Preparing Panthers to
Corkery, Hinson on the ballot in Black Hawk County
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER
Exectutive Editor
Ashley Hinson, Republican incumbent and Sarah Corkery, Democratic challenger are on the ballot this Nov. 5 for Iowa’s second Congressional District, which encapsulates Black Hawk County. For UNI students registered in Black Hawk County, Hinson and Corkery will appear on their ballot for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Hinson is the incumbent for the second Congressional District seat, and has represented Black Hawk County for two years. Originally from Marion, Iowa, Hinson has a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California. Hinson formerly served as Iowa’s first Congressional District representative. Hinson’s key positions include a concern for national security and defense, improving healthcare and education and workforce development. Hinson has also identified herself as pro-life. On her website, Hinson writes “I am pro-life and will be a consistent, strong voice for the voiceless in Congress. We must protect the unborn and stand up for the sanctity of life. Taxpayer dollars should not fund abortions, nor should they go to abortion providers. This funding should be reserved for other family planning options and important women’s health care services. I will fight to redirect these dollars to the important work of community health centers, including those providing care to women in underserved areas.” She elaborated on her pro-life position on the Iowa Public Broadcasting debate earlier this October.
Hinson has also expressed her concern in securing the U.S border and strengthening national security.
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In February, she released a statement regarding President Biden’s border policies, stating “President Biden has long been gaslighting the American people on the crisis at our Southern Border. On day one of his administration, he began systematically and unilaterally unraveling policies that secured our border and deterred illegal immigration through executive action. As the American people have experienced record levels of illegal immigration into our country and drugs pouring into our communities, he has perpetually claimed the border is secure and refused to acknowledge the crisis of his
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making.”
Corkery, Hinson’s opponent, hasn’t served in public office before. She introduces herself on her campaign website as “a mom, a cancer survivor, and a community leader running for Congress to represent all of us.” The main issues Corkery wants to tackle, should she be elected, include protecting the Affordable Care Act, supporting the Women’s Health Protection Act and supporting legislation to require background checks on all firearms purchases.
She is dedicated to supporting Iowan farmers in Congress. “We need continued investment in our commodity
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growers while also meeting the needs of the ever-expanding coalition of young and diversified farming operations that produce fresh produce, specialty crops, and dairy products for our communities.” Corkery said.
“Our agriculture system needs to work for farmers of all sizes. Real investments in our agriculture industry won’t just boost the local economy, and create jobs, but they will help protect our food supply and, as we saw during the pandemic, food and supply chain security is national security.”
Corkery has also been very forward about her support for abortion access. On her
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website, Corkery writes “I trust Iowans to make the best medical decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, people like Ashley Hinson and Kim Reynolds don’t. The state just passed one of the most dangerous abortion bans in the country and Ashley Hinson supports a nationwide abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the mother.”
Both Corkery and Hinson participated in the Iowa Public Broadcasting second Congressional District debate, which showcased their stances on immigration, securing the border, social security, and access to birth control, IVF and abortion. The debate is available to watch on demand on the Iowa PBS YouTube. For more information about the
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COURTESY
Ashley Hinson (left), Republican incumbent will face off against Democratic challenger Sarah Corkery (right) in the 2nd district Congressional race on Nov. 5.
JO BRAHMS News Editor
UNI Speech team has energetic start to season
HOPE SCHULTE News Writer
The University of Northern Iowa Speech Team is off to a successful start in the new season. The team is made up of nine students who participate in public speaking competitions, primarily throughout the Midwest.
The speech team competes in three different genres for competitive public speaking, they are public addresses, interpretation events and limited preparation events. Within the three genres, there are several subcategories. Under public address, there is after dinner speaking, persuasive speaking, informative speaking and rhetorical criticism. The interpretation events include prose, poetry, dramatic interpretation, duet/duo acting and programmed oral interpretation. The limited preparation events include impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking. The director of the UNI Speech Team, Sadé Barfield, is tasked with trying to coach and prepare students for the variety of different events.
“The primary thing I like to focus on, and what I think my role is as a coach, is to really help the students figure out: what it is you want to do, and how is it you want to accomplish these things? From there, I really try to help them hone their skills but I always just make sure the student is leading the direction,” Barfield said.
“To prepare for these different types of events, I really try to stay up to date in terms of news, literature, make sure that I can help students figure out ideas and really try to listen. That’s a really big part of it.”
Barfield also mentioned how she wants to encourage the team to be advocates.“A big goal in college forensics is advocacy. Our goal is to help students figure out their voice and use that voice for good. The goal isn’t to become a professional actor, but rather to be able to speak intelligently, eloquently around topics that are vital and important to them.”
UNI Speech Team members enjoy participating in the interpretation events, specifically prose, dramatic
interpretation and poetry.
“My favorite event is called prose, where you perform a written piece of literature with an argument as to why this story is important to society. I like being able to really dive into the character and create a unique world behind the performance,” Morgan Kielly said.
Students first choose the piece they would like to compete with in the summer or at the beginning of the school year. Once they compete in their events they may receive feedback and modify their piece.
A couple examples of the pieces students from UNI are competing with this year include a dramatic interpretation from the TV series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as well as an after-dinner speech that is trying to educate the audience on Artificial Intelligence. The student’s comedic vehicle is that she is dating an AI.
The UNI Speech Team is unique in many ways and one of the ways is that most of the members are not communication majors.
“We usually have majors throughout the university. You would think it would be more communication stu -
dents, but that is actually rarely the case. We usually have at least one speech language pathology student, we have business majors. We do have some communication majors, a lot of education majors. We represent a lot of aspects of the university,” Barfield said.
The speech team aims to be welcoming for everyone. “Speech is for everyone. We are a welcoming environment. We’re also open for folks who aren’t necessarily interested in competing, but want to work on their public speaking skills. It’s one of the number one things employers are looking for so we’re also open to helping folks with that,” Barfield said.
Kielly also mentioned how one of her favorite parts of being on the team is the people. “I have created the best relationships on this team and truly met some of my best friends. It’s just a fun and supportive group and they make all the stress worth it.”
One of the main goals the speech team has this year is for everyone to qualify for nationals.
“(The goal is to) have the entire team qualify for
nationals and then from there it’s really what the students want. I mean, as a coach you want to see everyone take first place, but I really like to know what it is they want out of this experience. Because, at the end of the day, you can’t take a trophy to a job interview. However, we can take those skills,” Barfield said. “We have two graduating seniors. Our big goal for them is to have an incredible experience at nationals, ideally break to ‘out rounds’, but more importantly continue with our high placement rate after graduation.”
The team has had a great start to the competition season, taking several top-three placements in their first two tournaments. In the beginning of the month at the Jackrabbit Joust Speech and Debate Tournament at South Dakota State University the weekend of Oct. 5 and 6, Sarah Elser placed second in dramatic interpretation and Abby Akers placed fifth in prose. While at the tournament, both Elser and Akers qualified for the National Forensics Association National Tournament.
During the weekend of Oct. 19 and 20 the speech
team competed at the Mankato Swing competition at Minnesota State University Mankato. For the first day of competition, Elser placed first in dramatic interpretation and third in prose. Akers placed second in both prose and dramatic interpretation.
On the second day of Mankato Swing, Elser placed first in both prose and dramatic interpretation, and Akers placed second in prose and third in dramatic interpretation. Ryan Sales placed fourth in prose and Kielly placed fifth in prose. The team also placed third on the second day of competition. The next competition the UNI Speech Team will compete at is the Norton Invitational at Bradley University. This will take place in the first weekend of November.
Those interested in joining the speech team can either contact Barfield or attend one of the meetings in Lang 218. The meetings take place every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 p.m.
COURTESY/UNI SPEECH TEAM
The UNI Speech team consists of nine students from diverse backgrounds that compete in public speaking events across the Midwest. The team has had a great start to the season, receiving several top-three rankings in their first two competitions.
Las Panteras buscan construir sobre un fin de semana exitoso de cross
CARTER LUST Escritor Deportivo
YESENIA
TELLEZ CHAVEZ Traductora invitada
La temporada de campeonatos está a solo un paso para los atletas de cross de todo el país. Los corredores se preparan para alcanzar un nuevo nivel de competición y rendimiento, igual que los atletas que compiten en los playoffs tradicionales de otros deportes. Las carreras por los títulos traen emoción y presión ya que los atletas entrenan para competir de la mejor manera posible. Los entrenadores preparan a sus equipos física y mentalmente para poder enfrentar los desafíos que los nuevos recorridos y los mayores riesgos presentan a los corredores. Pero, primeramente, los equipos de cross masculino y femenino de la Universidad del Norte de Iowa tuvieron una última carrera de preparación antes de los campeonatos de la Conferencia de Missouri Valley (MVC, por sus siglas en inglés). El viernes 18 de octubre, las Panteras viajaron a Peoria, Illinois, para competir en el Bradley Pink Classic. Con el Campeonato de la conferencia en el horizonte, UNI busca ganar confianza gracias a haber establecido varios récords personales antes de prepararse para el encuentro más importante de la temporada.
En un día de mediados de octubre en Illinois, los cielos soleados y una ligera brisa resultaron en temperaturas por encima del promedio, alrededor de 70 grados. Aun así, los hombres de UNI llegaron listos para su inicio a las 3:00 p.m. Las Panteras compitieron y terminaron en el lugar 16 de 29 equipos, que incluían varios programas de Power 5 y otros de nivel medio-mayor. El dúo de Caleb Schumacher y Carson Owens volvió a liderar el camino para UNI, quedando en los lugares 18 y 54 en la general. Shumaker estuvo a solo un segundo de igualar su récord de UNI de 8k, terminando en 24:16.9. Owens estableció un nuevo récord personal en la distancia, completando el recorrido en 24:38.7. Levi Hill fue la tercera Pantera en cruzar la línea de meta, también estableciendo un récord personal de 25:26.2, en el lugar 140 en la general. Cerca de Hill estuvo el estudiante de primer año Jackson Bergman, quien terminó en el puesto 165 con
un tiempo de 25:36.0. Brady Griebel completó los puntajes de Northern Iowa corriendo en 25:50.7 para el lugar 220, con un nuevo récord personal de 26:24.5. Drew Dombrosky y Micah Rees completaron el equipo de los Panthers con
tiempos de 26:52.2 y 27:33.4, respectivamente, para terminar en los lugares 245 y 255. La Universidad Estatal de Dakota del Norte se llevó la corona de equipos masculinos con 139 puntos, superando por poco a la Universidad
de Kentucky. Los Wildcats iban pisándoles los talones a los Bison con 160 puntos. Collins Kiprop Kipngok se llevó la victoria individual para Kentucky, corriendo en 23:32.7. Kiprop Kipngok superó fácilmente a Jayde Rosslee, de la Universidad de Bradley, quien terminó en segundo lugar con 23:46.1. Las mujeres de Northern Iowa comenzaron su carrera a las 3:45 p.m. mientras el sol seguía brillando sobre el campo de golf Newman. Las Panteras obtuvieron el 14 lugar de 32 equipos, muchos de los cuales también eran universidades de alto nivel y oponentes de la MVC. Las constantes actuaciones de Emma Hoins continuaron liderando el camino para UNI, cubriendo 6 km. en 21:23.5 y quedando en el lugar 52 en la general. La recién llegada al cross Millie Hill, hizo su mejor marca personal de 21:30.7 para ser la segunda Pantera y la 61a en cruzar la línea de meta. Melody Ochana respaldó a Hill para ubicarse en el puesto 72 con 21:39.4. Eden Mueller fue la cuarta Pantera por debajo de la barrera de los 22 minutos, terminando en el puesto 101 en la general con 21:57.9. La estudiante de último año Kate Crawford fue la quinta y última corredora anotadora para UNI, completando su debut en la temporada de 6k en 22:02.3 y ubicándose en el lugar 111. Leah Klapatauskas y Brooke O’Brien proporcionaron un buen final para las Panteras, ambas con récords personales. Klapatauskas terminó 135 a con 22:16.6, y O’Brien 152 a con 22:30.2.
La Universidad de Northwestern se llevó la victoria de los equipos femeninos, anotando 44 puntos para superar por unos asombrosos 79 puntos a Loyola (III.). Ava Earl también se llevó la victoria individual para los Wildcats, venciendo a la corredora en segundo lugar, Nadia Potgieter de Bradley, con un tiempo de 20:14.4 frente a 20:21.0.
Ya casi es esa época del año. La temporada de campeonatos está a la vuelta de la esquina para el cross de Northern Iowa. Por primera vez en ocho años, UNI será la anfitriona de los Campeonatos de la MVC, el viernes 1 de noviembre, aquí mismo en Cedar Falls, en el campo de golf Pheasant Ridge. Las mujeres comienzan el evento a las 10:30 a.m., y los hombres compiten una hora después, a las 11:30 a.m. Con una de las listas de corredores más competitivas en la historia de la MVC, las Panteras esperan hacer ruido en esta muy esperada competencia.
CORTESÍA
Por primera vez en ocho años, UNI será la anfitriona de los Campeonatos de la MVC, el viernes 1 de noviembre, aquí mismo en Cedar Falls, tomara lugar en el campo de golf Pheasant Ridge.
CORTESÍA
Con una de las listas de corredores más competitivas en la historia de la MVC, las Panteras esperan hacer ruido en esta muy esperada competencia.
Disclaimer: The following opinion articles
An afternoon with Dave Sires
BRODY LOVELL Staff Writer
This past Sunday, I was given the opportunity to have a sit-down interview with State Senate candidate Dave Sires in his Cedar Falls home. Having never spoken to Sires on the phone, despite a few brief text messages, and being informed by my editor that he may be difficult to get ahold of, I had no idea what to expect going into it.
When I had initially reached out, I proposed the idea of having a scheduled phone call, figuring a time to meet in person would be difficult with his current campaign efforts. Instead, Sires offered for me to come by his house and do the interview in person this past Sunday.
When I knocked on the door, I was greeted by a tall, Buddy Gerrity-esque man with a mustache that seemed to rival Burt Reynolds. He welcomed me in, and his rescue mix and big German shepherd were quick to do the same. We set up shop on his kitchen counter where his wife Lisa had prepared chocolate chip cookies for me as the pleasantries seemed to
never end.
Initial conversation filled me in on Dave’s life story up until that point. Sires was born and raised in Cedar Falls, he met his wife Lisa at a young age, and he grew up attending the Cedar Falls school system. After high school, he started an excavating business which began the first of many ventures he pursued in his career, the most notable being when he bought out his parents’ mobile home business, which he expanded and added self storage after years in the industry.
I also quickly picked up that Sires loved talking about his kids. The three of them, all now grown adults with families of their own, have also been successful in their careers, with his oldest son, Dain, being an engineer, his middle daughter, Rae, a veterinarian, and his youngest daughter, Leigh, being a dietician.
As the conversation progressed and we got into the interview itself, Sires quickly mentioned his career as a city councilman and how he helped the students of UNI. The most notable example was his addition of a UNI
student liaison which is now a permanent role in every city council meeting. The liaison acts as an advocate for UNI student interests in meetings and ensures the quality of life of the student body is represented in some aspects of local government. Furthermore, Sires was an advocate for having a permanent crisis psychologist available for students on campus, but was voted down by his fellow council members. Having past and current family members attend the school, he emphasized his care for the mental health of the student body.
“I’m aware students (at UNI) aren’t all going to be
around here for four years,” Sires said, “but I want them to be taken care of as they’re away from home so they really enjoy their time here.”
As a city council member, Dave Sires’s entire paycheck went to local food banks, humane societies and other non-profit organizations as he wanted to give it all back to the community that elected him.
The conversation then moved over to the topic of Eric Giddens, Sires’s opponent in the election. With concern to UNI, Giddens voted against allowing individuals, particularly women, to carry stun guns on campus, which would have allowed students to better protect themselves in case of emergency. In the realm of public education, Giddens also voted against a bill that would set the base salary of teachers at $50,000, as well as changing the AEA program that is currently ranked 41st in the nation.
“We (Iowa) spend $5,300 more per AEA student than the national average yet we are still testing poorly,” said Sires, “We need to be in the top five.”
My main takeaway from the afternoon was that Sires is incredibly passionate about where he grew up. Unlike Eric Giddens, who is from Georgia, Sires was born and raised in Cedar Falls and has sought to see his home flourish over the years, which is why he took public office in the first place. I truly believe that he wants what’s best for the Cedar Valley and has shown in his career that he votes for just that.
As a follow-up question as I headed out the door that evening, I asked Sires if he had any aspirations past the State Senate, wondering if this was just a stepping stone goal for a larger political career.
Sires’s response?
“No, I serve the people.”
As our interview wrapped up, I got to see more of the Sires’s household. I ended up staying longer than I expected as he showed me the Craps table set up he had in his basement, which we naturally played for half an hour (I tripled my chips). Sires even offered to take me out to dinner with his wife as a showing of appreciation for my interview.
Republicans confirm Trump’s 2020 election “lost, not stolen”
STEVE CORBIN Guest Columnist
Numerous Republicanled audits, in-depth investigations and testimonies have proven that no voter fraud or machine rigging occurred in the 2020 presidential election. Even former president Donald Trump admitted – in 2020 and 2024 – he lost the election. Trusting the 2024 election process is vitally important. Knowing the reality of the 2020 election, truth telling by Trump and GOP-spearheaded fact-finding should erase voters’ concern about the integrity of the upcoming election.
First, recall Cassidy Hutchinson, GOP assistant to Mark Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff, testified before the Jan. 6 House Select Committee that Trump told Meadows and other White House staff that he lost the 2020 election. Hutchinson’s testimony has never been refuted.
Second, on Aug. 4, Trump – in an interview with Lex Fridman, podcast #442 – admitted he lost the 2020 election. Trump also said he “lost the 2020 elec -
tion” on two other occasions: Aug. 23, at an event near the Southern border, and on Aug. 30, at the Moms for Liberty summit.
Third, the 2020 election deniers, Trump and J.D. Vance, may purposely be ignoring that eight prominent, life-long Republicans, all attorneys, published a 72page research-based document, “Lost, Not Stolen,” concluding that Joe Biden won the election fair and square. All voters should read, at a bare minimum, the introduction and executive summary of “Lost, Not Stolen,” accessible at lostnotstolen.org.
Fourth, Ken Block, a data analytics expert and Trump campaign consultant, was hired by Trump to find voter fraud in the 2020 election. In a deposition taken by the Jan. 6 committee, he stated there were no voter irregularities anywhere in America.
Fifth, when white nationalist, supremacist and antisemetic Nick Fuentes – Trump’s guest at a Nov. 22, 2022 Mar-a-Lago dinner – learned that Trump admitted he lost in 2020,
he blasted Trump on his Sept. 6 podcast requesting voters to not back Trump. An infuriated Fuentes stated “So, why did we do Stop the Steal?”
Sixth, Trump’s chief pollster Tony Fabrizio presented a 27-page election defeat autopsy report in December of 2020 to Trump and his advisors saying Trump saw “the greatest erosion with white voters, particular white men,” plus his honesty and trustworthiness were a problem.
Eight die-hard Republican attorneys conducted a legal review of all 64 court cases filed by Trump and his supporters to contest the 2020 results. The final report, with 280 reference citations and published in July 2021, provided unequivocal evidence that Trump lost. They found there was “no credible evidence that fraud changed the outcome even in a single precinct, let alone in any state.”
The eight GOP attorneysat-law “also examined, point by point, every fraud accusation made in social media and in the public forum by those who claimed the elec -
tion was stolen.” They found no improper vote counts, no voting machine rigging, no absentee ballot fraud, no voter identification fraud and no blocking of observers during the vote count.
“Lost, Not Stolen” authors, who remain Republicans, include three prominent retired federal judges, Thomas Griffith, Michael McConnell and J. Michael Luttig, former solicitor general Theodore Olson, election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg, longtime congressional staff chief David D. Hoppe and former senators John Danforth of Missouri. and Gordon Smith of Oregon.
The eight GOP lawyers went on in their 72-page definitive report to “urge fellow conservatives to cease obsessing over the results of the 2020 election.”
It’s interesting that 81% of adults surveyed in an ABC News/Ispos poll will accept the results of our upcoming Nov. 5 election. This means 19% of Americans – the ill-informed and gullible – have accepted Trump and GOP officials’ Stop the Steal pretense.
Furthermore, 67% of Americans feel Trump isn’t prepared to accept the outcome unless he wins. Patriotic Americans feel sad for the 2020 election deniers, who have been duped, hoodwinked, led down a dark rabbit hole and given disinformation, misinformation and blatant propaganda. Trump’s 2020 stolen election conspiracy theory – one of 51 attributed to Trump and touted 526 times on his Truth Social media platform – has been proven, beyond a shadow of doubt, to be fallacious.
You should feel confident and comfortable voting on Nov. 5. Why? Close and contested elections are a part of American history. All states have voting security upgrade processes in place – robust and resilient – to handle just such situations.
Trusted elections are the foundation of our democracy. On Nov. 5, don’t fret. Vote!
DAVE AND LISA SIRES
Homecoming: A weekend in review
MACI SWANSON/NORTHERN IOWAN
This past weekend, UNI Panthers and Alumni arrived in their Panther gear for homecoming. Every year, we see a wave of purple and gold on main street. With decorated golf carts and smiling faces, UNI provides entertainment for the people of Cedar Falls.
JO BRAHMS/NORTHERN IOWAN After the homecoming bash, students ventured to the Maucker Union Ballroom for continued fun. Music, dancing, light sticks and a photo booth were all enjoyed.
JO BRAHMS/NORTHERN IOWAN
children,
parade is something to remember, and maybe even
encouragement to go to UNI in the future. The school spirit that Cedar Falls has for UNI is what makes events like the parade so special. UNI loves to involve the community!
MACI SWANSON/NORTHERN IOWAN
The night before the parade, student organizations spend some time decorating their golf carts. UNI allows their students to have age-appropriate creative freedom!
MACI SWANSON/NORTHERN IOWAN
The homecoming parade is often a chance for student organizations to tell the community what they’re doing. From the UNI Colorguard to State Farm Insurance, there’s something at the parade for everybody!
Jennifer’s Body: From flop to feminist cult classic
“Jennifer’s Body,” a 2009 horror-comedy directed by Karyn Kusama, initially stumbled at the box office, but has since emerged as a beloved feminist cult classic. So, what’s behind this transformation? It’s because the film subverts the traditional objectification and portrayal of women in the horror genre, offering a fresh perspective that challenges gender norms.
The horror genre is known for its diverse storytelling, and producing iconic films with dedicated fan bases. However, it has long been critiqued for its depiction of women on the screen. We often see women get murdered in brutal and grotesque ways, more often than their fellow male counterparts. The most common occurrence of this objectification and misogyny in horror is in slasher movies. Slasher movies are a horror film sub genre that features a killer or killers who stalk and murder people, often with sharp or bladed tools. These psychotic killers often target teens or female victims, and as a form of punishment for their sexuality.
Slasher films often punish promiscuous women, perpetuating a cycle where women’s desires are directly linked to violence against them. We see this in movies such as 1978 “Halloween” and 1996 “Scream,” where the women were killed for flirting or engaging in sexual activity. We even see it in more modern movies such as 2016’s movie “Terrifier,” where it features female characters who are portrayed engaging in sexual behavior and are targeted by the character Art the Clown, who murders them in outlandish ways.
“Jennifer’s Body” turns this narrative on its head. The movie follows Jennifer, played by Megan Fox, who ends up being possessed by a demon with a thirst for male blood. While evil Jennifer satisfies her appetite for human flesh by having sex and eating the school’s male population, her nerdy best friend, Needy, played by Amanda Seyfried, learns what’s happening and vows to put an end to the carnage.
“Jennifer’s Body” challenges the notion that the
worst fate for a woman in horror is sexual violence or punishment for her sexual desires; here, Jennifer flips the narrative, initiating sexual encounters and committing violent acts against men. The film portrays the male characters as victims, often subjected to grotesque fates, while Jennifer remains in control. Even during intimate scenes, the film avoids catering to objectification. Jennifer doesn’t shed her clothing but instead exerts her power over her male victims. Jennifer is not framed in tantalizing close-ups but rather often in wide shots in which she dominates the frame, like the iconic shot of her walking down the hallway in her pink sweatshirt, not clothes you would normally find scandalous. It makes her have an air of intimidation instead of an object of desire.
The film also offers a nuanced exploration of female friendship. Kusama, described it as a commentary on toxic friendships among girls, highlighting how these relationships can be distorted by societal pressures. As Needy grapples with Jennifer’s transformation, her emotional connection to Jennifer remains, showcasing a complex bond that transcends mere horror tropes. Needy doesn’t see her as a monster, and we can see this when Jennifer is affectionate towards Needy. There is an iconic kissing scene where Needy and Jennifer share an intimate kiss, and even in this scene
we don’t feel this voyeurism as we sometimes do with scenes like this; instead, we see this reciprocal desire between Needy and Jennifer. The way the audience sees it is not in a de-sexualized angle, but rather one that celebrates female desire and sexual agency. This female perspective of womanhood and their friendship through the main character’s gaze lets us see a more real yet unsettling approach to women in the horror genre.
But why was this movie
initially a huge flop? Well, because its marketing targeted the wrong audience. Megan Fox is an actress who has been seen as a sexual icon, her first appearance in the 2007 “Transformers” movie making that apparent. Being the star of Jennifer’s Body and being the idealized beauty in western society, you’d think this movie would cater towards the male gaze and heterosexual men being the target audience. The marketers for the film thought so too, so many
of the trailers and posters showcase Megan Fox front and center, with taglines such as “She’s got a taste for bad boys.”
Kusama acknowledged that using an up and coming sex icon could cause her target audience, which she states is women as a whole, to become warped with the marketing towards heterosexual men. In a Buzzfeed interview titled “You Probably Owe ‘Jennifer’s Body’ An Apology”, Kusama stated that she kept reminding everybody to not market this movie towards boys, because they will be disappointed when they go to the theater and see Megan Fox not take off her clothes but instead rip a guy’s intestines out and eating them. By placing a female character in a position of power and challenging the dynamics of victimhood, “Jennifer’s Body” not only redefines the roles women play in horror but also explores the complexities of female friendship and desire. “Jennifer’s Body” stands as a testament to the transformative power of horror when it is used to confront and dismantle gender norms, inviting a new generation to appreciate its rich subtext and bold message.
KELLIE STILES Staff Writer
IMDB
Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried acted together to create a meaningful film with a message unlike any other horror movie.
IMDB
Not only does “Jennifer’s Body” come with a message, but costume designer Katia Stano dressed Fox in perfect outfits.
Black Hawk County Elections Manager talks November
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
As Nov. 5 quickly approaches, the Black Hawk County courthouse has prepared itself for the swath of citizens ready to exercise their civic duty this election season. Elections Manager Karen Showalter embraces the challenge of helping Black Hawk County residents vote, helping 800 residents vote last Monday, Oct. 21.
Showalter, a UNI alumnus, has been helping run elections at the Black Hawk county courthouse for eight years as elections manager. Showalter attended UNI for both her undergraduate and masters degrees. “I studied political communication at UNI, which became a program my sophomore year of college. I was political science, but after I saw the political communication program I decided that’s what I wanted to do,” said Showalter. After working in a few different positions in the political landscape, Showalter returned to study non-profit management for her master’s. After working at a food bank for seven years, the elections manager position for Black Hawk County opened up, and
Showalter took her chance.
“It really seemed like something up my alley,” said Showalter.
Showalter has now served as elections manager for eight years, taking on the role almost directly before the 2016 presidential election.
“Probably not my best idea,” laughed Showalter. “But we figured it out!” Since then, she has presided over 40 elections for Black Hawk County, from presidential and gubernatorial, to special elections. Showalter’s list of responsibilities as election manager during a presidential election cycle seem nearly daunting. She oversees the hiring and training of polling employees at the courthouse, creates, orders and manages ballots, and manages post-election work for the courthouse. “Whatever election we’re doing, we have to do the same things. The volume is just much higher for a presidential election. I’m administering the full election, programming the ballot, ballot inventory, ordering ballots. I have to try to determine how many ballots I’m going to put at each precinct polling station, so I have a lot of data on what we can expect at different locations,” said Showalter.
After managing and
overseeing 40 elections for Black Hawk County, Showalter takes pride in her management of resident’s ballots. “Every single ballot that comes through our office is accounted for,” said Showalter. “I know down to the ballot how many should be opened, counted through
the machine and processed, and I’m proud to say that after 40 elections I’ve never been off, not one. That might not seem very impressive, but imagine if it was your ballot that wasn’t accounted for! Keeping track of our ballots is something we take pride in.”
During her tenure as elections manager, Showalter has seen legislative and societal changes to the ballot that affect Black Hawk County residents. For instance, the way the parties are listed on the ballot has changed over her eight years as elections manager. “We used to rotate who was first, and every county was different,” said Showalter. “Now, the Secretary of State will tell us who’s turn it is to go first.” There’s also now verbiage on the ballot that explains the president and vice president will be elected as a team. Showalter went on to explain how important it is to flip the ballot over when people vote, as important voting happens on the back as well. “I could confidently say that probably about 20% of voters leave the back of the ballot blank,” said Showalter. This year, on the back of the ballot is a constitutional amendment question. Iowans are asked to affirm whether or not Iowa could amend its constitution to allow 17 year olds who will be 18 by election day
running for Black Hawk County auditor. to vote in primary elections. “In terms of a sports analogy, the primaries are like the playoffs,” Showalter said. “That’s when parties select their candidates for the general election. You can’t get to the general election without the primaries.” Part of this same constitutional amendment question, the Iowa legislature wants to add the word “only” when referring to citizens who can vote. The amendment question will read, “Provides for only U.S. citizens aged 18 or older and meeting state and county residency requirements to vote in all elections. Further provides that 17-year-olds who will be 18 years old by the General Election are eligible to vote in the primary election, subject to the same citizenship and residency requirements.” Showalter’s name will also appear on the ballot this election cycle, as she is running for the seat of Black Hawk County Auditor in an uncontested race. Current county auditor Grant Veeder will retire at the end of his term, and asked Showalter to run for the seat. “It did take me a good six months to decide whether or not I would run,” Showalter said. “But I’m excited to keep evaluating things on a larger scale and see what we can change to make things more efficient in the auditor’s office.”
COURTESY
If you are not registered to vote yet, Iowa allows their citizens to register on Nov. 5. All voters need is an ID and proof of address.
COURTESY
Karen Showalter will be on the ballot this coming Election Day. Showalter is
UNI soccer finishes regular season strong
COHEN KAMAUS Sports Editor
The UNI women’s soccer team wrapped up their 2024 regular season this weekend with matches against Murray State and Illinois. With a conference tournament berth on the line, this was the most important part of the Panthers’ season.
UNI hosted Murray State on Thursday, Oct. 4 for their final home game of the year. Despite the boxscore hinting to a slow start, scoring zero goals in the first half, the UNI offense put immense pressure on Murray State with eight shot attempts. Halftime was longer than normal, thanks to a 40-minute lightning delay.
Out of the weather break, the Racers broke the scoreless tie with a 73rd-minute goal by Mary Hardy. Nine minutes later, Sophia Balistreri was contacted on a shot attempt, giving UNI their first penalty kick attempt of the season. Lauren Heinsch took advantage of the opportunity, hitting the back of the net to knot the score at 1-1.
Ella Anliker scored her second goal of the season in the 85th minute, giving
Northern Iowa the lead.
Maddie Eastus added insurance by scoring in the final minute, giving the Panthers a 3-1 victory. UNI outshot Murray State 16-11, with Heinsch leading the team with four attempts. Caitlin Richards was a brick wall for the Panthers, notching five saves. After the game, UNI head coach Bruce Erickson was proud of his
team’s performance.
“Proud of the way our team hung in there today. The delay took away from the game as it took us a bit to find our rhythm again. Loved our fight to find the goal.”
With the victory, the Panthers clinched their fifth consecutive MVC Tournament berth. Heinsch extended her own school
record with her 28th career goal with her penalty kick goal.
After the win, the team headed east as they took on the Illinois State Redbirds. With a conference tournament berth already in hand, this game was all about seeding and location of the Panthers’ first-round game.
The Redbirds struck first, netting the first score at the
33 minute mark. Despite the Panthers doubling the amount of shots on the Redbirds, it didn’t pay off until the final 10 minutes of the contest. Eastus scored the Panthers’ only goal in the 81st minute. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Richards is 27 minutes of match time away from breaking UNI’s all-time record for career minutes in goal, held by Anne Marie Witko (200003).
With the tie, the Panthers conclude their regular season with a 9-5-4 record and a 4-3-3 record in conference play. With 15 points, they are tied with Indiana State for 5th place in the standings. By tiebreakers, UNI earns the 6th seed in the eight team MVC Tournament, setting up a rematch with the Redbirds in the first round. After the match, coach Erickson was proud of his team’s performance, but is looking ahead to a rematch with Illinois State.
“I liked the way we came back in the second half and had the better of the play. Now we need to learn from this game and focus all our energy on playing Illinois State again on Thursday.”
COURTESY
The Panthers earned the No. 6 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. They’ll play their first round game on Thursday against Illinois State.
2024 NBA Preview: Passing the torch
CARTER LUST Sports Writer
Basketball has transformed into a global and cultural phenomenon. With such an expansive and inclusive demographic, the globe’s top basketball talents culminate in one league reserved for the upper echelon of players. Welcome to the NBA.
The National Basketball Association is home to the world’s greatest hoopers and has produced numerous alltime greats. With the 2024-25 NBA season underway, an era of G.O.A.T.s are still performing at their best. Yet, these stars will soon retire — much to the dismay of the basketball community. Thankfully, they are leaving the game in good hands. A new age of the NBA is right around the corner.
From the mid-2000s to the 2010s, Lebron James dominated the NBA. James earned three championships during this time and amassed four Most Valuable Player awards. Critics anticipated James’ production would decline with age, following the trajectory of many former basketball greats. They were wrong. James won his fourth NBA title in 2020 before becoming the league’s all-time scoring leader in 2023. Last week, on Oct. 26, 2024, James again reminded the world of his basketball greatness by dropping a 32-point triple-double … two months before his 40th birthday.
Finding consensus among basketball enthusiasts is like
Warriors guard Stephen Curry holds the record for most 3-pointers made in a career, with 3,758. He has also won four NBA championships and two MVP awards.
searching for a needle in a haystack. Nevertheless, fans have nearly all agreed that Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter ever. And rightfully so. He holds the record for the most three-pointers made in an NBA career, a number that may tally over 4,000 by the end of this season. Curry’s four championship rings and two MVP awards also cement his case as one of the best overall athletes to play the game. With an astonishing legacy behind him, Curry’s late fourth-quarter takeover of the 2024 Paris Olympic final proved he plans to continue splashing threes, even at age 36.
Kevin Durant may be the greatest pure-scorer ever to
touch a basketball. Standing nearly 7’ 0” tall with a 7’ 5” wingspan, KD has combined his physical gifts with an extreme work ethic to perfect his craft. Durant’s ability to rise above his defenders while shooting makes his mid-range fadeaway nearly unguardable. Couple that with his driving ability and knockdown 3-pointer, and it’s easy to see why KD has an MVP and two championships. With timeless gifts, Durant’s offensive efficiency remains potent entering his 17th professional season. Although a generation-defying trio of NBA legends are still performing near their peaks, retirement is inevitably on the horizon. As those
days near, fans look to budding prospects to become the league’s future faces. Luckily, a charismatic kid from Minnesota looks primed to ascend to stardom.
Anthony Edwards is a high-flying and energetic wing considered by many to be the NBA’s next poster child. His jaw-dropping, backboard-pinning blocks and emphatic posterizing slams have captivated millions of viewers. In addition, his improving 3-point shot and willingness as a defender have allowed Edwards to blossom into a franchise cornerstone for the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a flare and personality reminiscent of Michael Jordan, it’s easy
to see why Edwards is next up — along with a certain Frenchman.
Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA as the most intriguing draftee in league history. Towering at 7’ 4” with an 8’ 0” wingspan, “Wemby” is a defensive anchor for the San Antonio Spurs. He led the NBA last season with 3.58 blocks per game and is poised to contend for the Defensive Player of the Year award this year. Wembanyama’s skill set is also a matchup nightmare on the opposite side of the ball. Not only is he a lob threat, but he displays gaurd-like shooting and ball-handling abilities. Possessing such a unique archetype, Wemby has all the tools necessary to take over the NBA. With each passing game, Wembanyama inches closer to his championship goal as the world watches. Not only is the NBA in youthful hands, but many greats are just entering their prime. The Boston Celtic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown appear ready to repeat as champions this year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks to build off last year’s breakout campaign and compete for an MVP. Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić anticipate putting up more mind-boggling stat lines and returning to the NBA Finals. With the stars of yesterday prepared to shoot off into the night sky, we should appreciate their last moments playing this game. Thankfully, we have a bright future to look forward to.
The race for NFL MVP is in full force
ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer
This week marked what was already the 8th week of the NFL season. Certain teams have already had their bye week, while some have played all eight weeks thus far. Regardless, this point of the season marks a good time to see what players could be on their way to winning the league’s most valuable player (MVP). So far there have been a few players that have stood out to me.
One player who has been playing exceptionally well so far this season is Lamar Jackson. Jackson being in this conversation is no surprise, as he already has two MVPs in his career, with his most recent just last season. This year he is arguable on pace for the best season he has had to date. He has thrown for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdown passes, and has also added 502 yards and two more touchdowns in the run game. He has
also thrown only two interceptions, which gives him one of the best touchdown to interception ratios in the league.
His 19 total touchdowns put him in second place among quarterbacks, and he also leads all quarterbacks with a 115.4 rating. The Ravens are 5-3, which is not the best record in the league, but Jackson has certainly been leading the way for the time being. The Ravens will be playing meaningful football all season, and Jackson will have a chance to build on his MVP campaign.
The next guy is not as usual of a suspect as Jackson, and that is Jared Goff. Goff has thrown for 1,695 yards and 13 touchdowns, while only having thrown four interceptions. His numbers are not quite that of Jacksons, but he has already had his bye week. He also is leading the league in completion percentage, completing an impressive 74.1% of his passes. If he were to keep this up all year, he would break the NFL record by almost 3%.
His rating is also right behind Jackson, with 115.3. Goff has not always had to do a lot in some of the Lions games, but he has led them to a 6-1 record, putting them on top of the NFC. The Lions’ are looking like a true contender this season, and Goff is a major reason for that. If the Lions have the season it looks like they could have, it would not be surprising if he comes away with the MVP.
The final person who I think is truly in this race right now is Josh Allen. Allen has been close to the MVP trophy a couple of times, but this year could be his chance to get his first. Allen lost his top target in Stefon Diggs during the offseason, but that has not slowed him down. He has thrown for 1,766 yards and 14 touchdowns, and has added three more touchdowns on the ground. The big thing with him this year is that he has only thrown one interception. Typically he has turnover problems, but he might be
changing that this season. The Bills are also 6-2 and one of the best teams in the AFC. Allen could finally grab his first MVP this season. The race between these three guys is close so far. There is a lot of season to go, so there are a lot of things to play out, but so far I would say that Jackson will take home
his third MVP. He has elevated his passing game to levels that we have not seen in his career thus far, and he is still as great of a runner as he has been in the past. If he can continue on this track, the Ravens will be one of the best teams in the NFL, and he will come away with the third MVP of his career.
COURTESY
COURTESY
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks to secure his third MVP award in the last six years. He won MVP in 2019 and 2023.
Panthers fall in shootout vs Bears
MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Writer
The Northern Iowa football team fell to the Missouri State Bears 49-42 in the school’s annual Homecoming game.
The Panthers established the run early, as Tye Edwards ran for 15 yards on two rushes. A few plays later, Matthew Schecklman couldn’t connect with Sergio Morancy on a third down and 5, which forced the Panthers to punt.
On the Bears’ first possession, they found themselves in Panther territory early, scoring an 8-yard rushing touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.
The Panther offense responded, going right back to the running game. On the second play from scrimmage, Edwards accelerated up the left sideline for 22 yards. Soon after, Schecklman found Morancy for a gain of 14 yards down to the Bears 30-yard line. The Panthers returned to Edwards a few plays later, as he rushed for a 17-yard gain down to the 9-yard line. On the tenth play of the drive, Amauri Pesek-Hickson punched it in to tie the game up at 7-7 late in the first quarter.
On the Bears’ next offensive possession, the Panthers allowed back-to-back first downs on the first two plays. The defense stepped up on the next series, as Hyson BeyBuie brought pressure on the quarterback, forcing a Bears incompletion and their first punt of the game.
The Panthers faced a third down and 10 early on their next possession, but Schecklman stepped up and fired a 27-yard completion to Jaiden Ellis-Lahey to move
the chains. The offense quickly faced another third down, as Schecklman was sacked for a loss, forcing a Panthers punt.
The Bears wasted no time regaining the lead early in the second quarter. On the third play from scrimmage, the Bears broke free for a 53-yard rushing touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.
As the Panthers looked to respond, Schecklman found Morancy to start the drive for a gain of ten yards. After back-to-back Bears penalties, Edwards rushed for a 9-yard gain down to the 32-yard line.
With the Panthers facing a second and 6 from the 9 yard line, Pesek-Hickson rushed for his second touchdown of the day, tying the game at 14-14 with 7:38 to go in the second quarter.
The Bears offense went right back to work. On the fifth play from scrimmage, the Bears completed a 27-yard pass down to the 33-yard-line.
A few plays later, Missouri State scored their third touchdown to regain the lead at 21-14 with 3:19 to go in the second quarter.
While the Panther’s running backs impacted the running game in the first half, Schecklman broke free on a quarterback keeper for a gain of 36 yards to start the drive. On the following play, Edwards accelerated for a gain of 17 down to the 22-yard line. Already in the red area, the Panther offense made it first and goal as Schecklman found Sergio Morancy for a
gain of twelve down to the 7-yard line. A few plays later, Edwards ran in for a score to tie the game at 21-21 with little time remaining in the first half.
Missouri State wasted no time regaining the lead out of the halftime break. After reaching the UNI 30-yard line in just five plays, the Bears connected on a passing touchdown to take a 28-21 lead early in the third quarter.
On their next possession, Schecklman and Edwards combined for 24 yards and found their way into Missouri State territory. On second and 8, Scheklman found Morancy on a go route for a thirty-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 28-28 with 9:26 to go in the third quarter.
The Missouri State offense once again took little time to score. After a 45-yard rush, the Bears ran in a touchdown to regain the lead at 35-28 with 7:51 to go in the third.
After forcing a Northern Iowa punt, Missouri State went right back to work, rushing for 32 yards down to the 43-yard line. The Bears reached the red zone after two big pass completions. On the next play from scrimmage, the Bears rushed for a touchdown to make it a two-score game at 42-28 late in the third quarter.
Now down two scores, urgency struck the Panther offense. On his first pass of the drive, Schecklman found Tysen Kershaw for a gain of 12 yards. A few plays later he found Kershaw again, this time for a gain of thirty. Facing a third down and 18 from the Bear’s 18-yard-line, Schecklman found Desmond Hutson for a touchdown to make it a onescore game again at 42-35.
The Bears put the nail in the coffin on their next possession, scoring on their 10th play with a passing touchdown to make it 49-35.
On their next possession, the Panthers were facing a fourth down and goal from the 27-yard-line. Schecklman threw up a prayer and found Kershaw for a touchdown to cut the lead to 49-42. The Panther special teams had an opportunity to get an onside kick, but couldn’t recover the football. The Bears went on to win 49-42.
The Panthers will travel to Fargo on Saturday to take on the North Dakota State Bison at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN +.
UNI sweeps weekend conference competition
NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer
The Panthers started off homecoming weekend and quickly got off to a hot start taking an early 9-1 lead in the first set. Lily Dykstra had five early kills for the team and four each from Kacie Rewerts and Kira Fallert that helped boost them to their early lead. Grace Mikota, Reese Booth, and Erin Powers all racked up some service aces, and Northern Iowa cruised to a first set 25-9 win.
The second set started out much like the first with UNI etching a 6-0 lead as Sydney Golden grabbed a pair of aces early in the set. Blocking was huge for the Panthers in this set with six blocks that helped the team take a 27-7 second set win.
In the third set, it would be much closer between the two
teams with UNI and Evansville trading the first 18 points of the match. The Panthers would then go on a 11-4 scoring run that included three kills from Fallert. Northern Iowa would hold the Purple Aces off in the set to secure a 25-18 win and 3-0 match win.
Northern Iowa was back in action on Saturday against the Indiana State Sycamores. Fallert led the offense early with five kills while Cassidy Hartman and Olivia Tjernagel both had four each. Rewerts and Tjernagel were able to notch a pair of blocks while Booth had a service ace to help the Panthers pull away and take the set 25-20.
UNI kept the energy flowing going into the second set as they grabbed a quick lead, due to errors from the Sycamores. Hartman and Fallert each had four kills in the set while Fallert
and Powers both had service aces in the set. Northern Iowa closed out the set on an 8-3 run to secure them the 25-13 set two win.
Efforts continued to be big in the third set as UNI scored eight straight points to start off the set, while also going on an 11-1 scoring run
to shut Indiana State down. The Panthers were able to take the set 25-13 and secure a 3-0 match lead against the Sycamores.
COURTESY
The Panthers 42-point performance is the most points they’ve scored in a game this season. UNI averages 18.6 points per game.
FAITH HATCH/NORTHERN IOWAN
The UNI volleyball program celebrated their 50th anniversary over the weekend.
CLASSIFIEDS
