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THURSDAY, APRIL 5
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 CEDAR FALLS, IA INSIDE THIS ISSUE Ankara Night preview 2 Thank you, Stephen Hillenburg 3
VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27 Sports editor farewell 5 Wrestling in Vegas 6
Glee Club serenades at Variety Show ALANNA BYRNES Staff Writer
Last weekend, the UNI Varsity Men’s Glee Club hosted their 41st annual Christmas Variety Show. Filling the Great Hall at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (GBPAC), the singers entertained a crowd of over 1,000 people. Associate music professor John Wiles has served as the director of the group for the past nine years. He introduced the singers in his “From the Director” piece in the show program, writing: “The Glee Club has a long history of offering great performances designed to entertain and inspire.” The Glee Club holds the record for the most soldout GBPAC performances, according to the program. Mr. Robert “Bob” Byrnes, who was the director of the Glee Club in 1974 and directed the group for 30 years, started the tradition of the Christmas Variety Show in 1978. According to the program, Byrnes’ goal for the group was that they would be “one of the best choruses on the planet.” Following a high-energy entrance from all corners of the Great Hall, the Glee
TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan
Club sang their traditional opener, “We Need a Little Christmas.” They also sang other Glee Club staples from the past 41 years, including “Silent Night” and a candle-lit rendition of “The First Noel.” Molly Mingus, junior business administration and economics major, is a returning fan of the Christmas Variety Show. “Each time I have gone [to the show] it puts a smile to my face,” said Mingus. “The Glee Club is so talented and their choice of a mix between comedy and music works perfect together. It is a show that is suitable for all ages and something I plan on going to again next year!” The show features other performers from across campus. This year, the Orchesis
Dance Company performed a modern piece set to a rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” UNITUBA, one of the oldest tuba and euphonium ensembles in the world, performed “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “Jingle Bells.” Also featured in the program was the “Legendary” Father Paul Peters, who has been accompanying the show on the Great Hall organ almost every year, and Paul Marlow, a Glee Club alumnus who has been the emcee for the show for the past 14 years. The SingPins, an auditioned acapella group within Glee Club, performed “Loch Lomond”’ by Jonathan Quick and “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” One of the show’s annu-
al highlights is a visit from Santa Claus, who talks to various children in the audience. Audience members at the Saturday matinee witnessed a Glee Club proposal during Santa’s rounds. “I never expected [the show] to have so much fun and be welcomed with so much energy,” said Carmen Fritz, a senior majoring in leisure, youth and human services. “I go every year with my family and am still impressed with the show.” Since the beginning of the Christmas Variety Show tradition, each year the Glee Club has performed a play written and directed by its members. This year, the Glee Club hosted a writing competition at Kingsley Elementary in Waterloo for the first
time. Ten-year-old Corbany P. Greenmore won with her story titled, “Cocoa Man Saves Christmas… Maybe.” The play tells the story of an evil Santa stealing the real Santa’s Christmas spirit. According to the program, the heroes of the play were based solely on Greenmore’s love for hot chocolate and candy canes. In the play, evil Santa and his gang of infamous “bad guys” including the Joker and Voldemort steal the real Santa’s magical underwear, planning to steal his socks next. Cocoa Man, Mr. Candy Cane and their team of “good guy” characters — including Batman and Harry Potter — come to the rescue and save Christmas. See GLEE CLUB, page 5
UNI finishes top 30 percent at CyberForce ANNA FLANDERS Staff Writer
Six UNI students competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s CyberForce™ competition at Argonne National Laboratory in
Lemont, Ill. last weekend. It was UNI’s third time competing. They placed 18th out of 64 schools located in seven different places nationwide. “I think the average school size is around 22,000
COURTESY PHOTO/Argonne National Laboratory
with some really big schools like [University of Central Florida] who won it, and they’re the largest on-campus student body,” said assistant professor of computer science Andrew Berns, who served as a mentor for
competing UNI students and accompanied them to the Argonne Lab. “I was really happy with our top 30 percent finish, considering we’re a small school of 11,000 students.” The UNI team was comprised of Matthew Eltze, Joseph Gaiser, Steven Hodges, Sheriff Jorkeh, Chanlika Parker and Michael Riesberg-Timmer. To qualify for the competition, the team had to write an essay about creative cyber defense strategies that they would use in the competition. The students were supposed to act like the system administrator for a small business network. About three weeks before the competition, the UNI team was given virtual machines that they could access over the Internet. The team used this time to secure the machines
before the competition. They were not explicitly told the purpose of each machine or how they operated. “So, the first step was to actually tinker around with all the machines, see what they were trying to do, see where they were broken — what kind of fixes we needed to make just to get to operational status,” said Riesberg-Timmer, a senior majoring in computer science. “Then from there, we moved into the hardening phase. So that’s when we start doing the security stuff, locking everything down. Making sure things are in tiptop secure shape, so people can’t get in and steal stuff. And then the final step was coming up with creative ideas, trying to think outside of the box.” See CYBERFORCE, page 2
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DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
NEWS
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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SOFIA LEGASPI
Campus Life Editor
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
African Union to raise awareness at Ankara Night COLBY WEBER Staff Writer
Sexual assault, the deaf community, colorism, bleaching and refugees. These are the topics UNI’s African Union seeks to address at an upcoming event. On Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., African Union will be hosting Ankara Night in the Old Central Ballroom at Maucker Union. Presentations will run until 9 p.m., followed by a dance until 11 p.m. Food and drinks will be served at the event, which is free and open to the public. “The purpose of Ankara Night is to create an awareness for topics that are not talked about within the African community,” said Gorpu David, a senior psychology major and president of the African Union. “We know that these topics exist, but we don’t talk about them because they’re kind of like a taboo if you mention them. If somebody
CYBERFORCE
continued from page 1
The team arrived at the Argonne Lab on Friday, Nov. 30, the day before the actual competition. Argonne provided the team with physical devices, including a water pump that their servers needed to be able to switch on and off. They worked late into the night — one group member stayed up until 4 a.m. The competition started at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Each
attends the event, goes to that event and learns something from that event, they can tell the next person about what they learned, which creates an awareness for it.” A variety of speakers will be present at the event to present on African issues. Tulia Mulibinge, a senior elementary education and TESOL major will be presenting her talk on sexual violence. Faith Aruwan will discuss colorism, and Shania Waller will be talking about the deaf community. The topic of refugees will be addressed by Winnie Akinyi and Fourtytwo Yet. During Yet’s talk, he will explain his personal experiences and difficulties as a refugee, along with the healing process he went through. All of these speeches will be accompanied by singing, dancing and the recitation of original poetry in order to add a multi-faceted layer to the event. The word “ankara” has a special meaning in the context
of the event. It’s an African fabric which is known to be bright and colorful. “Ankara is very vibrant, which speaks to the bigger cause,” Mulibinge said. “Though Africans go through the issues that they do, we’re still a vibrant people and a vibrant culture. With ankara being so diverse in its patterns and colors, it carries such a heavy meaning. We want to see colors that are bright at the event, colors that speak sunshine.” The African Union on campus aims to be a platform for students of African descent or African allies. Mulbinge believes their organization allows these people to have a family on campus which they wouldn’t have otherwise. In her mind, it serves as a safe space for African people where they can learn about themselves and the issues that surround them. “I really want it to be emphasized that the topics
of the teams competing at Argonne had a different role and a color to represent that role. “In one room, there’s a Red Team which is people that are trying to break into our servers,” explained Gaiser, a senior majoring in computer science. “Then our team is the Blue Team, so our team has secured our servers and all of our machines and services. And then there’s the White Team, which was the staff at the event, and then there
we’re talking about have a large impact on African students and students of diverse background who attend school here,” Mulbinge said. “We’re not just doing this event to do it. It’s because these are things
that have affected many of us that attend school here. It’s important that our peers, faculty members and administration understand the struggles that we have gone through to be where we are at today.”
was the Green Team which was users that were gonna be using our services. So, we set up a webpage for the company to have internally for their employees, and then the Green Team was supposed to use that based on some documentation we made for it. And while they were using it, the Red Team was trying to prevent them from using it.” The team was scored on criteria that included how long their services were up, how well their servers were secured, if they were able to catch the Red Team and how quickly they were able to kick the Red Team out of their servers. The Red Team was made up of reallife cybersecurity employees. Another way to gain points was by solving anomalies similar to puzzles. If the teams got the answer correct, they were given points. “Every two hours, we had a report due where we’d have to write about an instance where someone
got in where they shouldn’t have or someone went in where they shouldn’t have and then talk about what we did to fix it and how we’re gonna prevent it from happening in the future,” Riesberg-Timmer said. “So, it was a lot of things happening in real time, and you have to make quick, snappy decision like how we were gonna respond. Because if we didn’t get them out, they were just gonna completely take everything down.” The hackers would deface websites by replacing them with GIFs or funny videos with music. Defaced websites were displayed on a projector, along with a live tally of points earned. Although the Red Team was able to get into the Blue Team’s system, their website never got defaced. “I was kind of shocked by how many schools had their sites completely taken down,” Riesberg-Timmer said. “The Red Team was a lot stronger than I anticipated. They created a lot
of stressful situations even for our team [. . .] We had a lot of situations where someone was in and we had to find a way to kick them out in real time. And before they got back in, we had to find a way to keep them from coming back. It was a lot of in-the-moment problem solving that in the real world usually you just can’t get that kind of experience, unless you’re either in a competition or a major company that’s actively being attacked. It’s completely different than any kind of thing you would normally do.” Berns believes that students often learn more in the few weeks of preparation and competition than they do in a semester of class. “I really don’t do a ton as a mentor. It’s a testament to the students that went and how strong our UNI students are that they got 18th [place],” Berns said. “I’m really proud of the way they work together and on short notice came together.”
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The African Union will host Ankara Night in the Union ballroom on Saturday, Dec. 8. Presentations begin at 7 p.m., with a dance following at 9 p.m.
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SYDNEY HAUER
OPINION
Executive Editor
Rest, if you must, but don’t quit DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
AHSAN KHAN
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
After another eventful semester, finals are upon us. Most social media posts are students complaining that they want to drop out, and the ever-famous “C’s get degrees” post is circulating around as well. However, despite all the complaints, there is a lack of space in the library. Students brave the cold to finish their semester on a high note so that they can breathe a sigh of relief over winter break. With such an atmosphere, it is easy to be stressed out. Therefore, there is also a rise in de-stress activities across campus. My favorite de-stress activity is the late breakfast at Rialto hosted by the President. There is something missing though. No one wants to acknowledge that we should give it our best shot, but if we fail, that is fine as well. I do realize that the cost of this can be significant. For some, it can mean pushing their graduation fur-
ther, cancellation of federal aid or scholarships if GPA drops significantly, having to pay extra to retake a course and the disappointment of parents or peers. All of these are factors that I have personally faced. It is not a good feeling at all. The feeling that one has failed and one’s efforts haven’t amounted to anything is quite a miserable place to be in. Why is there such a stigma around failure? After all, the success stories that surround us consist of the same motto: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Failure should be promoted and viewed in a constructive manner. Failing is not the end of things, but merely a signal that one needs to work harder in order to achieve goals. The stigma around failure affects our general well-being and our mental health. Both are important aspects of succeeding. As the saying goes, ‘health is wealth.’ Mental health is such an important issue on college campuses, but how much of it stems from the fear of failure is
always ignored. Failure in college does not have to be solely about failing a class; it can consist of failing to keep up with personal relationships, failure to enroll in the class that is necessary for graduation, failure to maintain finances and so on. All of this is okay, however. There is a false sense of perfectionism that is promoted in our society, perpetuated by social media. All we see is happy people achieving one thing after the other and viewing ourselves as under-achievers or failures. The main thing that I have realized in my time at college is that everyone has their own time zone. President Obama left office at 55 years of age and President Trump came into office at 70 years of age. Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts before he was actually successful with the light bulb. The famous Jack Ma was rejected by Harvard ten times but he still kept on going. So, if you have not graduated in four years that
Last Monday, Nov. 26, was a sad night in Bikini Bottom because Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon, “Spongebob Squarepants,” passed away. Hillenburg was only 57 years old and died due to ALS complications, according to Deadline. From watching “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” with director’s commentary multiple times and my own personal research throughout the years, including some school projects, I’ve acquired a vast library of knowledge about the Bikini Bottom world. I may not compare to the devotion of Patchy the Pirate, but I do consider myself a Spongebob specialist. To know me, is to know that “Spongebob Squarepants” runs through my veins. Before Vine or memes ever existed, my friends and I would just repeat “Spongebob” quotes to one another. Or I would just repeat “Spongebob” quotes to them and bemoan the fact that their childhoods were deprived of the pleasures of jellyfish fields and Krabby Patties. So, the passing of Hillenburg hit me way harder than even the passing of Stan Lee, who I must also thank for creating the comic book characters that I grew up reading and inspiring my own storytelling. My love for “Spongebob”
goes beyond the nautical nonsense and humor. Today, I hope to convince you that this kid’s show about a devoted minimum-wage fry cook in the form of an anthropomorphic sponge is anything but insignificant. The first thing you must understand about “Spongebob” is that Hillenburg was a marine biologist and very intentional about character design. No, sea sponges don’t look like dish sponges, but if you look at Spongebob’s genealogy, you’ll find that his parents are more resembling of actual marine sponges. Other characters, like Squidward, as it is explained by Hillenburg, couldn’t be animated to look like actual animals for the purpose of keeping it simple and fun. During regular third wall breaks in the show, references to the actual models of the sea creatures are made. Another fun marine fact is that “Spongebob” could be located in a real-life science fiction premise. Fans theorize that Bikini Bottom is actually Bikini Atoll, an atoll in the Marshall Islands where nuclear testing happened during World War II, and all the creatures are mutated results of radiation. Although Bikini Atoll does have the namesake, lead voice actor Tom Kenny, also from “The Powerpuff Girls” and “CatDog,” said Bikini Bottom is its own world, thus why the show strays from covering topical subjects. Hillenburg was a man passionate about marine life and strange animation shorts from a
very young age, according to the Atlantic. In the mid-80s’ he was working at California’s Ocean Institute to create educational cartoons for children. He then went on to attend CalArts to become an animator. The pitch for a story of cheerful, albeit overly optimistic, sea sponge to Nickelodeon in 1997 was well received, and it quickly became a huge success for the network. One of the driving forces of the show as an animation is actually the dialogue. There are, of course, brilliant scenes in Bikini Bottom that can only work with animation, but it is the colorful dialogue between characters that drives the humor. When Spongebob contorts himself in the shape of Texas and asks, “What am I?” to his best friend and starfish, Patrick, the scene that plays out in dialogue is easily repeatable without video: Patrick: “Uh, stupid.” SB: “No, I’m Texas” Patrick: “What’s the difference?” And even the cheesy humor is completely self-aware with the character of Squidward. His responses to Spongebob and Patrick’s most inane ideas and conversations actually grow more humorous with age. Squidward is the stoic hero of self-deprecating humor throughout the series, only seconded by Mrs. Puff and then Sandy Cheeks. The importance of these characters cannot be emphasized enough. In a show where the main character is happy to go to his minimum wage job every day (with or without pay?!), it adds a breath of sanity that makes the
Opinion Columnist
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
is okay. It might take you an extra semester or year, but you will still have made it. If you are failing a class this semester that is perfectly normal. It is merely a call that you need to pull up your socks and work harder next semester. Normal is not what your fellow peers do; it is what one does at their own time and capacity. Take reflections from your failure as to what you have learned and how you cannot afford to fail the same way next time. College life or practical life does not have to be spent chasing perfection or a stackedup resume to woo others, but rather should be spent chasing our full potential. Potential cannot be reached if we are afraid of failing. The drawbacks that we face in college are not the only ones that we will face – these are life-long at every step of the way. Accepting that we might fail at these and still come out on top is a more reasonable approach to take. Personally, I failed consis-
tently from freshman to junior year, but I did not stop. I admitted my mistakes and formed plan after plan of how to succeed. It took a change in major and coming to terms with my abilities to realize that my potential lay elsewhere. The biggest factor in my newfound success is that I have faced so many failures already that I can ignore my next biggest failure and bulldoze on until I encounter the next one. On that very thought, I leave you with an excerpt from a poem by Edgar Guest. Good luck with your finals and to those graduating: welcome to the practical field of life. ‘When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and debts are high, And you want to Smile but have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.’
Thank you, Hillenberg: *19 years later*
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Staff writer Leziga Barikor reflects on the creation of the late-and-great Stephen Hillenberg, “Spongebob Squarepants.”
show watchable to every generation. Now, the cultural impact of “Spongebob” can’t be missed if you spend even one minute on the internet, and it is only helped by the fact that the show is still the longest running Nickelodeon series with 242 episodes and counting. It beat out Rugrats for that top spot in 2012, and they are in the top 10 of longest running American cartoons, according to Ranker. They’ve received much critical acclaim, winning four Emmy awards, six Annie Awards and two BAFTA Children’s awards. But what is essential to the importance of ‘Spongebob” is not its accolades or lasing humor, but its wumbo. Wumbo was introduced by Patrick Star
in season three, episode five of the show. It is best described as, “I wumbo, you wumbo, he, she, me, wumbo, wumbo, wumboing, we’ll have the wumbo, wumborama, wumbology, the study of wumbo,” according to Star. In many ways, wumbo is a higher state of being, a place completely foreign and yet completely like home. Hillenburg brought wumbo to us. So, we can be Goofy Goobers, proud ugly barnacles and discover new ways to annoy Squidward in the coming future on Feb. 15. To my fellow fry cook lovers, keep Plankton from stealing the secret formula this break, and to the novice, I advise you give “Spongebob” a try for the first four to six seasons. Wumbo be with you.
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CAMPUS LIFE
DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
FILM REVIEW
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
SOFIA LEGASPI
Campus Life Editor
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
Coen film inconsistently explores Wild West HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic
Joel and Ethan Coen are two directors who can always be depended on to make a wildly original film. Their work contains an offbeat nature mixed with highbrow comedy that either ends up making a splash with audiences (“Fargo”) or landing with a thud (“The Ladykillers”). The brothers’ latest Netflix film, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” lands somewhere in the grey area between splash and thud. Set in the Old West, the film is split into chapters and tells six mutually exclusive stories. Ranging from wacky slapstick to grim realism, the Coens offer their own unique
take on the Western genre as they experiment with a revolving door of distinct plots and characters.
Directing: 3/5 The Coens have always been able to grab the attention of viewers with their blend of violence and sharp storytelling. Those two attributes show up in “Buster Scruggs,” but not as much as they should. The first story, starring Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, is a joyous romp that starts the film off on the right foot through its use of comedic gunplay and witty banter. Unfortunately, having such a fine chapter at the
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
The newest film by the Coen brothers, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” is available on Netflix. The six-part Western film received a 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
beginning sets the rest of the film up to be a disappoint-
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ment in comparison. A few of the subsequent stories just kind of come and go without much fanfare. Clocking in at 130 minutes, the film can test your patience from time to time. The length of each story ranges between fifteen and forty minutes. A major problem arises from this as all the good stories end up being too short and the lackluster stories too long. This creates an unsatisfying feeling at the end of each as they never feel right in terms of length. One area that should be applauded is the absolutely stunning cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. Each wide shot of the Great Plains is more beautiful than the last as every one is used masterfully to build a living world around the stories. Writing: 3/5 Just like their directing, the writing by the Coens can be best described as a crapshoot. Filling their stories with insights concerning the ideas of existentialism and human morality, the brothers sometimes overplay their hands and start to lull the audience from boredom. The final story is the most guilty of this, as five characters endlessly drone on about different philosophical topics such as the nature of God and the morality of bounty hunting. One thing at which the Coens have always excelled is filling their films with compelling characters. The characters in this film more than live up to expectations as almost every one of them light up the screen with their eccentric personalities. However, not all characters get to shine as some of their traits wear thin quickly. By the end, they become repetitive parodies. Acting: 3/5 With an A-list cast of different character actors,
the quality of the acting as a whole is in line with the directing and writing. Tim Blake Nelson as the cartoony gunslinger Buster Scruggs is easily the highlight of the film. His infectious energy and fourth-wallbreaking wisecracks give levity to some of the film’s most brutal moments. James Franco and Liam Neeson appear in the second and third story, respectively, as men trying to make a living through questionable methods. The plots of each story give the actors little to work with and they each end up turning in average performances. Famous singer Tom Waits single-handedly stars in the fourth story as a prospector searching for a gold deposit. Waits’ grizzled demeanor, along with his reactionary mutterings, keep us engaged throughout and connected to the welfare of his character. Lastly, Zoe Kazan stars in the penultimate story as a woman trying to make her way to Oregon while enduring a series of tragedies. Kazan’s shy and innocent personality gives her character a good amount of emotional depth that nearly makes up for the dull plot. Overall: 3/5 “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is a reminder of what the Coens do so well and what they have always struggled with. Despite their limitations, the brothers are miles ahead of many others who try and fail to match their style. If you have a Netflix account or know someone who does (which is about everyone), this film could prove to be an entertaining time and a great gateway into the filmography of two of the most influential filmmakers of the past quarter century.
SOFIA LEGASPI
Campus Life Editor
CAMPUS LIFE DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
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VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
Students de-stress before finals week PEYTON HUSMANN Staff Writer
Dead week: A time when every college student needs something to take their mind off the mountain of work that has piled up throughout the semester. “De-Stress Days” provided UNI students with activities to help them relax. The event, put on by Student Wellness Services and the Student Health Advisory Committee, was held on Dec. 3 to 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Maucker Union ballrooms. “Since final exams are next week, students need an outlet for their stress and anxiety,” said Beth Chaney, a graduate assistant with Student Wellness Services. “By providing all of these relaxing activities, we can help alleviate some of the stress and make sure our students are
healthy and happy as they finish up this semester.” Activities in those three days included coloring, puzzles, hot drinks, massages and playing with therapy puppies. Another activity was practicing gratitude via writing thank-you notes to those who have supported them. “By doing these activities,
I was able to forget about my finals and homework for a little bit, and that was all I really needed,” said Connor Latteyer, a senior history major. The labyrinth was another activity students could use to relax. Placed in a room with dimmed lights, the labyrinth was a large mat on the floor with a winding path lead-
Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. Paul Jespersen drilled a dagger half-court three-point buzzer beater to knock off sixth seeded Texas to advance in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. That moment came to define why I became a sports writer. The excitement, the unpredictability and the pure joy of Panther fans around the building inspired me to want to share stories of sports and the emotion behind them. Now, two and a half years later, as I prepare to walk across the stage and graduate, I look back on my time here at the Northern Iowan, and am thankful for the opportunity to expand on my writing and leadership abilities. Thank you to my writers
(you all know who you are). You keep the sports page rolling with your content and passion for athletics. To the NI editorial staff, thank you for your unwavering support, encouragement and above all, your passion and love of memes and vines. To my readers, thank you as well. This is why I do what I do. I love to share the passion of sport with you and I hope you will continue to find that in the NI going forward. As for me, you’ll probably see me around UNI sports a lot. I’m going to be chilling in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area in the sports media field. So, whether I’m on the radio or in the newspaper, feel free to check out what I’m up to. Peace out everyone! And go Cats!
Logan Hoile, a senior athletic training major. As per tradition, crowd favorite Arthur Murder Dancers performed the “Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies” and “Christmas Can Can” to close the show.
“I love the opportunity to support my close friends while they dance on stage and sing in front of a sold-out crowd, while enjoying beautiful renditions of holiday music,” said Cassie Hallman, a graduate student studying clinical mental health
HAYLEY PALENSKY/Northern Iowan
Student Wellness Services and the Student Health Advisory Board provided activities for students to de-stress in the Maucker Union.
ing participants to the center. This form of meditation works to clear the minds of those who walk through it. “I originally went to see the puppies,” said Austin Boies, a junior psychology major. “But I ended up leaving feeling incredibly relaxed
because of that and all of the other activities that were provided to us.” Those interested in scheduling any other program related to wellness topics can contact Student Wellness Services at studentwellness. uni.edu/program-request.
Sports editor bids farewell to the NI JOEL WAUTERS
Sports Editor
It is often said that sports is the greatest form of entertainment because it cannot be scripted. After two and half years of studying to become a sports journalist, I still find the idea as true as ever before. It has been one of the greatest honors of my young sports media career to serve as the sports editor and a writer for the Northern Iowan. I have been lucky enough to be part of so many memorable sporting events here at UNI; it’s hard to describe the best one. There is one that will stick with me to the very end of my career, however: the one that got me down this path into sports media. It was March 2016 in the
GLEE CLUB
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“I think one thing they do well every year is community outreach, especially with the play competition this year. That’s pretty important,” said
JOEL WAUTERS/Courtesy Photo
counseling. “I think Glee Club Christmas show is something every student should attend at some point while in college. Plus, who knows which future Glee Club member is waiting in the audience!” The Glee Club is comprised
of over 100 students representing a variety of majors — nearly 90 percent of the group are non-music majors. The Glee Club is one of two non-auditioned School of Music ensembles, the other being UNI’s Women’s Chorus. TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan
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DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
SPORTS
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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JOEL WAUTERS Sports Editor
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
BASKETBALL
Panther women win two in a row ELIOT CLOUGH
Associate Sports Editor
The UNI women’s basketball team took their talents to IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis) to garner another win on Nov. 30. The Panthers picked up another win in defeating the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota in the McLeod Center on Tuesday night. In Indianapolis, the Panthers were able to grab the lead going into the second quarter, 13-11, and never looked back, outpacing the Jaguars to a low scoring final of 53-40. Karlie Rucker, a sophomore guard, continued her stellar season, and lead the Panthers in scoring rebounds. She tied for the team lead with Heidi Hillyard in assists. Rucker was able to score 14 points
and haul in six rebounds for the purple and gold. Low scoring was the theme of the night, and the box score reflected just that. While the Panthers were able to garner a double-digit win, UNI only shot 31.8 percent from beyond the arc as well as 39.2 percent for their total field goal percentage. IUPUI also struggled from beyond the arc, making only three of their 15 shots from the three-point- line, thus shooting 20 percent. Overall, field goal percentage was also not up to par for the Jaguars, who were only able to get 32.6 percent of their shots to fall. In their game against North Dakota, the scoring trend continued. The Panthers were able to round out the first quarter with a 13-11 lead and never let up. Although UNI was
outscored by four points in the fourth quarter, they were able to hold on for the victory, 64-60. Mikaela Morgan was the leading scorer of the night for the Panthers with 17 points. Morgan also played the role of thief, leading the team in steals with three takeaways. The three-point percentage was once again not ideal for the Panthers, who were only able to shoot 29.4 percent from downtown. Although North Dakota was able to outshoot UNI, points off turnovers proved to be the deciding factor as the Panthers were able to outscore their opponent 19-9 off the Hawks turnovers. Up next, the women’s basketball team will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.
TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan
The Panther women’s basketball team notched wins over the IUPUI Jaguars and North Dakota Fighting Hawks over the past week.
UNI wrestles at Cliff Keen Invite in Vegas WRESTLING
FRANK WALSH
Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics
Sports Writer
The Panther wrestling team pounced on the opportunity to compete in Las Vegas, Nev. last weekend at the Cliff Keen Invite. UNI competed against several like-ranked teams in the NCAA, including Ohio State, Missouri, Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota and Purdue. The 17th ranked Panthers were able to fight their way to a team score of 84.5 points and place fourth in the high caliber tournament. Ohio State was able to walk away with the team victory, garnering a total of 148 points for their team score. The Buckeyes are ranked second nationally. The purple and gold were well represented on the Las Vegas medal stand, as five
Panthers earned top seven finishes. Taylor Lujan, a redshirt junior from Carrollton, Ga., was a pinning machine and was able to pick up three falls leading up to an astonishing third place finish at the tournament.
Lujan only took one loss in the entirety of the tournament, falling to Missouri’s Daniel Lewis in the semi-finals. Following the loss, Lujan was able to return to his winning ways to earn the third-place medal. The senior captain, Drew
Foster was able to pick up a third-place finish as well, with five wins against some of the nation’s top-level grapplers. Foster was able to get a pin against Lou Deprez of Binghamton in just over a minute and a half into the
match. Foster also competed against Taylor Venz from the University of Nebraska, but lost the match 11-8. The senior was able to bounce back from the semi-finals loss, bringing a bronze medal home to Cedar Falls. The next best finish for the Panthers was Josh Alber at 141 pounds, who placed fifth. The returning threetime NCAA qualifier was able to grab a victory right off the bat, grappling his way to a pin against Taylor Ort of Clarion. Alber went on to lose to Joey McKenna from the Ohio State and Kanen Storr from Michigan. Other UNI wrestlers to place at this tournament included Max Thomsen and Bryce Steiert. Coming up, the Panthers will compete at the UNI Open on Dec. 8 at 9 a.m.
Coaches fired, Hunt released after week 13 OPINION
JERRIUS CAMPBELL Sports Writer
As the NFL season nears week 14, it’s still unclear who will land in each playoff spot. The league’s best team, the New Orleans Saints, recently suffered their second loss of the season to the Dallas Cowboys in a low scoring match, 13-10. Out of all the teams the Saints have faced, it was hard to believe the Cowboys were able to grab the win. It was easy to say in this one, defense wins games. After four turnovers by the
Saints offense, without a doubt they deserved to lose the game. The Saints will look to bounce back this week as the face the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. Currently, the National Football Conference (NFC) is led by the Rams (11-1), followed by the Saints (102), Bears (8-4), Cowboys (7-5), Seahawks (7-5) and holding the final wildcard spot are the Vikings (6-5). In the American Football Conference (AFC), the Chiefs (10-2) lead the way, followed by the Patriots (93), Texans (9-3), Chargers
(9-3), Steelers (7-4-1) and Ravens (7-5). With four weeks remaining this season, nothing is set in stone. Due to their lack of playoff caliber football and their overall record of 4-71, the Green Bay Packers officially decided to part ways with Head Coach Mike McCarthy. The decision was made after the Packers suffered a 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, who had only won two games all season prior to their meeting at Lambeau Field. The Carolina Panthers
also fired two assistants after their fourth straight loss on the season. Defensive line coach Brady Hoke and secondary/cor nerbacks coach Jeff Imamura. Head Coach Ron Rivera excused first year defensive coordinator Eric Washington and ultimately decided to keep him on staff despite the defense’s struggles as of late. Washington’s duties will be increased in the Panthers’ next game due to the firing of the assistants, allowing him to have more control over the defense. Negativity pulsated
throughout the NFL this week with player and coaches alike. The league leader in rushing last season, Kareem Hunt, was fired by the Kansas City Chiefs after a video was released by TMZ showing Hunt pushing a young woman several feet as well as kicking her while she was on the ground. His actions are unacceptable and I doubt he will find work again. Kansas City was able to sign Charcandrick West, a former Chief, to fill the running back spot.
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FUN & GAMES
SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor
DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
SUDOKU ONE
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
SUDOKU TWO
Q. What country’s capital has the fastest growing population? A. Irelandevery day it’s Dublin!
Does studying for finals have you stressed out? Take some time to relax with a coloring break!
CROSSWORD
Across 1 Quite puzzled 6 Often-painted body part 10 Those with privileges, briefly 14 Sturm und __ 15 Midshipman-to-be: Abbr. 17 Flowering plant also called May bells 19 “That’s precious!” 20 Big name in riding mowers 21 Actress Arthur 22 __ Lingus
24 Leftover food bit 25 Pig out 31 Equipment 33 Like the light at twilight 34 Small, in a small way 35 1960 King Coleman dance song 40 Whitewater rafter’s need 41 Quarterback Manning 42 Proof word 43 “Galveston” singer 48 Caveman Alley 49 Wasn’t active
50 “A Wrinkle in Time” director DuVernay 53 Bewitch 56 Rhodes __ 59 Title subject of a children’s song that ends with “cheese stands alone” 63 Underpass concern 64 Renée’s “Chicago” role 65 Corporate symbol 66 Bit of news 67 Floorboard repair nails Down 1 Many a Robin Williams bit 2 Overused 3 Taquería bowlful 4 “Orinoco Flow” singer 5 Flabbergasted 6 Grated spice 7 Tree with “helicopter” seeds 8 Suffix with salt 9 Loo 10 Restaurant workers with lots of keys 11 Not occupied 12 __ review 13 Lid inflammation 16 Specially trained group 18 “Then live, Macduff. What need I __ of thee?”: Macbeth
23 Facial features in many cosmetics ads 24 “__ honor!”: “Promise!” 25 Cry of frustration 26 Natural resource 27 Natural resource 28 First name in jazz vocals 29 Bouncy tune 30 Word with house or horse 31 Score on the ice 32 French 101 infinitive 35 2018 Chinese New Year animal 36 Disorganized pile 37 Einstein’s birthplace 38 Salon goop 39 Result of Googling 44 As expected 45 Rising star 46 Like juicy turkeys 47 Mark for good 50 One taking home orders? 51 Not expired, as a license 52 Van Gogh’s “Bedroom in __” 53 Ozone-depleting chemicals, briefly 54 Spy Nathan 55 Environs 57 Catnip, e.g. 58 Air Wick target 60 Unprocessed 61 Italian diminutive suffix 62 ATM giant
Puzzle answers
SUDOKU ONE
SUDOKU TWO
CROSSWORD
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CLASSIFIEDS
DECEMBER 6, 2018 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor
VOLUME 115, ISSUE 27
F.A.C. EVERY FRIDAY AFTER CLASS 4-8PM $1.00 WELLS WITH MUG $1.00 LONG ISLANDS $2.00 BUSCH LIGHTS END OF THE SEMESTER
UGLY SWEATER PARTY
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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12