11-11-2021

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

CEDAR FALLS, IA

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

NEWS

CAMPUS LIFE

SPORTS

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 5

SPORTS PAGE 6

TheatreUNI will perform ‘The Fractured Mind of Eric Coble’ this Friday at 8 p.m.

Panthers come up short in season opener vs. Nicholls State.

Students painted festive fall trees Tuesday in Rod’s Makerspace.

Antwan Kimmons: A spark plug on and off the court COLIN HORNING

Sports Editor

As the 2021-22 UNI men’s basketball season approaches, it appears that this season will be more of a return to what we’ve known compared to last year’s unprecedented circumstances caused by COVID-19.

For sophomore guard Antwan Kimmons, this year’s return to normalcy will be a welcomed sight. Kimmons, who had to leave the team early in the year during the 2020-21 season, has had quite a difficult year and a half. But because of his resilience and dedication, he is back with the Panthers and is focused on making this the best possible season for the Panther men’s basketball team.

“COVID was really hard being away from my mom and my little sister. My mom was going through some things and I felt like me being the only man that I had to go home to help them,” Kimmons said. “Mentally I was strug-

Courtesy/UNI Athletics

UNI basketball player Antwan Kimmons returns to the court with his signature energy which gave him the nickname “spark plug.”

gling a lot, and I felt like being here wouldn’t have went well for me personally. But I decided to come back in August for my coaches and my team, and I think I made the right deci-

sion. Now I’m ready to be back and do what I do best.”

Collegiate and professional athletes are oftentimes seen as immortal and almost superhuman to an extent, leaving

most people to perceive them untouchable. But Kimmons wants everyone to know that they have struggles just as much as everyone else, if not more so.

“Playing football or basketball isn’t easy. The daily grind that we got to go through every day is not easy, and we’ve been doing it our whole lives. It’s hard, it’s really hard, and not just for me but for everybody. I felt like last season would have been better for everyone to be with their families because we all had that struggle to deal with,” he said.

As a player during his freshman year, Kimmons earned the reputation of being the “spark plug” off the bench for the Panthers. He would routinely come into the game in the second unit and provide the extra juice that the team needed. His career high of 13 points came on Jan. 26, 2020 against Loyola-Chicago, leading the Panthers to the 67-62 overtime win.

See SPARK PLUG, page 6

NISG to host events honoring veterans

Veterans recognized through display and ‘Veterans Night Out’ TEYHA TOURNIER Staff Writer

As the nation celebrates and remembers those who have served this Veterans Day, the Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) will be hosting events to honor those serving currently or in the past.

One way in which NISG is paying tribute to veterans is a display in Maucker Union for students and faculty to take a look at in order to honor and support lost or active soldiers. Additionally, people can write a thank you note to a veteran for their service.

Panther Pantry hosts food drive ANNA STEVENS Staff Writer

The Panther Pantry, located in the basement of Maucker Union, provides food and groceries for UNI students who qualify as food insecure. The pantry’s shelves are stocked by donations from the community.

Connecting Alumni to Students (CATS) is having their first Panther Pantry food drive this Thursday to load the shelves.

“There are three branches that make up our mission,” CATS advisor Sarah Craw said.

“Connecting Alumni to students, so working to engage alumni and students with each other, the university and the Division of Advancement where the alumni office sits.”

“But we also own and operate the Tradition challenge on campus,” Craw said. “So con-

CATS is hosting their inaugural food drive for the Panther Pantry Thursday, Nov. 11.

necting students with the pieces of the Panther experience that continue through generations of Panthers.”

CATS hopes this food drive

will be an annual event. In weeks prior, they have been challenging student organizations to collect food.

Whichever organization

KARLA DE BRUIN/Northern Iowan

brings in the heaviest donation will receive a prize. CATS will purchase snacks for the organization that wins to bring to their following meetings to help

See VETERANS, page 2

motivate students.

Donations are not limited to student organizations.

Individual students can donate and will be rewarded with a free T-shirt while supplies last.

Students are invited to the event where games and activities will be available. It will be held in Maucker Union on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

If schedules interfere with the donation time, contact CATS at catsexec@uni.edu prior to the food drive, or donations can be made at the Panther Pantry in the lower level of Maucker Union at any time.

“This is a great organization on campus, a great service that we provide on campus, and it’s great for students to help students who are right here in their own neighborhood and their own community,” Craw said.

PAGE 2

NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN News Editor

|

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

TheatreUNI to present ‘The Fractured Mind of Eric Coble’ BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Staff Writer

TheaterUNI’s second show of the fall 2021 season is “The Fractured Mind of Eric Coble,” but unlike traditional performances, the show will not be performed on a stage. The show instead will be distributed via podcast this Friday, Nov. 12 at 8 a.m.

“The Fractured Mind of Eric Coble” is a series of five radio plays all originating from the playwright Eric Coble himself. Under the direction of Stephen Taft, 24 actors will give these characters life over the radio. Taft describes the five plays as “a parody of mythological creatures, a classic TV show, a well-known American tragedy or poking fun at academia or the world of theater.”

A fun, boisterous show filled with comedic value can be broadcasted on demand in the form of a podcast,

TheatreUNI will present ‘The Fractured Mind of Erc Coble’ this Friday at 8 a.m. via podcast.

Courtesy/TheatreUNI

performing in front of a live audience,” Taft said. “We are very excited about that.”

Taft also shared that this is his final show with TheatreUNI due to his retirement. He hopes that his final show at UNI will entertain and evoke laughter. “Given the world we’ve been living in we can all use a little laughter in our lives.”

So, kick back, relax and enjoy the art and entertainment of TheatreUNI from the comfort of your own dorm room, apartment, home, or even car. Tickets are on sale on the UNItix website and are $12.25 for non-UNI students. UNI students can also get free tickets through UNItix box offices, which can be found GBPAC or the McLeod Center.

After the purchase of a ticket, audiences will receive a link to the show and the playbill. The virtual show is available until Dec. 31.

which is something new for TheatreUNI. “We were fortunate to collaborate with the Electronic Media folks in communications and recording these plays was a new experience for everyone involved,” Taft said.

The new experience was thrust upon the department due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and TheatreUNI took it in stride, creating an entire-

ly new theatrical experience for all.

After the past year of the pandemic, Taft shared his joy for the new platforms the theatre could be presented in and looked forward to the theater returning home to StrayerWood Theatre. “TheatreUNI selected our 2020-21 season nearly a year ago not knowing what the status of the COVID19 situation would be.”

The struggle of the pandemic forced TheatreUNI to find alternatives to share their art.

Luckily, they were able to get creative, with their outdoor production of “A Small Pair of Feet in the Middle of the Sea,” and now with the radio production of “The Fractured Mind of Eric Coble.”

“Spring semester we are scheduled to be back in Strayer-Wood Theatre and

However their big event, the first annual Veterans Night Out, will be one for the books.

Veterans Night Out will take place at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum and Grout Museum of History and Science in Waterloo on Friday, Nov. 12 from 6-9:30 p.m. The event is free to attend, free food will be provided and formal attire is requested.

NISG’s Director of Veterans Affairs Austin Wood is putting together this event instead of hosting their annual

Military Ball to recognize and celebrate veterans from past and present wars.

“It’s a night to get together, share memories and stories and have that comradery to share when around their fellow military members,” Wood said.

Wood felt NISG needed to switch up their usual event and host the event at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum for the perfect opportunity to socially interact and connect with those in the community who have been a part of the military.

“Now people can walk around the museum and look

at the exhibits, displays and explore those stories,” Wood said.

Wood encourages UNI students, faculty and the Cedar Valley community to come and participate in a night honoring those who have sacrificed and served the country.

There will be special guest speakers who have been prisoners of war and will share their stories and experiences.

“We have a lot of students and faculty who serve or are veterans but it extends to the community who supports UNI. We want everyone to see all the hard work that has been put into supporting our veterans,” Wood said.

NISG will host “Veterans Night Out” at the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum (above) on Friday from 6-9:30 p.m.

NORTHERN IOWAN

EDITORIAL STAFF

PRODUCTION STAFF

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN News Editor chriscbi@uni.edu

KARLA DE BRUIN

VETERANS

continued from page 1

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Courtesy/Grout Museum District

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PAGE 3

OPINION

NIXSON BENITEZ Executive Editor

NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

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

The Honors Cottage and our sense of place THOMAS CONNORS

Guest Columnist

The Regents deserve credit for giving the community a chance to consider any decision to demolish the oldest building on UNI’s campus. The former president’s house, now the Honors Cottage, is a familiar landmark along College Street. Passersby admire its beautiful brickwork and architectural charm. Its rich history should be better known.

The home is our closest link to the school’s founding. It was built in 1890, 14 years after classes began, and is now the only building left on campus from the 1800s. Its first inhabitant was Homer Seerley, the most important figure in UNI’s history, who lived in the house as president and after he retired. He died there and his services were held in the front parlor (as was the practice before funeral homes).

Professor William Lang wrote the university’s history while living there. The house has also served as the college hospital. Fifty years ago this year, it became the university’s first center for multicultural students, welcoming them for more than three decades. It is

the most significant landmark in the history of diversity on campus, the place where the university began its sustained commitment to supporting diverse students. Since 2004, it’s housed the Honors program.

There is a special role that an old home can play on a campus filled with cold institutional buildings. It can offer a space for forming community among special groups of students. Over the years, the Cottage has been a refuge for ailing undergraduates and more recently for students of color. Honors students now bond in its cozy rooms. It has always found a purpose.

Today it is critical to the university’s sense of place. The house has found its way into the hearts of students, alumni and neighbors for generations, since the Seerleys started entertaining students within its walls 130 years ago. To paraphrase Daniel Webster, it is a small cottage, and yet there are those who love it.

The historical significance of this landmark to UNI more than justifies its preservation, as does its place in the community’s past. To begin, it can be maintained while the cam-

KARLA DE BRUIN / NORTHERN IOWAN

The Board of Regents decided to not demolish the Honors Cottage (above) and Alumni House.

pus and community undertake an inclusive discussion about its future. A decade ago, that kind of brainstorming led to local benefactors stepping up to preserve the city’s old Post Office (now Bike Tech) when it was threatened with demolition. This campus landmark deserves the same chance.

For a start, the Cottage could continue to house the Honors Program, which currently uti-

lizes all its rooms. Its first floor is accessible by ramp, while the second only contains a few offices. With some creativity, it could welcome and provide orientation for alumni and visitors entering campus from town. Interpretation introducing UNI’s history would be a wonderful addition on the eve of UNI’s sesquicentennial. It could allow visitors and students alike to appreciate our

historical front campus, from the original buildings lost a half century ago to those that have survived and been added as the college grew into a major university.

Thanks to the Regents for providing a window for these voices to be heard and give the campus a chance to imagine a more appropriate future for this cottage than a wrecking ball. The university has a strong record on preservation and recent losses have not raised any outcry. Yet its oldest building deserves a hearing and the community needs a chance to explore its preservation. It stands today as an architectural gem that embodies the university’s founding, multicultural history and sense of community in its bricks.

Let’s find a way for it to tell that story.

Thomas Connors has served on Cedar Falls’Historic Preservation Commission and as president of its Historical Society’s Board. He is an associate professor of history at UNI, although the views expressed in this column are his alone and do not represent the university.

The arts go underappreciated FROM THE NI ARCHIVES

Editors Note: This article was originally printed on Nov. 14, 2019.

Art comes in many different forms such as painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, music, dance, theater, photography and cinema. When we were younger, our teachers opened us up to a world of creative freedom where our imagination was limitless, but due to funding, our production was limited. We have all heard it before: how our art teachers would tell us to be careful with the supplies because they bought them with their own money. As little elementary kids, we didn’t think much of them making that announcement. Under-appreciated art has always been a problem in schools and society. I think it is time to bring this problem to light: society needs to be educated on the benefits that art has to offer.

Not only has the subject of art been underfunded, but it has been extremely under-appreciated. Art is proven to have many benefits tying to mental and emotional health. First, art reduces stress. According to the U.S. National Institute of Health’s website, extensive research found that engagement with creative activities

TONI FORTMANN / NORTHERN IOWAN

Some arts on campus include Orchesis (above), Illuminate Dance Troupe, TheatreUNI and so many more.

has the potential to contribute towards reducing stress and depression and can serve as a vehicle for alleviating the burden of chronic disease.

Another way art can be beneficial is as a tool for kickstarting all other learning. In his book “Arts with the Brain in Mind,” Eric Jensen said, “The systems art nourishes includes our integrated sensory, additional, cognitive, emotional, and motor capabilities are the driving forces behind all other learning.” Lastly, art is beneficial to broaden our intellectual horizons, making

our brains think outside of the formulas and equations that we have grown up learning.

Comprehension, interpretation and imagination help individuals expand their range of thinking and making their own thoughts to what is in front of them.

People may try to rebut and say, “Well, art isn’t popular because not all people have the talent.” Well, to that I want to stress how somebody doesn’t need to be good at art to enjoy it. Enjoying art is as simple as looking at a painting and appreciat-

ing it. Henry David Thoreau once said, “It is not what you look at that matters, it is what you see.” From my experience with art, interpreting what you see comes from what you personally take out of the piece, even if it isn’t exactly what the artist has in mind. It is for enjoyment, advocacy and impact upon a person.

Furthermore, art is not just to admire, or for mental benefits, but it is a learning tool for our history. Looking through our history textbooks, we see paintings from hundreds of thousands of years ago, depicting and recording important events throughout history, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence painted by John Trumbull, The Birth of Venus

by Sandro Botticelli and so many more vital pieces that tell our histories. People tend to learn more from looking at photographs, but there are basically no photographs from these time periods, so we rely on artists and creators to document history. That is something which should be appreciated every day, because without it, we wouldn’t have some of the most amazing art that has influenced so many people.

As well as the concept of art being under-appreciated as a whole, potential career paths in the art can be extremely looked over in our society especially when STEM dominates most of the “popular” fields of study. Even though just recently “STEM” turned to “STEAM” which now incorporates art, there is still an under-appreciation of art and the work that comes along with it. There are a vast amount of careers an individual can go into, including advertising, directing, animating, interior design, graphic design, illustration, art teaching and so much more. Individuals dedicate their lives to making pieces that spark an interest in people, which is something not many people can do.

Here on campus, we have some amazing artwork that deserves to be appreciated; most of these works are by students and faculty in our art department. So, I challenge you as you walk to classes every day and throughout the buildings and see all of the artwork, make a mental note and appreciate the time and work somebody took to create an amazing addition to our campus.

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CATHERINE CROW

CAMPUS LIFE FROM THE NI ARCHIVES

NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

Strayer Wood: Unbelieveable Editors Note: This article was first published in the Northern Iowan on Feb. 17, 1978.

Wait just a minute, this is supposed to be UNI – the “other” university. Can something like this be possible here?

As hard as it may seem, UNI has a new theatre that ranks with the best, maybe even better than the Guthrie.

To say the least, the new Strayer-Wood is spellbinding.

The reason Strayer-Wood might be even better than the Guthrie in Minneapolis is that Strayer-Wood seats about 1/3 as many people; consequently, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

The construction of the facility began about three years ago. The name, StrayerWood, was derived from Hazel Strayer and Stanley Wood, who were both professors here. Both Ms. Strayer and Mr. Wood are deceased, although Wood was on hand for the ground breaking cere-

mony.

The complex is extremely complicated. There are separate rooms for costume storage, make-up, costume design room, a party room of sorts, and most interesting of all is the “trap” room. The trap room is in the basement of the theatre and by simply lifting out a panel one can rise onto the stage from seemingly out of the ground.

All the lighting and the sound are done by a computer, although they aren’t functioning for “Lion in Winter.” That won’t be a problem though, as the systems can be operated manually as well.

Another feature StrayerWood will have is a bar, with alcoholic drinks!

One of the most amazing aspects of the new theatre is that it can convert from proscenium to a thrust stage. A proscenium stage is the standard shape of a theatre, where the audience is sitting directly in front of the stage. A thrust stage is a three sided auditorium, where the audience

is sitting to the side of the stage in addition to the seats in front of the stage. This is a major aspect of the facility, and something the Guthrie set out to do, but ran out of funds before the work could be done.

Because “Lion in Winter,” the play now showing is utlizing the thrust stage, director George Glenn said that one can get an entirely different perspective of the play depending on where one sits. Such a feat would not be possible with the standard proscenium stage.

“Lion in Winter” has had its fair share of problems, and many of them because of Strayer-Wood. Since the group hasn’t been able to use the facility they have been forced to rehearse in the Auditorium.

Needless to say, the old theatre doesn’t even come close to Strayer-Wood.

Then, due to the Artist Series, the group had to find a new place to rehearse. At first they used the scene shop, and then had to move once again.

This time it was the women’s

Courtesy / Rod Library

The stage and auditorium right after completion in 1978.

lounge in the basement of the Aud. Much like the Aud., the women’s lounge didn’t compare with Strayer-Wood.

Once in the new theatre, the actors and actresses had to differ their voice every night due to the additional furnishings which were put in every day. This created some problems.

Glenn said that the group has been doing a good job of things. “The rehearsals have been varied, but we’re finally in good shape,” said the UNI professor.

The only group that the theatre department has to share the new building with is the music department, and Glenn said that won’t be a problem.

The $4.5 million theatre is now open. It is almost complete with a few minor additions yet to be added. Let UNI take your breath away and see the play. Tickets are still on sale.

VOX POP From a student perspective, how could student government be “more present” on campus?

Photos and quotes by: Alisanne Struck - News Writing for Media

Butler, Grant Wulfsen, 20 Maddie Davis, 21 Hannah 21 Digital Media Finance Public Relations Productions “A+ from me, seems like “It would be interesting to do a ‘get to know you’ informational event, because I don’t even know who is in it other than you.”

“I would say more appearances out and about on campus. And maybe this happens and I just don’t know it or even doing a short appearance at meetings of different campus orgs just to introduce yourselves and explain what NISG does.”

everyone’s doing great stuff.”

Megan Brown, Sociology

20 Maddie Paulsen, 19 Elementary Education

“I follow their social media, but I think more students should actually take the time to follow and keep up with NISG. It could be better to see more of the people in it active around campus, talking in clubs, going to classes to talk about what NISG does, stuff like that.”

“Since it’s my first semester I’m not 100% percent sure what the student government does for a normal year, but I thought it was great to see them at the student org fair.”

PAGE 5 CATHERINE CROW Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

PANTHER PORTRAIT: Tree painting

CATHERINE CROW / NORTHERN IOWAN

On Monday, Nov. 8, the Rod Library Makerspace hosted a craft activity from 3-4 p.m. for students to come and destress. The crafting activity consisted of painting fall or winter colors on a stencil of a tree with a piece of broccoli.

PAGE 6

SPORTS NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

MEN’S BASKETBALL

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

|

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

Panthers come up short in season opener vs. Nicholls State DAVID WARRINGTON

Sports Writer

After what many would consider a disappointing 10-15 season in 2020-21 that included the loss of star player A.J. Green after the third game of the season, the UNI Panthers men’s basketball team got the 2021-22 season started on Tuesday. The Panthers hosted the Nicholls State Colonels at the McLeod Center to open the season. The Colonels were no slouch a season ago, winning the Southland Conference regular season championship and enter this year as favorites to repeat. The Panthers couldn’t get the win in their season opener, falling to the Colonels 62-58.

The Panthers got off to a fast start, taking an early 13-4 lead by knocking down shots as well as putting in a strong defensive effort. However, around the midway point of

the first half, the UNI offense went cold. This allowed the Colonels to go on an 11-0 run and take their first lead of the night at 15-13. Panthers center Austin Phyfe responded with his own 6-0 run to give the lead back to UNI at 19-15.

This was part of a 15-point first half for Phyfe, but the Colonels stuck around as the teams went into the locker rooms tied at 27.

The start of the second half was much like the end of the first, with neither team able to get any separation from the opposition. After a three-pointer from Phyfe via a smooth behind-the-back assist from Green gave the Panthers a 37-35 lead, both teams went cold, going scoreless for several minutes. After a slow start in his return, Green finally got on the board with seven minutes to play, knocking down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 44. The Colonels answered with an 11-0 run, taking their

biggest lead of the night at 55-44. The Panthers put in a good effort late, nearly coming all the way back. Ultimately, UNI fell just short, losing by a final score of 62-58.

Phyfe was the leading scorer for the Panthers, finishing with 20 points, as well as the leading rebounder, pulling down nine boards.

It was a rough return for Green as the MVC Preseason Player of the Year finished with four points, making one of his 14 shot attempts including missing his first 13. In spite of a rough performance, his teammates still have plenty of faith in Green.

“We have all the faith in the world in him. That man puts in more work than anyone I’ve known in my entire life,” said senior guard Trae Berhow after the game. “I can almost promise you guys that A.J. Green will not let that happen again,” Berhow said when informed that Green had missed his first 13 shots.

TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan

The Panthers fell in their 2021-22 season opener to Nicholls State by the score of 62-58. Austin Phyfe lead UNI in scoring with 20 points.

With the loss, the Panthers fall to 0-1 on the season.

It’ll be a quick turnaround for UNI, as they return to action on Thursday, Nov. 11, host-

ing the Vermont Catamounts at 5 p.m. The Panthers will also be at home on Sunday, Nov. 14, hosting the Dubuque Spartans.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Panther women defeat SLU 63-54 in season opener DEVON CANTY Sports Writer

The UNI women’s basketball team traveled to St. Louis to face the Saint Louis University Billikens on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The Panthers came out victorious, winning 63-54 lead by strong second half performance. These two teams have some history from the WNIT Rockford Regional last spring, with UNI winning 58-50 over SLU to advance to the WNIT semifinals.

UNI had a slow start in

ANTWAN KIMMONS continued from page 1

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

Antwan Kimmons has earned the reputation as a “spark plug” for the UNI men’s basketball team.

the first quarter scoring only 10 points. The Billikens also started sluggish but ended the quarter scoring the last five baskets, leading 14-10 after one.

After nearly three minutes without a field goal, the Panthers broke the drought on a layup from Karli Rucker. The UNI adjustments continued and started the second quarter on fire with two baskets within 40 seconds. Guard Kam Finley knocked down a timely three-pointer, which was her second one of the first half.

Both teams continued to trade baskets back and forth, but St. Louis led at half, 31-25.

Rucker got the scoring going for UNI to open the second half, scoring a basket in the first 20 seconds. She continued her hot streak opening the fourth quarter scoring off a turnover and finished the game with a team-high 17 points. UNI’s defense came to play, causing several scoring droughts for the Billikens.

“I was proud of our team for the way they battled this evening. It was a tough match-

up, but we were able to find the defensive holes to get the points we needed. Having four players in double-digits and almost a third of our points off the bench led to a strong offensive performance. Our defense in the second half was stellar and really propelled us to win tonight,” said head coach Tanya Warren.

UNI shot 37% from the field and 28% from three as a team. The Panthers also did a great job getting shots in close, scoring half of their points in the paint. They were able to

rely on some key contributors. Bre Gunnels had a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and played a team-high 37 minutes.

UNI was able to get a great contribution off the bench from Maya McDermott, scored 10 points in only 12 minutes of play.

UNI will host the University of Iowa for their first home game on Sunday, Nov. 14.

This will be a test for UNI facing the No. 9 Hawkeyes.

Tip off is 2 p.m. at the Mcleod Center.

“Everybody has a role on the team and I feel like that’s my role. Whether that’s coming off the bench or starting, I’ve played like this my whole life.

And it reflects on my personality too. I’m pretty laid-back and try to have fun because life is too short to do otherwise, so I try to mix my personality with playing basketball. That way when I go out onto the court, I try to bring high-level energy. I feel like everybody feeds off it too, and I feel like that’s just my personality and who I am. I didn’t really think of myself as the spark plug but someone gave me the nickname and it kind of caught on from there,” said Kimmons.

The Panthers were picked to finish in third place in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, behind Drake and Loyola-Chicago. Kimmons and the rest of the men’s team don’t buy into the preseason

projections.

“Those are just rankings.

People aren’t here to see us practice or anything, so they’re just going off last year and what other teams did. We don’t really pay attention to that stuff but obviously we see it. They had us finishing third or fourth two years ago and we won the conference regular season title. So you can’t really look at that stuff because it’s just other people’s opinions. But we’ve got a really good team this year,” he said.

The Panthers will be returning much of the same roster from last season, including preseason MVC Player of the Year A.J. Green coming off of hip surgery last year. Other notables include 2020-21 Newcomer of the Year Bowen Born, preseason allMVC center Austin Phyfe and veterans Trae Berhow, Noah Carter and Tywhon Pickford.

Top to bottom, this UNI team looks ready to compete in a

highly-competitive Missouri Valley Conference.

“There’s so many possibilities for this team. I’m hoping that we mesh well together and I think we will. We’ve all got good chemistry; everybody gets along and we all make each other laugh. A.J. coming back is huge since he’s the best player in the league. And then Phyfe, who’s the best big man in the league in my opinion.

We’ve got some good shooters, maybe three or four of the best shooters in the conference, and some great defenders like Tywhon and Nate Heise. It should be good and I’m really excited to see what happens,” said Kimmons.

After basketball, Kimmons has high aspirations for giving back to the community and doing his part to help. He is majoring in sociology and hopes to have a career in the law enforcement field after

graduation.

“I want to be a probation officer after I graduate and ideally I’d like to have my own firm or office. You can go to college to become a probation officer, but you don’t learn what these kids have to go through growing up. I have friends who know what it’s like to go through this, so I want to create my own firm where we can help young kids and juveniles,” he said.

Kimmons also wants to build a recreational center back home. In his words, he wants it to be “the best one ever built.” But before then, he has business to take care of on the court.

“Come out and support us and pack the McLeod Center.

It’s definitely going to be a fun season,” said Kimmons with a smile, which is a fitting expression for the player nicknamed the Spark Plug.

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

FUN & GAMES NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

Across 1 Frequent-flier no., e.g.

5 Rental agreement 10 Many GRE takers 13 Big, fancy dinner 14 Finalize, as a comic strip 15 Tiny pest 16 Mideast protest movement that began in 2010 18 Mount St. Helens outflow 19 Cloud computing giant 20 Crotchety oldster 21 Postpone 22 “Little Broken Hearts” singer Jones 24 Cash cache 27 Win-win 29 Tall tale 30 Run fast 31 Bond or Bourne 32 [Oh, well] 36 E-tailer’s address 37 February 29th ... and, based

on the ends of 16-, 24-, 49and 60-Across, this puzzle’s title 40 Cow sound 41 Sailboat staff 43 Will Ferrell holiday movie 44 Really into 46 Makeover 48 14-legged crustacean 49 Morally obliged 53 Dull finish 55 Laura’s classic “Dick Van Dyke Show” wail 56 Dubliner’s land 58 Golfer’s double bogey, usually 59 Put on weight 60 TV actor who played the Maytag repairman 63 Sound-off button 64 Headache relief brand 65 Part of town 66 Ginger __

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM 67 Take care of 68 Second to none Down 1 “Encore!”

2 Rich pasta dish 3 New England shellfish sandwiches 4 It’s picked up in bars 5 Cosmetic surg. option 6 Dress like Judge Judy 7 Curly-tailed guard dog 8 Envy or lust 9 An official lang. of Hong Kong 10 Big mess 11 “Bolero” composer 12 Set in motion 15 Collects bit by bit 17 Where subjects are taught 21 TiVo, for one 23 Every bit 25 “Cagney & Lacey” law-enforcing gp.

26 Paddled boats 28 Swim team swimsuit 30 Orbit, e.g.

31 Sunscreen letters 33 Uncertain words 34 Happy days 35 Sweetie 38 Baseball’s Felipe or Moises 39 Naval petty officers 42 “Have a sample” 45 Org. concerned with pesticides 47 Tidal retreat 48 “Ta-da!”

49 Religious doctrine 50 Ryder rival 51 All too familiar 52 Timid person’s lack 54 Yank in China, maybe 57 Chewy caramel candy 60 __ station 61 Flowery poem 62 Quick punch

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

Thank You Veterans!

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CLASSIFIEDS NOVEMBER 11, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 22

CROSSWORD

SUDOKU ONE

SUDOKU TWO