10-26-2020

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

PRESIDENTAL ROUND TABLE

FILM REVIEW

JERRY WEST

History department discusses presidential politics.

Film critic Hunter Friesen reviews Netflix’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

AJ Green comes in at No. 2 on the list of candidates for the Jerry West Award.

PMB takes a “Trip to the Movies” SARA QUALLEY Staff Writer

The Panther Marching Band (PMB) returned to the UNI-Dome field on Friday, Oct. 23 for the second time this season to present “A Trip to the Movies,” a performance featuring popular songs from movies such as “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars.” The performance was also livestreamed on their Facebook page.

Kathryn Rech, a senior at UNI studying graphic technology and interactive digital studies, plays the mellophone for the PMB. Prior to the performance, she was excited to be back on the field.

Rech said the music for “A Trip to The Movies” could be the most difficult of the season. Despite the challenge, she said the band has done a good job of becoming comfortable

with the music and performing it well.

Other challenges Rech believes the band has handled well are social distancing and coming to terms with the fact they would not be marching.

At the beginning of the season, the band learned how to properly cover instruments so aerosols would not spread and how to play instruments with masks on.

“We are definitely proud to say that we have not had an outbreak happen in the Panther Marching Band,” Rech said. “Something awesome to kind of show off is that we really care about getting the opportunity to play music with each other, especially at a time like this.”

Rech misses playing on the field during football games and sharing traditions with freshmen like running onto the field. Although the band

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan

TC enjoys the spirited music of the Panther Marching Band in the UNI-Dome as they play familiar songs from movies.

is not marching, dance moves are incorporated into songs.

“There has been a bigger focus on the music side of things,” Rech said. “We have seen, definitely, a heightened musical level, but we have not

necessarily been able to touch the marching aspect of what marching band is supposed to be.”

Sam Smith, a junior studying computer science and interactive digital studies,

plays the trumpet for the PMB. Before the performance, Smith looked forward to returning to the UNI-Dome, a place he describes as home to the PMB.

Oct. 23, showed a significant increase in the campus’ positivity rate over the past week.

As depicted in the accompanying graphic, from Oct. 19-25, the Student Health Center reported a 24.27% positivity rate, with 25 positive cases through Student Health Center testing.

This is the highest positivity rate and number of new cases that the Student Health Center has reported since the week ending Sept. 6, when 35 new cases were reported for a 22.96% positivity rate.

However, it is worth noting that the positivity rate may decrease slightly today when the Student Health Center updates last week’s data to include any tests conducted on Friday. Since the end-of-week updates only include data collected through Thursday, Friday numbers are added to the weekly total by noon on the following Monday and are therefore not included in the NI’s weekly analysis.

Last week, the NI reported a 12.5% positivity rate for the period from Oct. 12-18, which was what the university had reported at press time. When Friday’s numbers were added on Oct. 19, however, that rate dropped to 9.77%.

Even if a similar phenomenon

occurs with this week’s numbers, though, the case counts and positivity rate are still likely to represent a substantial jump for the UNI campus.

Cases and positivity rates in Black Hawk County have also been rising steadily since early October, according to the Black Hawk County Health Department website. This week’s 10.5% 14-day average positivity rate marks the first time the county has moved above 10% since the NI began reporting county data this fall.

The UNI COVID-19 Response Team predicted the trend on Thursday in a campus-wide email, noting that the onset of winter is a contributing factor and asking the campus community to be “especially vigilant” in following public health procedures.

“Cooler weather is officially upon us, meaning more people will be staying indoors - a hibernation season that coincides with the start of the flu season,” they wrote. “With viruses being more prevalent this time of year, it’s logical that national health experts are predicting a rise in COVID-19 cases, as well.”

COVID-19 on campus: numbers rise ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

This week’s COVID-19 statistics from the UNI Student Health Center, released Friday,

KARLA DEBRUIN/Northern Iowan

This graphic depicts the positivity rate on campus as well as other statistics regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

See PMB, page 5

PAGE 2

OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

NEWS |

ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

Profs compare past, present politics NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

if they’re legal or not before making a racist remark,” Calderon said.

That being said, neither prospective administration seemed to appeal to the roundtable participants.

“In no way am I trying to make Biden into some knight in armor for immigration, because he is not that,” Calderon said.

Dise used his lecture time to focus on the historical perspective, discussing Athens, Greece in the fifth century. He said that Athens has the first democratic constitution on record, and that a very hot topic in the cur-

rent climate, election fraud, is a timeless issue.

“Voter suppression, as we would call it today, is as old as democracy itself,” he said.

Hoffman presented on the topic “What the 2000 Election Teaches Us About 2020,” drawing similarities and making educated guesses as to the possible outcomes of the nearing election. She highlighted four key points surrounding when the results may be finalized, as well as how the popular vote does not determine the president, as seen in 2016.

Hoffman also reminded the audience that voting is

up to the states, so each state has a different process, and each process takes a different amount of time. This process can go all the way down to the look of the ballot itself, as brought up by the butterf ly ballots of 2000 in Florida.

The electoral college this year does not vote until Dec. 16, and although litigation may follow, that does not mean it would be brought to the Supreme Court, as it was in the 2000 election with Gore v. Bush.

“We may not know (the election results) on November 3, and that’s

okay,” she said.

Maier, who focused her lecture on foreign affairs, evaluated the current nominee’s foreign policies and their reluctance to bring them up in debates.

“Trump, he would be nuts to run on his foreign policy, because, first of all, he has none,” she said. “Biden knows he has no votes on foreign policy, so he knows better than to bring it up as well.”

Maier tied these “forgotten foreign policies” to the interest of the public as well.

“All politics is local,” she said. “Maybe sometimes they think in big pictures, but for the most part everyone thinks in their local issues, their local taxes, their local domestic issues.”

In concerns of the current president’s claim to not accept the results of the election, Hoffman cited the U.S. Constitution itself.

“The United States has always had a peaceful transfer of power,” she said. “The Constitution is very clear that if Trump were to lose and Biden wins, the new president will be initiated on January 20th.”

Hoffman also expressed the importance of the vote.

“There is always error in an election. The error only becomes important when the election is very close. What we need to hope for is clear results,” she said. “We need people to, one, have a plan to vote, two, to vote and then let the people make their choice.”

President Mark Nook has not yet released his decision regarding the fate of potential student organization UNI Students for Life, as of

press time Sunday.

The group’s representative Sophia Schuster, a sophomore history education major, told the Northern Iowan Sunday that she had heard nothing from the administration. UNI pub-

lic relations manager Steve Schmadeke confirmed in an email that the decision had not yet been announced.

UNI Students for Life, an affiliate of the national pro-life group Students for Life, appealed to Nook

this week after the Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) Senate and Supreme Court both denied their application to become a student organization.

Schmadeke had told the Northern Iowan earlier this

week that the administration hoped to release its decision by the end of the week.

The Northern Iowan will continue to report on this developing story in subsequent issues.

NORTHERN IOWAN

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EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Phi Alpha Theta of the UNI History Department hosted a roundtable featuring four short lectures discussing past politics in comparison to today’s political climate.

Participants in the discussion were Professors Robert Dise, Fernando Calderon and Donna Maier of the Department of History, along with Professor Donna Hoffman of the Department of Political Science.

Among many topics, the professors discussed different consequences the current administration faces in regards to its handling of immigration and foreign policy.

“We don’t even have any good foreign correspondence anymore; there’s no room for international affairs or international issues,” Maier said. “It’s the worst effect of having the toxic presidency we’ve had.”

Calderon, who served as an expert on the Latin American point of view of the election, added to this idea as well.

“In a less academic way, when the first commentary about election fraud came out, all my Latin American friends would call me and tell me, ‘How does it feel now?’” he said.

According to Calderon, the current president’s downfall is his encouragement of certain rhetoric.

“Racists don’t ask people

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY/Courtesy Photo

Professor of history Robert Dise addresses attendees at a virtual roundtable on Oct. 21 in which four UNI professors discussed how past political events may manifest themselves during the 2020 presidential election.

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PAGE 3

OPINION

EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE

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

What can be learned from Bolivia MOHAMMED RAWWAS

Opinion Columnist

It is not often that humanity is graced with some genuinely good news, especially during these times, but the victory of the Bolivian MAS (Movement for Socialism) Party is indeed one of those rare moments.

Just last year, the popular and beloved leader of Bolivia, Evo Morales, was ousted in a fascist coup and forced to flee the country. As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Morales had instituted popular land reform programs and dramatically reduced income inequality in the country, while supporting indigenous rights and development. The coup was only made possible due to the U.S.-dominated Organization of American States questioning the legitimacy of the election results, citing the fact that the results changed as more votes were tallied, which, as we all know, is simply how all elections work.

Even if the OAS’s claims were true, Morales would have still won the plurality, just not enough to avoid a run-off, though he almost certainly would have won the run-off

election.

Therefore, under completely false pretenses, Morales was deposed, and the Christian theocratic fascists entered the palace, giant Bible in hand, and declared the end of indigenous rule, and the beginning of a massacre regime.

The only proof of MAS’s continued popularity are the results of this latest election, which sees MAS winning an outright majority, an even greater margin than the results last year. However, it should be clear that voting was not the reason that the fascists were defeated.

The interim government attempted to bar MAS from participating in elections. They tried to postpone the date of the election, which they successfully did three times, with COVID-19 as the excuse for why the election had to be postponed. Finally they proceeded to attempt to outlaw voting in areas that garnered high MAS support.

Furthermore, they drummed up charges of corruption and terrorism against MAS politicians, including the MAS candidate running for president, but also local politicians. Right-

wing vigilante mobs also undertook violent attacks against both local MAS politicians and MAS supporters. Yet, despite this atmosphere of repression, MAS managed to win a resounding victory in this latest election (by a margin of 20 points).

However, it should be noted that fascists do not willingly relinquish power. The only reason that elections were finally held was due to intense public pressure in response to the actions of the interim government, beginning with the military coup. Since then, indigenous movements, labor movements and other MAS supporters have taken to the streets in mass protest, conducted general strikes and disrupted economic activity by blocking highways.

Without this intense public pressure, it is unlikely that elections would have been held at all. This is instructive for the United States in that, with all the liberal hand-wringing that Trump would not relinquish power if he were to lose this upcoming election, the only solution to this would be mass mobilization and labor organizing. This would increase union density such that a general strike would even be possible

Bolivian Flag

Mohammed Rawwas examines the current political atmosphere in Bolivia in comparison to the United States.

to coordinate and create party apparatuses through which collective action could be undertaken.

Without any of these factors, complaining or worrying about Trump not relinquishing power were he to lose the election is pointless and futile.

The final takeaway from Bolivia is not that voting matters, but that voting matters least. Politics is a contestation for power, and without mass mobilization, MAS would not (hopefully) be back in power.

It is only through collective effort that we have achieved the result in Bolivia that we

have. Especially in terms of the current general election in the United States, voting is an individual choice and an individual action. It is not collective and therefore not politics. It is the most passive action imaginable, yet is imbued with such importance as an active way of suppressing people from actually engaging in political action, by framing their civic duty purely in terms of voting and reducing politics to elections.

The real work lies ahead, but in the interim, congratulations to Luis Arce, MAS and the Bolivian people.

we are rewarding those that are wealthy with a better education and telling those below the poverty line that their education isn’t as important. This negatively affects BIPOC. Our country has already pushed BIPOC into redlined districts with little funding, and private education systems further this by not giving them the same education as a rich white community would get.

Private educations also regularly have dress codes which limit creativity and individuality. Dress codes force students into boxes and don’t let them express themselves. Dress

codes also teach young girls that they need to cover their bodies and should be ashamed of their bodies. The LGBTQ+ community is forced in binary options in their uniform, pants or skirts, but it has to be in line with their assigned sex.

When you think about where you want to send your children to school someday think about the effects it might have. Think about more than the title of private and public and the cost of attendance.

While all of those things may matter what your child or you might need probably isn’t a label and a giant bill each year.

Private education does not mean better education DANI GOEDKEN

Opinion Columnist

Private religious institutions have been around for a very long time. It is long known that a private education is better than a public education. This means the people with more wealth have a better education and that should not be the case.

I had gone to a private Catholic school my entire life.

I would not say that my education was any better than my peers who went to public schools. While they were learning sex ed and how to safely

have sex, I was learning to not have sex, and that was all.

While they were filling their class schedule with beneficial courses to help them in college, I was taking a religion class. I am not saying that my private education was bad or that a private education is bad. I just know it might not be better like we are told it is.

I would not trade my private education for the world. I liked my school and I liked my community, but I still don’t think I had the most well-rounded education. Important topics like sex, consent and evolution were not taught at all. We were shel-

tered from the world and any opinions that did not align with the church.

There is no research that says one is better than the other; it’s purely an opinion.

Whether your child goes to the private school or public school does not matter. Maybe in some communities the private school is better and maybe in some communities the public school is better. There is no one way to do education.

Private education systems keep those in poverty down while uplifting the wealthy. If it is true that the private education is better that means that

How to have a safe Halloween during COVID-19

Opinion Columnist

Even with the pandemic going on, some of us will still be looking for distractions during the Halloween season.

Even though we should all probably just stay inside, let’s just face the spooky darkness and admit that people are still going to go out and about. This will serve as a guide to still have fun at a safe distance.

First, the trick or treating aspect. Some parents may try to take the kids out anyway, but TYLER MONTGOMERY

do not allow them to walk up to your door. Instead, create a contraption that will let you know that you have guests approaching your door. To avoid contact, throw large king-size candy bars at them. The little funsize candy bars will just end up everywhere and you want the trick or treaters gone as soon as possible. Avoid hitting children in the eyes when you throw the bars because the parents might end up suing you. You could also leave a large bowl outside, but that’s not as fun.

Students and some adults will still be going to bars or

large house parties. If you are the type of personality that requires others to drink by your side, there are a few options.

Instead of going out to the bars, create your own personal bar. If you can not afford the material to build one, just use your dining room table. If you happen to be a broke college student, just use the floor. If someone or a few people need to spend the night, make sure you have the room for people to spend the night.

It’s also basically required to watch horror films on Halloween night. Start by

making measurements to keep everyone at a safe distance. If somebody wants to watch a film with you and there is no more room, just have them on Zoom. If you have a friend that doesn’t enjoy horror films, just don’t invite them. Hollywood makes other films that they can watch by themselves.

Lastly, the costumes. You can still dress up and post photos of your costume to Instagram.

Of course, they can be expensive, so try wearing it all day to get your money’s worth out of it. For fun costume ideas, try wearing a hazmat suit or

dress up as a doomsday prepper. Make sure you buy lots of green bean cans so that the look will be more authentic.

A post-apocalypse survivor is also a strong choice. You can just use your old clothes for that and you don’t have to take a shower for a week.

Hopefully, this guide will allow you to have a safe time during Halloween. The last piece of advice is to think about others or just stay at home by yourself and eat all the candy, watch whatever you want and drink alone, but that may be too depressing.

PAGE 4

CAMPUS LIFE

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

“Chicago 7” is a timely court drama OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

“The whole world is watching!”

Those words have just as much relevance today as they did back in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention. It is not a coincidence that the problems we dealt with more than 60 years ago are still the same problems that we wrestle with today. It is also not a coincidence that Netflix and director Aaron Sorkin have released their new politically charged film, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” just weeks before one of the most important elections in our nation’s history.

Based on a true story, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” opens like a rocket with rapid pace intercutting between all the major parties involved at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

The first of these parties is Tom Hayden and Rennie Davis as part of the Students for a Democratic Society.

Next we have the hippies Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin who lead the Youth International Party. There is also David Dellinger, Lee Weiner and John Froines.

These seven make up the ragtag group of the Chicago 7. Also (unfairly) part of their trial is Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale.

These eight activists are on trial for their roles in the anti-Vietnam War protests in 1968 Chicago that led to a series of brawls between protestors and police. The bigwigs in the White House believe that the protestors

Tribune News Service Film critic Hunter Friesen reviews the new Netflix film “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

were the ones that started the riots and want to make an example of the seven. The demonstrators (correctly) claim that it was the people dressed in blue that instigated the violence. From here, the battle begins between two opposing sides with the potential nation defining verdict hanging in the balance.

Sorkin follows up his 2017 debut feature “Molly’s Game” with another director’s showcase.

Mainly set within a single courtroom, the film is ripe with technical wizardry from all facets of the production.

Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael incorporates a wide array of long takes and many angled shots that tell just as much of the story as the script does. Editor Alan Baumgarten does not allow for a single dull moment as

he keeps this train moving at full speed from beginning to end.

This is not to say Sorkin is a perfect director, far from that actually. Sorkin still misses his mark in a few key areas, most notably in the final moments of the film where the attempt at a stirring finale comes off as cheesy and dated.

A writer before taking over the director’s chair, Sorkin has delivered some of the greatest scripts of this millennium with his work on “The Social Network” (which won him an Oscar), “Steve Jobs” and “Moneyball.”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” delivers yet another Oscar-worthy script from Sorkin, and it’s the exact one you would want for a courtroom drama. Sorkin instills his trademarked rapid back-

and-forth dialogue during the trial proceedings as witnesses testify and lawyers verbally spar. Several lines throughout elicit a strong provocative reaction that connects the film to today’s cultural climate.

Like all Sorkin scripts, everything does feel a bit too clean and artificial. Every character speaks on a near-genius level as they always say the exact right thing at the exact right moments. This style of perfect dialogue is more in line with characters such as Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs instead of the ones found within this film.

But, when the dialogue is this good all the time, that problem doesn’t matter all that much.

Sorkin has also assembled an all-star cast to relish in his whip-smart script. There is

not a single weak-link among them as they will crowd Oscar ballots with their powerhouse performances.

Veteran stage and screen actor Mark Rylance, here on the opposite side of the law than his performance in “Bridge of Spies,” leads the pack with his spectacular turn as the defense lawyer for the Chicago 7.

Also a stage and screen veteran is the great Frank Langella who plays the dangerously maniacal judge who oversees the case. Langella’s grumpy performance parallels closely to a certain political figure who currently occupies the Oval Office.

Jeremy Strong is almost unrecognizable from his uptight role in “Succession” as he expertly plays the relaxed Jerry Rubin. Sacha Baron Cohen is more in line with his previous roles as the clownish Abbie Hoffman.

Yahya Abdul Mateen II is great in his both intentional and unintentional small role as George Seale. His role incites the most sympathy and relates to our current situation of race and policing.

Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is a nostalgic old-school courtroom drama bolstered by strong modern filmmaking and terrific performances from its cast. The timeliness and importance of its message make it a must-see as the whole world watches during this tumultuous election season.

Interpreters Theatre presents “Tales of You and I” AASHITA VADHERA

Staff Writer

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the UNI Interpreters Theatre presented “Tales of You and I: An Alumni Storytelling Performance Event.” The event showcased performances by numerous alumni from over the years sharing their stories from their years at UNI. The show began with the hosts, Doug Shaw, UNI professor at the mathematics department, and Karen Mitchell, UNI professor at the communications department, welcoming the performers and the audience to the Zoom event.

Shaw began by explaining the importance of stories and how everyone has a generational story in their life that completely changes

everything. Shaw explained that all through his life, he tried to figure out what his generational story was.

“I was born right after the Kennedy assasination,” said Shaw. “Everyone older than me had a story about the assassination, where they were and who they were with, all that stuff.”

Shaw explains that he always felt deprived, in a weird way. He also felt that people would always force a moment on their generation like when the challenger exploded.

“I remember when the challenger exploded and everybody was like, yes this is everybody’s Kennedy moment,” said Shaw. “But it always felt forced and it always felt like they were trying so hard. Until September 11 happened.”

The viewers were then

given a Youtube link to a compiled video of everyone’s story performances that is still up on the Interpreters Theatre’s Youtube page. Everyone was instructed to click the link at the same time so that the audience could all feel like they were in the same room watching this event.

The video showed UNI alums Brian Davis, masters graduate from 2002, Jorge De Leon, masters graduate from 2013, Jenn Freitag, masters graduate from 2006, Ali Horsted undergraduate from 2010 and Dawne McClure, masters graduate from 2016.

All of them were invited by Professor Mitchell to share their UNI story.

The video started with all the performers remarking about how much the

Courtesy Photo/Interpreters Theatre

The Interpreters Theatre hosted a virtual event allowing alumni to share their UNI stories.

Interpreters Theatre means to them and supported them.

After the video, the audience was brought back to the meeting for a Q&A session where the viewers got to ask the performers some questions. Questions ranged from, “How did the performers come up with

the story?” to, “Have their stories changed over the years?”

Song writer Jenn Freitag was also asked about how she came up with her ending song, and performer Jorge De Leon was asked about his reasons for keeping the audience in the dark for his story.

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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PAGE 5

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

Panther PORTRAIT: Covid Car Smash

sledgehammer. The event, titled “Smash COVID Car UNI students and fac- Smash,” was put together ulty members were given by students of Matthew Marketing a chance to let out frus- Bunker’s trations on Friday, Oct. 23 Strategy course.

The hosts charged $2 by smashing a car with a ANTHONY WITHEROW

Campus Life Editor

for one hit, $3 for five hits and $5 for ten hits. Masks and closed toe shoes were required, and gloves and safety goggles were handed out along with proper cleaning supplies.

PMB

continued from page 1

“We have gotten exponentially better as we have been getting closer to this performance,” Smith said.

He echoed Rech’s thoughts on this music being difficult.

“We have really been getting into the nitty-gritty of the dynamics and playing with musical tone and playing with emotion, and things like that, instead of just playing the notes that are on the page,” Smith said. “And I think that is something kind of special that we bring is that we do play with emotion. We really try to be a music ensemble, whether we are marching or not.”

Performing independently from football games has been an adjustment, but it’s been one Smith has welcomed. He explained that parents of band members can come to a performance solely dedicated to the band, and they can even watch the Facebook livestream. This makes it easier for parents to support students without having to drive from far away. They can watch performances without being in public, something Smith noted might make some par-

Gabi Cummings/Northern Iowan

The Panther Marching Band performed songs from many hit movies on Friday, Oct. 23.

ents uncomfortable due to the pandemic.

“We have had some great, great turnouts of just parents and the general campus community showing a lot of support,” Smith said. “They are really showing that they do care about the band and that they want the band to be out there.”

Justin Mertz, director of the PMB, said he always looks forward to band performances, but he has been especially this year.

“The simple act of being able to get together and make music and do it as well as the PMB does, I think is very exciting,” Mertz said. “I am always happy for people to see the results of not only the

work that the students do on a regular basis, but also this year, I’m excited for people to see what their perseverance has resulted in. Because they have to put up with a lot of safety measures and a lot of adjustments to what we normally do.”

Mertz said the PMB has always worked efficiently, something that is especially important this season. The band takes regular breaks to allow air to circulate and filter. The band loses working time due to this, and Mertz said the band has to be all the more productive to ensure all content is covered. He commends the PMB for acclimating quickly to new procedures

Katie Crow/Northern Iowan Marketing Strategy students hosted a car smash event outside Maucker Union.

and routines.

“They do it happily,” Mertz said. “They are a great bunch of students.”

Merz is glad the band is able to put on these performances, which he said are the best alternatives, given current circumstances due to the pandemic. However, the band misses the energy and spectacle of performing during Panther football games.

Mertz said the PMB is a group of talented musicians who work hard, and he is proud the PMB is able to provide music to the university community.

“The students of the PMB have really risen to the occasion,” Mertz said.

“Trip to the Movies” was going to be a halftime show for a football game. The goal for many PMB performances is to select songs well known to the crowd and that are fun to perform.

When Friday came, people of all ages gathered in the UNI-Dome to hear the carefully curated songs.

The band kicked off with familiar tunes like the UNI fight song, “Westward Yo,” and the “Attack on Titan” theme. Following songs included the 20th Century Fox fanfare, “Duel of Fates”

from “Star Wars” and themes from “Jurassic Park,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “James Bond.” UNI mascots TC and TK appeared on the field, waving to the crowd and dancing during the “How to Train Your Dragon” theme.

Smith said that band members normally don’t express their nervous energy.

Whatever nervousness they feel is turned into excitement before performances. Some sections have pre-performance rituals to hype up members.

The drumline rumbles to life before introductory songs, the trumpets run around in circles and the mellophones chug Pixy Stix.

Despite any nerves, Smith said playing for a crowd is a whole different feeling than just practicing.

Rech agrees that the performance was a great one.

“It could not have gone any better,” Rech said after the performance.

She said the band was happy to be back in the UNIDome in front of a crowd, and they cannot wait for their next performance.

“Being able to just perform in front of people is always super exciting for everyone,” she said.

PAGE 6

SPORTS OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

MEN’S BASKETBALL

UNI’s Green second in Jerry West rankings DAVID WARRINGTON

Sports Writer

On Thursday, Oct. 20, Andy Katz, a college basketball correspondent for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, released his first preseason rankings for the Jerry West Award. The Jerry West Award, named after the former standout for the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA Hall of Famer, has been awarded annually since 2014 to the nation’s best shooting guard. Former recipients of the award include NBA players D’Angelo Russell, Buddy Hield, Malik Monk and RJ Barrett. In these rankings, Katz listed the top 20 candidates for the award, and coming in at number two was UNI junior AJ Green.

Green, who played his prep basketball at Cedar Falls

High School and is the son of associate head coach Kyle Green, has been a star for the Panthers since he first arrived on campus two years ago.

From day one he had a spot in the starting five, having started all 65 games he’s played in since joining the team. He led the team in scoring as a freshman, averaging 15.0 points per game, and took home the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year award.

After a stellar freshman season he took a big step up as a sophomore, leading the MVC in scoring with 19.7 points per game and taking home the MVC Player of the Year award. Green became the first sophomore to win the award since 2014 when it was won by Fred VanVleet, who is now an NBA Champion with the Toronto Raptors. He did all of this while also leading the team in assists as both a

freshman and a sophomore.

He even tested the NBA draft process, but ultimately decided to return for his junior season.

Green was ranked in front of players from much bigger basketball programs such as Michigan State, Baylor, Oregon and South Carolina, and was only ranked behind BJ Boston, a freshman at the University of Kentucky, a perennial basketball powerhouse. With the Panthers predicted to finish first in the MVC this season, UNI basketball is likely to receive more national attention, which will help Green in the pursuit of the Jerry West Award, as well as help all of the Panther players in pursuit of other awards. If Green can build upon the season he had last year, he should have a good shot of winning some major hardware at the end of

the season.

At the same time that he released the Jerry West Award watch list, Katz also released a preseason March Madness bracket. In this bracket, he predicted that the Panthers will receive the 9-seed for the 2021 NCAA Tournament and will be taking on the Providence Friars in the Round of 64. Katz had the Panthers as the lone representative in the NCAA Tournament next spring, essentially predicting that they would win the MVC tournament and take the conference’s automatic bid to the tournament this season. Tournament projections undoubtedly will change throughout the course of the season, but many pundits in sports media have the Panthers as a likely participant in the NCAA Tournament this season.

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

Panther guard AJ Green is widely expected to be one of the top guards in the nation this season.

There’s still a full basketball season to be played, but it’s great to see the Panthers receiving so much positive attention as we get ready for the season to start in just over a month.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Iowa falls to Purdue in Big Ten’s football return COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

After a prolonged absence by the Big Ten Conference to start their football season, 2020 play was finally underway on Saturday, Oct. 24. Six Big Ten games were played in the inaugural week of football for the conference following an extended delay in the start of the season, caused by complications relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Initially, the conference had said that they were going to forgo all fall sports and move them to the spring, including the most lucrative sport, football. But following weeks of disputes, arguments and talks between member universities, alumni, parents and student-athletes, the conference was able to work out a deal to play an eight game season with games coming only between other Big Ten schools.

The 2020 season got underway on Friday, Oct. 23 with a game between Wisconsin and Illinois, with the former taking the game in a 45-7 beatdown.

The remaining twelve conference teams were slated to begin play on Oct. 24, with the Iowa Hawkeyes starting their season on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind. The Hawkeyes were

coming off of a 10-3 season in 2019, including a resounding victory over Southern California in the Holiday Bowl last December. But following numerous graduations and NFL departures by several key players, along with an offseason scandal regarding racial profiling from members of the coaching staff, brought a lot of questions into the 2020 season for Iowa. Their opponent, Purdue, was coming off a disappointing 4-8 season last year and was looking to start their new season off on the right foot.

The two teams started off the game with threeand-outs on their first possessions. On the second possession for Purdue, they got things moving. In a nine play, 66 yard drive, the home team was able to punch the ball into the endzone on a nine yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aidan O’Connell to wide receiver David Bell.

The Hawkeyes got the ball back near the start of the second quarter, and were able to move the ball quickly on a five play scoring drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras to knot the score at 7-7. The Iowa defense forced another three-andout and quickly got the ball back for the offense.

The Hawkeyes again had no trouble moving the ball,

Tribune News Service

Iowa’s head coach Kirk Ferentz is the longest-tenured Power 5 coach in the country and the winningest coach in Iowa history. The Hawkeyes began the 2020 season witha 24-20 road loss to Purdue.

going 73 yards and taking a 14-7 lead after a one-yard touchdown run by running back Mekhi Sargent.

Purdue bounced back with an answer of their own on their next possession, as O’Connell found Bell for their second touchdown connection of the game, bringing the score back to a tie at 14 apiece.

Iowa would tack on two field goals with Purdue adding one of their own in the third quarter, as the Hawkeyes clung to a 20-17 lead. With a three-point lead and possession of the ball, Iowa was on the Purdue side of the field and were looking to seal the

game with another score.

But a run play by Iowa saw Sargent fumble the ball away to the Boilermakers, giving them a shot. Purdue took full advantage of the gift they had been given and marched down the field 72 yard on twelve plays capped off by a third connection from O’Connell to Bell, putting the home team up 24-20 with about four minutes left in the game. The final Iowa possession had nothing going for the visitors, as they turned the ball over on downs and conceded the game to Purdue, with a final of 24-20.

While Iowa definitely

had a shot to pull this one out, they were hurt by their own mistakes. The Sargent fumble was perhaps the most costly, but the team as a whole racked up ten separate penalties costing them 100 yards in the game, and failed to score in the red zone twice, instead settling for two field goals. A hardnosed, grind-it-out style of game would be the best way to describe this one, with the home team edging out the close victory in the 2020 Big Ten opener for the two teams. Iowa will return home against Northwestern on Oct. 31, with Purdue hitting the road against Illinois.

FUN & GAMES

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

Across

1 Stand watch for, say 5 Oompah instrument 9 Think-on-your-feet tests 14 Greiner of “Shark Tank” 15 Sister of Osiris 16 Fabled wish granter 17 Time-consuming 18 With “of ” and 71-Across, Steinbeck classic 19 Swim cap material 20 Soon 23 Hulu service 24 __ about: roughly 25 Eyelid bump 29 Onetime Leno announcer Hall 31 Prefix with mount or charge 33 Head-butting beast 34 Scoop in a cone 39 Katmandu native 41 Soon 43 Make an error 44 Pedals on antique sewing machines

PAGE 7

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | 6 Gannett’s flagship newspaper 7 Badlands bovine 8 Texas team that won the 2017 World Series 9 Look like a wolf?

10 Brings up, as kids 11 Industrious insect 12 Tell it like it isn’t 13 “__ sells”: ad biz mantra 21 Exceed, as a budget 22 Like an intoxicated spree 26 Fish with a net 27 New Haven Ivy Leaguer 28 Radiates 30 Cook, as onion rings 32 Le Car maker 34 “Peer Gynt” playwright 35 Honeycomb units 36 Paperless tax return option 37 “Blue Bloods” extra 38 Bon __: witticism 40 Pea container 42 Encouraging 45 Right-angled piece 47 Picture taker 46 Gp. with Vikings 50 Roasting bird 48 Bearded beast 52 47-Down brand 49 Fraction of a min.

54 Tenant’s contract 51 Hindu princess 55 Tossed in a chip 53 Andean pack animal 56 Bond portrayer Roger 58 Soon 57 “Seriously, bro!”

61 Pentagon, for one 59 “I’m __!”: “My turn!”

64 Med. readouts 60 Davis Cup org.

65 Molecule part 66 Usual bus. address for send- 61 Place for a mud bath 62 Biker’s wheels ing in payments 63 Springfield presidential 67 Cheer (for) library nickname 68 Vaccine fluids 69 Hollywood go-between 70 Actress Gunn of “Breaking Bad” 71 See 18-Across

Down

1 Dead tired 2 Trailblazer Daniel 3 Surrealist Max 4 Tied snugly 5 Wedding cake layer

CROSSWORD

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

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PAGE 8 KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

OCTOBER 26, 2020 |

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 20

ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 3 In Iowa, you can register to vote at your polling location.

Make sure you have everything you need and find your polling place: IWILLVOTE.COM/IA

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