Northern Iowan t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f n o r t h e r n i o wa’s s t u d e n t - p r o d u c e d n e w s p a p e r s i n c e 1 8 9 2
SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
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FRIDAY
VOLUME 109, ISSUE 4
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
UNI alumnus receives career advice from President Obama
In a chance encounter, the electronic media graduate asked the president for tips on getting a job, and 43 hours later, he landed one. < See PAGE 5 ASTRONOMY
Observatory offers views from out of this world At the observatory atop McCollum Science Hall, students and budding astronomers can take in the evening sky, punctuated by puns from professor Siobahn Morgan. < See PAGE 6 OPINION
Destroying America: the task of the modernday patriot Konrardy urges readers to choose reason over the emotions invoked by patriotism. < See PAGE 4
Rashida Jones and Adam Scott from the NBC television show “Parks and Recreation” are speaking at the University of Northern Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 8. The event, which is sponsored by Panthers for Obama, is in Lang Auditorium and begins at 6:15 p.m. Jones and Scott will discuss the importance of
ONLINE WOMEN’S SOCCER After a promising start to the 2012 season, the Panthers dropped their fourth straight game last weekend. < visit northern-iowan.org
INDEX I SPY AT UNI......................2 OPINION............................4 CAMPUS LIFE....................6 SPORTS.............................9 GAMES............................13 CLASSIFIEDS...................14
the November election and why students should vote and get involved. UNI improv troupe Half-Masted “will be firing up the crowd” before Jones and Scott speak, according to the Facebook event. Jones and Scott are also speaking at Drake University, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 8 and Sunday, Sept. 9.
MCT CAMPUS
SCOTT
MCT CAMPUS
JONES
STAFF
Cox starts position as dean of library services CODY GRIMES News Writer
Christopher Cox recently began his position at the University of Northern Iowa as the new dean of library services. Cox replaced Kate Martin, the acting dean of library services. “My mom is also a librarian, so I suppose it may be in my blood. I have found the profession to be the perfect fit for me — I get to teach, have an impact on student learning and share my love of books and information discovery with others,” Cox said. Before coming to UNI, Cox was interim director of libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and he most recently served as dean of libraries at Western Washington University. His position at Western Washington was similar to the one he now holds at UNI. Cox said his goals this semester are “to listen, learn and plan.” “Since I started just last week, I’m still learning the ropes as it were,” Cox said. “My main roles as dean are to work collaboratively with library faculty and staff and the campus, to chart a course for the library, to be the face of the library where outreach is concerned and to garner the financial resources needed to allow us to provide the information resources and services that users expect, when and where they need them,” Cox continued. With the closure of the UNI museum, the
COLBY CAMPBELL/Northern Iowan
< See COX, page 3
Christopher Cox is pictured in front of his office. Cox was recently appointed the new University of Northern Iowa dean of library services.
Panthers seeing red
< See PAGE 8
NORTHERN-IOWAN.ORG
Rashida Jones, Adam Scott to speak at UNI
FOOTBALL The UNI football team faced a formidable opponent in Madison, Wis., and lost – but just by a nose.
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ELECTION
NI NEWS SERVICE
ALUMNI
CEDAR FALLS, IOWA
BUDGET CUTS
Departments feeling effects of program cuts, restructurings LINH TA News Writer
In early March, the University of Northern Iowa administration announced the closure and restructuring of more than 50 programs from all of UNI’s colleges. Now in the fall semester, numerous programs continue to feel the effects of these cuts, including the department of languages and literature and the department of physics. The department of languages and literature had their French and German majors and a few dual major
programs cut and lost five faculty, due to either early retirement “or other forms of letting people go,” according to Julie Husband, interim head for the Department of Languages and Literature. “We’re working really hard,” Husband said. “The faculty in French and German in particular should be commended for being so flexible and being very professional in helping out with the teach out.” According to Kyle Woollums, senior French and Spanish teaching major, a teach out is “a plan designed
to permit students to finish their studies.” The plan includes which courses will be offered based upon “the needs of the students and requirements of the program.” This year, the department of languages and literature is offering Chinese language courses to students, thanks to a grant from the Taiwanese Department of Education. Husband said the timing of the grant and the closure of the programs are unrelated. “We were able to bring a professor in Chinese for this year, and we have booked beyond that. He is teaching
first and second semester Chinese,” Husband said. Woollums said he has noticed a difference in the quality of his French classes as there are fewer course choices, and courses often have adjunct instructors. “So what we’re seeing are people who aren’t used to the culture of UNI or the French program, trying to teach us, and it’s an adjustment process for everybody,” Woollums said. Woollums said it was hard to see one of the French < See PROGRAMS, page 3