FALLS, IA
Campbell Hall to be demolished
CAMPUS LIFE
Campus Life Editor Jenna Westendorf highlights UNI Dance Marathon. SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS Sports Writer Adam Johnson discusses the recent success of the UNI Wrestling team. SEE PAGE 11
After over 70 years residing on the corner of 23rd Street, Campbell Hall is officially set to be torn down. The Board of Regents passed UNI’s request to raze the building by unanimous vote at their first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 15. For the past three years, the residence hall that used to house 583 students has sat dormant, with its future unclear and pumpkins growing in the courtyard. Now, UNI’s official plan is to turn Campbell Hall into green space after tearing the facility down.
UNI to purchase ‘The Quarters’
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
At the last Board of Regents meeting, UNI was officially approved to purchase The Quarters apartments. Featuring 11 buildings and 480 beds, the $21.1 million complex boasts a pool, and sand volleyball and basketball courts. The Quarters will be available for students to reside in as a part of University Housing & Dining facilities this fall.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, 3,193 students signed a housing contract with UNI Housing and Dining, which is a 2.5% increase from the 2023-2024 academic year, and a 10.3% increase from the 2022-2023 academic year. With the number of students signing leases with UNI continuing to rise, combined with the demand for on-campus apartment-style living rising, the university sought out an accommodation to UNI’s growth and student needs. The Quarters is located near the McLeod Center, just a block from the quad dormitories.
Although The Quarters apartments will be available for students to live in as a UNI Housing and Dining facility this fall, there are stu-
dents that live there currently that have already renewed their leases for the 20252026 academic year. According to Michael Hager, UNI vice president of finances and operations, students who have already renewed their leases will have their leases honored, including pricing in contracts. Pete Moris, UNI director of public relations, also anticipates that Hawkeye Community College and Allen College of Nursing students will be able to live in the Quarters facility, as they’re able to live in other UNI Housing and Dining facilities.
Moris was unable to confirm if there are non-student residents who have renewed their lease for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“For the current residents, not much will change,” said Moris. “We want to make as smooth of a transition as possible for everybody.” Moris also detailed that this summer facilities management will take to The Quarters to repair ordinary maintenance of rooms and buildings to ensure that residents moving in that fall don’t encounter any facilities issues. While Moris
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COURTESY/The Quarters
The Quarters buildings are located on 27th Street near the McLeod Center.
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
See CAMPBELL HALL, page 2
UNI accused of racial and gender based scholarship discrimination
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
The Equal Protection Project, an anti-affirmative action group, filed a civil rights complaint against UNI last week based on 13 scholarships that the Equal Protection Project alleges violates Title IX and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment. The complaint was filed with the Office of Civil Rights within the Department of Education. The complaint filed against UNI is one of many filed by the Equal Protection Project regarding race and gender preferences in scholarship criteria.
The complaint names six scholarships that allegedly violate Title VI, two scholarships that allegedly violate both Title IX and Title VI, and five scholarships that allegedly violate Title IX. All of these scholarships give preference to applicants based on race, genderor both. Scholarships such as the Black Hawk County Opportunities Endowed Scholarship and the Class of 1945 Women’s Endowed Scholarship are named in the complaint filed by the
continued from page 1
According to Pete Moris, UNI’s director of public relations, Campbell Hall doesn’t possess a fire suppression system, is not ADA compliant, and lacks a passenger elevator. “Currently, the building has 27 million dollars worth of deferred maintenance,” said Moris. “With the demand for apartment style housing combined with these costly repairs, UNI has elected to purchase The Quarters facility and raze Campbell Hall.” UNI estimates that the razing of Campbell Hall would
Equal Protection Project.
According to the Equal Protection Project, due to UNI receiving federal funding, these scholarships UNI is amongst over fifty other universities that the Equal Protection Project has filed civil complaints against, many revolving around scholarships that give preference based on race and gender. In 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Students for Fair Admissions v. Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College. The Students for Fair Admissions challenges Harvard’s admissions policies, arguing that factoring race into the admissions process violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Students for Fair Admissions, effectively overturning affirmative action policies and eliminating university abilities to factor in race and gender into admissions processes. The Equal Protection Project alleges that this reversal indicates that several UNI scholarships also violate the Civil Rights Act.
“In this case, the explicit
cost 3.8 million dollars, and would be completely funded by UNI’s Housing and Dining department, with no general education funds being used for the raze. In combination with UNI’s purchase of The Quarters facility, the university hopes that tearing down Campbell Hall can extend the lifespan of housing on campus and provide financial benefits to the department as it sheds 27.1 million dollars in deferred maintenance.
While Moris couldn’t confirm a specific timeline for the tear down of Campbell Hall, he did confirm that UNI Housing and Dining
COURTESY/Equal Protection Project
The Equal Protection Project is an anti-affirmative action group who has filed a complaint against UNI for 13 noncomplicit scholarships.
use of race, skin color, and sex-based criteria constitutes unlawful discrimination. Additionally, such criteria serve as ‘signals’ of racial and sex-based preferences,” the complaint alleges. “Regardless of UNI’s reasons for offering, promoting, and administering such discriminatory scholarships, UNI is violating Title VI and Title IX by doing so. It does not matter if the recipient
is in the process of receiving and reviewing bids for the razing contracts. When the raze eventually takes place, Moris confirmed that Campbell will be torn down over the summer, similar to West Gym. “Tear downs in the summer are less distracting to both students and faculty,” Moris said. Moris noted that another possible complication with the raze involved the utility hub that Campbell Hall sits on. This utility hub includes connections to electrical, steam and several other important utility connections to campus that the contractor will have to relocate.
of federal funding discriminates in order to advance a benign ‘intention’ or ‘motivation.’”
According to Pete Moris, UNI’s director of university relations, the UNI Foundation has already been in the process of changing the language and requirements of scholarships provided, prior to the complaint being filed by the Equal Protection Project. But, as
As the university prepares to say goodbye to a fixture of campus, Moris notes how important and historic the building was. Named after UNI’s former Dean of Women, Sadie D. Campbell, who spent many years in the building, the university will look for another way to honor her, her work and her namesake after Campbell Hall is torn down. On top of the significance of Campbell Hall’s namesake are the alumni experiences and history within Campbell Hall. “The prevailing sentiment has been that there was always a great sense of camaraderie and community
this is an ongoing legal matter, Moris said the university could not give further comment on the situation.
The Office of Civil Rights now has jurisdiction to evaluate the complaint. The Equal Protection Project has requested that the Office of Civil Rights open up an investigation into the alleged discrimination and “impose such remedial relief as the law permits for the benefit of those who have been illegally excluded from UNI’s various scholarships based on discriminatory criteria, and ensure that all ongoing and future scholarships and programming at UNI comports with the Constitution and federal civil rights laws,” as the Equal Protection Project’s complaint states. Although the Equal Protection Project requested an expedited evaluation and investigation, it is unclear how long the complaint will pend before evaluation by the Office of Civil Rights. The Northern Iowan will continue to update as throughout the Office of Civil Rights evaluation.
in Campbell Hall, and a lot of folks are sharing these memories,” said Moris.
As details continue to develop with regards to the timeline of the Campbell Hall raze, the Northern Iowan will continue to update this story as more specifics are released.
The Northern Iowan would love to hear from alumus who have stories and photogrpahs of Campbell Hall. Please send your memories to noriowan0001@uni.edu if you’re interested in being a part of a Campbell Hall remembrance series.
L011 Maucker Union Cedar Falls, IA 50614 www.northerniowan.com northern-iowan@uni.edu 319.273.2157
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ESTELLE JOHNSON Managing Editor johnsecr@uni.edu 319.290.4955
EDITORIAL STAFF
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COHEN KAMAUS Sports Editor kamausc@uni.edu
ANTONIA GOODWIN Copy Editor goodwaab@uni.edu
LUIS ALVAREZ Spanish Editor alvarlaa@uni.edu
MACI SWANSON Head Photographer maciswan@uni.edu
PRODUCTION STAFF
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CIRCULATION
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JO BRAHMS News Editor
CAMPBELL HALL
Brass Tap closes doors Jan. 25
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
Main Street’s The Brass Tap published a social media post this week indicating that they will close their doors for good on Jan. 25 due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The Cedar Falls location of The Brass Tap first opened its doors to the public in 2017.
The restaurant style brewery posted their official announcement this past Saturday, January 18, reading, “It is with a heavy heart and deep gratitude that we announce the closure of The Brass Tap in just one week’s time, due to unforeseen circumstances. This decision has not come easily, and we are filled with a mix of emotions as we reflect on the incredible memories, the friendships, and the laughter that have filled our space over the years.”
While the restaurant closes for the final time this upcoming Saturday, The Brass Tap encourages patrons and Brew Crew members to use gift cards and points, but if they are not used to completion at the Cedar Falls location,
QUARTERS
continued from page 1
couldn’t confirm or deny if The Quarters pool would remain, Moris did say that facilities management and Housing and Dining are more focused on immediate maintenance on rooms and buildings to improve student tenant living. “Facilities management does a great job of making sure our campus buildings are as energy efficient as we can make them … I think that’s more the focus right now,” said Moris.
While students do prefer apartment-style living,
patrons can still redeem gift cards and rewards at other Brass Tap locations. “Mug Club members and esteemed friends, following posts today and this week will cover how to pick up your mugs and the blow out specials in lieu of the closure. Gift cards and brew crew points are encouraged to be redeemed or can be used at
some students have voiced frustration with the purchase. Some students have voiced concerns about the purchase on Instagram and Yik Yak, with questions regarding rent increases and community changes after Housing and Dining has finalized its purchase. There are several residents of The Quarters who have expressed that they chose The Quarters out of accessibility and affordability, which they worry could go away this fall. One resident, Bella Serrano, echoes these concerns. “I lived on campus for two years and did not enjoy the second
any other great Brass Tap location in the country going forward,” the Brass Tap Facebook statement reads. After the Cedar Falls location closes, the nearest Brass Tap location will be located in Greenfield, WI.
The Cedar Falls location of the Brass Tap gave thanks to the supportive community in their farewell Facebook
… I would not live at The Quarters if it was owned by the school,” said Serrano. “It is overly expensive and there are overly strict rules that residents are expected to follow.” While official lease pricing hasn’t been released, four bedroom apartments in Panther Village are leased for $7,240 per person per academic year, as noted on the UNI Housing and Dining website. As of right now, The Quarters solely feature four bedroom apartments. “Every single fellow resident I have talked to also doesn’t want the school to own our apartment as it reduces freedom and in -
post as well, reading, “While we are saddened by this chapter coming to a close, we remain hopeful that the relationships we’ve built will continue to thrive in new ways. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of this incredible adventure. We look forward to future endeavors and remain optimistic of great things to
creases cost of living,” Serrano said. UNI Housing and Dining’s plan for staffing The Quarters facilities with resident assistants and residence life coordinators is yet to be determined.
come.” Since their initial farewell post, The Brass Tap has noted a large community outpouring of thanks and support, as their business has sold out of most items since their initial farewell post. “A heartfelt thank you for your overwhelming support this past weekend! We are delighted to announce that we almost sold out of everything,” reads a Facebook post from Tuesday morning.
After what could be The Brass Tap’s final restock, the brewery will open just four more times before its final closure on Saturday. It is currently unclear if the building lot has been bought, or if The Brass Tap will be vacating the building to go up for sale. According to The Brass Tap’s social media, the brewery will be open during their regular business hours up until the closure, with hours ranging from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The staff of The Brass Tap encourage people to come in for one last round of service before its official closure on Saturday.
UNI anticipates that students will be able to sign leases for The Quarters facility after housing contracts are sent out this semester, while still honoring renewed leases that were signed for the next academic year. As Housing and Dining continues to strategize its repairs, rules and rates for The Quarters facility, the Northern Iowan will continue to update as more details are unveiled. To learn more about the Board of Regents meeting, visit the QR code below.
UNI to host fifth annual French Film Festival
NI STAFF
UNI’s spring 2025 semester will also mark the start the fifth annual French Film Festival. This year’s selections include the international award-winning films, “Anatomy of a Fall”, “Four Daughters” and “Disco Boy.”
Starting the week of Jan. 26, UNI’s Department of Languages and Literatures will feature six French language films (subtitled in English) that festival registrants can stream on personal devices. This event is in coordination with the Franco-
American Cultural Exchange Foundation. Each week’s featured film will be followed by a Monday night discussion that can be attended in person at UNI’s Rod Library or via Zoom. The UNI French Film Festival is sponsored by the Department of Languages and Literatures and the French Program Fund.
The festival is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Registration information and the entire festival schedule are available at the QR code.
COURTESY/The Brass Tap
The Brass Tap, located on Main Street, will be closing their doors on Jan. 25 after ‘unforeseen circumstances.”
N.I. EN ESPAÑOL
Acusan a UNI de discriminación en becas por criterios de raza y género
UNI enfrenta una queja por violar el Título VI, el Título IX y la 14ª Enmienda con sus becas. La Oficina de Derechos Civiles investigará la presunta discriminación en becas de UNI. UNI entre más de 50 universidades acusadas de preferencia racial y de género en becas.
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER
Escritor LUIS ALVAREZ
Traductora invitada
El proyecto de Igualdad de Protección, un grupo de anti-acción afirmativa, presentó una queja de derechos civiles contra UNI la semana pasada basándose en 13 becas que según alega el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección, violan el Titulo IX y el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles y la Decimocuarta Enmienda. La queja se presentó ante la Oficina de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Educación. La queja presentada contra UNI es una de muchas presentadas por el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección con respecto a las preferencias de raza y género en los criterios de becas.
La queja menciona seis becas que supuestamente violan el Titulo VI, dos becas que violan tanto el Título IX como el Título VI y cinco becas que también violan el Título IX. Todas estas becas dan preferencia a los solicitantes basándose en raza, género o ambos. Becas como la Beca de Oportunidades del Condado de Black Hawk y la Beca de la Clase 1945 para Mujeres se mencionan en la queja presentada por
el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección.
UNI está entre más de cincuenta universidades contra las que el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección ha presentado quejas civiles, muchas de las cuales giran en torno a becas que dan preferencia basándose en raza y género. En el 2022, la Corte Suprema escuchó argumentos orales en el caso Students for Fair Admissions contra presidentes y miembros de la universidad Harvard. Students for Fair Admissions desafía las políticas de admisión de Harvard, argumentando que considera la raza en el proceso de admisión violaba el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles. La Corte Suprema falló a favor de Students for Fair Admissions, anulando efectivamente las políticas de acción afirmativa y eliminando la capacidad de las universidades de considerar raza y género en los procesos de admisión. El proyecto de Igualdad de Protección alega que esta reversión indica que varias becas de UNI también violan la Ley de Derechos Civiles.
“En este caso, el uso explícito de criterios basados en raza, color de piel y sexo constituye discriminación ilegal. Además, tales criterios sirven como ‘señales’ de pref-
erencias raciales y basadas en el sexo”, alega la queja. Independientemente de las razones de UNI para ofrecer, promover y administrar tales becas discriminatorias, UNI está violando el Título VI y el Título IX al hacerlo. No importa si el receptor de fondos federales discrimina para avanzar una ‘intenció’ o ‘motivación’ benigna”.
Según Pete Moris, Director de Relaciones Universitarias de UNI, la Fundación UNI ya ha estado en el proceso de cambiar el lenguaje y los requisitos de las becas proporcionadas, antes de que el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección presentara la queja. Sin embargo, como este es un asunto legal en curso, Moris dijo que la universidad no podía hacer más comentarios sobre la situación.
La Oficina de Derechos Civiles ahora tiene jurisdicción para evaluar la queja. El Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección ha solicitado que la Oficina de Derechos Civiles abra una investigación sobre la supuesta discriminación e “imponga el remedio que la ley permita en beneficio de aquellos que han sido excluidos ilegalmente de varias becas de UNI basadas en criterios discriminatorios, y asegure que todas las becas
y programas futuros de UNI cumplan con la Constitución y las leyes federales de derechos civiles”, según afirma la queja del Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección. Aunque el Proyecto de Igualdad de Protección solicitó una evaluación e investigación rápida,
no está claro cuánto tiempo tomará la evaluación de la queja por parte de la Oficina de Derechos Civiles. The Northern Iowan continuará actualizando a medida que la Oficina de Derechos Civiles evalúe.
Cortesiá/Inside UNI
OPINION
Disclaimer: The following opinion articles featured do not reflect the opinion of
Presidentialpromises,promises,promises
3% of his promises are in-theworks.
When Donald Trump made his first successful run for president in 2016 he made 663 promises to American voters. By the end of his 2021 term of office he was only able to fulfill approximately 23% of his vows. Before we get too excited as to what will happen when Trump 2.0 takes effect on Jan. 20, let’s take a moment to reflect on covenants made by a couple other presidents.
PolitiFact tracks the promises our presidents have made. PolitiFact is a non-partisan fact-checking website created in 2007 by the Floridabased Tampa Bay Times and acquired in 2018 by the Poynter Institute, a non-profit school for journalists. Here’s a report card on three presidents:
Barack Obama kept 47% of his campaign assurances, 23% were broken and 27% ended up as a compromise.
During 2017-2021, Donald Trump kept 23% of his pre-election pledges, 55% were broken and compromise occurred on 22% of his promises.
Joe Biden has been able to keep 33% of his commitments, 35% were broken, 28% ended up in a compromise and
Regardless of our past presidents’ political affiliation, evident abounds voters are gullible, easily persuaded and shouldn’t have paid too much attention to candidate’s campaign rhetoric. Unfortunately, candidate platitudes are often made to disinform, misinform and hoodwink the voter.
Back to our 45th and soon-tobe 47th president, Mr. Trump. Ryan Koronowski, director at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, reflected on Trump’s 2016 guarantees and felt “ ... many of the promises that he broke, he was insincere about them or didn’t care enough about them. They were political and meant to earn votes, they weren’t actual policy goals, or corporate backers and power brokers actually moved to shut them down …”
dent. Filipkowski summarized “After failing to deliver on his major pledges during the first administration, president-elect Trump resurrected many of the same promises in his 2024 campaign.”
Trump made a multitude of promises in a Sept. 5 economic policy debate as well
be implemented in the first 180 days of his second presidency. However, CBS News identified at least 270 of the 700 policy proposals from Project 2025’s 922-page guide matched Trump’s past policies and current campaign promises.
During 2017-2021, Donald Trump kept 23% of his pre-election pledges, 55% were broken and compromise occurred on 22% of his promises.
- Steve Corbin Guest Columnist
Ron Filipkowski of the pro-democracy Meidas Touch Network (MTN) documented Trump making 93 campaign promises while vying to be America’s 47th presi-
as during the Sept. 10 presidential debate. On July 8, the Republican National Committee published their 2024 party platform, which included 63 additional promises should Trump get elected.
Mr. Trump repeatedly disavowed Project 2025 – created by the far-right extremist Heritage Foundation – to
And, since the Nov. 5 election, where Trump received less than 50% of the votes – not a “mandate” as he claims – he has backed off his promise to bring down grocery costs, end the Ukraine-Russia war before he takes office and use tariffs to bolster the U.S. economy. Trump’s transition team admits Trump has shifted “from sweeping campaign rhetoric to the nuances and realities of governing.”
Trump made eight promises that would occur on Jan. 20, the day of his inauguration. On Jan. 21, note a `yes’ or `no’ next to each of these promises as to whether they occurred or not. The result may be a bellwether sign of what is yet to come during his 1,461 days as our 47th president:
1) close the US-Mexico border,
2) begin “the largest deportation program in American
history,”
3) expedite permits for drilling and fracking, 4) roll back environmental regulations, 5) pardon 1,561 people convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S Capitol insurrection (contradiction to supporting law and order), 6) cut federal funding for any school “pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on the lives of our children,” 7) roll back President Biden’s electric vehicle policies and 8) enact tariffs on goods coming in from Mexico, Canada and China.
Should Mr. Trump’s daily rhetoric, actions and flip-flopping on promises get under your skin, three coping methods are offered. First, say to yourself “I can’t help the way I feel right now, but I can help the way I think and act.” Secondly, recall what King Solomon, William Shakespeare and Abraham Lincoln have said: “this too shall pass.” Third, promise – and fulfill the promise –to do a better job of vetting future presidential candidates (regardless of their and your political party of preference) and heavily discount their promises.
STEVE CORBIN Guest Columnist
Guest Columnist Steve Corbin investigates presidential promises – and how to hold elected officials accountable for their pre-election promises as the nation enters another four years under President Trump.
CAMPUS LIFE
BehindthescenesofDanceMarathon
“For the Kids.” A phrase that is commonly associated with Dance Marathon. Dance Marathon is an organization that works with college students and campus communities to raise money for local children’s hospitals.
UNI’s Dance Marathon chapter is the largest student organization at UNI and has been on campus for over 10 years.
support. However, Nydegger says that the Big Event is so much more than dancing. “There’s a hair cutting hour where we do an entire hour of cutting our hair … we have a power hour where the entire hour is filled with just getting as much fundraising done as we can.”
It’s a fun evening ... of reminding us why we do what we do.
According to Anna Nydegger, the organization’s external director, the mission for UNI Dance Marathon is to “do our best to provide support and comfort for our families who have been affected by childhood illness.” Dance Marathon works to raise money for the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, and hosts a variety of events over the year to raise money to support their families.
The main event for dance marathon is the Big Event. This is a 12-hour event that takes over all of Maucker Union with different events and activities happening throughout. The Big Event is happening on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., where students dance on the hour, every hour, and work to raise as much money as possible for the children’s hospital and the families they
Nydegger says another popular event for dance marathon is their Miracle Gala.
Nydegger describes it as reliving your high school homecoming or prom night, and families share their stories. “100% of the proceeds also go towards the hospital, and it’s a fun evening … of reminding us why we do what we do.
Aside from the Big Event and the Miracle Gala, UNI Dance Marathon hosts a number of other events throughout the year. One upcoming event is the Stacks for Stead event happening on Jan. 27 from 5-7 p.m. at St. Stephen’s, where students can pay five dollars for unlimited pancakes.
People from any major on campus are encouraged to join Dance Marathon. Nydegger stresses the idea that just because you’re not an elementary education major or don’t work with kids a lot, doesn’t mean you can’t be involved in Dance Marathon. “There’s so much more that you do in dance
marathon that can be applicable to whatever you’re studying … and I think that’s something that people don’t really know.”
Dance Marathon also collaborates with various student orgs around campus to spread the word and encourage more students to join. Most recently, Dance Marathon hosted a pickleball tournament with the UNI Pickleball Club for a second consecutive year. Events like these bring more students to the organization that aren’t already registered.
The aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to struggles for all student organizations, in recent years their numbers have risen significantly. Nydegger talked about how, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone’s morale was low, and because of that it was hard to get their numbers back to what they were pre-pandemic. However, in recent years people have been more open to joining student organizations across campus. “I definitely noticed that in the freshman class this year that they just want to get involved,” Nydegger emphasized. “It’s really cool to see how many [freshmen] we have and how they want to help and participate and stuff like that.
For those interested in more information or looking to register for Dance Marathon and/or the Big Event, they can go to https://www.unidancemarathon.com/.
JENNA WESTENDORF Campus Life Editor
JENNA WESTENDORF Campus Life Editor
COURTESY/UNI DANCE MARATHON INSTAGRAM
Morale captians work to bring more excitment to Dance Marathon, including where they come up with a dance that gets performed at the Big Event.
COURTESY/UNI DANCE MARATHON INSTAGRAM
A group of Dance Marathon members run in the Des Moines Marathon every year to raise money for the organization.
COURTESY/UNI DANCE MARATHON INSTAGRAM
Members of Dance Marathon go to a variety of events with their “miracle families,” including UNI football games.
COURTESY/UNI DANCE MARATHON INSTAGRAM This year’s Miracle Gala falls on February 6th at 4 p.m. with tickets running at $10.
ANNA NYDEGGER
UNI Dance Marathon External Director
Stitching a community together
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
Knit one, purl one. Knit one, purl one. A basic rib stitch pattern involves the repetitive motion of a knit and purl stitch. For Teresa Pham and Hanah Novotny, these stitches have grown into more than basic rib or garter stitches. For Pham and Novotny, they have stitched themselves into a community in knitting and crocheting.
Pham is a freshman elementary education and recreational tourism and nonprofit leadership student, and Novotny is a fifth year communications and family services student. The two are serving as interim co-presidents of UNI’s Yarn Club, as the president, Lauren Logue, studies abroad in Spain. Both Pham and Novotny have been crocheting and knitting for years, starting when they were young, and bringing their hobby with them to UNI.
“One year, my young -
er cousin brought knitting needles and yarn to Thanksgiving,” recalls Novotny. “And I told him, ‘you just have to teach me, please teach me,’” While Novotny learned how to knit, she felt constrained by the limitations of the needles, and turned to crocheting, where she feels like she has more room to express herself creatively. Pham had a similar experience to Novotny, beginning with knitting and moving to crocheting.
While Pham and Novotny aren’t new to knitting or crocheting, both of them are newer faces to the Yarn Club. While Novotny is in her fifth year, it’s her first semester in the Yarn Club. But, for both Pham and Novotny, they’ve found something of a community within a hobby that could be isolating. In the basement of Maucker Union,
the Yarn Club gathered to watch “Barbie: Fairytopia” and relax while members geared up for finals week. Clicking of knitting needles
adorned the soundtrack of the movie while members did what Novotny described as “parallel play.”
“We’re all sitting together, doing the same thing, we don’t even have to be talking,” said Novotny. “It feels like having a little community with you, because we’re all doing something we love.”
Pham echoed Novotny’s sentiment, explaining how fulfilling it can be to watch people make new connections within the Yarn Club. “You can see these little pods within our community of people who came with their friends, and they’ll talk to other people … it’s really nice to see those friendships, those connections happening,” said Pham.
The sense of community has allowed members of the Yarn Club to be vulnerable with one another, playing a role in each other’s
lives. According to Novotny, members may come to a meeting looking stressed, or quieter than usual. For the next hour, they’re able to practice their hobby in a space removed from those stressors, and relax with a group of friends – a community.
The Yarn Club isn’t just made up of advanced knitters and crocheters who have been working with yarn their whole lives, the Yarn Club welcomes newcomers and beginners with open arms. Pham and Novotny acknowledge that it can be intimidating to start a hobby like knitting or crocheting. “It can be frustrating!” exclaimed Novotny. “Definitely was a stressor,” said Pham. “But when you get past that frustration, when you’re dedicated to it, it can be really rewarding,” Novotny elaborated.
The Yarn Club receives donations that include yarn, needles and hooks to help get their beginners started with projects, so beginner members of the Yarn Club aren’t tasked with figuring out one of the hardest parts of knitting and crocheting. Novotny assures that the community within the Yarn Club wants to help beginners, from finding what hooks are needed for a crochet project, to finding the correct yarn weight for a beginner’s first ever project. “Just coming in and being open to asking so many different questions, especially if you’re passionate, there shouldn’t be any barriers to let you learn what you want to,” said Novotny.
those looking for a community in a hobby that can
While people online may “gatekeep” hobbies like knitting or crocheting as content for the hobbies rise online, Pham and Novotny say that the Yarn Club welcomes anyone, at any skill level, to join them in the stress-relieving hobby. Pham also notes that although knitting and crocheting is a female-dominated hobby and industry, the Yarn Club doesn’t have to be. “People might think that because they don’t identify as female, ‘oh, it’s not something I can do.’ If you’re interested, drop by, talk to one of us. We’re here to help you,” said Pham. Pham and Novotny believe that hobbies involving yarn are for anyone, not just a specific group of people.
Regardless of skill level, anyone can knit or crochet. “Don’t let anything hold you back,” said Novotny, toward any person who wants to learn to knit or crochet.
“Everything everyone creates is unique,” added Pham, elaborating on the melting pot that the hobby can become. The devotion and time invested into their own knitting and crocheting projects, Novotny and Pham invest in the Yarn Club community, stitch by stitch, meeting by meeting.
For anyone interested in joining the Yarn Club, Pham and Novotny encourage students to email yarnclub@ uni.edu to get information on meeting times and starting out as a beginner.
COURTESY/TERESA PHAM
Novotny acknowledges that it can be intimidating to start a hobby like knitting. “But when you get past that frustration ... it can be really rewarding,” she states.
HANNAH NOVOTNY TERESA PHAM
COURTESY/TERESA PHAM Pham and Novotny have both found community within yarn club, and extend an invitation to
typically be isolating.
UNI wrestling travels west, defeats Sun Devils
ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer
On Friday, Jan. 17, the UNI wrestling team traveled to Tempe, Arizona for a dual against conference opponent Arizona State. The Panthers came into it undefeated in duals as a team on the season. They would continue the winning streak in dominating fashion, 33-10.
UNI’s Trever Anderson had a tough battle to get things started, as he went up against the reigning national champion at 125 pounds. Anderson put forth a valiant effort, but ultimately fell short in an 11-8 decision. The next match at 133 was close as well, but this time UNI got the decision as Julian Farber escaped with the 5-4 decision win.
The next few wrestlers for the Panthers continued to dominate and help the Panthers build up a lead. At 144 pounds, Cael Happel dominated on his way to a 19-5 major decision victory. Colin Realbuto was even more dominant in his match at 149 pounds. Facing a highly ranked opponent, Realbuto was able to eventually get a
pin. This gave him a win by fall, and got the Panthers six points. At 157 pounds, Ryder Downey kept it going for the
Panthers, getting the 17-1 tech fall. Halfway through the dual, the Panthers led 18-3.
The Sun Devils picked up
their second victory of the day at 165 pounds, as Nico Ruiz was able to beat UNI’s Jack Thomsen in an 8-1 decision.
The winning did not become a habit for Arizona State however, as the Panthers bounced back with three straight victories. At 174 pounds, Jared Simma had a couple of takedowns that led him to a 21-5 tech fall win. Parker Keckeisen, at 184 pounds, and Wyatt Voelker, at 197 pounds, each won by tech fall as well. Keckeisen won 25-9, while Voelker won 19-4.
By the last match of the day, the Panthers already had the dual well in hand, but Arizona State got one more win. In this heavyweight fight, Lance Runyon was put up against a four time AllAmerican for Arizona State. Cohlton Schultz would defeat Runyon by a 13-3 major decision. This match concluded the dual, and the Panthers moved to 9-0 on the season with the 33-10 victory.
The Panthers will get back on the mat in the McLeod Center on Friday, Jan. 24. They will have their biggest challenge to date, as they will be hosting one of the top rated teams in the country, No. 3 Oklahoma State.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers enter a pivotal part of their season, hosting No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Oklahoma this week.
NFLplayoffs:WhomakestheSuperBowl?
MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Writer
After a thrilling divisional round weekend in the NFL, conference championship weekend is upon us. Two big games will be showcased on Sunday with the winners earning the right to compete in the 2025 Super Bowl.
Commanders at Eagles:
It’s been an improbable run for the Commanders, a team in the span of a year and a half that brought in a new owner, general manager, and head coach. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is having one of the best rookie seasons we’ve seen at the position. His dual-threat ability has propelled Washington’s offense to third in total points. Head coach Dan Quinn has done a phenomenal job in his first year and has given his team a real chance at the title.
The Philadelphia Eagles are in a familiar position. This will be the third time in seven years they will host an NFC championship game in Philly.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni will look to win their second NFC Championship in two years.
The offseason addition of running back Saquon Barkley has put this team over the top. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards this season only 101 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s regular season record of 2,105.
On defense the Eagles have some dynamic young players in Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean that have stepped up big for their defense.
Prediction: Commanders 34, Eagles 31
The Commanders are the team of destiny, winning in the most unusual and improbable ways throughout the sea-
son. I think this will be a high scoring game like the two teams’ previous matchup in Philadelphia this season. The Commanders offense will pick up right where they left
off against the Lions. Barkley and the Eagles will compete offensively but ultimately come up just short.
Bills at Chiefs:
These two teams have become familiar foes in the Postseason. The Bills have been phenomenal in recent years but have failed to make it to the big game. Josh Allen is playing at an MVP-level football with a less than average supporting cast. Their offensive line has been phenomenal along with their defense. Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, and A.J. Epenesa highlight a young stout defensive line. They’ll look to end that narrative and play for their first title in franchise history.
The Chiefs are looking to continue their quest for the first three-peat in NFL history. While Patrick Mahomes is consistently making plays, the Chiefs defense has been dominant this season under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The Chiefs are playing great team football and will be a great test for the Bills. Prediction: Bills 24, Chiefs 20
Enough is enough for the Bills losing to the Chiefs in the playoffs. They finally get over the hump. Allen will have another great game and the Bills defense will get a big stop late.
UNI WBB drops two MVC contests
NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer
The Panthers started the weekend off against the Murray State Racers on Thursday night. They started the game off on a run of seven points before the Racers answered with a ninepoint run to make it 9-7. Murray State went on a 9-6 run to boost to make it 18-13, but the Panthers held a threepoint advantage down the quarter as they scored 10 points in the last five minutes of the first quarter to cut the deficit and make the score 23-25. Murray State opened the second quarter on a 15-3 run to make the score 40-26 early in the quarter. Two threes from Maya McDermott and one from Kayba Laube helped cut the lead to six at the end of the half with a score of 44-38 heading into the break. Coming out of the break, Murray State opened with a four-point run, but Laube was able to answer with a five-point run to cut the
but UNI’s was not enough for the Racers as the end of the third quarter score was
71-61, Racers. The teams kept battling back and forth through a heavy offensive quarter in which the Panthers scored 28 points in the frame compared to Murray State’s 24. But it was not enough as the Racers held on to win 95-89.
UNI then faced the Belmont Bruins on Saturday, which was a very back-andforth game. In the first quarter of the game, the Bruins took an early 8-6 lead, but Emerson Green closed out the quarter with six points to tie it at 14. The Panthers then went on a 6-3 run in the second quarter to put the Panthers ahead at 20-17. The Panthers closed out the first half with a seven-point run which included a triple from Laube. Northern Iowa led 35-33 heading into the break. After the break, Belmont went on an eight-point run in the third quarter followed by a 10-point run in the fourth. The Panthers would not be able to come back from this deficit and dropped the game to the Bruins, 74-60.
Racer lead to 47-43. Taryn Wharton secured the next two shots for the team as Kaylee Corbin hit a jumper hedging into a timeout. Both teams managed to go on runs
COURTESY/YAHOO SPORTS
Saquon Barkley has been one of the best players in the NFL this season, He has rushed for over 2,000 yards.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers are on the road this weekend, traveling to Southern Illinois and Missouri State.
PanthersswipeRedbirdsinfinalseconds
After opening Missouri Conference play with backto-back home victories against Southern Illinois and Belmont, the UNI men’s basketball team dropped their next two games against Valparaiso and Murray State by only a combined 10 points. With Northern Iowa’s conference record now at 3-2, thanks to an early-season victory against UIC, the Panthers looked to climb to third place in the MVC with a win at Illinois State on Jan. 11. With the all-time series between the Panther and Redbird men knotted up at 45-45, returning to Cedar Falls with a crucial win would prove challenging. However, thanks to a career night from Trey Campbell and late-game heroics from Tytan Anderson, the Panthers walked away from Normal, Illinois, with a grueling 85-84 victory.
UNI started hot against the Redbirds, registering two made threes in the first minute of action courtesy of Anderson and Ben Schwieger. Then, a midrange jumper from Leon Bond III saw the Panthers jump to an early 8-3 lead. Bond III would end the contest with six points and a team-high two blocks, continuing to make a name for himself on the defensive end this season. Yet, a methodical 18-12 Illinois State run put the Redbirds up 21-20 midway through the opening frame. A pair of Schwieger free throws and a jump shot by Jacob Hutson brought Northern Iowa within sin -
gle digits entering the last minute of first-half play. Schwieger finished with 14 points on an efficient 5-7 from the field, while Hutson added eight points and made all four free throw attempts. As the first half’s final seconds ticked away, the Panthers pulled down a midrange miss from leading Illinois State scorer Chase Brown. Anderson raced down the court to lay the ball in for UNI, cutting the Redbird advantage to 36-43 at the break. Unbeknownst to Anderson, this would not be his only opportunity to beat the buzzer in this game…
Campbell began to see flashes of a potential career night early in the contest, returning to second-half action having already scored 11 points with three early 3-pointers. With his shooting heating up, Campbell kept letting it fly from deep. He poured in a career-high 30 points and eight 3-pointers on 13 attempts. Campbell picked the right time to get hot, as 19 of his 30 points came within the final 10 minutes of the game. His scoring explosion helped the Panthers claw their way back into the game and showed off Campbell’s continuous
marksmanship from range this year.
After trailing since the 9:29 mark in the first half, Northern Iowa finally got the lead back over 20 minutes of game-time later. Max Weisbrod drilled two consecutive 3-pointers to put the Panthers up 65-64 with 8:12 left on the clock. Weisbrod canned three triples throughout the match, tying his season high. He also contributed extensive time on the bench, playing a lofty 28 minutes in his sixth-man role for the Panthers. With four minutes remaining, UNI again turned
to Campbell for a lift, and he delivered. His final deep ball put the Panthers in front 74-72 with 4:04 left to play. The two teams continued to trade buckets before Redbird Johnny Kinziger approached the free-throw line with four seconds remaining. Kinziger sunk both shots, making the contest 83-84 in Illinois State’s favor. Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson called his final timeout to give his team one last opportunity to score.
Jacobson sent Schwieger to inbound the ball from the Illinois State baseline. Schwieger surveyed the floor and found Anderson sprinting to the left side of the court just beyond the charity stripe. Streaking down the sideline, Anderson used his speed to maneuver around two cautious Redbird defenders concerned with fouling beyond halfcourt. With a sliver of time remaining, Anderson used just one dribble to fly from the 3-point line to the rim and finish a left-handed layup over three defenders. After a video review, the officials concluded Anderson released the basketball just before time expired and gave the Panthers an 85-84 victory. Anderson finished with 14 points, a team-high seven assists and rebounds, two buzzer-beating layups, and one game-winner.
The Northern Iowa men’s basketball team travels to Indiana State on Jan. 25 to face the Sycamores in their first season meeting.
View more Panther sports content at northerniowan. com.
CARTER LUST Sports Writer
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers will travel to Indiana State to take on the Sycamores on Saturday.
