NISG Election Day is underway
News Editor
Mark Nook discusses legislation, workforce initiatives on Iowa Press
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER
Executive Editor
In his ninth year of serving as president of UNI, Mark Nook sat down on Iowa Press with Erin Murphy of the Gazette and Amanda Rooker of KCCI to discuss different UNI initiatives and how UNI has navigated recent Iowa state legislation that affect regent universities. Topics included diversity, equity and inclusion legislation, Iowa workforce initiatives and changes on UNI’s campus.
“We completely reorganized our Student Life section,” said Nook, in response to a question from Rooker on how UNI continues to handle the Iowa legislation that repealed DEI initiatives across regent universities. “It was a huge change for us, short on the heels of our general education restructuring … we went back to the first principle of, why are we doing this in the first place?” Nook continued to refer to UNI’s commitment to students and faculty, not just while they’re on campus, but after they eventually leave UNI as well. Iowa Press host Dave Price, filling in for Kay Henderson, brought up that the recent legislation signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds strips civil protections for transgender Iowans, and posits how this could affect UNI students. According to Nook, it’s too early to tell how this legislation could affect Panthers.
“We certainly do have students with an array of gender identities … And we of course have people on campus that identify and we’ll be supportive of individuals without necessarily having a structure in place, a defined structure in place. So, there are always ways that we can continue to support students
because of the people we have on our campus without putting structures in place.” Nook also noted that non-university related organizations exist within the Cedar Falls community to support LGBTQ+ students affected by the legislation.
Nook also discussed one of the Board of Regents’ newer initiatives, which includes forming a legislative committee to monitor higher education bills introduced to the Iowa state legislature regarding the regent universities. “This committee will be able to get together and meet a little bit more frequently than trying to get the whole board together, be able to discuss those issues, reach out to presidents, reach out to provosts, other people on our campus, get the information they need and get it back and hopefully be able to build a stronger relationship with the legislature so they feel a lot more comfortable with where things are going and the information flow,” said Nook.
A bill introduced to the Iowa House, House File 420 (HF420), otherwise known as the Workforce First Act, would require the Board of Regents to review academic programs at each university and draft reports over to what extent programs are serving the workforce needs in Iowa. According to Nook, regardless of the Workforce First Act, UNI has historically been proactive in searching for workforce needs and developing programs and resources to fill those needs.
He cites the most recent addition of the UNI nursing program as just one instance of UNI’s proactivity.
“Recently, Iowa Workforce Development put out a list of the 10 jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree that are going to have the most open -
ings over the next 10 years. Number one is registered nurses. So, a year ago we added a nursing program,” said Nook. “After that, the next nine are all either in education, elementary education, middle school education, high school education, coaching or they’re in things like accounting and business. It looks like UNI’s curriculum.” While Nook cited how UNI’s programs can potentially fill workforce gaps, he also noted that building the Iowan workforce through population is also a need that universities can fill. Nook noted that 40-50% of out of state UNI students take their first full-time offer within Iowa. Through UNI’s recent reciprocity program proposal, Nook says that he hopes UNI can contribute to help building Iowa’s workforce population. The reciprocity program, pending approval by the Iowa legislature, would allow out-of-state students from Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Illinois and Missouri to receive in-state tuition pricing. In exchange,
the university is asking the state to invest $3 million into UNI every year to help cover current tuition differences.
“[Out-of-state students]... they see the job opportunities, they see the jobs that are available, they tend to stay. So, with what we’re proposing it’s pretty clear, looking at the data that we expect at least a three-fold increase in the number of people who will take jobs coming out of UNI who come from out of state,” said Nook. The president of UNI said that it’s a reciprocal investment for both the state and the university, where the state will receive nearly 300 extra workers into the Iowan workforce every year, and UNI will be able to cover tuition differences with the state’s investment into UNI.
“This is not about building UNI’s enrollment, this is about solving an economic problem in this state and that’s our population and not having the workers for the jobs that are here, especially those that require a baccalaureate or higher,” Nook said.
NEWS BRIEFS
The University of Northern Iowa will host its annual PTSD Awareness and Suicide Prevention Conference on Wed.,March 26 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Maucker Union Ballrooms. This free event is open to military members, veterans, their families and friends, community members, professionals, students, staff,and faculty. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.
Do you have a research project to share? Internship, volunteer or study abroad experience to highlight? Submissions for the 2025 INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference is still open through Friday, March 14. Learn more and submit your project online at inspire.uni.edu. *
Spring enrollment has increased 35% through the UNI@DMACC partnership. This partnership offers degree completion programs for students who have recieved their associate degrees through DMACC. To read more, visit insideuni.uni.edu
The annual University of Northern Iowa Homecoming week will take place Sept. 28 through Oct. 4. This is a chance for current students, alumni, faculty, staff, fans and community members to come together to celebrate everything that it means to be a Panther.
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The Northern Iowan is published weekly on Wednesday during the academic year, except for holidays and examination periods, by the University of Northern Iowa, L011 Maucker Union, Cedar Falls, IA 506140166 under the auspices of the Board of Student Publications. Advertising errors that are the fault of the Northern Iowan will be corrected at no cost to the advertiser only if the Northern Iowan office is notified within seven days of the original publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time. The Northern Iowan is funded in part with student activity fees.
All material is © 2025 by the Northern Iowan and may not be used without permission.
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President Mark Nook and his wife, Cheryl, attend various campus events throughout the year. Students look up to Nook and enjoy his presence.
Governor Reynolds appoints UNI student Lucy Gipple to Iowa Board of Regents
NI STAFF our state on the Iowa Board of Regents,” UNI President Mark Nook said. “Lucy is a phenomenal student at UNI and I know she will represent herself very well in this capacity.”
The University of Northern Iowa confirmed on Tuesday that Governor Kim Reynolds has appointed UNI student Lucy Gipple to serve on the Iowa Board of Regents. An elementary education major with a minor in social and emotional learning, Gipple will begin her duties at the Board’s upcoming meeting on February 27 in Urbandale.
“I am excited for Lucy and her opportunity to serve
The Iowa Board of Regents is composed of nine citizen volunteers appointed by the governor. According to Iowa Code Chapter 262, one member must be a fulltime undergraduate or graduate student at one of Iowa’s three public universities at
the time of their appointment.
At UNI, Gipple is actively involved in Connecting Alumni to Students (CATS), Alpha Phi sorority, the Panhellenic Executive Team, and is part of the 2025 orientation staff.
The New Sharon, Iowa native is a graduate of North Mahaska High School, where she was student body president, class president, a member of the National Honor Society and cheer
University of Northern Iowa proposes in-state tuition for students from neighboring states
The University of Northern Iowa is taking a bold step to benefit students across the Midwest with a plan to offer in-state tuition to students in all six states bordering Iowa.
This initiative, pending approval by the Iowa legislature, aims to help students from neighboring states access affordable, high-quality education while enhancing workforce-ready skills and addressing job shortages in Iowa.
UNI remains the most affordable public institution in Iowa and has long
been recognized for helping first-generation college students achieve their educational and professional goals. It is consistently ranked No. 2 on U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of the Best Regional Public Universities in the Midwest, underscoring UNI’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence and student success.
In 2024, the David W. Wilson College of Business continued its long streak of being named a Best Business School by the Princeton Review for more than a decade. The Wilson College
of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, a distinction that can be boasted by fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide.
UNI continues to be widely recognized for its esteemed reputation in teacher education. More than 10,000 educators can trace their roots back to UNI as the institution ranks in the top 1% of teacher education programs nationwide in terms of size and quality.
In addition to these signature programs, UNI launched its standalone
Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2024 to help supply the Midwest with more health care professionals. UNI also boasts three new engineering programs: a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science Engineering Technology. By drawing in students from neighboring states and providing them with a high-quality education at an affordable cost, UNI plays a pivotal role in attracting
young professionals who will choose to build their careers and lives in our region.
The University of Northern Iowa will welcome its 150th class of students in August 2025 as the institution celebrates its sesquicentennial over the next two years. The Iowa State Normal School was established in 1876 and has consistently evolved to meet the changing needs of students and the workforce in Iowa and the Midwest.
captain for football and basketball teams.
INSIDE UNI
N.I. EN ESPAÑOL
La legislatura estatal pretende poner límites a los estudiantes y a la facultad, en vez de empoderarlos
PERSONAL Y EDITORES DEL NORTHERN IOWAN
GENEVA BELL
Estudiante del curso SPAN 4045
La semana pasada, el Northern Iowan publicó un artículo describiendo la Propuesta de Ley HSB 63 y cómo podría afectar a UNIFI, el nuevo programa de educación general de UNI.
Esta propuesta de ley (ahora House File 401) fue aprobada por siete representantes de la comisión de educación superior y ahora espera un voto en la Cámara de Representantes de Iowa. Esta propuesta de ley propone reemplazar la educación general de todas las universidades estatales con una versión impuesta y legislada de sus programas de educación general.
La versión legislada requeriría 37 créditos, y requeriría que la Junta de Regentes “vele por que los cursos que satisfagan los requisitos de educación general establecidos de acuerdo con está sección no distorsionen eventos históricos significativos ni incluyan ningún plan de estudios u otros materiales que enseñen las políticas de identidad o se basen en teorías que incluyen que el racismo sistémico, el sexismo, la opresión, o el privilegio son inherentes
a las instituciones de los Estados Unidos o el estado de Iowa. Esta política no deberá limitar la libertad académica de los instructores de los cursos para dirigir la instrucción dentro del curso del instructor o limitar la libre discusión de ideas en un contexto educativo”. Si se aprueba, se espera que la propuesta de ley entre en vigor en el verano de 2027. Esta propuesta de ley se presenta como una manera de simplificar los estudios de educación general en las universidades estatales y hacer que transferirse sea más fácil para los estudiantes. Pero UNI ya es una universidad designada como favorable para transferencias, como la ha nombrado el cuadro de honor de Phi Theta Kappa, que incluye a UNI entre el mejor 25% de universidades a nivel nacional para estudiantes transferidos.
La formulación de UNIFI tomó alrededor de cinco años, incluyendo la participación y las contribuciones de la facultad, y la exploración de la educación general en instituciones homólogas. Hay en este momento 172 clases integradas en el currículum de UNIFI para satisfacer su requisito de 37 créditos, permitiendo que los estudiantes
construyan un plan de estudios de educación general que encuentren interesante. UNIFI también permite a los estudiantes agrupar créditos en un certificado de educación general, lo que permite a los estudiantes la posibilidad de explorar más clases fuera de sus especialidades principales. UNIFI está constantemente expandiendo la oferta de cursos para los estudiantes e incentiva a la facultad a proponer clases nuevas a través de su programa de propuesta de cursos.
Todo esto podría desaparecer si el HSB63, ahora House File 401, se convierte en ley. Las opciones para los estudiantes y la participación de la facultad incluidas en el programa de UNIFI podrían ser reemplazadas por una versión impuesta de educación general. El programa de educación general creado por la facultad de UNI para beneficiar a los estudiantes de UNI directamente y a los estudiantes transferidos futuros está en peligro de ser reemplazado por ley. Estos cambios también podrían llevar a que se prohíba que temas históricos importantes se enseñen nunca más, como se menciona en la propuesta de ley. Esto es una cuestión de elección. Es sobre que los
estudiantes y la facultad tengan control sobre su educación. Los principios de la educación pública reposan en las manos de la facultad y los estudiantes que asisten a las instituciones, no en manos de legisladores. El Rep. Taylor Collins, director del comité de educación superior, dijo que es importante que la legislación sea aprobada y que las universidades estatales tomen el camino de vuelta a la “educación real de las artes liberales.”
No hay una definición de qué constituye una “educación real de las artes liberales.” Pero, hay algo para decir sobre el rol que la libertad académica tiene en la educación general, donde las universidades pueden dictar qué es mejor para los estudiantes, como reportó y estudió la propia facultad. Los estudiantes de universidades estatales como UNI tienen derecho a la libertad académica. El HB63 restringiría esta libertad, esta opción, que es tan sagrada para la educación superior bajo el disfraz de que componentes de la educación general no funcionan. UNIFI, el programa de educación general de UNI, está funcionando para los estudiantes. Está funcionando para los estudiantes transferidos.
Pero la libertad académica y las opciones permitidas por estos programas aparentemente no funcionan para la legislatura de Iowa.
Como dijo en el Northern Iowan Hayden Burke, estudiante de UNI de psicología en su último año, la legislatura del estado les está robando a los estudiantes sus opciones y su independencia. “Yo pago miles de dólares para ejercer mi independencia y elegir una institución educativa y un programa que quiero adquirir. Que el gobierno me quitara ese derecho, implementando un programa de educación general a nivel estatal, me haría sentir paralizado como estudiante,” dijo Burke.
Cortesía/IPR
Disclaimer:
Executive orders and our intersectional identities
How the Trump administration’s executive orders affect freedoms
ANTONIA GOODWIN
Copy Editor
It has been 43 days since Donald Trump took office as the 47th U.S. President, and democrats were, understandably, left reeling. As he has settled back into the presidential seat, we’ve seen Trump’s “concepts of a plan” unravel into something sinisterly similar to The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which he claimed was not his intention during his second presidential campaign.
This election was especially polarizing — a vision of the two-party system at its lowest. AP News tallied the results of the popular vote for the 2025 election as 77,303,564, or 49.9%, for former president Trump, and 75,019,268, or 48.4%, for former vice president Kamala Harris. President Trump won the popular vote by 2,284,296 votes. That shocked a lot of people, to say the least, myself included. I felt angry, hurt, betrayed and overwhelmed.
Some of us needed time to come to terms with the change in administration, but the time for licking our political wounds is over. Understand that Trump signed a myriad of executive orders immediately after taking office, and has continued to advance plans in a variety of directions that are immensely concerning to many democrats. Too many things are happening politically right now for us, as individuals, to reasonably expect ourselves to stay informed and take action against every injustice.
That is why we must recognize and embrace each other’s intersectional political identities. That’s not to say we should trivialize the unignorable and harsh reality of the two-party system, but that we should look deeper into that system and prioritize our individual political values, because many of them are under attack. The slew of executive orders Trump signed are not the death certificate of the Democratic Party, but tons of smaller declarations of war. It’s time for each of us to decide for ourselves what we are willing to fight for, and to know that though we may feel outnumbered, we are not alone.
According to the Federal Register, as of March 4, 2025,
Trump has signed 76 executive orders. From Executive Order 14147 to Executive Order 14222, he has begun unfolding his plot for the next four years. These range from listing plans to restrict access to gender affirming care for transgender youth, in Executive Order 14187, to establishing the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday, in Executive Order 14189.
So many specific plans are being hatched at once — and so many of them seem to fall outside of Trump’s constitutional authority or are simply vague and unrealistic — that it’s almost impossible to keep track of each political action, but we can dig into some of the notable executive orders and themes.
Some of the most concerning of which are assaults on: foreign relations, immigrants, environmental protections, healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights.
Foreign relations In Executive Order 14209, President Trump moved to pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Policies Act, which forbid U.S. entities and citizens from bribing foreign government officials for personal business gain. Trump’s orders involving foreign relations also include Executive Order 14199, which further distances the United States from the United Nations and an order which imposes 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico and China, as well as orders pausing those tariffs for the first two countries listed. Against Mexico in particular, Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the southern border, designating cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or Specially Designated Global Terrorists, ending taxpayer subsidization of open borders and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He also signed Executive Order 14211,
which states, “All officers or employees charged with implementing the foreign policy of the United States must under Article II do so under the direction and authority of the President. Failure to faithfully implement the President’s policy is grounds for professional discipline, including separation.”
Immigration
Trump signed multiple orders regarding legal and illegal immigration. He revoked the protections and aid for immigrants established during the Biden administration. In Executive Order 14160, Trump denied birthright citizenship going forward “when that person’s mother was unlawfully pres-
fully “to the maximum extent authorized by law,” removing them from the United States, pursuing legal charges and enforcing “Federal immigration priorities.” He also suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States,” in Executive Order 14163.
Environmental protections
LGBTQ+ rights
It’s time for each of us to decide for ourselves what we are willing to fight for, and to know that though we may feel outnumbered, we are not alone.
- Antonia Goodwin Copy Editor
ent in the United States and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States was lawful but temporary, and the person’s father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.” He also called for increased vetting during the immigration process, a new screening baseline for immigration and a report on what countries’ citizens should be completely denied immigration, as well as those countries’ past immigration statistics. Trump wrote a separate executive order to secure the borders, which includes continuing work on a border wall, deterring potential illegal immigration, detaining people who immigrated unlaw-
In Executive Order 14162, Trump officially listed orders to submit a formal notification of withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and cease financial commitments made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as dispose of the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan. He instead established the National Energy Dominance Council. In Executive Order 14154, Trump rescinded tons of climate-protecting executive orders from the Biden administration, as well as terminated the Green New Deal, and encouraged use of national lands and waterways for resource extraction, including the Outer Continental Shelf.
Healthcare Executive Order 14155 describes Trump’s intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization and “cease negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and the amendments to the International Health Regulations, and actions taken to effectuate such agreement and amendments will have no binding force on the United States.” He also signed an order to end school COVID-19 vaccine mandates. He signed another to reinvoke the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for elective abortions — and another still to “rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit” gender affirming care for transgender youth.
In Executive Order 14168, titled, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” Trump attempts to erase the reality of transgender existence by enforcing “sex-protective laws” that promote a twosex policy under the guise of protecting cisgender women. This order also requires non-binary, intersex and transgender women to stay in men’s prison and detention centers, gives citizens the “freedom to express the binary nature of sex and the right to single-sex spaces in workplaces and federally funded entities covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” and rescinds all gender-affirming government documents. Multiple executive orders were put in place to revoke a laundry list of diversity, equity and inclusion policies and prevent future DEI legislature from being put in place, including policies for protecting LGBT+ people. Trump signed another order strictly for barring transgender people from military service. He also required the erasure of gender identity from educational discourse in K-12 schools within the attacks on “radical indoctrination” Executive Order 14190. Despite these disheartening political moves, many people never stopped fighting against injustice — and most people who took a break from politics after the election never stopped caring. To get information or get involved with immigration justice, I encourage you to look into the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice at https://www. iowammj.org/. For civil rights in general, check out the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa at https:// www.aclu-ia.org/en/action. For LGBTQ+ rights, research One Iowa at https://oneiowa. org/. Wherever your priorities lie, there are others who want to help you — and whatever you choose to focus less on, someone else can invest more of their energy into. Do not despair, hopeless citizens do not fight back.
CAMPUS LIFE
The Learning Center reduces the stigma of asking for help
JENNA WESTENDORF Campus Life Editor
Across the United States, a new stigma has arisen that seeking tutoring assistance in college indicates a lack of ability and skill, or that the student just “isn’t smart enough.” However, The Learning Center located in Rod Library is working to reduce this stigma. “I think one of the toughest things to overcome is the stigma of needing to get help is a weakness,” states interim executive director and associate professor of undergraduate studies at UNI, John Ophus.
The Learning Center, located in Rod Library, employs over 90 peer educators and, as stated on their website, “offers free peer-led tutoring, mentoring and academic coaching for students enrolled in 1000-2000 level classes across a wide variety of subjects.” According to Ophus, the purpose of The Learning Center is to “assist students making their way through college.” He goes on to state “We want to help people be as successful as possible.”
Studies show that students who receive tutoring consistently are going to see increased confidence, a better understanding of content and a better overall GPA. One specific study that the TLC did with their PLUS TAs showed that students who came to tutoring three or more times were projected to get a third of a better grade in their class than stu -
all of their classes. “We really believe that we’re not just tutoring in content specifically … but you’re also picking up strategies that you can use throughout your time as a student,” states assistant director of undergraduate studies at UNI, Heather Asmus. “... We’re not just giving you strategies for the course you might come in for, we’re giving you strategies that you can use as long as you're a student at UNI.”
The Learning Center col -
dents who didn’t. Not only does The Learning Center offer tutoring, but they also offer skills and strategies that students can apply to
laborates with departments all across campus. According to Asmus, “Communication is key between faculty and The Learning Center.”
The TLC specifically collaborates with faculty on peer mentor and TA courses and ensures that every instructor on campus is aware that they can send their students to The Learning Center for tutoring. Additionally, The Learning Center works with Student Accessibility Services to ensure that students with different abilities can still access tutoring services.
Before working for The Learning Center, Asmus worked in academic advising. She talked about how students who would come to her with struggles regarding their classes and once they got the help they needed to understand content in class they could do better in class.
“Sometimes instructors use heavy academic language, and that’s not always making sense to the student,” stated Asmus. “If they [the student] can come in and get tutoring and hear someone else explain it [the content] in a different way that isn’t so academic based … I think that is a really beneficial piece.” Ophus elaborates on this idea, explaining that you can always do better in anything you do, including your academics, and The Learning Center is here to help you make it to that next level.
The Learning Center benefits not just students
who come in for tutoring, but also the peer educators who work there. All peer educators must go through the College Reading and Learning Association training program, putting them on track to receive “Graduation with Distinction in Peer Education.” UNI is the only school in Iowa to offer this distinction to students. Additionally, Ophus says that being a peer educator is a great resume-building experience. “I think we’ve had people who have gone into med school, who’ve gone into law school, gone on to teaching. This gives them the experience.”
Sara Petersen, a senior majoring in communications, sciences, & disorders with a Spanish minor, works as a peer mentor and tutor for the Learning Center. She believes that working as a peer educator has been a big part of her time at UNI and has taught her valuable skills both in and out of the classroom. “I think my biggest takeaways aren't necessarily academic,” states Petersen. “A lot of them [skills learned] are how best to work with people, how to be empathetic, understanding, a really good listener and being able to learn from people from all different perspectives and backgrounds has been really beneficial for
me.”
In terms of the future of The Learning Center, Asmus and Ophus hope to continue to expand their courses and services to more areas of need on campus. They also want to continue to build a culture that emphasizes that it’s okay to ask for help, and feel that the peer-to-peer education model is important to achieving that. Asmus states, “We’re training them [peer educators] to be able to provide that [assistance] to their peers, and hopefully those peers can then turn around and teach others. That’s how the reach extends.” Ophus adds on to say that that is the reason they are located in the library, that asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. The two agree that building that awareness and working to change the culture behind the stigma that asking for help is bad is a big part of what they envision the future looking like. As Petersen states, “It’s easily the best resource on campus, all students should use it.”
Students interested in working for the Learning Center can apply at tlc.uni. edu.
NORTHERN IOWAN/MACI SWANSON
The Learning Center is located on the main floor of Rod Library, a heavily-trafficed area that is more likely to attract students to come in for support.
COURTESY/THE LEARNING CENTER
The Learning Center focuses on a peer-to-peer education model in order to continuously foster the idea that asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of.
Veterans Office aims to serve military community on campus
NICK CHEN Staff Writer
The University of Northern Iowa’s Veteran Association is a student organization that assists the Military and Veteran Student Services in supporting veterans, military and dependents. Their office can be found in 111K Maucker Union, in the upper level behind the Office of Student Involvement desk. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Military and Veteran Student Services office is an open space for all students to lounge, snack and use as a resource. Some of the things that the Military and Veteran Student Services help with include resource connections and opportunities; VA, DOD, UNI benefits assistance; deployment assistance, and military and veteran student advocacy. Their mission is to “support military members, Veterans, and their families at UNI as they transition between military duty, college and a new career.”
As mentioned before, the Military and Veteran Student Services office is a good resource for all students to use
VA office
to provide support for military members, veterans and their families as they transition into their college
when they want something to snack on or drink. They also have couches, a TV, and a Playstation 5; which makes it a good place if you want to destress a little. Other useful resources that they offer for students in the military and veterans include résumé building, helping to translate those military skills; scholarships, housing lists, refinance and mortgage guides, mental health resources and free tutoring resources. There are a lot of resources that can be
found on the university website that are off campus if you can’t find what you’re looking for on campus as well. If you’re looking to get started with them as a military student, their office provides brochures and business cards.
Something else that the Military and Veteran Student Service office offers to all students is Green Zone Training. Green Zone Training is a way to get the UNI community to understand what military affiliated students are going through. The training itself gives people an opportunity to be there for their fellow students. It also gives those students that are in the military more resources to go to whenever they feel like they need to talk to someone who can listen and understand them. The next Green Zone Training session will be on April 5, 2025 from 1-2 p.m. at the upper plaza conference room, 111J, in Maucker Union.
Whether you’re a student of the military or not, anyone can stand to benefit from the resources that are offered by the Military and Veteran Student Services office. They encourage everybody to stop by their office, even if it’s just to snack and game. It is a good opportunity to make connections with others and to expand your horizons. They’re not just a resource to help you serve, but a resource to help serve you.
COURTESY/SVA
The
works
careers.
Oscars 2025 Recap: Sean Baker for ‘Anora’ Makes Oscar History
The 97th Annual Academy Awards went live on ABC/Hulu on Sunday, March 2, and boy, was it a show. Sean Baker is the first person in Oscar history to win four awards for the same movie. A film following a
importance of making independent films. He ended the night saying, “This film was made on the blood, sweat and tears of incredible indie artists — and long live independent film.”
The star of “Anora,” Mikey Madison, took home best actress, which came to many’s surprise. Demi
Seeing independent films ... being nominated for best picture is moving.
CALLEE FAIR
–
Film Critic
young Brooklyn stripper’s marriage with a Russian oligarch’s son, “Anora” won best picture, director, original screenplay and editing. Baker was recognized for all of these roles for the film, and drew attention to the
Moore had previously won best actress at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and the Screen Actors Guild for her role in horror, psychological thriller, “The Substance.” Meanwhile, Zoe Saldana became the
first American of Dominican descent to win best supporting actress, and Kieran Culkin won best supporting actor for “A Real Pain.”
Adrien Brody broke the record for the longest acceptance speech, running for five minutes and thirty-seven seconds, after winning best actor for “The Brutalist.” Brody first won this honor for “The Pianist,” when he was 29 years old. Brody is just a few months older than fellow nominee, Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet was up for “A Complete Unknown,” making him the youngest two-time Best Actor Oscar nominee since James Dean. If he would have won over Brody, that would have made him the youngest to ever win best actor.
The ceremony was filled with musical fun as Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, both nominated for “Wicked,” opened the ceremony with a beautiful medley from the fan-favorite movie. Later on in the night, Queen Latifah honored Quincy Jones, famous producer and composer. Quincy was nominated for seven Oscars throughout his career, and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award two weeks after he
passed in November 2024. The Academy also honored the James Bond franchise after the stewards of the series gave creative control to Amazon. Stars like Lisa of Blackpink, Doja Cat and Raye all performed renditions of famous songs within the soundtrack. Margaret Qualley even made an appearance dancing to the film’s theme.
The most memorable moments of the night were found in the victories of diversity. Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win best costume design for his work on “Wicked,” and “Flow” winning best animated feature, the first for Latvian filmmaker, Gints
Zilbalodis.
Although the Academy Awards was brought with criticism over “Emilia Perez” being nominated for 13 slots as well as neglecting “Challengers,” directed by Luca Guadagnino, from being nominated at all, seeing independent films like “Anora” and “Nickel Boys” being nominated for best picture is moving. It sparks hope for working filmmakers and future filmmakers to be recognized for their importance in the industry and their art being seen on a bigger stage.
COURTESY/AP NEWS
Sean Baker made history at the 2025 Oscars as the first person to win four awards for the same movie.
CALLEE FAIR Staff Writer
COURTESY/USA TODAY
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Granda opened the Oscars with a performance of “Defying Gravity,” a fan-favorite from the Oscar nominated movie “Wicked.”
UNI swim and dive places fourth at
Competition started off for the Panthers with the 200 medley that saw the team of Elyse Brayton, Ema Lavigne, Hannah Nedder and Faith Larsen take sixth place with a time of 1:41.71. The diving trio of Trista Thompson, Avery Hogan and Erica Peters took home the top prize in the team diving exhibition with a score of 270.10. Ending the first night of the meet was the 800 freestyle that saw the team of Hallory Domnick, Morgan Meyer, Natalie Harris and Olivia Chambers also claim sixth with a time of 7:23.37.
Day two of action saw Sam Oeltjen take 13th place in the finals of the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:49.53, while Chambers placed 14th with a time of 4:56.81 and Domnick following behind in 21st at 5:02.77. The 200 individual medley saw Meghan Pallett take 15th in the event with a time of 2:05.84 as Lavigne took 20th (2:07.02), Brayton took 21st (2:07.30) and Nikki Walters took 22nd with a time of 2:07.94. Larsen took home top prize in the 50 free, making her a three-time defending champion, with a time of 22.46. Waren Graeve and Abby Lear both finished in 14th place with a time of 23.28 seconds, as Meyer took 22nd in the event at 23.57. One-meter diving saw Abby Hutchins led the Panthers to
earn ninth in the event with a score of 254.30 as Peters followed right behind in 10th (251.50).
Rounding out night two of competition was the 400 medley relay with the team of Brayton, Jenna Breitbach, Hannah Nedder and Larsen taking home seventh-place in the event with a time of 3:44.88.
Day three of the competition started off with the 100 butterfly that saw Larsen place 12th overall with a time of 55.08 as Nedder earned 15th (56.04) and Harris placed 24th (56.65). The 400 individual medley saw Chambers
place third overall with a time of 4:20.70, as Oeltjen was able to take ninth with a time of 4:25.77. Pallett went on to finish 14th (4:31.14), Walters in 19th (4:33.92) and Abigail Barkhurst in 23rd with a time of 4:38.29 in the event.
The 200 freestyle saw Meyer take sixth with a time of 1:49.72 as Domnick took 14th in the event at 1:51.23. Lavigne took 14th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.78 as Sydney Aird followed right behind in 15th at 1:05.03. Breitbach earned 18th (1:05.66) as Graeve took home 22nd with a time of 1:06.25.
Brayton placed eighth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.25 as Lear placed 18th (57.31), Peyton Pasqualicchio in 23rd (58.28) and Abby Steward in 24th (59.94).
The diving well saw Hogan secure 11th overall with a score of 249.30 as Hannah Taylor placed 16th with a score of 222.15. Wrapping up day three of competition was the 200 freestyle as the team of Larsen, Lear, Graeve and Meyer take home first in the event with a time of 1:30.74, setting a new MVC Championsip meet record for a second straight season.
The final day of compe-
tition saw three placements from the Panthers in the 1,650 free as Chambers took 10th (17:09.45), Domnick in 13th (17:32.48) and Barkhurst in 20th (17:53.04). Brayton took home ninth in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:03.81 as Pasqualicchio took 18th with a time of 2:03.41. Larsen, once again, found her way to the top of the podium in the 100 freestyle in a nail biter with a time of 49.28. Lear took 17th with a time of 51.07, Graeve in 22nd (51.56) and Meyer in 23rd (51.57). The 200 breaststroke saw Pallett finish 16th with a time of 2:22.52 as Aird took 18th in 2:21.61. Lavigne secured 21st with a swim of 2:23.99) and Breitbach followed closely behind in 23rd at 2:25.95. Oeltjen posted a ninth-place finish in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:03.71 as Walters was close behind in 12th (2:06.32) and Harris in 22nd (2:09.96).
In the three-meter diving finals, Thompson claimed fifth place in the event with a score of 259.80 as Peters followed right behind in sixth at 256.50. Ending the night with the 400 free, the team of Larsen, Lear, Meyer and Graeve took home third place with a time of 3:20.70 to end the meet. The Panthers finished competition with a fourth place finish as a team, one placement higher than the pre-championship poll.
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
The Panthers had five All-MVC first team honorees as well as four honorable mentions.
NICOLE WATERS Sports Writer
Panther WBB loses Senior Day heartbreaker
CARTER LUST Sports Writer
As college basketball enters the month of madness, every game leading up to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament becomes increasingly essential for seeding and matchup purposes.
On Saturday, March 1, the Northern Iowa women’s basketball team hosted in-state rival Drake in a contest that helped decide their conference tournament fates. UNI is ranked No. 6 in the MVC, and the Bulldogs are No. 2, just one game behind conference leader Missouri State. Although a win for the Panthers wouldn’t move them up in the standings, it provides Tanya Warren and her team a cushion over No. 7-ranked UIC. Per usual, the rivalry was a tight, hardfought matchup between the two schools. Yet, Drake ultimately prevailed 80-79, sweeping the season series over Northern Iowa and keeping the Panthers and Bulldogs at their respective MVC seeds.
From the jump, UNI struggled to contain Drake star Katie Dinnebier, who scored all of the Bulldogs’ first eight points before ending the afternoon with a staggering 37. Maya McDermott connected on her first 3-point try of the day to halt Dinnebier’s early run, but remained scoreless the rest of the first quarter.
Instead, Ryley Goebel carried most of the Panthers’ offensive load in the open-
ing 10 minutes. The junior forward scored nine points in the period as UNI trailed 25-18 entering the second quarter. Goebel continued her offensive potency throughout the game, tallying 15 points by the final buzzer. However, her defensive abilities impacted the game the most for the Panthers. Goebel recorded a tremendous six steals and five blocks throughout the contest while also securing seven rebounds.
The second quarter began
with Northern Iowa attempting to cut the Drake’s lead to single digits. Emerson Green knocked down two midrange jumpers and a longrange trey before a Taryn Wharton floater cut the lead to 29-31. Green finished with 15 points and grabbed two rebounds, while Wharton ended with six points and three assists off the bench.
A game-wide scoring drought from the 4:59 to 2:53 mark meant the contest was still 29-33 in favor of the Bulldogs nearing the
COURTESY/UNI ATHLETICS
end of the first half. A pair of Goebel and McDermott layups after a couple of Drake buckets made for a 33-66, one-possession game with just two minutes remaining. Elise Jaeger scored the final basket of the quarter for UNI, connecting on a triple to leave the Panthers trailing 36-43 entering halftime. The freshman went perfect from the field the rest of the day, scoring seven points and adding two steals in her sixth-man role.
An onslaught of 3-point-
ers by the Bulldogs saw Northern Iowa fall to their first double-digit deficit, trailing 40-52 midway through the third quarter. Another scoring drought kept the contest at a 12-point’s reach away for the Panthers until Kaylee Corbin’s lone basket of the day brought UNI to within 10 with 2:46 left in the period. The two teams traded scores before the Panthers entered the fourth quarter down 50-61.
After struggling to find her rhythm throughout the contest, McDermott discovered her shooting touch when Northern Iowa needed her most. She delivered a flurry of floaters, mid-range jump shots, and 3-pointers to help the Panthers slowly close the gap on the Bulldogs. Entering the final 10 seconds of play, UNI trailed 76-80, looking for a crucial stop and quick bucket. A Drake turnover with five seconds left gave the Panthers possession on their side of halfcourt. Needing a miracle shot, McDermott heaved a fadeaway triple that banked off the glass before dropping through the rim. Nonetheless, McDermott did not draw a foul on the play, meaning the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a 79-80 victory at the McLeod Center.
The Northern Iowa women’s basketball team will play next at UIC on Friday, March 6. The matchup will decide who receives the No. 6 seed in the MVC tournament.
UNI men’s hoops drops regular season finale
ADAM JOHNSON Sports Writer
On Sunday, March 2, the UNI men’s basketball team traveled to Peoria, Illinois to finish up the regular season against Bradley. The Panthers came into the game with a record of 20-10 and 14-5 in conference play. Bradley also shared a 14-5 conference record, so the winner of this game would finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). These stakes made it a big regular season finale for both teams, and it was the Bradley Braves that ultimately came out victorious.
The game started out with a lot of back-and-forth action. Neither team went on a sizable run throughout most of the half, and with just five minutes left in the half the teams were knotted up at 30. In the last few minutes of the half the
game shifted in Bradley’s favor. A layup by Demarion Burch, and back-to-back threes by Corey Thomas got the Braves their biggest lead of the game to that point at 38-32. By the half they added onto this lead just a
little bit, and were up 45-36 going into the break.
To start off the second half, Bradley did a good job of keeping the Panthers from a distance, and about halfway through really started to pull away. The score was 53-45, when Bradley went on the biggest run of the game. It started with a four point play by Duke Deen, and it ended up as a 13-0 run. Bradley had a convincing 68-51 lead with seven minutes left in the game. Not much happened
the rest of the way, and the Panthers fell 73-56
Leading the way in scoring for the Panthers was Max Weisbrod and Ben Schwieger with 11 points each, and Tytan Anderson with nine. Trey Campbell and Anderson both had four assists leading the Panthers. For the Braves, Zek Montgomery led all scorers with 13 points, and Bradley had five players reach double figures. Jaquon Johnson led the passing with six assists, and Ahmet Jonovic grabbed eight rebounds.
The loss put the Panthers at 20-11 overall and 14-6 in conference play. Up next for the Panthers will be the conference tournament in St. Louis, Missouri. Since they finished in the top four in the conference, they will get a bye in the first game, before playing the winner of UIC and Valparaiso on Friday, March 7 at 8:30 p.m.
The Panthers are next in action at UIC on Friday, which will decide who gets the No. 6 seed in the MVC tourney.
NORTHERN IOWAN/MACI SWANSON
The Panthers will play the winner of UIC and Valparaiso in the MVC tournament quarterfinals.
Panthers set eyes to Arch Madness
and has been the Panthers go-to option on offense.
From 3-4 to 20-11, The Northern Iowa men’s basketball team has put themselves in position to make a deep run in the upcoming Arch Madness Tournament. The Panthers won seven out of nine games to end the regular season and are looking to build on the strong finish. The team dropped their final game of the regular season to a solid Bradley team, but head coach Ben Jacobson is looking forward:
“We have to keep the momentum we have built up,” said Jacobson postgame. “We will try to generate some on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as we prepare for our first game Friday night.”
The Panthers will get a huge boost come tournament time as star sophomore point guard Leon Bond returned Sunday from an ankle injury.
“I thought he did a good job,” said Coach Jacobson. “When you miss that many practices and it’s this late in the year it’s a challenging situation.”
Bond averaged 10 points a game in 22 games this season. He will rejoin a lineup that has been senior driven. Tytan Anderson and Jacob Hutson have been crucial pieces for the Panther offense in their stellar season. Anderson is averaging 15 points a game
As for Hutson, a “secret weapon” element that’s been added to his game is the 3-point shot. The six foot, eleven inch center knocked down four 3-pointers in the home finale against UIC and has improved upon it approaching Arch Madness Tournament play.
“It’ll be a good weapon moving forward,” said Hutson postgame against UIC. “We’ve been playing well without it but it’s been a good addition.”
Northern Iowa is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will play the winner of the No. 6 seed UIC Flames versus the No. 11 seed Valparaiso Beacons. The team played UIC twice this season and won both matchups by twenty-plus points.
The Panthers lost their only matchup against Valaraiso this season 80-73 on Jan. 4. On the same side of the bracket is the No. 2 seed Bradley Braves, a team the Panthers are very familiar with. If both teams can take care of business in the first round it’ll set up a third matchup between the two teams for a spot in the championship. The Panthers and Braves split the regular season series 1-1.
Looking at the opposite side of the bracket, the No. 1 seed, Drake Bulldogs, have put together a phenomenal
season with a record of 27-3. Barring a huge upset, the Bulldogs will very likely find their way to the championship game.
A likely opponent in the second round could be the winner of the No. 5 seed, Illinois State Redbirds, and the No. 4 seed, Belmont Bruins. The Redbirds may be the under the radar team to watch as they’ve played close games with some of the top teams in the conference. The
Bruins also have some good wins and proved they can be a threat in this tournament.
Northern Iowa definitely wants another shot at Drake after a heartbreaking 64-58 overtime loss in the McLeod Center. Despite the close loss the Panthers proved they can compete with the Bulldogs. The thrill of participating in an Arch Madness tournament is unmatched. Many of the games are close, with each team putting all their effort
in trying to secure a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. For the incoming freshman and transfers, they haven’t experienced playing in an Arch Madness Tournament yet.
“I’m super excited,” said Panthers point guard Cael Schmitt. “I’ve been down there not playing on the court, but it’s a fun atmosphere and it’ll be fun taking it in from on the court this time.”
NORTHERN IOWAN/MACI SWANSON
The Panthers secured the No. 3 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, after finishing the regular season with 14-6 record in league play.
MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Writer
CLASSIFIEDS CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
Across
1) Team's setback
5) A dollar, in slang
9) River to the Rio Grande
14) Skip over
15) Big Southwestern cooking jar
16) Observe Yom Kippur, e.g.
17) Redhead, slangily
20) Bit of newspaper advertising
19) Third canonical hour
20) Bit of newspaper advertising
21) Held sway
23) One way to join metals
25) Ceramists oven
26) Cardinals' manager?
29) "The Gold Bug" monogram
31) Missouri River tributary
34) Newspaper page
37) Break-in indicator
38) Flier's concern, for short
39) Cocoon critters
41) Language of Southeast Asia
42) Cheapskate
45) Badly wound
46) Comic sketch
47) Tote with effort
49) Race on snow
50) "Cast Away" setting
51) Drunk, in slang
53) "Miracle On Ice" losing team
55) Whom mentors mentor
58) Dancer who got a head?
62) Dine at home
63) Veggie-loving beetle
65) Discharge, as lava
66) Letters on a phone button, once
67) A tiny amount
35) Sundance Festival site
68) Auto dealership department
69) "_ went thataway!"
70) More than want
Down
1) Locales or venues
2) Arab League member 3) Dubbed ones 4) Broadcast about 5) Hold in 6) Consultants, at heart?
7) Drain backup cause 8) Life preserver stuffing
9) Kneecap
10) Adjective applied to Rome
11) They're all ears, practically 12) A single time 13) Bit of bird food
18) Metallic rock 22) Club section
24) Information item
26) It could be verse
27) Fiber-_ cable
28) Small-caliber weapon
30) Daddies
32) Thing to follow in the woods
33) Act theatrically
36) Japanese verse form
40) Delegate
43) Snooty sort
44) Lets up
46) Steak choice
48) Wooden hat-holder
52) Railroad terminal
54) Sank into the sofa
55) Chick's pronouncement
56) "Muffin" starter 57) Frosh, in a year
59) Pastoral woodwind
60) Horn blower's accessory
61) "Good grief!"
64) Golf gadget
