03-06-24

OPINION

Opinion Columnist Caden Shea weighs in on the court storming craze.

SEE PAGE 5

How LGBTQ+ students navigate campus amidst slurs, state legislation and hate crimes

MALLORY

Editor’s note: This article discusses violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

CAMPUS LIFE

A behind the scenes look at how the Panther Pantry is run.

SEE PAGE 6

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Maucker Union sits a hidden message board. In an alcove, a wooden bench and a nearby concrete pillar and brick wall have been decorated with over a decade of small graffiti messages. Sharpie markers have left notes like “Life’s too short, be happy,” “The world is YOURS,” “Class of ’14” and countless signatures from past and present students.

A few weeks ago, sophomore student Sam, whose name has been changed for anonymity, added their own message to the bench. They wrote “Trans rights” in capital letters using a marker on the wooden back of the bench, intending to leave a positive message.

 See LGBTQ+ INCIDENTS, page 2

SEE PAGE 11

Arestegui brings business full circle on the Hill

TAYLOR NOHRENBERG Staff Writer

Anyone who knows Itzury “Zuri” Arestegui would say she’s a determined woman, but to her, she’s beginning a journey toward something she never thought was possible.

College Hill is seeing that dream come to life with the addition of Zury’s Taco Bar, located in the old iconic Other Place (OP) building at 2214 College Street. The OP closed back on Dec. 1, 2021, and has since left the building vacant for two years.

Zury and her restaurant team of around 20 plan to bring Latin American cuisine on Friday, March 8, to locals who not that long ago tasted meals from her food truck, “Zury’s Cuisine & Tacos,” that could be found most nights at the corner of Bani’s Liquor and Vape Shop.

“I am very familiar with the community,” she said.

“Last year, I had an idea to get my own food truck, my own business… I started coming every weekend, and people liked it. People asked for location, location.”

Arestegui has lived in the Cedar Valley for around 12 years and has formed deep

connections with her customers over the years from both the food truck and her seven years of experience in the food industry. The single mom of two from Michoacán, Mexico didn’t know much about owning a business that wasn’t

a food truck, just that she had the talent to provide her cooking to the community.

“While I thought the food truck was a good idea, I didn’t imagine how many challenges there were with a food truck,” she said.

Arestegui happened upon the building for lease almost by chance.

“One day I was walking, I saw a person putting up the signs, and I thought ‘You know, it’s for rent,’ but I don’t have money for this adventure, just my food truck,” she said.

With recipes infused with tastes from Guatemala, Peru and Columbia carried down from her family and a passion to provide a sense of home and community, she sought out the expertise and financial support from her business partners, Rafael Delgado, Yenifer Hernandez and Gerardo Delgado, to start her business journey.

 See ZURY’S TACOS, page 3

SPORTS Panthers secure the No. 4 seed in the MVC after a win over Southern Illinois

MALLORY SCHMITZ

TAYLOR NOHRENBERG

Zury’s Taco Bar will be bringing Latin American cuisine to College Hill. Its owner, Itzury Arestegui, operated a food truck typically found at the corner of Bani’s Liquor and Vape Shop before establishing the new restaurant in the old Other Place building.

continued from page 1

Lines were scratched into the wood bench, crossing out the message.

Directly below it, the perpetrator engraved a homophobic slur with the abbreviation “KYS,” meaning “kill yourself.”

“You don’t know who it could be. It could be the person you’re sitting next to in class and you don’t even realize it … You can’t know and, to a certain extent, that leads to a certain sense of paranoia,” they said.

I do hold (legislators) responsible to an extent for perpetuating a culture like this and in either encouraging it or being indifferent to it.

For Sam, the incident is just part of life. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community from a conservative area, they’ve grown fairly accustomed to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments over time.

Sam LGBTQ+ student

Other students have reported experiencing similar more subtle messages of hate. Junior Blue, whose name has also been changed for anonymity, recalls how his freshman year, he had several LGBTQ+ pride themed items stolen from the bulletin board on the outside of his room in Noehren Hall. Students are encouraged to decorate the boards on their doors as a way to express themselves and get to know the fellow students in their hall.

“It isn’t exactly an uplifting message, but it is what it is,” they said. “Unfortunately, you sort of get used to it after a while.”

However, Sam still feels the fear of not knowing who scratched the slur into the bench.

The first item stolen was a canvas Blue had painted rainbow colors on and placed on the outside of his door.

“I was pretty sad about it, because I didn’t think that it would happen,” he said. “I felt pretty safe, but after it happened, I felt more unsafe. And

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MALLORY SCHMITZ News Editor schmimbt@uni.edu

BAILEY KLINKHAMMER

Campus Life Editor klinkbaa@uni.edu

I was like, “Oh, so there’s people on this floor who don’t agree with me and who I am, enough to steal it off someone’s door so deliberately … I was very uncomfortable.”

Blue said that he reported the incident to his RA, who notified the Residence Life Coordinator (RLC) of the building. Both the RA and RCL came to his door to talk about available resources, and an email was sent to his floor asking people to not steal from people’s door boards.

A few weeks later, Blue redecorated his door, this time with various LGBTQ+ pride flags that he made out of felt. Once again, shortly after he put them up, the flags were stolen from the door. Blue noted that none of his other art or decorations were taken, only the items that were queer themed.

He again reported the incident to his RA and the RLC, who took a similar plan of action as the first time: having a conversation about available resources and sending another email to the floor.

After the two incidents, Blue stopped putting anything LGBTQ+ related on his door, and the thefts stopped. However, he said he wasn’t alone on the floor. Another friend of his had a sign that said “Queer” taken from their door as well.

According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, from 2021-2022, hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased nationwide from 1,711 to 1,947, a 13.8% jump. The number of gender identity-based hate crimes increased from 353 to 469, a 32.9% jump.

The advocacy group One Iowa Action identifies 29 antiLGBTQ+ bills that were introduced in the Iowa legislature in 2023, all bills that, according to their website, either directly target LGBTQ+ Iowans, will primarily affect LGBTQ+ Iowans or were created as a response to misinformation about LGBTQ+ Iowans. Those bills include SSB 1197/HSB 214, which bans all gender affirming care for minors, and SF 496, which prohibits instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in schools K-6 grade.

The Iowa House also passed HF 2558 on Feb. 29. This bill

includes the removal of unnecessary Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices from public universities in Iowa. Gender and sexuality services fall under DEI.

Sam believes that the recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state has a significant impact on the way students are treated at UNI and beyond.

“I definitely feel it encourages acts like this. It definitely feeds the fire because people see, oh, if x law gets passed, then I don’t have to worry about the consequences … It sends a message not just to here, but the whole state of Iowa, that you don’t have to be afraid to say all these absolutely cruel and heinous things to people,” they said.

“The Iowa legislators who are pushing the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion, I do blame them in part responsible for this,” Sam said, “Whether they’re intentionally and maliciously pushing it, or if they’re just following partisan lines, I do hold them responsible to an extent for perpetuating a culture like this and in either encouraging it or be being indifferent to it.”

Blue echoed their statements.

“People are talking about it more, so you get to hear good and bad … And then you actually see just how many people are super bigoted. I think that it is bringing out more people to

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talk about it in a bad way, just because they’re more inclined to if it’s in the news,” he said.

“It’s just really tiring, and I just can’t get into it anymore because everybody’s arguing, and it just drains me,” Blue said.

According to the 2023 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report published by UNI Public Safety, there was one hate crime reported in 2022 — an on campus residential larceny characterized by gender identity.

UNI Chief of Police Helen Haire noted that the definitions of hate crimes differ based on state or federal standards. The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is published following Clery Act guidelines, which use federal standards. The federal categories of bias are gender, race, religion, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation and disability.

Section 729A.2 of the Iowa Code lists slightly different categories of bias: “the person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability,” or the person’s association with another person of those qualities.

Gender identity is not included as a bias that can be the basis for a hate crime in the Iowa Code.

 See LGBTQ+ INCIDENTS, page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters must be less than 300 words in length and are subject to editing. Not all submissions will be printed. Send submissions to northern-iowan@uni.edu.

SEND US STORY IDEAS

Tell us what’s happening on campus. Email submissions to northern-iowan@uni.edu.

JACOB KURT

Just over a week ago, a post to the anonymous social media platform Yik Yak showed that a homophobic slur had been engraved into a bench in Maucker Union. The Northern Iowan obtained its own photos of the vandalism, but elected to not publish them to abide with its editorial standards.

JACOB KURT

MALLORY

L011 Maucker Union Cedar Falls, IA 50614 www.northerniowan.com northern-iowan@uni.edu 319.273.2157

ZURY’S TACOS

continued from page 1

After talking with her brother and family members about the opportunity she had, it was a done deal. The food truck that started it all was sold in the fall and that money has gone to making the new restaurant feel more like Zury’s.

I think your soul chooses your place, I never thought I would end up here ... I want to acheive the community’s expectations.

Itzury Arestegui Zury’s Taco Bar Owner

“Now it’s Zury’s place and not Zury’s on the corner,” she said, laughing at the memory.

One of her business partners, Yenifer Hernandez, wanted to branch out into the restaurant business, and Arestegui presented her with just that opportunity.

“It’s a dream come true,” she said during an interview with the Northern Iowan interpreted by UNI student Jason Feliciano on Wednesday, Feb. 28. “I’ve dreamed about this for a long time, and it was a blessing to meet someone that’s on the same path as me.

LGBTQ+ INCIDENTS

continued from page 2

There are also certain specifications for what type of crime can be considered a hate crime. The Iowa Code defines the crimes as assault, arson or use of explosive devices, criminal mischief and trespassing. The federal standard includes the following: murder/ non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, vandalism, intimidation and simple assault.

Itzury had the same intent of opening a business and had the experience where we were able to contribute financially in a team of like-minded people.”

Hernandez and her husband moved to the United States from Guatemala in 2016 and now live in Cedar Falls managing a roofing company. Hernandez came to the Hill one night in the summer to view the area and said she enjoyed “the setting and the lights.”

ferences can sometimes vary the classification and definition of hate crimes.

“In order for a hate crime to exist, there has to be a crime,” Haire said. “It can be a lot of things. It can be rude. It can be insensitive. It can be obnoxious. It can be hurtful. It can be all of those things, but that doesn’t make it a crime.”

We aren’t going anywhere. We are proud to be ourselves and nobody can take that away from us.

Allie Clark

UNI Proud Director of Public Relations

“There’s a lot of gray in this and that’s why when we get these things reported, we will do our best investigating the incident, but sometimes you just don’t know. Was it somebody who was just truly hateful, or was it somebody just being a jerk?” she said.

Haire said that these dif-

Haire encourages students who experience anything they may consider a hate

“I saw the importance the Hill has for Cedar Falls,” Hernandez said. “Being close to campus may also open up more doors for us too.”

The changes Arestegui and Hernandez made to the space, which can hold around 80 people, give it a more Latin American feel, but the atmosphere alone will be enough for customers wanting to get a taste of Latin culture and a sense of family.

crime to report it to residence life staff if they live on campus, or to report it directly to UNIPD. She said that the slur carved into the Maucker Union bench was not reported to UNIPD.

While navigating the current political climate, students have found spaces of safety and support on campus.

“There are definitely certain clubs where I can walk in and I can know I’m safe,” Sam said. “The best way I can describe it is like having little spots in the pool where you can touch the ground and catch a break, but you have to find those through trial and error.”

One of those groups many students have found comfort in is UNI Proud, a social and LGBTQ+ activism student organization.

“UNI Proud has created such a sense of love and family for me,” said UNI Proud’s director of public relations, Allie Clark. “Seeing familiar faces involved in everything we do, from Dragaganza to our general body meetings,

in the sense that everyone is welcome to come sit, eat and feel safe.

“Everyone knows grandma’s house is open for everybody,” she said. “In a metaphoric way, if you need a place where you need belonging, this is the place.”

Zury’s will be serving specialty tacos and drinks and have music and dancing. Patrons can enjoy street tacos, quesadillas, burritos and more.

College Hill has seen several changes in the past year with businesses: Next Gen Nutrition in the former Dior’s Slushee & Bar; Tales Untold Tattoos in the former Balance Hot Yoga studio; and last summer with Cooper’s Taproom at the former Hydrant Firehouse Grill.

As for the future, Arestegui has big plans: “I hope we can open more places, more locations around here, Iowa, United States, why not?” Arestegui said. “I won’t die without my Michelin Star. I have big dreams.”

An obstacle the team has faced is with language barriers. Some of the staff are bilingual, but most of the kitchen crew primarily speak Spanish and other staff members only speak English. Arestegui said this doesn’t impact the business and is something that everyone on her team is working on before opening day.

To students who may be far from home or who may come from international backgrounds, Arestegui wants to create a “grandma’s house”

makes me feel like much more than a number here at UNI,” they said.

Clark recommended that students facing uncomfortable positions due to their sexual orientation or gender identity take action.

“If you feel uncomfortable, and have the ability to, speak up. Advocate for yourself if it is safe for you to do so. You know yourself best,” they said.

Blue added, “(The university does) little things, like they put condoms in the bathrooms, and that’s sex positive and really good … More smaller scale stuff like that is kind of nice and showing they care at least somewhat. And I think that a lot of professors also care about that sort of thing.”

For Sam, the biggest area of improvement they’d like to see is greater emphasis on the facts behind gender identity and sexual orientation.

“There are absolutely studies showing the effects of LGBT isolation, and I feel so often we focus on respecting the individual for their choic-

“Iowa is very similar to Michoacán,” she said. “I think your soul chooses your place, I never thought I would end up here… I want to achieve the community’s expectations.”

For all things Zury’s Taco Bar, the business can be found on Facebook for menu items, business updates and more.

Editor’s note: The Northern Iowan would like to thank UNIdos and Jason Feliciano for their assistance interpreting during the interviews for this article.

es and how they feel they are, which is a message I completely get behind. I have no problem with that,” they said. “But I feel like there needs to be a balance of also pointing out there are hard facts to all of this. That being queer is not a choice by every scientific standard. It is not a choice, and I think driving home the more factual side of things is something that is very, very important.”

Clark added, “I encourage both the University and the student body to remember that our community will always be here. We aren’t going anywhere. We are proud to be ourselves and nobody can take that away from us.”

Students seeking further information or support can contact UNI Gender and Sexuality Services on the Plaza level of Maucker Union, at lgbt@uni.edu or 319-2735428. Other LGBTQ+ services on campus and in the community can be found at lgbt.uni.edu/proud/resources.

KARINA ORTIZ

Arestegui and her team have made changes to the restaurant’s building to give it a more Latin American feel. She also wants to create a space like “grandma’s house,” where all are welcome.

Arestegui trae sus negocios a un círculo completo en el Hill

Cualquier que conozca a Itzury “Zuri” Arestegui diría que es una mujer dedicada, pero para ella, está comenzando un viaje de algo que nunca pensó que fuera posible.

College Hill está viendo cómo ese sueño se hace realidad con la incorporación de Zury’s Taco Bar, ubicada en el viejo edificio icónico del Other Place (OP por sus siglas en inglés) en 2214 College Street. El OP cerró el primero de diciembre del 2021 y desde entonces el edificio ha estado vacío por dos años.

El viernes, 8 de marzo, Zury y su equipo del restaurante, de casi 20, planean devolver la cocina latinoamericana a la comunidad que hace poco probó la comida de su camión de comida, “Zury’s Cuisine & Tacos ”, que se encontraba muchas noches en la esquina de Bani’s Liquor & Vape Shop.

“Estoy muy familiarizada con la comunidad”, dijo. “El año pasado, tuve la idea de agarrar mi propio camión de comida, mi propio negocio… empecé a venir cada fin de semana y a la gente le gustó. La gente pedía una ubicación, una ubicación”.

Arestegui ha vivido en el Cedar Valley por casi 12 años y ha formado conexiones profundas con sus clientes a través de los años con su camión de comida y siete años de experiencia en la industria alimentaria.

La madre soltera de dos de Michoacán, México no sabía mucho sobre ser dueña de un negocio que no fuera un camión de comida, solo que tenía el talento de proporcionar su comida a la comunidad.

“Aunque pensé que un camión de comida era una buena idea, no me había imaginado cuántas dificultades habría con un camión de comida”, dijo.

Arestegui se encontró con el arrendamiento del edificio casi por casualidad.

“Un dia estaba caminando, y vi a alguien colocar los carteles y pensé: ‘Sabes qué, está de renta’, pero no tengo dinero para esta aventura, solo para mi camión”, ella dijo.

Con recetas impregnadas con sabores de Guatemala, Perú y Colombia heredadas de su familia y con una pasión de proveer un sentido de hogar y comunidad, ella buscó la experiencia y apoyo financiero de sus socios, Rafael Delgado, Yenifer Hernández y Gerardo Delgado, para comenzar su viaje empresarial.

Después de hablar con su hermano y familiares sobre la oportunidad que ella tenía, ese era el fin de la historia. El camión que empezó todo se vendió en el otoño y ese dinero se destinó a hacer que ese lugar se sintiera más como Zury’s.

“Ahora es el lugar de Zury y ya no solo Zury’s en la esquina”, dijo ella, riéndose de la memoria.

Una socia de Zury, Yenifer Hernández, quería expandirse al negocio de restaurantes, y Arestegui le presentó con esa oportunidad.

“Esto es un sueño hecho realidad”, dijo ella durante una entrevista con el Northern Iowan interpretado por el estudiante de UNI, Jason Feliciano, el miércoles 28 de febrero. “He soñado con esto

por mucho tiempo y fue una bendición conocer a alguien que está en el mismo camino que yo misma. Itzury tenía el mismo intento de abrir un negocio y tenía la experiencia donde podríamos contribuir financieramente en un equipo de personas con ideas iguales.

Hernández y su esposo se mudaron a los Estados Unidos de Guatemala en 2016 y ahora viven en Cedar Falls administrando una empresa de techado. Hernández vino al Hill una noche en el verano para ver el lugar y ella dijo que disfrutó “el ambiente y las luces”.

“Vi la importancia que el Hill tiene por Cedar Falls”, dijo Hernández. “Estar cerca al campus también abriría más puertas para nosotros”.

Los cambios que Arestegui y Hernández hicieron al local, que puede acomodar a casi 80 personas, le da un sentido más latinoamericano pero el ambiente solo será suficiente para los clientes que quieran probar la cultura latina y una sensación familiar.

Un obstáculo que el equipo ha enfrentado son las barreras de idioma. Algunos de sus empleados son bilingües,

pero la mayoría de su equipo en la cocina solo hablan español y otros miembros del personal solo hablan inglés. Arestegui dijo que eso no afecta el negocio y es algo que todos en su equipo están mejorando antes del día de la inauguración.

Para los estudiantes que están lejos de casa o que provienen de entornos internacionales, Arestehui quiere crear una “casa de abuelita” con el sentido de que todos serán bienvenidos a sentarse, comer y sentirse seguros.

“Todos saben que la casa de abuela está abierta para todos”, dijo. “En un sentido metafórico, si usted necesita un lugar donde necesita pertenecer, este es el lugar”.

Zury’s servirá tacos de la casa y bebidas y tendrá música y baile. Los patrocinadores pueden disfrutar de tacos callejeros, quesadillas, burritos y más.

College Hill ha visto varios cambios en el último año. Next Gen Nutrition donde antes estuvo Dior’s Slushee & Bar; Tales Untold Tattoos en Balance Hot Yoga Studio; y el verano pasado con Cooper’s Taproom donde antes estuvo

Hydrant Firehouse Grill

Para el futuro, Arestegui tiene planes grandes: “Espero que podamos abrir más locales alrededor en Iowa, los Estados Unidos, ¿por qué no?” dijo Arestegui. “No me moriré sin mi Estrella Michelín. Tengo sueños grandes”.

“Iowa es muy similar a Michoacán”, dijo ella. “Yo pienso que tu alma elige tu lugar, yo nunca pensé que terminara aquí… Quiero alcanzar las expectativas de la comunidad”.

Para más información sobre Zury’s Taco Bar, puedes encontrar el negocio en Facebook con elementos del menú, actualizaciones comerciales y más.

TAYLOR NOHRENBERG Escritora

GILBERTO DE LA CRUZ Traductor

TAYLOR NOHRENBERG

Zury’s Taco Bar traerá comida latinoamericana al Hill en las siguientes semanas.

Court storming sparks whirlwind debate

CADEN SHEA Opinion Columnist

Storming the court is something that every college student should experience once in their life. After a ginormous win, people’s first instinct is to jump onto the court and celebrate with the team. The crowd that willed the team to a victory gets to join in on the thrill of winning with the team on the court. However, there have been many incidents in the last couple of months that have made people reconsider whether or not crowd storming should still be allowed.

Iowa Hawkeye basketball legend Caitlin Clark was taken out by a charging fan during a loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. That was the first incident which caused people to reconsider the court storming phenomenon. She was temporarily injured due to the impact caused by the fan and caused an uproar in the sports community. People

talked about it for a while and then quickly forgot about it; a theme that is often repeated in sports media. The silence was broken when Duke Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski was trucked

during the crowd storming by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons fans after they upset the No. 8 team on Saturday. Filipowski could barely walk as he limped off the court to the locker room. This sent the

sports world into an absolute frenzy. People started comparing Filipowski to Clark and called for court storming to be banned altogether.

Court storming has been a college tradition for a long

time. Fans enjoy it and it is something that possesses an energy unlike anything else. Unfortunately, if nothing changes, it would be in the best interest of the NCAA to officially ban it. It is a fun activity, but it is not something that should interfere with anyone’s health. Storming the court is something that should be reserved exclusively for major games. Teams that have been historically good should not rush the court because of a minor upset over a non-conference team. Even for big rivalries, court stormings should be sparse. The phrase “act like you’ve been there before” has been thrown around lately and it is true. If you are a fan of a team, don’t put people’s lives at risk. Part of enjoying sports is allowing the athletes playing to stay healthy. If people can’t figure out how to storm the court without injuring athletes, it might be time to hang the tradition up for good.

2024 Presidential election: No. 14 vs. No. 45

STEVE CORBIN Guest Columnist

Editor’s Note: Steve Corbin is a professor emeritus of marketing at the University of Northern Iowa.

Conventional wisdom, winessed by talking to your next door neighbors, friends and even strangers, reveals contemporary American politics is deeply polarized. Rachel Kleinfeld of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace notes “Some scholars claim that Americans are so polarized they are on the brink of civil war.”

The Jan. 6 US Capitol insurrection and ensuing lawsuits prove that a political civil war already exists. The headline of an op-ed in The Washington Post, authored by Francis Wilkinson, a US politics and policy expert, sounds a clarion bell: The only US “Civil War” will be a war on democracy.

These alarms are nothing new. Research by the American Political Science Association (APSA) notes divisiveness started in the US Senate in the mid-1950s and in the House of Representatives around the mid-1970s. The most likely Democratic and Republican presidential candidates are not liked by 60-70 percent of the voters. Both presumptive candidates are referencing the Nov. 5 election as a democracy versus authoritarian dictatorship decision point.

As of January, a Gallup poll noted 43 percent of voters consider themselves independent and the Republicans and Democrats equally divide the remaining population. Odds are the GOP lemmings will vote –regardless of research and legal findings –for Trump and the Democratic Party conformists will vote for Biden. The independents, who do their research, will determine who will lead America for the next four years.

difficult – if not impossible -to decipher truth from fiction.

It’s during turbulent times like these where freethinking citizens seek voting guidance

research findings from specialists who study American presidents for a living that should give voters some compelling guidance:

Odds are also great that political parties will most likely tell their card-carrying members and foes from the “other side” a combination of disinformation, misinformation and propaganda – hoodwinking in orientation -- and a smattering of truth.

Much of the time during political races we’re bombarded with massive and even conflicting information. No matter how hard we try, it’s

and defer to experts’ opinion. Social science experts in political science who belong to APSA along with politically-oriented research scholars, participated in a Nov. 15-Dec. 31, 2023 survey. A cursory review of the research, titled “The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey,” was published in the Los Angeles Times.

Here are the paramount

• Joe Biden was ranked as America’s 14 th greatest president; Donald Trump came in dead last atNo. 45. (FYI: US has had 46 presidents with Grover Cleveland serving as the 22nd and 24th president; researchers count him just once).

• Experts in presidential politics who identified themselves as conservative-oriented and Republican, ranked Biden considerably higher than Trump for presidential effectiveness.

• Mr. Trump was identified – by far – as the most polarizing president, seven spots higher than Mr. Biden.

• Biden was acknowledged as the sixth most under-rated president while Trump came in as the eighth most over-rated president. Research conducted in 2022 by the Siena College Research Institute – revered for their unbiased research and valid findings – corrob-

orates the APSA’s findings. The institute ranked Biden as the 19 th best president and Trump as – again– No. 45.

As the LA Times noted, should a Biden-Trump rematch occur, voters will be in that unique position of knowing how both candidates performed while they were in office to protect and defend America.

Between now and Nov. 5, be independent – like nearly half of the voters – and do your homework like this op-ed presents as an example.

Choose the candidate who you are convinced will demonstrate accepted norms of presidential leadership, keep America as the leader of the free world, preserve our constitutional rights, promote bipartisanship, respect laws of the land and the judicial system, keep our global trade alliances, support our military, stand up against CRINK (i.e., China, Russia, Iran and North Korea) and maintain America as a democracy versus falling into dictatorial-authoritarian control.

What would you be most proud of telling your family 10,15,20 years from now?

That you blindly followed the order of your political party of preference in the 2024 presidential election without thinking twice, didn’t vote or was a freethinking voter who seriously researched the candidates and determined America’s future?

COURTESY/CBS SPORTS

Fans storm the court following Ohio State’s upset win over the Hawkeyes. Caitlin Clark collided with an Ohio state fan in the midst of the storming, calling to question whether storming the court after games should be allowed.

COURTESY/PEXELS

As of January, 43% of voters consider themselves independent, and the Republicans and Democrats equally divide the remaining population.

BAILEY

Behind the shelves of the Panther Pantry

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Executive Editor

Nestled in the basement of Maucker Union is a small room making a big impact on campus. The Panther Pantry, founded in January 2019, offers free food and basic necessities for enrolled students, providing assistance for students who lack access to enough food.

The Pantry is run primarily by student volunteers and two paid undergraduate students. Tienna Trettin, a student volunteer for the Panther Pantry, got involved last semester and said the Pantry is a “crucial” resource for students.

“With the continuous rise in tuition and living expenses, it can be exhausting for students to manage these financial pressures while pursuing their education,” Trettin said. “The Pantry plays a role in alleviating both financial and food-related stress while providing essential support to thousands of students.”

Mari Fox, an undergraduate employed by the Panther Pantry, said students who need to access the Panther Pantry can do so Monday through Thursday from noon to 4:30 p.m. Students will need to bring their student ID or know their ID number to check out their items. For those intimidated about using the Pantry, Fox said a volunteer will be available to answer any questions.

“Our volunteers are all super welcoming, and you’ll quickly get comfortable,” Fox said. “If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask at all.”

Items stocking the shelves of the Pantry include canned fruits and vegetables, soup,

pastas, beans, rice, cereal, personal care items and clean ing supplies. In 2023 alone, the Pantry experienced 1,960 total visits from students, with 11,759 outgoing pounds of food and necessities. In order to track incoming and outgoing necessities, they weigh every item to alleviate waste.

While the Pantry is not intended to be a fully stocked grocery store, it is intended to help “fill the gaps” according to UNI’s associate direc tor of student involvement and advisor for the Panther Pantry, Connie Hansen. She also said tracking the items is a key part of operating the Pantry.

“We always think about how we can be good stewards of our products, so we’re not throwing them out,” Hansen said. “It helps us be better stewards of what we need to insource into the pantry.”

While the Pantry receives some funding from the university, they heavily rely on donations from the community. Hansen said they often receive donations from student organizations who host food drives, and also get donations from community organizations and private donors.

Beyond donations, the Pantry also buys items from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank for nineteen cents a pound, or at a discounted rate. Rhonda McBride, the program development manager for the food bank said

collaborating with the Pantry has been rewarding for the organization.

“We really wanted to make an impact, especially on campus,” McBride said. “We know that college students especially seem to be an underrepresented population to get some services. We want to make sure that everyone throughout northeast Iowa has good access to food.”

McBride went on to say providing food on campus is crucial for student success.

“We don’t want hunger to become a challenge that is going to cause problems. When you’re hungry, you’re going to be worrying about how to get food instead of how to get ready for an exam,” McBride said. “We just want people to know that there’s no shame in it. The Pantry is there for a reason.”

For additional necessities that donations or the food bank cannot fulfill, volunteers will purchase items in bulk at the Dollar Tree or Sam’s Club. Recently, on one of these Dollar Tree runs, an anonymous woman covered the cost of their items.

“I didn’t even know how to react. I was so shook,” Hansen said. “She just handed us $200. I was so overwhelmed, I felt so incredibly blessed. She didn’t even ask for a ‘thank you’. She probably doesn’t even realize how she’s going to impact students here. It made my heart so full.”

While some students may feel hesitant to use the Pantry, McBride encourages those who need assistance to visit.

“The best thing is to remember that there’s no shame,” McBride said. “The Pantry is there to help individuals, whether it be on a regular basis or once in a while. We’re here to help. Everybody deserves food, and everybody should have access to food.”

The Pantry has been expanding their reach across campus, over the past couple of years, with the goal of reaching more students. According to Trettin, the UNI chapter of National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) has been collaborating with the Panther Pantry for the past couple of years, placing dropoff boxes in residence halls.

“Our organization (NRHH) focuses on two pillars: service and recognition, and working with the Panther Pantry perfectly aligned with this mission,” Trettin said. “So many of my residents have utilized the Pantry and said it has brought them relief. Our advisor, Jordan Rockwell, said that our orga-

We’re here to help. Everybody deserves food, and everybody should have access to food.

Rhonda McBride Program Development Manager Northeast Iowa Food Bank

nization has been collaborating with the Pantry for a few years now and it has been a great success. It has been awesome to see students engage in helping other students and nurturing a culture of service here at UNI.”

Hansen said she thinks the Pantry has become “an important part of the fabric of our campus,” and is here to stay. Looking forward, they are hoping to relocate to a more accessible location from their current spot in the basement of Maucker. They are also wanting to purchase an industrial sized freezer and refrigerator to buy more items in bulk. They are also planning on adding a more accessible drop-off location for donations.

Hansen said she has no doubt the generosity of the UNI community will sustain the Panther Pantry for years to come, and in her 30-year career working for various departments at UNI, leading the Panther Pantry has been a particularly impactful experience.

“I think the Pantry has opened my eyes to unconditional care for students,” Hansen said. “I hope that our students understand there’s a lot of people contributing to make sure their experience here is a good one.”

Hansen continued, “The behind the scenes isn’t always glamorous, but it’s super rewarding. Because at the end, you’re really helping people.”

For Trettin, the Panther Pantry is special due to its inclusive nature, and she encourages anyone interested in volunteering for the Pantry to email advisors Connie Hansen or Josh Farris.

“Regardless of one’s identity, or circumstances, everyone is encouraged to take things from the Pantry,” Trettin said. “Plus, the environment is always welcoming, with a team of compassionate individuals who are committed to making sure no student goes to bed hungry.”

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN

The Panther Pantry offers more than food to students – offering tampons, dental dams, and other hygiene products.

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN

Priscilla v. Elvis, which is better?

CALLEE FAIR Film Critic

Many fans of the Presely’s were not only blessed with one biography picture, but two the last couple years with Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” coming out in 2022 and Sophia Coppola’s “Priscilla” which came out the following year. While the films center around the same last name, the two are in fact very different stories.

“Elvis” tells the story of the late international star about his upbringing, rise to fame, and relationship with his manager Colonel Parker which ultimately led to his downfall. Presley and Parker signed a five year contract to perform at the International Hotel in Las Vegas twice a year for four weeks at a time. Although the singer was hoping to travel and sing to his adoring fans from all over the world, this contract binded him to the States where he performed until his last breath.

Luhrmann’s biopic is flashy and full of color which perfectly embodies the spirit of Presley and the aesthetic that he amplified. The movie never lingered on a shot during fast-paced moments in the film for more than five seconds which gave the audience the feeling of the late singer’s larger-thanlife persona. It felt almost like a collage of Presley’s life played out leading to the heartbreaking end of his life. Surprisingly, this film is told from the perspective of his manager and partner, Colonel Parker, rather than from Presley’s perspective.

This aspect shockingly works as it puts a fresh lens on his life story as well as walking the viewer through the highs and lows of the singer’s crazy career. We are taken on a carnival rollercoaster ride of the Elvis Presley empire throughout the film which is a fresh take in a musical biopic that hasn’t been done before. The fantastical elements Luhrmann usually brings into his films (“The Great Gatsby” and “Romeo + Juliet”) brings the story to life and works hard to convey the amount of power Presley’s name still holds to this day.

While there are many things that did work for this film, there were some disappointing aspects. One being Tom Hanks’s performance as the infamous Colonel Parker, but even bigger than that, all of the glossed over depth of Presley’s complexities not being explored.

“Elvis” is a great watch for going through the singer’s career, the emotions that came with it, the chaos, and is ultimately a ticket to the Elvis everyone knows and loves. However, the only behind-the-scenes aspect explored in this film is his partnership with his manager. While the film does introduce conversation of Presley’s success undermining and ripping off many black artists and his unlawful relationship with Priscilla Presley, it never dwells in the conversation as much as it should, which is why Coppola’s “Priscilla” makes it all the more captivating.

The famous love story of Elvis and Priscilla Presley

has rained for decades ever since the year 1959 when they first met. Looking back at the relationship now, it has stirred up lots of controversy and conversation surrounding Priscilla’s young age of 14 when first meeting Elvis who was 24 at the time. While Luhrmann’s “Elvis” doesn’t explore their relationship too much into detail, Coppola’s “Priscilla” is the heart of it. With Priscilla Presley herself producing the movie, this film explores their relationship from the beginning to the utter chaos through the lens of Priscilla and based on her memoir “Elvis and Me”.

“Priscilla” is the complete opposite of “Elvis’ ‘ through dark aesthetics contrasting with the bright flash -

es Luhrmann gave us. This aspect perfectly captures Priscilla’s uncolorful world without Elvis. The film does a great job of enrapturing an impressionable 14 year old’s interiority with Elvis’s lonesome and innocent state of mind. Jacob Elordi’s rendition of playing the rock-androll king was more than convincing to watch. Although nobody could ever top Austin Butler’s performance as Elvis in the 2022 biopic (which led him a nomination for an Academy Award), Elordi portrays a more complex Elvis, the one we don’t know and love, which adds more layers to the film’s tone.

Cailee Spaeny’s performance as Priscilla was nothing short of stunning. Her ability to capture the nervousness and undying approval of the King with just a fleeting glance is incredible to watch. Spaeny brings Priscilla to life by not coming off as trying to do an impression of the real-life woman, but really studies her and seeps into the feelings of isolation and loneliness. The yearning for Elvis’s love and attention is written all over the film making the audience enclosed in the feeling that nothing will be enough to gain attention from the most famous man in the world, not even the love of his life.

What makes this film so special is because of its boldness in not only capturing the dark side of Elvis, but being fooled by it. Through the lens of Priscilla, we are able to strongly sympathize with both of the characters while also zooming out and looking at their relationship through our culture today

and our view of gender roles within relationships in the 60s era. “Priscilla” dares to open that conversation and does not gloss over the relationship’s problems unlike “Elvis”. Coppola gives the audience access in “Priscilla” to be a fly on the wall in Priscilla’s life through the small things, the longing stares, muted colors, vulnerable tone, and overall set production. Instead of building the film around the story, she builds it around the characters examining the internal components with nuance. She carefully crafted the story by giving shape and definition to the eyes of a young woman whose story has been too often cast aside when discussing the famous singer.

One of the saddest realizations watching “Priscilla” is knowing that they were both birds in gilded cages. Elvis to his stardom, and Priscilla to her love for him. What makes Coppola’s film the better biopic was in fact because of the stripped down truth of the complexities of Elvis Presley making “Elvis” come across as ignorant in that regard. At the end of the day, everyone knows Elvis’s story, and it was beautifully told in Luhrmann’s film. However, no one knows the perspective of Priscilla’s which was the more vital, and interesting story to tell. It is more humanizing, intimate, and adds something to a story sewn together by glamor and flashing lights.

COURTESY/IMDB

“Priscilla” shows more behind the curtains of Elvis Presley’s relationships. Not just with Priscilla, but with his family and daughter, too.

COURTESY/VARIETY

“Elvis” is an emotional watch, for different reasons than “Priscilla”. The two films draw contrasts between the different angles of the relationship.

Bailey

Caitlin Clark immortalized in NCAA history

NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer

Caitlin Clark headed into a big game Sunday against second-ranked Ohio State just 18 points away from breaking the NCAA All-Time Scoring Record that was held by Pete “Pistol Pete” Maravich.

Maravich held the record with 3,667 points and Clark sat at 3,650, meaning she would need at least 17 to tie the record and 18 to beat the record, which seemed like an easy task for her, as she averages 28.3 points a game.

It only took Clark the first half to reach the 18 points she needed to break the record. She achieved the record with two free throws, which resulted from a technical foul called on Ohio State in the game. She ended the game with 35 points and helped lead the Hawkeyes to a win on Senior Day at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

While Clark broke the record on Sunday, many have their opinions about the record being broken. Maravich held the record while there was no three-point line and baskets. Pistol Pete averaged a whopping 44.2 points a game off of field goals made. He also accomplished the record in just three years and not four like it took Clark to do. Many people are saying that

FEATURE

it shouldn’t count for her to break the record because of the circumstances.

She had one more year to do so and also had the threepoint line to her advantage to help her break the record. Nonetheless, it was still a crucial moment for the sports world, drawing in some big celebrities to see it happen. Celebrities such as Travis Scott, Jake from State Farm and Dallas Clark were there to see greatness happen.

This record-breaking event was a big moment in sports history, not only for women’s basketball, but the game of basketball as a whole. Caitlin Clark is setting a great example for young girls in the sport of basketball to never give up and to keep going for your dreams. She’s proven that basketball is much more than just a game and has inspired so many young girls in the world to keep fighting.

She continues to grow the game of basketball while proving to everyone she is unstoppable.

This will be Clark’s last season at Iowa, as she just announced she will be declaring for the WNBA Draft where she will continue to grow the game. The Indiana Fever have the first pick in the draft and many are obviously expecting them to take

Clark as their number one pick, where she will join former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston on the team.

Between this speculation and fans catching on, the Indiana Fever season tickets have more than doubled in price from past seasons. This comes as the anticipation of Clark possibly getting drafted by the team and fans

wanting to stay ahead of the game and make sure they have tickets secured to see her in the season.

Fans will be basking in the last couple weeks that Caitlin will have of her season as a Hawkeye before she takes the next steps in her career. She now sits as the NCAA All-Time Leading Scorer in Division I Men’s

and Women’s Basketball beating out Pete Maravich’s former record.

While people have their own opinions about her breaking the record, one cannot deny the leaps and bounds Clark is taking to help grow the sport for those all around the world.

Iconic ESPN anchor Chris Mortensen passes away at 72

BRADEN ELTON Sports Writer

Chris Mortensen, an award winning reporter for ESPN died at the age of 72 on Sunday morning, Mar. 3. Mortensen reported for the National Football League (NFL) for more than three decades.

Mortensen or, as his friends and colleagues liked to call him, “Mort,” joined the ESPN crew in 1991 and became a loyal contributor to many of the NFL shows on the network as well as ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

Many people, including myself, grew up tuning into his spot on takes for various sports early in the morning before school. Mortensen implemented himself into our day-to-day lives without realizing just how many people he touched on a daily basis.

Mortensen, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in January 2016, stepped away from his role at ESPN last year “to focus on (his) health, family and faith,” he said.

That very same year he won the prestigious Dick McCann Award from the Pro Football Writers of America. The award commends those who have made a long-lasting impact and distinguished contribution to professional football through their coverage. Mortensen also received two Pulitzer Prize nominations in 2016.

In August of that same year he was honored during the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

As reported on ESPN, Adam Schefter, longtime friend and colleague of Mortensen on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” said on social media, “An absolutely devastating day. Mort was one of the greatest reporters in sports history, and an even better man. Sincerest condolences to his family, and all who knew and loved him. So many did. Mort was the very best. He will be forever missed and remembered.”

Hall of Fame quarterback and friend of Mortensen, Peyton Manning, also took to

social media when hearing of the news of his death saying that he was “heartbroken.”

As reported by ESPN, Manning said, “We lost a true legend.” Manning continued in his post stating, “Mort was the best in the business and I cherished our friendship. I trusted him with my announcement to sign with the Broncos and with the news of my retirement. I will miss him dearly and my thoughts and prayers are with Micki & his family. Rest in peace, Mort.”

Though Mortensen is no longer with us, his legacy will last forever. There are thousands of clips on the internet of Mortensen breaking down the best of the NFL, articles online from his prestigious career and a published book he wrote titled, “Playing for Keeps: How One Man Stopped the Mob from Sinking its Hooks into Pro Football.”

He is survived by his wife, Micki, and son, Alex, and all of those that he touched during his time with ESPN.

COURTESY/LOS ANGELES TIMES

Caitlin Clark celebrates as she becomes the leading scorer in NCAA history.

Chris Mortensen is most famous for his time as a NFL reporter as well as his tenure on SportsCenter.

MARCH MADNESS

College basketball year-end awards predictions

COHEN KAMAUS Sports Writer

As the calendar flips from February to March, many people are excited for the upcoming spring break and the warmer weather ahead. For the basketball fanatics, March is home to the greatest sporting event of all time: March Madness.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament always carries so much deserved hype. Die-hard college basketball fans as well as people who have never watched a game in their life come together to watch a 68-team field get cut down to one team. Many of the viewers are watching to monitor their filled out bracket. Men and women of all ages take part in filling out their brackets, trying to accurately predict the winners of each of the 67 games.

The possibility of correctly guessing the winner of every single game is nearly impossible. According to the NCAA, the odds of a perfect bracket can be as low as one in 9.2 quintillion. It must be noted that these odds are if every game was a 50-50 coin flip. So the big question becomes: Who is going to win this year’s tournament? Well, with the use of statistics and other measurables, my job is to narrow down the field and figure out who’s got a chance. Here are five things that I am taking into consideration when filling out my bracket and picking my winner:

Experience matters in March. Every NCAA tournament champion from the past 13 years has consisted of multiple upperclassmen who were an important part of their team’s success. Take a look at last year’s champion, the UConn Huskies. Following

MARCH MADNESS

their championship last year, they had three players depart to the NBA. In 2021, the Baylor Bears’ top three scorers were all either juniors and seniors.

Virginia brought home the title in 2019, a year after being upset by UMBC. They were led by two juniors and a sophomore that would all go pro the following season. Teams that have been there before are less likely be rattled by the bright lights and big crowd.

A first-year head coach has never won a title, and most championship teams have been guided by proven coaches. Kansas’ Bill Self, Kentucky’s John Calipari, and UConn’s Dan Hurley are just some of the many notable coaches in college basketball that have proved to win when it matters. Teams with head coaches that are inexperienced with the Big Dance tend to fall short, so when filling out your bracket, keep that in mind.

March Madness champions always have great point guard play. The point guard is known as the quarterback of the basketball court. A great point guard will elevate the entire offense, especially in big games. With that being said, it’s no surprise that 13 of the last 14 tournament Most Outstanding Player awards have gone to guards. Some notable ones include Tyus Jones for Duke in 2015, Joel Berry II for North Carolina in 2017, and Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo in 2018. Picking a team with good point guard play is always a good idea.

Every champion since 2002 has been top 57 and 37 in KenPom offensive and defensive efficiency going into the tournament. Having a well balanced offensive and defensive team is

incredibly important. Taking a look at this year, six teams make a strong case for this. Houston boasts the nation’s top defense, along with being ranked 17th in adjusted offense. Purdue is ranked 2nd in offense and 22nd in defense while Arizona is 7th and 11th. Returning champion UConn is ranked 4th and 18th. Tennessee and Auburn both have top 16 offenses and defenses.

Schools with large student bodies tend to excel in the tournament. Every school over the past 13 years has had an enrollment of over 10,000 students. It’s no surprise that teams with more students and resources are more successful over the smaller schools. This will help to weed out the schools with less money and infrastructure.

With all this being considered, who’s the right pick? Purdue makes a strong case, led by 2023 National Player of the Year Zach Edey. After earning a 1-seed last year, Purdue was stunned by the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, who became just the second 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed in NCAA history. The other? Virginia in 2018, who eventually went on to win the 2019 National Championship. If you believe in history repeating itself, then Purdue might be the pick for you.

The defending champion UConn Huskies look to go back to back in 2024. Tristen Newton, who played a big role in the national championship team from a year ago, leads the team in points, with 15.2 per game, and assists, with 5.9 per game. Only one team has been able to repeat as champion of the tournament since 1965, with the Florida Gators winning it all in 2006 and 2007. History is definitely not on

the Huskies side, but they have the talent and experience to get it done.

Arizona has posted a strong 2023-24 campaign thus far, as they are in the hunt for a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament. Led by North Carolina transfer Caleb Love, the Wildcats have five players averaging double-figures in points. A 13-4 conference record has put Arizona atop of the Pac-12. The Wildcats played a grueling non-conference schedule, consisting of five ranked opponents, which may prove to be beneficial in the tournament.

Playing in the toughest conference in the nation, Houston has a case to be the favorite heading into the tournament. The Cougars are led by guard L.J. Cryer, who averages 15.2 points per game. While their offense can come to play on any given night, Houston prides itself on the defensive side. Their defense is ranked No. 1 by a wide margin. Their incredibly tough conference makes up for their subpar non-conference schedule. Road wins at Baylor

and BYU show that this team can play with anybody, anywhere. If I had to fill out a bracket at this very moment, they would be my pick to cut down the nets in Glendale.

Teams such as Tennessee, Iowa State, Kansas, Marquette, Duke and North Carolina all deserve recognition and are worthy of being championship picks. The reality of filling out a bracket is that the odds are stacked against you when picking a winner. This year especially, there are so many good teams that have the chance of going all the way. The unpredictability of the tournament is what makes it so special and also so frustrating. My best advice is to have fun with filling out your bracket. This tournament only happens once a year and will be gone before we know it, so make sure to soak it in and enjoy every single game.

The current March Madness layout is perfect as is

ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer

We have officially made it to March and, in the college basketball world, that means let the madness begin. In

both men’s and women’s college basketball, this whole month is going to be crazy. Conference tournaments are coming up, and after that comes the big NCAA tournament that will conclude

in early April. Since 1985, the tournament has included 64 teams, and more recently added four more to see eight teams battle it out for the last four spots. This tournament formatting has been perfect in my eyes, but there have recently been talks of expanding the field to 96 teams. This would be a big mistake.

There are currently 351 schools that make up Division I basketball. With the current format, that means that roughly 18% of teams make it into the tournament. If they were to expand the tournament to 96 teams, this percentage would move up to around 27%. That is a big jump, and I believe that adding more teams would take away from the great accomplishment

that making the tournament is. The composition of the current tournament is as follows: There are 32 automatic qualifiers who won their conference tournament, and then there are 36 at large bids. In last season’s tournament, mid-major teams, like UNI, only accounted for four of these at large bids. It is nearly impossible for these mid-majors to get into the tournament if they do not win their conference tournament. This would not change with an expanded tournament. We would likely just see more of the schools from power conferences getting the extra bids, while the mid-majors might get just a few more.

Those additional 28 teams, would mostly be

coming from big name teams that had mediocre seasons unworthy of an NCAA tournament appearance. By allowing these teams in, the tournament begins to lose its luster. It would make you wonder where they might stop. Down the road, they might want to add even more teams to increase the amount of revenue that can be made off of the event.

The tournament has had its current format for so long for a reason, because it works and it is what people enjoy. It is perfect the way that it is, and changing it would begin to diminish one of the greatest events in all of sports.

March Madness is one of the most recognizable events in college sports.

The first tip-off of March Madness is one of the most anticipated events of the college basketball season each year.

Panthers keep up momentum going into Arch Madness

MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Writer

The Northern Iowa men’s basketball team closed out the regular season with a 82-70 win on Sunday against Southern Illinois. The win solidifies the No. 4 seed for the Panthers in the upcoming MVC Tournament.

Bowen Born led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points, which was his best offensive performance this season since Jan. 7 versus Indiana State.

“I just stayed in attack mode on offense,” said Born in a postgame interview. “I haven’t been playing that well as of late, just kept my confidence and my teammates were setting great screens to get me open.”

Born jumpstarted the offense with a jumper to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead 13 seconds in. After a Jacob Hutson block, Southern Illinois regrouped and scored a 3-point basket to take a 3-2 lead.

Leading 4-3 early, Born struck once again this time with a 3-pointer. After a Salukis turnover, Trey Campbell buried a jump shot to give the Panthers a 9-3 lead with 17:36 to go in the half. After two minutes of scoreless basketball, the Salukis cut the lead to 9-6 with a 3-point basket. On their next two offensive possessions, the Salukis struck again with a putback dunk and a two-point hook shot to give them a 10-9 lead.

After multiple possessions for both times ended up at

the free-throw line, Born hit another jump shot to give the Panthers a 14-12 lead with 11:34 to go in the first half. The Salukis regained the lead shortly after with a made freethrow and a putback layup on an offensive rebound.

On the Panthers next offensive possession, Hutson made a 3-pointer to give the Panthers a 17-15 lead. Hutson is starting to add that element to his game, as he’s made six 3-pointers over the last three games. He only had one made three all season before that.

The Panthers offense continued to make noise with made jump shots by Landon Wolf and RJ Taylor to extend the lead to 21-15 with 8:49 to go in the first half.

After a quick 5-0 run by Salukis to cut the Panther lead to one, Campbell silenced the crowd with a 3-pointer. Campbell followed that up with a made jump shot on the next possession to extend the Panther lead to 26-20.

After a two-point basket by the Salukis, Hutson made a layup to extend the Panther lead to 28-22.

With just under two minutes to go in the first half, Southern Illinois cut the Panther lead to 30-29. After a Tytan Anderson made a free throw, the Salukis regained the lead with a 3-pointer to make it 32-31. Panthers forward Anderson responded right away with a 3-pointer to give them a 34-32 lead.

The Salukis tied the game with two made free throws

with a minute to go in the half, as both teams went into the locker room tied at 34-34. After a quick layup by the Salukis to start the second half, Born snatched the lead right back for the Panthers with a 3-pointer to make it 37-36.

Both teams exchanged baskets on their following possessions which included a made layup by Hutson. On the Panthers next possession, Born drew a foul beyond the threepoint line and was awarded three free throws. Born made all three shots to give the Panthers a 42-38 lead with 18:06 to go in the game.

The Panthers offense proceeded to go on a 4-0 scoring run courtesy of a Anderson layup and two made free throws by Campbell to give them a 46-38 lead.

The Salukis offense responded by scoring on back to back possessions, but still trailed 48-41 with 15:16 to go. Approaching the middle of the second half, the Panthers did a good job getting to the line and knocking down free throws. Hutson and Wolf both went 2 for 2 on free throws on back to back offensive possessions to extend the Panthers lead to 52-43.

The Panthers built on that lead with a 6-2 offensive run with two made free throws by Campbell and two point jump shots made by Taylor and Cole Henry to make it 58-45. With the Panthers leading 62-49, The Saluki offense caught fire with back to back 3-point baskets to cut the lead

to 62-55 with 9:10 to go in the game. After two made free throws by the Salukis to cut the lead to five, Michael Duax got the Panthers offense back on track with a layup. On the following possession Nate Heise got to the rim and slammed it home to extend the Panthers lead to 66-57.

Down 68-57 with under seven minutes to go, The Saluki offense fought back with a made layup and a 3-point basket to make it 68-62.

With 5:11 to go, Hutson hit his second 3-pointer of the night to quiet the Salukis run. On the following possession, Hutson struck again to three to put the game out of reach at 74-62 with 3:53 to go.

The Panthers were only 50% from the free-throw line the rest of the game, but it was enough to get the job done, winning the game 82-70.

The Panthers will head to St. Louis this week to get ready for their first game of the MVC Tournament on Friday. Born honed in on how important Sunday’s win going into this week in the postgame:

“Everybody wants to play their best basketball right now, it will definitely be a confidence booster going on the road versus a very good team and getting a win.” The Panthers will play the winner of the Belmont versus Valparaiso game, which takes place on Thursday.

STEPHEN STARK

Bowen Born was the leading scorer with 19 points, his most since Jan. 7.

CROSSWORD

Across

1 Thai cuisine herb

6 Therefore

10 Surrounded by

14 Beyoncé venue

15 Stockings

16 Mauna Loa flow

17 Sure-footed circus performer

20 More intoxicating

21 Hotel patron

22 Pipe bend

23 List of spa services, e.g.

25 Tall instrument with strings and pedals

26 Gridiron position

30 Fiscal execs

32 Sole

33 Source of remote power?

34 Irrelevant

35 Deke

37 Phisher's plan

38 "Law & Order" spinoff, familiarly

39 Big pistachio exporter

40 Carriage

41 Call center worker

45 "It's __ a Minute": NPR podcast hosted by Brittany Luse

46 Iditarod racer

47 Convenience store convenience

50 Small crown

52 Ultimate tool?

54 Web-based group, or a collective descriptor of 17-, 26-, and 41-Across?

58 Money drawer

59 Green sage of film

60 Familia member

SUDOKU

61 Marketplace with handmade gifts

62 Unimprovable place

63 Piece of broccoli or asparagus

Down

1 Soak

2 Redheaded Disney princess

3 George of "Just Shoot Me!"

4 Presented with great resolution

5 "Discover the West Coast Perspective" pub.

6 Sportscaster Gary who called Orioles games from 2007 to 2020

7 Compete in a potato sack race, say

8 Put to work

9 Suture, say

10 Seductive power

11 Come to terms (with)

12 Pulitzer-winning composer Charles

13 Tavern projectile

18 Snorkeling site

19 Tequila source

24 Disconnects

25 Soupçon

26 Half a colon

27 Junior

28 Bread served with saag paneer

29 Salmon ladder spot

30 Beach recess

31 Souvenirs caught at stadiums

34 Taos winter hrs.

35 SAG-AFTRA president Drescher

36 Maize unit

ANSWERS

37 Title for Mo Farah

39 "Just to clarify ... "

40 Ouija users

42 In a spooky way

43 Film composer Danny

44 Glossary entry

47 Tolerate

48 Aquarium fish

49 "Twilight" author Stephenie

50 Nature Conservancy giveaway

51 Still alive for the semis, say

53 Lose one's cool

55 Look at

56 Cape __

57 O'Shaughnessy poem that begins, "We are the music makers, / And we are the dreamers of dreams"