3-18-2021

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TRANSPHOBIA

EXHIBIT

VOLLEYBALL

OPINION PAGE 3

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Opinion columnist Emerson Slomka discusses transphobic Iowa Republicans and related bills.

The “What Were You Wearing?” sexual assault exhibit is taking submissions until March 31.

Valparaiso Crusaders take down UNI Panthers 3-0 in Monday’s matchup.

N.I. en Español: Poder y pasión en el departamento de arte NIXSON BENITEZ Spanish Writer

“El arte es importante para mí porque es lo más poderoso del mundo. No soy una persona que hable de lo que siente, pero un cuadro ayuda a mucha gente a expresar su vida; el arte es como mi terapia,” dice Jessica Vázquez. Vázquez es una estudiante de educación artística aquí en UNI, y también es latina de primera generación. Vázquez también toma muchas funciones en el departamento de arte aquí en la universidad. Es un monitor de laboratorio para la clase de estudio de pintura, y también es la mentora de los estudiantes de primer año y de los transferidos. Ella da algunas orientaciones para ayudar a los nuevos estudiantes a encontrar su comunidad aquí en el departamento de arte.

Vázquez no sólo es un líder aquí en la universidad, sino que siempre es proactiva para asegurarse de que los estudiantes son bienvenidos. Porque este no es un año típico, muchas de sus interacciones con los estudiantes de primer año han sido a través de reuniones en Zoom. Dado que el aprendizaje en línea ya es un reto, Vázquez siempre se asegura de comprobar con sus estudiantes y hacer que participen activamente en el departamento de arte. “Ahora mismo hay una exposición de arte con jurado. Es una exposición para que los estudiantes presenten sus obras de arte,” dijo Vázquez. Ella explicó que los estudiantes tuvieron la oportunidad de presentar su arte en un plazo de 3 días. Entonces habrá una exposición en la

que un juez vendrá y elegirá una determinada cantidad de obras de arte para presentarlas en una galería. “Desgraciadamente la galería será online, pero será más accesible en Instagram para que la gente la vea. Hay mucha emoción al ver quiénes son los elegidos,” dijo Vázquez. Una de las obras de arte que presentó Vázquez es una pieza conocida como “Esencial.” Vázquez eligió este cuadro porque fue realizado durante la época en la que Covid-19 llegó por primera vez, y el material fue hecho con herramientas de su casa. Por ejemplo, las patatas fritas de Burger King que se puede ver en la pieza eran de una página de una revista.

JESSICA VÁZQUEZ/Courtesy Photo

See N.I. EN ESPAÑOL, page 2

Jessica Vázquez es estudiante y líder para el departamento de arte aquí en UNI. Aquí, ella presenta su obra, “Esencial,” que creó durante COVID-19.

Extreme weather leads to reduced operations ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

Following several weeks of spring temperatures, a winter storm on Monday, March 15 sparked the cancellation of face-to-face classes at UNI for the fourth time this semester.

As a result of “extreme weather conditions,” the university announced at about 6 a.m. on Monday morning that all in-person classes starting before noon would be cancelled or moved online. Later that morning, the decision was extended for the rest of the day.

The campus functioned on reduced operations throughout the day, and campus buildings such as Rod Library were closed. The wintery mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain, combined with the possibility of winds gusting up to 40 miles per

hour, triggered a winter storm warning for much of northeast Iowa until 4 p.m. on Monday. Accumulation was not substantial, however, with Black Hawk County recording only 2-3 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

With the four all-day cancellations (Jan. 26, Feb. 4, Feb. 15 and now March 15) and the cancellation of evening classes on Jan. 25 and morning classes on Feb. 16, UNI has cancelled nearly a week’s worth of in-person classes during the spring 2021 semester. ELIZABETH KELSEY/Northern Iowan

This is the fourth time this semester that the weather has caused campus to move to reduced operations for the day.

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan

In-person classes were cancelled once again on Monday due to a winter storm warning for extreme weather conditions.

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan


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NEWS

ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

As students call for spring break, professors respond MARCH 18, 2021 |

EMMA’LE MAAS

Executive Editor

Whereas mid-March typically calls for celebrations from students for the much-anticipated spring break, this year, some students are feeling its absence take a toll on their mental health. Senior oboe and music history major Kristin Rasmussen discussed her own personal struggles. She is diagnosed with both anxiety and bipolar disorder and has found the last several semesters, condensed due to COVID-19, to be exhausting. “Obviously, (my diagnoses) mean I have to be careful with navigating the amount of stress I endure, and as a music student we have a ton of stress in a normal semester. (COVID-19) these past three semesters has made this much worse,” she said. Rasmussen said that she and many of her friends agreed that they would have preferred to extend the semester by one week to allow for a spring break. “I’m exhausted, mentally

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pushed to my literal breaking point both this semester and last,” she said. Kameron Reed, senior music major, agreed with Rasmussen. “With the constant juggling of work and classes, I think everyone’s just really on edge and in need of a break now more than ever,” she said. “Especially now that big class projects are all jammed into one weekend where spring break would usually be, students really need the break to get caught up and just have a chance to breathe.” Reed said she felt disappointed by the university’s decision to cancel the break. The choice, along with other changes to the spring 2021 academic calendar, was made in the fall of 2020 due to concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many other universities nationwide, including both of Iowa’s other Regents universities, also eliminated spring break this year. “I don’t think the university put enough consideration into the effect completely getting rid of any form of a break would have on their students’ mental

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

health,” Reed said. However, students such as Sam Hughes, a senior public relations and marketing major, expressed their understanding for the university’s decision. “It’s certainly tough to go 16 straight weeks with no time to recharge, but the health and safety of the campus community still is really important as we come to the end of the pandemic,” he said. Some professors, such as Eric Braley of the digital media department, are creating their own “spring break” by calling off their classes for a week. Students will continue to work on projects, but the class will not meet. This, according to Braley, allows students time to recharge. “After last semester, seeing the grind of 15 straight weeks, the last couple of weeks you could just see it in the eyes of the students, that they were having a really challenging time,” Braley said. “At the end of the day, this is going to be a very successful semester for all of UNI, but a quick break is necessary in my opinion to be

able to finish this strong and not fizzle out when it matters most.” Eric Lange, head of the department of theatre, has also chosen to give a break to his students and is encouraging all students to find a way to make time for themselves. “Build in the right amount of down time, exercise time or just ‘turn off the brain’ time,” he said. “No one can run on empty so seek opportunities to refill your tank with energy.” Lange also encouraged students to figure out priorities with time-management, and reaching out to professors for help if they feel they are drown-

ing in work. “Professors love to help students find solutions, and in most cases are happy to provide some flexibility as long as they know a student is looking ahead and trying to be strategic,” he said. Braley expressed his pride for the students over the last year. “Know the snow will melt, the warm temps will be there, and we will get to summer break, you will get to graduation, and you’ll look back at this as an incredible feat of accomplishment that no other student will have had to do at the University of Northern Iowa before.”

pueden encontrar en @ uni_student_art. Para ver continued from page X unas obras de este año, viste “Esta pieza de arte no sólo art.uni.edu para más inforhabla de cómo me sentí per- mación. La pandemia ha eliminasonalmente cuando empezó (COVID-19), sino que tam- do muchas tradiciones de la bién muestra mi agradec- universidad durante el año imiento a los trabajadores pasado. En el departamento esenciales,” dijo Vázquez. de arte, se eliminó el viaje “Los trabajadores esenciales tradicional a Minneapolis, se encargan de que todo fun- cuando los estudiantes de cione mientras ponen su vida arte tenían la oportunidad de ir a museos de arte fuera en peligro.” Ella dijo que sus padres de la universidad. “Tienes la oportunidad de son trabajadores esenciales y que ella “temía constante- ver dos museos de arte diferentes y de explorar fuera de mente por su seguridad.” “Los trabajadores esen- la universidad,” dijo Vázquez. Ella añadió que los ciales son personas poderosas y muy trabajadoras,” dijo. estudiantes de arte “estamos “Necesitan reconocimiento.” oyendo conversaciones” de Muchas de estas obras ir a Minneapolis el próximo de arte del año pasado se año académico.

“Esperamos volver a cruzar los dedos,” dijo. Otra cosa que el departamento de arte espera recuperar el próximo año académico son las escapadas, en las que los estudiantes se dividen en grupos y tienen la oportunidad de profundizar en las clases con los profesores. Como Vázquez es una estudiante de primera generación en la universidad, encontró su pasión por la educación artística a partir de su experiencia en el aula. “Uno de mis recuerdos más memorables fue en la clase de Educación Artística con la Dr. Wendy Miller. Me emparejaron con un estudiante y pude dirigir una clase particular,” dijo Vázquez.

“Era la primera vez que me encontraba en una posición de profesor y después de ese día supe que quería ser profesora de arte.” Continuó: “Creaba con los estudiantes y les ayudaba a explorar para encontrar su camino. Al principio el uno a uno era muy incierto, pero encontramos lo que al alumno le gustaba. Ayudarles a encontrar su lugar me hacía muy feliz.” Vázquez sigue retribuyendo ayudando a otros a encontrar su lugar. “Como estudiante de primera generación que viene a la universidad, estoy tan feliz de venir directamente a esta universidad desde el principio,” ella dijo. “Me sentí como si estuviera destinado a ser!”

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Since the university cancelled spring break this semester due to COVID-19, some professors are finding ways to give students a break anyway.

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OPINION

EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

MARCH 18, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

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

Iowa does not protect trans rights EMERSON SLOMKA Opinion Columnist

Recently, Iowa legislators have proposed a total of 14 bills targeting the rights of transgender people, including House File 193, which would ban hormone therapy and gender affirming surgery for minors, House File 187, which would segregate bathrooms in public buildings and educational institutions by biological sex and Senate File 167, which would remove teachers’ rights to discuss transgender issues in the classroom without written permission from parents. Most of these bills can be attributed to state Rep. Sandy Salmon, who believes that transgender children will “outgrow” their gender dysphoria. While many studies seem to indicate that this is the case, evidence suggests that these studies may be intrinsically flawed. Diane Ehrensaft, director of mental health at UCSF’s Child and Adolescent Gender Clinic argues that these studies only looked at gender presentation, rather than gender identity: “Those desistors were, a good majority of them, simply proto-gay boys whose parents were upset because they were boys wearing dresses. They were brought to the

clinics because they weren’t fitting gender norms.” While the idea of allowing children to transition can be scary, it is important to remember that gender affirming surgery is widely restricted to adults to begin with, and, for children and young adolescents, the only available hormone therapy is pubertal blockers, which temporarily suppress puberty. Cessation of pubertal blockers will cause puberty to resume, and pubertal blockers cause no permanent changes to the body – rather, they help children with gender dysphoria delay the development of secondary sex characteristics and help them determine if transitioning will be right for them. If a child were to use pubertal blockers and decide that transitioning was not right for them, they could simply stop and resume puberty as normal with no repercussions. However, under House File 193, transgender children would be deprived of this option. Then, of course, we have the return of the infamous “bathroom bill,” which would segregate bathrooms by assigned sex at birth. Proposed with the supposed intention of protecting women from invading “men dressed as women” in bathrooms, this would have the

Pexels

Columnist Emerson Slomka discusses laws brought to Iowa legislature that he feels harm Iowans who identify as trans.

opposite effect by forcing people to use facilities they are uncomfortable with. Since the passage of the Iowa Civil Rights Act in 2007, Iowans have been able to use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable using, and over this 14-year period, there have been no instances of assault by assailants posing as women. As a transgender man who passes as male, I would be expected to use the women’s bathroom due to the “F” on my birth certificate, which would no doubt unnerve any women who happen to be inside. Would I be expected to explain myself to every person I encounter, effective-

ly outing myself as transgender and putting myself in danger? Conversely, how could a transgender woman feel safe using a men’s bathroom, especially when hate crimes perpetuated by cisgender males against transgender women are so prevalent? It’s obvious that these “bathroom bills” aren’t proposed to protect people, but rather, to control people’s bodies – a recurring theme seen in all anti-transgender laws. Ultimately, Iowa Republicans like Rep. Salmon lack a fundamental understanding of transgender people, yet consistently fight to suppress and limit their rights. They give the jus-

tification that they want to protect people, but protecting people doesn’t mean further vilifying a misunderstood and marginalized group that you’re also supposed to be protecting. As a transgender Iowan, I don’t feel that my state government cares about me, and when your state government is putting more energy toward attacking transgender individuals than it is toward effectively combatting a pandemic, perhaps you shouldn’t either. Certainly, we should express this during next year’s gubernatorial election and strive to elect lawmakers who prioritize human rights over fear and biases.

What’s happening to the Uyghurs in China MOHAMMED RAWWAS

Opinion Columnist

In recent weeks, the discourse has circulated the fanciful claim that over six million Uyghyrs are being “genocided” in the Northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang, though it is unclear what “genocide” is supposed to mean here. Have six million people been executed? Is there evidence of mass graves anywhere? Why would the Chinese government be invested in carrying out such an execution of millions of people? Perhaps an examination of what is actually happening would be useful here. During the SovietAfghan War, the U.S. coordinated Uyghur recruits to fight on the side of the mujahideen against the Soviet-backed forces. Ever since then, there has been an issue regarding extremism among certain sectors

of the Uyghur population. Most recently, there have been a number of Uyghur fighters that have joined ISIL in their battle against various factions, including the Syrian state, Kurdish forces and other sectarian militias in the region. While counter-terrorism can certainly be a pretext for repression, as has been the case many a time in the West, this is also a legitimate concern. Unlike many European states, which merely allow their citizens to leave to join ISIL, China is invested in taking proactive measures to ensure that radicalization does not occur, to the extent that it can. Unlike the West, which sees radicalization and terrorism as individual moral faults, the Chinese Communist Party has a much more holistic and historical materialist perception when it comes to dealing with ter-

rorism. For China, the root of the radicalization problem lies in economic underdevelopment, as economic anxiety can lead to alienation and ultimately a revolt against modernity. Xinjiang is a rural, agriculture-based province, and the Chinese government, in terms of its deradicalization as well as its anti-poverty efforts – which basically amounts to the same thing – seeks to move many of the residents here into industrial jobs in the cities. As such, they have developed facilities where residents can be provided job training and education so that they can fill these industrial jobs. Furthermore, schooling in Xinjiang can be done entirely in the local languages, without teaching Chinese, so many residents will also need to learn the language to take up jobs in the city. These job training programs seem to be under-

taken in efforts to reduce poverty, and hopefully to reduce radicalization in the process. However, far-right evangelical Adrian Zenz began spreading the fabricated story, picked up by mainstream media outlets in the West, that China was engaging in the process of ethnic cleansing of the Uyghur population. This case is mainly built from inconclusive satellite photos taken of these facilities which in no way speaks to the function of these facilities, as they are merely pictures of buildings that have been built. The second main component of evidence for this case is first-hand testimony from a handful of people, some of whom have given inconsistent stories of their treatment. Zenz is clear about his aim, as he is rabidly anti-China, and the media clearly also has a vested interest in fomenting

anti-China feelings among Westerners. White liberals, for their part, always rabid to display their virtue and anti-Islamophobia, quickly took up the line on “Uyghur genocide” to display their allyship and supposed knowledge of international events, without knowing anything about the circumstances, and seemingly with no awareness that they were merely parroting and reinforcing warmongering narratives from the foreign policy establishment. One may well critique the specifics of China’s anti-radicalization campaign, but the breathless reporting and condemnation of “genocide” is simply without evidence of such an occurrence. It is much more reasonable to assume that things are unfolding as has just been described above.


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CAMPUS LIFE MARCH 18, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

Submissions wanted for “What Were You Wearing?” Exhibit TEHYA TOURNIER Staff Writer

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), for every 1,000 estimated rapes, six rapists are convicted and incarcerated. Karrah Bates, graduate assistant in UNI’s Office of Compliance and Equity Management, wants all faculty and students to understand and know that sexual assault, of any situation, is never the victim’s fault. On Monday, April 12, submissions made from UNI students, as well as faculty and others within the alumni community telling their sexual assault stories, will be shown in an exhibit organized by Bates and colleagues, titled “What Were You Wearing?” “It just boggles my mind how people can even ask, ‘Oh, what were you wearing?’ because it doesn’t matter, and there’s no correlation,” Bates said. “There is no reason to ask that question, and we’re bringing that to light, essentially.” This annual exhibit will be held virtually for the second year in a row. The event will coincide with the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter’s “Sexual

Assault Awareness Week” which takes place April 12-16. Bates said this is an important event for both survivors and allies to be a part of. This exhibit gives survivors an opportunity to share what they’ve been through and let others know they are not alone. Those wishing to support the “What Were You Wearing” exhibit are encouraged to follow and share their website (https://equity.uni.edu/ prevention-and-education/ what-were-you-wearing) and social media posts. Educating yourself on ways to help survivors through their experience and destigmatizing putting

blame on sexual assault survivors can make tremendous strides for those who have experienced the trauma. “It breaks my heart seeing all the submissions; people really don’t understand how prevalent it is,” said Bates. Bates hopes to educate and shine a light on how society views sexual assault and what we can do to be better. She said the effect of the assault doesn’t just end at the scene of the crime, and questions such as, “What were you wearing?” continue the trauma survivors have already endured. “You can make a difference,” said Bates. “You

Karrah Bates/Courtesy Photo

UNI’s Office of Compliance and Equity Management is asking for students and community members to submit their stories for the “What Were You Wearing?” exhibit.

can make a change by just being aware of what not to say and how to respond instead.” The deadline to submit your sexual assault story is March 31. All the information and a submission link can be found at Equity.UNI.EDU/preven-

tion-and-education If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, the 24-hour Sexual Assault Support Hotline number is (888) 557-0310. Additional resources can be found at https://equity.uni.edu/ resources-complainants

Panther|Preview mary ann bolton undergraduate research award

synonymes/synonyms: virtual french film festival

wednesday, feb. 4 friday, april 9

monday, march 15 Sunday, March 21 All day

rod library

virtual

Standing ovation to students

thursday, march 18 all day

admire an administrator

friday, march 19 all day

“The Piano” screening

friday, march 19 7 p.m.

kab 111


CAMPUS LIFE

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

MARCH 18, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

2021 Oscar nominations recap HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

After being delayed by nearly two months due to the pandemic, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences finally revealed their nominations this Monday for what they thought was the best of cinema in 2020. Below is a recap of the above-theline categories, complete with the nominees and analysis of who got in and who didn’t. Best Supporting Actor NOMINEES: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Leslie Odom Jr., Paul Raci and Sacha Baron Cohen. NOTABLE INCLUSION: LaKeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). NOTABLE SNUB: Chadwick Boseman (“Da 5 Bloods”). First things first, LaKeith Stanfield gives a lead performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” There seems to be at least one instance of category fraud each year, and this is the clearest example I’ve seen in a while. His co-star Daniel Kaluuya – a previous nominee for “Get Out” – looks to be a lock for the win. Paul Raci completed his underdog story by being nominated for “Sound of Metal.” Chadwick Boseman might have missed here for “Da 5 Bloods,” but he did get nominated for another performance in a different category. Best Supporting Actress NOMINEES: Amanda Seyfried, Glenn Close, Maria Bakalova, Olivia Colman and Youn Yuh-jung. NOTABLE INCLUSION: Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”). NOTABLE SNUB: Jodie Foster (“The Mauritanian”). Sure, you could claim that Bakalova is the perceived front-runner at the moment and her getting in here isn’t all that notable. However, purely comedic performances rarely ever get nominated for Oscars, especially ones given by unknowns. Amanda Seyfried was able to get in after being snubbed by other groups, and Glenn Close achieved the rare feat of being nominated for both a Razzie and an Oscar for her performance in “Hillbilly Elegy.” With eight career nominations, she is still looking for her first win. Best Leading Actor NOMINEES: Anthony Hopkins, Chadwick Boseman, Gary Oldman, Riz Ahmed and Steven Yeun. NOTABLE INCLUSION: Steven Yeun (“Minari”).

NOTABLE SNUB: Delroy Lindo (“Da 5 Bloods”). It was a battle between Steven Yeun and Delroy Lindo for the final spot, with Yeun edging out thanks to his film’s overwhelmingly positive buzz. With both Boseman and Lindo missing, “Da 5 Bloods” severely underperformed on the day. Much of that can be chalked up to the film’s divisive nature and its early release. With his first (and sadly only) nomination, Boseman will most likely take home the win for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Riz Ahmed also becomes the first Muslim to be nominated in this category. Best Leading Actress NOMINEES: Andra Day, Carey Mulligan, Frances McDormand, Vanesa Kirby and Viola Davis. NOTABLE INCLUSION: Andra Day (“The United States vs. Billie Holiday”). NOTABLE SNUB: Sophia Loren (“The Life Ahead”). This category played out exactly as expected, with the five getting in being the heavy favorites all along. Andra Day and Vanessa Kirby both netted their first nominations in polarizing films while veterans McDormand and Davis continue to dominate. Debuting at the pre-pandemic Sundance Film Festival, Carey Mulligan’s buzzy turn in “Promising Young Woman” seems to be the favorite so far. Best Original Screenplay NOMINEES: “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Minari,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” NOTABLE INCLUSION: “Sound of Metal.” NOTABLE SNUB: “Mank.” “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Sound of

Metal” showed off their overall strength by getting unexpected nominations in this category, while “Mank” showed off its tepidness by missing after being nominated here all season. It will be a battle between Emerald Fennell’s darkly satiric “Promising Young Woman” and Aaron Sorkin’s timely courtroom drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7” to see who will take home the prize. Best Adapted Screenplay NOMINEES: “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “The Father” and “The White Tiger.” NOTABLE INCLUSION: “The White Tiger.” NOTABLE SNUB: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Just like the original did back in 2006, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” was able to make its way into this category despite largely being improvised. After getting a BAFTA and WGA nomination, Netflix’s India-set “The White Tiger” netted its sole nomination. Missing in action was the adaptation of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which was still expected to get in despite underperforming in this category all season. Best Director NOMINEES: Chloé Zhao, David Fincher, Emerald Fennell, Lee Isaac Chung and Thomas Vinterberg. NOTABLE INCLUSION: Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). NOTABLE SNUB: Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Besides David Fincher (who nets his third nomination), everybody present is here for their first time. This year also marks the first

Tribune News Service

Film Critic Hunter Friesen discusses the 2021 Academy Award nominations.

time more than one woman has been nominated in this category. Kathyrn Bigelow remains the only woman to win Best Director for 2009’s “The Hurt Locker.” Chloé Zhao seems poised to join her as she has swept the competition this year. The directors’ branch continues to love European talent as Thomas Vinterberg came out of nowhere with his Danish comedy-drama “Another Round.” Aaron Sorkin became this year’s heavyweight snub similar to Martin McDonagh in 2017 and Peter Farrelly in 2018. Best Motion Picture NOMINEES: “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Mank,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Promising Young Woman,” “Sound of Metal,” “The Father” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

NOTABLE INCLUSION: “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Sound of Metal.” NOTABLE SNUB: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “One Night in Miami.” The age of streaming is upon us as half of this year’s nominees debuted on streaming platforms. While getting two in with “Mank” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Netflix is still hurting after missing out on “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Both “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “Sound of Metal” were underdogs throughout the season, as was “Minari” for a while until it started to rack up precursor attention. Even though it commandingly led the day with ten total nominations, “Mank” is still a distant second place behind the powerhouse that is “Nomadland,” which looks primed to take home the ultimate prize.


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SPORTS MARCH 18, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

VOLLEYBALL

Valpo defeats UNI in two-game sweep NICHOLAS SCHINDLER Sports Writer

The UNI volleyball team traveled to Valparaiso, Ind. to take on Valparaiso to play two matches in two days on March 14 and 15. UNI was 6-8 heading into this weekend series and 5-5 in Missouri Valley Conference play, while Valpo was 8-8 on the year and 6-6 in the conference. These were two evenly-matched teams heading into the games, and the first match proved to be as such. Valpo struck first, winning the first set by a score of 26-24. They then took the second set by a larger score of 25-17. UNI battled back and took sets three and four by scores of 27-25 and 25-23 to even the match score at two each. Coming down to the fifth and final set, it was a battle to the end. The Crusaders won it by a score of 15-13,

taking the first game of the weekend. Valpo was carried by Jillie Grant with 17 kills, two aces, three assists and 15 digs in the match. They were also aided by Jaclyn Bulmahn who had 14 kills and five blocks, Victoria Bulmahn who had 47 assists and two aces and Rylee Cookerly who had 27 digs for the match. Leading the way for UNI was Emily Holterhaus who had 17 kills, one ace, five blocks and 17 digs for an excellent match. They were also led by Tayler Alden with 52 assists and Baylee Petersen with 20 digs. For the team comparisons as a whole UNI and Valparaiso’s numbers were pretty close. UNI scored by more points, kills, blocks, and assists then Valpo. However, Valpo had more aces and digs in the match. Sunday’s match proved to be a hard-fought, competitive contest. The second game was

the following day on Monday afternoon, yet this time, the Panthers didn’t fare as well as the first game. The Panther women lost in three straight sets to lose the game and the series. Valparaiso won the first set 25-15, the second set 25-18 and the third on 27-25. When looking at the team comparisons Valpo had more points, kills, assists and digs than UNI which ultimately led to the Panthers loss on Monday. Valpo was led by Bella Ravotto who had 13 digs and two aces as well as Peyton McCarthy with four blocks and an ace. UNI’s next two matches will be at home against Loyola-Chicago on Sunday at 2 p.m. and Monday at 5 p.m. They will round out the regular season on the road against Bradley on March 27-28 before playing in the Missouri Valley Conference tour nament from April 1-3.

Toni Fortmann/Northern Iowan

The UNI volleyball team dropped both games over the weekend to Valparaiso, moving their conference record to 5-7 and their overall record to 6-10.

MEN’S & WOMEN’S GOLF

Golfers open season at Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate DAVID WARRINGTON Sports Writer

The Northern Iowa Panthers men’s and women’s golf teams opened their season earlier this week, competing at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate in Sevierville, Tenn., hosted by Tennessee Tech University. In the first competition for both teams since October of 2019, taking place from Sunday, March 14 until Tuesday, March 16, the women finished in fifth place out of the 13 teams compet-

ing, while the men finished 11th out of 15 teams. The standout golfer for the men was sophomore Griffin Parker. Out of the 77 golfers in the competition, Parker finished in fourth place. On a course with a par of 72 strokes, Parker shot 71 strokes, one below par, on days one and two. On day three, he capped off a fantastic opening competition by completing the course in 68 strokes, an impressive four strokes under par. Parker ended up six strokes under par for the competition.

The top performer for the women was Hannah Bermel. Bermel, a senior and the daughter of UNI men’s and women’s golf head coach John Bermel, tied for 13th place out of the 65 golfers in the women’s competition. Competing on a course with a par of 71 strokes, Bermel ended the contest averaging 76.6 strokes per day over the three days. finishing at a total of 17 strokes over par. Eastern Kentucky was the overall team victor in the women’s tournament with a team score

of 890, followed by Finlay, Wester n Carolina and Tusculum with UNI in fifth place with a team score of 937. The top three team finishes on the men’s side were Tennessee-Martin and Morehead State tied for first with 851 points and the host school Tennessee Tech finishing third with 853. The Panther men rounded out the day in 11th place with a score of 889. The men’s team will be back in action on Monday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 23 when they travel

to Springfield, Mo. to face off against the Missouri State Bears. The women will resume play on Tuesday, March 30 and Wednesday, March 31 in Carbondale, Ill. against the Southern Illinois Salukis. Both teams will then return home for a competition in Cedar Falls on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 before traveling to Omaha, Neb. to take on the University of Nebraska, Omaha in the regular season finale on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday, April 13.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Panthers defeat Bears 1-0, earn first win of season COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

Last Saturday, March 13, the UNI women’s soccer team played host to their conference opponents Missouri State at Memorial Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa. Both teams came into the contest with their share of struggles so far on the season, with the Panthers coming in winless at a record of 0-2-2 and 0-2-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play, with both losses decided by one goal each. The visiting Bears came into the game with a record of 1-4-2 and 0-1-1 in conference

play thus far. Both teams were looking to earn their first conference victory in the spring season. After missing their first three shots on goal, the Panthers broke the scoreless tie off of a goal from junior defender Sandra Thiman in the 16th minute, giving UNI the 1-0 lead. The UNI defense held throughout the remainder of the game, handing the Panther women their first victory of the season A strong defensive effort in this game proved to be the key for UNI, as has been the case for most of the season so far. They had only allowed two goals in the first four games played this

season, and the trend continued on Saturday as another stout defensive game held the visiting Missouri State scoreless. Offensively, the Panthers were in control for most of the game. They took 16 total shots with eight being on goal, as opposed to Missouri State’s three total shots, all of which were on goal. UNI also maintained possession of the ball for most of the game, which was a crucial factor in deciding the flow of the game. UNI will be on the road for their next two games. Next up, they will face Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill. on Sunday, March 21 and will play Illinois

Toni Fortmann/Northern Iowan

UNI’s women’s soccer team picked up their first win of the season last Saturday, 1-0 against Missouri State.

State in Normal, Ill. on Thursday, March 25. Their next home game will be on Sunday, March 28

against Valparaiso at Memorial Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa.


FUN & GAMES

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

MARCH 18, 2021 |

Across

1 Chicken (out) 5 Mild cheese 10 Latticework component 14 Grandson of Adam 15 Behind-the-scenes retail space 17 Imaginary fish? 19 QBs’ targets 20 Second-largest W. Hemisphere country 21 Clutches 22 Année quarter 23 Composer Bartók 25 Email tab 26 Water collection pit 28 Uh-huh accompaniers 32 Participates in a biathlon for physicians? 38 Of limited scope 39 Old auto named for an explorer

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41 Where climbing plants flourish? 44 More than a peck 45 Yours, to Yves 46 “O, that way madness lies” speaker 50 Many a Ph.D. 54 50-Across’ subj., perhaps 55 Mail creator 59 Texting qualifier 60 Where some drives begin 61 Tire-testing statistics? 64 Common cooking ingredient 65 Campsite sight 66 Language that gave us “plaid” 67 Architectural projections 68 Last letters in London

Down

1 Record-breaking, rainwise

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

2 Reciprocally 3 Alaskan burger choice 4 Nittany Lions’ sch. 5 Dickensian holiday dish 6 Remains at the butcher 7 Aerial enigma 8 Microwave signal, sometimes 9 Hardware brand 10 Symbols of innocence 11 Spring up 12 Mortise partner 13 “I __ noticed” 16 That, in Madrid 18 One may include a shower 24 __ Arbor 27 Henry VIII’s sixth 29 They may be long at the track 30 Square root of neun 31 Find (out) 33 Long haul 34 Recital numbers 35 Leatherworker’s set 36 2014 “NCIS” spinoff locale, briefly 37 Pecan, for Texas 40 How brooms are usually stored 42 Org. affected by net neutrality 43 Fully comprehends 46 Hanukkah serving 47 Wrong turn, say 48 Bring together 49 Basel-based pharmaceutical giant 51 Feature of many a Daniel Boone depiction 52 Skips 53 Driving hazard 56 GPS datum 57 Land of the banshee 58 Civil rights icon Parks 62 Canadian rapper with the album “Reckless” 63 Big name in snack food

We’re looking looking for for stories!! stories!! We’re Is there something happening around campus? Let us know and we can share your event. Email Executive Editor Emma’le Maas at maase@uni.edu

Find us online!

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CLASSIFIEDS MARCH 18, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 42

Puzzle Answers CROSSWORD

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SUDOKU TWO

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