9-23-2021

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

CEDAR FALLS, IA

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

NEWS

CAMPUS LIFE

SPORTS

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Writer Jetta Colsch gives an in-depth report on UNI’s contract with Coke.

Bikers on a 6,900 mile ride across the United States stop at UNI.

Panther volleyball places third in Marquette tournament.

Update: COVID-19 on campus TEYHA TOURNIER Staff Writer

As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise nationally, the pandemic is still far from over. Locally, a mask mandate was implemented throughout the Cedar Falls elementary schools this week to prevent the spread of cases.

According to coronavirus. iowa.gov as of Sept. 21, Iowa has a total of 3,633 new cases, averaging 1,811 per seven days.

The COVID-19 dashboard on campus is updated every Monday at noon to give the most accurate information to TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan students and faculty.

COVID-19 continues to be a fear for some around UNI’s campus.

As of Sept.

13-19, 119 tests were administered Shelley O’Connell, the on campus and 10 cases were positive. executive director of Student Health and Well-Being masks regardless of their vac- established the fall 2021 O’Connell said. “The unidepartment protocols to fur- versity will continue to offer Services, could not share spe- cination status.

“Case transmissions will ther keep campus healthy and COVID-19 testing at the cifically where people were occur in areas where people safe.

Student Health Clinic by specifically getting cases. are not wearing masks and

“The three focal areas are appointment.”

Because Black Hawk County particularly for those who assessing fall staffing, pre The Student Health Clinic has a high level of transmisare unvaccinated,” O’Connell venting and reducing transalso offers Test Iowa Take sion, there is a recommensaid. mission and maintaining Home Saliva kits, which are dation that individuals wear Over the summer, UNI healthy work environments,” available at the main entrance

of the Student Health Center.

Those who test positive can reach the Health Center by contacting the UNI COVID19 line, (319) 273-2100. The Student Health Clinic nurses will provide health education instructions for isolation or if they are negative but were tested because of exposure quarantine instructions are provided.

The Student Health Clinic nurses will provide health education instructions for individuals who must isolate or quarantine.

The Forward Together website is where students can find the updated case dashboard, protocols for face coverings, physical distancing, vaccinations, testing resources, what to do if a test is positive, the Panther Health Survey and other precautionary information UNI has done to stop the spread of COVID-19.

See COVID-19, page 5

UNI student takes the turf, wins big EBONI SPRINGFIELD Staff Writer

UNI football kicked off its season home opener in a blowout win against the St. Thomas Tommies. The game was last Saturday, Nov. 21, with perfect conditions, no wind and 72 degrees. As thousands of fans filled the stadium, they had no idea Mathew Cook wasn’t going to be the only UNI field goal kicker on the turf that night.

Melissa Hoffman, a UNI student, won the HyVee Field Contest hosted at the beginning of the third quarter.

Hoffman said she entered a contest giveaway she saw in a Facebook advertisement, not knowing she would have to participate in kicking a field goal, as the giveaway consisted of multiple prizes.

“I won a UNI backpack, a bunch of Panther gear, fourgame tickets and a $10 gift card to HyVee,” Hoffman

everything she could to perform well,” he said.

Who is Melissa Hoffman? Both on and off the field, Hoffman is an active member of UNI’s campus. Currently in her senior year, studying family services and mental health, Hoffman says the thing she is most passionate about is “giving back and helping people.”

Melissa has been an active member of the Black EBONI SPRINGFIELD/Northern Iowan Student Union (BSU) since UNI student Melissa Hoffman won the Hyvee Field Contest and received a package of prizes for her winnings. her freshman year.

She became the Chair of explained.

I couldn’t actually focus on ing questions for the Northern Finance for BSU her junior Hoffman had three faces; it was just loud noise,” Iowan, Hospodarsky com- year and still currently holds opportunities to kick a field Hoffman laughed. “Once I hit mented on the effect Hoffman this position. She finds it goal from the 10-yard line. the turf, my adrenaline start- had on the crowd. essential to give multiculAlthough her athletic per- ed; it was a lot of fun, straight- “Melissa’s energy before, tural students a voice and a during and after the contest “home” on campus and to formance may be question- up fun, the whole time.” able, making only one of the Tyler Hospodarsky, a grad- was exactly what a crowd push for the inclusion of all three shots and losing the uate student at UNI and the like that needed to get loud students to provide perspecprize money, her excitement men’s basketball and football and get excited. I could tell tives on lifestyles and backand energy were a triumph game emcee was right along- from the time she got out grounds. amongst UNI football fans. side Hoffman as she competed there that she was having “The energy was insane. in the contest. When answer- fun and was going to do See UNI STUDENT, page 5

PAGE 2

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

NEWS

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN News Editor

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

UNI’s contract with Coke, Atlantic Bottling vending machine sales along with other money from the company itself.

While a portion goes towards the university for general funding, the rest gets split up mainly between the organizations that bring in the most money to Coke itself. Two huge beneficiaries of this are the dining program and athletics. Other groups that benefit from this are Northern Iowa Student Government, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Student Life and more.

However, the benefits can also be reaped in a more personal way as UNI created a 10-year contract with Coca-Cola well. The contract revenue for the university. creates the opporcampus here in Cedar Falls tunity for a UNI student to be hired by Coke’s along with taking part in national program as a student national activities as well.

While the contract does ambassador. This allows the have numerous positive outstudent to serve their home

campus are also Cokeon ly, mea n i ng Pepsi products or ot her wise cannot be provided by the university.

While Pepsi-lovers may be d isappoi nte d t hey can’t walk to Biscotti’s or 23rd Street Ma rket and pick up their favorite pop, this Coca-Cola cont ract easily ma kes up for it in student and university benefits. Not only does it benefit the student body as a whole, it gives assistance and opportunities to organizations on campus along with that one lucky student who gets the chance to work side by side with the multi-billion dolla r company.

The contract between UNI and Atlantic Bottling promotes huge benefits for UNI and its students NI Archives over the next severa l in 2018. The contract helps increase years. The contract will end in June 2028, marking the completion of the comes for people on campus, it also affects more than 10 -year agreement. just everyday living on campus for students. All UNI catered events on or off

club for all students who have an interest in creative media or digital c om mu n icat ion.

It’s just a way to sort of help them develop the skills that they’ll need in the future for employers, as well as (for) creative media people.”

The club aims to guide students through networking with professionals and building the necessary BENITEZ/Northern Iowan digital skills for President of theNIXSON Digital Collective club future employ- Ben Neessen hopes to help students gain ment in these professional connections through the club. fields. hoping to speak with indusNeessen has some strong try professionals, as well as goals for the year. “We’ll be organize an industry hub

in local businesses in the Cedar Valley area. That’ll help teach students the different traits that they should develop for employers, as well as develop skills as a group to help us all become greater and more proficient artists.”

Some of the industry professionals they plan to connect with include Spinutech and Mudd Advertising, as well as SPLICE which is located in Minneapolis.

These are great networking opportunities for students interested in, or passionate about, this field.

The Digital Collective club is revamped this year with many opportunities for the students involved. The club currently has around 10 members, but are hoping to

JETTA COLSCH the commission from Staff Writer

Some Pepsi loving students may have noticed when buying beverages around campus that only CocaCola’s products are available for purchase.

In July 2018, UNI signed a 10-year contract with CocaCola’s mother company Atlantic Bottling. By signing, UNI agreed to only sell and provide Coke products on campus along with only allowing university funds to be spent on Coke products off campus.

While choosing a sort of ultimatum may seem like an interesting choice for a university that is otherwise filled with diversity, it actually has numerous benefits for both the school itself along with on-campus student organizations. By sticking with Coca-Cola alone, the university is able to take full advantage of the benefits offered by the company.

One of the most important benefits is the funding given to UNI every year.

This money includes part of

Digital Collective club seeks new members ANNA STEVENS Staff Writer

The Digital Collective club, run by club president Ben Neessen, is looking to revitalize the club and entice new members with opportunities for networking and skill development.

Neessen reflected on the previous year and the amount of members participating. It had been centered around video production in the past, but this year Neessen plans to shift the focus of the group and “give it a new life.”

“The two other students had graduated or left the club entirely. So it was solely me. It was… wow,” Neessen said.

“The purpose (of this club) is it’s a social and networking

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Northern Iowan Advisor christopher.martin@uni.edu

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CIRCULATION DORI CLAUSEN Circulation Manager

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gain many more prospects.

No prior knowledge is necessary.

“We are made up primarily of digital media production students, as well as interactive digital studies,” Neessen said. “We are open for all students who have an interest.”

The club will be speaking with industry professionals through the semester and into next and is a great opportunity for students to gain professional connections and guidance for employment in the future.

If students are interested in joining, contact Ben Neessen via email at neessbaa@uni.edu.

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 maase@uni.edu.

SEND US STORY IDEAS

Tell us what’s happening on campus. Email submissions to northern-iowan@uni.edu.

Do you want to have an event listed here? Email us at northern-iowan@uni.edu with information about the event to have it featured.

PAGE 3

OPINION

NIXSON BENITEZ Executive Editor

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

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

Women deserve reproductive freedom CAROLINE CHRISTENSEN Opinion Columnist

With the passage of Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8) in Texas – which effectively bans almost all abortions in the state – reproductive rights for women in the United States are slowly and systematically being reduced.

In a controversial decision that sparked outcry from reproductive rights activists, S.B. 8 bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy at six weeks is notoriously difficult to detect, even for women closely monitoring their cycle.

Women with conditions like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis may have further complications as detecting pregnancies with these conditions causes cycles to be irregular.

Both PCOS and endometriosis are common conditions with more than 200,000 cases reported each year for both conditions. Even if women figure out they are pregnant before the six week deadline, it may take weeks to receive an abortion at a clinic, and by then she will be past the point of legality.

Although the law claims abortions could be acceptable in cases of medical emergen-

cy, in cases of rape or incest abortion is outlawed.

Women deserve to draw the line on their health

In the midst of the frenzied debate by lawmakers and pro-lifers, people seem to forget that women are intelligent, autonomous human beings that should be able to make decisions about their reproductive health. A government mandate will not make the decision to have an abortion an easier decision for women. History has proven if women do not have access to a safe abortion, they will find ways to have one regardless if it is safe or legal. Whether out of desperation or other personal reasons, women will continue to have abortions.

Ultimately the passage of restrictive abortion laws is sending the message that women do not have the intelligence or moral compass to decide whether or not to have an abortion. We should trust women to draw the line on their own reproductive health because women deserve the dignity and right to choose what they do with their body.

Women have autonomy and intelligence and – as most state legislatures seem to forget – heartbeats. Women

are so much more than their reproductive organs and should be treated as such.

Even basic reproductive health procedures like tubal ligation or tubal occlusion (also known as “getting your tubes tied”) have obstacles women have to jump through in order to receive the procedure. Some medical professionals require a woman to get permission from her husband before she gets a tubal ligation, and some providers urge women not to get the procedure especially if they are still in “childbearing years.” It is no coincidence that men who get vasectomies do not encounter any of these issues.

The irony of pro-lifers

As women’s lives and livelihoods continue to be endangered by restrictive policies related to their reproductive organs, pro-life legislatures and advocates spout hypocritical nonsense.

Although they claim to be pro-life and fight for the lives of unborn children, they certainly do not fight for the quality of life when the baby is actually born.

For example, in 2018 the Trump administration and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) advocated pay cuts

to programs which help families afford basics.

Programs such as Medicaid and CHIP, SNAP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), TANF, housing assistance, LIHEAP, tax credits and Supplemental Security Income that help families and children substantially faced funding cuts.

Pro-lifers also often push for wildly unrestricted gun rights, and children are often the innocent victims of these unrestricted policies.

According to the non profit Children’s Defense Fund, “Children witnessed, suffered, or died in 611 mass shootings in 2020—up from 417 in 2019,” and “Since 1963, nearly 193,000 children and teens have been killed with guns on American soil—more than four times the number of U.S. soldiers killed in action in the Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars combined.”

Pro-lifers seem to be quite unconcerned about these startling statistics. Pushing for more unrestricted gun laws is just fine when a profit can be made.

The government needs to mind its own business

Many pro-lifers argue women receive abortions well into the third trimester, when the baby is mostly formed, which is unethical and immoral. According to the Washington Post, abortions after the third trimester are exceedingly rare making up only 1.3% of abortions.

When abortions are carried out this late in the pregnancy, the woman was more than likely expecting to carry to full term and must make the heart wrenching decision to continue her pregnancy putting herself or her child at serious risk. The government mandating restrictive abortions laws does not make the decision to have an abortion morally better or easier for the woman or the family.

Instead of creating a culture of control and fear over reproductive rights and abortion, we need comprehensive sex education, safe sex supplies and reproductive health care readily available for women and men alike. We also need child care and supportive services for families and children after they are born.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM continued to page 5

Overcoming bad impressions, to a connection BRITTANY KALVIG

Opinion Columnist

It takes 20 seconds for someone to formulate an opinion about you. What do people think of you when they meet you? Do you ever wonder what their immediate impression is? While first impressions count, the not so great ones need to follow up with a memorable second impression.

Let’s keep it solid. A UNI student, Will Nachazel says, “It solidifies what other people think about you. The first impression gives them an idea of who you are and the second impression clarifies.”

Often times, projecting this image to others allows perception to be disoriented. It happens, then the judgements made unconsciously become influential on personal biases.

Overcoming a horrible first impression can be complimented by a strategy. This will make people revise their opinions. As student Haley Hudson says, “First impressions can be wrong,

so a second impression can correct an incorrect perception.” Words, behaviors, body language and even facial expressions become a subject for personal interpretation. Within the first phase of impression making, people are not passive observers, which correlates to unnecessary questioning about who you are as a person. One strategy to present is showing evidence.

Drawing out a map of different lenses such as ego, trust and power. Power comes from how useful you are to that person. Ego comes to the perceiver of who is at the top of the ladder. People want confirmation of superiority. Trust comes from intuition feelings. Kind of like fight or flight, are you a friend or foe?

Overcoming a bad impression is not a good leading factor, but the second impression will have to have evidence piling for consistency. Most of the time, the people who are now my friends have told me that their first thought of me wasn’t all that nice.

But down the road, the light

bulbs went off and it was because they had never actually met me.

Once you have a sit down conversation with someone, your first impression of them really never matters. Not knowing the person well makes no base for making a judgement. If you want the first impression to go well, the person receiving needs to be able to read your behavior and anticipate your wants and needs.

Identify opportunities for collaboration after challenging the first impression, others begin to notice who you are and correct their judgement. An example would be if someone underestimates you by not being able to lift heavy objects; find an opportunity to prove that person who underestimated you, wrong. As humans, we have a desire for control. No, I do not mean control like an authoritarian, but control of stressors. Once those stressors feel uncertain, it leads to helplessness. When a person feels as though they have lost control of those stressors, they want to gain

Anna Stevens/Northern Iowan

A first impression might be negative, so make a second impression better.

it back. Focusing on getting to know the person better is a way for them to also feel they are reclaiming that control.

Being present can highlight your strengths and bury the weaknesses. Don’t sit back and wait for those around you to approach you a second time. Strategically incentivize yourself to leave a great first impression on someone. Don’t be patient and allow a bubble to pop by then it’s too late.

You have to create a new bubble that could take more than one try. It’s like taking

one step forward, two steps backwards. As students, we all want to make a good first impression that accord with the images we project. Whether it’s through social media, social gatherings or even class, we all want that judgement and perception to be clear to those who don’t know who we are. Set an image for yourself and who you want to be and aspire to it. Know your audience, exceed confidence, be a good listener and caution questions. The second impression is what sticks with people.

PAGE 4

CAMPUS LIFE

CATHERINE CROW Campus Life Editor

“Dear Evan Hansen” can not recapture stage magic SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

HUNTER FRIESEN Film Critic

Besides the expected superhero films, the genre that seems to be all the rage in 2021 is musicals. This year sees several different variations of the movie musical, featuring original concepts (“Annette”), musical variations of classic tales (Amazon’s “Cinderella”), Broadway adaptations (LinManuel Miranda’s “In the Heights,” and Miranda’s directorial debut “Tick, Tick… Boom!”) and even remakes of Broadway adaptations (Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”). Slotting right in with the rest of the Broadway pack is the film adaptation of the modern stage musical sensation: “Dear Evan Hansen.”

Riddled with social anxiety, depression and a cast on his left arm, Evan Hansen is a teenager who can never seem to fit in. He writes letters to himself for motivation, in which one haphazardly falls into the hands of the troubled Connor Murphy, who takes his own life shortly after. The Murphys believe the letter to be Connor’s sui-

cide note, with Evan being his best friend. Rather than admit the truth that Connor was his bully, Evan goes along with this opportunity, netting him a newfound sense of popularity and affection from those that never once passed him a glance. He also becomes an unofficial member of the Murphy family, with the parents taking him under their wing and their daughter, Zoe, developing a relationship with him. But like all charades, the lie begins to spin out of control, tangling Evan and those he cares about in a web of deceit.

Tasked with bringing the stage play to cinematic life is director Stephen Chbosky, who recently had success with “Wonder,” a story about a boy with facial disfigurement, and the soon-to-be cult classic/ greatest movie ever according to Tumblr, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

Unlike the musicals mentioned in the beginning, “Dear Evan Hansen” doesn’t feature large group numbers on sweeping sets. Much of the action occurs in smaller, domestic locations, with

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

the most exotic sets being a school gymnasium and a runof-the-mill apple orchard. And even when a song features more than one performer, they hardly share the same location, such as “Requiem,” where the Murphys are crosscut and folded on top of each other.

The film hangs its heart on the musical numbers, many of which have become anthems to a generation, especially “You Will Be Found,” which has become so iconic that it gets a special Sam Smith treatment during the credits, along with the familiar show-stopping rendition that occurs at the midpoint. Schbosky shows middling prowess for the staging of these numbers, opting for the actors to sing live, filming them through extended takes and slower camera movements that accentuate the emotional pull of the material.

That stillness also acts as a double-edged sword, as there is a distinct lack of energy that makes the 137-minute runtime feel a lot longer than it is.

Ironically, the main problem that keeps this version of “Dear Evan Hansen” from

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

being a sensation is not the cinematic qualities, but the story itself, which won Best Book of a Musical at the 2017 Tony Awards. The problem with the story is systematic, with Evan’s actions being steeped in selfishness. Screenwriter Steven Levenson, adapting his own material, tries too hard to have his cake and eat it too as he attempts to scorn Evan’s actions while also finding the silver lining with a ploying message about friendship and grief. The stage may have been able to cover this with its overpowering emotional tunes and acting, but the slowness of the film adaptation allows for that problem to fester until your sympathy for Evan has completely dried up and you just want him to get caught.

Fortunately, the actors aren’t too affected by the script’s problems. Reprising his famous role, Ben Platt proves once again that he was born to play Evan Hansen, despite his 27-year-old face and gangly body signaling that he should have stayed retired.

Kaitlyn Dever, who broke out in 2019 with “Booksmart,” often steals the show as Zoe.

Dever finds the right amount of vulnerability as her character deals with the death of a brother she never had much respect for. She and Platt make their relationship seem believable, despite the glaring age difference and underwritten romantic development.

Overall: 3/5 Misguided, but not without its merits, “Dear Evan Hansen” aims for the heart with pinpoint accuracy.

There’s an emotional and sweet lesson buried under the creepy candy coating that is the central premise. Once that obstacle is overcome (which is a big task), then there are enough powerful songs to connect with those that sometimes feel alone.

Tribune News Service

Film crtic Hunter Friesen says “Dear Evan Hansen” is “misguided but not without its merits.”

Bikers travel across the US, stop at UNI

Starting at North Carolina, 6,900 miles east to west

COVID 19

continued from page 1

NI STAFF

Amidst a 6,900 mile journey across the United States, bikers Sushil Reddy and Lu Fourcan made a pit stop at the University of Northern Iowa Monday afternoon. Reddy is originally from India, and Fourcan is from Mexico.

The pair started their journey across the U.S. on Aug. 15 and hope to end around Dec. 15.

They started in North Carolina and are following a path from there to New York, Seattle, San Diego and Texas.

Both Reddy and Fourcan have e-bikes, and one is solar powered. Their goal is to collect comparative data to see how solar power keeps the e-bike’s battery charged. They are sponsored by a number of companies and wear their logos on their jerseys. Some of the companies include Mitsubishi Power, Oriden and Door Dash.

In the past five years, Reddy has done similar solar bike rides in India, France and California. He met Fourcan on a solar bike ride in Iceland, and they teamed up for the

NIXSON BENITEZ / NORTHERN IOWAN

Bikers traveled through UNI’s campus Monday afternoon on their 6,900 mile journey across the United States.

U.S. tour.

Reddy says he’s been “pleasantly surprised with the bike infrastructure in the U.S. There are so many nice trails.

Even in the cities, it’s bike

friendly, it was good for most parts I would say there were some instances where we have to be careful with the motors on the road.”

For more information

and updates on Reddy and Fourcan’s journey, visit The SunPedal Ride sunpedalride. com.

Students, faculty and others on campus can stop the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated.

“They can get vaccinated, if they haven’t already, wear a mask, monitor their symptoms and get tested if they are having symptoms,” O’Connell said.

The Student Health Center has weekly vaccination clinics on Thursdays 1-3 p.m. and Fridays 9-11 a.m. Students, faculty and staff can also call the UNI COVID-19 line (319)-273-2100 to ask questions about exposure or symptoms, and to schedule COVID-19 testing.

Lastly, O’Connell stated that everyone should be completing the Panther Healthy Survey if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status) or have been exposed to COVID-19 and are unvaccinated.

PAGE 5 CATHERINE CROW Campus Life Editor

CAMPUS LIFE SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

N.I en Español: Dear Evan Hansen MARIO MENDEZ

Spanish Editor

Además de las esperadas películas de superhéroes, el género que parece estar de moda en 2021 son los musicales. Este año habrá diferentes variantes del musical cinematográfico, con conceptos originales (“Annette”), variaciones musicales de cuentos clásicos (“Cenicienta” de Amazon), adaptaciones de Broadway (“In the Heights” de Lin-Manuel Miranda, y el debut de Miranda como director “Tick, Tick... Boom!”), e incluso remakes de adaptaciones de Broadway (“West Side Story” de Steven Spielberg). La adaptación cinematográfica de la sensación teatral moderna “Querido Evan Hansen” es una de las más destacadas: “Querido Evan Hansen”.

Evan Hansen es un adolescente con ansiedad social, depresión y un brazo izquierdo escayolado que no parece encajar. Se escribe cartas a sí mismo para motivarse, en las que una cae desordenadamente en manos del problemático Connor Murphy, que se quita la vida poco después. Los Murphy creen que la carta es

la nota de suicidio de Connor, siendo Evan su mejor amigo.

En lugar de admitir la verdad de que Connor era su matón, Evan sigue adelante con esta oportunidad, lo que le proporciona una nueva sensación de popularidad y afecto por parte de aquellos que nunca le dirigieron una mirada. También se convierte en un miembro no oficial de la familia Murphy, con los padres tomándolo bajo su ala y su hija, Zoe, desarrollando una relación con él.

Pero, como todas las farsas, la mentira empieza a descontrolarse, enredando a Evan y a sus seres queridos en una red de engaños.

El encargado de llevar la obra de teatro al cine es el director Stephen Chbosky, que recientemente ha tenido éxito con “Wonder”, sobre un niño con desfiguración facial, y con la que pronto será un clásico de culto/la mejor película de la historia según Tumblr, “Las ventajas de ser un alhelí”.

A diferencia de los musicales mencionados al principio, “Dear Evan Hansen” no cuenta con grandes números de grupo en escenarios amplios. Gran parte de la acción se desarrolla en lugares más pequeños y domésti-

cos, siendo los decorados más exóticos un gimnasio escolar y un huerto de manzanas corriente. E incluso cuando una canción cuenta con más de un intérprete, apenas comparten la misma localización, como en el caso de “Requiem”, en el que los Murphy aparecen cruzados y doblados unos encima de otros.

La película se apoya en los números musicales, muchos de los cuales se han convertido en himnos para una generación, especialmente “You Will Be Found”, que se ha convertido en un icono hasta el punto de recibir un tratamiento especial de Sam Smith durante los créditos, junto con la conocida interpretación que se produce en el punto medio.

Schbosky muestra una mediana habilidad para la puesta en escena de estos números, optando por qué los actores canten en directo, filmándolos a través de largas tomas y movimientos de cámara más lentos que acentúan el tirón emocional del material. Esa quietud también actúa como un arma de doble filo, ya que hay una clara falta de energía que hace que los 137 minutos de duración parezcan mucho más largos de lo que son.

Panther Marching Band returns for half time show

TONI FORTMANN / NORTHERN IOWAN

The marching band half-time show made a come back at the home football game this past weekend after being gone since 2019.

Irónicamente, el principal problema que impide que esta versión de “Dear Evan Hansen” sea una sensación no son las cualidades cinematográficas, sino la propia historia, que ganó el premio al mejor libro de un musical en los premios Tony de 2017. El problema de la historia es sistemático, ya que las acciones de Evan están impregnadas de egoísmo. El guionista Steven Levenson, que adapta su propio material, se esfuerza demasiado por tener su pastel y comérselo también, ya que intenta despreciar las acciones de Evan y, al mismo tiempo, encontrar el lado positivo con un mensaje artificioso sobre la amistad y el dolor. El escenario puede haber sido capaz de cubrir esto con sus melodías emocionales y su actuación, pero la lentitud de la adaptación cinematográfica permite que ese problema se encuentre hasta que tu simpatía por Evan se ha secado por completo y sólo quieres que lo atrapen.

Afortunadamente, los actores no se ven demasiado afectados por los problemas del guión. Repitiendo su famoso papel, Ben Platt demuestra una vez más que ha nacido para

UNI STUDENT

continued from page 1

Hoffman was also the Jump Start Pathfinder for group H in the summer of 2021. Jump Start is the summer bridge program at UNI used to acclimate students of color, low-income students and first-generation students to campus before school begins. Hoffman used this experience to give back to incoming first-year students what she gained from the program during her freshman year. She emphasized the importance of building relationships with these students and allowing them to thrive in a university setting.

In her last year, Hoffman is focusing on her future career path and figuring out what area of family services she fits in best. She is currently on the hunt for an internship that will allow her to expand on her passion for working with and helping marginalized communities.

Hoffman’s involvement on campus has made a significant impact on many students at UNI. Her “giver” attitude and passion for creating meaningful change not only on this campus but out in the real world is what drives her to be great. And there is one thing she wants you all to know, “I am not going to stop,” Hoffman said.

interpretar a Evan Hansen, a pesar de que su cara de 27 años y su cuerpo desgarbado indican que debería haberse quedado retirado.

Kaitlyn Dever, que irrumpió en 2019 con “Booksmart”, a menudo se roba el espectáculo como Zoe. Dever encuentra la cantidad justa de vulnerabilidad mientras su personaje lidia con la muerte de un hermano al que nunca tuvo mucho respeto. Ella y Platt hacen que su relación parezca creíble, a pesar de la evidente diferencia de edad y el desarrollo romántico sobreescrito.

En general: 3/5 Desencaminada, pero no exenta de méritos, “Dear Evan Hansen” apunta al corazón con una precisión milimétrica.

Hay una lección emocional y dulce enterrada bajo la espeluznante capa de caramelo que es la premisa central. Una vez superado ese obstáculo (lo cual es una gran tarea), hay suficientes canciones potentes para conectar con aquellos que a veces se sienten solos.

TO READ IT IN ENGLISH continued from page 4

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM continued from page 3

Ultimately the government should never have a say in a medically private, personal and moral issue that is incredibly unique and specific to thousands of different women from different cultural, age and ethnic backgrounds.

A woman diagnosed with cancer should not be forced to put her life in critical danger by carrying out a risky pregnancy.

An expectant mother should not be forced to have her baby even when her baby will only live for a few excruciating painful moments.

A 13 year old rape victim should not be forced to carry a child when she is a child herself.

Our government does not know better than doctors.

Our government does not know better than the pregnant women who are impacted by restrictive abortion policies.

Until women’s reproductive rights are fully recognized, women’s reproductive health and rights will continue to be merely an afterthought for pro-life supporters.

To support organizations fighting the abortion ban in Texas specifically, go to actblue.com, prochoicetexas.org and support local Planned Parenthoods to help secure reproductive rights and freedoms.

PAGE 6

SPORTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

COLIN HORNING Sports Editor

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

VOLLEYBALL

Panthers place third in Marquette tournament HUNTER FRIESEN the Panthers were able to rack

Sports Writer

Over this past weekend, the UNI Panthers volleyball team traveled to Milwaukee, Wis. for the 2021 Marquette Invitational, also featuring Wright State and UTSA. Before the weekend, the Panthers had a record of 4-6 and ended the weekend with a record of 5-8.

The Panthers opened the tournament on Friday with a match against Wright State out of the Horizon League. Things started well for the Purple & Gold as they took the first set by the score of 25-19.

Unfortunately, that set was the lone bright spot as Wright State took the next three, along with the match. The silver lining in the loss was that

up season-high totals in terminations and digs, with 51 and 87, respectively. With 32 assists in the match, freshman Taylor Alden eclipsed the 1,000 career assist mark.

Redshirt freshman Kaylee Donner netted 26 digs, setting a new personal record.

The team couldn’t commiserate for too long as they had a second match on Friday, this time against the University of Texas at San Antonio. The opening two sets were split between the Panthers and RoadRunners. After that, the Panthers were able to take the next two and win the match 3-1. The season-high record of 51 terminations set earlier in the day didn’t last for long as the Panthers totaled 52 against UTSA. Emily Holterhaus notched 13 terminations and

matched a career-high in aces with four.

The final match of the tournament occurred on Saturday against the hosts, the Golden Eagles of Marquette. The first set was tightly contested, with multiple lead changes and 10 ties. The Golden Eagles were able to secure the set with a 5-0 run at the end. That win gave Marquette the confidence to dominate the next two sets, winning each by double digits, completing a 3-0 sweep set sweep. The Panthers were only able to muster a 0.077 hitting percentage with 26 total kills.

Despite dropping two of their three matches, the Panthers finished the tournament in third place. Junior Jenna Brandt was named to the all-tournament team and led the team in setter assists in the final match.

The tournament marked

Toni Fortmann/Northern Iowan

The UNI volleyball team defeated Texas-San Antonio but fell to Wright State and Marquette over the weekend at the Marquette tournament.

the end of the non-conference portion of the season for the Panthers, as the rest of their matches will be against Missouri Valley Conference opponents. The team will be back on Sept. 24 and 25 as

they host Bradley University and Illinois State University, respectively. The match against Bradley will be on Team Poster Night, and the match against Illinois State will be the annual Gold Game.

MEN’S GOLF

Panther men’s golf appears in Ram Masters Invitational DREW HILL Sports Writer

The UNI men’s golf team hit the road this week to play in the 2021 Ram Masters Invitational in Colorado.

This tournament was hosted by Colorado State at the Fort Collins Country Club (FCCC). The field included 16 teams, as well as an independent team from Colorado.

Play began on Monday,

Sept. 20, with the first two rounds being played on that day. The third round was played Tuesday. Fairly low temperatures and 16-25 mileper-hour winds contributed to above-average scores.

According to FCCC Head Professional Tristen Fay, these were unusual weather conditions. As a result, no teams finished with a below-par score on Monday.

Northern Colorado led

after day one, and UNI ended the day in 14th place. The UNI men score for round one was 337, and their round two score was 316. Griffin Parker had a strong showing for UNI on Monday. Parker ended round one in a tie for 46th but moved up to a tie for ninth following a +1 second round, good for a top three score. Thomas Storbeck of UNI also finished the day in a tie for 46th. Ben Bermel,

Thomas Doyle and Alex Pries rounded out UNI’s top five with places of a tie for 74th, 81st and a tie for 84th respectively.

Tuesday brought more normal weather, and all the teams’ scores were much lower. UNI improved their team score for round three to 307 but dropped from 14th to 15th place to finish. The team finished with a total score of 960, good for +120.

Parker finished in a tie for 12th place at +20. Storbeck finished in a tie for 46th, Pries and Doyle tied for 82nd and Bermel finished in 85th. The Ram Masters Invitational champion as a team was Colorado State.

The UNI men’s golf team will hit the links next on Sept. 27-28 at the Zach Johnson Invitational at Drake University in Des Moines.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

UNI men’s basketball releases 2021-22 schedule DAVID WARRINGTON Sports Writer

After finishing 10-15 in what many would consider a disappointing season in 202021, the UNI Panthers men’s basketball team is ready to once again prove themselves as one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2021-22. With the release of the MVC schedule, we now know UNI’s full schedule for the upcoming season. Here is a look at some of the key games for the Panthers, both conference and non-conference.

UNI will open its season with the non-conference portion of their schedule, and their season opener will be at home against Nicholls State on Nov. 9. They will then go on the road for their only scheduled matchup against a member of a Power 5 confer-

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

The UNI men’s basketball will return several key players from a year ago, including AJ Green and Tywhon Pickford (pictured above).

ence, a Nov. 17 game against the Southeastern Conference’s Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. That’s followed by a trip to Bonaventure, N.Y., to take on St. Bonaventure on Nov. 27, before playing a conference game on Dec. 1 in Peoria, Ill. against Bradley.

The Panthers then return home for matchups against Richmond and Jackson State on Dec. 5 and Dec. 14 respectively, before heading to West Virginia to take on Marshall University on Dec. 18. Their non-conference schedule will conclude when they take a

trip to Hawaii to compete in the 2021 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The event will start on Dec. 22 and is scheduled to run through Christmas Day. They are currently scheduled to face Liberty in the first round.

The conference schedule gets into full swing when the Panthers get back from Hawaii, starting with two early home tests against Evansville on Jan. 2 and Valparaiso on Jan. 5.

The Panthers lost both games against Evansville in 2020-21, and split the two games against Valparaiso.

UNI’s first big conference test will be on Jan. 22 when they host the Drake Bulldogs.

UNI was swept by Drake in their two games last year, with Drake ultimately receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers will also travel to Des Moines to take on the Bulldogs on

Feb. 5.

The other big challenger in the conference for UNI will be the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers. Loyola was another team that swept the Panthers last year, and they ultimately shocked the nation in the NCAA Tournament, defeating top-seeded Illinois in the Round of 32 before falling in the Sweet 16. The Panthers will travel to Chicago to face the Ramblers on Feb. 13, before hosting them at the McLeod Center in UNI’s regular season finale on Feb. 26.

With star player AJ Green returning from injury, UNI will look to reassert themselves as one of the teams to beat in the conference. In order to do that, it will be critical for them to win the early conference games, as well as win some of the games against the reigning conference powerhouses, Drake and Loyola.

PAGE 7

FUN & GAMES

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

Across

1 ’90s game disc 4 Infield fly 9 Invites home for dinner, say 14 007 creator Fleming 15 Banish 16 Unable to sit still 17 *Game where one might have an ace in the hole 19 Actor __ Elba of “The Wire” 20 Liability offset 21 Settle in a new country 23 Young Simpson 26 “Coulda been worse!”

27 Biblical beast 30 Least fatty 33 __-12 conference 36 *Financial page listing 38 “__ creature was stirring ... ” 39 Team in 40-Across 40 Arch city: Abbr.

41 Ship carrying fuel 42 Iowa State city 43 *Only woman ever elected

governor of Alaska 45 Very quietly, in music 46 Artist’s paint holder 47 Farm pen 48 Gave the nod to 50 Payroll IDs 52 Became partners 56 To date 60 Ed with seven Emmys 61 *Stack of unsolicited manuscripts 64 “I’ll do it” 65 Gum treatment, briefly 66 Former president of Pakistan 67 Relaxed 68 “500” Wall St. index ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues 69 Reheat quickly

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

4 Coaches’ speeches 5 Losing tic-tac-toe string 6 Water__: dental brand 7 Title beekeeper played by Peter Fonda 8 Make waves?

9 San Francisco street that crosses Ashbury 10 Netman Agassi 11 *Informal surveys 12 “__ just me?”

13 Financial page abbr.

18 Budding socialite 22 __ dixit: assertion without proof 24 Sales agent 25 Like ankle bones 27 Songwriters’ org.

28 “Put __ here”: envelope corner reminder 29 *Touchy topics 31 Saltpeter, to a Brit 32 Flashy displays 34 Took the loss, financially 35 Sideshow barker 37 Music store buys 38 Actress Peeples 41 Workplace where union membership is optional 43 DWI-fighting org.

44 Growth chart nos.

46 Looked carefully 49 Krispy __ doughnuts 51 Soak (up) 52 Hardly healthy-looking 53 Out of port 54 Snail-mail delivery org.

55 Formal petition 57 Antacid jingle word repeated after “plop, plop” 58 Et __: and others 59 Harvest 62 Barista’s vessel 63 Rocker Vicious

Down

1 Leaning Tower of __ 2 Stable diet 3 Bearded antelopes

We’re We’re looking looking for for stories!! stories!!

Is there something happening around campus? Let us know and we can share your event.

Email Executive Editor Nixson Benitez at benitezn@uni.edu

CROSSWORD

Puzzle Answers SUDOKU ONE

SUDOKU TWO

PAGE 8

CLASSIFIEDS SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

KARLA DE BRUIN Managing Editor

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 8

No matter who you are, an HIV test is right for you.

Ask your health care provider for an HIV test today.

Visit stophiviowa.org for more information, including testing locations near you.

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