1-27-2022

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

CEDAR FALLS, IA

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 29

OPINION

CAMPUS LIFE

SPORTS

OPINION PAGE 3

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 5

SPORTS PAGE 6

Panthers debate COVID-19 safety.

Students attended the volunteer fair and study abroad fair Wednesday.

UNI men’s and women’s basketball midseason update.

RA Conference comes to UNI Aatnight the LAUREN MCGUILL Staff Writer

This weekend, UNI will be hosting the 31st annual RA Conference on campus. Three hundred RA’s and Residence Life staff will be attending from 36 schools across the midwest. UNI’s Residence Life has had an incredibly busy week preparing for the weekend event and is ecstatic for the return of the conference, as it was cancelled last year due to COVID-19. The chair for the conference this year is Lawther Hall’s RLC (Resident Life Coordinator) Jordan Rockwell, who was an RA when he attended UNI as a student. This year’s conference will be a new experience for many RA’s across the midwest, and

UNI HOUSING AND DINING/Courtesy

James Robilotta, an improv comedian, professional speaker and author will be the keynote speaker at the conference.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA/Courtesy

UNI will host RA’s from 36 schools across the midwest this weekend.

UNI’s Residence Life staff has many exciting events to offer them. Rockwell gave a brief summary of the events planned for this weekend. “The RA conference is a regional conference intended for the development of student staff within the role of a Resident Assistant. The conference has had an immense impact on thousands of RAs across our region, and they in turn have impacted us here on our campus. Sessions include programmatic ideas and more holistic development topics.” Events that will be taking place during the conference include a WRC Night that will have physical games, board games and crafts, a keynote speaker/kickoff, program and

development presentations and a final social night in the Union with various exciting activities, such as inflatables, dancing, crafts and more. Many UNI RAs will be presenting at the conference. “There are a wide variety of programs being offered,” Rockwell said. “There are idea-sharing program presentations associated with crafting, relaxation, destress and wellness topics. There are also more development-orientated presentations related to mental health, marketing yourself after college, diversity and inclusion.” First year RA Hannah Krejci, a sophomore speech pathology major, is looking forward to her first RA conference. “I’m looking forward

listed on their website, so far the organization has worked to plant over 640,000 trees and shrubs and to maintain over 8,000 miles of trails and waterways. The organization is a private nonprofit, and it provides its members far more than just volunteer opportunities. All of the crew members are considered AmeriCorps members, meaning that each person is a service worker or volunteer in the eyes of the government. They receive a living stipend, and much of the work emphasizes training and professional development to set the volun-

teers up for future potential careers in conservation. The program is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minn. but crews have done extensive work in northeastern Iowa for a number of years. The Conservation Corps hopes that establishing a more formal presence in the Cedar Falls area will help them improve area landscapes and habitats much more efficiently. Brad Lathrop is the Eastern Iowa Field Coordinator with the Conservation Corps, and he thinks that this new expansion will serve as an incredibly valuable resource for UNI students. “I think people who

to meeting new people and getting more ideas on programming,” she said. On top of planning the conference itself, Res Life had to make sure they followed certain health standards due to COVID-19 and also be aware of health standards from visiting schools. Even though the conference is back this year, COVID-19 precautions are still a concern. “(COVID-19) has impacted some aspects of the conference such as how we go about providing food, catering to individuals, how we may house individuals on-campus and how we may prepare spaces throughout the conference experience. We have looked to follow along with guidance that has been passed down from our institution,” Rockwell said. Visiting RAs and staff have the choice to stay on-campus where options are spread across campus or hotels in the surrounding area. “I’m most looking forward to seeing all the visiting RAs and UNI RAs getting the opportunity to connect/ share their experiences and have an exciting, memorable weekend. I’ve seen life-long friends and lasting memories be made from this conference and I’m looking forward to that tradition and experience being brought back to our students,” Rockwell said.

opera

UNI Opera to present “Dido and Aeneas” this weekend CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN News Editor

Those looking for a respite from the frigid weather need look no further than UNI Opera’s upcoming performance of “Dido and Aeneas” this Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Gallagher Bluedorn’s Great Hall. Written by composer Henry Purcell around 1688 and performed in English, “Dido and Aeneas” is about one hour long and harkens back to ancient Greek myths and tragedies as it depicts the love of Dido, Queen of Carthage, for the Trojan hero Aeneas, and her misery when he abandons her. Aricson Knoblock plays the character Aeneas, and emphasizes the beginner friendly aspects of the opera. “I definitely think if someone hasn’t seen an opera yet, it’s a good one to start with.”

Convervation Corps expands to Cedar Falls MALLORY SCHMITZ Staff Writer

The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa has recently expanded into the Cedar Falls area, providing hands-on opportunities for young adults drawn to the field of conservation. With the Conservation Corps, teams of 18 to 25-year -old full-time volunteers go out into natural areas of the midwest and actively participate in habitat improvement, invasive species management, and more in order to preserve and improve landscapes. As

See OPERA, page 2

CONSERVATION CORPS/Courtesy

The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa provides hands-on opportunities for young adults interested in conservation.

have spent time in northeast Iowa know that it’s sort of a hidden gem of midwestern

ecology,” he says. See CONSERVATION, page 2


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