9-17-2020

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THURSDAY, APRIL 5

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

STD TESTING

STUDY ABROAD

BIG 10

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

The Sudent Health Center decides to cut free STD testing.

Study Abroad Center holds virtual study abroad fair for students.

The Big 10 announces fall season.

UNI announces shifts to spring semester ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

When Parker Sherwood learned that his freshman year at UNI would not include the long-standing tradition of spring break, he was surprised but not opposed, he said.

“I was a little shocked to hear that spring break was cancelled, but I knew it would be for the best,” said Sherwood,

an undecided major. “Stupid people do stupid things on spring break.”

The cancellation of spring break was one of several major coronavirus-related changes to the spring 2021 academic calendar announced by UNI administration on Monday, Sept. 14. Other modifications include the postponement of the second semester start date to Monday, Jan. 25 (a two-

week delay) and the addition of optional three-week and six-week winter term classes in December and January.

In an email to the Northern Iowan, Provost Jim Wohlpart explained that by delaying the start date, UNI officials hope to create a buffer between the holiday season and the return to campus to avoid students bringing COVID-19 back to UNI.

TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan

“Students, faculty, and staff may gather with family and friends over the holiday,” he wrote.

He noted that since the new start date is more than three weeks after the holiday period ends, “this gives a period within which anyone who might contract the virus from these gatherings would move through contracting it and, hopefully, getting over it.”

The modified calendar was actually a positive sign for Sherwood, an encouraging signal that the university is projecting a continuation of in-person learning for the spring.

“I’m kind of glad to hear that there’s changes, because that means that there’s plans for us to be here in the spring,” he said.

His fellow students, including freshman undecided major Kayley Gehrels, agreed.

“I’m just glad they’re allowing us to be on campus for the second semester,” she said. “I was happy about that, because I wasn’t sure that was a thing that was going to

be happening.”

The changes to UNI’s spring academic calendar align with similar moves made by Iowa’s other two Regents universities.

The University of Iowa and Iowa State University also cancelled their spring breaks, and both likewise plan to return for spring classes on Jan. 25. For ISU, like UNI, this will be a two-week delay from the typical start date, as opposed to a one-week delay at the University of Iowa.

Both ISU and UNI also plan to end their spring semesters together, with finals to be held May 3-7.

However, the University of Iowa will end its semester one week later, on May 14.

This means that students and faculty on the Iowa City campus will be following the traditional 15-week semester schedule, while their peers in Ames and Cedar Falls will operate on an abbreviated 14-week plan, thus receiving one week less of instruction.

sume their food or beverage while seated.

The College Hill Partnership released a statement on Wednesday afternoon reaffirming businesses’ commitment to public safety and encouraging patrons to follow all protocols.

“As bars and nightclubs reopen, the majority of locally owned businesses on College Hill are committed to the College Hill Promise to keep

the community safe,” the press release stated. “Moreover, we request that people in Cedar Falls observe the mask requirement and social distancing recommendations on all city sidewalks, streets and public spaces.”

The Northern Iowan will continue to report on this developing story and its impacts on the UNI campus community, in upcoming issues.

See SPRING CHANGES, page 2

Bars set to reopen earlier than expected ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

For the past two weekends, College Hill has been largely quiet due to Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamation closing bars in six counties, including Black Hawk County.

This weekend, things may look very different.

Reynolds announced Tuesday afternoon that bars in Black Hawk, Dallas, Linn and Polk counties would be permitted to reopen at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16—four days earlier than her original proclamation’s expiration date. However, bars in Story and Johnson counties, home to Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, respectively, are to remain closed until at least Sept. 20.

“The changing public health conditions in the state

of Iowa, especially in Black Hawk, Dallas, Linn, and Polk counties, warrant adjusting the reasonable measures to reduce the transmission of COVID19,” Reynold’s proclamation stated on Tuesday.

However, all bars and restaurants must continue to abide by social distancing protocols, which Reynolds further clarified in her proclamation.

Establishments must

EMMA’LE MAAS/Northern Iowan

ensure at least six feet between each group or individual dining alone, although patrons may be seated closer than six feet if their booths are “separated by a barrier of a sufficient height to fully separate seated customers.”

Bars and restaurants must also limit patrons from congregating within six feet of each other, and all patrons must have a seat and con-

BEN THESSEN/Courtesy Photo

PAGE 2

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

Health Center cuts free STD testing KIMBERLY CAVALIER Staff Writer

Beginning this semester, the Student Health Center will no longer be offering free sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing for students, instead opting to bill the students’ health insurance.

According to Paula Knudson, UNI Vice President of Student Affairs, this decision was made in an effort to avoid increasing student fees.

Knudson wrote in an email to the Northern Iowan, “To (keep student fees flat), you either have to make cuts, including personnel, or look for new revenue. STD testing is covered by health insurance, which the vast majority of our students have.”

Knudson mentioned that if a student does not have health insurance, they will be

referred to the Black Hawk County Health Department for a test.

Despite the effort to keep student fees flat, some students are concerned about this decision.

Senior social work and psychology major Megan Wagner said, “I think (this decision) is irresponsible… students might be less likely to get a test because no one wants to have it sent back home on a bill for their mom to get.

The confidentiality thing is so important when you come to college because so many people have helicopter parents.”

Senior communications major Austin Korynta shared a similar view.

“I think the university is being really irresponsible with how they’re spending their money. I’m thinking back to last year, where there

GABI CUMMINGS/Northern Iowan

The UNI Student Health Center is no longer offering free STD testing for students this fall, citing a desire to avoid increasing student fees.

was that huge donation to the university, and so much of it was given to programs

SPRING CHANGES

continued from page 1

The situation is similar this fall, since UNI and ISU returned for classes one week early but eliminated two weeks of instruction after Thanksgiving break, thus losing one week of instructional time and placing the campuses on a 14-week schedule.

The University of Iowa, by contrast, maintained its traditional calendar, although the f inal two weeks of instruction after Thanksgiving break will be conducted online.

Asked to comment on the discrepancy, Wohlpart stated that the 14 -week semester still meets government and institutional requirements for completing the credit hours assigned to each course.

“In regular semesters, before the virus, we provided an extra dose of enrichment with an extra week of classes and learning,” he wrote. “Our scaled back semester actually aligns

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that aren’t hurting at UNI,” Korynta said. “I hope the university will improve where

they decide to spend their money and how they advocate best for students.”

our semester with the expectations of our accreditation commission and the federal government.”

At all three universities, students will experience an extended winter break, something which Gehrels said piqued her interest.

“I was intrigued that we would have a two-month break in between, which seemed like a long time,” she said.

Winter break at UNI will indeed last exactly two months this year, as fall classes conclude on Nov. 25 and spring classes resume on Jan. 25. However, it likely won’t be a “break” for everyone, as UNI also announced that students will be able to take threeweek and six-week winter term classes via distance learning.

The select classes offered could be either Liberal Arts Core (LAC) or major courses, according to Wohlpart.

“We want to provide an opportunity for students to get the courses they would need to move successful-

ly towards graduation,” he wrote. “If there are courses in a major that are commonly a bottleneck, we might offer a section during winter term which would allow students the opportunity to complete that course.”

During either of the two three-week terms, which will take place from Nov. 30-Dec. 18 and Jan. 4-22, students may take up to three credits of coursework. The six-week term will last from Nov. 30-Jan. 22, with a two-week break from Dec. 21-Jan. 1, and students may take up to six credits.

Wohlpart clarified in his email that UNI does still plan to offer a May term in 2021, despite the addition of the winter term.

Winter term classes will be part of students’ spring course load in terms of credit hours, tuition and billing. More information about these classes will be available through individual departments and when the spring schedule of classes is released.

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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PAGE 3

OPINION

EMMA’LE MAAS Executive Editor

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

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

Slomka: TERFs present a danger EMERSON SLOMKA

Opinion Columnist

In Dec. 2019 author J.K. Rowling expressed support via twitter for Maya Forstater, who was fired for her series of tweets criticizing the United Kingdom government plan to allow citizens to declare their own gender—it was the start of a long descent into controversy, criticism and a polarized following.

Since the posting of the tweet last year, Rowling has continued to use her platform to criticize transgender people, often posting more about her opinions on the transgender community than she does about her work or personal life. Her claims have been met with heavy criticism, causing Rowling to lose a substantial part of her following and to even face criticisms from actors starring in films based on her books. In response, Rowling released an essay on her website explaining herself and expressing that her “gender critical” standpoint had led her to be labeled a “TERF”—a “misogynistic slur” in her own words.

While this was likely many people’s initial exposure to the term “TERF,” TERFs are a constant reminder to many transgender people that even those who

mean well can be misled by fear and outrage.

The acronym TERF stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” and refers to a subset of radical feminists who reject the concept of gender and believe that transgender people are either mentally ill, predatoryor driven to transition to escape homophobia or criticism for being gender-nonconforming. Most who fall into this category prefer the term “gender critical,” but critics often consider this akin to white supremacists referring to themselves as “race realists”—it’s a misleadingly-gentle phrase. As previously mentioned, an integral part of TERF philosophy is the rejection of modern gender philosophy and metaphysics and the belief that biological sex is the only valid distinction. TERFs often hold the belief that trans men transition to escape misogyny and that trans women transition to assert “male privilege” and invade women’s spaces.

Unsurprisingly, this means that TERFs often focus their outrage on transgender women, while considering transgender men to be victims of the patriarchy.

While the TERF mentality is undoubtedly harmful, most TERFs aren’t intentionally malicious—their gender-criti-

cal outlook often comes from prior harmful, dangerous and abusive experiences with men, which leads to a psychological need for a more rigid, sex-based view of the world, where men and women can be completely separate. This is best represented by the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (aka Michfest), which has attempted to serve as a safe space for women, but while excluding non-cisgender women in the process.

The exclusion and criticism of transgender people is not only scientifically baseless; it perpetuates abuse and harmful stereotypes.

It has been accepted within the scientific community that sex and gender are two distinct concepts—sex refers to one’s biological attributes, such as chromosomes and genitals, whereas gender refers to one’s identity, behavior and socially-constructed roles. While TERFs believe that gender is indistinct from sex, this belief has been disproven by modern science and gender studies, and the belief that biological sex determines privilege (or a lack of) is simply incorrect. While TERFs hold the belief that, since a transgender woman is biologically male, she has male privilege, there are two social outcomes for her, and neither

PEXELS

Opinion Columnist Emerson Slomka comments on the recent JK Rowling controveries.

give her privilege; either she passes as a woman, and is therefore subjected to misogyny like any other woman, or she doesn’t pass, and is therefore met with transphobia. In either case, the trans woman will not be perceived as a “normal man.” As a passing transgender man, however, I do have male privilege, as I’m perceived as a male, regardless of my assigned sex.

Another area of criticism from TERFs is that transgender people enforce gender stereotypes, such as transgender women often having long hair and wearing feminine clothes in order to pass. However, transgender Youtuber ContraPoints dissects this belief in her video, ‘Gender Critical’:

“...in the same breath, these same TERFs will argue that trans women are mannish, unfeminine perverts who are forcing masculinity into female spaces. If trans women being feminine is bad, and trans women being masculine is bad, then there really is no way that trans women could behave that TERFs would accept.”

While Rowling may have good intentions involving the protection of women, in reality, she’s only excluding and demonizing an already marginalized group of women. The TERF philosophy is rooted in a baseless fear of transgender women, who are statistically more likely to be victimized than to be dangerous.

Horning: Independent media is lost, let’s find it again COLIN HORNING

Opinion Columnist

We hear all the time about the need for a free press in our society. After all, freedom of the press is enshrined in our First Amendment rights as Americans, giving us the freedom to criticize our own government as a basic right as human beings. Freedom of the press is one of the most important aspects of a truly free and fair society, as holding our elected officials accountable is a right that not many nations have allowed their citizens to do throughout history. But is our press in the United States truly free? While many news outlets try to appear impartial, many in the mainstream media are in fact just mouthpiece instruments for massive conglomerates and the wealthy elites. Most of the stories in the news cycle merely repeat the same talking points over and over again while at the same time being controlled by much larger companies and presumably spouting the opinions and narratives of the elites. Much of the same media outlets are controlled by just seven massive companies, leaving practically no true press freedom remaining.

Independent media was lost a long time ago in the mainstream press in America.

Nowadays, almost every single mainstream news outlet is owned by a higher company, who presumably have the final say in which stories are run. The Washington Post is owned by the wealthiest man in the world and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The Wall Street Journal, Fox News and the New York Post are all a part of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. NBC News, CNBC, MSNBC and Vox Media (which owns Vox, The Verge and SB Nation) are all under the umbrella of Comcast Corporation.

ABC News, ESPN, Vice News and countless local TV affiliates are all under their parent company Disney. And Yahoo! News, the Huffington Post, AOL, TechCrunch and MSN are all a part of the same conglomerate owned

by Verizon. Countless other well-known news outlets are also owned by some of these companies, leaving only six or seven primary corporations for controlling practically the entirety of the mainstream press. Thus why the name

“corporate media” has become more popular when referring to them.

So why is this an issue?

While most of these news outlets still have relative editorial ownership in their content, the door is still open for the higher-ups in these companies to push out certain narratives into the media. This is why so often we’ll hear the same phrases repeated over and over again in different stories at the same time. Over the last several years, the mainstream press has repeated the same phrases, narratives and ideas over and over again, oftentimes saying the exact same words verbatim when reporting. It’s one thing for more than one organization to report on the same story at the same time; it’s another when practically every single story from dozens of different outlets repeat virtually the exact same thing. This is no accident: when massive corporations take over news outlets, the views of those running said corporations will ultimately reflect on the content being produced. Why else would Jeff Bezos purchase a newspaper that was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, especially

during a time like today when the print newspaper industry is declining? Simply by owning a publication, Bezos not only has the final editorial say in the paper’s stories, but also now has political clout. If a politician is seeking re-election, an endorsement from the Post could certainly help them out, meaning said politicians might be more friendly towards Bezos in terms of legislation. Jeff Bezos isn’t the only example of these; he owns only one outlet. Now think in terms of the companies who own many outlets. The executives at these companies not only have the final say in which the news is projected, but also have polit-

ical leverage similar to Bezos and the Washington Post.

The main issue here is the press being monetized. Fair and free press at its best comes from independently owned news outlets that focus less on making a profit for their company and more about being true to their journalism. Rather than having a couple corporate suits at the top running the show, free and independent media is run by journalists who are out to seek and report the truth to their readers, rather than play political games. If we are to return to a truly free press, the media in our country needs to be free of their corporate masters.

PEXELS

Opinion Columnist Colin Horning discusses the importance of independent press.

PAGE 4

CAMPUS LIFE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

Study Abroad Fair goes virtual AASHITA VADHERA

NI Archives

Staff Writer

After having to make the decision of canceling all of UNI’s study abroad programs for the summer and fall of 2020, the UNI Study Abroad office is finally back in business. They recently conducted their Study Abroad Fair but instead of the Maucker Union, this fair was held virtually via Zoom.

The set up was unique and the office used technology to their advantage, splitting the meeting up into smaller breakout rooms. Each student could then decide which program they were most interested in, and they would then be transferred to a group with the representative of that program.

Just like at the normal fair, students had the opportunity to interact with and ask questions from a wide range of universities and countries enabling them to get all the information they need while following social distance protocols.

In the spirit of making everything accessible virtually, the UNI Study Abroad Office is now also offering virtual study abroad programs where students will have the opportunity to explore a different country and culture within the comfort of their homes.

“The brief of the program would be to kind of combine two things that I have been doing, the southern Italy kind of capstone, which isn’t able to travel this year, with my normal Environment Technology and Society capstone that I do here on campus,” shared Chad Heinzel, a professor at University of Northern Iowa, Earth and Environmental Science Department, representing the Summer Virtual Capstone in Southern Italy for 2021.

“The whole idea to do it here would be through the lens of the southern mediterranean, so we would look at every-

thing through the eyes of an Italian.”

“The idea here is not just to listen to me talk about what I know of Italy, but we would Zoom or Skype some of my colleagues in Italy at the University of Palermo to really get kind of that true Italian flavor but still satisfy the Environmental Technology and Society capstone,” said Heinzel. “I am thinking about trying to incorporate a cooking class where I would have students go out and purchase a set amount of ingredients and then have one of the Italians provide us with a cooking class. I’ve also thought about having the opportunity for our students to sit virtually in an Italian classroom. The one big advantage point is that, since we are not traveling, this would be a lot cheaper than traveling to Italy. That’s probably the biggest upside, that you still get a global experience but at a much cheaper cost.”

In addition, Paula Van Zee, Director of UNI Study Abroad Center, stated, “Virtual capstones are a great way to bring the world to you! Without having to pay for airfare or hotel expenses abroad, you will be able to talk with people in other parts of the world and have

interactive experiences relating to the course content.”

She added “For example, you might meet with someone in Panama who works for a multinational corporation and discuss their corporate strategy, or you might meet with a biologist in South Africa and learn about their conservation work with marine wildlife. This type of program is an accessible and environmentally friendly way to increase your intercultural competence and learn vital skills for working in the global community.”

Concurrently, UNI is still offering the traditional study abroad experience for the spring 2021 semester for countries such as Ireland, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Japan, South Korea and many more. With the pandemic still gripping the world, university representatives are here to offer guidance and help provide security and reassurance to students who wish to travel abroad.

“Right now there are still students who are starting in the fall semester which starts on the 28th of September,” said Margaret Cardosi, the North American Officer for University College Cork in Ireland. “Also, right now anybody coming from outside of Ireland, from the United

States specifically, does need to quarantine for 14 days. We have a lot of information on our public health site about that, but we are actually providing public transportation free of cost for international students. We get them down to campus, we escort them to their accommodation and make sure that they feel supported and have everything they need. We want to make sure that they know where to go, how to order groceries or who to call if they have a problem.”

Another country that had a lot of attention while still having closed borders was Australia, specifically the University of Tasmania. “I just want everyone to go on a study abroad tour because I think it really expands their world views, and it means that they are more likable or understanding and more accepting of others, and I think that is something that we should see more of in this world and not less of,” expressed Patrick FoleyDonoghue, a representative of the Australian university.

Having experienced studying abroad himself, FoleyDonoghue strongly believes in the importance of cultivating a world view for students and helping them meet like-minded people.

“It’s the courses that you want to take. You bring your own passions,” said FoleyDonoghue. “I mean, you can find out half this stuff on the internet, but you’re taking a course because you want to meet people that are passionate about the same thing as you. You want to meet people that test you, that ask you questions not just about yourself but where you are from and what you do and why.”

According to Van Zee, UNI is also working closely with their students to support them during this difficult time and to make sure that all travel plans continue smoothly.

“The situation is ever evolving, and we are working with each student on a one on one case,” said Van Zee. “We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to operate study abroad programs abroad once again in 2021. As we prepare for the new reality of sending students abroad in the time of COVID-19, we are reviewing our guidelines closely to ensure that our students can once again participate in life changing international experiences in person, while adhering to recommendations issued by health authorities.”

ANTHONY WITHEROW Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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PAGE 5

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

Counseling Center hosts mental health conference ANNA ALLDREDGE Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Sept.

15, the UNI Counseling Center held its second annual Mental Health Conference via Zoom.

This year’s conference consisted of several breakout sessions throughout the day and featured keynote speaker Jamie Tworkowski, founder of the nonprofit organization To Write Love on Her Arms.

According to Riley Rodemaker, Graduate Assistant for Suicide Prevention and one of the coordinators of this event, the conference was originally to be held in person for a longer duration. Due to COVID-19 measures, changes were made to both the format and lineup of the event so it could happen on a smaller scale.

This year’s conference theme was “2020: A Vision for the Future,” which attempted to address the current state of many individuals’ mental health while also remaining optimistic and hopeful for the future.

“With COVID and all of this stuff, there’s been

a lot of change happening,” Rodemaker said.

“Something that could maybe be good for individuals is to have a conference that focuses on hope or what’s coming in the future that’s going to be good, not necessarily what is going on right now.”

After brief opening remarks made by NISG Director of Mental Health Josie Sack, president of To Write Love on Her Arms McKenzie Waddell, NISG President Elle Boeding and UNI President Mark Nook, the conference kicked off with a session led by Traci Ludwig on trauma-informed yoga.

Ludwig discussed the latest research on the subject, how trauma-informed yoga differs from typical yoga practices and how intentional language is used to help those who have experienced trauma. She then led a brief practice using trauma-informed language and researchbased methods.

Because this is only the second year this conference has been put on, coordinators tried to implement changes and

improvements as best they could under the current circumstances.

“In terms of last year’s conference, we had a lot of really good feedback,” Rodemaker said.

“This year, we just kind of wanted to make sure the conference happened again. We’re trying to establish it as something that’s going to happen time and time again. A big push at the university is looking at non-western kinds of treatment.

Not necessarily like talk therapy or medication, but maybe other things like meditation or yoga.”

Additionally, this year’s conference stressed the prevalence of disparities in access to mental health care and how marginalized minorities are disproportionately affected by mental illnesses.

“Due to a lot of conversations happening in the United States and the world right now in regards to race and other issues, we have also included a mental health and diversity panel, which is going to be a diverse array of individuals talking about their interpretations of men-

Courtesy photo/UNI Counseling Center

tal health and their experiences here on campus and in the surrounding community,” Rodemaker said.

Following sessions on Validate, Appreciate, Refer (VAR) training, a Diversity in Mental Health Panel and Suicide Prevention in the Future, attendees tuned in for keynote speaker Jamie Tworkowski.

Tworkowski presented at 3 p.m., calling in from his home in Florida.

He discussed his journey with mental health, as well as the foundations and stories behind his organization, To Write Love on Her Arms.

After Tworkowski spoke, closing remarks were made by Jennifer Schneiderman, director of the UNI Counseling Center. For more information on upcoming events or to schedule an appointment with the counseling center, visit counseling.uni.edu.

PAGE 6

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

|

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

FOOTBALL

Big Ten football to return on October 24 COLIN HORNING

Sports Editor

On the morning of Sept.

16, the Big Ten held a joint press conference between all 14 member schools on their decision to revive the fall football season. A unanimous vote determined that the conference would in fact have a football season this fall, beginning on Oct. 24, as announced

by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors.

Previously on Aug. 28 of this year, Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren announced that the schools had voted 11-3 to not have a season for fall sports, with the University of Iowa, University of Nebraska and Ohio State University being the three schools to vote in favor. Due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, many Big Ten university pres-

idents and athletics directors had concerns about bringing large crowds of people together for football games and tailgating. But upon pressure from student-athletes, parents, local politicians and even the President of the United States, the Big Ten decided to re-vote on the matter.

The conference has put in place strict medical protocols for players, coaches and others involved with universi-

ty athletics. Anyone on the field for games and practices will be required to be tested daily, with test results being required to be completed before each practice and game. Should any one of these individuals test positive for COVID-19, they will be required to undergo extensive cardiac testing and lab procedures, followed by a medical clearance from a university-designated cardiologist.

Student-athletes are able to

return to play 21 days after a positive test at the earliest.

The decision comes at a time in which the Big 12, SEC and ACC have already started their fall sports seasons, along with smaller mid-major conferences. Following the Big Ten’s decision, the PAC 12 remains the only major collegiate sports conference to have their fall sports season on hold.

RUGBY

UNI men’s rugby overcoming challenges in 2020 TEHYA TOURNIER

Sports Writer

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring season for UNI men’s rugby was cut short with their fall season being delayed as well.

Coach Jesus Ramirez said with no games or scrimmages happening, practice has also been altered when comparing to past seasons.

“It’s different for sure, but it has allowed us to work on individual player development and work on everyone’s skills.”

Ramirez began coaching at UNI in the fall 2015 after playing the sport for ten years, when previous coach, Ryan Gray, retired and took a teaching position in the Des Moines area.

Ramirez said he enjoyed his time playing and the con-

nections he’s made since being involved with rugby all over the state.

“It’s the bond that we build over time, especially meeting players all over the world, so because of rugby I was introduced to many players from different backgrounds and countries.”

On the other hand, when being a coach instead of a player, Ramirez said his favorite part is being able to watch the players grow and develop through rugby and academically.

“Finding out they’ll be walking out with a degree from this great university is a proud moment for me as a coach; we stress that they’re here for school, not rugby,” he said.

With this school year off to a different start, the team has done what they can to still be somewhat involved in the

club.

All coaches and players are to wear masks, check their temperatures, and bring symptom sheets to each practice. Practices are no contact and group sizes are smaller when practicing and conditioning to follow social distancing guidelines.

The Iowa State and Iowa Central men’s rugby teams were approved by both of their schools and the Iowa Rugby Union to play a game a few weeks ago on Aug 31.

“Both are very prominent programs and as far as we’ve heard everything went OK,” Ramirez said.

He said he hopes with businesses slowly opening and other sports within the community still being played that there still can be a season before the semester or school year ends.

“Even if it is one scrim-

COURTESY PHOTO/UNI MEN’S RUGBY

mage or one game, it would just give our seniors one last game, especially for those who have worked hard all summer to stay safe and in shape,” he said.

Junior Ben Boezinger said practices have dramatically changed, but it hasn’t been too challenging to adjust to.

Boezinger began playing rugby in high school at Cedar Falls High School and decided to play at UNI when a few

former players decided to help out at an early-season practice he attended.

“The camaraderie and friendship is probably the best part about playing,” he said.

Although the team has been following CDC and university guidelines, they are still unable to play any games at this time but have hope for the spring and the next fall season.

OPINION

NFL week one: recapping the storylines NICHOLAS SCHINDLER Sports Writer

It has been nearly seven months since the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, but the 2020-21 NFL season is here. There were concerns that the NFL season wouldn’t be played this year, but it did in fact start right on schedule. The Chiefs kicked off the NFL season a week ago by defeating the Houston Texans 34-20. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked as good as ever, and with rookie running back Clyde EdwardsHelaire the Chiefs look poised to repeat. Some talking points during the NFL offseason have been Tom Brady’s new team, Packers rookie Jordan Love going along with Aaron Rodgers and if the Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders with Mike McCarthy

as head coach.

For many fans, seeing Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski playing for Tampa Bay was a strange sight to see, especially with both players struggling in their first game. It is way too early to make judgments about Brady with the Buccaneers, but his new team was blown out on national television by the New Orleans Saints. Brady looked rusty and threw two interceptions in the game. Buccaneers coach Bruce Ariens said, “I would expect him to have a little more grit, a little more determination this week.” Brady’s former team, the New England Patriots, handled the Miami Dolphins just fine in week one. New England signed former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to a team-friendly contract in the offseason, and he played well in his first game. Compared

to Brady’s struggles, it’s clear that New England has a player-friendly system.

Another story mentioned all offseason was how Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys are finally ready to take the next step and make it to the Super Bowl. The NFL showcased the new-look Cowboys on Sunday Night Football to debut their new coach’s offense. With players like quarterback Dak Prescot, running back Ezekiel Elliot and wide receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys offense looked potent, and many Dallas fans were excited about an offensive-minded, former Super Bowl champion head coach taking the reigns of the team.

However, at the end of the game, Dallas had a chance to come back and win yet fell short. The Cowboys put up a measly 17 points and lost

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20-17 against the Los Angeles Rams. Dallas’s offense looked flat, indicating that there is a lot of room for improvement.

Many fans were excited to have the NFL return, as the 2020 season got underway.

With a lot of new players on new teams, old players looking for redemption and the overall excitement of a new season, it is good to have the NFL back.

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

FUN & GAMES SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

Across

1 Seething 6 Jaguar weapons 11 Half a dance 14 Stinger ingredient 15 Superman player Cavill 16 “The Last Jedi” villain Kylo

17 Alpine airs 18 Broken out, in a way 19 Days gone by, in days gone by 20 Capital on the Volga 21 Suppress, as a story 22 Punching tools 23 Suffix with fruct-

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

24 Hall of Fame manager Stengel 25 Sal of “Exodus” 26 Waters down 28 Taiwanese PC brand 29 Rita awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom 30 Hankering 32 Depilatory cream 34 Historic span: Abbr.

35 Impediment to creativity ... and each set of puzzle circles 38 Big letters in family-owned supermarkets 40 Troubadour’s strings 41 Uncle __ 42 Codes of conduct 44 Christian with style 46 Venerated one 50 Adorkable types 51 Lets off steam 52 JFK posting 53 “Psych” finale?

54 Is after 55 Field mice 57 Area 51 craft 58 Singer with Lawrence 59 Accept, with “for” 60 Greek org.

61 Lyft passenger 62 Difficult tasks

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VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

63 Hosp. parts 64 Mideast bigwigs 65 Will Rogers prop

36 Christ the __: Rio landmark 37 Crime show with several spin-offs Down 38 “You obviously can’t 1 Work up depend on me” 2 Risky proposition 39 Fetches 3 Turow biographical title 43 Most junk mail 4 Not working 45 Comic book personnel 5 Fleur-de-__: Quebec flag 47 Change symbols, in math image 48 Opera with Desdemona 6 Poolside chair 49 Alters with a light touch?

7 Debate equipment 51 48-Down composer 8 Get under one’s skin 54 “__ told”: “That’s the 9 Small songbird rumor” 10 Letters on a Qantas bag- 55 Designer Wang gage tag 56 Name in boxy cars?

11 Like many tees 58 Higher ed. test 12 Greek 59 Cardinal’s letters 13 “... et cetera” 14 How some tickets may be sorted 21 Scented pouch 22 Put on 24 Plant in many Road Runner cartoons 25 Dunderhead 27 What Marcie calls Peppermint Patty 29 Distance runners 31 Cultivates 33 Monastic figures 35 Golden State team

Puzzle answers on page 8

PAGE 8

CLASSIFIEDS

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 |

FIND US ONLINE!

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 9

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