8-31-2020

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5

MONDAY, AUGUST 31

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

FILM REVIEW Film critic Hunter Frisen reviews one of the first movies to be released in theaters since COVID-19.

THURSDAY READING The first Final Thursday Reading series of the term is held outdoors.

ESPORTS The Panther Esports Club launches a new twitch stream.

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“Closing Time” for bars in Black Hawk county

SARA QUALLEY ter has since reported 62 posiStaff Writer

tive COVID-19 cases between DARIEN GORDON August 17 and 27. As of 4 p.m.

Staff Writer on August 29, the New York Times reported that Iowa has This last weekend College seen 7,497 new positive cases Hill looked drastically differ- in the last seven days. The ent than it had the weekend New York Times also shared before, with empty streets and that Iowa has seen a total of no glowing open bar signs in 63,112 positive cases since the sight. On Thursday, August beginning of the pandemic.

27th, Governor Kim Reynolds Residents and students in signed a proclamation order- the Cedar Valley have mixed ing bars to close in six Iowa emotions about the proclamacounties until September 20th, tion. Some are worried about including Blackhawk county. possible financial hardships On the same day, UNI for employees and businesses released a statement in sup- but feel the health and safety port of the proclamation, stat- of the community is importing: ant. David Suhr, a new Cedar “While it’s unfortunate Valley resident and bartender these temporary steps were at Voodoo said bars wouldn’t needed, and although we rec- have had to close down if ognize the value these busi- protocols were followed by nesses bring to our commu- bar-goers. Suhr said, “To nity, it’s clear that public safe- me, the bars shouldn’t have ty guidelines were not being opened when they did. No uniformly enforced, and those safety protocols were put in environments have been iden- place to prevent things like tified through contact trac- this happening. I’ve been to ing as a significant source of several bars that even follow COVID-19 transmission.” the half capacity rules. The UNI’s student health cen- effect on bar workers is a

shock to the weekly routine...

I’m more worried for local bars that were struggling to get by after the first closure.”

Kathryn Sogard, Executive Director of College Hill Partnership, disagrees with Governor Reynolds’s proclamation. In a post on the College Hill Partnership’s Facebook page, Sogard wrote, “We believe this shut down will not have the desired effect… when you start dispersing groups of people who want to be in a social setting, it will just move from one area to the next… when they are physically within the four walls of a bar, that establishment has an obligation to keep patrons separate and socially distanced. With this proclamation, the Governor is placing the burden on a few instead of asking a small sacrifice from all. This new order demonstrates a void of leadership without implementing a mask mandate.”

See CLOSING TIME, page 2

EMMA’LE MAAS/Northern Iowan

College Hill empty after Governor Kim Reynolds signs proclamation order

UNI COVID-19 data reporting begins

KIMBERLY CAVALIER

Staff Writer

This past Friday, UNI published its first round of data regarding positive COVID-19 cases on campus. This data was published to the UNI Forward Together website and includes the number of positive tests processed by the health center, the number of tests administered and the number of students isolating

or quarantining in the residence halls.

In an email sent out to students on Friday afternoon, the COVID-19 Response Team acknowledged their commitment to protecting the privacy of students, faculty and staff who test positive. “No personally identifiable information will be shared on this dashboard, and we cannot share information in a way that might lead to identifica-

tion of individuals,” the email read. “We recognize that anonymity is critically important - we must allow those who are impacted by COVID-19 to focus completely on their health.” Due to this, the dashboard will be updated with the weekly total of positive cases each Friday at noon.

In its first Friday update, it was reported that UNI has had 62 positive cases among students, faculty and staff during the first two weeks of the semester. The health center has administered a total of 225 tests semester-todate, bringing campus testing to a 23% positivity rate.

Furthermore, there are 31 students self-isolating in the residence halls, meaning that they have tested positive, and 81 students quarantining in the residence halls, meaning that they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Some students are not sur-

prised at the amount of positive cases that the UNI community is already facing. Ryan Frank, a fifth year student, said, “Sadly, these numbers do not surprise me. I wish that they did, but many people within the 18-24 age group have proven over the course of the summer and fall that they are not taking this pandemic seriously.” Fifth year student Sydney Clark echoed this sentiment. “I personally thought they would be higher,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of people without masks, attending parties and such, so I thought for sure the numbers would be higher.”

While positive cases on campus are increasing, students express their mixed feelings about how the administration is handling COVID19. Fourth year student Sarah Lewis expressed her gratitude to UNI’s administration for taking some precautions, but said, “There is more they

could be doing for students…

I think students should have been required to take a coronavirus test before returning to campus. I also believe UNI should be more transparent about the total number of student cases being reported.”

UNI Forward Together has not made it clear whether or not they have plans to include data for off-campus testing in the future.

In light of these new cases being reported, some students are pondering what the future of the semester looks like. Lewis said that she believes continuing in person while also giving students an online option would be best. Clark expressed that, although she would like to continue in person, she feels as though classes should move online. “It’s not bad to be online until people respect the current climate, or until the situation changes,” Clark said.

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AUGUST 31, 2020 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

CLOSING TIME

continued from page 1

Suhr is also worried about him and his coworkers’ possible financial hardships. Due to the government no longer offering an extra $600 a week for unemployment, individuals who are bartenders are left with few options for supplemental income.

Dave Deibler, the owner of Octopus, is divided on bars closing down. The personal side of him agrees with Governor Reynolds’s decision, and he believes that bars should have remained closed in the first place. The business side of him feels furious at the proclamation, which was sudden to him.

“To only close bars in six counties?” Deibler said.

“That feels more like a punishment. Like, if I want to go get a beer, what’s stopping me from driving up to Waverly?”

A Facebook message from Octopus also expresses disapproval about Governor Reynolds’s quick closure of the bars, saying, “She gave us four hours notice! We couldn’t even get rid of some of our inventory or make plans for shutting down.”

The author of the message believes college students are

being unfairly targeted for spreading COVID-19.

“Iowa is #1 in the nation for per capita COVID-19 cases,” the message shared.

“You can’t lay that on college students. It happened because Iowans of all ages and occupations have treated the pandemic and mask-wearing as a joke. Octopus and a lot of other small businesses are now paying a heavy price for that attitude.”

The author of the message showed frustrated because Octopus has been following the mandates and rules that have been put into place. They described the act of closing down bars in six counties while restaurants are allowed to remain open as “more like a punishment than trying to solve a problem.”

“I wish the Governor had shown some leadership and courage back in May and kept us locked down,” the message said. “I (also) think there should be a state-wide mask mandate right now.”

Kaitlyn Leabo, a sophomore at UNI studying elementary and middle-level education, agrees with Governor Reynolds’s deci-

sion to close the bars. In a message via Facebook Messenger, Leabo said, “Yes, people can still get together without social distancing and masks somewhere else.

But they were probably getting most of their cases from the bars. As no one follows the guidelines for masks.

Which I don’t blame them.

Who wants to wear a mask at a bar?”

Although people might be unhappy with Governor Reynolds’s decision, Leabo thinks it’s “what needed to be done” to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Isaac Campbell, a graduate student at UNI, feels strongly about how the pandemic has been handled since the beginning of the year and said, “Let’s not forget that we knew about COVID19 in January of 2020. It wasn’t a problem at UNI until March. What we are experiencing now, this chaos and uncertainty, is a direct result of failed leadership. Governor Reynolds has issued no major legislation or solutions to slow the spread of this virus, in stark contrast to our neighboring states…In her efforts to pri-

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College Hill empty after Governor Kim Reynolds signs proclamation order to close bars in six Iowa counties.

oritize the economy over our lives and safety, more people are needlessly suffering physically, emotionally and

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.

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financially than ever before.

We cannot allow ourselves to forget how we got to this point.”

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OPINION

EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

AUGUST 31, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

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

Seybert: Representation matters ADDI SEYBERT Opinion Columnist

On August 28, 2020, the world lost an amazing actor to stage four colon cancer.

Chadwick Boseman was best known for his beautiful portrayals of historical figures such as Jackie Robinson in “42”, James Brown in “Get On Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.” Yet perhaps his most widely recognized role was that of T’Challa in “Black Panther.”

Until “Black Panther” was released in 2018, Black superheroes on the big screen had only been something to dream about. There had been Black sidekicks, sure (Frozone from “The Incredibles,” Storm from “X-Men,” Falcon from “Captain America: Winter Soldier”); but none of them had ever been able to claim the role of the main character.

As a white cisgender woman, I personally cannot imagine what it must have been like for Black kids to grow up without a Black superhero to look up to. There is something special about seeing someone on the screen who looks like you. When “Wonder Woman” came out in theaters in 2017, I remember being ecstatic to finally see a woman fighting crime and saving the world instead of leaving it up to the men. That feeling of being represented and finally seeing someone who looks like you claim the main role is some-

thing that the Black community still has to fight for every day.

For example, my excitement at “Wonder Woman” being the subject of a movie is slightly diminished when I realize that she is white, along with every other female superhero in the Marvel and DC franchises (Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, etc.). So while I was elated, the Black community was still at a loss.

That all changed when “Black Panther” was released.

Finally, after years of Black people being portrayed exclusively as sidekicks or villains, a Black hero was taking center stage. Not only that, but the rest of the cast consisted of Black actors and actresses as well.

Black boys got to see Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his cousin Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) duke it out for Wakanda’s throne; meanwhile, Black girls could watch genius Shuri (Letitia Wright) and warriors Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) hold down the fort, so to speak. Both Black men and women played major roles in this film, which gave people hope that more Black superheroes were to come.

While the death of Chadwick Boseman might seem trivial or minor compared to the current state of the world, take a second to think about how his passing has directly impacted the Black community. Amidst protests and riots and fighting

for their right to live, Black people have just lost a beacon of hope for eradicating racial bias in Hollywood, and by extension, America. All they wanted was to show other people what they already knew: that they could be superheroes too.

Superheroes are not just fun characters in movies or comic books that fight crime; they serve as role models for kids and adults alike, showing them that they too could be heroes if given the chance. Superheroes inspire kids to be “the good guys” and make them feel powerful, which in turn boosts their self-confidence. Likewise, when a kid sees a superhero that looks like them (skin color, hairstyle, etc.), they tend to latch onto that superhero because they see themselves in them. They want to be superheroes too, and when they see a hero that looks like them, they believe they can be.

Although Chadwick Boseman is gone in body, his legacy lives on. When kids dress up as heroes now, they’re not confined to capes belonging to Batman and Superman; instead, they can lower Black Panther’s mask over their faces and pretend to fight for Wakanda, a technological utopia defended by Black heroes, men and women alike.

Representation is essential in showing the Black community (and any BIPOC community) that they do not have to settle for being the sidekicks. They deserve to be celebrated and

phenomenon, in which subjects (the “looters” etc.) can be blamed directly for the damage that can also directly be seen.

However, this destruction of property is only the symptom of the objective violence of the police, carceral state and does not exist in isolation, but only given this background. It is thus necessary to ask, what must be done to counter the objective violence of police brutality?

What becomes immediately clear is that protest is not enough. The terms “activism” and “activist” would do best to be immediately retired.

Protests and activism fall directly under the purview of the liberal framework of recognition. People want to be seen and heard. Political beliefs are reduced to identities, just another unique attribute used to individualize, designate and separate. As the Democratic National Convention shows, the Democratic party does not exist to solve your problems, but merely to acknowledge

your suffering, to see and hear you. The Republican party, of course, sadists as they are, exist to perpetuate that suffering.

However, the end of police brutality (which can of course mean nothing else except the end of policing as such) means a direct confrontation with the state, and as the police is a necessary institution for the reproduction of capitalism, a direct confrontation with capital.

What would it actually take to end policing? Property destruction, at the very least, entails consequences for failing to follow through with demands.

It actually represents some confrontation with the powers that be. But beyond that, the clear answer is organizing. There is no party that can actually deliver the demands that must be met to ensure that there are no more Jacob Blakes, no more George Floyds, no more Breonna Taylors, which is why it must be built. The Democratic Socialists of America represent the closest thing to even the opportunity of ending police

Tribune News Service

Actor Chadwick Boseman passes away from long battle with colon cancer

revered just as much as their white counterparts. Chadwick Boseman helped further this ideal by serving as a call to change within the racial rhetoric of the nation, something that will not die with him. Through

his acting, he inspired thousands of adults and children to celebrate their melanin and to stand

up for what they believe. Above all else, his representation showed people that they did not have to be white to be the story’s hero.

Political parties and police brutality MOHAMMED RAWWAS

Opinion Columnist

In the age of individualism, we become hyperaware of subjects while objects largely disappear from view. “Politics” is reduced to sorting out the “good” people from the “bad,” and any recourse to structural issues simply does not carry the resonance for our social media-laden landscape that an old-fashioned story of good vs. evil does.

Thus, police brutality, as a structural, objective violence, only engenders reactions of outrage when video footage is proffered, i.e. only when this objective violence is symbolized as a singular instance of subjective violence, when victim and murderer are in clear view. Humanity and suffering cannot be conceived of in the abstract, only when embodied.

Structures are never seen in our daily reality, only their effects.

As such, reactions against property destruction are yet another manifestation of this

Pexels

brutality, but building out a party means engaging at the grassroots level, working to organize. Crowds disperse, but parties endure. The only way to maintain fidelity to a crowd is through organizing through the party form.

Politics should be a collective action. Often, however, its manifestations are not, such as posting on social media. Even protests, which are ostensibly collective, can quickly become simply a multiplicity of sin-

gularities. The party form, the union form, organizing at the workplace level, seeks to maintain that collective spirit. The individual does not exist; there is no “I.” We know what we want: an end to police brutality. But defaulting to protesting to make these wants “heard” does not accomplish this goal.

Perhaps now is the time to ask ourselves if what we claim we want is what we actually want, and if so, what we are willing to do to actualize it.

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CAMPUS LIFE

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

2020 volunteer fair goes virtual AUGUST 31, 2020 |

ABIGAIL KRAFT Staff Writer

Beginning Sept. 2nd through Sept. 18th, the UNI Office of Community Engagement will be partnering with the Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley to host an online volunteer fair for students, faculty and staff.

Micheal McCauley from the UNI Office of Community Engagement said the opportunities with this fair are widespread.

“Beyond the agencies, the event is entirely virtual with new introductions to volunteer opportunities that are also completely virtual.”

He also expressed, “The office of community engagement works closely with VCCV to make Students/Faculty/Staff aware of engagement opportunities with the community.”

Some volunteer opportunities that will participate in the event include Iowa Heartland Habitat

for Humanity, Friends of the Family, Self-Help International and many others across the Cedar Valley.

This event is free and will allow volunteers to connect with many different organizations for opportunities both in-person and online.

“Research suggests that every time you get an employee involved in a community cause you help them in a myriad of ways: stronger immune system, more successful career and higher self-confidence,” McCauley said. He wants attendees to know that benefits, both professional and personal, can come from taking part in the volunteer work offered through the fair.

For more information on the event, visit the Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley at www.vccv. org or contact the Office of Community Engagement at community.engagement@uni.edu.

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

NI Archives

Adrianne Finlay previews “Cut Off” in Thursday reading ABIGAIL KRAFT

Staff Writer

The Final Thursday Reading Series had its first reading this past Thursday on Aug. 27th at the Hearsts Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls.

While the series is typically hosted indoors, because of COVID-19, members had to improvise. Instead the reading was held in the beautiful backyard of the Hearst Center. While the heat was a bit overpowering, the peaceful atmosphere, stunning greenery and the excitement of those who attended made up for the lack of air conditioning.

The evening opened up with a speech from Jim O’Loughlin welcom-

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan

ing everyone back, and informing the audience of his new book, “The Last Caucus in Iowa,” which details the story of O’Loughlin seeing many presidential candidates who visited Iowa within the last year. The book

will be available later this year. O’Loughlin then read his short piece, “What the Pandemic Taught Me About Soup.”

O’Loughlin’s piece shared a humorous yet heartfelt stout about making soup with leftovers from the

various meals he and his family made while stuck at home, and finding ways to work day by day.

The reading’s feature speaker was Young Adult author Adrianne Finley.

Finley talked about her new YA book, “Cut Off ”.

The book tells the story of a new virtual reality show, where contestants have to survive in the wild on their own before “tapping out.” But things take a drastic turn when the four final contestants realize that no one is coming to save them, regardless if they “tap out” or not. Finley’s book mixes science fiction, romance and mystery that will keep readers questioning until the very end. Finley shared

the prologue to her story and answered questions, along with sharing her inspiration for the book.

Finley shared how she watched the show “Alone” on the History Channel, a reality tv show where contestants have to survive in the wild for as long as they can until they give up and call for help.

“I thought, ‘well wouldn’t it just be awful if no one answered?’ That’s the story I wanted to end up writing,” Finley said.

After the reading, Finley had “Cut Off ” and her previous book, “Your One and Only” available for signing. The book is available now, and the next Final Thursday will be in September.

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CAMPUS LIFE

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

“New Mutants” offers nothing new AUGUST 31, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

Filmed way back in the bygone time of 2017, “The New Mutants” the newest entry into the now-scrapped X-Men Cinematic Universe has had its fair share of trouble getting to theaters. Originally set for release in April 2018, the movie has had a record of seven date changes, making it a running joke that it would never see the light of day. Defying the naysayers, “The New Mutants” has finally hit theaters right in the middle of a pandemic.

Set in a remote research facility, “The New Mutants” follows five teenagers as they discover their newfound powers. The stern Dr. Reyes looks after the young mutants and tries to help them control their raw powers.

We follow the newest member of the group, Danielle Moonstar, who was placed there after a mysterious natural disaster wiped out her entire reservation.

After some time, the five realize that there’s more behind this facility than meets the eye.

To save themselves and right the wrongs of the past, the group must work together to harness their powers and become something bigger than themselves.

“The New Mutants” is directed by Josh Boone, who last made a critical and commercial splash with his adapta-

Tribune News Service Film Critic Hunter Friesen reviews the new film, “New Mutants

tion of “The Fault in Our Stars.”

Billed as an action/ horror/drama, “The New Mutants” fails on all three of those genre levels. Thanks to Boone’s inability to grasp onto his material, the various tones of the movie go together like oil and water rather than peanut butter and jelly.

The action is sparse throughout the first 80 minutes, only showing us glimpses of each person’s unique power. The final 15 minutes end on an action set piece that unleashes all that the movie has been building up, which isn’t much.

The intentionally dark and snowy setting acts as a smokescreen to cover up the poor digital

effects and blocking.

Fairing even worse than the action is the horror element. It’s been reported that the studio demanded reshoots to add more horror after the mega-success of “IT”. Neutered by a PG-13 rating, the scares in this movie are comparable to the ones found in a January dumpster movie aimed solely at young teenagers. For nearly the entire runtime, we’re subjected to a rinse repeat cycle of jump scares and sound blasts that only mildly startle us, but never come close to scaring.

Even the main villains - gangly creatures dressed in tuxedos that look almost too similar to Slenderman - come across more laughable

than creepy.

But even the failings in the action and horror department don’t come close to the movie’s biggest crime, which is how boring it is. For being set in a superhero universe, very little of this movie is connected to the larger world. Except for a few name drops and the fact that our main characters are called mutants, this could have been set in any other YA universe and it wouldn’t have made a difference.

The uninteresting plot offers few biting questions to chew on. If you have even an inkling of knowledge about the X-Men Universe, then these questions will be a breeze to answer. But, immediately knowing these answers is a dou-

Panther|Preview

ble-edged sword as you now have to impatiently wait an hour for the movie to reveal them in the dullest way possible.

Maybe the only person who can come out of this mess with some credibility is Blu Hunt and her performance as our lead character, Danielle. Hunt does fall into the teenage actor trap of overdoing it, but overall she does a commendable job of being the audience’s viewpoint into this story.

Three of our five main characters have accents and each of them vies for the award of least convincing. The winner of that goes to Americanborn Anya Taylor-Joy in her attempt at portraying a Russian. Charlie Heaton’s Kentucky drawl comes in at a close second place, while the British Maisie Williams of “Game of Thrones” fame does alright with her Scottish accent.

Overall: 2/5 As an action movie, “The New Mutants” is a failure. As a horror movie, it’s a failure.

Even as a piece of entertainment, it’s a failure.

This is nothing more than a cheap cash grab whose only purpose is to make a quick buck off brand recognition alone.

The only time I’ll ever think about this movie again is when I have to decide where to place it on my worst-of-the-year list.

physics colloquium

“finding your health career” panel

film appreciation club presents “Pulp Fiction”

wednesday, Sept. 2 to friday, sept. 18

wednesday, sept. 2 4 p.m.

thursday, sept. 3 3:15 P.m.

friday, sept. 4 7 p.m.

zoom

zoom

zoom

kab 111

Internship workshop With Nikki harken

fall volunteer fair

Monday, Aug. 31 4 p.m.

CBB 109 - John deere auditorium

PAGE 6

SPORTS AUGUST 31, 2020 |

ESPORTS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

Game on Panthers: the rise of UNI Esports NICK BAUR

Sports Writer

With the cancellation of many fall sports at the University of Northern Iowa including the 2020 football season this fall, students and Panther sporting fans alike may find themselves in a state of limbo when it comes to both watching and participating in UNI sports. The Panther Esports Club can help fill that actionless void for this turbulent academic year.

In the past, the club has been able to field multiple competitive teams including League of Legends, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Counter-Strike Global Offensive (CS:GO) with plans to follow suit this year. These teams will find it much easier to safely navigate the uncertain nature of sports competition in the era of COVID-19, due to the virtual nature of their sport and the very limited travel involved. Panther Esports boasts a robust membership of 296 students as of August 6, 2020, but have not let the large membership size deter those interested in gaming or competing with the club. Jacob Hildreth, the president of Panther Esports,

asserts there’s plenty of space for any students and gamers ranging from those who wish to compete in esports contests and those who simply want to find their own gaming community.

Although the fall semester is often considered the Panther Esports Club’s “offseason,” it provides time for prospective and current members of the club to gear up for the more competitive focused spring semester. All streamable games and contests through both semesters can be viewed at twitch.tv/ Panther_Esports_Club/.

This year, Panther Esports is hoping to reinvigorate its image with a recent rebrand and logo designed

by UNI alumnus and former Overwatch player Maris Price.

The club will also be looking to reinvigorate its administrative structure by introducing sponsored and unsponsored competitive esports teams that will all operate under the Panther Esports Club banner.

This will allow for the club to better allocate their limited budget while also providing the opportunity to field a wide range of competitive esports teams.

Of course, the club plans to work towards becoming an officially sanctioned uni-

versity sport in the future, much like some of the smaller colleges in the area. However, with the current pandemic putting many established university sports’ futures in jeopardy, the possibility of this happening any time soon is very much up in the air. Until then, the Panther Esports Club will continue to operate like clockwork, serving as a place for those seeking a gaming platform and community.

If the UNI Esports teams won’t scratch that sporting itch, the steady rise in the popularity of competitive gaming has offered a plethora of video games, teams and professional leagues to watch and follow digitally in addition to the UNI esports teams. It has also never been easier for sports fans to follow esports, as mainstream media companies such as Bleacher Report and ESPN have recently dedicated resources to covering and analyzing some of the most popular leagues and games. Esports is beginning to experience something of a renaissance as the world finds itself moving more and more online. It is now more of a question of “when” rather than “if ” esports will finally ingrain itself into popular sports culture.

Panther Esports

Founded in 2016, the UNI Panther Esports team is looking to gain a following due to the cancellation of fall sports this semester on campus.

Following the trend of smaller schools in the area, the organization is looking to become a university-sponsored athletics program.

From overlooked to NFL Pro Bowl: David Johnson DAVID WARRINGTON

Sports Writer

As a high schooler, he was overlooked by a lot of schools. Now David Johnson has played in the Pro Bowl and is one of the top running backs in the NFL. Johnson’s athletic journey began at Clinton High School, just two and a half hours away from the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.

There Johnson emerged as a standout in basketball, track and field and football. On the

football field, Johnson broke nearly every offensive record the school had, while also qualifying for state in basketball and track. Despite all of this success in high school, he largely went unrecruited. Only two schools offered Johnson a scholarship to play football: Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa.

Johnson decided to play college football at UNI, and after being redshirted as a freshman in 2010, he had a solid season as a freshman in 2011, rushing for 822 yards and nine touchdowns. He

UNI Athletics

Pictured above is Johnson during his time on the Arizona Cardinals. Drafted in the third round back in the 2015 NFL Draft, he played in Arizona for five seasons before being traded to the Houston Texans in the 2020 offseason.

broke the 1,000 yard barrier for the first time in 2012, finishing with a total 1,021 to go along with 13 touchdowns. After another 1,000 yard season as a junior, his true breakout season came as a senior in 2014. In his final season at UNI he rushed for 1,553 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns. He also broke multiple school records as a senior, including all-purpose yards in a career, rushing yards in a career, and rushing touchdowns in a career.

After a successful career at UNI, Johnson entered the 2015 NFL Draft. When the 86th pick rolled around midway through the third round, Johnson lived the dream of so many young men around the country. The Arizona Cardinals drafted Johnson, and he went into training camp his rookie season as the 4th string running back.

Despite being a long shot to see much playing time, Johnson made a splash in his first game, catching a 55-yard pass for a touchdown. By the end of the season, Johnson had earned the role of the Cardinals’ starting running back.

Johnson’s breakout season

Northern Iowan

came in 2016. In his first year as a full-time starter, Johnson accounted for at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 15 consecutive games. At the end of the season, Johnson had racked up 1,239 rushing yards with 16 rushing touchdowns, as well as 879 receiving yards with four receiving touchdowns. After the season, Johnson was named 1st Team All-Pro. Media members around the country chose Johnson as one of the two best running backs in the NFL. He was also selected to participate in the 2016 Pro Bowl.

Johnson has had some injury struggles since this breakout year, but has still been a solid option in the backfield

for Arizona. This upcoming season, Johnson will be wearing a different jersey for the first time in his professional career, after being traded to the Houston Texans in the offseason.

FUN & GAMES

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

AUGUST 31, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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PAGE 7

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

SUDOKU ONE

SUDOKU TWO

CROSSWORD

Across

1 “Amanpour & Co.” network 4 Enough and then some 9 Strand during a hail storm, say

14 GPS finding 15 Take it easy 16 “__ Rae” 17 Put to work

18 Small earthen pot 19 Huge success 20 Sandwich in Denver?

23 Astronomical octet 24 River Foyle’s province 28 Form 1099 agcy.

29 Japanese sandal 31 Hullabaloo 32 Puts up, as drapes 35 Sandwich on the briny?

37 Scott of “Big Little Lies” 38 Examined in court 39 Metric prefix 40 Sandwich in the neighborhood?

42 Like a soufflé, if everything goes well 43 Busy mo. for the 28-Across 44 Senate staffer 45 Some MIT grads 46 Wright who quipped, “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time” 48 Elaborate wardrobe 52 Sandwich at a church concert?

55 Left 58 Bugs with weapons

59 Oral health org.

60 Musical work 61 Revise 62 Casual greetings 63 Gets the kitty going 64 They may be pressing 65 Neruda verse

Down

1 Zaftig 2 Pho garnish 3 Inscribed pillar 4 Quiver carriers 5 Rates 6 Promotes 7 Mascara target 8 Corp. bigwig 9 Pancreatic hormone 10 “The Gift of the Magi” gift 11 Stat for Clayton Kershaw 12 Online chats, briefly 13 “Hard pass” 21 “The Imitation Game” encryption machine 22 Shockingly vivid 25 Zaps 26 Elicit 27 Sign of spring

29 Former name of the Congo 30 Cookie with a Tiramisu Flavor Creme variety 32 “Papa Bear” of football 33 Take on 34 Mother-of-pearl 35 TV’s talking horse 36 Acquirer of more than 1,000 patents 38 Doohickey 41 Ophelia’s brother 42 Does some jogging?

45 Task for a gofer 47 Word with mail or box 48 Say yes 49 You can cross it in about an hour on I-90 50 Fixed up 51 Remove all traces of 53 Grace period?

54 Alaskan seaport 55 Place for a peel 56 Map insert 57 Service to redo

PAGE 8

CLASSIFIEDS

AUGUST 31, 2020 |

Puzzle Answers

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 4

SUDOKU ONE

SUDOKU TWO

CROSSWORD

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