1-31-19 by Northern Iowan

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

CEDAR FALLS, IA INSIDE THIS ISSUE Émilie du Châtelet 3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 ‘Film Lounge’ watch party 4

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31 ‘The Upside’ review 5 Super Bowl LIII preview 6

Campus trees succumb to infestation COLBY WEBER Staff Writer

During the fall season, many students appreciate the brilliant colors of the falling leaves at UNI. However, some of the trees that produce such a spectacle are in danger. An insect known as the emerald ash borer has begun spreading in the United States, and UNI’s trees has not been immune. “The emerald ash borer was an issue for campus the moment that it was found in Michigan,” said Brian Hadley, assistant director of campus services. “It has been a waiting game to see how long it would take for it to be found in Iowa. When we were first informed that the pest was in the United States, scientists and practitioners were learning just how devastating it was. After that, our facilities began making plans for how we could manage the coming infestation.” According to Iowa State

University’s Pesticide Safety Education Program’s website, the emerald ash borer originally came from China, where it lives in ash trees without being a hindrance. The trees there were able to adapt to the insect over time so that its presence was not deadly. When it made its way to the United States in 2002, however, the trees here were not prepared for the pest. Because of this, it caused damage to a large number of trees, many of which died due to their infected areas. According to the UNI Facilities Management website, the earliest sighting of the insect near campus was in 2014 within the vicinity of Waterloo. Once the insect was sighted, they began planning in 2015 on how they would respond. The borer was found in the University Avenue vicinity by 2016. As of 2018, they have begun removing infected trees on the south side of campus next to University Avenue

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and Hudson Road. Those on the north side of campus are being treated for the disease, according to a statement from Student Body President

Drew Stensland during an NISG meeting earlier this month. At the moment, ash trees are the only plant affected

by this species. Despite this, fighting back against the insect is difficult. See TREES, page 4

PSO program divides community CECILIA MITCHELL Staff Writer

Seven full-time Cedar Falls f iref ighters, including the 2017 Cedar Falls Firefighter of the Year, have resigned since September of 2018. Citing reasons such as a hostile work environment and safety concerns, these departures have chiefly been in response to Cedar Falls’ Public Safety Officer (PSO) program. In 2005, the city of Cedar Falls implemented a paid on-call program that provided cross-training to staff from various civic departments, enabling them to provide support to police and fire safety efforts as needed. According to a guest essay published in the wWaterloo-Cedar Falls Courier by City Councilmen Frank Darrah and Mark Miller, this initiative “energized staff and generated a sense of teamwork among city staff across departments.” They cited an investigation by local public safety leadership into similarly

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integrated staffing solutions used by other police and fire departments nationwide. Miller and Darrah stated in their joint essay that they found “extremely positive example(s) of the PSO model” and other “creative ‘hybrid’ models” throughout the country. In 2015, the city council

endorsed the implementation of a PSO program in Cedar Falls. While the local police union agreed to participate, the firefighters’ union, Cedar Falls Firef ighter’s Local #1366, turned it down. In the years following, the program’s application has become a divisive

issue among civil servants and fire crews, with the community starting to take notice. “Firefighters hold a special place in my heart, as I have a history of firefighting in my family,” explained Annemarie Goldhorn, a graduate student in social work. “My grandfather and

uncle were both career firefighters and my dad served as a volunteer firefighter my entire childhood. I remember the level of training that was needed to keep our community safe. It is because of this knowledge what is happening in Cedar Falls is worrisome and scary to me.” Proponents of the PSO model argue that this system allows more personnel to respond to emergencies than ever before, at lower operating costs for the city. In the Public Safety Services’ recent “Accomplishments and Goals” report, the first accomplishment listed reads: “The number of public safety officers (PSOs) reached over 30 in 2018. This number combined with the fulltime firefighters means over 60 available for calls… We have had many instances of 14 or more trained firefighters responding immediately to the scene and more upon callbacks. This has never happened before in the history of the Fire Department.” See PSO, page 2

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JANUARY 31, 2019 | continued from page 1 However, a pinned post from Nov. 2, 2018, on Cedar Falls Firefighter’s Local #1366’s Facebook page shows a different side to the story. It features a video captioned, “No matter how many people Mayor and City Council say we have trained as PSOs, it doesn’t matter if they don’t show up for a fire or other emergency.” The video shows understaffed firefighters, unable to enter the raging flames without enough support, repeatedly asking when the PSOs will come help. Without enough emergency response and uncertainty as to where the PSO staff even is, the house is shown at the end having burnt to the ground with the words, “Where were the PSOs?” Over the past five months, seven full-time firefighters have left their positions in Cedar Falls to seek full-time employment elsewhere. Many have cited safety concerns with PSO staff taking on the dangerous task of fighting fires. Within a week of 2017

PSO PROGRAM

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Cedar Falls Firefighter of the Year Dusty Stotler leaving the force, former Cedar Falls firefighter Jeff Haler expressed his and his former disgruntled colleagues’ views in a public resignation from the department. “Firefighting requires training and dedication, and I do not think the PSO’s can commit enough to be highly trained firefighters,” Haler wrote. “I believe the attitude of the city towards the dedicated firefighters has deteriorated. I also feel that the city does not care if any are firefighters are injured, or heaven forbid, killed in the line of duty… Due to the hostile work environment, the firefighters are forced to endure; it is becoming too stressful in an already stressful job.” Haler’s last day was on Jan. 18. He had been with the Cedar Falls fire and rescue since 1999. The Fall 2018 edition of the City of Cedar Falls’ quarterly newsletter, “Currents,” defends the PSO model. It describes Cedar Falls’ 21 PSOs as having “assumed their rightful positions as fully cross-trained firefighter police officers.”

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The newsletter condemns the criticism of the model by fire union representatives, stating that “their elitist attitude is insulting.” “Currents” also informs that 18 more PSOs will be joining the force in early 2019, eight of whom were already sworn in at the city council meeting on Monday, Jan. 7. City council meetings have recently served as a sounding board for the public’s opinions on the issue. “Stand Up for Safety, Cedar GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan Falls” is a local group in The Public Safety Officer (PSO) program in Cedar Falls has caused division opposition to the PSO among community members, firefighters and police officers. model, whose Facebook page boasts over 1,600 likes. In The newsletter also explains the College Hill district is response to Currents’ praise that sick leave among full- especially integral to the of PSOs, criticism of full- time firefighters is at an UNI experience, and incitime firefighters’ costs to all-time high, causing these dents like the shooting early the city, and claims that the shifts to be covered by others this New Years’ Day this staffing changes are deliver- at an overtime rate, approx- year, the fire that burned ing “greater safety, far more imately $1,000 - $1,200 per down Great Wall restaurant efficiency and needed econo- person, per shift. Currents in 2016 and other safety my,” the group organized a argues that increasing PSO concerns bring this commuturnout of over 150 people numbers will cut costs by nity-wide issue home for the to the council’s Nov. 5, 2018 reducing the need for over- UNI population. meeting. Twenty-one people time pay when other police, “Remember when there spoke out about their differ- firefighters or PSOs are out was the shooting murder ing views on the program, sick. near campus a year ago?” including Mark Woolbright, Opponents say that the Goldhorn continued. “Cedar vice president of the city is doing so at the cost Falls police officers respondInternational Association of of public safety and the ed to the call and were lookFirefighters. He flew in from existing firefighter staff. ing for the suspect when a Washington, D.C. for the “Stand Up for Safety, Cedar call came in for a fire. The meeting and called the PSO Falls” is rallying support police officers who are crossprogram a “flawed and dan- through signs, shirts and trained as PSOs had to leave gerous experiment,” accord- stickers promoting their call the scene to respond to the ing to the Waterloo-Cedar for the city to hire more fire.” Falls Courier. full-time firefighters instead When asked what Sharon Regenold, a local of expanding the PSO pro- would be the best solution retired firefighter, had previ- gram. to the issue, Cedar Falls ously written to Mayor Jim Goldhorn said, “This is an Firefighter’s Local #1366 Brown requesting the city issue that not only impacts President Scott Dix replied, hold a public forum about the city of Cedar Falls; it “An all-new city council and the issue, to which Brown impacts students, staff and a new mayor.” He went on responded, “I will not have visitors to UNI. If we were to explain that his ideal end a meeting where my staff to have a significant fire on would entail an end to the is barraged by people who campus, we do not have a integration of the police and are trying to separate the fully staffed fire department fire departments, with the community.” At this Nov. to respond to the call. The fire departments regaining 5 meeting, Regenold had University has the potential control over their own operthe opportunity to address for some very unique situa- ations, personnel and purBrown’s refusal, stating, tions that would require spe- chasing, and the abolition “This leads us to believe you cialized training for those of the public safety officer are not open to hearing from responding if a fire or steam program. both sides. If you’ve already emergency ever happened. The City Council meets decided how this will end, The biology, chemistry, art on the first and third Monday you are not listening to your department, steam tunnels, of each month at 7 p.m. in citizens.” the height and size of the the Cedar Falls City Hall The recent edition of buildings and the limited Council Chambers at 220 “Currents” estimates that access all bring about special Clay Street. Citizens have a full-time firefighter costs circumstances that a typi- the opportunity to address the city $108,439.25 annu- cal house or business in the the council during the open ally while only working just community does not.” forum portion of each meetunder eight days a month. She went on to say that ing. CIRCULATION

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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. A copy of the Northern Iowan grievance procedure is available at the Northern Iowan office, located at L011 Maucker Union. All material is © 2019 by the Northern Iowan and may not be used without permission.

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SYDNEY HAUER

OPINION

Executive Editor

JANUARY 31, 2019 |

A woman not lost to history KEVIN WIGGINS

Opinion Columnist

Émilie du Châtelet is quite possibly one of the most badass women you’ve never heard about. Born in 1706, Émilie was a philosopher, physicist, mathematician and even with all this, she is only remembered for being Voltaire’s mistress. Her career achievements include discovering infrared radiation, proving that fire is a state rather than a substance, developing the first workable theory of kinetic energy as well as being the first woman admitted to the Royal Academié. She did all of this without attending a university or having any formal education. Despite all of these achievements, she is all but forgotten outside of the French-speaking world. In 1725, Émilie was married off to the Marquis du Châtelet. As an aristocratic woman in the 1700’s, she was expected to help improve both her husband and her family’s political future. Bluntly put, she had to use her body and charm to secure promotions for her family. That was until François-Marie Arouet, also known as Voltaire, stumbled into her life at a party in the early 1730s. Aristocratic life in Paris was essentially the

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equivalent of an episode of Jersey Shore, but with philosophy professors, priests and artists thrown in the mix. So, in 1733, the lovers said to hell with the hoity-toity drama of Parisian society. Émile’s on-paper-husband saw an excuse to not dirty his boots in the country. So, he excitedly gave her and her mister the chateau keys and off they went for the countryside. Effectively retiring from public life, the two set off on an intellectual tour de force. Voltaire and Émilie were a complimentary duo that gives Sherlock and Watson a run for their money. Supposedly, Émilie aided Voltaire with his “Elements of the Philosophy of Newton.” She helped with the scientific intricacies which Voltaire struggled with. A few years later, the two entered an essay contest over the question of what fire is. They disagreed, so Émilie decided to enter separately, disagreeing with Voltaire that fire was a condition, not a substance. Neither won, but as it turned out, Émilie was right. What is even more extraordinary about Émilie is her pure abandon for the respectable norms of her time. She wanted to be a philosophé and she had the brains to achieve what

so many men of her time yearned to be. She touched everything from physics to philosophy. The figurehead of the Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant, has even been accused of lifting her ideas in his “Thoughts on The True Estimation of Living Forces.” She was a true person (not man) of the Enlightenment. She covered every inch of the Enlightenment project, all without the formal education afforded her male counterparts. One of the most striking things that Émilie wrote was a complete critique of the entire Bible. This at a time when atheism was illegal, but also when the Catholic church was at the height of its political stranglehold on French society. She went through the Bible verse by verse, pointing out inadequacies, inconsistencies and implausible happenings as she went striking with venomous articulacy. There’s no English translation of her work in its entirety, but her pen holds its strength even in translation... “In Genesis, Moses depicts God as…capable of jealousy, anger, revenge, repentance -- in other words, with all the faults of men. If God wanted to depict himself in an appealing way, he

it may well be that “Trumping Trump” as the lead story is hard to ignore. Here’s a sample of the most touted stories of 2018: 1) 50 million Facebook users’ personal information was compromised, 2) “President Trump” is the most scandal-marred president of our lifetime (100 criminal counts charged against 33 people associated with Trump), 3) Democrats took control of the U.S. House with a turnover of 42 seats and 4) global climate

change; carbon emissions rose 3.4 percent in 2018 (the biggest increase in eight years). Other recommended top stories include: Brexit, Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, #MeToo fallout and movement, the TrumpRussia probe, children of asylum-seeking parents being separated from their families, Parkland school shooting, March for Our Lives rallies, 78 environmental rules eliminated by Trump, 307 mass shootings in USA, Trump’s international trade war, immigration morass, worldwide stock market volatility, $2 trillion increase of federal deficit to $22 trillion, murder of U.S. citizen and Washington Post journalist Jamaal Khashoggi by Saudi Arabia operatives and Donald Trump’s “I am proud to shut down the government” fulfillment. But, to me, after all is said and done, frequently more is said than is done. The number one story of 2018 was Donald Trump’s habitual and compulsive lying—averaging 16 “alternative” facts per day. It’s well accepted that pathologi-

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31

PEXELS

Opinion columnist Kevin Wiggins sheds light on Émilie du Châtelet, an important figure of the Enlightenment who is often forgotten or written out of history, and the importance of including women in the discourse.

should at least have depicted himself with qualities that bring respect for men and not those that make them hate him.” Émilie’s scholarship and biblical exegesis is a blistering, uncompromisingly radiant pieces of work. It was never formally published due to the nature of the times she lived in but was circulated among her friends. As I hope I’ve shown you, Émilie is by far one of the most gripping figures of the Enlightenment. Her erasure from the canon of the popular history of science is criminal. As history moves on, perhaps we can grow more aware of those the past forgot so that we don’t forget

the work of people today. There are historical facts, and there are the things history remembers. The historian’s job is necessarily and critically conservative – to determine what about our world today is worth conserving. Over 98 percent of what was written by the Ancient Greeks has been lost to us. Of that, only one female author has been identified. Perhaps, just perhaps, now we can preserve as much of the history of humankind as possible. By doing this, we would give future generations a complete past and one worth remembering, one where badasses like Émilie du Châtelet are on every page.

‘Trumping’ Trump was hard to do in 2018 Editor’s Note: This Letter to the Editor was submitted by UNI Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Steve Corbin. In card games, `trump’ is considered the suit of cards ranking above the others in a particular hand. Trump is also the surname of the 45th president of the United States. While examining mainstream conservative, centrist and liberal media outlets on what they considered was the number one story of 2018,

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Steve Corbin, professor emeritus of marketing at UNI, pens a Letter to the Editor discussing how difficult it has been to hold President Trump accountable for his actions, and that more is said than is done.

cal lying is usually a symptom of a personality disorder and narcissism. For example, there once was a political candidate who said, 212 times, the United States would build a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border and “Mexico will pay for it.” Now, that same person says he never said that . . . 212 times. Once a person starts to lie and continues to lie, daily, all trust has been lost, and in the case of Donald J. Trump, by the people he represents . . . you, me and the vast majority of Americans that truly care about the welfare of our country. What’s the ripple effect of losing trust in America’s Pinocchio-in-Chief ? Maybe of most importance is America’s 198 trading allies and partners, which took 70 years to build a trusting relationship with, are now purposely transferring their trade to other countries. Likewise, China, Russia and India are aggressively pursuing our heretofore allies for trading purposes. These endeavors will hurt America’s small

businesses, corporations, employees, stockholders, citizens, stock market investors and retirees where it hurts, in their respective pocket book. • A single lie is enough to create doubt in every truth expressed. . .I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you. . .I’m a good enough person to forgive you, but not stupid enough to trust you again. . . tell a lie once and all your truths become questionable. . .trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair. Albert Einstein observed “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important affairs.” Trump’s pathological lying has thrown you and me under the bus and placed America in harm’s way on multiple fronts. Our 535 U.S. Congressional delegates have failed representing us by not holding Trump accountable for his unguided leadership and moral decay. Those who continue to support Trump are putting America in great peril.

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JANUARY31, 2019 |

CAMPUS LIFE NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

SOFIA LEGASPI

Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31

Student and professor featured in ‘Film Lounge’ ANNA FLANDERS Staff Writer

UNI senior Tarrell Christie will be making his television debut in the form of his original short film “The Spaceman” on Sunday, Feb. 3 at 10 p.m. It will appear in the first episode of this season’s “The Film Lounge,” an IPTV series that features short films created by Iowans. The Film Appreciation Club, Department of Communications and Cedar River Productions will be hosting a special watch party with an advanced screening of “The Film Lounge” episode in Lang Auditorium at 7 p.m on Friday, Feb. 1. “I’m a really big sci-fi fan, but I do notice that if there’s ever a minority character or anything like that, they’re usually side characters or just there to serve a plot,” said Christie, who is majoring in digital media production. “So I kind of wanted to take a sci-fi film but put it through the lens of an AfricanAmerican’s perspective. So that’s kind of why I put the movie in a 1960s-ish era because, I mean, that’s the civil rights [movement] and that’s also the space race and all these huge things. So I kind of wanted to mix together different elements that you usually don’t see in sci-fi.” The film focuses on an astronaut entering a wormhole. Christie says the writing process was the most challenging part of the project, primarily because the contents of a wormhole are unknown.

TREES

continued from page 1

“There is no current treatment for the emerald ash borer that is proven,” Hadley said. “There are a number of chemical pesticides that have shown promise in the control of the pest.

TARRELL CHRISTIE/Courtesy Photo

JEFFERY BYRD/Courtesy Photo

Digital media production major Tarrell Christie’s short film “The Spaceman” will be featured in an episode of IPTV’s “The Film Lounge,” airing on Sunday, Feb. 3 at 10 p.m.

Art professor Jeff Byrd’s film “Proving Ground” will also be featured in “The Film Lounge.” An advanced screening and watch party will be held on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in Lang Auditorium.

Christie’s friends Luke Kreger and Lakin Mims helped him with behind-the-scenes work and acting, respectively. Christie and his friends even built their own sets to resemble a spaceship and outer space. “It’s just crazy to think that there’s this entire part of our universe that we just don’t have any idea about,” Christie said. “And to also just think about the humans that are in that process of trying to almost disappear into the stars. It’s such a crazy profession [. . .] I hope [viewers] are just entertained and feel like they were transported

somewhere else.” UNI art professor and art department head Jeffery Byrd also has a film, entitled “Proving Ground,” that will be featured in the episode of “The Film Lounge.” Just like Christie, this was Byrd’s first submission to the IPTV series, and he was also introduced to the show via an email. “I made this film in Utah,” Byrd said. “I wanted to go film something on the Salt Flats. I didn’t really know what the image was going to be.” The image ended up including balloons and a football uniform. Byrd said the unexpectedness of the different elements seemed appropriate. “Because when do you ever see a football player with balloons walking across the Salt Flats?” he said. “It had this kind of mysterious quality that I find really interesting.” Byrd made the film in 2016 with one of his friends. He shot the entire project with a GoPro on a tripod. “I think [‘Proving Ground’ is] an encouragement for people to look at their surroundings and not just see them as ordinary, but to think about how a really ordinary place or even a really beautiful place like I was in — how this place can have a sense of magic to it that we might not think about ordinarily,” Byrd said. Byrd sees film as a way of documenting his performance

art. That’s exactly where the inspiration for the short film came from. Unlike Byrd, Christie’s love for film started at an early age. A documentary about filmmaking he watched in 2007 was a huge catalyst for his passion. “I was kind of at that age where you were too old to play with toys,” Christie said. “I love that because that’s just, like, going on all these adventures all over and whatnot and realizing that I could kind of still do that, but then share that experience with other people.” So, he bought what he describes as a “very big, clunky VHS camera” and started his passion for film from there. Although the endeavor started as a hobby where he filmed movies in his grandma’s backyard, by the time Christie entered high school, he knew he wanted to create film forever. Two of his biggest inspirations are Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. “The Spaceman” was heavily inspired by Kubrick’s “2001.” Christie loves Godzilla and monster movies, superhero films and science fiction. “I also do love dramas, smaller stories, especially stories on minorities,” Christie said. “I love to watch those because that’s just a peek into communities that I’m not as familiar with.” Christie draws inspiration from a wide variety of places, including his dreams and the

real-life dialogue of his friends and family. He is also inspired by bad movies. They make him think about how he would have told the story differently to make it better. Aside from short films, Christie enjoys filming music videos and short documentaries. Although he has not yet attempted to create a feature film, he would love to do so — provided he possessed the time and resources. “First goal would be to get paid to [create films] because I love to do it, but it doesn’t pay the bills,” Christie said. “I just wanna be able to collaborate with people and tell stories that haven’t quite been told before and kind of highlight those things that maybe people haven’t thought about.” Christie has already shown “The Spaceman” at some Iowa film festivals and had a film featured in “The Film Lounge’s” Halloween special last year. “Being a UNI student, I really appreciate how much the video teachers have been pushing us to submit to the stuff because I kind of tried film festivals and submitting to stuff before I came to UNI, but I didn’t have much luck because I wasn’t sure which ones to pick,” Christie said. “But doing the ones that they’ve helped me find and figure out — it’s been incredibly successful. I’m really thankful for all the help that the video teachers provide.”

The only mechanical recommendation that professionals are making is to not transport infected wood outside countries with known infestations to limit the spread.” While some treatments do exist, it can be difficult to quantify their success. Infected trees can be

removed once the emerald ash borer has been spotted, but the problem is that trees have various stages in the cycle of infection. The easiest time to notice a tree’s decline is when the eggs hatch and the pupa move through what is known as the tree’s cambial layer. This process cuts

off essential nutrients, water and photosynthate for the plant. Ash trees can currently be found next to the ITTC building. Despite the challenges ahead of them, the Facilities Management team is working to keep campus looking beautiful. In fact,

since 2003, around 110 new trees and plants have been planted each year, according to the Facilities Management website. While there is still a long way to go in restoring the ash trees on campus, the university is planting new trees, one seed at a time.

SOFIA LEGASPI

Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE JANUARY 31, 2019 |

FILM REVIEW

PAGE 5

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31

Hart, Cranston can’t save unoriginal schlock HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

January is usually the time of year when the film industry releases movies they’ve lost confidence in. Most of these films come and go without anyone even noticing they exist. One of the biggest films this January is “The Upside,” which tells the unlikely true story of a wealthy quadriplegic hiring an ex-con as his caregiver. Starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, this film isn’t as bad as its release date would suggest, but it also isn’t anything special enough to justify your attention or hardearned money. Directing: 2/5 Directed by Hollywood workman Neil Burger, “The Upside” is both structured and shot in the typical fashion one would expect from studio comedies. Everything feels like it has been assembled from a template, done dozens of times before by more competent directors. Burger middlingly works with the more emotional aspects of the film — any moment of dramatic tension can be seen coming from miles away and follows the usual cues of the genre. Even the tonal shifts become quite predictable and create an endless cycle of half-hearted storytelling. While it may have been unintentional, the one thing

Burger does well is letting the actors do what they do best. Hart and Cranston take over every scene they appear together in and use their chemistry to distract from many of the film’s faults.

Writing: 2/5 Given that this is a remake of the 2011 French film “The Intouchables,” the story closely follows its source material. The biggest thing the script lacks compared to its predecessor is a sense of emotional weight between the main characters. This problem mainly stems from a thin plot with lofty intentions that only offer tepid results. The writers try to tackle the racial and classist divide between the main characters but end up putting in so little effort that it feels like a disjointed waste of time. Insightful commentary is tossed aside for one-liners and sly remarks that end up feeling overly safe and tedious. Despite being over two hours long, the film continually runs into the problem of having too little to work with. This is especially true regarding the two weak subplots: one with Hart trying to reconnect with his son and the other with Cranston battling his limitations to find love. Both side stories feel empty and give each actor little to work with. This results in a muddied overall narrative that tears itself down

rather than building up towards something.

Acting: 3/5 Probably the biggest saving grace for the film (and the only reason anyone would watch it) is the performances from the two leading actors. Hart does what he does best as Dell and shows that he is still a master of comedy, whether it be physical or through his fast-paced banter. Even though the script is mostly to blame, Hart does struggle with the dramatic parts that require him to slow down and break away from his usual tricks. Acting as the dry humor to Hart’s energy is Cranston TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE as the extreme- Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston star in “The Upside,” a remake of the 2011 French film ly wealthy and “The Intouchables.” The film received a 39 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. depressed quadriplegic, Phillip. While he out of place — her skills go ments that incite some chuckdoes serve up some funny unused on a character whose les, but more often than not, a remarks from time to time, only purpose is to be a dis- feeling of emptiness will lay Cranston more or less just approving foil to Hart’s she- dormant in your head. Best described as a filler movie goes through the motions as nanigans. to waste some time, “The though he knows he is above Overall: 2.5/5 Upside” is something you’ll a project of this quality. Except for Kevin Hart or watch and most likely forget Lastly, Nicole Kidman Bryan Cranston, there realabout within 24 hours. intermittently shows up as ly isn’t much in this film Phillip’s executive assistant, Yvonne. To see Kidman in to make things interesting. this film feels completely There are some comedic ele-

Do You Know? UNDETECTABLE MEANS UNTRANSMITTABLE

TALK TO YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ABOUT U=U.

People living with HIV who take their medications as prescribed and have a low amount of virus in their blood are considered undetectable and have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/art/index.html

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JANUARY 31, 2019 |

OPINION

SPORTS

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ELIOT CLOUGH Sports Editor

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31

Patriots vs. Rams Super Bowl JACOB POTTER

Sports Writer

Super Bowl LIII has all the makings to be one for the ages, with the battle of the seasoned veteran, Tom Brady, against the young gunslinger, Jared Goff, as well as the offensive mastermind, Sean McVay, versus the football savant, Bill Belichick. The Rams covet their second title, while the Patriots chase history for a record-tying six Super Bowl victories. Rams’ keys to their first ring since Kurt Warner: The last time the Rams won the Super Bowl, UNI alum Kurt Warner was at the helm leading the franchise to their first Super Bowl victory. Pass rush The key for the Rams on the defensive side of the ball will be for someone other than Aaron Donald to step up and make a play.

Brady’s three Super Bowl losses have come at the hands of an effective pass rush. The Giants got after Brady throughout Super Bowl 42, sacking him five times along with recovering a fumble, according to ESPN. The Giants beat the Patriots again in Super Bowl XLVI with two sacks and an interception, also according to ESPN. In the loss against the Eagles, Brandon Graham got to Tom Brady at the most crucial point in the game with 2:14 left in the fourth quarter. Pound the rock The Rams running game will be essential to a victory if the Patriots plan to take away the Rams two best receivers. The numbers point to the Rams being able to run the ball. The Patriots defense gave up 112.7 rushing yards per game while Gurley tallied 1,251 rushing yards on the season with an average of

89.4 yards per game, according to ESPN. The Rams added veteran running back C.J. Anderson, who has racked up 466 rushing yards in just four games at a click of 116.5 yards per game, according to ESPN.

Patriots’ keys to their sixth ring: Brady and Belichick are back where it all started, playing the Rams in the Super Bowl again. Much like the first matchup between these two talented squads, the challenge of slowing down a high-powered offense presents itself once again as it did against “The Greatest Show on Turf ” in Super Bowl XXXVI back in 2002. 17 years later, Brady and Belichick are back in the Super Bowl for the ninth time. Contain Rams Defensive Line The key will be to double-team Aaron Donald while

holding the individual blocks against the rest of the Rams defensive line. “Double-team him [Donald], make Ndamukong Suh, make Dante Fowler Jr., make Michael Brockers, make some of the other weapons beat the Patriots,” Booger McFarland, former NFL defensive tackle, said while calling the Pro Bowl.

Make the Rams OneDimensional Expect the Patriots to slow down the Rams (28 points per game) just as they did against the Chiefs. The Patriots defense, backed by the strategy of Bill Belichick, held the Chiefs, the NFL’s leading offense (31 ppg), scoreless in the first half and to only one touchdown through three quarters. The challenge for the Patriots will be to stop the run first while being weary of the play-action pass. Belichick will look to take

away the two best options in the passing game just as he did against the Chiefs. “Bill Belichick, what he does [is] he put [Stephon] Gilmore on Sammy Watkins and then he double-teamed Tyreek Hill. I could see them putting Gilmore on Robert Woods for the Rams and then double-teaming Brandin Cooks,” Jason Witten, former Cowboys tight end, said while calling the Pro Bowl. Prediction At the end of the day, it is not wise to bet against fivetime Super Bowl champions Brady and Belichick. I believe that the Patriots will come out on top because Brady will execute more than Goff on third downs and in the red zone. Secondly, Belichick will devise another gameplan offensively and defensively to slow down the Rams. Pick: Patriots

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Panthers travel to Terre Haute, cut down trees FRANK WALSH Sports Writer

Swoosh! That’s the sound of the Northern Iowa Women’s Basketball team making incredible shots against the Indiana State Sycamores. The Panther women traveled out to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete this Sunday, winning by the score 71-51. The Panthers performed well, shooting 54 percent from the field. On top of the high shooting percentage, the Panthers were able to put up a total of 44 points from the paint and they also hustled to get a plethora of rebounds, out-re-

bounding the Sycamores by 15. A stand-out player for the Panthers was Taylor Hagen. Hagen, a senior, who was able to score 18 points, hustled to get 6 rebounds and even showed her defensive skills by getting a block. Karlie Rucker also aided the Panthers in scoring., adding 14 points to the scoreboard. Mikaela Morgan was also able to put up 13 points. Bre Gunnels was dominant on the boards, reaching double digits in rebounds with 10. Up next, UNI will take on the likes of the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Salukis will visit the McLeod Center at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1.

NI Archives

WRESTLING

Wrestling remains undefeated in Big 12 duals JERRIUS CAMPBELL Sports Writer

UNI wrestling continued their dominance of the Big 12 Conference on Sunday in the West Gym with their win over the University of Oklahoma. After Sunday’s meet, UNI improved to a 5-4 record while maintaining an unbeat-

en streak in the conference. At the 125-pound weight class, redshirt sophomore Jay Schwarm had an incredible performance this weekend, with two falls over Rico Montoya of Northern Colorado on Friday and Christian Moody of Oklahoma on Sunday. With this past weekend, Schwarm moved to the top 10 on UNI’s all-time list with

29 pins. 21 of those pins have come in the first period. Jack Skudlarczyk fell short of a win due to a last-second takedown by Okahoma wrestler Tony Madrigal, putting the score at 6-4, giving Madrigal the win in a major decision. In the only top ten ranked match on Sunday, UNI’s Josh Alber ranked sixth competing at 141 pound weight

class, defeated Don Demas ranked tenth after final decision. Several other nationally-ranked Panthers were able to grab wins on Sunday, as Max Thomsen (149), Bryce Steiert (165), Taylor Lujan (174) and Drew Foster (184) were all able to score team points for the cats. Steiert was able to win in tech-fall fashion, as the oth-

ers won by major decision. The Panthers were able to walk away victorious, with a final score of 28-9. Coming up next, the Panthers will take on a daunting foe in that of the Oklahoma State Cowboys, as the Cowboys are the thirdranked team in the country. The matchup will be held in Stillwater, OK on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m.

PAGE 7

FUN & GAMES

SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor

JANUARY 31, 2019 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

SUDOKU ONE

1/29/2019

VOLUME 115, ISSUE 31

SUDOKU TWO

Traditional Islamic Mosaic coloring page | Free Printable Coloring Pages

Need something to do while it’s so cold outside? Try giving these sudoku puzzles, coloring section, and crossword a go! Stay warm and safe!

CROSSWORD

Across 1 Arrangement holder 5 Pursues with bloodhounds 11 Pampering, briefly 14 Mideast airline 15 Ace, in poker 16 That lady 17 Blink of an eye 19 Poison __: villain in Batman comics 20 Tip of a wingtip

21 Oprah’s channel 22 Quick cut 23 Former Soviet orbiter 24 “The Life of Pablo” hiphop artist 26 Half-brush partner 29 Old AT&T rival 30 ’60s pigskin org. 31 Grows faint 34 Hank with 755 homers 38 Comb and scissors, to a stylist

42 Sean of “Stranger Things” 43 In any way 44 Bakery order 45 Aunt, in Andalusia 47 Flat-lying volcanic flow 50 Tucked-in clothing part 55 __ heartbeat 56 Formally surrender 57 Did some laps 58 Put into gear? 61 Liquid in a drum 62 Musical ensemble ... or what the ends of 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across comprise 64 Lyrical tribute 65 Periodic reviews 66 “M*A*S*H” star 67 “Deck the Halls” contraction 68 Inky goofs 69 Set in a purse Down 1 Suit piece 2 Gravy Cravers pet food brand 3 Stephen King novel featuring vampires 4 Draw forth

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/traditional-islamic-mosaic

5 Butter amt. 6 Kick oneself for 7 Major maker of can material 8 Rodeo __ 9 Saxophonist with 17 Grammy nominations 10 Normal: Abbr. 11 Your, old-style 12 Wranglers competitor 13 Chamber in a vampire movie 18 Pool protector 22 Get bleeped, maybe 24 Item in a kitchen block 25 Coup d’__ 26 Pollster’s collection 27 Aerial enigmas 28 Hurly-burly 32 “Total Request Live” network 33 Seaside souvenir 35 Competition where rhymes are exchanged 36 Garfield housemate 37 Have to have 39 Petrol purchase 40 Tizzy 41 Cy Young Award winner’s stat 46 Naturally lit courtyard

48 Home improvement guru Bob 49 Fur-lined jacket 50 Hurry along 51 “America’s Got Talent” judge Klum 52 Lazes around 53 “Storage Wars” network 54 “The Jungle Book” setting 58 Get bleeped, maybe 59 Actress Lamarr 60 Flight sked info 62 “That __ close!” 63 NFL period

Puzzle answers on page 8 1/1

PAGE 8

CLASSIFIEDS

JANUARY 31, 2019 |

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