UNI Nursing students receive white coats
CAMPUS LIFE
News Editor Jo Brahms speaks with Javaria White about the changes NISG has seen after DEI rollbacks. SEE PAGE 6
Sports writer Michael Spahn covers the Panther’s tough loss to Drake last weekend. SEE PAGE 11
Students respond to UNI’s acquisition of The Quarters
Since the Board of Regents approved UNI’s purchase of The Quarters, the university has acquired the facility and has begun transitioning The Quarters into a UNI facility. Students and non-students alike have noticed changes in the facility, expressing that although they’re still under a lease with The Quarters, they didn’t anticipate being under a lease with the university.
UNI elementary education student and current Quarters resident Haley Mastin chose to live at The Quarters because she felt as though she had spent enough time living on campus. But, with UNI acquiring the facility, Mastin says that she’ll look for a new place to live in the fall. “One of my roommates and I were kind of iffy on if we wanted to renew our lease or not anyways, and now we want to get out of here, quite frankly, we don’t want to be here,” Mastin said. “I did my time on campus. I’m 21, I want to live my life, I want to be a college student.”
Harlie Miller, also a UNI elementary education student,
echoed Mastin’s sentiments surrounding returning to The Quarters. “Most of the students that live here wanted to get off campus, and now we’re back on campus,” said Miller. “Along with that, non-college students can’t live here and two of my roommates aren’t college students. One had planned on living here next year but now she can’t and has to find a new place.”
Both Mastin and Miller talked about immediate changes that they saw around the facilities, ranging from changes in amenities to how residents pay rent. “They’ve taken the tanning bed out,” said Mastin. “It’s more just disappointing than anything, I personally didn’t use it but for others who did, that could be upsetting.” Mastin also noted that the Apple computers residents could use to print had also been taken out, and she assumes that the university would replace them with mobile printers that are around campus. “It’s more of, these are amenities that our lease said we would have access to, and now that The Quarters is under the university, which current residents didn’t have a say in, we don’t have access to certain ameni-
NORTHERN IOWAN/MACI SWANSON
Changes are underway at The Quarters following UNI’s purchase of the facilities. Residents, however, are unhappy about some of changes they’re seeing.
ties that were originally in our lease,” Mastin said. Miller discussed that the resident portal The Quarters facility originally used had been replaced by a portal that was confusing and hard to use, especially for non-student residents of The Quarters, and that late fees on rent payments have “gone up to $60.” Mastin added to this, noting that non-student residents have had issues picking up packages.
Sophie Serrano, a UNI stu-
dent and Quarters resident said that the acquisition of The Quarters makes residents feel more restricted. “I feel like this purchase is going to steer a lot of students away from living at The Quarters as many students come here to get a little more freedom,” said Serrano. “With the university purchasing I feel there’s going to be a lot less freedom.” Mastin says that according to
See QUARTERS CHANGES, page 2
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
NORTHERN IOWAN/ELLIE MARMIE MORE ON PAGE TWO
NEWS
UNI Nursing holds second white coat ceremony
QUARTERS CHANGES
continued from page 1
Mastin says that according to communications from University Housing and Dining, the university anticipates an influx of students wanting to sign a lease at The Quarters. “Apparently there’s a waitlist. I do and I don’t believe that,” said Mastin. “There are people who want to live on campus and there are people who want their own place … this was just kind of the perfect place.” Serrano, Miller and Mastin all discussed that they wished the acquisition would’ve taken place at the end of the ac-
ademic year, instead of taking place in the middle of the semester, affecting their day-today lives. “It’s a lot for people in school to worry about ‘Oh my god, how do I pay my rent now? Will I get a late fee if I can’t figure out the portal?’” said Mastin. Miller added that these issues have made her change her opinion on The Quarters as a whole, and is contributing to her lease renewal evaluation. “I haven’t renewed my lease because of all of those differences and it made me not interested in living here anymore,” said Miller. “I thought about it, before UNI’s purchase, The Quar-
ters made it feel like a home instead of feeling like you are back on campus.” Now, Miller and Mastin agree that The Quarters feels more like campus than it does home for them. According to Miller, “... The cops patrolling, no access to printing, no community gatherings, less response from the office, no check in,” have all contributed to current residents feeling like they’re back on campus again, after residents like Miller, Mastin and Serrano signed with The Quarters to purposefully live off-campus.
Pete Moris, UNI’s director of public relations, told the
Northern Iowan in January that the acquisition is meant to serve students and provide a wider variety of on-campus living, and that the university is working to make the transition as easy as possible for residents. “Current residents won’t see much change in terms of the remainder of their lease,” said Moris. “We want to make it as smooth of a transition as possible for everybody. Once we take physical possession of the facility … residents shouldn’t notice much of a difference.”
The university remains in contact with current residents regarding changes to the fa-
cility and their leases. In the most recent email sent out by UHD, the options for student and non-student residents were listed for the Fall semester. It details that non-student residents are ineligible to renew their lease for the Fall semester, and those who have previously renewed their lease can contact the housing office to terminate their lease. For both students and non-student residents, those who email the housing office by Feb. 28 can terminate their Fall semester lease and receive refunds for any prepaid rent.
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NORTHERN IOWAN/ELLIE MARMIE
Students that received their white coat officially earn their “rite of passage” into the medical field. It is a big accomplishment and a testament to their hardwork.
NORTHERN IOWAN/ELLIE MARMIE
Each white coat is embroidered with the University of Northern Iowa school logo, as well as “Nursing.” Receiving the coat opens many doors for the students.
NORTHERN IOWAN/ELLIE MARMIE
During the ceremony, students typically recite the Hippocratic Oath, where medical professionals promise to ethically take care of their respective patients.
NORTHERN IOWAN/ELLIE MARMIE UNI’s nursing program is still relatively new, but they have made profound moves in becoming a top nursing school in Iowa.
Isaac Campbell: An artist and advocate UNI Alumni empowers communities through
wheatpasting
Isaac Campbell is a University of Northern Iowa alumni who specializes in wheatpasting, an art medium that has been around for hundreds of years. Campbell graduated from UNI with his bachelor’s degree in 2014, and loved it so much he came back in 2019 to earn his master’s in communication studies.
“I think that’s really fun to talk about, because it makes students from UNI feel like the world is accessible to them, with the education they’re receiving and the opportunities, because this all started at UNI with public education.”
Wheatpasting consists of flour, water and some sugar. It is used to paste miscellaneous material up on the walls of communities. Wheatpasting is used all around the world to portray important messages and personal stories.
“If you have a piece of paper, and you can make some glue, originally with flour, water and some sugar, you could get a message out there. A lot of times, wheatpasting messages came from people who didn’t have a voice anywhere else.”
Much of Campbell’s
Alumni, Isaac Campbell,
that
art gives a voice to those who do not have one.
Campbell has curated a portfolio with wheatpastings of American hostages, such as Paul Rusesabagina.
Rusesabagina’s team originally contacted Campbell to create something, then ultimately came to the idea to do a mural for everyone in the “Bring our Families Home” campaign.
Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years in pris-
on in Rwanda, and was just released in 2023, following the completion of Campbell’s mural in July of 2022. Rusesabagina’s life-saving actions in the Rwandan genocide inspired the 2004 award-winning film, Hotel Rwanda. Rusesabagina even travelled to UNI in 2009, where he spoke about the crucial work he did during the Rwandan genocide.
High profile hostages like Rusesabagina and Brittney
Griner played a pivotal role in lifting up the stories of the 17 other lesser known Americans depicted on Campbell’s mural.
Essentially, most of the people on the mural were virtually unknown or had never even been seen in public. Putting Rusesabagina and Griner on opposite ends of the mural helped give context to passers that all of these people were connected.
“Getting into the untold
stories of people or lived experiences, is something that wheatpasting does really well, partially because wheatpasting is rooted in lifting up the voices of everyday people,” said Campbell.
Campbell was a Fulbright Scholar in 2018, and traveled to Budapest, Hungary. This is where he started truly experimenting with wheatpasting.
“The Fulbright opportunity was just monumental in putting the pieces together about connecting me and my talents with other people, and everything since then has been a referral,” Campbell professed.
Since then, Campbell has wheatpasted in many places, from the Cedar Valley to Honduras. For Campbell, it’s not just the art that is meaningful, but rather building community with those that the art impacts.
He claims, “The actual work of creating art and putting it up is really, really satisfying for me, but even more so is the opportunity to engage with people to create it.”
On Feb. 26, at 7 p.m., Campbell will be speaking in the Lang Hall auditorium. Campbell’s art and advocacy address is courtesy of the Hearst Lecture Series.
Lizbeth Montalvo talks NISG elections
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER
Executive Editor
As Lizbeth Montavlo looks to the end of her presidential term with the Northern Iowan Student Government, she recants how her time with the organization and serving the student body has impacted her. “I think in the beginning, I did struggle a lot. It took me a while to kind of get over imposter syndrome,” Montalvo said. The NISG presidential race is underway, and Montalvo recollects her administration’s successes and struggles as she looks to not just finish out her term, but to graduate.
“I remember thinking, ‘Why did I even take up this role? Who said I was capable of doing this?’” Montalvo thought back to her moments of imposter syndrome when she was first elected to the role of student body president after serving as student body vice
president under Micaiah Krutsinger. “I just had to get out of my head and realize I earned it. I campaigned. People voted for me.” As Montalvo worked through her feelings of imposter syndrome, she was able to focus more on her role as student body president and delegate to those who serve in her
administration. One of the biggest tasks that Montalvo’s administration took on was the allocation of funds after DEI offices at UNI were dissolved due to Iowa legislation. Montalvo says that after the DEI offices were dissolved, NISG received the funds that would originally go to those offices. NISG chose to allocate that funding to organizations that were most affected by the dissolution of DEI offices across campus in an effort to better support those student groups. “I know that was a really big relief off of their shoulders,” Montalvo said. NISG also collaborated with the Multicultural Council in a larger effort to keep the Center for Multicultural Education alive through student-led events.
While Montalvo’s administration helped to lead these efforts, work will still be passed down to the next administration, and whether or not they choose to carry on the work is up to them.
“We work closely with the statehouse and the Board of Regents to advocate for students’ voices and we’ve been trying to advocate for mental health allocation for the past three years now, and it’s been denied,” said Montalvo. “Students might not always see the connections with those entities, and it’s really up to the next administration and what they specifically want to advocate for.”
Montalvo was aware when she began campaigning that advocacy and allocation of funding would become day-to-day tasks during the last two years. What she wasn’t prepared for was the sheer investment of her time and personal life into her presidency. “Michaiah told me when I was running for his vice presidency, ‘you’re going to feel like you’re always wearing a name tag,’ … and it has clicked, that people do pay attention to who I am,” Montalvo said. Learning that students knew
who she was also opened Montalvo up to how students correlate her to state action, whether that action is positive or negative. “A lot of stuff is decided by legislators or the Board of Regents, and we just help carry out what they instruct us to do,” said Montalvo. “But truly, at the end of the day, we want to advocate for student voices at every level possible.” Montalvo will finish her term as student body president this semester, and pass down the gavel to the next administration. Campaigns have begun for the next student body president and vice president. Candidates for student body president, Alli Webster and Evan Winter, alongside candidates for student body vice president, Gabriel Salazar and Cooper Messina, will participate in a debate held by NISG this Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the Maucker Union Ballrooms at 6 p.m.
COURTESY/ISAAC CAMPBELL
UNI
has been using his wheatpasting art as a form of advocacy. Pictured above, is a mural
showcases American hostages. Campbell with be speaking in the Lang auditorium on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
COURTESY/NISG ARCHIVES
Current NISG president, Lizbeth Montalvo, reflects on her time in student government.
ESTELLE JOHNSON Managing Editor
N.I. EN ESPAÑOL
El Colegio de Educación de UNI busca reestructurar sus departamentos
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER
Editora ejecutiva
LAUREN LOGUE
Estudiante del curso SPAN 4045
Tras la presentación en UNI de la Escuela de Salud y Ciencias Humanas, los administradores y la facultad del Colegio de Educación se dieron cuenta de la necesidad de reestructurar el colegio. Antes de que se estableciera la Escuela de Salud y Ciencias Humanas, las especialidades como kinesiología y entrenamiento atlético formaban parte del Departamento de Salud, Recreación y Servicios
Comunitarios. Al salir estos programas del Colegio de Educación, el preboste José Herrera y la decana Colleen Mulholland alentaron a los administradores a revisar la estructura del colegio y cómo podría cambiar para beneficiar a los estudiantes y profesores por igual.
Ronald Rinehart, jefe del Departamento de Psicología Educativa de UNI, explicó que este cambio es fundamental para el éxito de los estudiantes y profesores de UNI. Este cambio no solo es fundamental, según Rinehart, sino que tampoco fue una sorpresa para el colegio. “Todos sabíamos
que algo como esto iba a venir, debido al número de profesores reorganizados en una organización diferente y alineada estratégicamente,” dijo Rinehart. El comité de alineamiento del Colegio de Educación, compuesto por administradores y miembros de la facultad, aplicó múltiples fases que abarcaron más de un año para considerar los cambios departamentales. Rinehart dice que, aunque el departamento tiene una nueva estructura, todavía se están haciendo unos pocos cambios para acomodar a los profesores.
La primera fase incluyó la búsqueda de principios rectores para los cambios estructurales, el trabajo preliminar exploratorio y los modelos iniciales. Según Rinehart, los seis principios rectores básicos —eficiencia, equilibrio, interdisciplinariedad, pertenencia, colaboración y enfoque en los estudiantes— allanaron el camino para las siguientes conversaciones con la facultad. El trabajo preliminar establecido por el comité de alineamiento permitió que las sesiones de escucha en la segunda fase ayudaran a formar las estructuras departamentales. Según
Rinehart, las cinco sesiones de escucha organizadas por el comité de alineamiento permitieron tanto a la facultad como a los estudiantes proporcionar comentarios y puntos de vista sobre lo que el colegio necesita durante la reestructuración. Una idea que surgió durante una sesión de escucha incluyó cómo el colegio puede organizarse horizontalmente para permitir una mayor colaboración. “Fue una sugerencia muy seria de la facultad… hay un deseo de trabajar de una manera interdisciplinaria,” dijo Reinhart. “Esa fue una llamada para que el comité en general dijera, ‘Pensemos más en grande, ¿cómo podemos llegar a la raíz de este problema?’”. Estas discusiones llevaron a lo que recientemente aprobó el senado de la facultad, el organigrama matriz de gestión organizativa, que condensa el Colegio de Educación en cuatro departamentos y fomenta la colaboración horizontal. Según Rinehart, se trata de “fomentar la innovación, desarrollar un propósito compartido y establecer la pertenencia”. La programación horizontal también permite que los miem -
bros de la facultad asistan a las reuniones programáticas, incluso si no están físicamente en el mismo departamento en el que se encuentra el programa. Rinehart también dice que la facultad habló de estar “ensilada” en sus departamentos durante las sesiones de escucha de la segunda fase. “Si piensas en un silo de grano, tiene paredes destinadas a mantener el material adentro y mantener otro material afuera, un límite. En este caso en particular, lo que estábamos buscando es ¿cómo podemos colaborar entre los silos?” Rinehart dijo. “Es un problema conocido y de larga trayectoria en el mundo académico, el de colaborar entre silos”. El comité de alineamiento se tomó muy en serio la necesidad de la facultad de trabajar interdisciplinariamente. Todo esto lleva a la tercera fase, y a cómo el comité de alineamiento comenzó a formar el organigrama matriz de gestión organizativa.
Según Rinehart, estos cambios no solo serán más efectivos para el colegio en su conjunto, sino también para los profesores, lo que a su vez afectará a los estudiantes. “Al final del día,
todo esto vuelve a ‘¿cómo podemos servir mejor a nuestros estudiantes?’”, dijo Rinehart. “Los programas existen para servir a los estudiantes, y los profesores sirven en programas para servir a los estudiantes. Ambos, al final del día, se tratan de cómo podemos servir mejor a nuestros estudiantes”.
Si bien los cambios oficiales de los departamentos, que han sido confirmados por el Senado de la Facultad, no se implementarán hasta julio de 2025, Rinehart señala que los cambios continuarán ocurriendo, incluso después de que el programa esté oficialmente en su lugar. Los detalles específicos, como el cambio de oficinas y espacios de trabajo, la actualización del sitio web del colegio, así como la formación de equipos en nuevos programas, están sujetos a cambios a medida que el programa se implemente en julio.
Cortesía/UNI Repositorio de fotos
State legislature aims to restrict faculty, students, not empower them
NORTHERN IOWAN EDITORIAL
Last week, the Northern Iowan published an article detailing House Study Bill 63 and how it could potentially affect UNIFI, UNI’s new general education program.
This bill, now House File 401 (HF401), was passed out of the higher education committee by seven representatives and now awaits an Iowa House vote. This bill aims to replace all regent university general education programs with a prescribed, legislated version of those general education programs. The legislated version would require 37 credits, and requires the Board of Regents to “ensure that courses that satisfy the general education requirements established pursuant to section do not distort significant historical events or include any curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States of America or the state of Iowa. The policy shall not limit the academic freedom of any course instructor to direct the instruction within the instructor’s course or limit the free discussion of ideas in a classroom setting.” If passed, the bill is set to take effect in
the summer of 2027. This bill is presented as a way to simplify general education studies across the regent universities and make transferring even easier for students. But, UNI is already a designated transfer-friendly school, as named by the Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Honor Roll, which cites UNI as one of the top 25% of colleges
nationwide for transfer students.
UNIFI took around five years to fully formulate, and included faculty input, involvement and the exploration of peer institution general education. There are currently 157 classes built into the UNIFI curriculum to satisfy UNIFI’s 37-credit requirement, allowing students the
option of choice and allowing them to build a general education plan of study that they would find interesting. UNIFI also allows students to package credits into general education certificates, such as the Sustainibility and THRIVE! certificates, allowing students to pexplore more classes outside of their major of study. UNIFI is constantly
expanding its range of course offerings for students and encourages faculty to propose new classes through its course proposal program.
All of this could go away if HF401 is passed into law. The student choice and faculty involvement that is baked into the UNIFI program could be replaced by a prescribed version of general education. The general education program built by UNI faculty to directly benefit UNI students and prospective transfer students is at risk of being replaced by legislation. These changes could also lead to important historical topics being barred from being taught at all, as mentioned in the bill.
This is about the matter of choice. It’s about students and faculty having control over their education. The principles of public education lie in the hands of the faculty and students who attend such institutions, not in the hands of legislators. Rep. Taylor Collins, the chair of the higher education committee, says it’s important that this legislation is passed and that regent universities make their way back to “true liberal arts education.”
There is no definition for what makes a “true liberal arts education.” But, there’s something to be said about the role that academic freedom plays in general education, where universities are able to decide what is best for their students, as reported and studied by their own faculty. The students at regent universities like UNI are entitled to academic freedom. HF401 would restrict that freedom, that choice, that is so sacred to a secondary education under the guise that components of general education aren’t working. UNIFI, the general education program at UNI, is working for students. It’s working for transfer students. But the academic freedom and choice allowed by this program apparently isn’t working for the Iowa legislature.
As one UNI student, senior psychology major Hayden Burke, told the Northern Iowan, the state legislature is taking away student choice and independence. “I pay thousands of dollars to exercise my independence to choose an educational institution and program that I want to acquire. Having the government strip that right from me by implementing a statewide general education program would make me feel paralyzed as a student,” Burke said.
COURTESY/CHRIS MARTIN
As HB63 awaits a vote by the Iowa House, the Northern Iowan Editorial Board considers how this bill could affect student and faculty academic freedom if passed and enacted.
Javaria White talks diversity at UNI
JO BRAHMS News Editor
In the face of DEI rollbacks and literature changes, students across campus have been picking up the slack. One of these students is Javaria White, the current director of diversity for the Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG). White is a senior on campus, double majoring in psychology and social work, and minoring in mental health. She says that the role mainly consists of helping student orgs on campus. “I would say, mostly my role as the director of diversity has shifted a lot since the DEI changes, because part of my role was to work closely with those DEI faculty and staff. Since I can't do that anymore, it’s become more of me creating the multicultural council. Part of my initiative is maintaining those connections with the CME and all the other multicultural orgs. There used to be all these events and programs that they put on up there. I'm not able to do all that on my own. I’m just one person.”
White first got involved with NISG in 2023, but never expected to take on such a heavy responsibility. “In the fall 2023 semester, the Board of Directors for the Racial/ Ethnic Affairs position had opened up and one of my peers was the Director of Mental Health. They were telling me a little bit about their role, and I just thought, like, ‘Oh my gosh, how cool.’ So I applied for that and ended up getting that role and did some work there with the CME staff and worked pretty closely with the previous Director of Diversity. They left that role early, so
that role needed to be filled. I thought I would be a great fit there, so I applied and was in that position for one semester. I loved what I was doing, so I reapplied and got reelected.”
Last semester, the Center for Multicultural Education was largely restructured and many of the staff that White had worked so closely with were moved into new positions or let go. “There's not really a community up in the CME
anymore. I find that a lot of students are coming to me and asking me things like ‘How do you think we can fix it?’ or ‘How can we make it better?’. Students have been turning away from the CME. It’s not as lively as it was before. We really just want people to still be coming up and enjoying the space. Do homework or eat lunch there, the space is there to be used.”
While her job description has shifted a lot in the last year, White has stayed steady in her path to help support students. She is in her second term with NISG and is taking the changes in stride saying, “We were really active over there in the CME. I was working closely with the CME staff in the fall. When I was a freshman coming in, that was the first place that I was introduced to that had that sense of home for me. I have always been very connected there. Now I am wanting to make that ‘home’ still be present so new people coming to campus know that it's a good space. I want to just be a student advocate and advocate for people who can't do that for themselves or people who might find it hard to speak out for themselves. That’s been going pretty well. We collabo-
rated with a bunch of the multicultural orgs last semester and we’ve got some things in the works to keep that going this spring semester.”
White encourages students to stay involved on campus and in their communities. She also emphasized the importance of staying positive in the changing times. “It’s hard right now, but it’s a law. There is, obviously, nothing you can do against a law. But, I know the communities have the courage and the strive to want these things to be here. Don’t be afraid of being uncomfortable. Get your voice out there. Our student government is here for the students. Any way that the students want us to advocate for them, we will do that. You just have to let us know what you need. I think students coming together with other students can be really powerful. To be honest everybody's multicultural. Like you can be a woman and be white, that makes you multicultural. Diversity is just being different like that's all. It's not about being Black or Hispanic or Asian or whatever. It's just about being different, so everybody holds some form of diversity and I think that's not being represented well.”
COURTESY/JAVARIA WHITE
White is the current director of diversity for the Northern Iowa Student Government.
CAMPUS LIFE
UNI Cheerleading builds strength through teammate support
JOSUE VILLATORO Staff Writer
The University of Northern Iowa is home to many athletic organizations. With football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, and volleyball; The Panthers
versatile move sets such as constructing pyramids, individual stunt choreography, and tumbling with a grand sense of flair. As a student-led organization, the cheer team is restricted from taking part in competitive tournaments. However, they
The studentled sport has a huge attachment to engaging in positivity,
– JOSUE VILLATIRO Staff Writer
have no shortage of individuals gifted with athletic prowess and determination. When our games occur and moments of triumph are captured, who do we have to thank for keeping our spirits boosted and our energy circulating? Look no further than the UNI cheerleading squad.
Seniors and student coaches Piper Pinion, Emily Bertlshofer, and Elly Shaw have been leading the team and have been displaying
do not let that diminish their commitment to hard work and perseverance within their performances. As a squad, they are built from the fact that they lean heavily on lifting each other up. Not just in performing stylish stunts, but by keeping a positive mentality to succeed in their respective routines. The team prioritizes confidence by ensuring that their skills are not based on criticism, but rather encouragement. For many athletes, it can be extremely
frustrating to witness a goal being unfulfilled along with their fellow teammates.
When facing their moments of low, they emphasize team bonding, whether honoring a seasonal holiday, celebrating a teammate's birthday, or heading out to dinner to build camaraderie. The cheerleaders' hearts for one another shine brighter than gold as they ensure that everyone on the team has a place where they all share the spotlight. Anxiousness is a trap that one could easily fall into when performing a significant set of skills. Yet, that does not prevent them from ensuring they all achieve triumph.
The team remains focused, precise and efficient through each number they perform and have a level of commitment that separates them from other D1 university cheer squads. What propels them as they face trials and tribulations is their enthusiasm in giving the crowd the push needed during the toughest sections of Panther athletics. From an outside perspective, cheerleading may only seem like tumbling and shouting praise. That aside, the student-led sport has a huge attachment to engaging in positivity and keeping the momentum going with excitement. As many know, not every skill is handed to one right off the bat.
With learning and ex -
panding knowledge, there are bound to be obstacles that challenge individuals to grow in spirit and wisdom. Freshman Avery Dasch, who’s been cheerleading since high school and even in all-star cheer, explains that one of the obstacles cheer members have faced is that the sport is “demanding” in comparison to high school cheer. Dasch highlights the sport by claiming it drives them to be better, both as people and as teammates. She states, “We are all hurting and we are all in pain, yet we still encourage each other and push each other,” in reference to how physically exhausting it can be.
They look forward to football and basketball season the most, as the crowds gradually grow large in anticipation for each upcoming game. Pinion states, “Most of the team's success comes
from football games, basketball games; Pre-game is our biggest thing of the year aside from Cheer Pom.” She continues by saying when a stunt fails or something unfortunate occurs in the path of the team’s progress, they are able to feed off of the high energy and support of each individual.
The role of support is evident through each participant in this organization and allows for those watching their performance to really become engaged with how they are committed to looking at the brightside. They remain benevolent, compassionate and fervent. They are the epitome of school spirit. The UNI cheerleading team is a dedicated group of courageous individuals that seek to spread enthusiasm one cartwheel at a time and keep improving no matter what they encounter.
NORTHERN IOWAN/JOSUE VILLATORO
UNI cheerleaders emphasize team bonding in moments of low, including celebrating a teammates birthday or going to dinner as a team to build camaraderie.
COURTESY/UNI CHEERLEADING INSTAGRAM
Most of the cheerleaders success comes from football and basketball games.
CAMPUS LIFE
Career Services sees boost in student engagement after relocation
LILY MUNNIK Staff Writer
With the relocation of the University of Northern Iowa’s Career Services Office in June 2024, UNI is seeing more students utilize the office's services and benefit from the convenience of its new location.
“The primary driver was to create better connections with the students,” says Matt Nuese, associate director of Career Services at UNI. When Gilchrist Hall reopened in 2008, it housed many departments, including Academic Advising, Study Abroad and Career Services. Students also went to Gilchrist to sign up for classes, meet with Financial Aid and pay their U-Bill.
Once Advising and Study Abroad moved across campus and student services became accessible online, the building became less utilized. “We were isolated from our core population and began looking for options around 2020,” says Nuese. “When the opportunity arose to move to Maucker Union, we were thrilled at the chance to be back where students are, in the center of campus.”
Since moving to the Union,
When you do go, you’ll have so many options presented to you and you can fast-track yourself to getting hired.
– MATT NUESE Associate director of Career Services at UNI
Career Services has seen a significant increase in student engagement, faculty drop-ins and general interaction with the campus community. “Our employers have raved about the space and the chance they have to interact with students for both training and recruitment,” says Nuese.
As a hub for campus jobs, the move has made it easier for students to navigate the hiring process and meet with staff in the new space.
Career Services also hosts various annual events, including career fairs in the fall and spring, Graduate School Day,
the Overseas Educator Fair and the UNI Teacher Fair.
“Our goal with all events is to help students gain experience in the field they plan to enter,” says Nuese.
On Feb. 18, the Spring Career Fair took place at the McLeod Center. Career fairs offer students the chance to understand how their field of study relates to life after UNI. At the fair, students can learn about job options, meet employers and explore living possibilities. “It’s an exceptional way to find internships and job opportunities,” says Nuese. “Unlike going to a
website and submitting your resume, you get the chance to meet their people, see a glimpse of their culture, ask how your skills fit and promote yourself for an interview.”
“One of my favorite parts of every fair is hearing from students who get interview invites or discover a career option they hadn’t considered before. It’s also exciting when a student gets an interview for a job they wouldn’t have made it past the online screening for due to their major or GPA,” says Nuese.
For students who may be hesitant to attend, “There is no negative to going. At a minimum, you meet people and improve your speaking skills, says Nuese. “However, when you do go, you’ll have so many options presented to you, and you can fast-track yourself to getting hired.”
Career Services offers several other services for students, such as help with resumes, interviews, applications, internships, campus employment and more. You can read more about their offerings at careerservices. uni.edu or visit their office at 063 Maucker Union.
NORTHERN IOWAN/MACI SWANSON
The Career Services Office in located on the ground floor of Maucker Union, right near the food court.
Panther WBB split weekend contests
NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer
The UNI women’s basketball team started the weekend off against the Missouri State Bears on Thursday night. The team opened with back-to-back baskets before the Bears would go on a run. Eventually, it would get to 12-12 as UNI went on an 8-5 run to make the score 20-17 as they went into the second quarter. Emerson Green had eight points in the first quarter going 4-for-4 on the floor.
Green had UNI’s next five of their seven points to give them a 27-17 lead before the Bears would go on a 15-2 run and a three-point lead at 34-31. The Panthers would then go on a 6-5 run, but Missouri State led Northern Iowa by two at halftime with a score of 39-37. Green had 17 points in the first half going 8-of-10 shooting and 1-of-2 from deep.
Green opened the second half on a four-point run before some back-andforth buckets that saw the Panthers have a two-point lead going into the fourth
quarter. Maya McDermott tied the game at 67 at the end of regulation to force overtime. Missouri State had a three-point advantage
at the buzzer in overtime to come out with a 75-72 win over the Panthers.
Game two of weekend action saw the Panthers gear
up against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The game started with a three-pointer by the Panthers before Shateah Wetering tied the
game at eight early in the game. UNI went on a ninepoint run which included four points from Ryley Goebel to make the score 17-8. SIU went on a 5-2 run in the second half of the first quarter as the Panthers held a 19-13 lead.
UNI started the second quarter off with a 9-2 run which saw back-and-forth baskets as the Panthers gained a 15-point lead at 39-24. Wetering continued to lead the Panthers scoring 11 points in the first half and shooting 5-for-6 from the floor in the first half of the game.
Northern Iowa opened the second half with a 12-point run over the Salukis which boosted their lead to 27 at 51-24. The Panthers went on a 13-10 point run to close out the third quarter which then gave UNI a 30-point lead over Southern Illinois to close out the third quarter. The Panthers put up 23 points in the third quarter including six from Kaylynn Janes to finish out the game to push the Panthers to a 36-point win with a score of 87-51.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers are next in action on Feb. 27 vs Evansville.
Panthers MBB fall prey to Bulldogs
MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Writer
The Northern Iowa men’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker in overtime against their rival, the Drake Bulldogs, 64-58. The 6,652 fans that packed the McLeod Center marked the highest attended UNI men’s basketball game since 2015, when the Panthers took down No.1 North Carolina in front of 7,018 fans.
Ben Schwieger brought the house down right from the jump with a spectacular dunk to open the scoring. The game was a defensive battle early, as 10 minutes in the score was only 12-11 Drake.
The Panthers trailed as much as eight points with only 13:26 remaining in the game. Trailing 45-42 just under the nine minute mark, Schwieger got to the rim and dunked the ball once again to make it a one point game.
Schwieger followed it up with a layup next possession to give the Panthers their first lead since it was 9-7. The game was all tied up at 51-51 with just under two minutes. Drake guard Tavion Banks connected on a layup to regain the lead.
Down two points with
21 seconds remaining, Trey Campbell knocked down a clutch three to give the Panthers a 54-53 lead.
The Bulldogs had one last shot with seven sec -
onds remaining. Bulldogs guard Bennett Stirtz attempted a game-winning three and couldn’t connect. The rebound landed in the hands of Drake guard Mitch
Mascari who attempted a 3-pointer but was fouled on a questionable call.
Mascari needed to make three free-throws to win and two to send it to overtime.
He missed the first but nailed the next two, which sent the game to overtime.
Tytan Anderson regained the lead for the Panthers with a layup at 57-55. The Panthers found themselves down three with under 30 seconds remaining. That’s when Stirtz stepped up and nailed a 3-pointer to put the game away. Drake holds on in overtime 64-58. Anderson finished with 21 points. Jacob Hutson finished with 14 while Schwieger finished with 12.
The Panthers showed great fight against a phenomenal Valley team. The team proved they are more than capable of winning the Arch Madness tournament in early March. The Panthers fell to 19-10 and are third in the MVC with two games remaining. Drake clinched an outright conference regular season title with the win on Saturday.
The team honored three players: Anderson, Hutson and Cael Schmitt as a part of the senior day festivities.
The Panthers are back in action on Feb. 26, against the UIC Flames. Tip Off is at 6:00 p.m. in the McLeod Center. The game can also be found on ESPN+.
UNI Wrestling dominates the Badgers
ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer
On Friday, Feb. 21, the UNI wrestling team went up against the University of Wisconsin for the last dual of the season. The Panthers were looking to finish what has been a dominant regular season on a high note. On the other hand, Wisconsin was looking to end what has been a relatively disappointing regular season with an upset win. In the end, it was the Panthers that came back to Cedar Falls with the dual victory.
The Panther started the day out well, at 197 pounds and heavyweight. At 197, Wyatt Voelker had a couple of takedowns, and ended up with an 8-1 victory, securing three points for the Panthers. At heavyweight, the first period was quiet, but in the second Lance Runyon took the victory with a pin, adding on six points. After the first two matches, the Panthers were already up 9-0.
The Badgers bounced back by getting victories at 125 and 133 pounds.
Trever Anderson fell in a close match to Wisconsin’s Nicolar Rivera, 13-9, while Julian Farber lost 5-0 against Zan Fugitt.
Four matches in, the score was 9-6 in favor of the Panthers. Following the two losses, the Panthers rattled off three straight victories. At 141 pounds, Cael Happel
The Panthers lost at 165 and 174 pounds. Both Jack Thomsen and Nick Fox lost by decision, and the Badgers added six points. To finish up the day it was Parker Keckeisen in the last dual of his dominant career. The 184 pound match was dominated by Keckeisen, who ended up winning by technical fall, 20-3. The Panthers won the last dual of the season, 28-12.
The Panthers finish the regular season with a 14-1 overall record, and as the fourth ranked team in the nation. There is still a lot of work to be done, as the Panthers will be competing at the Big 12 Championships on March 8 and March 9.
was dominant, winning by tech fall 23-7, and earning five points for the Panthers. At 149 pounds, Colin Realbuto gave up a take down early, but bounced back and ended up winning by pin fall. The last of the three win stretch was at the hands of Ryder Downey at 157 pounds, and after there were no points in the first two periods, Downey scored five points in the third period to secure the decision win. The Panthers were now up 23-6.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
Tytan Anderson led the way for the Panthers with 21 points before fouling out in overtime.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
Parker Keckeisen finished up his collegiate dual career with a record of 46-1.
Panthers find success at Iowa Open
CARTER LUST Sports Writer
On Friday, Feb. 21, the University of Northern Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams sent groups to Iowa City to compete in the Iowa Open indoor meet. Each of Iowa’s “Big 4” universities attended this event, with most competitors hailing from Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, or Drake. Since the Iowa Open is an “open” meet, many athletes ran or threw unattached from their respective schools. Running or throwing unattached allows participants to preserve a year of athletic eligibility should they not race in any team-scored meets the rest of the season.
After a successful outing in Wisconsin last week, multiple Panthers jumped to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference rankings in their respective events. The men and women looked to continue their stellar performances just an hour and a half drive south of Cedar Falls.
The men’s distance crew started the day for UNI with sophomore Levi Hill competing in the 3k. While donning the purple and gold for his first try over the distance, Hill raced to a fourth-place finish out of 11 competitors in 8:48.19.
Later, the mid-distance men followed Hill’s strong performance with stellar showings in the 600-meter, 800-meter and mile. Drake Hanson won the 600-meter in 1:17.31, and freshman teammate Jake Bosch finished fourth in 1:19.72. Derek Woods and Micaiah Ellis provided a one-two punch for the Panthers in the 800meter, placing first and second in 1:53.41 and 1:53.88, respectively. Freshman Brayden Picken rounded out the group by placing 10th in the mile in 4:17.27.
Northern Iowa female mid-distance runners also placed first and second in the 800-meter, with Mary Kelly and Kendra Nissen going one-two in a field of 11 runners. Kelly took the win in 2:13:09, with Nissen right behind in 2:13.27. Anna Van Kooten ran a personal record of 2:15.32 to finish fifth, while teammate Kaylin Lacher placed sixth in 2:16.40. Kaylee Woolery finished ninth in 2:26.69.
The UNI women entered five runners into the mile. Leah Klapatauskas led the way for the Panthers, placing second in 5:01.28. Eden Mueller, Brooke O’Brien and Liza Schaffer took spots nine through 11. Muller and
O’Brien finished toe-totoe in 5:09.08 and 5:09.42, respectively. Schaffer ran 5:18.17. Senior Lauren Klein placed 14th in 5:23.38.
The sprinters and hurdlers also had quality days for the Panthers. On the men’s side, Jerome Jessup and Sheldon Lucas qualified for the 60-meter finals. Jessup took third in 6.84, and Lucas finished seventh in 7.03. Teammate Tye Hardin ran 7.12 in the preliminary round.
Colin Buch also ran a season-best 8.83 in the 60-meter hurdles preliminary round.
Four Panther women qualified for the 60-meter finals, with Kanijah Angel, Giada Grimes and Anna Winterrowd filling the podium. Angel won in a time of 7.74, Grimes took runner-up in 7.79 and Winterrowd came third in 7.88. All three set personal bests. Teammate Aleksys Gannon ran 8.18 to finish eighth.
Junior Darci Wiseman finished sixth in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.36.
The field events started with the women’s weight throw, where Katie Fare threw 17.40 meters to finish third. Freshman Kileigh Lachacz placed 11th with a throw of 13.71 meters. Justin Olsen was the lone Panther on the men’s side to compete in the event, throwing 15.98 meters and finishing 10th.
Fare also competed in the women’s shot put, taking home first place by
throwing 16.44 meters. Jorie Hanenburg etched a season-best with her throw of 13.74 meters.
The quartet of Josie Moreland, Rylie Todd, Chloe Largent and Soren Maricle took first through fourth in the women’s high jump, respectively. Moreland set a new personal record of 1.76 meters, followed by Todd at 1.70 meters. Largnet and
Maricle each jumped 1.65 meters. The sophomore duo of Joey Perry and Silvana Kabolo also competed in the event for UNI. Perry lept 1.60 meters for seventh place, and Kabolo jumped 1.55 meters for eighth. For the men, Tye Hardin finished third by clearing 2.00 meters, and Ethan Peters placed fifth by jumping 1.95 meters.
Annalise Zeinemann, Hannah Wallace and Isabelle Cox competed in a women’s pole vault field of just four athletes. Zeinemann cleared 3.40 meters for second place, Wallace was third at 3.15 meters and Cox was fourth at 3.00 meters. Brendan Safley won the men’s event, vaulting 5.30 meters. Teammate Colin Buch cleared 3.90 meters for sixth.
The women’s long jump also had a multitude of Panthers competing. Katy Stephens led the way by placing second with a leap of 5.66 meters, followed by Josey Dunbar, who lept 5.63 meters to take third. Makayla Crannell jumped 5.56 meters for fourth and Perry 5.38 meters for sixth. Silvana Kabolo took eighth with a 5.13-meter jump, and Katy Hand finished ninth with a 5.00-meter. Zach Butcher won the men’s field by leaping 7.28 meters, and Peters took fourth with a 6.77-meter effort. Brody Lovell was sixth with a 6.20-meter jump.
Maricle competed in the final field event of the day for UNI, placing third in the triple jump with a leap of 11.19 meters. She set a new personal best in the process.
The Panther men and women will next compete in the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships in Chicago, Illinois. The meet will commence on March 2 and 3.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
Panther pole vaulter Brendan Safley has been named the MVC’s Men’s Field Athlete of the Week.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers will run at the MVC Indoor Championships on Mar. 2-3.
Across
1) Wine stoppers
6) One-pot meals
11) High-arcing hit
14) Sports venue
15) White-sale item
16) "Ciao, Brutus"
17) Cable alternatives
20) Be aware of
21) "Oh, me!"
22) San Diego player
23) Big Headedness
24) "_ Flanders"
25) Easy to control
26) AT&T, for one
28) Coffee house?
29) Grand Coulee or Aswan
30) John Lennon's lady
34) Drivel
35) Semi-gloss alternative
37) Is able
38) Alphabetic characters
39) Bare-bones bed
40) "_ all in your mind"
41) Playful marine mammal
45) Adjusts wheels
47) Advise caution
50) Eggs, to Nero
51) Spiral-horned antelope
52) "Art of Fugue" composer
53) "Wheel of Fortune" action
54) Time for cartoon watching
57) Donned the feedbag
58) Really dumb
59) Tiny weight
60) Cardinal, e.g.
61) Merchant's successes
62) Urged (with "on")
Down
1) Coffin
2) Certain citrus fruit
3) Come out with a modified version
4) Homophone of 46-Down
5) Actor Mineo
6) "It's_ Rock and Roll to Me"
7) Destroy completely, as a car
8) Some meadow creatures
9) "With this ring, I thee_"
10) Like some blouses or shoes
11) Pretentious
12) Partly coincide
13) Old-fashioned suit?
18) "7 Faces of Dr._" (1964 flick)
19) Cul-de-_
24) Beside the point
25) Stingless male honeybee
27) Blue shade
28) College course division
31) Bagpipers' garments
32) Aces, sometimes
33) O'er and o'er
34) "Do you want to hear a secret?"
35) Filled to the gills
36) Appliance for smoothing cloth
37) Assemble in proper sequence
39) Victim of Brutus
40) Short-tailed lemurs
42) Hitting the bottle
43) Demonstrate clearly
44) Traveled far and wide
46) African antelope
47) Batman Bruce
48) Apexes
49) Greek "P"
52) Canaanite deity
53) Like a bug in a rug
55) FBI evidence, at times
56) Lobster coral
CLASSIFIEDS
