Division 1 athletics who now have to adapt to an entirely new playing field.

In this day and age, schools could care less about how far they have to travel to play a game.

They want to do what’s going to make them the most money and give them a chance to be competitive, which you can’t blame them for. For example, Texas and Oklahoma are joining the SEC, which is one of the most popular conferences up there with the Big 10. It would be stupid for both of those teams not to take an offer to be a part of a historic conference like that. However, when West Coast teams decide to migrate over to a Midwest or East Coast conference it complicates things.

We will get to see exciting new matchups that we normally wouldn’t see. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington all provide solid football and basketball programs to accompany the many already good programs in the Big 10. Texas and Alabama brought us two very good matchups the past couple years, and I’m sure people will not complain about seeing more games between them. In the end, everyone will likely get used to it in a couple years, but geographically for the many students and coaches competing the whole thing is a mess.

OPINION

The NBA All-Star Game needs to change BRADEN ELTON

Sports Writer

The NBA All-Star festivities are now over and it’s time to reflect on the entertainment us viewers at home watched, specifically the All-Star Game.

Before diving into the game itself, it is important to note that the NBA decided to revert back to their old All-Star Game formats for this year’s event held in Indianapolis, Ind. Instead of having two individuals be

COURTESY/CNN

Damian Lillard (Right) and Steph Curry (Left) battle out in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

captains and select a team, the two divisions were split up between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. This is the first time using this format since 2017.

The Eastern Conference ended victorious, winning the game 211-186. Setting multiple records along the way. The East’s point total was the highest ever, surpassing the 196 points scored by the Western All-Stars in 2016, while the combined total of 397 cleared the previous record of 374 set in 2017. The Eastern AllStars also made a total of 42 3-pointers to beat the record of 35 that was set in 2019.

“Everybody was asking what the record was,” Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard said. “We found out and went after it.”

With all of that said, there was a clear lack of defense played in the All-Star Game which is understandable when thinking about the players’ health. To the players, this is supposed to be a

week off and used as enjoyment or relaxation.

That leaves us, the viewers at home, wondering what we can do to make the AllStar Game more entertaining and competitive. Surely we don’t want to see uncontested threes and wide-open layups every single year, so what can be done?

In order to get the AllStars to take the game more seriously, there needs to be incentives for them. One example is to have the winner of the East and West matchup to have home game advantage during the NBA Finals. It would make winning the game have meaning besides the bragging rights of hitting more shots on no defense.

Another idea is to have the winning teams’ players receive money for winning the game, and I’m not talking something like $50,000, I mean the players should get one to two million dollars. Yes, they are already millionaires, and yes, there would be the question of

where that money comes from, but that is irrelevant right now. The current issue is making the game have higher implications for the players, and more enjoyable for the viewers at home.

The NBA has already taken the right steps towards making the events such as skills challenge, 3-point contest and dunk contest more fun to watch with the addition of the Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-point battle.

Unfortunately, with how the current All-Star Game looks, it would not be surprising to see it be removed completely. It would be a long and difficult question within the NBA as an organization, but the number one thing for them is the players’ health. If the players themselves don’t wish to try in what’s known as the best pick-up basketball game in the world during All-Star break, why even have it?

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CADEN SHEA

SPORTS

Sports Editor

FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

FEATURE

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VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

Heise stays hustling BRODY LOVELL

Sports Writer

Currently sitting at fourth in the conference with four games left of the regular season, the Panthers have dealt with much adversity throughout the year, with their current standing being hard-earned. However, there have been many signs of promise despite the struggles of the season, with the most notable being the breakout year of Panther sophomore Nate Heise.

Growing up under two former college basketball players in Lake City, Minn., Heise was a born competitor with his two siblings.

His sister, Taylor, was a college hockey star for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, as well as the first overall pick in the 2022 PWHL Draft. His younger brother, Ryan, followed the steps of his parents and brother, currently playing basketball for Upper Iowa University.

“It was a competitive atmosphere throughout my whole upbringing,” Heise said about his childhood.

Though athletics was not forced onto him and his siblings, the collective drive they had to be great athletes

and enjoy sports was evident from the beginning.

“You weren’t forced to do however many sports, you just wanted to,” Heise said.

His parents, Tony and Amy, provided different approaches to the Heise bunch as they were growing up, a sentiment many athletes know all too well.

“My mom was big on how you act and school …my dad (focused on) competition,” Heise said. “For some kids, they can take it the wrong way but it worked out for me and my siblings.”

The proof of the Heise family’s success is self-evident, as every child has competed at the collegiate level.

Nate Heise gives a lot of credit today to his older sister, Taylor, as he picked up many habits from her.

“She always wrote down her goals,” Heise said about Taylor. “The biggest thing I learned from her was the approach, mentality and work ethic she had. Even now there’s a lot to learn from her.”

When it came time for Heise to settle on a school to play on the next level, it was the University of Northern Iowa that gave him his first Division 1 offer.

Nate Heise hits a shot from behind the arc in front of a hometown crowd.

“In my mind, it was mostly D2,” Heise said about his recruiting experience.

For Heise, location played an important role. With UNI only being two and a half hours away, it made his decision much easier for him.

“If I had gotten a division 1 offer from someplace in California, I probably would have gone D2,” Heise said. “(UNI) had a hometown feel and everything I looked for.”

When finally arriving on campus in 2020, Heise was thrown into play for the Panthers right away. He would refer to himself as a “role player” in his first two seasons, not being the star of the game but a player who helped the team run efficiently.

“In a program like this you work your way up,” Heise said. “The biggest change has been the mentality and confidence.”

The change for Heise came from the transition of being a role player to a guy the team counts on to take shots, a big mentality change from the latter. However, Heise knew last year that he had paid his dues and earned his opportunity to have a massive impact on the game.

Unfortunately for Heise,

his 2022-23 campaign would be cut short due to a hand injury sustained in the second game of the year. With intentions of playing a bigger role that year, Heise was stuck on the sideline, having to watch the rest of his team play without him.

However, Heise made good use of his time on the injury list, being able to see the game from a different perspective and realigning his goals and motivations.

“I learned more in that one year than any year prior,” Heise said. “Going into this year I was way more prepared.”

Even though he had high expectations for last year, he spent his time reflecting on how he wanted to approach the game whenever he was able to get back into it. Having to play a lot during his first two years, Heise was grateful for getting the chance to sit back and refocus.

That change in mindset has worked out for Heise this season, as he is currently the Panthers leader in the scoring, assist and blocking categories, as well as playing the most minutes per game on the team.

With the conference tour-

ELLIE MARMIE

nament just around the corner, Heise understands what the Panthers have to get done for them to win a conference championship and an NCAA tournament bid.

“As a mid-major team, you lose 4-5 games your at-large (bid) is done,” Heise said. “You focus entirely on the conference tournament.”

For Heise and the rest of the Panthers, they know the time is now to get their shot.

“We’ve struggled with consistency,” Heise said about the Panthers. “Our offense is good, we have to count on our defense more.”

For the Panthers to win the conference tournament, consistency is key, as they will have to win three games in a row against the best in the conference to take home the hardware.

“You have to be playing your best basketball at the end of the year­­­­­– that’s the main focus,” Heise said.

Though the season had brought on challenges for the Panthers, they understood mentally they had the capabilities of winning it all.

“If we play at our best, we know we can win the conference tournament,” Heise said. “As long as you know you can, that’s really all you need.”

As the MVC tournament kicks off at the end of the month, Heise and the Panthers will attempt to make their statement in St. Louis.

Heise still has two more years remaining of eligibility at Northern Iowa and plans to play basketball as long as he can. Over the next couple of years, he will get his master’s degree in supply chain management, with hopes of playing basketball overseas once his college career concludes. Hopeful landing spots for him include Spain, Greece,or Italy.

“Go with the flow” is Heise’s mentality for the foreseeable future. After dealing with injury and the typical struggles of Division 1 athletics, Heise is grateful he still gets to play the sport he loves and hopes to continue doing so far in the future.

“You’re not gonna realize how much you accomplished until after the fact,” Heise said.

One day, perhaps he will finally get the opportunity to reflect on the stellar career he has already demonstrated.

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CLASSIFIEDS FEBRUARY 21, 2024 |

CROSSWORD

Across 1 Surge of adrenaline 5 Regent's order 10 Mil. branch with wings 14 Tactical political research, for short 15 Birthplace of pesto 16 Issue at the ATM 17 *Critical juncture 20 [New paragraph] 21 "Handling that now!"

22 Take to the sky 25 Friend __ friend 26 Midnight to midnight 27 *Record 32 Not just some 33 Kitchen scale button 34 Frangipani garlands 36 Water taxi 38 Longtime "One Life to Live" actress Renée __ Goldsberry 40 Red sign above a door 42 Mantis quintet 44 Literary magazine contributor, perhaps 45 Status update fig.

46 *Online discussion site 50 Fellow 52 Tres menos dos 53 As appropriate

54 Garden container?

56 Isaac of "Dune" 60 Reversal in luck, and what can be found in the answers to the starred clues 65 Show up 66 Record company 67 God who took a bow 68 Half of all blackjacks 69 Did half of a biathlon 70 "Seasons of Love" musical Down 1 Tire swing line 2 Right after 3 Doner kebab rod 4 "No fooling!"

5 Boosting target 6 Dict. entry 7 Airbnb alternative 8 Soft murmur 9 Trade hindrance 10 Biblical preposition 11 Audio engineer's equipment 12 Heart duo 13 Rihanna's fashion brand 18 Slangy britches 19 "Inbox zero" killer 23 Collezione della galleria 24 Expert

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 120, ISSUE 21

SUDOKU

25 Top rank in a tournament 27 __ franc 28 Plant with lace and soap varieties 29 Qualifying contest, perhaps 30 Star-studded hunter 31 Name sewn onto somejeans pockets 35 In __: unmoved 37 Number of Canadian provinces 39 Caesar's rebuke 41 Edinburgh topper 43 Wounded by a jellyfish 47 Marx collaborator 48 __ de Mayo: Christmas orchid 49 Raw bar offering 50 Muslim holy site 51 __ committee 55 Spanish model Sastre 57 Medical research objective 58 Quote book abbr.

59 Have a nap 61 Tree on the Connecticut quarter 62 CBS crime drama 63 Service charge 64 Played out

SOPHIE HOFFMEIER Managing Editor

ANSWERS