The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Northern Iowan
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Volume 107, Issue 19
UNI psychology professor shows how the brain lies Page 5
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Cedar Falls, Iowa
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Page 9
From page-turns to plug-ins
Tuition Late-game heroics propel Panthers outpaces to 34-30 victory over Youngstown State inflation TIM GETTING Staff Writer
LARRY GORDON
The University of Northern Iowa Panthers State budget cuts and took a 34-30 lead over the declines in philanthropy and Youngstown State Penguins endowments helped push with 2:08 remaining in the the cost of college tuition contest. That would mark up much higher than gen- the fourth and final lead eral inflation across the coun- change of the fourth quarter try this year, amounting to as UNI escaped Youngstown an increase of 7.9 percent at Saturday. public campuses and 4.5 perThe Penguins took a 30-27 cent at private ones, accord- advantage with 2:37 left in the ing to a study by the non- game off a 39-yard Jamaine profit College Board. Cook touchdown run, but the Tuition and fees for the Panthers responded quickly. current school year average Sophomore running back $7,605 for state residents at Carlos Anderson returned the public four-year colleges and ensuing kickoff 58 yards to $27,293 at private institu- the YSU 19-yard line, then tions, according to the report junior quarterback Tirrell released Thursday. Room and Rennie rushed for a 19-yard board added an average of touchdown the first play of WHITNEY WILLIAMS/Northern Iowan $8,535 at public campuses and the drive. The Panthers endured four lead changes during the fourth quarter against Youngstown State on Saturday. See TUITION, page 3 See PANTHERS, page 3 Los Angeles Times
Eventually coming out on top, UNI retained the top spot in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standing.
Halloween 2010
ANNA SCHRECK/Northern Iowan
Students attended the International Students Association Halloween Dance in the Maucker Union Ballroom on Saturday. The evening was filled with many interesting characters, varying from sailors to movie characters.
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Zumba Halloween WHITNEY WILLIAMS/Northern Iowan
TUITION continued from page 1
$9,700 at private schools. However, significant boosts in federal grant aid and the use of tax credits provided so much relief that many families, particularly low-income households, were shielded from those price increases, the report found. “That doesn’t mean families aren’t struggling to pay.
They are struggling to pay,� Sandy Baum, a policy analyst for the College Board, said Thursday. But she noted that “extraordinary increases� in federal Pell grants for low-income students and education benefits for military veterans allowed many to enroll and stay in school even as unemployment rose. The average undergraduate last school year received $6,041 in various grants and $4,883 in loans, the study
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PANTHERS continued from page 1
The Panther defense held Youngstown State scoreless on its next possession to secure the victory. Rennie once again set a career-high mark in rushing yards Saturday. His 194 rushing yards eclipsed the 153-yard performance that he posted last week. Senior kicker Billy Hallgren broke the school record for career scoring as his two field goals and four extra points added to his said. About 55 percent of recent graduates at public colleges borrowed some of the cost of college and their debt total averaged $19,800, the College Board said. At private nonprofit colleges, 65 percent of graduates borrowed money, and on average owed $26,100. With general inflation only 1.2 percent, the cost of college without financial aid sped past other consumer costs as it has for three
now 341 total points. The previous record, 331 points, was held by his predecessor Brian Wingert. With the win, UNI retained sole possession of first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings. The Panthers are 4-1 in conference play. UNI will face the MVFC’s third-place team, Indiana State University, next Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. The Sycamores are 3-2 in conference play.
decades, officials noted. The biggest jump came at state institutions, for which state revenues declined as a result of the recession. Public universities that offer doctorates now average $8,503 for tuition and fees, up 8.9 percent from last year, the College Board said. The University of California approved a 32 percent increase rise in basic undergraduate fees for this school year, bringing those
well above the average to about $11,300, not including living costs, a figure well above the national average. The report showed that state universities that mainly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees averaged $6,588 in tuition and fees this year, up 6.5 percent. Undergraduates at California State University pay about $5,100, after a 5 percent increase that still kept them below the national average for this year.
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Features
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Volume 107, Issue 19
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Cedar Falls, Iowa
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northern-iowan.org
5
UNI psychology professor shows how the brain lies By SARAH KELZER Staff Writer
On Oct. 27 in Seerly Hall, University of Northern Iowa associate professor of psychology Otto MacLin gave a presentation titled, “How the Brian Lies and Misrepresents the ‘Real World.’” MacLin explained with numerous visual and demonstrations how the brain lies so it can attempt to explain its surroundings. According to MacLin, the brain is the ultimate con artist. “The brain fails to see things that are there – there are things there you don’t even see,” he said. He then provided examples that were visually confusing. Sometimes the brain showed pictures moving when everything was still and other times the brain distorted the size of the images. Ellen Schultz, a communication sciences and disorders
SARAH KELZER/Northern Iowan
UNI psychology professor Otto MacLin speaks on “How the Brain Lies and Misrepresents the ‘Real World’” on Oct. 27.
major, attended the presentation for her Dynamics of Human Development class.
Panther Portraits
Rider Haunted House WHITNEY WILLIAMS/Northern Iowan
UNI students show their Halloween spirit by participating in the Rider Hall Haunted House on Friday and Saturday.
She thought the presentation was quite interesting and also “surprising in how much your
brain actually tricks you in the way you see things.” According to MacLin, everything we see is upside down, but thanks to the brain, it changes the perceptions and fixes it. It’s the same way with color. Color does not exist. Color is a spectrum of electromagnetic wavelengths that is on the same spectrum as microwaves or televisions. Color only exists in our heads so our brains lie and make up color. The reason our minds do this is because they want to clear away the haze and fix the uncertainty. According to MacLin, “the brain’s job is to take in critical information whenever it’s not clear and try to resolve it.” The brain wants to feel like it has figured the world out and that it is not walking around aimlessly with an incomplete feeling. Therefore, the brain fills in the gaps the world does not give it. Our brains are constantly reconstructing and adapt-
ing. According to MacLin, it’s needed in a world that is always reconstructing and adapting faster than we are. MacLin gave a simple example. Think of how many times you have seen your mom. You have probably seen her hundreds of thousands of times, but your brain does not hold that many images of her. You have a vague, morphed image that will change the next time you see her. If you were held-up at gunpoint, would you be able to identify the face holding the gun? Do you assume the face would be forever imprinted in your head? Some may assume that at that close of range there is no way not to immediately recognize the criminal. When you and the witnesses are questioned later and asked simple questions such as what race he was, everyone would have a different answer. MacLin said everyone sees something different and the See BRAIN, page 6
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FEATURES
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Graduate student highlights
Greta Johnson: An ambassador for ambition
said. Johnson utilizes the nature trails in Cedar Falls to relieve stress, and playing the piano and volunteers in her free time. When undergraduates ask her how she got where she is, Johnson’s advice is simple. “Make the most of your college experience and take advantage of all of the great services and opportunities that are offered here,” she said.
JACKIE McANDREW
Graduate Student Affairs
Greta Johnson, a second-year Leisure, Youth and Human Services graduate student, is intent on leaving her mark at the University of Northern Iowa. While she attends classes and focuses on her studies, Johnson may be called away for business. Her other commitment? As the only student representative on the Iowa Board of Regents, she has the opportunity to mingle and network with some distinguished individuals who make big decisions for UNI. “With this being my second year on the board, I have learned a lot, but I have a lot more to learn,” she said. “I feel like I can be more effective with my position now that I am comfortable with my role as a Regent.” An aficionado of politics, Johnson received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Iowa State University. She decided to come to UNI after working with Camp Adventure in 2009. “Through Camp Adventure, I met Christopher Edgington, who told me a lot about UNI and the Leisure, Youth and Human Services program, and this was where I chose to come for my master’s,” she said. Johnson isn’t stopping there. While she says her main goal is to finish up school, her future plans are far-reaching. On her list, making a difference is her first priority. “I’m really interested in working with nonprofit organizations, but it’s hard to
“Make the most of your college experience and take advantage of all the great services and opportunities that are offered here.” Greta Johnson Leisure, Youth and Human Services graduate student
GRETA JOHNSON
say,” she said. “Two years ago, I would have never thought that I would be here doing this. Who knows where these next two years will lead me?” As a graduate student, she says that her transition from undergraduate to graduate study wasn’t anything she wasn’t prepared for. “School-wise, I expected there to be a difference, so I was ready for that,” she
She seems to be following her own advice, in and out of school. Johnson says that she’s even thought about taking her passion for politics to the next level. “I suppose, long term, I would like to run for office in the distant future,” she said. “It’s not something that I would actively pursue, but should an opportunity present itself, I would love to take it.” With this eager and optimistic attitude, it seems as though there’s nothing that Johnson can’t do.
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BRAIN continued from page 5
cross-race effect would take place. This means that false identification would happen because people of one race are terrible at recognizing people of another race. MacLin gave the example of how researchers in South Africa have found that South African blacks have a hard time recognizing
‘Blackout in a can’ worries colleges
By PATRICIA ALEX The Record MCT Campus
HACKENSACK, N.J. -Binge drinking among adolescents and young adults is not new, but authorities are warning about a dangerous new twist with an increased use of spiked energy drinks that deliver a potent mix of stimulants and booze. The fruity drinks, such as Four Loko, lead to a quick and intense high that has been dubbed “blackout in a can.” Ramapo College this month banned the caffeinated alcoholic beverages, tightened restrictions on guests and increased penalties for underage drinking after a raucous start to the fall semester in which 23 people were hospitalized for alcohol intoxication, school officials said. Four Loko was involved in some of the incidents at the Mahwah, N.J., campus, and the township’s police chief is warning that the drink is being used by even younger students. Complaints were brought against three juveniles from Mahwah High School last week after they were found to be in possession of or intoxi-
African Americans. Among size, color, distance, visuals and verbals, our brains lie to us more than we would like to believe. According to MacLin, our brain wants to feel complete, to understand the abstract ways we live and control ambiguity.
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DRINK continued from page 6
The packaging is similar to that of non-alcoholic energy drinks -- colorful and graphic -- which appeals to teenagers but could also allow the drinks to fly under the radar of parents and educators. “I think it’s clear they are marketing to young people,” said David Schardt, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington. Batelli said his department is working with officials in nearby Rockland County, N.Y., just across the state line from Mahwah, about stepping up enforcement of drinking age prohibitions there. The chief also said he is preparing a letter to ask the state attorney general to look into the marketing of Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic beverages.
cated by Four Loko, Chief James Batelli said. “The bottom line on the By KATIE MERRITT product is it gets you very Staff Writer drunk, very quick,” Batelli said. “To me, Four Loko is Seasons are changing and the holiday season is just around the corner. The chilly weather just a dangerous substance.” calls for something warm, comforting and sweet! Impress your family this year by creatThe drink comes in 23.5ing something so elegant and delicious that they’ll keep coming back for more! Being fancy ounce cans and has an alcohol doesn’t have to be difficult, so try this recipe and you’ll be amazed how easy and tasty it recontent of 12 percent -- the ally is. equivalent of four beers. Four Loko is cheap -- generally Cozy Apple Rice Pudding selling for less than $3 per Serves: 2 can. It’s carbonated and comes in a variety of fruity flavors -Ingredients: making it popular with under2 apples age drinkers, experts say. 2 cups of cooked rice It is sold only in liquor 2 Tbs butter stores in New Jersey, but it 3 Tbs cinnamon sugar can be sold in convenience ¼ cup milk stores in other states, where ¼ cup raisins or craisins (optional) clerks may not be as vigilant about checking for underage Directions: drinkers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. ni_nse_mtg_ni_nse_mtg 10/7/10 11:57 AM Page 1 1. Cut top of apples so that they’re flat. 2. Scoop out the middle of the apple, leaving a half inch think Pay UNI tuition and attend one of 179 schools in the U.S. and Canada wall (set aside). 3. In a saucepan, melt butter. 4. Pour in milk and stir. 5. Spoon in rice and stir. 6. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and incorporate into rice. 7. Stir mixture until it begins to thicken (if too thick add more milk). 8. Remove from heat and add raisins. 9. Spoon mixture into cored apples. 10. Place in oven for 10 minutes. 11. Enjoy!
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The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Opinion
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Volume 107, Issue 19
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Cedar Falls, Iowa
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northern-iowan.org
9
From the editorial staff
Photo by ANNA SCHRECK/Northern Iowan
From page-turns to plug-ins CASSANDRA BOEVERS boeversc@uni.edu
I am not a hardcore bookworm; however, I will never cease to appreciate the simple happiness books can bring. While reading, one can enter an exciting story other than one’s own while unconsciously building spelling and vocabulary skills. Reading is one of the most traditional pastimes and is rightfully treasured by educators. Recently, “reading” has transformed to a more virtual experience than simply turning a page. In a society that is growing ever more technologically focused and advanced, it is no surprise that literature is following suit. Take, for example, the introduction of audio books. Audio books have a rather interesting history. According to the Library of Congress’s website, in 1932, Congress established a program called Books for the Adult Blind. This program funded the publication of more Braille books, but also initiated “talking books” – what were to later become audio books – so that blind readers were not dependent on the sensitivity of their fingertips as they aged. This
was a very creative and effective way to bring assistance to disabled Americans. Since then, audio books have taken on a more casual and common role. In the more modern use, these CDs or tapes that read books to the listener are ideal for the multi-tasker: one can be “reading” while taking a long road trip or cleaning the house. They are also appealing to readers who have a hard time focusing while relying only on themselves, for instance, those who can reread a sentence six times and still not comprehend as well as if someone had read it aloud to them. Another recent transformation of books is the introduction of virtual e-books such as the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. These are popular for perfectly understandable reasons: they are hip, lightweight, have wireless access and, best of all, are capable of storing thousands of printed materials in the size of one. Certainly it is a dream come true for the true bookworms out there! I am supportive of these transformations: any technology that draws support for books and literature is a friend of mine. However, I am a See E-BOOKS, page 12
Election 2010
The voting bloc that could TREVOR BOECKMANN Trevor@ unifreethought.com
Today is Election Day. If history serves as a guide, less than half of University of Northern Iowa’s students will have cast a vote by the time the day ends. Three-fourths of you that vote will vote at home instead of fully integrating yourselves into the Cedar Falls community. One in 30 of you took advantage of early voting on UNI’s campus, despite our three days of voting being one of the most charitable in the state. Many of you laughed at the idea of voting, scoffed at it, told volunteers you were uninformed. It seems few students took advantage of the Northern
Iowan’s issues comparison chart.
“
If we turned out to vote, and didn’t go home to do it, we could make it a requirement that running for office in Cedar Falls means fighting for lower tuition and more funding for higher education. What does this all mean in practical terms? Students have the ability to become the most powerful voting bloc in the Cedar Valley. In 2008, the local state senate race was decided by 22 votes. If we turned out to vote, and didn’t go home to do it, we could
make it a requirement that running for office in Cedar Falls means fighting for lower tuition and more funding for higher education. We would hold all the cards. The races would be too close to lose the student vote. That doesn’t even take into account local elections. The Northern Iowa Student Government has fought for a number of local policies in my time at UNI, including a seat on city council and more funding for the SafeRide program. Neither came to fruition. Imagine if students actually voted in Cedar Falls. Part of the problem lies in our university system. Although an education is one of the most powerful indicators of who shows up to the polls, we don’t go far enough. Derek Bok, in his book “Our
Think!
When flipping through our e-mail inboxes, most of us are likely to see forwarded e-mails from friends and family of various types. Sometimes they just contain adorable pictures of a koala in a bathtub, but sometimes these e-mails are the source of some surprising information. For example, one e-mail that first made its rounds in the wake of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster is coming around again just in time for the holiday giving season. The e-mail lists the (surprisingly large) salaries of the presidents and CEOs of various charitable organizations, including the Red Cross, United Way and UNICEF. It then states that the National Commander of the Salvation Army makes a mere $13,000 a year, and implores you to watch for the red kettles this season, adding for good measure, “No further comment necessary. Please share this.” Some who read this e-mail might say to themselves, “Huh,” raise an eyebrow and move on to the next item in their inboxes. Some might refuse to take the information at face value, roll their eyes and hit the delete button. Others might think to themselves, “This is outrageous!” and forward it to several people. Those who are more inclined to pass this sort of shocking information along would do well to make sure it’s true and that it came from a credible source. A quick consultation with snopes.com, the urban-legend-debunking site, informs us that the information behind these claims is “mostly outdated and inaccurate.” None of the numbers were correct (most were rather inflated), and some of the executive “offenders” no longer hold those positions. Finally, although it’s understandable the forwarded e-mail would not include a side note about this, one must take into account the degree of talent and hard work needed to run these large organizations efficiently, and the amount of money these professionals could be making at another, for-profit corporation. Understandably, anyone can get caught up in the emotions stirred by a piece of information (outrage, for example) and forget that a strong emotional response doesn’t mean that what you read is true. Certainly, some people know how to prey on that tendency – including the people who create the political ads plaguing our television screens and mailboxes lately. Hopefully, you’ve already voted, or will vote today and likely have your mind made up on which ovals you’ll fill in. At the end of a long, increasingly obnoxious season of attack ads and blatant mudslinging, we just want to remind you that the foundation upon which the success of these ads is built is an uninformed populace. The success of baseless panics and scandals is built on the actions of people who forget to think twice. Don’t hit the forward button or fill in the oval without taking a moment to check the facts. This editorial reflects the position of the Northern Iowan’s editorial staff: John Anderson, Leah Jeffries, Brad Eilers, Cassie Tegeler, Anna Schreck and Kari Braumann. All other articles and illustrations represent the views of their authors.
Underachieving Colleges,” argues that universities need to stress the importance of voting and nurture an interest in politics in students. A woefully low number of students keep up with politics and few classes do anything to combat that. As much as I love the Economics department, few classes I took even mentioned the current financial crisis -- despite it being one of the most important economic events of my generation. From my experiences in the Liberal Arts Core, other
departments aren’t any better. Current events shouldn’t be syphoned off to the Political Science Department; it needs to be curriculum-wide. Some of the burden certainly lies with students as well. We live in an age of technology where keeping up with the news is as easy plugging in your iPod for a podcast at night and listening to it on the walk to class in the morning -- and we can’t even do that. Student See VOTE, page 12
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OPINION
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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State of affairs ROBERT TURNER bobt@uni.edu
The condition of politics today truly saddens me. Negativity seems to permeate almost the entire political landscape. The attacks recently, either by campaign ads, interviews or talk shows are becoming more and more personal in nature. There were definitely some personal attacks in these last weeks, some directly personal and some directed to a mass audience. People can’t seem to help themselves, and it’s becoming apparent that for some, if you don’t agree with what they think, you’re an enemy. Even President Obama called those who stand in the way of passing items he wants enemies. The problem with that type of wording is, once people are enemies, then attacking them is almost justified.
“
Be civil, but if you think someone’s opinion is stupid or wrong, say so. But don’t personally attack someone just because they don’t agree with you. Bill Maher was on Lopez Tonight this week, talking about a variety of subjects. When talking about Christine O’Donnell, he said that people running for office needed to be “qualified” and “professional.” For professional, I’m not sure that any politician is a professional on any side of the aisle, when I consider the words and actions displayed. As for qualified, well, I’m pretty sure that the qualifications are listed in the Constitution. The issue of being qualified has been bandied about a lot in politics. In 2008 you heard those on the right say Obama wasn’t qualified and those on the left say Palin wasn’t qualified. It’s funny, because one was in the Senate and one was a governor, so both had held a political office. It’s the voters who decide who is qualified or not. That’s the point of elections, to vote for the person you think will do the best job. Speaking of voters, Bill Maher also has some nice words and a nice opinion of you: “They (American voters) don’t understand the issues, they’re too stupid, they’re like a dog. They can understand inflection, they can understand fear, they can understand dominance, they don’t understand issues.” I’m assuming that Maher is a
voter, so does he understand the issues? Or maybe it’s just those that don’t agree with his politics that don’t understand, because they are stupid and just don’t get it? For Maher, the Democratic Party is around for one thing: “We have Democrats for one reason, to drag the ignorant, hillbilly half of this country into the next century, which in their case is the 19th.” On The View this week, Joy Behar made comments about Sharron Angle after a campaign ad was played. It was a very negative ad, one that I didn’t personally agree with, but it seemed to really set Behar off. She compared the ad to a “Hitler youth commercial” and then said this: “I’m not going to pray for her. She’s going to hell, this b----!” The first thing that grabbed my attention was the Hitler comment. I thought we weren’t supposed to compare people to Nazis. That was a big issue several months ago when some in the Tea Party compared Obama and Hitler. Strange how it’s ok to do it now; makes me wonder why. Second, the absolute venom being sprayed is incredible -saying that Angle will burn in hell, calling her names, etc. This situation was recently made a bit more ironic because a week ago, Behar, along with Whoopi Goldberg, stood up during an interview with Bill O’Reilly and walked off the set. O’Reilly had been VERY condescending to Behar, telling her at one point to be quiet and she might learn something, but the fact is, twice in a two-week period she couldn’t stand someone else’s point of view and had to leave in a huff or personally attack someone. My point is not that I want to attack either of these two people. They have every right to hold their opinions and to express them. I had written a previous article about being civil and not calling someone’s opinion stupid, but I was wrong. Be civil, but if you think someone’s opinion is stupid or wrong, say so. But don’t personally attack someone just because they don’t agree with you. Listen to the person’s argument, and then make your rebuttal. Unfortunately, we seem to be going the other way. We attack those with differing opinions, trying to rip them to shreds, because if the person is torn up, then the assumption is that the argument is also ripped to shreds. It’s a sad state of affairs, not just in politics but in all of American life.
MCT Campus
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Editorial cartoon
OPINION
PAGE 11
PAGE 12
OPINION
VOTE continued from page 9
discounts for publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Economist make it dirt cheap, and most of us still won’t bite. Self-education is really what it comes to. As the edito-
E-BOOKS continued from page 9
bit fearful of what they may do to the future of published books.
“
Isn’t there some appeal to a book that is readable no matter how strong the Internet connection or no matter how charged the batteries? In the case of audio books – isn’t the ability to comprehend a passage without having to read it aloud a valued skill? Isn’t it beneficial to actually look at the print yourself and build your spelling and vocabulary in the process? In the case of e-books – Isn’t there some appeal to a book that is readable no matter how strong the Internet connection or no matter how charged the batteries? Audio and e-books are less intellectually stimulating than true books. While they may allow one to enter into the same fantasy without all the paper waste, they detract from some of the authenticity of real-life, multi-paged, hardcover books that are silent and screenless. The books that do not light up, need to be charged, require a playing device or come with instructions are the ones that prob-
rial staff so aptly pointed out, voting for the sake of voting doesn’t do anyone any good. If we want to be a voting bloc that can actually make demands, we need to be organized and informed. Politicians will always come to UNI and pay us lip service. What it’s going to take for real change
I
is holding them to those promises and voting them out if they don’t. It’s going to take electing a student to the city council who makes the university his or her first priority.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Other schools have done this; why can’t we? Today, don’t sit at home -- and certainly don’t drive home. Grab a voter registration form and a newspaper
I
northern-iowan.org
and cast your vote, in Cedar Falls, for the issues that matter to you. Stop being a statistic and become the exception in a world filled with student apathy.
ably have the most to offer for human intelligence. Just like calculators, computers and cell phones, e-books and audio books may be contributing to the American dependence on technology instead of intellect. I fear that someday there will not be a demand for actual printed books because of the overwhelming appeal of e-books and audio books. Will true books eventually become antiques and collector’s items? Will our society soon be completely dependent on technology, even when it comes to reading bedtime stories? Will children someday wonder how people read when the power was out? Having legible penmanship is becoming a disposable virtue – will the ability to read just as hastily fall by the wayside? As I said before, I think e-books and audio books have their place in our lives. They are a practical and exciting twist on the reading experience. I only hope they do not completely replace the common book simply because of their bells and whistles. I hope this not only because I have a personal appreciation for books, but also because the future of our society’s intelligence will depend on our ability to really read, the oldfashioned way. Let us stop the technology steamroller from completely crushing our Shakespeare and Austen.
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The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Sports
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
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Volume 107, Issue 19
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Cedar Falls, Iowa
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13
No. 13 Panthers sweep Salukis and Purple Aces Conference winning streak reaches 31 games
CASSANDRA HAYNE/Northern Iowan
UNI continues to dominate Missouri Valley Conference opponents. The Panthers extended their conference winning streak to 31 games this weekend after sweeping Southern Illinois and Evansville.
By SAM JEFSON Sports Writer
The No. 13-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team was hardly challenged on Friday and Saturday night. As a result the Panthers extended their Missouri Valley conference win streak to 31 games. The two wins featured three-
game sweeps of Southern Illinois University and Evansville University. Against Souther n Illinois, the Panthers’ threeset victory featured game scores of 25-12, 25-20 and 25-12. Beth Discher led the Panther offensive attack with a match-high 13 kills. Other Panther stars included Amy Braun, who finished with 10 kills; Ellie
Blankenship, who nabbed 15 digs; and double-double machine Bre Payton, who tallied 10 digs and 36 assists. Following the easy win on Friday, the Panthers continued on Saturday with another effortless victory over the Evansville Purple Aces on Saturday. Set scores for the evening were 25-13, 25-17 and
Panther women picked to finish second in MVC preseason poll NI NEWS SERVICE
The University of Northern Iowa women’s basketball team was picked to place second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday. Senior Lizzie Boeck and junior Jacqui Kalin were each named to the preseason allconference team. The preseason poll and all-conference team are voted on by the league’s coaches, sports information directors and members of the media. This is the highest the Panthers have ever been picked to finish, and UNI’s three first-place votes are the first in program history. Missouri State was picked to win the league, and Creighton was picked for third.
“We’re honored and humbled by the respect that has been shown to us,” said head coach Tanya Warren, “but we also know that it isn’t where you start, it’s where you finish.” Kalin led the Panthers in scoring last season and was a first-team all-conference pick. Boeck was the second-leading scorer for UNI in 2009-10, was an all-conference honorable mention and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. The Panthers open play on Nov. 7 against Maryville in an exhibition game. The regular season opens Nov. 12 at Colorado State.
25-17. In the match, the Panthers had a season-high .455 kill percentage. Amy Braun led the Panthers on both offense and defense with 15 kills and 13 digs. A 9-0 run in the middle of the first game gave the Panthers momentum for the remainder of the night. After the pivotal run, the Purple Aces did not have an answer for the Panthers
as UNI built comfortable leads in sets two and three. Next Friday, UNI will return to action on the road as they will face Bradley University at 7 p.m. Sunday, the Panthers will conclude their road trip in South Bend, Ind., against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
UNI women’s soccer ends 2010 campaign with 2-0 loss to Drake NI NEWS SERVICE
The University of Northern Iowa women’s soccer team dropped its regular season finale against Drake University, 2-0, at the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex on Thursday night. The loss kept UNI from qualifying for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and eliminated UNI from postseason contention. Drake (10-5-3, 3-3-0 MVC) captured only a narrow 17-14 advantage in shots, but the Bulldogs were able to find the back of the net twice. Paige Dusek opened the scoring for Drake in the 26th minute and Laura Moklestad sealed the victory with a goal in the 89th minute. UNI threatened to tie the
match several times, including an extended scramble in the box during the 72nd minute. The Panthers also had three corner kicks in the second half. Sophomore Kiki McClellan led UNI with three shots. Freshman Erin Zaideman started in goal for the Panthers and registered four saves. UNI entered the contest needing a victory to advance to the State Farm MVC Tournament. Seven Panthers (Colleen Gallagher, Jana Teague, Nicole Ferlito, Kalyn Jones, Chelsie Hochstedler, KJ Shepard and Laura Heaton) were recognized during a Senior Night presentation before the game. The Panthers conclude the 2010 season with a record of 4-12-2 overall and 1-5-0 in the MVC.
PAGE 14
SPORTS
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What’s your fantasy?
By DUSTIN WOODY
By RYAN FRIEDERICH
Sports Writer
Sports Columnist
I realize that I am a nerd. I play video games, I probably study too much and I spend the rest of my day talking to strangers online about sports through message boards. I have recently picked up a new hobby that has pushed me over the limit, and that is fantasy sports. There are not many “cool” things that are associated with the word fantasy, but fantasy sports have got me hooked. This year alone I have probably spent about six hours in front of the computer drafting players to my make-believe teams that will win me worthless points to win a league that doesn’t even pay out. In my
Courtesy Photo/MCT CAMPUS
“Superman” Dwight Howard is one of the NBA’s best players and was projected as one of ESPN.com’s top fantasy players for this season.
most recent NBA fantasy draft we decided that we will put a little cash prize at the end because let’s be honest, NBA can be brutal to follow. I have a good feeling that my team, “Pippen ain’t easy,” is going
to win me the money. There are many different ways one can go about a fantasy draft. Most leagues like to do a snake draft, which places the teams in a See RANT, page 15
EDUCATION GRADUATES...
HOW IS YOUR
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northern-iowan.org
Waterloo sweeps road trip, looks forward to College Weekend
Ryan’s Rants
DECEMBER & MAY
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
JOB SEARCH GOING?
pÅÜççä=ÇáëíêáÅíë=ïáää=ÄÉ=êÉÅêìáíáåÖ=çå=Å~ãéìë=íÜáë=ëéêáåÖW
UNI Overseas Recruiting Fair XXXV cÉÄK=QJSI=OMNN=J=lîÉê=NOM=^ãÉêáÅ~å=áåíÉêå~íáçå~ä=ëÅÜççäë= Ñêçã=çîÉê=TM=ÅçìåíêáÉë=ïáää=ÄÉ=áå=~ííÉåÇ~åÅÉK mêÉJÑ~áê=êÉÖáëíê~íáçå=áë=êÉèìáêÉÇK==oÉÖáëíê~íáçå=ÇÉ~ÇäáåÉ=áë=g~åì~êó=NQK `çåí~Åí=rkf=`~êÉÉê=pÉêîáÅÉë=çê=Öç=íç=íÜÉ=lîÉêëÉ~ë=tÉÄ=ëáíÉ=Ñçê=êÉÖáëíê~íáçå=ã~íÉêá~äëK bJã~áäW=çîÉêëÉ~ëKéä~ÅÉãÉåí]ìåáKÉÇì=====mÜçåÉW=PNVJOTPJOMUP====
www.uni.edu/placement/overseas
UNI Teacher Fair
p~íìêÇ~óI=j~êÅÜ=OSI=OMNN=J=j~ìÅâÉê=råáçå=J=cobb=bsbkq> pÅÜççä=ÇáëíêáÅíë=Ñêçã=~Åêçëë=íÜÉ=å~íáçå=ïáää=ÄÉ=áå=~ííÉåÇ~åÅÉK kl=êÉÖáëíê~íáçå=ÑÉÉ=Ñçê=íÉ~ÅÜÉêëK=kç=~Çî~åÅÉ=êÉÖáëíê~íáçå=åÉÉÇÉÇI=ëáÖå=áå=~í=íÜÉ=ÉîÉåíK cçê=~=äáëí=çÑ=ëÅÜççäë=êÉÖáëíÉêÉÇI=Öç=íç=íÜÉ=tÉÄ=ëáíÉW==
www.uni.edu/careerservices/educators cìêíÜÉê=áåÑçêã~íáçåW 319-273-6905
Waterloo goalies C.J. Motte and Jay Williams made several nice-looking saves as the Black Hawks swept the road weekend, defeating Chicago on Friday and Muskegon on Saturday. Waterloo came out of the gates behind the eightball once again on Friday in Chicago, as Chicago’s Cole Gunner scored in the first period. However, the Black Hawks bounced back in the second and third periods with goals from Jacob MacDonald and Luke Hannon, both of which occurred on a power play. Waterloo’s lead was short-lived, however, as Gunner beat Waterloo net minder Motte and scored his second goal of the night just four minutes and three seconds after Hannon gave the Hawks the go-ahead goal. No scoring throughout the rest of regulation and an overtime period led to a shootout. Gunner had Motte’s number all night long, as he scored for Chicago in the shootout, but Waterloo goals from Vince Hinostroza and Mike Montagna sealed the win on the road. Saturday’s game started off great in Muskegon, Mich., for Waterloo, as Luke Hannon and Blake Thompson both scored in the first minute of the first period. Hannon’s goal came just 30 seconds in, while Thompson registered his at 57 seconds. The Black Hawks’ power play unit came alive in the second period, scoring four goals in
relatively short succession. Andrew Panzarella, Mike Montagna, T.J. Powers and Jacob MacDonald all scored on a manadvantage situation, while Zach Palmquist added an even-strength goal to put the Black Hawks ahead by a score of seven to zero. Muskegon’s Mike Conderman scored at the 9:38 mark in the third period to cut the deficit to six, but that was as close as the score would come as Waterloo rolled to a 7-1 victory. Black Hawks’ goalie Jay Williams stopped 26 of the 27 Muskegon shots, while Joel Vinneau could only handle 29 of 36 Black Hawks’ shots for Muskegon. With the win and a loss by Youngstown, Waterloo moves into a three-way tie for fourth place in the United States Hockey League’s Eastern Conference standings. Green Bay (13 points) leads the division, Cedar Rapids is in second (12 points) and Chicago is in third (11 points). Waterloo is tied with Indiana and Youngstown (nine points each). Team USA holds seventh (seven points), and Muskegon rounds out the division in eighth (six points). Waterloo returns home this weekend for a homeand-home weekend versus the Youngstown Phantoms on Friday and the Chicago Steel on Saturday. College students can get any seat in Young Arena for just seven dollars with a valid college ID for both games as part of the Black Hawks’ first of four College Weekends this season.
PLUS: Workshop open to all teaching majors! tÉÇKI=kçîÉãÄÉê=PI=OMNM=J=QWPMJRWQR=éã=J=j~ìÅâÉê=råáçå=_~ääêççã=^ `çãÉ=ÜÉ~ê=ÇáêÉÅíäó=Ñêçã=~=é~åÉä=çÑ=ëÅÜççä=ÜáêáåÖ=çÑÑáÅá~äë>==kç=êÉÖáëíê~íáçå=êÉèìáêÉÇ> jçêÉ=áåÑçW www.uni.edu/careerservices/educators
UNI `~êÉÉê=pÉêîáÅÉë eçìêëW==UWMM=~KãK=íç=RWMM=éKãK===NMO=dáäÅÜêáëí
www.uni.edu/careerservices/educators
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SPORTS
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
RANT continued from page 14
random list to draft in that specific order. My buddies and I have found an auction draft style to be much more exciting because all you have to do is nominate a player when it gets to be your turn and the trash talking and complaining begins. I am starting to think that dropping 65 percent of my allowance on Kobe and Dwight Howard was a bad idea. Less than 1 percent of college seniors will go on to play professional sports, and even less will manage a professional team. Fantasy sports give us all the chance to put together rosters and manage in a way that we specifically want, and that is why it is a multi-billiondollar business. Ryan Friederich
Some people can take fantasy sports too far, however. There are leagues that will have a live, in-person draft in lavish ballrooms that are actually catered. There will be insane people who will drop thousands on their fantasy players just for the chance to create their very own “dream team.” I can’t deny, however, that I would be paying that kind of money too if I actually had it. There are even people (like one man from Texas) who lose their jobs because they spend too much time checking their rosters and pending trades. Less than 1 percent of college seniors will go on to play professional sports, and even less will go on to manage a professional team. Fantasy sports give us all the chance to put together rosters and manage in a way that we specifically want, and that is why it is a multi-billiondollar business. These are just a few of the reasons why I love fantasy sports, but I need to go check out Hedo Turkoglu’s free throw percentage. Go Panthers!
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northern-iowan.org
PAGE 15
Brad’s Sports Blurb
Change the NBA Draft eligibility rules: they’re ruining college basketball By BRAD EILERS Sports Editor
College basketball is my favorite sport to watch throughout the year, but there is one thing that continues to bother me pertaining to college basketball and it’s not even the NCAA’s fault. The National Basketball Association needs to change the NBA Draft eligibility rules, because they’re ruining college basketball. I hate sitting around my apartment in mid-January and tuning into a college game on television and I see a team like the University of Kentucky playing with three, four or even five freshmen on the floor at a time. I don’t hate that a school like Kentucky has the ability to play five freshmen, because they are all superb basketball players, I hate that I only get to see them play at the college level for five months before they take off for the NBA. The current NBA Draft eligibility rules (implemented in 2005 by the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement) state that for a player to be eligible, he must be at least 19 years of age and be at least one year removed from the graduation of his high school class. Before these rules were implemented, players were able to declare for the NBA Draft directly out of high school, but now, instead of going professional straight out of high school, players are forced to choose between playing college basketball for a year, playing basketball overseas for a year or not playing basketball at all for a year. The latter two options are very uncommon because of the lack of exposure the player gets. Most players who feel they are NBA-ready just enroll at a college for a year and move on once the season is complete. The
current NBA Draft eligibility rules are unethical and they do not benefit the athlete in any way, plus they ruin the game of college basketball from a fan’s perspective.
one year in college, but it makes it so much harder for a team to have continued success when the players can leave after one year. Lastly, it should be the athlete’s choice whether to go to college or to enter the NBA Draft. The athlete is aware well ahead of time about the risk that he is taking by not attending college. Like everything in life,
this should be a risk-reward situation. Not to mention it would make college basketball that much more interesting to watch, knowing that the athletes playing are in college because they truly care about their education and their team’s success, not because they are forced to by a stupid draft eligibility rule.
Courtesy Photo/MCT CAMPUS
John Wall, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, chose to forgo his final three years of college at Kentucky to enter the NBA Draft.
First, allowing the athlete to go to college for just one year has little or no benefit to the athlete academically. It is impossible to finish a college degree in a single year. This means that if the player were to fail in the NBA, he is no more appealing in the job market than a high school graduate. If the NBA is going to have an age or high school graduationrelated eligibility requirement, they should force the athlete to be at least three years removed from high school like the National Football League requires for their draft eligibility. It’s not fair to the athlete or the university to waste their time and money if the athlete truly doesn’t want to be there. At least if the athlete was in college for a three-year period they could complete their degree or come significantly closer to completing it than taking just one year of classes. Second, it’s not fair to the college basketball team. Granted, coaches aren’t forced to recruit a player who is likely to leave after
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