The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Northern Iowan
Friday, September 10, 2010 Volume 107, Issue 4 Cedar Falls, Iowa northern-iowan.org
Students bring weekly jazz series to campus
UNI Football begins 2010 season Saturday
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UNI debate team discusses employmentbased visas for immigrants DAKOTA FUNK Staff Writer
One of the most controversial issues in the United States is immigration, particularly whether illegal immigrants should get the rights to work in this country. Last Thursday, the University of Northern Iowa debate team discussed whether the U.S. federal government should increase employment-based visas to immigrants in the United States. The UNI debate students who represented the people for increasing the employment-based visas were Al Hiland, a senior political communication major, and Zach Simonson, a junior political communication major. The debate students who represented the people opposed to it were Allie Chase, a junior English major, and Thomas Casaday, a freshman mathematics major. Hiland began the debate by presenting his opening argument about distinguishing between the different types of immigrant groups. “Recent legislation dis-
courages high-tech workers from coming to the United States,” Hiland argued. “Our government’s stance towards highly-skilled immigrants hurts America’s economic competitiveness.” Hiland continued on, adding that there are too many delays in our visa program that hurt the United States’ competiveness and that a lot of highly-skilled immigrants have had to wait up to 10 years to get their green cards. When Casaday cross-examined Hiland over the issue of why it is so important to expand the number of visas, Hiland answered by stating that the United States could use less stringent procedures for potential immigration if the number of available visas was higher. Chase presented her opening argument by stating that if the United States increases the number of visas for immigrants, it will hurt not only the economy in the United States but also the immmigrants’ countries. “More than 21,000 doctors from Nigeria are working in the United States,
while Nigeria suffers a shortage of healthcare professionals,” stated Chase. When Zach Simonson presented his opening argument, he said that immigrants in the United States are critical to healthcare patents and other patents here. “Immigrants are critical to both innovation and patents,” Simonson said. “They also generate economic growth.” Simonson also stated that there are 470 openings in high-tech companies that can’t be filled, which was his main argument as for why there should be more visas for immigrants. “Immigrant visas have stimulated economic growth, they’ve created new jobs and they’re proven to complement American jobs,” said Simonson. When Chase cross-examined Simonson, she asked why there are so many unemployed college graduates if there is such a huge demand for highly skilled workers. Simonson answered by stating many college graduates don’t go into the fields of
take place in the Maucker Union Old Central Ballroom from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. As of press time, 20 companies have signed up to take part in Interview Day as well as the Career Fair. Students must attend the fair in order to take part in Interview Day. Kristin Cahill, employer relations coordinator for UNI Career Services, encourages students of all levels to come because everyone can get something out of it. “It’s a great opportunity for students to network with different organizations,” Cahill said. “It’s a great way
KARYN SPORY
UNI prepares for annual career fair ALEX KOOLBECK Staff Writer
The University of Northern Iowa Career Fair, which is sponsored by UNI Career Services, will be held at the McLeod Center on Monday, Sept. 20, from 2-6 p.m. Students and alumni are invited to come talk to over 100 organizations and graduate and professional schools about internships, full-time jobs or further education. No registration is necessary. Additionally, companies at the Career Fair will be setting up interviews with students for Tuesday, Sept. 21. These interviews will
See CAREER FAIR, page 2
JULIE WHEELER/Northern Iowan
Al Hiland, senior political communication major, answers junior English Major Allie Chase, cross-examination question on Thursday nights debate over immigration.
See DEBATE, page 2
UNI business students, get your passports ready Staff Writer
University of Northern Iowa business students are being offered the opportunity to study abroad through the Cost-Neutral Semester Abroad Program. Business students can apply through Oct. 31 for the two International Professional Development scholarships. The scholarships are worth $7,500 and $5,000, and are available for the 2011 spring semester. The Cost-Nuetral Sememser Abroad Program is associated with the College of Business Administration. This program allows stu-
dents to study abroad for a price similar to the amount they pay while attending UNI. “The realization is that students are resistant to going abroad due to perceptions on expense, lack of course transferability and not understanding the lifelong value of the programs. Providing support for the funding and pre-approving courses for transfer dissolves much of the resistance,” said Chris Schrage, UNI marketing instructor and CBA international programs coordinator. The CBA has budgeted $50,000 for the program this year. The number of
students accepted into the program will depend on how many students apply, the cost and how those variables fit within the budget. Only 4.41 percent of business graduates have studied abroad, but with the Cost Neutral Program, the CBA is hoping to increase that amount by 5 percent this year. They are looking for 40 to 50 students to take advantage of the program. The requirements for the scholarships as well as a list of English-speaking institutions can be found in Schrange’s office, Curris Business Building room 261.
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NEWS Friday, September 10, 2010 northern-iowan.org
DEBATE continued from page 1
mathematics and science. Each student presented their closing argument, and Chase stated there was a lack of evidence to support the plan for the immigrant visas. She went on to say that immigrants with visas are leaving the United States, which makes them useless. Hiland, on the other hand, argued that increasing immigration visas will help people in the long run. Because of the technical expertise immigrants often have, they tend to do better whether in the United States or in their own country. Casaday said the economy’s problem won’t be solved by adding immigrants because
JULIE WHEELER/Northern Iowan
Zach Simonson, junior political communication major, cross-examines Thomas Casady, freshman math education major, while Al Hiland, senior political communication major, examines evidence for the affimative team.
CAREER FAIR continued from page 1
for students to get their foot in the door, especially with the way the economy is right now.” Stacy Christensen of the Office of University Relations offered some tips for students on getting the most out of the Career Fair. “Come with a resume in hand that shows some of the strengths and experiences you’ve had with the major you are pursuing,” Christensen said. “Be assertive and show leadership. Don’t be afraid to go up to
companies are downsizing and not hiring as many people anymore. According to Katherine Lavelle, the director of forensics and assistant professor of communication studies, the topic for debate is chosen by all the coaches in the country and the debate has two main purposes. “First, UNI Forensics feels that it’s part of our educational mission to share our debate topic with the university. Second, hosting an audience debate gives our oral communication students a chance to see some of the skills they will use in their classes,” Lavelle said.
the employer and ask questions, but also do a little bit of homework and be knowledgeable about the company.” Some organizations attending include: Rockwell Collins, Deere & Company, Greater Des Moines Partnership, Nationwide Insurance and the Des Moines Register. Some schools attending include Drake University, University of Iowa and University of Nebraska. A complete list of organizations and schools attending is available at www.uni.edu/ careerservices.
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The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Features
Friday, September 10, 2010 Volume 107, Issue 4 Cedar Falls, Iowa northern-iowan.org
3
Students bring jazz series to UNI campus By ALLI OSTWINKLE Staff Writer
The art of jazz is coming alive every Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. on the University of Northern Iowa campus this semester. Jazz enthusiasts Michael Conrad, Noah Alvarado, Brooke Peters and Cory Healey have begun a new jazz series continuing once every week in the memorial garden in front of the UNI Center for Multicultural Education. The events include a session played exclusively by the founders from 7 to 8 p.m. and then moves into a jam session with other musicians from the campus and community from 8 to 9 p.m. After speaking with Bob Washut, professor of jazz studies, Michael Conrad learned that performances in Maucker Union used to be a common occurrence, but the tradition slowly died out. The event’s name, “The Four-Letter Word,” originated in this old jazz series, and the tradition begins again with the fresh musicians. Conrad hopes to bring
ANNA SCHRECK/Northern Iowan
UNI students Jeff Oatts, left, Noah Alvarado, Brooke Peters and Michael Conrad perform a new jazz series in the memorial garden in front of the UNI Center for Multicultural Education.
the excitement and realism of jazz music back to the UNI students and the community. “Too many people think jazz is what they hear on TV,” Conrad said. “They think all jazz is like Kenny G. There’s
much more to it than that.” The four main musicians have shared a love of jazz music for many years. Each of the main performers has a jazz studies emphasis within their major.
“We all knew each other previously, especially getting to know each other in a combo in the fall of 2007,” said Brooke Peters, who plays lead bass in the ensemble. “We’re all looking to
replaces it with his own. Flash forward seven years, after Kassie moves back from Minnesota with a 6-yearold son, Sebastian (Thomas Robinson). Wally, noticing Sebastian’s quirks are like his own, begins to remember what happened seven years ago with the help of his boss/ mentor/friend Leonard (Jeff Goldblum, “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”). Wally becomes close to Sebastian and watches as Kassie becomes close to the newly single “donor” Roland. This movie, although billed as a typical romantic comedy, was surprisingly not so. Based on the 1996 short story “Baster” by PulitzerPrize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides, this film explores the story of Wally’s progression as a person and a father, rather than the romance between Kassie and Wally. Bateman’s Wally was an unexpectedly lovable character His neurotic quirks and self-depreciation were so well
By WILLIAM KRESSE
“I put together a group to play for my senior recital,” said Thoreen, a former jazz studies minor. “I had a bunch of compositions that I wrote, and each composition had a different instrumentation. One was a jazz combo, one was a duet and then there was the four of us, and we played a song called ‘Winkie Tips.’”
“The Switch” warms the heart By EMILY HEYER
FIlm Critic
“I don’t need a man to have a baby” is the premise of Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman’s new film, “The Switch.” Kassie Larson (Aniston, “The Bounty Hunter,” “Friends”) is a 40-something New Yorker whose biological clock is on its last tick, so she decides to get artificially inseminated. Kassie’s neurotic best friend Wally Mars, (Bateman, “Up In the Air,” “Juno”) is in love with Kassie, however his “friend zone” status leaves him unable to either romance Kassie or stop her insemination. Kassie, not wanting a no-name donor, finds the studly Roland (Patrick Wilson, “The A-Team,” “Watchmen”), a married teacher in need of cash, to become her donor. At a very hip insemination party, Wally meets Roland and gets completely trashed. In his drunken, jealous haze, he accidently dumps Roland’s “donation” down the sink and
See SWITCH, page 4
expand our knowledge about the standard jazz repertoire,” said Alvarado, a trumpet player. “The non-stressful environment is great for younger musicians.” Many different motives were behind the creation of this new jazz series. Conrad wishes to show the UNI community what students in the School of Music are up to and possibly encourage them to check out performances from other ensembles like the UNI Jazz Combos, UNI Jazz Band One, the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra and more. He also said that jazz is an often unappreciated art form, and he would like to “create a fun and exciting chance for different combinations of jazz students at UNI to make music together and interact.” The jazz series is open to all UNI students looking to perform or listen to various styles of jazz music. Conrad encourages anyone who can play an instrument or likes jazz music to “come on out and give it a try!”
UNI student band “Lick it Ticket” delivers Staff Writer
People who came to Lick It Ticket’s free show at the mosaic stage outside of Russell Hall Friday got a thorough chill, some great music and a serious dose of Halloween fever. The University of Northern Iowa’s self-proclaimed jazz/jam/funk/ blues/fusion/alter native band took the little-used stage and played a two-hour set comprised almost entirely of original material. They also performed a cover of the song “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr., as a sneak peek of their upcoming Halloween show at the Hub. Lick It Ticket was formed in October of 2009 by UNI music students Robert Espe, saxophone player; Ryan Pearson, guitar player and lead vocalist; Collin Braley, drummer and singer of “Ghostbusters”; and UNI alumnus Andrew Thoreen, bass player.
“The more and more we play together, the more we know how we each play, and what sounds to expect from one another. The best part is that we’re still surprising each other.” Robert Espe Lick It Ticket saxaphone player
The group gelled during this performance and began playing on a regular basis, but Lick It Ticket wasn’t born until they needed a name. “It was vomit out of my mouth,” Thoreen said. “We
were being serious and trying to think of really cool names, and then I jokingly said ‘Or we could go with something stupid like Lick It Ticket.’” Lick It Ticket was not the only name the group came up with, but when asked to provide one for their upcoming show, Ryan Pearson went with his gut. “My least favorite thing about bands is coming up with a name,” said Pearson, a philosophy major and music minor. “It can be so pretentious. I have trouble naming my songs too. Every time I write a song, the last thing I do is pick a name for it.” As they all come from a background in music, the members of Lick It Ticket have a unique way of working through the material that will become their songs. It’s a perfect balance of serious musical thought and fly-bythe-seat-of-your-pants improvisation. “I’ve played in a lot of bands before, and this is the See BAND, page 4
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FEATURES Friday, September 10, 2010 northern-iowan.org
SWITCH continued from page 3
acted that they became endearing. Although the idea that he would remember nothing the morning after “the switch” and remember all of it seven years later is a
little far-fetched, if that can be glanced over, the rest is quite enjoyable. Wally’s Mini-Me, Sebastian, upstages everyone within the first two minutes of screen time. He is as neurotic and quirky as Bateman, with all the adorableness of a
child. He is believable as both the child of Wally and the child of Kassie. Aniston portrays the single woman, single mother and over-her-head girlfriend with ease. However, she lacks the edge to make her character as loveable as either Wally or
Sebastian. As Kassie grows from a selfish single woman to a devoted single mother, her relationship with Wally never seems to progress until the very end of the movie. This film “switches” up the usual romantic comedy formula, and although slow at
parts, is worth a watch. The inspiration from Eugenides’s short story gives this movie a realistic and heartening edge that likens it more to a film like “Juno” than a monstrosity like Jennifer Lopez’s “The Back-Up Plan.”
BAND
flesh out together,” said Espe, a senior bioinformatics major with minors in music and ethics. “We’re actually getting better, I think, at being able to write tunes together. The more and more we play together, the more we know how we each play, and what sounds to expect from one another. The best part is that we’re still surprising each other.” Near the end of their first year together, Lick It Ticket began to tour more extensively. During the summer, they played a multitude of shows and festivals in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado. “The music scene in Colorado is blossoming right now, especially for music like ours,” said Braley. “We haven’t even been together for a year, and they gave us five shows out there. We’d do well in Denver.” In the coming months, Lick It Ticket will be playing shows around Iowa, including a Halloween party at the Hub. The Strayer-Wood Theatre’s burlesque show, set to take place during second semester, will feature Lick It Ticket as the house band.
continued from page 3
The University of Northern Iowa is seeking comments from the public about the university in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. The university will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit Nov. 8-10, 2010, by a team representing The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet the commission’s criteria for accreditation. The University of Northern Iowa was first accredited by the commission as a teacher-training institution in 1913 and has been continuously accredited as a four-year institution since 1930. The public is invited to submit comments regarding the college by sending them to: Public Comment on University of Northern Iowa The Higher Learning Commission 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, IL 60602 Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing and signed; comments cannot be treated as confidential. All comments must be received by Oct. 8.
first band where I’ve been handed a piece of paper with music notes,” said Collin Braley, a senior music composition major. “Since we all study music and know the language, we can all interpret it to our own instrument.” About half of Lick It Ticket’s music is instrumental, based around a set structure with a lot of room for improvisation and reworking. The band doesn’t play any song the same way twice. On the other hand, a lot of Pearson’s songs have extensive lyrics and intricate melodies. “I just kind of start singing something,” Pearson said. “I’ll usually find a melody I like. The words just slowly fit themselves into the melody.” For the most part each member will write his song and introduce it to the others in this manner. After they have learned the basic structure of a song, it can be workshopped by the band, improved upon and changed when necessary. “It’s sort of like a skeleton, a basic idea that we
Opinion
The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Friday, September 10, 2010 Volume 107, Issue 4 Cedar Falls, Iowa northern-iowan.org
For better or for worse, “The Daily Show” offers best commentary on TV MICHAEL DIPPOLD
michael.s.dippold@gmail.com
It would be astonishing if there were a college student today who has not encountered the pop culture phenomenon known as “The Daily Show,” or its infamous host, Jon Stewart. While the show itself mixes lowbrow slapstick humor and sex jokes with highbrow cultural critiques and political satire, it’s often relegated solely to the realm of the humble late-night talk show. However, over the course of the last decade, as the news media has been trading journalistic integrity for entertainment value and political favors, “The Daily Show” has emerged as a leading contender in the area of serious political and social commentary. This probably isn’t because of “The Daily Show” itself, although it’s an extraordinary show with a great writing team. Jon Stewart happens to host a comedy news show in a time when “real” news and our public political discourse are so frequently absurd that they are begging to be criticized. Stewart is simply there to fill that gap. Turning on cable news for even a few minutes will almost certainly demonstrate my point. Prime time newscasts are often led by stories of political or celebrity gossip, or in-depth weather reports that run long
MCT Campus
“The Daily Show” host, Jon Stewart.
past the point of being usefull. The problem is especially bad in the arena of political news, where political bias actually serves to increase viewership for most networks. The craziest and loudest of politicians frequently get the most time on the air. Stewart frequently gets his biggest laughs from the audience by simply playing back video of the subject of his joke, and letting their own words become the punch line. The political pundits that man the “situation rooms” of every major cable news station are also a major part of the problem. They recycle partyline talking points, and substituting popular platitudes for thoughtful political commentary. I am reminded of Stewart’s legendary 2004 appearance on CNN’s “Crossfire,” where he ambushed the hapless duo of Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson, the show’s liberal
and conservative (respectively) pundits, accusing them of “hurting America” with their partisan bickering. When Begala and Carlson respond by criticizing “The Daily Show” for not asking tough questions of its guests, Jon replied, “If you want to compare your show to a comedy show, you’re more than welcome to ... You’re on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls. What’s wrong with you?” The president of CNN U.S. agreed with Stewart, and “Crossfire” was cancelled shortly after his appearance. And the problems with the media that I talk about aren’t just rampant speculation on my part. In 2006, Media Matters found that “viewers of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ are consistently better informed about current events than consumers of other media.” Whether this stems from “The Daily Show’s” penchant for accidentally doing a better job of reporting the news than “real” news reporters, or because people who are wellinformed naturally find more value in “The Daily Show” than they do in other news outlets is beside the point. I suspect it may be the latter, but either explanation says something powerful about the current state of the news media.
Agree to disagree ROBERT TURNER
bobt@uni.edu
Since my last article, “Prop 8 Overruling a Threat to Democracy,” I’ve received several comments that really made me think. I got many comments talking about how I didn’t know what I was talking about, either about the proposition or about the judiciary. That’s fair enough; I’m not a journalist, and I was expressing an opinion about the danger of the courts overruling the will of the people that went beyond just this specific ruling. But one comment really made me think and wonder about the state of America today. I was told that sometimes the public doesn’t know what is right and that some in the public aren’t in touch with reality. Now this commenter was incredibly nice and complimen-
tary of my writing, and this is in no way an attack on them; it just made me stop and think for a bit. This type of thinking isn’t odd on all sides of politics, with both Democrats and Republicans guilty of this. But should it be? The first issue I had to consider is whether people should be allowed to have this opinion. This might sound easy and simple, but it’s not. The answer is, of course they should be allowed to; they have the right to any opinion they wish. Not only that, they should be free and unafraid to speak their views. One comment I got was about John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” and how I needed to take a philosophy class and read that book. I actually have taken the class and read that book. I’d like to point out that Mill talked about more tyranny than just the tyranny
See DAILY SHOW, page 6
of the majority. More importantly, he talked about how it was important in a free society for people to not be afraid of being ostracized for their personal views. They need to be able to express themselves and their opinions. The overriding feeling in saying that the public doesn’t know what is right is that the public is stupid. Is that fair to say? Why would someone say it? Bill Maher and Janeane Garofalo on the left and Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity on the right have all either insinuated or outright called people who have differing views stupid. It’s ironic, because some of the venom they spew is so hateful, while the point they are trying to make is that whoever is in the crosshairs of their attack is hateful. When Janeane Garofalo was on Keith Olbermann’s
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Binge drinking From the editorial staff There are certain activities that go hand-in-hand with the beginning of a new school year. Many college students start new classes, socialize with new and old friends, get back into the routine of having homework on a nightly basis, maybe even attend a sporting event or two to occupy some free time, but one thing we often don’t think about is the amount of binge drinking that goes on at universities and colleges around the country, including here at the University of Northern Iowa. Binge drinking has been defined as a consumption of five or more standard drinks within a two hour time period. In today’s society it’s almost seen as a right of passage that if you go to college, you must partake in partying and drinking, whether you are of the legal drinking age or not. What many college students don’t realize is just how big of a health risk binge drinking is. Binge drinking has many short-term and long-term dangers, including causing problems to the kidneys, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, brain and liver, not to mention the possibility of death. Binge drinking, as well as underage drinking, is not a new problem with America’s youth, but it is one that we should take a serious look at. Two years ago, more than 100 college presidents and chancellors nationwide called for lawmakers to reconsider the legal drinking age, which was raised to age 21 in all states by the late 1980s. The common reasoning seemed to be that by making it illegal for most college-aged students to drink, the laws had inadvertently made it more likely that students would engage in unsupervised binge drinking. This may be true, but it seems that there is an easier way for colleges and universities to cut down on binge drinking as well as underage drinking. Lowering the drinking age would simply give underclassmen another excuse to binge drink. Many schools across the country offer various campuswide activities during the week to help students occupy some of their free time. So why not offer more of these activities, specifically on Friday and Saturday nights? If you can bring students fun and enjoyment while preventing binge drinking and underage drinking, even if it’s just a few hundred more than would normally show up to an activity like this anyway, isn’t that better than having them out partying and possibly endangering themselves or others? Though the cause is unkown, many people believe college-aged students binge drink because of peer pressure and a lack of adult supervision. Whatever the cause, colleges and universities had better look at their own policies first because the solution almost certainly lies within the colleges themselves, not in lowering the legal drinking age. This editorial reflects the position of the Northern Iowan’s editorial staff: John Anderson, Leah Jeffries, Brad Eilers, Cassie Tegeler, Anna Schreck, and Kari Braumann. All other articles and illustrations represent the views of their authors.
show, she talked about how members of the “Tea Party” are racist, don’t know history, and because these people don’t have the same political view as her, “It is a neurological problem we’re dealing with.” Now this is not an attack on Garofalo – she has as much freedom to speak her mind as anyone else. This is just an illustration. Why do we do these things? If someone doesn’t agree with us, why are they automatically stupid and what exactly makes us so smart that we know we have all the right answers? I’m sure that some people will feel I’m attacking them, but
please, think about this. When someone has a differing opinion, listen to what they have to say. Don’t get angry, don’t call them names or make them feel stupid. Try to see their point of view, why they believe what they believe, and share your own thoughts and opinions. Have a discussion. When it’s over, agree to disagree. Not because either party is right or wrong, or one is smart and the other stupid, but because everyone is entitled to their own opinions. By opening up and discussing, maybe, just maybe, both sides will learn something.
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DAILY SHOW continued from page 5
In addition, Jon Stewart is consistently ranked by people as one of the most trusted news anchors in America. A poll from Time magazine shows Jon Stewart winning with 44 percent of the vote. Although online polls are rarely reliable, this trend is confirmed again by a Pew Research poll from 2007 where people were asked to “name the journalist they most admired”, and “Mr. Stewart, the fake news anchor, came in at No. 4, tied with the real news anchors Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw of NBC, Dan Rather of CBS and Anderson Cooper of CNN.” Of course, “The Daily Show” is still a comedy program, and Jon Stewart has
OPINION Friday, September 10, 2010 northern-iowan.org repeatedly said that his goal with the show is and always has been to entertain. It would be a mistake to think that “The Daily Show” can or should serve as a substitute for other news outlets. Even so, we should not ignore that Stewart also uses his comedy as a vehicle for advancing serious criticisms of the media and our larger political culture. He does so in a witty and intelligent way, and much like The Onion, his comedy is quickly becoming less ridiculous than the “real” news that it riffs on. There are a lot of valuable insights to be found in “The Daily Show” nestled in between jokes; you just have to stop laughing long enough to find them.
Letter to the Editor: Remembering Coach Berry
I sat in the southwest corner of the balcony of the West Gym, watching the UNI women’s volleyball game. It was the night following our team’s victory over Wisconsin in the UNI-Dome. Sitting about 10 feet to my left was my head coach, Jim Berry. During an intermission of the game, the announcer barked the score of our game the night before. A huge ovation ensued. I looked over at Coach Berry and he looked back at me. Two things struck me about the look on his face: it was filled with utter satisfaction in seeing his vision come into focus, and Coach was telling me to enjoy the moment, as we (the players) were well deserving. I can see that look to this day
and it will forever be my lasting memory of the man I called Coach. Coach was a visionary who saw UNI’s Sweet Sixteen experience last winter 25 years before it came to fruition. Our first year of Division I meant a lot of road games, and we opened with ranked opponents Alabama and Kansas State on successive nights. After our second thrashing, we sat with our heads lowered in the locker room of Ahearn Fieldhouse at Kansas State, questioning our own abilities and the predicament we found ourselves in. Coach Berry addressed us after the game: “Men, we’re going to face a lot of bumps along the way, but never, ever, forget, you are setting the foundation for some great things in the future of UNI basketball, and you are going to have played a part in that success.” He might as well have said, “Men, in the year 2010, UNI will defeat the No. 1 team in the country and advance to the Sweet Sixteen, in no small part because of what you are doing today.” He believed it; you could hear it in his voice that night. He willed us to continue to
give our best effort. “You’re going to look back on these days with great pride, men.” When I embraced him in Oklahoma City last March, I told him how much of this was his doing – Coach responded, “Yours too.” Neither of us could wipe the smiles from our faces. As always, like that night at the volleyball game and our reunion in Oklahoma City, Coach was his humble self and was crediting the players for the success. Like a child often experiences with their parents, I didn’t fully realize what sacrifices Coach Berry made until years later when I had time to reflect on my years at UNI. I didn’t fully appreciate the wisdom and knowledge the man bestowed upon me every single day at practice. I in no way realized the hours of hard work he put in to make me a better basketball player and person. I now have a better understanding of the many advantages other programs had on UNI in those early days, and the extra effort required of Coach Berry to build a program. The obstacles he faced and the results he achieved are nothing short of amazing. One thing of which I was sure of in those days, however, was Jim Berry the man. I observed how he treated the players, his assistants, my parents, alumni, the guy who washed our dirty practice gear each day and reporters, after victory and defeat. He gave everyone his utmost attention and respect. If he was engaged in a conversation with you, he treated it as if he had all the time in the world for you, despite many people vying for his attention. Coach Berry is one of those special people that I will forever credit for teaching me the value of hard work, that to persevere can be the trophy,and to live life respecting the gifts God gave you. He may not be mentioned in the same breath as Coach K, Dean Smith or Bobby Knight, but Coach Jim Berry was a winner by every definition, and is going to be sorely missed by the UNI family. I can see Coach looking down on all of us with that same look he gave me some 25 years ago. Nice job Coach; you built a foundation for a better world. Jay Block, Class of ‘84
The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Sports
7
Friday, September 10, 2010 Volume 107, Issue 4 Cedar Falls, Iowa northern-iowan.org
UNCAGED
UNI football begins 2010 season Saturday at the UNI-Dome
SCOTT KINTZEL/Northern Iowan
Jamar Thompson will be one of the leaders on UNI’s defense this fall.
By TIM GETTING
Sports Writer
Every home football game, University of Northern Iowa Panther players cram themselves into the North endzone garage before being “unleashed” onto the UNIDome field. The public address announcer proclaims that “a ferocious predator has been seen stalking the nation.”
The garage door ascends. “Heeeeeere come the Panthers!” Cue the Panther roar. Many fans look forward to this tradition, but Saturday they may get a more accurate glimpse at what the liberation of 100 caged panthers would actually resemble. While most college football teams are recovering from their second game of the 2010 season, UNI will be competing in its first game since Nov. 21, 2009. The No. 13-ranked Panthers host the No. 21-ranked North Dakota State University Bison Saturday. The game will serve as UNI’s season, conference and home opener. “We’re anxious to get started. There’s no question that as you sit and watch football games it’s difficult not to be playing,” said head coach Mark Farley. Starting from Saturday’s 6:37 p.m. kickoff, the Panthers will embark on an 11-game regular season with every game occurring on consecutive weekends until
Nov. 20. UNI expects to be tested immediately against an NDSU squad that is coming off a season-opening upset of the Football Bowl Subdivision’s Kansas University. The Bison have a reputation for being a hardnosed football program, and their 6-3 win over the Jayhawks served as a testament to that. “This is one of the most “Our university and football team always has high expectations, regardless of what the outside media has to say” Jamar Thompson UNI Senior Linebacker
physical football teams that we’ll ever play against,” Farley said. Farley has had his Panther teams ready to succeed at the beginning of past seasons, holding an 8-1 record in home openers and a 5-0 mark in season openers against Football Championship Subdivision
opponents like NDSU. However, the Panthers have received comparatively below-average expectations from coaches and media members this season. A poll conducted by the Missouri Valley Football Conference projected UNI to finish fourth in the conference standings. In three of the past four seasons, the Panthers have been picked to win the conference title. The low ranking most likely is the result of UNI’s disappointing 2009 campaign paired with the fact that the Panthers return only three offensive starters. UNI also has to replace its entire starting offensive line. Last season, UNI fell from possessing a No. 2 national ranking in mid-October to failing to make the playoffs a little over a month later. Coaches and players agreed that the team’s failure to outplay some of its opponents in the games’ final seconds was the key to their absence in the 2009 FCS Playoffs. The Panthers commenced the 2009 season
with a loss at the University of Iowa that seemed to be going in their favor until the Hawkeyes blocked consecutive field goals in the game’s final seconds. Ironically, UNI ended the season in similar fashion as Illinois State scored a touchdown with less than one second remaining, after UNI had scored 44 seconds earlier, to defeat the Panthers 22-20. “When you’re trying to develop a football team, the great ones are going to find a way to win those one- or two-point games. Sometimes it isn’t drawn up on a piece of paper,” said Farley. Despite the lingering concerns, the Panthers remain confident. “Our university and football team always has high expectations, regardless of what the outside media has to say,” senior linebacker Jamar Thompson said. Junior offensive lineman Jay Tepley agreed, “I think we’re going to be better than people may think.”
Panther football looks to answer questions Saturday The Northern Iowan projects junior Tirrell Rennie will start game at quarterback By TIM GETTING Sports Writer
Question marks have surrounded the 2010 University of Northern Iowa football team for months. Who will be the starting quarterback? How is an offensive line with only three combined starts going to hold up? Will the defense have to carry most of the load this season? The Panthers hope to turn those question marks into periods Saturday as they commence their 2010 campaign at 6:37 p.m. in the UNI-Dome. The Panther quarterback situation is probably the most publicized question mark of the preseason. Juniors Zach Davis and Tirrell Rennie have split practice time at the starting position for most of the last two months. Davis has seen spurts of action for the Panthers in the last two seasons, mostly in a relief role, filling in for an injured Pat Grace. Rennie is a transfer
from Ellworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, where he was a two-time All-American selection. At the time of publication, no starter has been officially announced. However, The Northern Iowan is projecting that Rennie will start the game. One thing head coach Mark Farley has made clear in this situation is that he would feel comfortable with either Davis or Rennie in the game. He also is not ruling out the possibility that the two could split time at the position. “Zach and Tirell have both done a great job, and there really hasn’t been the separation that you think that you might see over time (since they began competing for the spot),” said Farley. Farley has given no indication of when his decision will be made, but Davis and Rennie do not seem to mind the ongoing competition. “We both know that we have a common goal, and if
that means sacrificing, then that’s what we have to do,” Rennie said. “It’s a great problem to have when you got two quarterbacks that could step up and play at any time,” said senior tight end Schuylar Oordt. A more daunting problem seems to revolve around the offensive line. The Panthers started five seniors on the offensive line for most of last season. Junior left tackle Jay Teply is the lone Panther offensive lineman with starting experience. Farley seems to have confidence in the group. “They’re probably the most improved group since last year from what we started with in the weight room in January until today,” Farley said. Meanwhile, more familiar faces can be seen from a defensive unit that ranked No. 2 in the Football Championship Subdivision in scoring defense for a majority of the 2009 season.
SCOTT KINTZEL/Northern Iowan
See FOOTBALL, page 8
Tirrell Rennie spent the off-season competing with Zach Davis for the starting quarterback position.
PAGE 8
SPORTS Friday, September 10, 2010 northern-iowan.org
PANTHER PROFILE:
FOOTBALL continued from page 7
Six starters return. The defensive line returns two players with considerable experience yet remains a fairly-unknown facet of the Panther defense. “I think we still have some work there to do, but what I’m pleased there most about is the effort,” said Farley. A pair of junior wide receviers who saw action during the 2008 season return to the lineup after being absent from the playing field in 2009. Montari Leonard, who is probably most known for his bobbling game-winning touchdown catch in the final seconds of the Panthers’ FCS playoff victory over New Hampshire in 2007, returns after not being part of the 2009 squad. Josh Collins returns after overcoming a season-ending ACL injury last year. He gained 750 all-purpose yards during the 2008 season.
A recap of last weekend’s UNI volleyball action is available online at: http://www. northern-iowan.org/ sports
Oordt selected as third-team preseason All-American By DRU JORGENSEN
Sports Columnist
University of Northern Iowa senior tight end Schuylar Oordt has a tendency to find the end zone. Last season Oordt tied for a team high in touchdowns with five. Oordt was selected as a third-team preseason All-American by College Sporting News for the upcoming 2010 season. The senior had some thoughts on last year’s success of finding the end zone. “We had Coach Salmon and Coach Verduzco calling great plays for us on the sidelines. When they’re calling plays that expose a defense’s weaknesses, the only thing left to do is to go out and execute the plays,” said Oordt. “We had a talented offensive unit that allowed us to spread the ball around the field to a bunch of different people and give them the opportunity to make plays.” Although Oordt, who caught 18 passes for a total of 358 yards, had a great season last year he is
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pressing forward to the 2010 Panther football season. “Our first goal every year is to win the conference. We’re in a stellar conference that’s tough from top to bottom and we feel that if we can win the conference we’ll have put ourselves in good position come time for playoffs,” said Oordt. “Our second goal is to carry the success from the regular season over to the playoffs and to win the national championship.” The senior tight end from Cedar Falls, who saw action in all 11 games last season, knows there will be some difficult competition in conference play. “The Missouri Valley Football Conference is always tough from top to bottom. There are no off weeks or easy opponents. We have got to come prepared to play every Saturday if we want to have a successful season,” said Oordt. Although conference play will pose some tough challenges, the Panthers’ non-conference schedule won’t be an easy road either.
“Every opponent we face outside the conference is a solid team. Once we start the season we don’t have a bye week, so we’re going to have to go out and grind every weekend,” said Oordt. One of those teams on the non-conference slate is in-state rival Iowa State, whom the Panthers defeated in their last meeting back in 2007. “It’s always fun going down there and playing in that type of atmosphere,” said Oordt. “They’ve got a good team and a good stadium to play in so we’re really looking forward to going down there when the time comes,” he continued. Tough competition or not, it’s great when the team chemistry really clicks. “This year’s team really bonded well over the summer during workouts and all throughout camp. Getting everyone on the same page is a crucial part of the team’s success and looking at the team right now, we feel we’ve done a good job of ‘gelling’ together,” said Oordt. The preseason All-
American also has some interests outside of football. “Football and classes take up a majority of my time during the week, but when I get some free time I have a couple hobbies that I like to unwind with. I’ve got a soft spot for technology, so I’ll play video games and keep up to speed with the latest gadgets. I also love music so I’m always looking for new artists to get into,” said Oordt. Catching footballs may be what the Panther senior is known for, but it’s not the only thing that catches his eye. “I’ve got a horrible weakness for New Era hats, so I’ll surf the web every couple of days to see if I can find anything,” admitted Oordt. Oordt and the Panthers can be found at the UNIDome Sept. 11 playing host to North Dakota State. The Panthers, who went 7-4 last year and missed the playoffs, will hopefully bounce back for an eventful 2010 season.
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