04-10-24

Mymotivateresidentsme to be a great RA.

If you make a mistake, people are going to see it.

Unlocking the RA experience

Resident Assistants share their

stories CAROLINE

I beenhaven’t able to live on this wage.

(My boss) supports me as a person.

Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to,“The R(A)eality of Being an RA’’ published by the Northern Iowan in 2022. One of the contributors to this article is Bailey Klinkhammer, who served as an RA from 2022-2023. Bailey helped to conduct and transcribe five interviews from both former and current RAs. The main author of this article is Northern Iowan Executive Editor Caroline Christensen. The Northern Iowan reached out to University Housing and Dining and the UNI Counseling Center for comment. UHD replied to the Northern Iowan via email in collaboration with University Relations. The UNI Counseling Center replied to the Northern Iowan, but due to the Northern Iowan’s publishing deadline, did not have time to comment.

The Northern Iowan spoke with 13 RAs both on and off the record, three of these being former RAs. To respect the wishes of those who spoke with us, the identity of these RAs will be kept anonymous. This article discusses issues related to mental health.

For the hundreds of UNI students living in dorms across campus, resident assistants (RAs) are a crucial resource. From monitoring student safety to creating engaging hall events, RAs provide the foundation for on-campus living.

While the benefits of free room and board encourage many to apply for RA openings, several RAs we spoke with said their main motivation for applying was the urge to make a difference in the lives of fellow students.

“I had a hard time adjusting to college and I wanted to help others have a better transition,” said RA 1. “My residents motivate me to be a great RA, because they are great residents. I love knowing that I helped residents have a smooth transition to college.”

RA 2 echoed RA 1, saying they were enticed by the free room and board, but were motivated to apply in order to help others.

RAs humanare beings.

“I wanted to help first-year students make their adjustment to college living as easy as possible and be there for them when in need,” they said.

Meanwhile, RA 7 said they applied to be a resource for marginalized students.

“Because I’ve gone through so many different experiences as a person of color, if one of my residents has any questions about anything, I can help them see that they’re not alone. I try to go above and beyond with my residents.”

However, going above and beyond can often result in stress, as many RAs said striking a balance between helping residents and creating boundaries for their own mental health can prove to be difficult.

‘Selfless to an extreme extent’

Former RA 9 said they loved their role as an RA, but at times found it difficult to strike a healthy work-life balance.

“You know, an RA position is like any job. It comes with balancing academics and your social life, but it’s a bit of a unique situation because you are working where you live. It’s just part of the job

of being able to balance your priorities.”

RA 2 said they are often juggling multiple responsibilities as an RA on top of being a student, which, at times, can be overwhelming.

“We’re not just acting as a hall monitor for a free room,” they said. “Event planning, random middle of the night calls, 2 a.m. fire alarms, and having to be there for all of it. Also being your residents’ first contact for any questions they may have and needing to know where to get an answer for all of it. There’s a lot to the job people outside of it don’t see.”

Former RA 5 said dealing with “chaotic situations” was a part of the job, but they did not mind it.

“There’s definitely times where I’ve been overwhelmed, but I would never look at that as a negative experience because I enjoy being in a very chaotic atmosphere,” they said. “I’d probably say I’d be up sometimes at like 4 a.m. dealing with situations. In an instance like that, I was drained but I was running on adrenaline so it was fine.”

Additionally, RAs are often the first line of defense when it comes to assisting students with mental health crises.

RA 8 said, “As RAs, when someone needs a wellness

I think a complete rundown of the responsibilities and the potential trauma that you could get from the job is important to cover... There were quite a few folks in my building that did not fully know what they were signing into.

check, we’re the ones typically responsible for making that connection and sometimes it’s very jarring and very heavy. It makes you feel a little pit in your stomach. Because at the end of the day, when you’re doing a wellness check on someone, it’s usually because they’re at risk to themselves.”

Former RA 5 said being a “human first” is often emphasized by UHD to help RAs create healthy boundaries.

“The people that generally

take on the RA position, or the people that are willing to be selfless to an extreme extent, and what a lot of the management team tries to convey is that you are a human first, a student second and then an RA third.”

Erica Eischen, the Director of Housing, said RAs have access to university counseling services on campus in addition to the TELUS app. The UNI Counseling Center also has group sessions for RAs.

“Resident Assistants are students first and foremost. There is a recognized need for anyone in a helping role to feel supported,” Eischen said. “Within UHD, each RA has a direct supervisor who serves as a resource, and they meet one on one throughout the semester. These intentionally scheduled meetings serve as a check-in to maintain communication and provide direct support to staff.”

RA 3 said while these resources are helpful for many RAs, they feel there is a stigma attached to using the counseling center as an RA.

“I don’t necessarily think I need it, but I know other RAs benefit from it,” They said. “All of the RAs know how crowded the counseling center is. And I know for a lot of us, there’s a stigma behind going to that resource specifically because it feels like almost

taking it away from the residents.”

The Northern Iowan reached out to the UNI Counseling Center for an interview, but did not receive a response in time for publication. According to their official website, the Counseling Center has three mental health therapists on staff, and four graduate assistants.

Other RAs said their one-on-one sessions with Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs) have been helpful in managing the stress that comes with the position.

“Those meetings can be really important for your mental health,” Former RA 5 said. “One on ones generally are quite good. They do a good job with what they have in what they know. There’s always room for improvement, but I think what they’re doing now is pretty good.”

RA 2 also said they enjoy meeting with their RLC, and find their meetings to be beneficial.

“I love my RLC. They are a phenomenal person who goes out of their way to support our building’s staff. Higher than that though, I have a hard time seeing how the central UHD office helps us.”

RA 8 also said their RLC has been a helpful resource as they manage stress.

RA 3

continued from page 2

“I am so privileged to have a boss that not only cares and supports me as an employee, but they go above and beyond with being gracious and courteous and they support me as a person.”

‘I haven’t been able to live on this wage’

One of the biggest perks for RAs is a free dorm room and all-access meal plan. According to UHD’s website, the cost of a single room in a traditional dorm is $6,448, and an all access meal plan is $4,828.

In terms of monetary compensation, RAs are paid $80 every two weeks, or $160 a month. Some RAs said this simply has not been enough to cover certain necessities.

RA 8 said, “I’m not really making any income from my job, it makes it really hard to get out of this position, because I essentially can’t save money. It’s really, it’s like, a never ending cycle.”

They continued, “There are weeks when I literally can’t do anything because I have to make loan payments, I have to pay for gas, I have to pay for basic living expenses, and things that you literally can’t avoid paying.”

RA 6 said, “I just got put in a situation where it was pretty financially compromising and couldn’t really see myself being able to still attend college and still meet some payments as an RA.”

Eischen said RAs have access to “all of the same resources any students who struggle to afford necessities can utilize.”

“The financial stress is horrible. College is expensive and I haven’t been able to live on this wage, but I am unable to get another job because it’s not allowed.”

RA 2 is referring to the university’s student policy 3.19, section D, which states, “Students employed by the University are limited generally to working 20 hours per week during the semester.”

In the last four years, the RA starting stipend and pay structure has increased twice, the most recent was for this current academic year.

She continued, “The Panther Pantry in Maucker Union is a great resource and one in which UHD collaborates on collection drives and direct donations numerous times a year.”

Erica Eischen Director of Housing

The policy continues, specifically citing RAs. It states they are “not eligible to work in a student hourly position during the fall or spring semesters.”

Eischen also said UHD examines the compensation of each of its positions annually.

“In the last four years, the RA starting stipend and pay structure has increased twice, the most recent was for this current academic year. This is in addition to the increased costs for room and board, which are a significant part of the RA compensation package.”

Despite these pay structure increases, RA 2 said they are still struggling.

UHD’s policy additionally limits RAs’ activities such as clubs, organizations or off-campus employment to 10 hours or less per week.

According to Eischen, the policy is intended to assist students with creating manageable schedules.

“This policy is in place to provide balance and guidance, while acknowledging the limitations of how much is reasonable for a student to do or manage,” Eischen said.

Former RA 6 acknowledged this policy has good intentions, but in their experience they found it to have the

opposite effect. Former RA 6 lived in ROTH, and while the university provided them with a meal plan, they had to walk about a mile or drive back and forth from the dining centers to eat. Additionally, RA 6 said they had to pay for their own parking pass at the beginning of the year, which was around $103.

“$80 every two weeks was barely covering my gas at that moment. I just got put in a situation where it was pretty financially compromising and I couldn’t really see myself being able to still attend college and still meet some payments as an RA.”

While the RA job is advertised as a 20 hour work week, several RAs said the amount of hours they work depends on the week – it could be more or less. RA 10 said they feel like they have to constantly be “on” as an RA regardless of working hours.

“They present it as this is a part time job where you’ll only be working 20 hours a week, but really you’re an RA 24/7,” They said. “No matter what people try to tell you, even if you take your name tag off at the end of the day, you’re still an RA and people recognize you on your floor as someone that is there to help them. But there would be nights where I genuinely can’t deal with anything.”

‘You never really stop being an RA’

One of the biggest adjustments RAs said they have to face is working in their place of residence.

6 told the Northern Iowan that on-call shifts in some buildings can last more than 48 hours. Additionally, RAs are required to make “door decs” for each of their residents on a schedule and must make an attempt to contact every resident. If no contact is made on the first attempt, RAs must attempt to make contact up to two additional times. In some residence halls, RAs have upwards of 50 residents.

“It can definitely be overwhelming at times,” RA 4 said. “My first year I was so overwhelmed with all the new information I was getting during the training period. At one point I needed to make door decs for my residents, and it is very silly looking back, but I was just scrolling through Cricut trying to find any possible inspiration for a door dec, I started crying because I was so overwhelmed by everything.”

RA 4 said their second year as an RA has been less overwhelming, and they love interacting with their residents on a daily basis.

Similarly, RA 2 said they enjoy being a resource for students, but sometimes struggle with the responsibility.

RA 4 said living in their place of work can take a toll on their mental well-being.

“You live in a kind of a fishbowl. You’re being watched all the time by your residents,” they said. “They see you as a role model, and you want them to respect you. But at the same time, if you make a mistake, people are going to see it.”

RA 3 also said it can be taxing having to constantly put on a brave face for their residents.

“I feel like there’s added pressure to always be 100% in your community even though you might only have to offer 50% or 20%. Even if it’s 3 a.m. and I need to use the bathroom, it still feels like I’m being watched. It’s a lot of amazing responsibility to be able to be a leader, but on the flip side, it’s just that much more massive responsibility that you feel.”

“A lot of time residents view you as their only resource, which means they bring a lot of stuff to you and, while I love to help, I am also a fulltime student and am going through my own things,” they said. “During the first few weeks of Fall, there were a lot of complaints about the heat and, though I was living in the same conditions as everybody else, some residents acted like I was better off.”

Eischen said UHD is “continually seeking feedback” to improve RA experience every year from “current student staff either directly through assessment of our training practices, or through one on one meetings with their supervisor. That feedback is utilized to make improvements and adjustments to the RA experience from year to year.”

... While I love to help, I am also a full-time student and am going through my own things.

RA 10 had a similar experience to RA 3, saying “You never really stopped being an RA. Like you’re never not working.”

To alleviate stress, RAs are allotted 12 nights away per semester. Outside of these 12 nights, RAs say that responsibilities still weigh heavily. RA

‘I’ve dealt with really random shit’ As part of the position, all RAs are trained prior to the beginning of the school year. According to Eischen, UHD provides training for RAs a few weeks before the beginning of the fall semester, and supplemental training is provided throughout the academic year via staff meetings.

STEPH STARK

RAs at UNI are paid $160 per month and are not eligible to work a student hourly position, according to student policy. Students are encouraged to utilize resources like the Panther Pantry if struggling to afford necessities.

“Training is designed to provide and develop the skills necessary to perform the role,” Eischen said. “This includes topics such as conflict mediation, navigating student campus resources, learning about campus resources, confrontation of policy violations and triage of students in crisis.”

RA 9 said they think UHD has made many positive and “improved training significantly.”

“I don’t think anything can adequately prepare you for the RA role,” They said. “Nothing can cover the myriad of situations like you can find yourself in your role. But, I think they did a good job. They can’t cover everything.”

Housing does a great job of supporting RAs, and they’ve really taken the feedback to heart that they received from RAs a couple years ago.

RA 9

“Housing does a great job of supporting RAs, and they’ve really taken the feedback to heart that they received from RAs a couple years ago,” they said. “UHD is continuously improving their ability to train and support staff. I think resources on campus can improve to better meet the needs of students and RAs.”

Many RAs said they enjoyed hearing from former RAs about certain situations they may deal with, however former RA 5 said it is almost impossible to be fully ready for the role.

One concern RA 1 expressed was with Behind Closed Doors training (BCDs), in which people will act out or role play situations RAs may encounter. These situations range from simple confrontations to suicidal ideation training. “BCDs training was something I was not mentally prepared for,” they said. “Seeing leaders pretend to be mentally ill and suicidal is something I don’t agree with, even for training purposes. It feels like a mockery of people who actually struggle with those issues.”

One suggestion several RAs made was allowing for full transparency about the role in both the interview process and training.

RA 3 said, “I think a complete rundown of the responsibilities and the potential trauma that you could get from the job is important to cover. There were quite a few folks

in my building that did not fully know what they were signing into.”

They continued, “We are told by UHD coordinators and supervisors that when talking to potentially new RAs we should do our best to highlight the good aspects and not try to ‘only tell the horror stories,’ although learning about some of the worse incidents could have properly prepared me for potential situations I would be signing myself up for. This year, I’ve dealt with really random shit.”

Speaking Publicly Nick Rafanello, director of UHD, said as part of training, they share with student staff their policy in regards to speaking with the press.

“We share with student staff that they can always speak about their personal experience(s), however they should not speak on behalf of the department or the University,” Rafanello said. “We encourage staff to provide prefatory statements that recognize they are not authorized to speak on behalf of UNI Housing & Dining and that any statements made are solely their personal opinion. Any requests regarding the department or an incident within the department should be directed to Annie Karr and/or University Relations.”

In October 2023, the editorial staff at the Northern Iowan began to reach out to RAs in an effort to create a follow up to the 2022 article. The editorial staff was in the beginning stages of interviewing and contacting RAs when the first RA interviewed contacted the editorial staff requesting their interview be struck from the record.

‘RAs are human beings’

Ultimately, while a big part of an RAs job is to enforce university policy, many RAs said their goal is not to be the “fun police.”

RA 7 said, “I think a lot of residents have it in their mind that we’re out to get them, but in reality, that’s not it at all. That’s actually my least favorite part of the job when I have to knock on a door and be like, ‘Excuse me, you shouldn’t be doing this.’”

RA 3 added, “I’m not a cop. I don’t care what you’re doing really, on your own personal time. I believe students should be treated like adults who all have that autonomy. But if there’s an emergency, please come to us because we’re trained to be the first ones to respond.”

... There’s a lot of fun to it, as well as a lot of not fun aspects. You just have to kind of pick what you want out of it.”

Former RA 5

In March 2024, an anonymous RA alleged that a Residence Life Coordinator demanded the RA retract their statement from the record after learning about their participation.

Former RA 6 said while they were always there to help, it is important for residents to keep in mind “RAs are human beings.”

“It just seems like a lot of people don’t realize that RAs have a whole other life outside of just living in the building,” they said.

Former RA 5 explained,“It’s not for everyone. But there’s a lot of fun to it, as well as a lot of not fun aspects. You just have to kind of pick what you want out of it.”

NI ARCHIVES

RAs go through Behind Closed Doors training, which involves people acting out situations RAs may encounter. These can range from simple confrontations to suicidal ideation training.

STEPH STARK

As part of training, Director of UHD Nick Rafanello said that students are told they can always speak about their personal experiences.

Artifical Intelligence is killing art

KELLIE STILES Opinion Columnist

You’re scrolling through your favorite social media app when you stumble across some digital artwork that someone has posted. At first glance the piece is beautiful, depicting a realistically drawn woman with gorgeous scenery, covering the image in a beautiful array of colors. But as you start to look closely, you notice something seems off: the hands of the woman are misshapen, lines don’t connect or run off, and the shading and lighting are all over the place. You realize what you are looking at is AI art.

AI, short for artificial intelligence, boils down to the science of making machines that can think like humans. The term artificial intelligence was coined in the 1950s, where the first form of machine intelligence was created and strongly marked due to technological developments during World War II.

The development of artificial intelligence went through many ups and downs over the last few decades, but it wasn’t until 2017 that AI started to gain traction due to Google’s implementation of it into their search engine. By the 2020s, generative AI became the new trendy thing, with companies making websites that people could access and create their own AI generated images, text and videos.

The concept of creating art from AI popularized in 2021 when the company OpenAI created the first rendition of a program called DALL-E, where users could input a prompt into the system and it would generate multiple images of said prompt.

The sight was primitive at first, its image generation obviously lacking a human touch due to its distortion and odd shapes and lines that generated in these images. It wasn’t until 2023 that internet consumers started to notice that AI art was evolving.

Machine generated images went from being easily detectable by the average person to almost indistinguishable from real art, taking someone familiar with AI to differentiate.

As the DALL-E system released it’s newest AI called DALL-E 3 in August of 2023, the advancement in the technology has allowed AI art

to start not only generating extremely realistic images, but also mimicking different art styles. From recreating a renaissance painting to imitating a unique art style, AI can now create anything with a single prompt.

This evolution of AI art is striking fear into real artists, especially digital ones.

This begs the questions: will AI soon replace all creative aspects of media? Will creative jobs become nonexistent? We can already see it happening...

Not only is AI art not drawn by real human artists, but the way it achieves these art styles is by people actively stealing and putting real artists’ work into these programs.

The AI then learns this style through its complex database, and then can recreate it almost perfectly. The people who feed these databases are stealing other people’s creative and unique styles that have taken

years of practice to develop, and are also creating tension and fights within the art community. Many digital artists are now being accused of using AI to create their art, even if that is not the case. Back in January of 2023, an artist was banned from a Subreddit called r/Art, which is a specific community on Reddit where people can share the art they create or discuss their favorite art. A moderator of this website banned this Vietnamese artist named Ben Morgan for his piece titled “A Muse in Warzone,” saying his piece looked AI generated and told the creator to “find a different style.”

The rise in AI art doesn’t just affect small creators and their passion for art; it is beginning to stretch into big industries involving music, movies, video games, books and much more. This begs the questions: will AI soon replace all creative aspects of media? Will creative jobs become nonexistent?

O ne thing remains certain: the human spirit of art still endures, and will not go down lightly by the lurking shadows of artificial intelligence.

In the music industry, people are creating lyrics and instrumentals using generative software. Book covers and even entire books are being generated with only a few clicks from an actual human being.

But artists aren’t sitting down quietly and letting AI take over their livelihoods. In October of 2023, there were developments of a model that “poisons” the data in these

We can already see it happening in other parts of the world such as China, where over 70% of video game illustrators lost their jobs in 2021 due to a variety of reasons, the biggest one being the AI boom according to Leo Li, a gaming industry recruiter in Hangzhou, China. The takeover of AI is creeping up on the American doorstep as well, with big name companies like Disney. The corporation has been accused of using AI on multiple occasions in their promotions, such as the poster for season two of their Marvel TV show “Loki,” or their 2023 Thanksgiving post of Mickey Mouse and the gang recreating the painting “The Thanksgiving Picture” by Norman Rockwell.

into real artists. generative AI softwares. This tool, called Nightshade, messes up the learning models and training data in the programs by training them to generate worse images, or even completely wrong images that weren’t in the initial prompt. This device was created by Ben Zhao, a professor at the University of Chicago, and works by changing the pixels of images in subtle ways that are invisible to human eyes but manipulates machine-learning models into interpreting the image as something different.

Small patterns, small changes in colors, these changes can break almost any generated AI software, and artists are celebrating. The destruction of all these different softwares would make it less likely for artists to lose their jobs to AI and allow creative jobs to continue flourishing in this ever-increasing automated world.

As we navigate this balance between human art and technological creation, the future of art is still undecided. Will AI become the dominant force in creative expression, or will human creativity prevail against the force that is automation? Only time will tell. But one thing remains certain: the human spirit of art still endures, and will not go down lightly by the lurking shadows of artificial intelligence.

Above is art created by the Open AI system DALL-E. Opinion columnist Kellie Stiles writes on why programs like this are striking fear

Welcome to the stage, Dragaganza!

“Oh my god, I’m the main character.”

That’s the feeling UNI student and drag performer Kai Smith got when the lights hit the stage and music kicked in for their performance at Dragaganza last Saturday.

A collaboration between UNI Proud, CAB and Serv’d Events, the annual Dragaganza drag show brought over 220 attendees to the Maucker Union Ballrooms.

“Everybody is just adoring and just loving,” Smith said. “Words can’t describe it. It’s fantastic.”

A key feature of Dragaganza is that anyone can sign up to perform. UNI Proud president Jazz said that the show often acts as people’s first experiences performing drag, and can open doors for future opportunities.

Like a traditional drag show, audience members were encouraged to tip performers with cash or through the online service Givebutter. The proceeds from Dragaganza will go to the Cedar Valley LGBTQ+ Coalition, which aims to create affirming and supportive spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. By the end of the night, the event raised over $2,000.

“I was thinking during the first song that, looking around at this crowd, I saw how much of an impact we actually have as an organization,” UNI Proud Treasurer Gabby DePrizio said. “It’s really easy to get lost in what we actually do for students, but it made me tear up a little bit. I’m just really proud of the work that everybody’s done.”

However, Dragaganza this year was unique for another reason. It was the first show since the pass -

The 2024 show concluded with a special number in honor of Noah. Any performers were invited to the stage to perform “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.” “It’s defi -

nitely an amazing way to honor somebody who had such a big impact, and it’ll never be the same without him,” the UNI Proud director of public relations, Allie Clark, said. Jazz added, “Noah would be proud and happy. He played a huge role as an alumni and he came back every year to perform with us. Drag was his way to show that no matter who you are, you’re loved. Express yourself. Be queer, be loud and show your body. Show who you love and don’t be afraid. I wish he was here with us doing that number as a group.” Despite the current

nationwide conversations about the art of drag, Jazz affirmed that the people who bring it to life aren’t going anywhere.

Smith added, “Don’t be scared to help and support and just show up.”

The exec team encouraged anyone to come to UNI Proud meetings and events. More information can be found on Instagram at northerniowaproud.

“This is a really important time for shows like this, especially with drag bans around the country,” they said. “UNI is really being watched with our diversity programs. As a student org, we’re not as affected but we’re still being looked at and I think it’s important to show that we’re not going anywhere. You could try, but we’re still here. We’re still going to perform.”

COURTESY/ELLIOT TENSEN

Emcee Karma Kills hosted Dragaganza this year. Over 200 students attended the event and showed their support for UNI Pride.

KULT celebrates 30 years on 94.5

CALLEE FAIR Staff Writer

UNI’s radio station, KULT, is coming up on its 30th anniversary of being broadcasted on 94.5. Along with this, May 2024 marks 50 years since KULT’s firs broadcast. The station has a unique draw into the Cedar Valley media scene. It is ran by college students reeling in relatability and connection to students all around the area.

These milestones would not be possible without the support and community Cedar Falls gives it. Austin Jetter, senior and general manager of the station, says that is what makes KULT stand out from other radio stations and the incentive to listening to a Spotify playlist.

“We’re all kind of parts together in this community here at Cedar Falls, and I don’t think you can get that from any kind of other streaming platform at all,” Jetter says. “I think there’s just a lot more community in that then there is on other platforms. There’s a lot of people that will have have their shows and then all their friends will, like to tune into it, or they’ll call in – and I think that’s amazing.”

The station’s hard-working GM has been a part of the station for around two years. He first was introduced to the station after exploring Maucker Union and came across KULT’s home, which sparked curiosity.

“My first semester here, I really wanted to find a job,

or something to do outside of just classes,” Jetter reveals. “I was kind of just exploring the Union, and I was in the basement and saw that they had a radio station. I thought that was really cool because, like a lot of people, I’d never even heard of the radio statio. So I was really interested and I got connected the the GM at the time. I did my own show for the first semester and then became the general manager after that.”

KULT offers a variety of shows for listeners. There’s sports shows talk and personality segments, as well as DJ hosts. This variety is what brings different people together to earn the viewership the student-run station has today, especially with

the popularity in podcasts in recent years. Along with offering variety for listeners, it offers a variety of opportunities for students hosting segments on the station.

“I know there’s a lot of students that are media majors, so this kind of helps them get some experience with that,” Jetter explains. “There’s been people that have been involved with KULT who have gone on to pursue careers in radio and stuff, so I think this gives them a real application to what they may be studying.”

People of all majors can find ways to express themselves freely on KULT through creative choice and narration, and create diversity for the station. Jetter

explains that he finds fulfillment being a part of KULT even though he is not seeking aspirations in media. “Personally, I’m a business management major … but I just love it as a way to express myself. I love music. I love all kinds of music. Having the ability to share that with other people and voice my opinion about songs that I like, I think that’s really fun…I just think it’s a really good outlet to express how they’re feeling.”

Often times, you can find the student-led station DJing popular events such as UNI’s Stress Free Days and Dance Marathon where they match the function’s vibe and play enjoyable music for everyone. It allows the variety

of hosts to showcase their music taste and talents, and it is a way to gain publicity for KULT by introducing people and making connections.

“I would love for anyone who is interested, please, stop on by,” Jetter says. “I’m really thankful for the experience I’ve had here, and I’ve had so much fun working with the people involved.”

UNI’s KULT is located in the basement of Maucker Union. They are always looking for more DJ’s and hosts to expand their numbers in the station and overall diversity. Email the station at kult945gm@gmail.com for those looking to join the team.

BAILEY KLINKHAMMER/NORTHERN IOWAN

KULT Radio is found in the historic Keyhole Room in the basement of Maucker Union.

BAILEY KLINKHAMMER/NORTHERN IOWAN

Rummage Rampage coming to campus

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Executive Editor

A thrifting paradise is coming to campus thanks to UNI students who are working to educate the campus community about the harmful effects of fashion waste.

UNI students Kendall Lienemann, Paige German, Haley Ham and Kate McAlister have been busy folding and organizing hundreds of donated clothes for Revitalize to Rewear’s “Rummage Rampage” on Monday, April 15 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in Maucker Union’s Ballrooms. Shoppers will have the opportunity to fill as many bags as they can with thrifted clothes of their choice for a cost of $5 per bag.

“We have a lot of good items,” Lienemann said. “We have a lot of expensive items that people have donated that they just never wore, we have clothes with tags still on, and some designer clothes as well.”

All proceeds from the Rummage Rampage will be donated to the Cedar Valley Angels, a local non-profit dedicated towards support -

ing children in the foster care system. Additionally, any clothes leftover from the sale will be donated to the House of Hope, a non-profit which provides single-mother families and women who age out of the foster care system with support and transitional housing.

“The leftover clothes will all find a home,” German said. “It won’t just be sitting in someone’s basement waiting for the next thrift sale. It’s going somewhere to people who need it.”

The Rummage Rampage is run through the Iowa Waste Reduction Center in collaboration with the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and UNI’s Business and Community Services. Lienemann said she hopes this event can inspire less fashion waste, and more conscious consumerism.

“It’s kind of been a passion project for me,” Lienemann said. “I just really like clothes and I really like thrifting. I kind of had a little side business and my coworkers and boss saw what I was doing that and they asked, ‘Hey, how can we tie this into envi -

ronmentalism and reducing waste?’”

From there, Lienemann created a partnership with German and began to research fashion waste in preparation for a clothing drive.

“This has been a multi level process,” German said. “We started doing research going into it and understanding the stats and the problem. We started doing interviews and went around campus asking students about fashion waste and no one really knew anything about it.”

German said fast fashion and keeping up with trends has contributed towards the harmful environmental effects of clothing waste. As college students, German said it can often be easy to hop on the fast fashion trends.

“We’re all broke college kids,” She said. “We’re just trying to look cute, but I’m hoping this will open students’ eyes to shop local and possibly avoid fast fashion.”

For those who attend the Rummage Rampage, exact cash or Venmo are accepted as forms of payment.

Bar crawling for a cause

CHRISTENSEN Executive Editor

The Hill is going to be busier than usual April 27, as OneBuzz, a social media company founded by University of Iowa students, is bringing an unofficial bar crawl to UNI.

Over 250 people have already registered according to Brady Stein, a University of Iowa student and one of the founders of OneBuzz.

“Our goal at the event is to put on something fun and enjoyable for students,” Stein said. “We saw that Northern Iowa didn't really have something like this, and we thought Cedar Falls students would enjoy this type of event. We want to bring something new and historic to campus and make it affordable and fun.”

Registration for the crawl can be found at onebuzz. us, and the price for a ticket is $20. The fee includes an unofficial t-shirt, drink specials, and entry into bars. The crawl will hit bars and restaurants on the Hill, including

Chad’s Pizza, Sharky’s, Suds, The Octopus, Social House, Zury’s Taco Bar, The Library and Cooper’s Taproom.

A portion of their pre-sales will be donated to The Henry Schueler 41 & 9 Foundation, a non-profit which raises money for advancing research to cure pediatric leukemia.

“I was inspired to do this by a personal connection,” Stein said. “We just feel that if people are gonna go out there should also be a good cause behind it, even though, typically alcohol and charity don't typically really cross over.”

well.”

Stein said they scoped out the bar scene in Cedar Falls prior to creating the bar crawl, and they found people were receptive to the idea. “I really saw how excited the students were,” Stein said. “Students and even business owners are pretty stoked about it.”

If people are gonna go out there should also be a good cause behind it, even though, typically alcohol and charity don’t typically really cross over.

Brady Stein University of Iowa student

He continued, “We want to do something that’s going to a good cause so people feel good and we feel good as

Stein said they hope to bring additional bar crawls to Cedar Falls in the future, and expand to bars located on Main Street. Follow OneBuzz on Instagram @onebuzzuni for more information.

Lea la traducción al español en línea en www. northerniowan.com.

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN/NORTHERN IOWAN

The Rummage Rampage will take place on Monday, April 15 in Maucker Union.

CAROLINE

COURTESY/ONEBUZZ

OneBuzz, a social media company founded for students by students, will be bringing a bar crawl to the Hill April 27.

Jacobson’s Journey

BENNETT LUDWIG Guest Writer

When you think of UNI men’s basketball, there are several names that come to mind. Ali Farokhmanesh, Seth Tuttle, Paul Jesperson, AJ Green and a ton of other iconic players. Another big name that comes to mind when you think of UNI men’s basketball could possibly be a coach. The man that was the mentor for all of these players is men’s basketball head coach Ben Jacobson. Jacobson, who has been UNI’s head coach since 2006, had a unique journey compared to other college basketball head coaches and started his career in an unlikely place.

Jacobson grew up in rural North Dakota, where he experienced an early love for all sports, taking a special interest in basketball. “We moved around a little bit,” he said, adding “I have a brother that is a year older and a brother that is a year younger.” “We were always doing something,” he reflected. “We were always playing something, and basketball was a big part of that.”

Jacobson, along with his brothers and several friends, would always play basketball, no matter what time of the year it was.

Basketball has been a huge part of not just Jacobson’s life, but his family’s as well. “My dad played basketball and then he went on to referee when I was growing up,” he said. “He started to play city basketball so he would take us to those games with him,” he added. Jacobson would practice shooting a basketball on the side courts while his dad would play, and this sparked his love for the sport.

After playing basketball in junior high and high school in Mayville-Portland, he got an opportunity of a lifetime. Jacobson received a scholarship to play basketball at the University of North Dakota in 1989, a Division II school at the time. “We had some great teams up there,” he said. “We won some championships and (I) made some of my bestest friends,” he added. Jacobson played for legendary head coach Rich Glas, who was the head coach from 1988-2006. One of his assistant coaches was former UNI head coach and current Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. In his playing career at North Dakota from 1989-1993, Jacobson was a two-year starter, two-year captain, set the school’s all time record for assists, was a part of two conference titles and helped North Dakota reach the Elite

Eight of the NCAA Division II tournament twice.

After graduating from North Dakota in 1993, he decided to follow his dreams and begin a basketball coaching career. “My time playing high school, the later part of high school and then playing in college with the teammates and coaches that I had drove me to get into coaching,” he said. His coaching career would begin shortly after graduating from North Dakota. “When I finished playing, I was a student assistant with Coach Glas at North Dakota,” he said. “I was a graduate assistant for a couple of years and then I was able to get the full time assistant coach job with him,” he added. He was with Greg McDermott for one year at North Dakota State University as an assistant coach. One year later, he got offered a position that would change his life.

In 2001, McDermott was hired to be the head coach for UNI, and he offered Jacobson to be the assistant coach for the program. “We were working together when he got the head coaching job here,” he said. “I was able to come with him as his assistant coach and those were great times,” he added. The two coaches were together once again to lead a program that had just one NCAA tournament appearance since moving up to the Division I level in 1973. Little did Panther fans know that these two hires would turn the team’s fortune around.

When he first stepped onto UNI’s campus, he was blown away by the entire university. “I really enjoyed the first guys that I coached,” he said. “It was exciting because the University of North Dakota was a Division II school at the time, they’ve since moved to Division I. I was excited and anxious to see what the Division I level was like,” he continued. He was impressed with the facilities and the overall home-like feel of Cedar Falls. Jacobson and his wife got married the same year that he got the job at UNI. For the next four years, Jacobson would be an assistant to Coach McDermott’s Panther teams, where he led them to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2004-2006. Jacobson was UNI’s assistant coach from 2001-2006. Then in 2006, he would receive a chance to do something that he had never done before. Jacobson learned some valuable skills and keys to being a great coach from McDermott. In 2006, Jacobson would get a chance to do something that he had never done before. After

McDermott left to become the head coach at Iowa State, Jacobson was promoted to be the head coach of the UNI men’s basketball team. This would be his first head coaching job after spending 13 years as an assistant in various roles. When he took over, he made his priorities clear.

“You’re digging to recruit and working to get young guys in here that want to be a part of this,” he said. When he got promoted to head coach, he had to face some new challenges that were unfamiliar to him. “The difference in responsibility is significant. You’re now responsible for everybody and everything and it’s awesome,” he said. “It’s one that I wouldn’t trade for anything. It’s so much fun to be a part of recruiting young guys of 16 and 17 years old and you have them until they’re 21 or 22,” he added. He makes it a priority that his players are ready for whatever they decide to do after they graduate, whether it’s playing professional basketball, beginning a coaching career or getting that dream job in their field.

In his first season as head coach in 2006-2007, the Panthers finished 20-13 overall. This included winning his first career game as a head coach on November 12 vs Nicholls State, becoming the first UNI head coach to win their debut since Eldon Miller in 1986. The Panthers would lose in the quarterfinals to

Bradley, capping off a great debut season for Jacobson. However, this was just the start for Jacobson and the Panthers.

Three years later in 20092010, Jacobson would lead UNI to arguably the best season in school history. The Panthers would finish the season with just four losses and won the MVC Tournament for the second season in the row. They would be the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region, the highest NCAA tournament seed in school history. The Panthers beat UNLV in Round One, then they pulled off a massive upset over top overall seed Kansas in Round Two. The season ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State, ending the season with a 32-5 record. This is still one of the best seasons in UNI Basketball history, with the Panthers getting their first NCAA tournament win since beating Missouri in 1990.

Several of his players have gone on to big success after playing for UNI. Farokhmanesh, the hero of the team’s 2010 Sweet 16 run, is now an assistant coach at Colorado State. Seth Tuttle, the third all time leading scorer in UNI history, is currently one of Jacobson’s assistant coaches for the Panthers. AJ Green, one of the best players in program history, became the first UNI player to play for an NBA team. He is currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he is having

a great season. “It’s been so much fun especially right before the all star break when he got in five to six games in a row,” Jacobson said. “I have loved watching my players thriving once they leave UNI and I’ve been so proud of each and every one of them,” he added.

Since becoming head coach, Jacobson has led the Panthers to four MVC Tournament Titles, four NCAA tournament appearances and four NCAA tournament victories. He also led the Panthers to becoming the first college basketball team ever to represent the U.S. in an international tournament in 2007. As for coaches he looks up to, he lists a couple along with Rick Glas. “McDermott would be one of them, playing for him has had the most impact on my playing career and coaching career,” he said. Jacobson is now not just the winningest head coach in school history, but now in MVC history, which he achieved on Jan. 20 against Southern Illinois. He said that the moment felt surreal and that there was pure joy in the locker room.

In regards to his future, he wants to stay at UNI until he decides to call it a career and wants to coach his son Hunter, who is a freshman on the team. He has some great advice for anyone that wants to get into coaching: “Keep working at it and it will take some time.

Eventually, you will be able to reach your goals.”

STEPH STARK

Jacobson is the winningestcoaches in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference.

MLB Division Predictions

We are two weeks into the Major League Baseball regular season and it is already looking to be a great one. After a record-breaking offseason filled with megadeals and big time acquisitions, 30 teams came into

the new season with hope of a successful season, some more than others. I’ll be spotlighting some teams and players to watch ,as well as making my division winner predictions.

NL EAST

There isn’t much of a discussion on the favorite to win this division. Led by the reign-

OPINION

ing NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr, the Atlanta Braves eye a big year ahead. The Braves have won 100 games in each of the last two seasons. They have also been atop of the NL East the last six years, including a World Series championship in 2021. With many of their young players in their prime, the Braves look as good as any to bring home another Commissioner’s Trophy. Other notable players include ace Spencer Strider, Orlando Arcia, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Michael Harris II. Yep. This team is loaded.

The real question is who will be fighting for second place. The Philadelphia Phillies certainly have the star power to do so, and came up just one win short of back to back NL pennants. Bryce Harper is the best player on the team, who battled through injuries in 2023. Pitcher Aaron Nola leads the rotation. The Mets are an interesting team, who rank in the top half of the MLB’s highest payrolls. Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor are their leaders on offense while Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino lead the pitching staff. Then there’s the Marlins, who have gotten off to a slow start in 2024. After winning

84 games a season ago, they are due for regression. That’s because the Marlins ran hot with a 33-14 record in onerun games in 2023. Their ace, Sandy Alcántra, will miss the whole season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

This pick is simple. I won’t waste your time.

MY PICK: Atlanta Braves NL CENTRAL

Every single team in this division can make a case to win it this year. After adding division rival coach Craig Counsell, the Cubs are poised for a big jump in 2024. Led by Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson and other key contributors offensively, the Cubs offense should be electric every night. They bring in Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga, who is paired up with Cy Young candidate Justin Steele. The big question for the Cubs will be the bullpen.

The St. Louis Cardinals are the favorites to win the NL Central. After coming off their first losing season since 2007, the Cards went to free agency to add to their pitching depth. Kyle Gibson, Sonny Gray, Andrew Kittredge, Lance Lynn and Keynan Middleton all look to make an impact on the mound. Offensively, they are led by Nolan Arenado

and Paul Goldschmidt. Was last year a fluke or will the Cardinals repeat their 2023 campaign? Only time will tell.

The Milwaukee Brewers are in an interesting situation. They lost their manager to a division rival and traded their star pitcher, Corbin Burnes, for young talent. Typically, this is when they would enter the rebuilding era, but they still have some key pieces in place to win now. William Contreras, Willy Adames and Christian Yelich are all players capable of producing up and down the lineup. We will know by late July if this team is a contender or a pretender.

The Cincinnati Reds enter the 2024 season with high hopes. They had their third winning season in the last four years last season, with an 82-80 record. Their young talent is ready to compete in a division up for grabs. A top-two finish in the division would be the Reds first since 2012. The Reds are led by young star Elly De La Cruz, the do-it-all shortstop who can hit for power, steal bases and flash the leather. He is one of the brightest stars in the game and has a big year in store.

The Masters is the pinnacle of golf

NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer

This week is the most highly anticipated week when it comes to golf, it’s Masters Week. People go absolutely crazy for this tournament whether it’s for the players going to be there, the food or the merchandise. But a lot of people don’t know the rules of Augusta. The rules at Augusta are very strict and patrons must follow them no matter what, otherwise they may be risking their entry to the tournament.

Another crazy thing about the Masters is that there is no running on the course. If you look online you will see videos of people having to speed walk in order to find good seating throughout the course. Workers are concise on enforcing this rule, so in order for you to get a good seat you need to be there at 5 a.m. waiting in line to get a head start on finding the best seat in the house.

Merchandise is always a big selling point when it comes to the tournament. Unfortunately, you cannot see the merchandise unless you are physically at the tournament. Therefore, unless you have someone going that you know, you

One of the major rules of the tournament is that no phones are allowed on the course. As a spectator in a place like this, it has to be absolutely grueling to not be able to have your phone and capture the beautiful pictures of azaleas and the scenic place that it is. With no phones, you also cannot have any sort of radios, TVs or any noise type devices with you. Augusta National offers a spot for fans to have their picture taken by them in place of not being able to bring any sort of phones or other devices.

will not be getting any merch. You also will not be able to see it prior to going to the tournament so make sure to save your money, because there is a hefty price tag on most clothing items. But most can justify it because it is a once in a lifetime experience.

In order to get a chance to go to the Masters Tournament you have to put your name into a lottery and hope that you get chosen for tickets. The Masters does not sell tickets anywhere on their website or through any other third party accounts. You have to enter to be in the lottery and hope that you get chosen for tickets. Some people go their whole lives without getting tickets and some have to wait 20-30 years before they get chosen from the lottery. Regardless, if you get chosen, you better be clearing your schedule for the week of the Masters.

The Masters is one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of golf. People will do anything and everything in order to be able to go. Being one of the most prestigious and most-watched tournaments comes with rules to be followed. It is a once in a lifetime experience that must be taken with precaution and enjoyed to the fullest.

The Masters Tournament will take place this week with some of the biggest golfers in the history of the sports participating.

COURTESY/TIME

Ronald Acuña Jr. looks to claim the NL East for the Atlanta Braves.

FEATURE

ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer

With former UNI athletic director David Harris leaving in late 2023 for Tulane, collegiate sports legend Bob Bowlsby has stepped up to the plate to take over as athletic director while the university searches for a long term replacement.

“The president asked if I had any thoughts on who should be the interim athletic director, and I said, well let me think about it for a little while. And when I called him back he said, ‘What do you think about doing it?’”

Bowlsby back in town

UNI athletics into a modern era, helping bring UNI into the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in 1991, and increased funding for UNI’s programs by 400%.

His new role as UNIs interim athletic director comes quite some time after he last worked for the university, but Bowlsby says that a lot of things have not changed.

This has been a special place for me... the people are great, there’s a lot of great work being done...

Bowlsby ultimately took the role, a position that he originally had as the full-time athletic director more than 30 years ago. Bowblsy started his career at UNI in 1984, and was the athletic director for around seven years. He helped bring

Bob Bowlsby Interim Athletic Director

“This has been a special place for me, and there are a lot of aspects of it that are just like it was when I left in 1990. The people are great, there’s a lot of good work being done, students are great.”

Following his departure from UNI in 1990, he went on to be the athletic director at Iowa until 2006, Stanford until 2012 and then was the commissioner of the Big 12 until his retirement in 2022. Along with these roles, he served on a number of committees. He

was the chair of the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee, was on the College Football Playoff Committee, a commission that reviewed many years of Title IX and was on the United States Olympic committee, among many others.

The Title IX commission and the Olympic committee were especially unique.

“First of all, it’s a great honor, you are appointed by the president of the United States,” Bowlsby said.

Bowlsby has undoubtedly accomplished a lot in his career, and has made a great impact on the world of sports, and UNI.

“I have been very fortunate to work with great people, and I have been very fortunate to work at great places,” Bowlsby said. “I have been fortunate that I have mostly moved ahead of the posse. These jobs are controversial enough that you can not always stay as long as you want to. I always adopted the Vaudevillians old statement, leave em laughing and wanting more. If you can do that it’s an art form, and I’ve been lucky because I’ve been able to do it.”

Last, but certainly not least, is the Pittsburgh Pirates. Speaking of last, the Pirates are pretty accustomed to it, as they haven’t finished higher than fourth in the division since 2016. They haven’t posted a winning season in six years. But they’ll put that all to the side, as they look to be one of the dark horse candidates to win the division. Like the Reds, the Pirates are led by a dynamic young shortstop in Oneil Cruz. Mitch Keller has seemed to find a groove in Pittsburgh, taking the role of the top pitcher. This division is as wide open as any. Expect a race to the top in September. I think 88-90 wins will get the job done. My pick might be a little biased here, but that’s why it’s an opinion piece.

GIMME THE CUBBIES!

MY PICK: Chicago Cubs

NL WEST

Much like the NL East, this one has a clear favorite. After committing over $1 BILLION this offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers have minus odds to take the division title. The Dodgers have won 10 of the previous 11

division crowns since 2013. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Teoscar Hernandez, Miguel Rosas …this is like an MLB the Show Diamond Dynasty team, and that’s just the hitters. Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins a rotation that was already good. These Dodgers are no joke, and it would be very shocking to not see them still playing in late October.

Don’t get me wrong, this division is good. The Arizona Diamondbacks made it to the World Series a season ago. The Giants added Jung Hoo Lee and look to compete for a playoff spot. Losing Juan Soto and most of their pitching will hurt, but the San Diego Padres still have a good roster, including the dangerous Fernando Tatis Jr. The Rockies, well, may not be the greatest this year, but still play in a hitter’s stadium where they can explode for double-digit runs on any given night. The Dodgers, on paper, take this division every day of the week, but their division rivals won’t just lay over and die.

Shohei Ohtani will be one of the biggest factors in the Dodger’s success this season.

COURTESY/USA TODAY

Bob Bowlsby’s has been in the role as interim athletic director since his return earlier this year.