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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
CEDAR FALLS, IA
THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2022
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
OPINION
CAMPUS LIFE
SPORTS
OPINION PAGE 3
CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
Should current students make the switch to UNIFI?
Track and field competes at Wichita.
Film critic Hunter Friesen reviews the movie “Ambulance” giving it 3/5 stars.
UNI offers new 4+1 Students graduate program clocking out Communication and media, history and athletic training programs to allow undergraduates in senior standing to enroll in Masters level classes and complete both degrees in five years
Students and faculty notice growing trend of skipped classes and burnout
MADDIE DAVIS Staff Writer
UNI will be offering an exciting new opportunity to high-achieving students at the beginning of this fall. The communication and media, history and athletic training programs will be offering a 4+1 graduate program that allows undergraduate senior standing students to enroll in MA-level classes and complete both degrees in five (rather than six) years. The process of creating this new program started last year and went through different committees in the fall. It was soon approved, and the recruitment process for eligible students was set to begin this spring. Charles Kyle Rudick Ph.D is the Graduate Program Director and an Associate Professor within the University of Northern Iowa’s Department of Communication and Media. Rudick expects students to
Northern Iowan Archives
Professors are noticing lack of engagement and unusually high absences from students. Students assert mental health issues and burnout as reasons for clocking out of classes.
NIXSON BENITEZ Executive Editor
TREVOR MEYERS/Northern Iowan
The approval process for the new 4+1 program started last year in committees. The recruitment process for eligible students will begin this spring.
feel excited and possibly a little overwhelmed due to this opportunity arising so quickly. However, once this oppor-
tunity becomes more known to students, he believes it is something they will be excit-
During COVID-19, while others were teching-up, ProfessorCline-Brown teched down KATE GREENWOOD Guest Writer
Kimberly Cline-Brown, Ph.D. has spent the last year and a half reinventing her teaching methods to better serve her students during the pandemic. From spending the summer writing a lab manual from scratch to figuring out how to do biological experiments with everyday home materials, Cline-Brown has been recognized for dedication, passion, and creativity with the Beverly Funk Barnes Educator Excellence
COURTESY/CHAS
Professor Kimberly Cline-Brown has reinvented her teaching methods as a result of the pandemic.
Award. On top of many other awards, including the
See 4+1 PROGRAM, page 2
Liberal Arts Core Teaching Excellence Award and the Red Apple awards from students, Cline-Brown has proved to be an instructor dedicated to the needs of her students. Raised in Canada for most of her life, it wasn’t until high school that Cline-Brown returned to the U.S. after her father was transferred to New York for his work. Laughing, she recalled the move to New York being in the middle of prom and SAT season, and not knowing what any of that was.
See CLINE-BROWN, page 2
As the semester is coming to an end, students and faculty are starting to see a growing trend of students clocking out from their classes before finals. This includes a different level of engagement from students including experiencing burnout. Associate Professor and Director of the Interpreters Theatre Danielle McGeough recognized different levels of engagement and signs of burnout from students happening earlier in the fall while teaching an undergraduate course and saw it continue in the spring semester. McGeough now teaches graduate students, but still is seeing the same concerning trends in his classes. “I’m concerned about their mental health, emotional health or wellness or wellbeing.” McGeough said. “Opportunities to do things face to face have emerged more this year. I think that people have been so excited to take up those opportunities, but there’s things that we also maybe put on our plate while we couldn’t do those.” McGeough shows empathy for students right now as many students have been seen carrying the burden of a rapidly changing world and not having the chance to experience what used to be normal.
“The challenge of that as a faculty member, staff member or administrators, we’re adapting to meet the needs of our students. That requires further innovation and adaptation, which takes even more energy and so it’s really hard,” McGeough said. Jasmine McGee, a first yearstudent studying family services is also seeing this trend of students missing classes, and also finds herself missing classes as well. “Sometimes I just don’t have the motivation to go,” she said. “Well, for professors, I would say be more understanding, because life does get in the way. Sometimes it is not an excuse. Life is not an excuse. So that’s what I feel for students.”
CATHERINE CROW/Northern Iowan
Some students have noticeably lost motivation and have been skipping classes.
See CLOCKING OUT, page 2
PAGE 2
APRIL 14, 2022 |
NEWS
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN News Editor
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
CLOCKING OUT
continued from page 1
First year biology and public health major Julia Parcher shares some of the same experiences with McGee. “My chem class started out with like 50 kids and it went down to about 30,” Parcher said. “Make sure that mental health is one of your top priorities and that your mental and physical health is a priority. Because if you’re constantly putting things over that you’re gonna feel nasty all the time.” Between first years and upperclassmen there is a difference in experiencing college and being prepared. Third year chain management Christian Mosley, a transfer student from Upper Iowa University finds himself overwhelmed. “Maybe find a friend or some people that you enjoy in class, find times throughout the day or throughout the week really, kind of come together and study together or work together. That’s always been helpful for me.” Professor of communication and media Richard Tews mentions that although his students aren’t missing his classes. There are students who have registered to his
Northern Iowan Archives
By the end of the semester, many students have expressed feelings of being overwhelmed and overworked.
class that haven’t shown up since the beginning of the semester. “There are kids on my roll who I’ve never met. They never dropped the class. They came maybe for the first day to get the syllabus. I’ve just never seen them again. So I don’t count them as having bad attendance, they’ve just never attended the course,” Tews said. “It is almost like they decided that they didn’t want to take the class and they just didn’t go through the process of dropping it.”
Tews mentions there’s a difference in scale this semester of students enrolling but not attending classes this semester. He emphasizes that there is a possibility in which students may be unaware of the process of dropping a course. “Check-in on your goals and your priorities, just kind of make sure you’re still kind of in line with what you want to get out of your education.” he said “There’s no shame in taking a semester off and like figuring it out.”
“I think that as things go forward, we are able to communicate with students more regularly about what the program is, what it offers, and how it can connect people to their professional ambitions after graduation,” Rudick said. “I think that what we are going to see is a lot of students really excited about this.” As word travels through campus, younger students are thinking about the upcoming chapters of their lives and what this 4+1 program might offer for their future. Zoey Hutton, a sophomore studying PR, said, “I never really thought about getting my Master’s degree, but I am definitely more interested in the idea now that this new 4+1 program exists.” One of the main benefits of an undergraduate student
pursuing the 4+1 program is utilizing undergraduate scholarships, grants, and financial aid to cover the first year of graduate school. The second-year allows a student to be awarded up to a $2,000 tuition scholarship to help offset the second year cost. If a student takes the two-year program route, assistantship opportunities and tuition scholarships are offered. The assistantship assignments are essentially work/study programs available for students to help defray the cost. UNI is offering different ways to get students the same outcome. In this case, it is a Master’s degree at an affordable cost. Rudick stated, “We want to make sure students, whichever program they may choose, have the most affordable Master’s education we can give them.” Rudick noted that the history and athletic programs could approach their curriculum dif-
ferently from him with communication and media. Even with different approaches, all program directors are mindful that this is an additional opportunity with the same rigor a traditional two-year master’s program offers. This new program will be used as a recruitment tool to help increase student enrollment. In addition, its purpose is to cater to and provide a unique opportunity created for academically gifted/high achieving students seeking a challenging academic climate. This rigorous program course and task load are not meant for every student. A fear about offering this new 4+1 graduate program is that it may seem like UNI is using this as a way to hand out diplomas. Rudick wants the public to understand that handing out diplomas is not what this program is doing. “We want to strongly communicate to
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4+1 PROGRAM
continued from page 1
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CIRCULATION
DORI CLAUSEN Circulation Manager
First year social work major Lexi Gause feels an enhanced workload compared to her fall semester. Gause even noticed a trend of classmates missing in some of her classes after midterms. “I feel like it can get a little bit overbearing, and when the workload increases in one class, it tends to that for other classes, as well at the same time. So when you have a lot to do for multiple classes, it can feel like you just need a minute to kind of recoup.” Guause said, “they need to
just take a minute to kind of breathe. It’s kind of unfortunate that it’s that missing class, but sometimes it helps.” Gause recommends for professors to “check-in” at the beginning of each class and acknowledging some of the other workload students may carry in other classes. “How’s your mental health doing? How are you doing? Are you getting your stuff turned in, just checking in goes so far? That shows your students you are there for them and just being present,” She said. Second year business student majoring in real estate and finance Judson Rikkers echos everything and recognized that his oral class has had a huge gap of students missing. “There were six people there (in attendance). And it’s usually a class of like 25 people. So I mean, that’s a large amount of people,” Rikkers said. “The awareness of it is the most important part. You just have to recognize it. I mean as a student and as a professor you just have to know what you’re feeling is not crazy. You’re just a normal person that’s been working really hard for a few months like that happens.”
CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN/Northern Iowan
One of the main benefits of an undergraduate pursuing the 4+1 program is utilizing undergraduate scholarships, grants and financial aid.
students, employers looking at our credentials, and community members that that’s not what we are doing here.” He continued, “We’re reserving this for a very specific type The Northern Iowan is published semi-weekly on Monday and Thursday during the academic year, except for holidays and examination periods, by the University of Northern Iowa, L011 Maucker Union, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0166 under the auspices of the Board of Student Publications. Advertising errors that are the fault of the Northern Iowan will be corrected at no cost to the advertiser only if the Northern Iowan office is notified within seven days of the original publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time. The Northern Iowan is funded in part with student activity fees. All material is © 2021 by the Northern Iowan and may not be used without permission.
of student who is very academically gifted, excelling in their programs, and is looking for that next level of challenge. We can offer that here.” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters must be less than 300 words in length and are subject to editing. Not all submissions will be printed. Send submissions to northern-iowan@uni.edu.
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PAGE 3
OPINION
NIXSON BENITEZ Executive Editor
APRIL 14, 2022 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
Disclaimer: The following opinion articles featured do not reflect the opinion of the Northern Iowan newspaper or staff as a whole.
Should current students make the switch to UNIFI? DREW HILL
Opinion Columnist
UNI is currently in the process of switching general education requirements. The University Foundational Inquiry, or UNIFI, is the replacement for the old Liberal Arts Core, or LAC. Starting in the fall of this year, all incoming students will use UNIFI. Current students, however, have a choice to stay with the LAC or switch to UNIFI. This article will look at the benefits of UNIFI versus the LAC and whether or not students should switch. The LAC required 45 credits, which included six broad categories and 14 subcategories. Each subcategory had around five choices, with some having more options and some having less. According to UNI’s website about the UNIFI program, UNIFI has three broad learning areas, called Engage, Discover and Connect, containing eight subcategories of courses. One key difference is that while all of the credits in LAC are contained in specific subcategories, the Connect learning area of UNIFI gives either the option of a multidisciplinary certificate containing 9-12 credits or 12 elective credits. Also, most subcategories in UNIFI contain much more options than LAC, especially in the Discover learning area. For example, one category in Discover called Human Expression, which seems to have been loosely translated from the LAC subcategory Fine Arts, currently has 13 course options compared to the LAC category’s five options. The chief argument for UNIFI is its f lexibility. Jeremy Schraffenberger, the Curriculum Coordinator for the UNIFI program, said a more f lexible program was the goal from the beginning. Speaking specifically about the Connect learning area of UNIFI, he said, “It’s a really nice balance of student choice as well as student freedom.” One benefit to switching from the LAC to UNIFI is that nearly all of the courses carry over from the LAC to UNIFI, so even if a student is almost done with their
Karla DeBruin /Northern Iowan
Students will have more flexibility and more credentials with the new UNIFI program. UNIFI is also transfer-friendly to transfer students.
LAC requirements, the likelihood is that they are also almost done with UNIFI requirements. Obviously, each student’s case is different, so talking to an advisor before making a decision is encouraged. Another benef it of UNIFI’s f lexibility and lower total credit requirements is the increased ability to have space for extra courses, majors and minors. “There was too much pressure on a lot of people who have majors that are pretty long. We needed to reduce the number of hours in the Gen Ed to help those students graduate on time,” Schraffenberger stated. With the increased options for courses to fulfill requirements, a student can emphasize courses from one department that can also count for their major. For example, if a student wanted to take a lot of history courses that could count to a history major, 21 of the required 37 credits could be history courses. For an English major, 24 of the required 37 credits could be English courses. These are just examples, as several categories contained courses from many different departments. Schraffenberger also said that as data comes in on which courses students
choose, more new courses could be added to give even more options. One potential drawback to UNIFI is that the learning area names seen kind of vague and can be confusing to students. A student may see Discover, Connect or Engage and wonder what that really means. Schraffenberger admitted that at first the names don’t explain themselves, but expressed hope that people will adjust to the names and requirements, just as they did with the LAC. One other potential obstacle students may see when deciding whether or not to switch is that certain courses required for the LAC are not mentioned in the listed courses for UNIFI learning areas. Students who already took Capstone, KAHHS or Humanities courses may not want to switch because they may not realize those courses carry over. However, all of these courses do carry over. A Capstone course combined with a KAHHS course meets the Responsibility requirement. Humanities courses can fill in as electives in the Connect learning area if a student does not want to pursue a certificate, according to Schraffenberger. Some of these courses will
fade out over the next few years, but some Capstone courses will live on in specific departments instead of being listed as a Capstone course. The reason some courses met specific requirements and others can only be used as Connect electives is because faculty and department heads proposed the courses through a rigorous proposal process. Schraffenberger said, “It’s a good incentive for faculty to teach new things and to innovate, and not just to rely on what they’ve done for many years.” So, circling back to the
original question of whether to switch to the UNIFI program or not, the answer for the most part seems to be to make the switch. Although cases vary with different students, because UNIFI is more f lexible and includes most of the courses required by LAC, it makes sense as an alternative. Even if somebody only needs one or two courses to complete both, just having extra options available could be beneficial. The most important thing is to do one’s own research and talk to an advisor, so that the student can make an informed decision.
Courtsey/UNIFI
To find more information about UNIFI, please scan the QR code above.
PAGE 4
CAMPUS LIFE APRIL 14, 2022 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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CATHERINE CROW Campus Life Editor
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
“Ambulance” is Bayhem at its best HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic
A funny thing happened before my screening for Michael Bay’s newest film, “Ambulance.” During the pre-trailer commercials, a TV spot for “Ambulance” came on the screen, claiming that it has the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of Michael Bay’s entire filmography. Except in their claim, the advertisers neglected to mention what the numerical value was. Knowing that it couldn’t be a coincidental error that they left it out, I quickly did my research and found that the score was 66%, which is a fine score, but nothing to brag about. But when you look at Bay’s other films, which include the dismal “Transformers: The Last Knight” at 15% and “Bad Boys II” at 23%, it becomes clear that the bar was really, really low. And with that bar being set to the floor, “Ambulance” is able to haphazardly clear it as explosions and lens flares go off in the background in true Michael Bay fashion. Michael Bay does not have the time or mental capacity to deliver human drama. Luckily, after years of trying to do
just that in “Armageddon” and “Pearl Harbor,” Bay has finally thrown his arms up in the air and decided to triple down on giving the people what they want: pure adrenaline-filled mayhem (better known as Bayhem). “Ambulance” has a plot as thin as a dryer sheet. If this were like 99% of the other films, that would be a major problem. But Bay is that 1% where it doesn’t matter what the story is, as it will almost assuredly be bad, as it still is here. Will Sharpe (Yahya AbdulMateen II) is a decorated war hero whose wife needs experimental life-saving surgery. His insurance won’t cover it, and he’s desperate for money. In his time of need, he looks to his adopted brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal), who’s followed in their father’s footsteps by becoming a career criminal. He’s looking to make one last score that could net them $32 million from a Los Angeles bank. Despite his reservations, Will agrees to help out in return for a portion of the cut. Of course, things don’t go as planned and the brothers are forced to take an ambulance hostage that also
COURTESY / TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Film critic Hunter Friesen gives the newly released film Ambulance a 3 out 5 review.
has an EMT (Eiza González) onboard who’s trying to save the life of a wounded police officer. By using addition by subtraction, Bay has cut out the usual fat in his films and delivered one of his leanest films to date. The whole setup for the heist takes less than five minutes, with the rest of the runtime devoted to the action. But just as the advertisers should include an asterisk when claiming this as Bay’s best-reviewed movie, I also need to use an asterisk when calling this Bay’s leanest film since it still comes in at a bloated 136
minutes. Nearly 20-25 minutes could have been shaved off without much detriment to the final product. There are still the usual Bay fetishes here with explosions coming from every angle, guns going bang, and the American military being given the best recruitment commercial they could ever ask for. Bay has even found a new fascination with the drone camera, as he uses it to whirl and whizz around the action with dizzying effect. There’s no time for your brain to comprehend much of what’s going on as Bay takes your senses
for a joyride. Along with the carnage, what helps keep your eyes glued to the screen is Jake Gyllenhaal’s bonkers performance. His diet might as well consist of Red Bull and sugar every morning as he’s bouncing off the walls with manic energy, screaming nearly every line as he toes the line between being purely psychotic and a charming anti-hero. AbdulMateen II and González provide a nice fold to him as they try to keep things under control. When Bay’s previous films have contained performances like Ben Affleck’s in “Armageddon” and uh… Ben Affleck’s in “Pearl Harbor,” it’s truly something to see decent work here. Just like the roller coasters at amusement parks, every theater showing “Ambulance” should have a warning stating that people with medical conditions should not see this movie. And if you are up to the challenge, make sure to grab your free T-shirt that says “I survived Michael Bay’s Ambulance and all I got was this lousy shirt” on your way out. Overall: 3/5
VOX POP
What does drag mean to you?
Quotes by: Sophie Hoffmeier Photos by: Catherine Crow
Noah Guy
The Amazing Jazz
“It means everything. It gives me so much confidence in my plus size body.”
“Drag means expression; I combine cosplay and drag which lets me become the character I’m portraying.”
PAGE 5 CATHERINE CROW Campus Life Editor
CLINE BROWN
continued from page 1
After graduating high school, she attended the State University of New York at Plattsburg where she earned her degree in psychology. Cline-Brown intended to become a clinical psychologist but became interested in working in the academic field while at an awards ceremony in college. She loved the atmosphere of the room– people from all over getting together to share ideas and solve problems. It was then that she started to consider a different career path. Along the way to earning her psychology degree, ClineBrown took biology classes. She wanted to better understand the human body so she could not only give therapies but develop them. After fin-
Across 1 Call of the wild 5 Shade 11 ‘80s defense prog. 14 Competent 15 Walk down the aisle, maybe 16 Dough unit 17 Hangout for Hyacinth in “Fantasia”? 19 Poetic preposition 20 Condescend 21 “__ Louise!” 22 Agreeable word 23 Moon observation 25 Bk. before Job 26 “Skyfall” singer 28 Hangout for Tchaikovsky’s Odile? 32 Dendrite counterpart 33 Mediterranean country 35 Hoop holder 36 Pewter part 37 Hangout for Heckle and Jeckle? 38 iPhone, e.g. 39 Lawyer letters 40 Warm to the max 41 Runs out of gas 42 Hangout for Mickey and Minnie? 44 Pep squad output
CAMPUS LIFE APRIL 14, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49 ishing her undergrad, she went to increase her student’s confi- meant to be done in real-life, on to attend the University dence in their own knowledge not from behind a computer of New Mexico where she so they could take the infor- screen. “You can look at Covid as earned her Ph.D. in biology mation they learned in college and worked to treat people and use it to problem solve in a disaster or you can decide to make it an opportunity to learn with depression. During grad their lives and careers. school Cline-Brown met her As with many, the last two and grow,” she said. Cline-Brown wanted her husband, and after getting mar- years brought challenges for ried, they moved to Baltimore Cline-Brown as she attempted lab classes to be hands-on, where she did research for to teach her lab-based class- even amidst the pandemic. pharmaceutical companies. es online. She recalled how With help from colleagues in When Cline-Brown and heartbreaking it was to see her department, she was able her husband moved to Iowa, students return home and how to find ways to create at-home she discovered a job open- she watched the sparkle leave labs. She learned how to coning at UNI in the biology their eyes as it became harder vert a medicine syringe into department. The university to engage them in discussions. a vacuum capable of sucking was searching for someone to “Probably the hardest part the carbon dioxide and oxyteach non-majors and Cline- about teaching online, or even gen out of plants, allowing her Brown was passionate about while wearing a mask, is that students to continue learning this type of work because she students can’t see those facial about photosynthesis without maintained that anyone could expression cues that indicate fancy lab equipment. “I am so grateful to be understand biology if it was you care about them.” explained in the right way. Instead of assigning lec- working with an amazing and One of her long-term goals had ture videos to her students, generous team of people in been to present information to she searched for innovative my department, at UNI, and students in a relevant way that ways to conduct lab activities within community agencies.” She collaborated with would help them retain it. It with everyday house supplies. was important to Cline-Brown She believed that labs were Laura Jackson, Ph.D., the
46 Panda maker 47 __ ed 48 Explicit message 49 Eleanor’s successor 52 Rub the wrong way 56 Ab __: initially 57 Hangout for Garfield? 59 Like a fiddle? 60 Still together 61 Tenderfoot 62 Something for the inn crowd 63 1979 title role for Vanessa 64 Simon __ Down 1 44-Across cries 2 Story of a lifetime 3 Canine filler 4 Some bank agents 5 Japanese IT services giant 6 Linguistic practices 7 Maker of earthquake pills and dehydrated boulders 8 “Ain’t gonna happen” 9 Oscar winner Penelope 10 Vulcan and Klingon, briefly 11 Honey alternative 12 AFI’s third-greatest movie villain
13 Bad day for Caesar 18 Hydrated gemstone 22 ‘60s trip cause 24 Maintain, as golf clubs 25 U.S. dept. with a lightning bolt on its seal 26 War on Terror epithet 27 “Ingenious gentleman” of classic fiction 28 Basted, say 29 Entanglements 30 Some kind of trick 31 Baroque and Classical 32 “Lemme __!” 34 Portuguese cape 37 Tech news website 41 Leaves high and dry 43 Met 45 Shot provider 47 “Gotcha!” 48 Couch potato’s spot 49 Cherry variety 50 Sundance Kid’s gal 51 Strikeout-to-walk ratio, e.g. 53 Irish New Ager 54 Not just somewhat 55 Boy with a bow 57 Soul from Seoul 58 Windy City transit initials
Tallgrass Prairie Center and UNI IT to send her students to the local prairie preserves to carry out a seed predation lab. Some of her students even participated from their own backyards. Cline-Brown fondly recalls the stories her students told as they were able to go into nature and experience science in a new way, outside of the lab. “Doing science is more than just facts and data, it’s also about those unexpected moments, stories, and experiences that arise in the process.” Throughout the pandemic, Cline-Brown has been determined to keep her student’s best interests at heart, a quality that makes her an excellent faculty member and valuable asset to the Northern Iowan community.
PAGE 6
SPORTS
TRACK & FIELD
APRIL 14, 2022 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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COLIN HORNING Sports Editor
VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
Panther T & F boasts three champions in Wichita HUNTER FRIESEN Sports Writer
After claiming five titles last weekend in their first meet of the outdoor season, which included the men’s and women’s sweeps of the 4x400, the UNI track & field team made the trek to Wichita, Kan. for the KT Woodman Classic, hosted by Wichita State. The strong performances from last week were able to carry forward, with the Panthers posting three champions. Both of the 4x100 relay teams were able to finish on the podium as the men finished in second place with a time of 40.56 seconds and the women in third place with a time of 46.84 seconds. Along with being a part of that runner-up team, senior Isaiah Trousil recorded a career-best time in the 100meter dash. He accomplished the event in 10.25 seconds, netting him a third-place finish and beating his record of 10.48 seconds set at the previous weekend’s event. He also missed out on beating his record in the 200-meter dash by only 0.01 seconds, which
was still good enough to get him in second place behind Aurel Tchanbi from Indian Hills CC. Also finishing in a runner-up position was Mia Rampton in the 3,000-meter steeple. Her time of 11:10.44 was only six seconds off of the career-best she posted at the conference championship last spring. Three Panthers placed within the top ten in the 110meter hurdles. Sophomore Jack Sumners posted a careerbest time of 14.42 seconds. He was closely followed by Drew Bartels at 14.50 seconds and Carter Morton at 14.91 seconds. Shifting over to the field events, junior Marin Ehler was the lone female champion on the weekend as her shot put toss of 14.69 meters became the fifth-longest throw in the conference this season. She also placed fifth in the hammer throw with a distance of 51.06 meters. The two other champions came from the men’s field events. Tom Yezek won the discus event with a throw of 56.11 meters, and Blair Brooks won the long jump with a
Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics
The UNI men’s and women’s track team had a strong showing at the K.T. Woodman Classic hosted by Wichita State Univerisity, from April 8-9. Three Panthers claimed individual titles in their respective events.
height of 7.39 meters. Along with placing in the hurdles, both Sumners and Bartles finished in the top five behind Brooks in the long jump.
All-American Darius King wasn’t able to place as highly as he envisioned, settling for eighth in the hammer throw. Both Morton and Matt Davis tied for
seventh place in the high jump. The team will head to Des Moines next to take part in the Jim Duncan Invitational, hosted by Drake University.
GOLF
Golfers compete at the Stampede at the Creek DAVID WARRINGTON
Sports Writer
This past Monday and Tuesday, the UNI men’s and women’s golf teams traveled to the Indian Creek Golf Course in Elkhorn, Neb. to compete in the Stampede at the Creek, hosted by the University of NebraskaOmaha. Facing some talented competitors, UNI had some impressive individual performances, as well as a top-five team finish from the men. In the men’s team compe-
tition, UNI took fourth place out of the nine teams competing, finishing with a team score of 878 strokes across three rounds. This was just one stroke behind third-place Omaha, and two strokes behind second-place St. Thomas. North Dakota State dominated the team competition, shooting an 845 behind top individual performers Brock Winter, Jack Johnson, and Nate Adams, who finished first, second, and third, respectively. The top individual perform-
er for UNI was Griffin Parker, shooting a 216 to finish right at par and tie for fifth out of the 54 competitors in the individual competition. Not far behind was Alex Pries, finishing at 218, two over par, to tie for ninth. Thomas Storbeck shot a 223 to tie for 21st, while Jack Moody shot a 225, tying for 26th. Tommy Doyle shot a 227 to tie for 33rd, and rounding out UNI’s six competitors, Connor VanWeelden shot a 236 to tie for 47th. In the women’s team competition, the Panthers finished
seventh out of the eight teams competing. They finished with 963 strokes, just three behind third-place Western Illinois. South Dakota State secured the team title with three top-five individual finishers, including the individual champion, Mia Seeman. Individually, the top UNI finisher was Hannah Bermel, shooting 23 over par at 239 to take 26th place out of the 53 competitors. Anna Jensen and Allison Nuss both shot a 241 to tie for 30th, while Madison Humke shot a 244, good for
35th. Lily Bredemeier shot a 246, tying for 38th, and Rylie Driskell finished with a 247, taking 42nd place. Next up for both the men’s and women’s teams will be the Missouri Valley Conference Championship competitions. The women’s conference championship will take place starting this Sunday, April 17, and run through Tuesday, in St. Louis. The men will compete starting next Sunday, April 24, and will run through Tuesday, April 26, in Paducah, Ky.
Courtesy Photos/UNI Athletics
The UNI men’s and women’s golf team traveled to Omaha, Neb., this past Monday and Tuesday to compete at the Stampede at the Creek, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha. They will now look ahead to the Missouri Valley Conference Championships next week. The men will play in Paducah, Ky. and the women will go to St. Louis, Mo. for their respective tournaments.
PAGE 7
SPORTS
COLIN HORNING Sports Editor
APRIL 14, 2022 |
MLB
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
Opinion: Shohei Ohtani is leading the charge of a new kind of baseball CADEN SHEA
Sports Writer
For the last couple of years, the world of Major League Baseball has been run by elite pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer and hitters like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, but never a combination of both. That was until a man labeled the “Babe Ruth of Japan” arrived on U.S. soil during the 2018 season for the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani made a splash nearly immediately, showing his role as both a top hitter and pitcher for the MLB. He was hitting home runs on the regular, paired with being a starting pitcher who could strike anybody out on any given day. Of course, this begs a lot of questions. Why haven’t there been any players like that in such a long time? Is this the start of a new era of players in the MLB? Will the MLB ben-
efit or be harmed by players like this? There are so many questions that this 27 year-old phenom has opened up that will be talked about for years to come. Why haven’t there been any players like Ohtani playing at an elite level since Babe Ruth? That is a question that was answered a couple of times in Ohtani’s career: injuries. When somebody constantly makes a difference on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game, there are bound to be injuries. He suffered some elbow injuries and other arm-related injuries that hindered his play and caused him to miss quite a few games during his career. Another reason that Ohtani is a generational player is because he is one of the top conditioned and trained athletes on the planet. He also strays away from specialization in a way that not many people have seen. The game
has been dominated by specialization for years because players who are either elite at hitting or elite at pitching get that way by focusing and training on that aspect of that game for all their life. If they are a hitter, they don’t want to focus on pitching because that might hinder their specialized aspect of the game and vice versa. However, Ohtani broke that norm by focusing on both pitching and hitting, becoming one of the best in each area of his expertise. I believe that this type of hybrid player will be much more common in the future with Ohtani as the blueprint going forward. His style of play will be imitated for years to come with a lot of young players modeling their playstyles after him. This could lead to more athletes stretching the limits of their abilities to become more versatile in their playing. It will reduce specialization in baseball and
make it a more flexible game than what is currently offered. Ohtani has helped make the Los Angeles Angels a top contender in the league alongside another one of the best players in the league in Mike Trout. The fact that they can have both an offensive and defensive superstar in the form of Ohtani and an absolute beast of a hitter in Trout make the Angels a team to fear in the future. The last question is, is this kind of player good or bad for the future of baseball? I would personally say yes. And so would a lot of people. In 2021, Ohtani won the award for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. This is the highest award you can achieve as a current MLB player and the fact that he achieved it in such a short amount of time for being exceptional in two very important areas of play is unbelievable. This is an award voted on by top officials out of
every market in the MLB, so him winning this is not a feat that should be swept under the rug. Ohtani was also the league’s ninth highest-selling jersey last year which is a big indicator of which players are getting a lot of attention in the league. The more a player sells their jersey, the more of a household name they are. Ohtani’s playstyle is ushering in new fans, including myself, to behold his exceptional playing techniques. Shohei Ohtani is a player that will be remembered for years down the line. He is completely altering a game that has been played for hundreds of years and will probably be played for a hundred more. The game has often seen dramatic shifts in how it is played, and usually when one player does something, others follow. And if the above things indicate anything, it’s that there will likely be a lot of followers in the near future.
Tribune News Service
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels has ushered in a new style of play in Major League Baseball: the ability to both successfully hit and pitch. He captured last year’s American League Most Valuable Player in part because of his unique play style, and more players will likely try to imitate his performance in the coming years.
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CLASSIFIEDS
Today’s Birthday (04/14/22). Connect with friends to grow this year. Fortune rewards consistent teamwork and collaboration. Conserve a springtime bounty and share to support with summertime family changes. Shared accounts get an extra boost next autumn, providing extra winter resources. Unite for common cause, gain and passion. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Clean old messes. Savor peaceful privacy, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Organize and prepare for what’s ahead. Tap into inspiration, passion and spiritual connection.
APRIL 14, 2022 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 49
Today's Horoscope
Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Together, anything’s possible. Collaborate with teams, groups and friends over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Push for a shared dream. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Move forward boldly. Advance professionally, with Mars in Pisces for a few months. Pour energy into your career. Push past old barriers for rising status. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Open yourself to new views. Explore and learn something new over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Your wanderlust is getting severe.
April 14, 2022
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Energize profitable plans with your partner over two months, with Mars in Pisces. Lucrative opportunities reward your collaboration. Budget shared finances for growth. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 9 — Romance heats up over the next few months. Partnership surges forward, with Mars in Pisces. Collaboration provides fun, ease and rewards. Connect and share. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — Energize your workout. Physical action gets
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results, with Mars in Pisces. The next two months get especially productive. Provide excellence. Your work is earning respect. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is an 8 — Love, romance and creativity flower over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Get playful and have fun. Express your passion. Energize your game. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Prioritize home and family. Pour energy into domestic improvement, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Repair and renovate. Nurture and decorate. Apply physical action.
KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor
EMMA KOEHLER
Associate Managing Editor
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is a 9 — Communication and transportation flow with greater ease, with Mars in Pisces. Research, write and brainstorm. Share information, data and resources. Energize a conversation. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 9 — Grow your income, with Mars in Pisces. Energize profitable pursuits. Avoid reckless spending and stick to basics for two months. Self-esteem rises with your accounts. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Begin a two-month superpower phase, with Mars in your sign. Focus on personal development. Restore integrity where missing. Take charge to realize a dream.
