2-15-2021

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

COVID-19

CAMPUS LIFE

MEN’S BBALL

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 5

SPORTS PAGE 6

UNI sees a slight increase in the number of cases on campus this week.

UNI Panthers fall to Valparaiso Crusaders in Saturday’s game 57-70.

Film critic Hunter Friesen gives a brief history of presidents in film.

Virtual commencement yields petition CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Staff Writer

ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

To the disappointment of many spring 2021 graduates, the Office of the Registrar

announced on Thursday, Feb. 11 that spring commencement will once again be held

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA/Courtesy Photo

UNI President Mark Nook addresses graduating students in the Fall 2020 virtual commencement ceremony.

virtually amid COVID-19 concerns.

The virtual ceremony is scheduled to take place May 8, and registration for the ceremony will open in the coming weeks.

The decision was made “in order to continue to protect our campus community during the pandemic,” according to the campus email announcing the virtual ceremony.

“We know this is disappointing, but trust you understand that the health and safety of our graduates along with their family and friends is paramount,” the email read.

Senior digital communications major Mili Saliu was disappointed when the announcement was released. She created a petition urging the university to reconsider an in-person graduation ceremony.

“I read over the email, and I got really mad when I first read it,” Saliu said. “I had no idea what to do. So, I literally

Googled how to make a petition, and then I did.”

Saliu was surprised when the petition started to gain traction on social media.

“I wasn’t even expecting to get 25 signatures, much less one thousand signatures in literally less than 24 hours,” Saliu said. “I think a lot of people feel the same way I do.

Students work way too hard not to get the recognition that they deserve.”

As of press time on Sunday, Feb. 14, Saliu’s petition had over 1,600 signatures. She hopes that it will give students a platform in which to express their ideas to the administration.

“UNI always says they advocate for their students, so I just want them to be open to hearing us out,” Saliu said.

“I think there are a lot of possible ways we can work on to make (commencement) as safe as possible.”

was named the most diverse city in the nation in 2019.

“Community is a collection of people who may or may not have shared values, but in general they have shared values.

They are a people who come

together ensuring that they can thrive in social aspects, in economic aspects, educational – people in pursuit of a better life,” McGowan said.

See COMMENCEMENT, page 2

10th annual AAC takes place virtually KAYLA LAWRENCE Staff Writer

This past weekend, the 10th annual African American Children and Families Conference (AAC) took place virtually from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at UNI. Sponsored by President Mark Nook, former Vice President and Provost Jim Wohlpartand Dean of the College of Education and Associate Professor Dr. Colleen S. Mulholland, the conference hosted a wide range of panels focusing on centering the Black community in conversations of education, mental health and overall unity.

The theme this year was timely and necessary restructuring and reflection on how to better themselves — those in attendance and beyond — and their communities for the benefit of everyone.

The conference consisted of ten keynote speakers, the

African American read-in and an abundance of panels and presentations, like the Black Girls Panel or the session simply called “Mindfulness,” which were divided between three different tracks offered to attendees.

There was something for everyone between the two youth tracks offered to younger participants (6-9 and 9-12), and the general session. The general track, which was scheduled with 15-minute breaks between each session, had high engagement from early morning until the end of the conference.

One such panel that offered guidance for educators of the present and future as well as a new perspective on community was Effua McGowan’s “Building Strong Communities from the People Up.” McGowan, who is the founder of Amazing You, LLC, utilized narratives from her journey in education, which began in Liberia. Her panel

highlighted the importance of educational equity and impact of a unified community.

“I’m a firm believer that a community is never successful if you do not take care of the foundation, the most important resource, which is the human resource of community,” she said.

McGowan told the story of how her own community, which included her first teacher in the long line of many that followed, came together to support the journey into education that she so desired at the age of three.

Using a quote from the former president of Tanzania “Mwalimu” Julius Nyerere, she upheld that the job of a community goes back to the Ten Commandments, being as old as religion itself and falls on the individuals within to honor and help one another.

She then expanded upon that smaller idea of community, referencing her present experience in Houston, Texas, which

See CONFERENCE, page 4

AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES CONFERENCE/Courtesy Photo

The African American Children and Families Conference focused on the theme of restructuring and reflection.

PAGE 2

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

COVID-19 on campus: slight increase ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

The prevalence of COVID19 on the UNI campus remained relatively low last week, with only a slight increase in the campus positivity rate.

According to data released Friday, Feb. 12 at noon, the 46 tests conducted from Feb. 8-14 through the Student Health Center resulted in less than six positive cases, for an 8.7% campus positivity rate.

This is an increase of less than 3% from last week’s rate of 6.06%.

Furthermore, the positivity rate may decrease slightly today when the Student Health Center updates last week’s data to include any tests conducted on Friday.

Since the end-of-week updates only include data collected through Thursday, Friday numbers are added to the weekly total by noon on the following Monday and

are therefore not included in the NI’s weekly analysis.

The university also reported seven self-reported student cases of COVID-19 from Feb. 8-12, with no self-reported cases from faculty.

However, these self-reported cases may also be counted in the Student Health Center weekly totals and therefore, the numbers cannot be combined for a grand total.

Also last week, UNI emphasized that despite the removal by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds of many of the state’s COVID-19 regulations, precautions on campus will continue. Effective last Sunday, Feb. 7, Reynolds lifted a statewide mask mandate and eliminated many capacity restrictions for businesses and gatherings.

“Masks will continue to play an important role on our campus,” wrote John Vallentine, Associate Provost for Faculty, in a campus-wide email in which he noted that mask mandates are still

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan

This graphic depicts the positivity rate and number of COVID-19 cases on campus as well as other statistics regarding the ongoing pandemic.

in effect for Cedar Falls, Waterloo and the UNI campus. “Research has shown

COMMENCEMENT

continued from page 1

She continued, “Some of the ideas I’ve been thinking about are distancing student chairs, having smaller ceremonies (and) obviously no one is shaking President Nook’s hand when they walk across the stage. (We can) require masks. We can have students space out when they are filing through. We can limit guest seating. We can not have guests. We can televise the event. There are so many possibilities that I think we can do.”

Saliu’s sentiments were echoed by many UNI students, alumni and parents on social media after the decision was announced. Many commented that even as the May event was cancelled, sporting events with in-person spectators are currently being held.

Over the weekend, student tickets were available on a firstcome, first serve basis for both

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that masks are one of the most effective tools in combating the spread of COVID-

19. We anticipate they will be required on campus for the foreseeable future.”

men’s basketball and women’s softball games. Additionally, the UNI home football opener on Feb. 19 will allow limited fans, with capacity being capped at 15%, or 2,715 fans, according to KWWL. Dylan Albertson, a management information systems major, contacted the Northern Iowan to express their disapproval. They wrote that they consider the university’s decision to be hypocritical.

“Students ... feel like they are constantly being stuffed because of more important ‘priorities’ that seem to earn more revenue than the total time seniors spend in time and money at this university,” they wrote. “If it all comes down to the Board of Regents, then I’m just overly disappointed in this states’ representatives and officials.”

UNI public relations manager Steve Schmadeke responded to the NI’s request for comment but was unable to prepare a response by press

time. The NI will add any comments received after press time to the online edition of this article.

While she is disappointed in the university’s decision, Saliu also wants to emphasize her love for UNI and acknowledge the clear threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am a huge advocate for UNI,” Saliu said. “When I put this together, none of my intentions were ill mannered or anything of sorts. I absolutely love UNI. I’ve met my best friends here, I love all my classes and my professors are absolutely amazing. I am very much aware of the threat that (COVID-19) places in our community. I am not oblivious to that situation at all, and that’s why I think we should take the necessary precautions in order to make the environment as safe as possible for everyone attending, and for those who do feel unsafe, they can obviously opt out of the ceremony.”

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PAGE 3

OPINION

EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

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

There will be another Trump TYLER MONTGOMERY

Opinion Colummnist

The outcome of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial has not only acquitted Trump but the trial itself has now broadcasted to the U.S. that white nationalism and racism is acceptable in the country again. The outcome also acknowledges how the elite class seems to be untouchable. Lastly, this trial seems to say that one political party is fine with an insurrection where lives were in danger. As of right now, the trial has shown that the Republican party may not be as broken as it appears to be.

Starting with Republicans wishing to not lose their crazed fan base that they’ve created, Senator Mitch McConnell blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 attacks, but he did not vote against Trump.

McConnell said Trump couldn’t be impeached, since he wasn’t the acting presi-

dent. This has already been debated on both sides, but if McConnell really believed Trump was reasonable for the attacks, then why didn’t he make the vote count? If McConnell went against the rapid fan base of Trump, it may have cost him his political career.

Allowing the rhetoric of white nationalists, Nazis and other far-right supporters is now the lifeblood of the Republican party. The party of “freedom” has fallen so far down the rabbit hole, they have to rely on conspiracy theorists who want to overthrow, and even kill, members of the House and Senate if given the chance. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has gone on record saying that Jewish space lasers are causing forest fires. The lifeblood of the Republican party is so bad, it’s becoming an infection within the party. They clearly have no idea how to handle it, but if they deny them, the party may split.

The split would possibly

create the worst political party, the U.S. has ever seen.

A split in the Republican party does have its benefits for the left. First, this would allow Democrats easier opportunities to run and hold office. The forthcoming problem is all the right-wing conspiracies – racist, homophobic and sexist ideology – that will be on the rise. Rep. Greene may be one of the few outed Q-Anon members, but now, with the failure of the trial, more individuals interested in running will no longer be afraid to hide their beliefs.

Instead, they’ll bring them to the public, continuing the spreading of false information, racial violence and insane hateful theories.

If this was the Democratic party, then it would be ideal to fix the party as soon as possible, but since it’s the Republican party, letting the party eat itself from within could be the safest option.

Republicans have shown so far they are not interested in unity with the Democrats.

Tribune News Service

Columnist Tyler Montgomery argues the consequences of President Trump’s acquittal.

However, they are not able to unify their own party, and Democrats need to take advantage of the situation right now. Democrats need to start preparing for the next “Trump.” The next Trump will be another kind of politician. They won’t be a Trump by blood or

former

name, but they will have the history of Trump to study how they can manipulate his audience into theirs. The trial has set the path for a new and worse politician to rise, and Democrats need to be ready to educate the population and save this country from the next Trump.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the WTO don’t fit MOHAMMED RAWWAS

Opinion Columnist

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is likely to become the next head of the World Trade Organization.

While many have claimed that this is an important step for representation, it will in fact mark a step backwards for oppressed minorities globally, as Okonjo-Iweala will only serve as the human face of the barbarism of the World Trade Organization, covering for its economic warfare waged against the global Southern hemisphere. To further expand on this point, it will be necessary to both review the track record of the World Trade Organization as an institution, as well as Okonjo-Iweala’s past tenure in politics.

The World Trade Organization, alongside the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, serves as a global neoliberal institution designed to push free market policies on developing nations.

While the IMF and World Bank often focus on lending money to developing countries on stipulation that they implement neoliberal reforms to the detriment of their citizenry, the World Trade Organization imposes free trade on these same countries. While devel-

oped countries often had protectionist measures in place while still developing – which allowed their economies to reach their current state – developing countries today are not afforded that luxury as developed countries would like to open the markets of less-developed nations so that foreign capital can have access to investment opportunities. However, developing nations are not granted an opening of the markets of developed nations for their own exports, leading to an unfair and imbalanced system of global trade. Thus, the World Trade Organization serves to further the interests of multinational corporations based in the global Northern Hemisphere.

It should also be noted that Okonjo-Iweala has worked at the World Bank for decades, which as noted above has coerced many developing nations into adopting “structural adjust- Mohammed Rawwas breaks down ment” programs, which mainly Trade Organization. entails the cutting of social services, privatization and fewer Under her first tenure in 2003, taxes and regulations. Before Okonjo-Iweala was instrumenthat, Okonjo-Iweala served tal in ensuring that Nigeria paid under two Nigerian adminis- off billions of dollars of illegittrations, as both finance min- imate debt to foreign creditors ister and foreign minister, first that were accrued under miliunder Olusegun Obasanjo, and tary dictatorships, rather than then under Goodluck Jonathan. spending the money on public Both presidents were of the services that would benefit the “People’s Democratic Party,” a Nigerian population. During center-right party in Nigeria. her second tenure, Okonjo-

Tribune News Service

controversy surrounding the World

Iweala was again instrumental in the removal of fuel subsidies in 2012, which caused transportation costs to double and was incredibly detrimental to people who relied on fuel subsidies to keep costs of living down. This incredibly unpopular decision led to the Occupy Nigeria movement, which was accompanied by nationwide

strikes.

The truth is that Nigeria has the highest GDP of any African country and is emerging as an economic powerhouse on the world stage. Even after the end of the reign of military dictatorships and the formal transition to “democratic” governance, Nigeria has been led by corrupt regimes for decades, taking advantage of Nigeria’s vast oil reserves and mineral resources to enrich themselves and their administrations rather than to provide for the people of the country.

This emerging comprador class within the coordinates of the new neocolonial system are not to be lauded, and serve merely to enrich foreign capital (alongside themselves).

Okonjo-Iweala is merely another member of this elite class of extractors, and neither race, gender or any other identity trait can help us determine someone’s class position, or more importantly, what side they are on in the class war.

Every society is split among the proletariat and the bourgeoisie, and Nigeria is no exception.

Our true allies are the proletariat of the global South, not the colonial administrators and comprador class of which Okonjo-Iweala is a member. A focus on identity can only serve to obscure this reality.

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CAMPUS LIFE FEBRUARY 15, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

Job opportunities abound at Explore-A-Ganza

NI Archives

UNI’s Nonprofit Leadership Alliance will be hosting a virtual “speed interviewing” style job/internship fair on Monday, Feb. 15.

SHAWN BURRAGE

Staff Writer

With career and internship opportunities on UNI students’ minds, the Explore-A-Ganza Internship Fair is a perfect opportunity for students to practice professional skills and network within our community.

The fair will be held virtually on Monday, Jan. 15 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Explore-a-Ganza is an annual event put on by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and the Cedar Va l l e y Nonprofit Association (CVNA) to help connect students seeking internships in the nonprofit or social sector with agencies and organizations looking for interns.

Tabby Robinson, an environmental resource management major and Executive Director of

Courtesy Photo/AAC

UNI hosted the 10th annual African American Children and Families Conference this past Friday.

Conference

continued from page 1

In her presentation, she explored the pillars of the African American community, of which teachers play one of the biggest roles as they represent the most vulnerable in their communities: children. She maintained that to help make an impact, teachers must live and participate in these communities as leaders, adopting aspects of organizations who specialize in equal opportunity like the Peace Corps to reach educational equity.

Thanks in part to

McGowan and all others who participated in the conference this year, as well as those prior and future, the African American Children and Families Conference accomplished the building of community that McGowan talked about. They also obtained an accessible compilation of resources to further build the UNI community from the people up.

For more information on McGowan’s message or to contact her further, you can visit her website amazingyoullc.com. To register for future conferences, visit their page on the UNI website at aac.uni.edu.

the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance at UNI, stated that NLA is focused on building future nonprofit professionals. Their mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector with a talented, prepared workforce.

There will be 13 agencies attending the event. When asked about opportunities, Tabby stated, “Opportunities range from Recreation Inter nships at the

Blackhawk County Y and Ankeny Parks and Rec to Nonprofit Administrative work with R.J Mcelroy Trust and the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.”

She continued, “There are social work experiences at the House of Hope and with Cedar Valley Angels, environmental work experiences at the Hartman Reserve and GreenIowa Americorps, marketing and PR experiences with Grow Cedar Valley and the UNI Office of Community Engagement.

The list goes on and on.”

When asked about the switch to a virtual event, Tabby stated, “Instead of a traditional career fair where students float freely and stop to talk for only a minute or two, we really prioritize meaningful conversation and making connections in NLA. The agencies will each be in their own breakout room, and students will pick where they want to ‘go,’ and they will be in the room with a couple of other students and agency representatives for 10 minutes.”

She continued, “During this time, the representative is able to give an overview of opportunities that they are offering and students can ask questions and exchange

contact information. After the 10 minutes are up, the students will move on to a new agency.”

Robinson believes Explore-A-Ganza will be a welcome spot for students of all majors to find the job/internship opportunity they are looking for.

“This event was originally put together to help our students earning their Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential find internship opportunities to fulfill their 120-hour internship requirement,” she said.

“While there are often misconceptions that only Recreation, Tourism and Nonprofit Leadership (RTNL) or social work students are in the program, students of all majors are earning their CNP because the nonprofit sector uses all skills sets to accomplish their missions. I really believe that all students would benefit from attending the Explore-A-Ganza, experiencing work in the nonprofit sector, and earning their CNP.” To RSVP for Explore-A-Ganza, fill out a registration form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/ 1 FA I p Q L S e s 1 a Q r JWuUHRQNpl8Gl8jBtprDyakFa1e1j38x5hm5zrDerQ/viewform.

CAMPUS LIFE

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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PAGE 5

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

A brief history of presidents in film HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

Feb. 15 marks President’s Day in the United States.

Originally a holiday to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, the day was eventually changed to honor the service of all of our nation’s leaders.

In celebration of this national holiday, it’s time to look back at Hollywood’s history with the presidents and see which ones have been most prominently featured on the silver screen.

Some of these men are portrayed by actors and some are merely a background figure in the movie. No matter the situation, their presence was felt both in front of and behind the camera.

Below are four presidents who, for better or worse, have had a major impact on cinematic history.

Abraham Lincoln (18611865) Regularly ranked among scholars as our nation’s greatest leader, it’s no surprise that Abraham Lincoln holds the record for the most portrayals in film at an astounding 130 times, nearly double George Washington’s second-place tally of 70.

Honest Abe was the focus of one of Hollywood’s earliest biopics with director John Ford and leading man Henry Fonda telling the story of Lincoln before office in “Young Mr. Lincoln.” While the events in the film are fictional, the story of Lincoln early in his law career gets the spirit of him right.

It was a little over 70 years later when Lincoln got the biopic treatment again with Steven Spielberg’s aptly named “Lincoln” (2012). Centralizing the time frame in the months before the end of the Civil War as Lincoln struggled to pass the much needed Thirteenth Amendment, “Lincoln” boasts a mesmerizing turn by Londoner Daniel Day-Lewis as the titular character, which won him his third Oscar as a part of the film’s twelve total nominations.

Even with the pacifistic stoicism that he’s known for, Hollywood still couldn’t

help themselves as they tried to turn the 16th president into an action star with the historically incorrect “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” (2012). The less said about that movie, however, the better.

John F. Kennedy (19611963) The youngest president ever elected, John F. Kennedy, was the first “television president” as he used the newfound technology to win appeal from the masses.

Because of his popularity, Kennedy has made all sorts of appearances in film.

He had the conventional biopic detailing his Navy heroics during World War II with “PT 109” (1963).

Cliff Robertson plays young Kennedy who leads his crew on treacherous resume missions in the Pacific. Bruce Greenwood portrayed the president in 2000 as he navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis in “Thirteen Days” (2000).

Unfor tunately for Kennedy, his most famous moment was his assassination on Nov. 22, 1963. That date is also the focus of several movies such as Oliver Stone’s inaugural presidential movie “JFK” (1991), which peeks behind the curtain and tries to expose the conspiracies that cloud over what actually happened that fateful day. While most of the claims within “JFK” have been debunked, there’s no denying the power of Stone’s direction and the stacked ensemble led by Kevin Costner.

2013’s “Parkland” is set entirely within the day that Kennedy was assassinated, weaving together the perspectives of several people who were thrust into an extraordinary situation.

A few years later, director Pablo Larraín and star Natalie Portman viewed the assassination through First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s eyes in “Jackie” (2016).

Richard 1974)

Nixon

(1969-

Much like in real life, Hollywood’s relationship with the 37th president is rocky, to say the least.

As the only president to resign from office, the story

Tribune News Service

From Michael Moore to Steven Spielberg, many filmmakers have tackled presidential terms and controversies throughout the decades.

of Nixon has been tackled several times by prominent filmmakers.

Keeping him in the background, Alan J. Pakula’s “All the President’s Men” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” frame his presidency around the Pentagon Papers and Watergate scandal.

Peter Morgan and Ron Howard approached Watergate from a different angle with “Frost/Nixon” (2008), as a post-presidency Nixon (played by Frank Langella) conducts a series of interviews with David Frost.

Only a few years after making “JFK,” Oliver Stone gave Nixon the full cradleto-grave epic biopic with “Nixon.” Surprisingly not as damning as one would think, Stone’s movie plays out like a Shakespearean tragedy as

our “hero” rises to the highest mountain, only to be eventually brought down to the lowest valley.

George W. Bush (20012009) The 43rd president, George Bush has never been portrayed as the smartest person to occupy the Oval Office.

Adam McKay’s “Vice” (2018), which takes a lot of influence from Oliver Stone, makes Bush a dimwitted supporting character with daddy issues that is puppeteered by his vice president Dick Cheney. Complete with a fake nose and hairpiece, Sam Rockwell received an Oscar nomination for his performance.

Ten years earlier, Stone was able to complete his

presidential trilogy with “W.” (2008), a surprisingly tame biopic with Josh Brolin as the title character. Again, Stone paints Bush as a simply stupid man who didn’t understand the full consequences of an Iraq invasion.

While Stone partially acquitted Bush of Iraq, equally brash filmmaker Michael Moore eviscerated Bush with his Palme d’Or winning documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004).”

Moore attacks the Bush administration for using fear and paranoia to justify a war in Iraq rather than going after those truly responsible for the World Trade Center attacks. Moore produced and released the film with the sole intention of preventing Bush from being reelected in 2004, which proved unsuccessful.

PAGE 6

SPORTS FEBRUARY 15, 20201 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Panthers drop two versus Drake and Valpo DAVID WARRINGTON Sports Writer

The UNI Panthers men’s basketball team was back in action for a couple of games this past week. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, they traveled to the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa to take on the 18-1 Drake University Bulldogs. On Saturday, Feb. 13, UNI returned home to host the Valparaiso University Crusaders. The Panthers fell short in both games, losing to the Bulldogs by a score of 80-59 and losing to the Crusaders by a score of 70-57.

In their first game of the week, UNI had a tall task in front of them, going on the road to face off against the 18-1 Drake Bulldogs. The Panthers did well early on, going back and forth for much of the first half. Despite this, Drake got hot right before the break, scoring 11 points in the final four minutes of what had been an otherwise fairly low scoring game. This run gave the Bulldogs a 41-29 advantage going into the break.

The Panthers got off to a fast start in the second half, going on a 7-0 run to cut the Drake lead to nine.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be enough as the Bulldogs got back on track, increasing their lead as the second half went along and eventually taking down the Panthers by a final score of 80-59.

UNI struggled to shoot from behind the arc, shooting 25% for the game including just 18% in the first half. The leading scorer for the Panthers was Trae Berhow. The senior forward finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Two other Panthers managed double digit scoring. Freshman guard Bowen Born and junior forward Austin Phyfe both finished with 10 points, with Phyfe adding a team-high six rebounds.

The Panthers were back on the hardwood on Saturday, Feb. 13 when they hosted the Valparaiso Crusaders. The Crusaders, fresh off of ending Drake’s hopes at an undefeated season, started the game hot, hitting five threes in the opening 12 minutes and leading by

Toni Fortmann/Northern Iowan

Forward Trae Berhow lead UNI in scoring Saturday against Valparaiso with 15 points in the contest.

as much as 16 in the first half.

Bowen Born got hot late in the half, scoring seven straight points, but the Crusaders still

led by 12 at the break, 39-27.

UNI stayed within striking distance throughout most of the second half, but they could

never make a run to try to stage a comeback. The Panthers got the game within 10 points with 14 minutes to play, but they couldn’t get it any closer as the Crusaders took control down the stretch and came out victorious, 70-57.

Northern Iowa once again struggled to shoot from threepoint distance in this game, shooting 22.7 percent. Bowen Born and Trae Berhow led the Panthers in scoring, both finishing with 15 points. Austin Phyfe came up one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 14 points and nine rebounds.

With the losses, the Panthers fall to 6-14 on the year, with a record of 4-10 in MVC play.

By publication, the Panthers will have played their rematch against Valparaiso on Sunday, Feb. 14. The Panthers will then host the final home game of the year against Drake on Wednesday, Feb. 17, before finishing up the regular season in Normal, Ill. for a pair of games against Illinois State on Friday, Feb. 26 and Saturday, Feb. 27.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Finley hits buzzer beater, Panthers split with Bradley NICHOLAS SCHINDLER Sports Writer

The UNI women’s basketball team took on the Bradley Braves in a home double-header this past weekend on Friday and Saturday.

The Panthers were 8-8 coming into the game, and the Braves were 10-8 on the season before tipoff.

The Panthers won the first game on Friday night on a three-point buzzer beater by junior Kam Finley that put

them over the top in a 73-72 victory. Finley had 25 points in the game to lead the UNI women. Also leading the way for the Panthers was Nicole Kroeger with 12 points and two three-pointers made.

Karli Rucker had 11 points, Megan Maahs had six points, and Bre Gunnels had a career best 16 rebounds to help the Panthers to victory.

UNI had a 16 point lead going into the fourth quarter and was able to hold off the Braves’ comeback near

the end. During the game the Panthers shot 41% from the floor while Bradley shot 42% from the floor. Bradley also outshot UNI from three, shooting 47% from beyond the arc with UNI shooting 36% from three. The Panthers dominated from the free throw line, shooting 13-13.

After UNI’s victory and moving to 9-8 on the season they dropped game two of the weekend matchup, by a score of 78-63. Unlike the last game where UNI led

by 16 points going into the fourth quarter, UNI was down 21 points at halftime and could not make up the deficit. Karli Rucker scored 19 points and made two three pointers to lead UNI in scoring. Bre Gunnels, coming off a career day for rebounds, was second on the team in points with 10, and Megan Maahs scored eight points on Saturday.

UNI shot 33% from the floor, and Bradley shot 47%, both big differences

from Friday’s game; UNI also shot 30% from three point land to Bradley’s 43%. The Panther women were also perfect from the foul line in this one, shooting 16-16.

The weekend split moves the Panther women to 9-9 and 6-5 in MVC play. Their next games will be against Loyola-Chicago in the McLeod Center on Friday, Feb. 19 and Saturday, Feb. 20.

SOFTBALL

UNI defeats Butler, falls to Iowa State and SDSU COLIN HORNING

Sports Editor

The UNI softball team began their season with a three-game series last weekend in the UNI-Dome. Playing host to Butler University, Iowa State and South Dakota State, the young Panther squad ended the weekend series going 1-2.

Game one of the new season was underway last Friday afternoon with the Panthers playing host to the Butler Bulldogs. A back-and-forth affair saw the Panthers even-

tually come out on top, 6-5.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the top of the first inning, after UNI starter Hannah Kelly walked Butler’s Christina Candotti with the bases loaded.

UNI clawed back in their half of the first with two scores of their own, one on an error and another on a Butler wild pitch. The visitors picked up two more in the second inning, taking a 3-2 lead over the Panthers. After an RBI single by UNI third baseman Adara Opiola tied the game in the bottom of the second,

Panther catcher Emmy Wells clobbered a two-run home run in the third inning to give UNI a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Each time Butler would score, the Panthers would counter with a score of their own, holding on for a 6-5 victory.

The final two games of the weekend were not as kind to the Panther women.

Game two of the weekend against Iowa State immediately followed the game against Butler; however, the Panthers were not able to carry over their success versus the

Cyclones. Iowa State jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first three innings and held UNI in check the rest of the way, winning the game by a final of 12-2. The Panthers could only muster up six hits for the contest and seemed to have no answer for the Iowa State bats.

The last game of the weekend took place on Saturday, with UNI meeting South Dakota State in the rubber match. The game started off promising for the Panthers, as shortstop Sammy Bunch gave them a

1-0 lead in the first inning off of a solo home run.

That seemed to be the only bright spot in this one for the hosts, as the Jackrabbits scored eight unanswered runs and took the game by the score of 8-1. UNI only had three hits in the contest and committed three errors defensively en route to the defeat.

T h e n e x t co n t e s t fo r the UNI softball team w i l l b e a d o u bl e h e a d er against Lipscomb U n i ve r s i t y i n N as h v i l l e, Te n n . o n Fe b. 2 4 .

FUN & GAMES

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 |

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Across

1 “__ Buddies”: ‘80s sitcom 6 Words on a check 11 Asian noodle soup 14 Lavender is similar to it 15 Hon 16 Toondom’s Olive 17 Frank McCourt memoir 19 “XING” one 20 Postcard view of a city 21 Hold the deed to 22 Sandy slope 23 Salacious 24 J.M. Barrie play 26 Sharp turns 29 Many, many years 31 Deli subs 32 Game with Wild Draw Four cards 33 Of an arm bone 35 Response to bad service 38 Shakespeare comedy 42 Wombs

43 Mar. parade honoree 44 Genetic messenger 45 Starr knighted in 2018 48 Nine-digit ID 49 Antiprohibitionists 50 Gillian Flynn novel 53 “In that case ... “ 55 Discovery cries 56 Blossom buzzer 57 What discreet acts are done on, with “the” 61 Big Apple paper, for short 62 Portmanteau for a collection containing 17-, 24-, 38- and 50-Across?

64 Sticky stuff 65 Joe of “Casino” 66 “__ to suggestions” 67 California’s Big __ 68 Second-string squad 69 Fork points

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Down

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1 Camp bed 2 Wild party 3 Wizards’ castings 4 Skateboard leap 5 Have good intentions 6 Smartphone predecessor, for short 7 Greek storyteller 8 God, in Judaism 9 Jacque’s “thirty” 10 Cries of worry 11 Temporary retail space 12 “Laughing” scavenger 13 From days past 14 Faux __: social goof 18 Arizona resort 22 Crave, with “over” 25 Dadaism pioneer 26 Z, in a pilot’s alphabet 27 Playing an extra NBA period 28 Ahnold’s political nickname 30 Captures 33 Employing 34 Decays 36 “Money __ everything” 37 School orgs.

39 Great Lakes natives 40 Silver lining 41 Fled 46 Thanksgiving gravy ingredient 47 Ultimatum words 49 Chinese dumpling 50 __ up on: unites against 51 “What a kidder!”

52 High-end German camera 54 Hindu guru 58 Rapper __ Fiasco 59 Mining hauls 60 Benign cyst 62 BOLO kin 63 Apple CEO Cook

northern iowan.com

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 33

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