Randy Evans from Iowa Capital Dispatch promotes listening to diverse voices, even when they disagree.
OPINION PAGE 3
Student organizations and leaders receive special recognition at the Student Leadership Awards.
CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4
The student section in the UNI-Dome is being kicked off of its home turf next football season — to a new location about 30 yards south.
UNI Athletics announced a new football seating plan on Monday, April 3. UNI students were sent an email that day describing the change and including a map of the new seating arrangement.
The student body definitely has the right to be disappointed.
Micaiah Krutsinger 2023-2024 Student Body PresidentThe seating plan relocates the student section, which was previously in sections
Lower E, F and G between the 30-yard-lines and behind the Panther bench. The Panther Marching Band (PMB) was located in section Lower D.
The new map places students in sections A, Upper B and C, with the PMB taking Lower B. These sections are the farthest southeast seats in the Dome, stretching from the 20-yard-line to the back end of the endzone.
The seats students once had free reign over will be sold as premium seating for season ticket holders, mini pack purchasers and single-game purchasers. Season tickets for
those areas are being sold at $149, with additional either $100 or $50 seat donations required to support the Panther Scholarship Club, which fundraises for UNI Athletics.
According to the UNI Athletics press release, the new plan also includes enhanced seating options for groups and enhanced red zone seating. Red zone season tickets are being sold at $69 for adults and $49 for youth. The red zones are located in each corner of the Dome, in sections equivalent to the new space delegated to the student section and band.
In an email to the Northern Iowan, UNI Athletics Director David Harris wrote that the
ERIN MCRAE Staff Writer
The Orchesis Dance Company will be holding their annual gala at the Oster Regent Theatre on April 14 at 7 p.m. and April 15 at 2 p.m. Orchesis was established in 1926, which makes it UNI’s oldest student organization. As a pre-professional dance organization, the group holds auditions every year and rehearses multiple times a week. Every year they perform a Gala that is a culmination of their work from the entire year. The group performs in a range of styles from jazz, tap, contemporary, hip-hop and more. Megan McGuire is the Orchesis Dance Company Head of Public Relations, as well as a dancer in the organization. “I help to create and post social media content
as well as collaborate with my committee members to advertise our events, table at Maucker Union and keep our
Softball continues winning streak with victory over Drake, 9-1.
SPORTS PAGE 6
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The above seating map for the 2023 football season was published in a press release by UNI Athletics. The darkest shade of purple represents Tier 1 tickets, with decreasing tiers for each lighter shade. Red represents red zone tickets, and the new band and student sections are labeled with text.
motive behind this seating change is to provide more seating options for Panther fans.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for those who have interest in moving to a premium seating area,” he wrote. “The west side has a significant number of fans that have had their same seats for
EN ESPAÑOL
followers up to date on what we are doing in rehearsals,” McGuire said.
See ORCHESIS, page 5
years. The east side was our only location to provide this opportunity.”
In the previous seating map, the highest tier of tickets could only be purchased in sections Q and P, on the west side behind the visiting team’s sideline.
See SEATING MAP, page 2
Nota de la editora: Claudia Ramirez es estudiante del curso SPAN 3159 Translation for Heritage Speakers, dirigido por el Prof. Juan Carlos Castillo.
En la reunión del Senado de la Facultad de UNI del 27 de marzo, se anunció que UNI tomará los pasos necesarios para hacer la transición de la Librería de UNI para que sea gestionada por un tercero. UNI adquirió la librería en el 2018. La intención era que gestionar la librería como una entidad sin ánimo de lucro a través de la universidad permitiría ofrecer los precios más bajos en libros de texto para los estudiantes.
Sin embargo, según el Director de Relaciones Universitarias, Pete Moris,
debido a los cambios recientes en la industria de los libros de texto, ahora es posible que operar a través de un tercero pueda permitir precios más bajos.
“Hay un puñado de jugadores bastante grandes en el mercado, y tienen una ventaja en términos del volumen de [librerías] que tienen en varias universidades, lo que realmente los coloca en una mejor posición para negociar en términos de precios, selección y diversos otros productos”, dijo Moris.
“Lo más importante que estamos tratando de asegurar es que estemos en una posición como universidad en la que obtengamos el poder que tienen algunos de estos proveedores en términos de sus ventajas, su acceso al mercado y su poder adquisitivo en ese mercado”, dijo él.
MALLORY SCHMITZ Escritora CLAUDIA RAMIREZ Traductora invitada N.I.SEATING MAP
Harris also commented on the effort to enhance the fan experience at UNI football games, writing, “The standard of expectation for being a division one program is increasing. Part of meeting that standard is having the resources to field successful programs that provide excitement and entertainment for our students and fans. It is also critical that our students and fans have a great experience when they come to our games.”
He wrote that UNI Athletics met with members of Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) and PMB administrators to discuss the decision and the impact it would have moving forward.
As for concern over the band possibly not being as loud or engaged with the crowd in its new less-central location, Mertz wrote that he believes the move won’t impact the band too much.
continued from page 1 NI
Justin Mertz, Ph.D., Director of the PMB, wrote in an email to the Northern Iowan, “While we wish this change wasn’t necessary, and we would stay where were usually have been if it were up to us, we understand the rationale behind the decision and will make sure that the PMB continues to perform at the very highest levels.”
“The PMB is a very large ensemble, and I am confident we will be able to continue to impact the whole building and make sure we keep creating a great atmosphere in the Dome,” he wrote. “We are hard to miss! We will be ready to do our job no matter the location.”
Mertz also noted that the new seating map integrates the band within the student section instead of being next to it. “It was and will always be our biggest priority to keep the PMB and the student section together, and this actually integrates the PMB and the student section even more than before, so I am excited to see what potential is there,” he wrote.
However, some PMB members can’t help but to feel that the game atmosphere may not be the same without the students in the center of the stands.
Katherine Czarnik will be a drum major for the PMB next year.
Panther Mayhem was a student group that organized promotions and created a lot of energy for the student section. The above image is from 2017, and the group fell apart with the onset of COVID-19. Student Body President Micaiah Krutsinger wants to try to bring the energy back to the student section during his term.
“As part of the PMB, we perform for everybody at football games. However, since the student section was right in the middle, it always felt special to see how excited everybody there got about the marching band,” she said. “Not every school is as lucky to have students who love watching their marching band, and I always really appreciated that.”
Katie Carrico will be another drum major, and she expressed similar concerns.
“I wasn’t very excited about the change of seating for the band and students in the Dome. I think students’ motivation to attend football games is going to go down since they won’t get as good of a view of the game, and the Dome is ultimately going to feel more empty,” she said.
2023-2024 NISG President Micaiah Krutsinger wants to assure students that their voices do not go unheard. He stated that NISG was informed of the new seating plan on Friday, March 31, just three days before the public announcement. They were consulted by UNI Athletics for feedback and input on how students may react to the decision.
“Although we didn’t have a say on the change or anything like that, we do understand where the athletics department is coming from, especially for revenue,” Krutsinger said.
operated on campus before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[Panther Mayhem] really brought the energy to the student section, and they brought friends with them,” Krutsinger said. “They kind of died with COVID, so we’re wanting to bring that back to the student sections.”
During its time, Panther Mayhem was run by students as a way to further advertise athletic events and hold promotions for students. Their Twitter account was last active in April of 2020. It still has over 2,400 followers.
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Rylee McNeal is going into her third year as a drum major. She noted that drum majors may have more of a challenge timing the band with the game given that they will no longer have a clear and central view of the field.
“With the old position of the band, the drum majors had the opportunity to have a clear view of the field and the players. This allowed us to be able to know when to play and the ability to have timely cutoffs,” she said. “Nothing feels better than getting the band to stop playing right as the placekicker kicks or when the center places his hand on the football to snap.”
“The student body definitely does have the right to be disappointed. For us as students, we are kind of disappointed that we’re losing that spot as well, but there are just some instances where these things have to happen,” he said.
Although this decision was out of the hands of NISG, Krutsinger is optimistic about still being able to create a fun and engaging atmosphere for students at games.
“One positive that we can see out of the change is now that [students] are closer to the stairs, it can be easier for students to go onto the field for promotions. When they were in the middle it was kind of difficult, so that’s one aspect with the move that we can incorporate more students to participate on the field,” he said.
A similar group began in fall of 2021 specifically for UNI’s women’s soccer team. The Panther Soccer Prowlers are a student organization that supports the women’s soccer team by creating community, holding tailgates and organizing travel to away games. Krutsinger hopes to see that atmosphere and attitude about UNI athletics spread to other sports as well.
Krutsinger also wanted to emphasize that there are venues for students to voice their concerns about significant changes like this on campus.
“[Students] have the right to be disappointed, and they have the right to be vocal about it. If students want help with vocalizing or anything like that, NISG can be a resource for them,” he said.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
EDITORIAL STAFF MALLORY SCHMITZ News Editor schmimbt@uni.edu
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The drum majors are not alone, with a number of students voicing disappointment over the decision on social media.
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Part of Krutsinger’s platform during his run for student body president alongside vice president Liz Montalvo was planning to reinvigorate Panther Mayhem, a student group that
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“If there is a decision that ever disappoints the student body, don’t be afraid to reach out to NISG for help.”
UNI’s home football season is set to kick off on Sept. 9 against Weber State.
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Editor’s note: This story was originally published on April 10, 2023 by Iowa Capital Dispatch
My friend Denny and I were as different as night and day. He was conservative; I wasn’t. I accused him of being to the right of Attila the Hun. He accused me of working for Pravda, the famed Communist party newspaper.
We thoroughly enjoyed poking each other this way. It was invigorating to hash over issues that were bubbling up in rural Iowa, at the Capitol in Des Moines, or out in Washington.
But when all was said and done, neither of us would do or say anything to undermine our respect and admiration for the other.
Sadly, Denny is gone and I miss our debates. I am confident we would have found common ground these days over the free-speech turmoil that has embroiled some college campuses around the United States.
And we would have wondered whether such turmoil will be visited upon the University of Iowa this month when the national conservative commentator Matt Walsh speaks there.
Four hundred people have signed an online Change.org petition opposing Walsh’s lecture on April 19 at the Iowa Memorial Union. He was invited by the Iowa Young Americans for Freedom student organization.
The speech is part of Walsh’s nationwide “What is a woman?” lecture and documentary tour in which he discusses transgender and gender identity issues. Last year he said “gender ideology is one of the greatest evils in human history.”
Petition organizers oppose Walsh’s appearance in Iowa City. They argue he is “prone to violence and a danger to the University of Iowa’s community at large.” The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported some petition signers have left comments like, “We do not need to platform openly fascist people at our university.”
In recent years, members of the Iowa Legislature have criticized the three state universities over accusations that administrators have stifled free speech rights, especially of conservatives. The University of Iowa and Iowa State University have lost expensive lawsuits over their treatment of student organizations that espouse views that may differ from other students or administrators.
The Iowa Board of Regents responded by adopting a freedom of expression policy that says, “It is not the responsibility of the universities to shield individual members of the campus community from viewpoints they may find unwelcome, disagreeable, or offensive.”
The solution is not to shout down speakers with whom people might disagree. Instead of protests that disrupt events, a better outcome that advances everyone’s knowledge and understanding of controversial topics is letting speakers speak and then organizing other events that expose people to contrary perspectives.
While Iowans will be watching to see if problems occur with Walsh’s lecture, it was clear last month in California what direction the current hot political climate is taking us.
Stuart Kyle Duncan of Baton Rouge, La., a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, was invited to speak at the Stanford University law school. But his speech was cut short when students heckled him relentlessly for views he expressed well before being appointed to the court and for his legal writings — on issues ranging from a ban on gay marriage, to restrictions on bathrooms transgender people can use, to the pronouns he would use to refer to transgender people.
Whether you think Duncan is a legal light or a dim bulb, the reception he received at Stanford should embarrass everyone who believes in freedom of speech, civility, and the importance of a robust dialogue in American society. The Stanford law students missed an opportunity to hear what the judge came to say and then to respectful-
ly question his views on an array of legal issues.
After all, that is what lawyers spend their careers doing — helping to mediate society’s differences.
Legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky puts the issue at play at Stanford and potentially in Iowa City this way: “Freedom of speech does not protect a right to shout down others so they cannot be heard.”
Jenny Martinez, the dean of the Stanford law school, issued a lengthy statement to faculty and students after the national fallout from the Duncan incident. Even if you have never been in a courtroom, her comments merit attention.
“Some students have argued that the disruptive protest of the event was itself constitutionally protected speech,” she wrote. “But the First Amendment does not give protestors a ‘heckler’s veto.’ ”
Martinez went on: “I believe that the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion actually means that we must protect free expression of all views. …
“Students calling for the law school administration to restrict the organization or the speakers it can bring to campus are demanding action inconsistent not only with freedom of speech but with rights to freedom of association that civil rights
lawyers fought hard in the twentieth century to secure.”
Martinez said all of this goes beyond issues of law school decorum and university policies.
“The cycle of degenerating discourse won’t stop if we insist that people we disagree with must first behave the way we want them to,” she said. “The cycle stops when we recognize our responsibility to treat each other with the dignity with which we expect to be met. It stops when we choose to replace condemnation with curiosity, invective with inquiry.”
My friend Denny would agree. I do.
Editor’s Note
On April 11, 2023 University of Northern Iowa Student Involement hosted the Student Leadership awards.
Panther Pantry Awards:
Student Organizations: National Residence Hall
Honorary
UNI Supports of the Army
UNI ROTC
Student Volunteers:
Sierra Mathison
Northern Iowa Student Government Above and Beyond Awards
These awards are given by students to recognize faculty and staff for their commitment to student development and success. Two awards were given out, one focusing on student learning and the other on student success.
Student Learning Award:
Sarina Chen
Student Success Award:
Lisa Jepsen
UNI C.A.R.E. Award
Awards are intended for UNI students, faculty, staff, organizations or programs that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to create a positive impact through sustainability at UNI or in the local community.
Brittany Costello
Raquel Zehr Geography Club
Dr. Sue Follon Scholarship
This scholarship recognizes students for their leadership contributions during their tenure at UNI and potential to model leadership for women.
Savanna Jemilo
Boots to Books Scholarship
Boots to Books is a program designed to help veterans transition to civilian life and the college environment. Although many military and veteran students are eligible for G.I. benefits, more than half of them are still in need of financial assistance. In an effort to support the educational endeavors of our military and veteran students, the Boots to Books scholarship was created by Military and Veterans Student Services.
Michael Linde
Madison Pleggenkuhle
Caroline Linde
Hannah Kendall
Drake Martin Gold Star Award
The Drake Martin Gold Star Award is the highest individual student honor in the residence system at the University of Northern Iowa. It is named in memory of Drake Martin. Martin worked
at the University of Northern Iowa for 31 years. He brought creativity, compassion and enthusiasm to projects and initiatives that had a positive impact on students. His greatest influence over time was through individual interactions that challenged, affirmed and encouraged others. In all he did, Martin exemplified the qualities of those who are recognized with the Gold Star Award.
Megan Carlson
AJ Hudspeth
Bailey Leitner
Kylie Rink
Desirae Shelton
Tienna Trettin
Lanie Weber
Newman Civic Fellow Award
The Newman Civic Fellowship is awarded to an inspiring group of community-committed students who are already making an impact in communities where they live, learn and serve. One University of Northern Iowa student was selected to represent the institution among the 290 community-committed students representing Campus Compact member colleges and universities.
Lexi Gause
Mental Health Ally Award
The UNI Counseling Center, with the support of the Northern Iowa Student Government, is seeking nominations for the first annual Mental Health Ally Award. Individuals, programs, organizations or departments that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to mental health advocacy were nom-
inated.
Active Minds
Krista Zimmer
Emerging Philanthropist
The Emerging Philanthropist Award recognizes a student who is dedicated to giving their time, talent, and treasure to the university, their community or cause(s) of their choice and shows promise as a future philanthropic leader.
Emily Clouser
Promising Young Alumni
Award
The Promising Young Alumni Award recognizes one or more seniors who demonstrate qualities desired of engaged alumni. A Promising Young Alumnus demonstrates their potential as a future alumni leader for the UNI community through their commitment to service, leadership, and pride while enrolled.
Caleb Gehle
Hanna Kendall
Rising Global Star Leader Award
The Rising Global Star Leader Award is for students in any stage of their education and has made significant contributions to their department, unit, institution, organization, community, and the field of international education. The Rising Star will have demonstrated a commitment to internationalization and ingenuity of thought that has the potential to have a substantial and lasting influence on global education.
Gracie Touvelle Ava Deitrich
Award for Excellence in International Engagement
This can be awarded to UNI students, faculty, staff or Cedar Valley community members. The nominees should be committed to promoting global understanding, research and advocating for international exchange locally and globally. They should be an active participant with international students/scholars/dependents in the UNI community.
David Glenn-Burns
Christine Schrage
Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award
This award is designed to recognize a student organization advisor who has excelled and exemplified outstanding service, dedication and leadership to the organization they advise.
Olivia Umbaugh
Paul Lee
Most Promising New Leader in a Student Organization Award
This award is designed to recognize a member in a student organization that has demonstrated emerging leadership in the organization, a commitment to developing their leadership ability, and has exceeded the expectations of the membership of the organization.
Ayanna Reckman
Ryan Connolly
Greek 360 Award
This award is intended to recognize a member of the UNI Fraternity & Sorority Life community who also is an outstanding member of other student organizations on campus.
Cassie Williams
Emma Pellegrino
Outstanding Officer in a Student Organization Award
This award recognizes a student organization officer who provides exemplary service, commitment and strong leadership to their student organization and UNI.
Samantha Hilbert
Lizbeth Garcia
Payton Ahrenstorff
Outstanding President in a Student Organization Award
This award recognizes a student organization president who has played a major role in the development and execution of their student organization.
Heidi Bantz
JuanDaniel Lopez
Student Organization Program of Distinction Award
This award is designed to recognize significant achievements by student organizations in the planning and implementation of programs, either a one-time event or a series of events marketed as a single program.
Dragaganza 2022
Student Organization of the Year Award
This award is designed to recognize a student organization that has exemplified excellence among its peers by contributing to the UNI community and fulfilling the mission of the organization.
Transfer Advocacy and Involvement Group
The Northern Iowan Diversity Matters Award
The Diversity Matters Award is presented in recognition of dedication and service to the University of Northern Iowa in advancement of its diversity-related goals.
African Student Union
Azra Papakee
Dr. Charlotte West ScholarAthlete Award
The Missouri Valley Conference will present the Dr. Charlotte West Award annually, to one female and one male student-athlete who have completed intercollegiate eligibility in their primary sport, to recognize outstanding achievement in academics, athletics, service and leadership.
continued from page 4
Nominees from UNI will be recognized at the Student Leadership Awards.
Carly Spies
Kyle Biscoglia
Outstanding Student Leader Award
The Outstanding Student Leader Award is designed to recognize students who have demonstrated dedication and leadership through their involvement in one or more campus activities.
Jeremy Charles
Parker Daniels
Luigi Lopez
Trevor Meyers
Abby Riley
Yessenia Rodriguez
Servant Leadership Award
The Servant Leadership Award recognizes those who
have worked for the common good while putting the needs of others first.
Samantha Adams Maria Gamon
Marisa Jepsen
Lexi Gause
Mackenzie Kielty
Juandaniel Lopez
Samantha Robinson
Anna Stevens
Lux Service Award
The Lux Service Award is the most prestigious award given to graduating senior students each academic year to acknowledge the culmination of their overall involvement. Recipients consistently go above and beyond, leaving a lasting legacy upon graduation.
Nixson Benitez
Esha Jayswal
Leila Masinovic
LIBRERÍA
continued from page 1
El plan actual es sacar una solicitud de propuestas (RFP, por sus siglas en inglés) para mayo, lo que permitiría a diferentes vendedores presentar sus propuestas para la operación de la librería. Una vez que se haya identificado un comprador, la universidad espera completar la transición para la primavera del 2024.
UNI originalmente pagó casi 3 millones de dólares en 2018 para adquirir la librería, anteriormente llamada University Book and Supply Aunque la universidad ya no gestionará la tienda, Moris dijo que hacer que los libros de texto sean económicos sigue siendo una prioridad.
“A medida que nuestro equipo realmente lo evaluó aquí, se hizo más y más evidente que volver a un operador externo realmente podría dar la mejor opor-
tunidad para mantener o incluso mejorar el nivel de precios y la oferta de servicios que aspiramos a proveer para nuestros estudiantes y profesores”, dijo él.
Operar a través de un tercero ha sido una tendencia creciente para las librerías universitarias. Follet Higher Education Group es el operador de tiendas universitarias más grande de América del Norte, gestionando más de 1 200 librerías locales. Follet actualmente gestiona Bulldog Shop en Drake University , junto con las tiendas Hawk Shop y University Bookstore en la Universidad de Iowa. La asociación con Hawk Shop entró en vigor en abril del 2021.
Otro negocio clave es Barnes & Noble College, que gestiona tiendas en 11 universidades de Iowa, incluyendo Hawkeye Community College y Upper Iowa University.
La librería de la Universidad de Iowa State
sigue siendo propiedad de y estando gestionada por la universidad.
A pesar de los cambios que pueda presentar el futuro, Moris aseguró que, no importa quién termine siendo el operador, se seguirán necesitando estudiantes como empleados para ayudar a servir a la comunidad.
También afirmó que, si bien las operaciones se subcontratarán, la universidad seguirá siendo propietaria del edificio en el que se encuentra la librería.
Como esta transición aún se encuentra en sus primeras etapas, los próximos meses revelarán más detalles sobre cómo será el futuro de la librería.
“Nos hemos comunicado con nuestra facultad acerca de este plan, y los estudiantes no van a ver ningún cambio por algún tiempo”, dijo Moris. “Una vez que tengamos más detalles, seguramente querremos compartirlos con la comunidad del campus”.
continued from page 1
“Attendees of the Orchesis Gala can expect to see pieces from guest artists, alumni, and students as well. They will see lighting, movement, placement of dancers all made by our artists. It is extremely inspiring as an Orchesis Dancer to see the hard work our members put into creating art for an audience,” McGuire said.
In preparation, dancers have been in rehearsals and choreographing throughout the year. While grueling, McGuire said rehearsals emphasize the sense of community that Orchesis is built on. “Dancers have been preparing for this event through technique classes on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as outside rehearsals for our Full Pieces and Interlude pieces. Rehearsals have to be well paced in order to complete our pieces in time for the Gala. Our rehearsals are very fun and we all enjoy our time collaborating to make these pieces the best that they can
be,” McGuire said. “Orchesis’ rehearsal space did get downsized a little this year so we could share space with other events occurring in the WRC, so we have adapted to the smaller space and had to find the best ways to deal with this.”
Despite encountering obstacles on their road to performing, McGuire said that the student organization is at it’s essence, a collaborative effort between artists. “My favorite part about being in Orchesis is all of the friends I have made each semester,” McGuire said.
“I enjoy collaborating with all members and getting closer to each member as rehearsals go on. I have enjoyed our Galas so much in my short time in Orchesis, and they are always so rewarding. All of the hard work, rehearsals, and creativity just feels so worth it when the Gala gets here.”
Tickets can be purchased at the door. It is $10 for general admission, $5 for kids under 12 and seniors 65 and older. Tickets are free for UNI students with student ID.
If given the chance, what advice would you give your freshman self?
Quotes and photos by: Ashley Brincks
“Get involved as much as you can on campus. Go out and make friends.”
NI ARCHIVESPaige Beck ‘24
Public Relations major
Ethan Walthall ‘25
History and communication double major
“Talk to more people. It’s not that deep.”
Kaitlyn Vyskocil ‘24
Accounting Major
“Choose who your friends are, wisely. Watch out for yourself.”MALLORY SCHMITZ/NORTHERN IOWAN UNI adquirido la librería en 2018 por casi 3 millones de dolares. Ahora va a regresar a operaciones privadas debido a un mayor poder de negociacio´n.
Panthers run-rule Drake, 9-1
UNI continued their winning streak at the Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex with a 9-1 victory over Drake. The win marks a 4-0 record at the sports complex and their sixth win in their last seven games.
After allowing just one hit in the top of the first inning, the UNI offense was able to get their bats rolling. The Panthers reached base on four straight appearances. Leadoff hitter Kylee Sanders reached first base on an error by the Bulldogs’ second baseman Aubree Beitzinger. Alexis Pupillo then connected on a pitch and sent it over the center field fence to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
UNI added to their lead following back-to-back doubles from outfielders Madison Parks and Mya Dodge, ending the inning up 3-0.
The Panthers defense continued to showcase their talent as starting pitcher Samantha Heyer didn’t allow a hit in the top of the second inning. UNI started off slow in the bottom of the second with two swift outs.
MLB
Sports Writer
Last year in baseball, every team in the majorsDespite those early outs, the Panthers still managed to gain three more runs in the inning. Parks had a standup RBI double as she hit the ball deep into left field. Pupillo, who reached base on a walk, crossed home plate to give the Panthers a 4-0 lead. Dodge followed that up with a homer over center field to give UNI a decisive 6-0 lead.
Drake was able to get their only run of the game in the top of the third inning as Emily Valtman had a sacrifice flyout RBI to advance Sami Miller to home plate, resulting in a 6-1 lead for UNI. The Panthers were unfazed heading into the bottom of the third as they added to their score from two more doubles belonging to Hannah Kelley and Kate Lappe, making the score 7-1.
In the top of the fourth UNI was able to get their seventh double play of the year to get out of the inning. Sanders fielded a ground ball and threw it to second baseman Taylor Hogan for the first out. Hogan then turned towards first base and threw the ball to Lappe for the double play, effectively ending the inning.
The fifth inning came and went fast, as only one player from both teams was able to make it on base. In the top of the sixth inning Drake was looking for some late game heroics. The Bulldogs had two runners on base threatening to score as Heyer threw her sixth strikeout of the game, ending the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth the Panthers had an opportunity to end the game a half inning early due to the NCAA’s run rule stating that if a team is up by eight or more runs in the fifth inning or later, the run-ahead rule will go into effect, ending the game.
Sanders began the inning with a single through the right side of the infield, which ultimately set up the game winning play from Pupillo. Pupillo, calm and collected, stepped up to the plate and hit her second home run on the night over the right field fence. The final score was 9-1 as UNI prevailed over Drake in their first meeting of the season.
The Panthers will welcome Southern Illinois to Cedar Falls this weekend for a three game stint
Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
combined for 2,487 stolen bases, the average game lasted three hours and three minutes and at times you might see every defensive
infielder on the right side of the second base bag. This year, it looks like there are going to be a lot more stolen bases. As of April 3 the average game has lasted around two hours and 38 minutes, and the infield has to be set up in a more traditional alignment. A lot has changed since last season, and the reason is because of some big rule changes in the game.
One of these rules is the newly added pitch timer. The goal of this new rule was to speed up games, and it has been extremely successful. The games have been nearly 30 minutes shorter on average so far this season. At the beginning of an inning or after another player’s at bat, the next batter has 30 seconds to get ready for the at bat. Between every pitch, the pitcher has 15 seconds to throw their pitch if there
is no one on base. If there are runners on base, they have 20 seconds. One final aspect of this rule is that the pitcher can only attempt a pickoff two times, and if they do not get the runner on the second attempt, the runner has a much better chance of stealing knowing the pitcher cannot throw over. Not only has this quickened up the games, but it has also increased the number of steals.
Another rule that helps with the steals is the addition of bigger bases. In prior years the bases have been 15 inches, but this year they have increased in size to 18 inches, with the exception of home plate which stays the same size. The increase in size makes the bases a little bit closer to each other, encouraging more base stealing, and it can also help give more space to avoid injuries.
The final rule that has been implemented this season is a limit on the defensive shift. Every team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, and at least two on each side of the second base bag. The idea behind this is to increase the batting average of balls in play, and to allow players in the field to showcase their fielding abilities.
All of these rules have been implemented to try and improve the game of baseball and make it more enjoyable for the spectators. The impacts of these rules have already begun to be felt this season in the MLB. It will be interesting to see if these rules will or will not help with fan engagement in a sport that has seen a steady decline in viewership over recent years.
To say student athletes are passionate about their sport is a common occurrence but for a student athlete to travel halfway across the globe to play the sport they love is a completely different situation. However, freshman Victoria Hualde has done just that.
Hualde was born in Pamplona, Spain and has played golf for almost her entire life. She began playing when she was just five years old and began taking lessons when she was only seven. “I had some small clubs to play with,” said Hualde. “I used to get mad with my family because they only let me play some of the course. They only let me play the easier ones [holes].”
Hualde comes from a family of golfers. She explained that her parents started to play when they were first dating and all of her family had followed since then. “My mother thinks golf teaches a lot of good qualities for life, like patience and honesty,” she said. “My family decided it was going to be the sport of our family.” Hualde’s sis -
GOLF
ter, Elena, golfed at Auburn University from 2016 until 2020 and was a part of the 2017 SEC All-Freshman Team. She now golfs professionally in Spain.
Hualde’s sister’s experience in the U.S. played a huge role in her decision to study and compete abroad.
“She had a great experience there and so I think I was wanting to have the same experience as her,” she explained. In Spain, college students are not allowed to study and compete in sports at the same time, which was concerning for Hualde.
The change in scenery for the first time visitor of the U.S. was quite a culture shock, especially when it comes to the food we eat, Hualde explained. “You eat a lot of fast food,” she said. “You fry everything. Also the size, the size here is enormous… I take the extra small size and it was bigger than the extra large in Spain.”
The American sports culture was another big change for Hualde. “You have a culture that loves to watch all kinds of sports,” she said.
“In Spain we only see soccer, like football, and we don’t give importance to other sports.”
The golf team did not see Hualde take action until halfway through the fall season, but she had some good performances at the last three tournaments of the season, finishing 48th, 38th and 46th. Hualde had the third best performance among her fellow Panthers at those tournaments as well.
Hualde did not have a typical route in crossing the near 4,500 miles to get to Northern Iowa. “I have a girl in Spain that had already come here and now she helps other girls to find a university in the U.S., so I talk to her and she gets in touch with different universities,” Hualde said. “I had a lot of interviews with different universities. And I don’t know, I liked UNI.”
Just like any freshman, adjusting to college life was not an overnight occurrence for Hualde, and not speaking the same language as most of her professors didn’t help either. “The language was pretty hard for me. I can understand but it’s really hard for me to express myself well,” she said. “I’m really happy with my classes, but sometimes it’s hard to understand my professors.”
Hualde is majoring in psychology, with hopes of becoming a sports psychologist. “Golf is just for fun, I don’t want to become a professional golfer; it’s not my plan,” she said. “I want to go back to Spain. I would love to get married and have children, a lot of children.”
College life can be hard, and for student athletes it can be even harder. But for Hualde, it’s a complete -
ly different level. “I love to play golf and compete, I really like to compete,” Hualde said. “In Spain most people stop playing golf in their last year of high school and when they start college, so I was really alone playing golf in Spain. And here, I really like having a team and people of my age that like playing golf and competing.”
The UNI men’s and women’s golf teams traveled to Elk Horn, Neb. for the Stampede At The Creek on Monday, April 10, and Tuesday, April 11. This was their final tournament of the regular season before the Missouri
Valley Conference
Championships. The men’s team picked the right opportunity to complete their best finish of the regular season with a second-place team showing.
The UNI men started off hot, leading all teams at the end of round one with a team score of 287,
one point ahead of second-place St. Thomas. UNI’s top finishers for the round were JD Pollard and Griffin Parker, both shooting a 71. Round two saw UNI fall back despite shooting a 288, as Omaha and St. Thomas shot a 281 and 284, respectively. Thomas Storbeck and Connor VanWeelden led the Panthers in round two with scores of 71. Round three saw UNI nearly storm back to take the lead, as their score of 291 led the field. However, it left UNI one stroke short, with St. Thomas claiming the victory with a total score of 865, compared to UNI’s 866. Parker again led UNI with a 71.
In addition to picking up their first second-place finish of the season, several of the individual golfers had good competitions. Parker finished with a 215, good for -1 overall, which was third over -
all. VanWeelden was just two strokes behind at 217, or +1, good for a tie for fourth place. Pollard was the third highest Panther with a score of 218, or +2. The top individual golfer overall was Omaha’s Connor Wilson, who shot a 208, or -8.
The women’s team did not have quite as much luck as the men’s team, finishing in ninth place overall. The Panthers finished in seventh for round one with a score of 307.
They were led by Anna Jensen and Anna Nacos, who each shot a 72. Round two saw UNI finish in ninth with a score of 316. They were led by three different golfers: Nacos, McKenna Mallow and Victoria Hualde, who all shot a 78. Round three saw UNI finish in eighth with a score of 309, but just one stroke behind three other teams. Jensen again led the Panthers with a 72.
UNI finished the tournament in ninth place with a score of 932. Jensen led the way for UNI’s individual scores, finishing with a total of 230, or +14, which tied her for 22nd. Nacos was just behind her with a total of 232, or +16, to finish in a tie for 26th. Hualde finished with a total of 239, or +23, to finish in a tie for 42nd. The first-place team was the Creighton Bluejays with a team score of 890, and Creighton’s Katherine Lemke finished with the best individual score, shooting a 219, or +3.
The last tournament of the season for both teams will be the MVC Championships.
The women’s team travels to Waterloo, Ill., from Sunday, April 16, through Tuesday, April 18. The men’s team goes to Coal Valley, Ill., from Sunday, April 23, through Tuesday, April 25.
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Talk with your partner before having sex. Talk about when you were last tested and suggest getting tested together.
Talk to your healthcare provider about your sex life and ask what STI tests you should be getting and how often
Get tested! It’s the only way to know for sure if you have an STI. Many STIs don’t cause any symptoms , so you
