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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
CEDAR FALLS, IA
THURSDAY, APRIL 5
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
CEDAR FALLS, IA
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VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
VOLUME 116, ISSUE 5
GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
FILM REVIEW
SOFTBALL
OPINION PAGE 3
CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
Film critic Hunter Friesen reviews “Hustlers.”
Writer Mohammed Rawwas urges readers to engage in global responsibility.
Panthers win first fall game against Kirkwood.
WRC introduces intramural fee ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor
For many students, intramural sports are a form of recreation, exercise and socialization. “I’ve been here 25-plus years, and the camaraderie and the friendships that have been made through intramural sports are still friendships now,” said Cindy Klatt, Intramural Sports Coordinator. “These kids that were athletes in high school… still get to play, and they get to play the whole game.” This year, however, that playing time comes with an additional fee. The Department of Recreation Services has implemented a $20 per-semester fee for participation in intramural sports. The fee allows a student to participate in as many intramural sports and “special events” (such as oneday intramural tournaments) as they wish throughout the semester. New memberships are required each semester. The fee is only one of the changes Recreation Services
has made for the 2019-2020 school year in an effort to be “good stewards of the students’ money,” according to Chris Denison, Recreation Services Director. “When we went through the budget process, this wasn’t just about increasing an intramural fee,” he said. “That was part of the full package.” Denison cited departmental changes such as reduced building hours, increased usage fees for alumni, faculty/ staff and event rentals, and energy-conscious practices to reduce utility costs. Recreation Services was forced to re-evaluate its budget, according to Denison, because UNI enrollment has declined while the mandatory student recreation fee remained constant. This fee provides one-third of the department budget, and was, until this year, responsible for completely subsidizing intramural sports. Now, with declining enrollment leading to fewer dollars in student fees, Denison said, “our financial situation as a department has changed, as has almost
every department on campus.” “I heard it’s because they didn’t raise their tuition, but Iowa State and Iowa did,” said Nicholas Vail, a junior business administration major who participated in intramural softball this fall and plans to play intramural basketball as well. Other students, such as sophomore psychology major Jaylee Knowles, voiced similar opinions. “I understood it since we’re having a tuition freeze,” she said, referring to the announcement made by the UNI administration earlier this summer that tuition would be held constant for the 2019-2020 school year. “And it’s great that we’re having a tuition freeze, so I expected there to be costs coming up in random places.” However, Denison clarified that the fact that his department’s fee remained constant wasn’t solely because of the tuition freeze. In the budgetary process, he said, Recreation Services did not ask for an increase to its fee. However, if they had, the freeze might have intervened. “We did not ask for an
GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan
increase, and I don’t think anybody received an increase anyway. As far as I know, there were no departments who were given an increase on their fees last year,” Denison said. “The President decided not to have a tuition increase, which was approved by the Board of Regents, and there was a flat to all of the rest of the fees on campus. There was not going to be a raise to it.” Denison emphasized that UNI’s mandatory student recreation fee, at $91.50 per academic year, is among the lowest in the nation. At Iowa State University, for exam-
ple, the yearly recreation fee is $321.60. However, at ISU, student participation in intramurals and group fitness classes is included in that higher sticker price. According to Denison, it’s the difference between charging all students one price up-front and including all amenities, whether the individual student uses those amenities or not, and charging a lower price but adding “a la carte” fees. Recreation Services opted for the second choice.
SAR improv group sparks laughs ZYRUS WHITEHEAD Staff Writer
A ballet rivalry, a silverware factory and a potato farm were just a few of the scenes audience members witnessed at Some Assembly Required (SAR)’s first show of the year on Friday, Sept. 13. The UNI improv comedy troupe performs monthly at the ThreeHouse: A Wesley Foundation. The troupe also travels to perform with other comedy groups, hosts workshops and participates in competitions and festivals. SAR was founded six years ago and currently consists of six members. They hope to cast two or three more mem-
See INTRAMURAL, page 2
bers for this school year. Over 100 UNI community members attended Friday’s event. “We like it when people have to sit on the floor,” said Micah Criscuolo, SAR member and senior general studies major. The troupe played a variety of improv games, almost all of which were centered around topics suggested by audience members. One of the first games, “Press Conference,” involved an improviser guessing his identity, with the help of the other five improvisers in the audience asking questions as reporters and journalists to help him. See SAR, page 4
TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan
Check out our special Career Fair Guide insert inside for more information about the upcoming Career Fair on September 23, 2019.