PUTTING A PIN IN HISTORY
Iowa girls’ wrestling sees an exponential increase in participation after
isabella.tisdale@dailyiowan.com
Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s overhead lights flicker as thunderous applause fills the air. Smoke begins to spill out of the tunnel. A spotlight shines right down into the arena’s center. The Iowa women’s wrestling team filters in, looking up to the Hawkeye fans adorned in black and gold. Hands interlocked, the women exchange smiles with fans.
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As they take to the mat for introductions, the smell of the fog machine seeps throughout the arena. The churn of the machine is hardly audible over the raucous applause still rocking the seats.
This program, which did not exist a mere three years ago, has drawn thousands of eyes to the mat.
Collins Hoeger, 9, watches in awe as the first match begins, the women twisting and turning with their competitors. Collins man-
aged to snag a seat in the first few rows, close to the floor with her parents and sister by her side.
As more matches take to the mat, the girls intently examine the wrestlers’ every move and strategize.
Iowa dominates. They win all their matches against Cornell College. Collins sits and watches them all.
Collins had competed in matches of her own in Anamosa just that morning and, much like the Iowa athletes, won with a clean sweep. She and her family piled into the car, driving 40 miles with her medal in hand to see Iowa’s matchup. The young wrestler is part of the first generation of girls who will grow up watching women wrestle on the mat in college. Iowa remains the only Power Four school in the country with a women’s wrestling program and sits alongside only three other Division I schools with the sport.
UI offers small-town water solutions
New technology would allow water treatment at a smaller scale.
Chloe Oppelt News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
University of Iowa
Civil Engineering
Professor Craig Just has worked with wastewater and treatment solutions for over 30 years. His most recent project, a small-scale wastewater treatment solution, is currently being evaluated against federal regulations.
Wastewater is runoff stormwater or water that has been contaminated by humans and animals. In Iowa, the majority of this water is treated at large wastewater plants or in big lagoons. Iowa City’s plant alone treats around 8 million gallons of water a day. These solutions have been normalized across the U.S. with few alternatives until now.
The university recently announced a pilot system directly worked on by Just that could deeply impact how small-town Iowa gets
its water. If it does, hundreds of small towns across Iowa will be able to use this technology for their wastewater.
Just described the system as a wastewater plant in a shipping container, likening it to a treatment appliance.
“It’s meant to be as simple to use as an iPhone,” he said. “You buy it as a gadget, hook it up, and someone provides support for it. It’s not as simple as that, but it’s meant to be something you can buy off the shelf.”
The project in Dow City was a collaborative effort made by different organizations. One of the key players is BES Water Solutions. This company is based out of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and focuses on providing communities with restorative and sustainable water treatment solutions. Nathan Seberg, BES Water Solutions’ business director, worked in tandem with Just.
“I was the boots on the ground, the person organizing, making sure everything was set up on more of the manual labor side,” Seberg said. “I helped get the system installed.”
from Iowa City.
Just and Seberg first met during the summer of 2020 as they started developing systems and ideas for these containers. They continued working together, and in 2024, the current system began being tested in Dow City on their wastewater lagoon. Just detailed the treatment process that is performed by these
shipping containers.
“The process takes about a day at least in Dow City. It can pretty much treat the water on demand because the system is running at all times. The water coming in is treated and released. It doesn’t take
California wildfires spark action across the nation
The crisis has prompted local efforts in Iowa , to support individuals in Los Angles. Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Mariam Mkhitaryan, a 2022 Ames High School graduate, moved to Los Angeles to attend California State University Long Beach as a film major with plans to pursue a career in directing. When she was back in Iowa spending the holidays with her family, wildfires ravaged southern California.
“When the fire started, I did actually have a weird existential crisis,” Mkhitaryan said. “I bit the bullet. I
went out of state, did all of this so I can be in the ideal place, and now that place is burning down.” The wildfires began on Jan. 6 in Los Angeles County, quickly spreading through communities like Pacific Palisades and Eaton
Canyon. The fires have caused at least 28 deaths, displaced over 200,000 residents, and destroyed or damaged more than 16,000 structures with several blazes still actively burning, NBC Los Angeles reports.
“I went out of state, did all of this so I can be in the ideal place, and now that place is burning down.”
Mariam Mkhitaryan
Student at California State University Long Beach
While Mkhitaryan was grateful to be safe in Iowa and relieved her Long Beach apartment remained untouched, she said witnessing the devastation unfold in the county she’s called home for three years took a significant emotional toll.
“I just remember waking up every single morning, checking for an update, seeing that it got worse, crying,” Mkhitaryan said. “That was my morning routine while I was in Iowa.” Ultimately, Mkhitaryan decided
Infographic by Ana Rivera
Iowa City, dubbed Wrestletown, USA, sets the largest stage in the country for women’s wrestling. Young girls all around Iowa now have the opportunity to sit in the front row.
NCAA sanctions
Women’s wrestling became an official sport, and the NCAA’s 91st championship sport, on Jan. 17. The first championship will take place in 2026 and feature women from Division I, Division II, and Division III programs facing off for the first time on the NCAA stage in Nashville, Tennessee.
Prior to this designation, women’s wrestling was officially considered an “emerging sport for women” by the NCAA in 2020. An emerging sport is an opportunity for programs to expand athletic opportunities to more women athletes. Women’s wrestling was one of the six female sports under the category, along with rugby, acrobatics, tumbling, equestrian, stunt, and triathlon.
With only three other Division I schools — Sacred Heart University, Lindenwood University, and Presbyterian College — sponsoring a program, many Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools carry the weight of recruiting for collegiate women’s wrestling.
Schools like Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
Wartburg’s women’s wrestling team is one of 18 programs around the state that offers the sport and has since 2023. It is also the school first-year Jasmine Luedtke decided to take her talents to following her high school career.
The 19-year-old from Ottumwa, Iowa, had enjoyed a prominent run, qualifying for Iowa Boys’ State twice — one of only four girls to ever reach the tournament — and winning Girls’ State twice. Luedtke’s love for wrestling began in elementary school, as she was constantly surrounded by family members participating in the sport.
“I started wrestling as a practice partner [with boys], and then I fell in love with it,” Luedtke said. She ditched her other athletic obligations for wrestling matches at the age of 10. As Luedtke grew into a teenager, she continued wrestling on the boys’ wresting team.
A program for young girls didn’t yet exist.
“As I got into high school, it started to be, ‘Oh, why are you wrestling boys on a varsity team.
WOMEN’S NCAA DIVISION I VARSITY TEAMS
There are only four schools in the U.S. with NCAA Division I programs.
You don’t belong on a boys’ varsity team,’” Luedtke said.
For Luedtke, this criticism continued as the seasons went on.
“It broke me down a bit,” she said.
Despite this, Luedtke said a strong mindset helps her continue to grow as a wrestler. She continued to qualify for Boys’ State twice in her two years of wrestling pre-sanctioning.
Luedtke remembers the very moment when her life changed, and wrestling became a permanent part of her immediate future.
On Jan. 22, 2022, Luedtke sat in an Olive Garden, surrounded by dim lights and all-you-can-eat breadsticks. She was eating to prepare and fuel herself for her final match in the state tournament.
With Italian music playing and family talking around the table, Luedtke peered down at her phone and scrolled through social media.
A post popped up on her feed that would not only change her own high school career, but also the future of wrestling across the state: Girls’ wrestling was sanctioned in Iowa. From that moment on, girls aged 14 to 18 would be able to test their wrestling skills against others in sanctioned teams across the state.
“I always assumed wrestling would’ve been sanctioned later on — definitely when I was in college or even past college,” Luedtke said.
For girls’ wrestling to be sanctioned, 50 schools had to agree to host a program to meet the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s 15 percent school participation rule for sanctioning.
This was no problem.
Before sanctioning, 165 schools already had girls participating on the boys’ team, per Iowa AAU. These already remarkable numbers helped the schools meet the 50-school threshold quickly and garnered bipartisan support from government officials including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Christina Bohannan, and others.
Sanctioning in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union means there would be accreditation for schools that had a program and agreed to support a yearly state tournament. This support would provide the girls their own teams to wrestle on along with more formal events and duals.
Iowa girls wrestling has seen explosive growth since sanctioning, jumping from 56 teams to 216 teams — a 286 percent increase. This massive interest among girls wanting to wrestle led to the IGHSAU splitting the sport into two divisions. Over 5,000 athletes competed in the girls’ state meet in 2024, selling out Xtream Arena in Coralville for the two-day event.
Youth AAU
Hollers and footsteps echo through a concrete hallway tucked away in the corner of Prairie Point Middle School in Cedar Rapids. Parents line the walls, some tying the laces of their daughter’s bright, small shoes. The girls smile excitedly as they prepare to run into practice.
Sounds of light footsteps circle
the wrestling room as 80 girls enter. Collins helps lead the pack with bubble braids bouncing on her back.
The girls warm up as they roll and crawl around the room, bumping into one another on occasion. As they sweat, they exchange glances with their coaches and are met with encouraging nods.
As warmups wind down, the girls sit on the ground out of breath, looking up at a group of four fathers who run the practices. With whispers still echoing throughout the room, the girls shush each other and listen to what their coaches have to say.
“Hello Hawks,” Chris Hoeger, head coach of the Hammerin’ Hawks AAU team and Collins’ father, says.
The AAU team, made up of girls from around Linn and Johnson counties, teaches young girls how to wrestle in the face of a new era of sanctioning. The team splits into two groups — beginners and advanced — as the girls learn and develop skills that will eventually take them to their first tournament.
From beginner’s exhibitions to the Iowa state tournament, the club includes something for girls of any experience level but also stresses the importance of getting out and trying the sport.
“In school, I wasn’t trying my best, but then when I was wrestling, I started to try hard,” Maci Bruce, 14, said.
Bruce got her wrestling start with the Hammerin’ Hawks and credited the sport with helping her focus more in school. She is now earning near-straight A’s.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to live in Iowa. But wrestling [here] is cool because I don’t have to travel far to see girls wrestling [at the collegiate level],” Bruce said.
The excitement surrounding the Iowa women’s wrestling team and other Iowa collegiate wrestling radiates through the young girls’ team as they learn and see the sport grow.
Bruce and many other athletes from Hammerin’ Hawks make their way to Iowa City often to get a glimpse of the elite Iowa women’s wrestling team members competing on the mat.
Iowa stays elite
The University of Iowa finished the 2023-24 season 16-0 in duals and won the NWCA championship. These successes prompted Iowa to begin the season ranked No. 2 in the country. They quickly moved up to No. 1 following the first week of competition.
The Iowa team features four women from the state of Iowa.
First-year Naomi Simon competes for Iowa at 180 pounds. During her high school career, she became the first girl to win Iowa’s girls’ state wrestling championship four years in a row. The transition from Decorah High School’s elite team to the UI was seamless, she said.
With Iowa being a large institution, Simon said resources are what set it apart for her. As a health and human physiology major, she saw the strength of Iowa for her academics as well as athletics. This, and a successful visit, landed her as one of Iowa’s two homegrown recruits last year.
Audience Editor Shreya Reddy shreya.reddy@dailyiowan.com
DITV News Director Johnny Valtman johnny.valtman@dailyiowan.com
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Wrestlers
team.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Coach Caleb Mosses teaches a young wrestler a move during practice at Prairie Point Middle School on Dec. 3, 2024. Mosses and other Hammerin’ Hawks coaches help develop the new wrestlers’ skills.
“I feel like I get to be part of something bigger than myself,” Simon said.
With thousands of fans packing the stands for home duals, she can see girls that were like her growing up.
As Iowa’s head coach, Clarissa Chun has been with the team since the start in 2023.
“The state of Iowa and the word ‘wrestling’ and the sport of wrestling is synonymous and is the fabric of the state,” Chun said.
This support from the state has been shown through donations and increased attendance at home meets. With over 4,000 people present at the recent Iowa Duals II, fans from around the state have shown up for the new team.
As Chun worked to build the team, she explored the new world of recruiting. Chun coached many of her current wrestlers previously on Team USA and other high-level teams, but she had yet to choose a team of her own making.
With finding new recruits and new rules now on Chun’s shoulders, she worked to build Iowa’s team from the ground up.
Women were hand-picked, recruited from California to Hawaii. Seventeen states are represented in Iowa’s current lineup.
“There’s a lot of amazing young women that care about athletics, who care about wrestling, but they also care about their future,” Chun said.
This rings true for the women on the team who span majors from business to nursing and almost everything in between. The presence of an academically strong institution helps support athletes who may not compete post-college.
“I think having more Division I programs at the Power Four conferences provides more opportunities for young women out there that you know are striving for that level of excellence,” Chun said.
Team bonds
Growth is starting at the high school level. From long bus rides to hours waiting at tournaments, high schoolers are finding friends in places they never would have without the sport.
There is one person the Prairie High School girls’ wrestling team cites as a leader: Mackenzie Childers. At just 17, Childers is one of the captains of the team.
Childers began wrestling at six years old when her mom worked concession stands at high school events. She watched as the boys’ wrestling team filed into the gym to practice and asked to watch.
Then, she asked her mom if she could wrestle. Despite warnings of being the only girl on the team, Childers was insistent.
She started on a team called “Bad Boys Wrestling,” which quickly changed to “West Side Wrestling” following her joining the team. Throughout her childhood, she remained the only girl on her teams.
Childers was in her freshman year when girls’ wrestling was sanctioned. With this change, she became one of the pillars of the program as it began. As senior wrestler
need it.
With her return from an injury this year, Childers has dominated the 130-pound weight class and has gone undefeated as of Jan. 23. Childers is one of the few girls who grew up around wrestling in Iowa and recognizes wrestling as a major factor for who she is today.
As treasurer of the National Honor
“I feel like I get to be part of something bigger than myself.”
Neve Hurley began her career, she looked to Childers as one of her role models, despite being the same age.
“[Mackenzie] can just kind of take control of a room,” Hurley said.
Her ability to run the room is what has encouraged more and more girls to work hard. Childers runs warmups, sprints, and
Society at Prairie High School, Childers maintains high grades along with her wrestling training. This leadership on the mat and in the classroom is something that Childers speaks with her family about often.
Every week, the Prairie girls wrestlers line the hallways after practice and open
prompts from their coaches, the girls fill up pages reflecting on their successes, failures, and most importantly, their goals.
Since beginning wrestling, Hurley and her teammates have found new outlooks on what it means to be a wrestler.
“I think just being around it so much, you realize that wrestling is how determined you are, how much work ethic you can put into a sport,” Hurley said.
The future
As Iowa’s girls grow into adulthood, there is now a future where they can commit to a Power Four school and compete in front of thousands of fans. Soldier Salute in Coralville is one of those main stages. The sun has barely risen in Cedar Rapids as Collins wakes up and prepares for the meet. Her wall is a love letter to women’s wrestling.
Dozens of medals line the walls from all her first-place wins at tournaments. Signed posters from the Iowa women’s wrestling team sit on her dresser.
Next to the door hangs a picture of a sparkly pink shoe that says, “Mindset is everything.”
Collins prances through her kitchen and into her parents’ room, where she gets her hair done. She chooses small space buns so that she can match with Iowa women’s wrestler Val Solorio.
As her mom laces the last elastic hair tie through her hair, they hear rustling sounds in the kitchen. High school wrestlers Mackenzie Childers and Luisa Meade appear in the room with a wrapped present.
“Happy late birthday, Collins,” they say, coming in to sit on the bed. Collins jumps up and opens her gift. It’s a small LED light with an image of two girls wrestling. Collins’ name is engraved in the middle.
A smile brightens Collins’ face, and she thanks the older girls, running to the nearest port to plug it in.
The sign illuminates blue and red before finally landing on her favorite color — purple. As the light reflects across her skin, she looks around excitedly.
The girls examine the details of the sign; one sharp line sticks out.
A ponytail.
They smile and put the light down as Collins runs to her room to pick out her shoes. Her whole outfit is cohesive with shades of dark blues in every piece of clothing.
The girls sit in the living room, preparing to head out to watch women’s wrestling at Soldier Salute. Two new generations of wrestlers sit side by side on the gray couch.
Two generations that could one day take
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa No. 6 180-pound Naomi Simon has her hand raised after a win against Augustana College Sawyer Graham during the Iowa Duals II at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 19. Iowa defeated Augustana College and No. 4 Grand Valley State, 44-1 and 35-7, respectively.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Collins Hoeger opens a birthday present from Luisa Meade and Mackenzie Childers at her home in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 30, 2024. Meade and Childers gifted Hoeger an LED light for her ninth birthday.
Naomi Simon Iowa first-year at 180 pounds
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
190-pound Prairie High School wrestler Aliya Phillips braids her teammate Luisa Meade’s, who wrestles at 145 pounds, hair before day one of the Donny Brook wrestling tournament at Xtream Arena on Dec. 5, 2024. The girls helped their team place 8th out of 43 in the tournament.
Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
(Top left) Prairie High School coach Marlon Blaha tapes Abagayle Albert’s shoes before warmups on day one of Donnybrook Wrestling Tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Dec. 5, 2024. (Top middle) Prairie High School
wrestlers Brenna Ruff, 120 pounds, and Cecelia Walshire, 105 pounds, bike on a machine in order to cut weight before weigh-ins at The Little Hawks Duals at Iowa City High School on Nov. 19, 2024. Both wrestlers made their weight class following an intense cardio session. (Top right) Collins Hoeger, 9, and her teammates look at her dad’s phone to see a bout schedule at the Williamsburg Youth Tournament on Dec. 8, 2024. Wrestlers primarily use trackwrestling.com on their cellphones to see when and where they wrestle. (Above left) Prairie High School 140-pound Claire Hynek wrestles during day two of Donnybrook Wrestling Tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Dec. 6, 2024. Hynek placed in ninth. (Above right) The Prairie High School girls wrestling team celebrates after winning the Little Hawks Girls Invitational at City High School on Nov. 19, 2024. The tournament marked the beginning of the girls season, competing against 12 teams from around the state. Luisa Meade and Mackenzie Childers took first in their weight classes. (Beside) Collins and Prairie High School 145-pound Luisa Meade look at a signed Iowa women’s wrestling poster sitting in Collin’s room. Collin’s room includes dozens of medals from her four different sports she participates in, along with inspirational quotes about motivation and drive.
WHERE WRESTLING STANDS IN IOWA
“Wrestling is how determined you are, how much work ethic you can put into a sport.”
Neve Hurley
Prairie High School wrestler in the 125-pound weight class
“The state of Iowa and the world wrestling and the sport of wrestling is synonymous .”
Clarissa Chun Iowa women’s wrestling head coach
“I just love our team dynamic, and I feel like those are all my best friends .”
Mackenzie Childers
Prairie High School wrestler in the 130-pound weight class
Isabella
Iowa City readies for Trump’s immigration plan
Immigration programs worry for the fallout of Trump’s plan for executive action.
Roxy Ekberg Politics Editor roxy.ekberg@dailyiowan.com
Roughly nine years ago, Faroz Waziri immigrated to the U.S. His home country, Afghanistan, was torn up by war and controlled by the Taliban.
Waziri risked his life to assist the U.S. government as an interpreter for the U.S. Special Forces, fighting a war the U.S. would remain involved in for 20 years, a war in which more than 100,000 people died.
Interpreters are targets for the Taliban, Waziri said, and with concerns for his safety and an eagerness for new, better opportunities, Waziri began the painstaking process of legal immigration into the U.S., which took him over five years.
Waziri first had to receive a recommendation for a Special Immigrant Visa, a type of visa that is only available to people who have provided valuable service or put themselves in danger while working for the U.S. government.
“I really want to see my future generation be saved,” Waziri said to the U.S. army general who interviewed him as part of the process for receiving this visa.
Waziri has tried to bring his mother to the U.S. legally for years, and now, due to President Donald Trump’s immigration overhaul, he worries she will be stuck in Afghanistan alone.
“I haven’t seen my mom for the last six years,” Waziri said. “This is how difficult it is.”
Hours after taking office, Trump signed a slew of executive actions on immigration. Among the flurry of nearly 100 executive orders were directives to seal the nation’s borders, a systematic crackdown on undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S., and a bid to cut off birthright citizenship for the children of noncitizens.
Whether or not those orders will last is up for debate. Attorneys general from 22 states sued Trump just last week to block the bid, and a federal judge ruled to temporarily block the order.
Iowa Republican leaders stand in support of Trump’s immigration policy reforms, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who, on Jan. 17, directed Iowa’s top law enforcement officials to “fully cooperate and assist” with federal agencies to carry out deportations.
Iowa Republicans point to former President Joe Biden’s perceived failure to handle the border and emphasize their main goal is to remove undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.
Illegal border crossings soared to record highs under Biden, averaging 2 million per year from 2021 to 2023.
Iowa Rep. Mike Vondran, R-Davenport, vice chair of the Iowa House Public Safety Committee, said the Biden administration left law enforcement without much direction, and Trump will provide a fresh opportunity to address immigration reform.
“We will take the time to dig into the details and then assess what the opportunities for improvement are,” Vondran said.
Vondran stressed documented immigrants and refugees should have no need to be concerned. Yet documented immigrants, such as Waziri, worry of the fallout of Trump’s plans and the impact it will have on their families.
Waziri now works as the Refugee Service Program Manager at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids. The center is a nonprofit organization that provides educational and supportive services to refugees and immigrants, adult learners, and women.
The center expects to resettle up to 375 refugees this year, according to its website.
Waziri said his position at the cen ter helping refugees is his dream job, as he received help when he first came to the U.S., and now he can support other immigrants.
“It’s impossible,” Waziri said, referring to immigrating to the U.S. “I don’t know how I made it… I struggled.”
“On the other end of this, in a far away country, somebody is trying to realize an American dream, and it will be taken away... That just makes us so sad.”
Anne Dugger Director of the
Trump also declared a state of national emergency at the U.S-Mexico border, which directed the Secretary of Defense to deploy additional personnel, including members of the armed forces and the National Guard.
The president also paused the U.S.’s refugee resettlement program, which prevented thousands of refugees who had been approved from entering the country.
“With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense,” Trump said on Jan. 20 after taking his oath of office.
State lawmaker initiatives add to Trump’s massive reform of immigration policy, including a human smuggling bill recently reintroduced by Iowa Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, in the statehouse. The bill makes aiding someone who is not a U.S. citizen for benefit or to conceal them from law enforcement a criminal offense under Iowa law.
Iowa City area experts and advocates for immigration expressed fear for immigrant communities and view Trump’s plans as a threat to the city’s vibrant culture, history of helping immigrants and refugees, and the economy.
number of refugees allowed into the country since the modern refugee program was established in 1980.
Trump slashed the refugee limit three times during his first term, resulting in a more than 80 percent decline compared to the last year of the Obama administration, during which the U.S. allowed up to 110,000 refugees to resettle in America.
“On the other end of this, in a far away country, somebody is trying to realize an
28 U.S. cities, the IRC aids people affected by humanitarian crises.
“It adds to the energy of the city, and it’s one of the reasons so many people feel like Iowa City is the only place they want to be,” Terlouw said.
The organization also anticipates a halt or significant slowdown in refugee or immigrant arrivals, and Terlouw pointed out that those who are unable to resettle in the U.S. remain in camps or insecure settings and are unable to access safety.
The International Rescue Committee is federally funded, and Terlouw expects a massive decline in federal funding to support refugee and immigrant populations. Terlouw said a reduction in arrivals could exacerbate existing worker shortages in Iowa and negatively impact the economy. Refugees and immigrants contribute to the workforce, put kids in school, open businesses, pay taxes, and contribute to the economy, she said, and Trump’s plans to bring numbers down will have a huge economic impact in the long term.
Economic impact on Iowa
Other experts express a similar concern, anticipating a massive economic impact in Iowa from Trump’s immigration policy plans. The Migration Policy Institute estimated there are 35,000 undocumented workers in Iowa contributing to the state’s workforce, and experts say mass deportations would harm industries in Iowa.
Iowa’s robust agriculture sector, which is currently seeing massive losses, will likely be severely impacted, experts say, specifically livestock production, meatpacking and processing, and manufacturing. Livestock operations and meatpacking plants rely on immigrants as a major source of labor.
Iowa has one of the highest labor participation rates in the nation, however, the rate has been on the decline with nearly 50,000 open jobs, according to Iowa Workforce Development.
“There are communities of immigrants that are vital, especially in Iowa, and putting them in the same bag as the minority of people who cross the border with criminal convictions is a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.”
Adrien Halliez
Drake University political science professor
American dream, and it will be taken away,” Dugger said. “That just makes us so sad.”
Dugger highlighted Iowa’s history of refugee resettlement and said it has been a pioneer as a welcoming state. In 1975, Iowa was the first state to welcome thousands of refugees fleeing the Vietnam War. The governor at the time, Robert D. Ray, established a task force to resettle the refugees who were sponsored by Iowa families, churches, and communities.
Dugger said she hopes this history is kept in mind.
The center has been through several administrations, Dugger said, and it will survive Trump’s as well.
“We live through administrations,” Dugger said. “We’ve been here 35 years. Our services aren’t stopping. They won’t stop — we’re just going to continue.” Mazahir Salih, co-founder and interim executive director of the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County and Iowa City City Council mayor pro tem, houses immigrants and refugees in her home. So far, 18 families have graduated from her house and found resettlement in Iowa, according to Salih.
The Immigration Welcome Network of Johnson County is also focused on providing educational materials for immigrants and refugees. Salih said she plans to partner with legal organizations such as Iowa Legal Aid and the University of Iowa Legal Clinic to provide legal education to immigrants and refugees.
Experts said labor from immigrants helps lessen this gap, as they typically take on jobs U.S. workers pass over.
Drake University political science Professor Adrien Halliez said in terms of labor, Trump’s immigration policies will reconfigure some industries in Iowa. Halliez said the impact will be especially prominent in the agriculture sector.
Halliez said Iowa will likely see changes in the ag industry’s workforce, which could potentially lead to automation, or using technology to replace workers. Halliez said the industry will have to try and find a new way of making the agriculture sector viable without reliance on immigrants. It is reductive and harmful to think of immigrants as a bloc, Halliez said, and the idea of having one policy enforced on all undocumented or documented immigrants in the country is not sustainable.
“There are communities of immigrants that are vital, especially in Iowa, and putting them in the same bag as the minority of people who cross the border with criminal convictions is a recipe for disaster, in my opinion,” Halliez said.
Holt argued that farmers and the agriculture businesses that rely on illegal immigration should rethink this practice because they know it is illegal.
The barriers Waziri encountered when he first came to the U.S., such as a language barrier, economic struggles, and culture shock, were lessened by immigration and refugee services such as the Catherine McAuley Center. Leaders of such organizations in the Iowa City area worry about the fallout of Trump’s immigration policies. Organizations focus on continuing service
Director of the Catherine McAuley Center Anne Dugger anticipates Trump’s proposals will have a significant impact on the center’s refugee and immigrant services. To counteract this, she plans to shift the center’s focus to long-term case management for those already in the area.
The center is working with several other immigrant and refugee service organizations to disseminate educational content and information. Dugger said the center is recommending immigrants keep their papers and documents proving their citizenship on them at all times.
The center is an affiliate of one of the 10 resettlement program organizations in the country, and Dugger expects a drastic decline in refugee resettlement numbers in Trump’s second term.
In his first term, Trump depleted refugee numbers to 18,000 a year — the lowest
Salih said Trump’s immigration policies, specifically his plans for mass deportations, create fear and uncertainty in Iowa City’s immigrant communities. She said families are worried about being separated, losing access to essential services, and facing discrimination.
Salih emphasized that Trump’s policies will have a broader impact on Iowa City as a whole and said they are focused on fear and punishment. She believes immi gration policies should focus on fairness, inclusion, and opportunity.
“I think his policies do not just affect immigrants. They impact the whole com munity by disrupting the stability and contribution that immigrants bring to the city,” Salih said.
Over 12 percent of Iowa City residents in 2023 were born outside of the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Amer ican Community Survey. Six percent of the entire state’s population in 2022 was born in a country other than the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank and research group.
“The fact of the matter is, a lot of people don’t want to talk about and address the reality that we’re a nation of immigrants, but there’s a difference between legal and illegal immigration,” Holt said. Holt said he is concerned about labor trafficking.
“How many of these people are being paid a proper wage?” Holt asked. “If they’re having to live in darkness, then they’re in a position where they could be horribly taken advantage of, aren’t they? And so this is another reason why this has to be done in control.”
Peter Gerlach, University of Iowa assistant professor of international studies and executive director of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, said a continuation of mistrust, fear, and uncertainty within immigrant communities may cause people to retreat into their homes.
Sarah Terlouw, director of the Iowa City branch of the International Rescue Committee, or IRC, said the vibrant immigrant community in Iowa City is what makes it such a wonderful place to live. With efforts in more than 40 countries and
“If they no longer want to be active participants in society, that will have a significant economic impact,” Gerlach said. Gerlach said economic impacts are a place where conversations between both political parties can happen. While experts say the economic impact will be profound, Waziri maintains hope that Trump’s immigration reform will not impact legal immigration.
“My mom is still in Afghanistan,” he said. “Nobody is over there to take care of her, and she’s sick, and that’s why I’m planning to bring her here.”
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Refugee Social Services Program Manager Faroz Waziri poses for a picture at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Jan. 24, 2024. Waziri is an ex-interpreter for the U.S. military and an immigrant from Afghanistan. After moving to the U.S. nine years ago, Waziri went to UNI and now works helping refugees and immigrants.
Catherine McAuley Center
Trump Holt
Vondran
Salih
Terlouw
Halliez
Gerlach
OPINIONS
“It’s true drinkin’ will kill ya, but if you’re drunk you don’t care.” Post Malone couldn’t have said it better. Alcoholic beverages have existed for over 9,000 years. The production of beer, wine, spirits, and liquor has become a booming industry. Despite being a fundamental indulgence for billions around the world, new health reports have begun to circulate about the real costs of having a cold one after a long day — and we should all seriously take note.
Just earlier this month, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office released a new advisory about the increased risk of cancer as a direct result of alcohol consumption.
This memo stated that roughly “72 percent of U.S. adults reported they consumed one or more drinks per week,” but “less than half of U.S. adults are aware of the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk.”
Increased consumption or abuse of alcohol has been known to harm the liver and heart. But, despite previous institutions like the Mayo Clinic claiming
there is an increase in the probability of developing cancer in the liver and heart as a result of alcohol consumption, it has only recently been discovered that alcohol consumption can have adverse effects on the entire human body.
According to their website, the U.S. Surgeon General’s. office claims, “The direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk is well-established for
is on female drinkers, for 16.4 percent of breast cancer cases can be directly attributed to alcohol consumption.
Because of these statistics, the U.S. Surgeon General. is debating adding a new label on alcoholic beverages sold within the United States that clearly defines the product as toxic and cancer-causing. Similar labels have been added to products like cigarette car -
The bigger question regarding these new revelations is what this means for those who consume alcohol consistently and abundantly, like many college students, especially at the University of Iowa.
at least seven types of cancer including cancers of the breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth (oral cavity), throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx).”
This fact becomes even more jarring when the memo explains the cancer risk occurs regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, as some in the past may have incorrectly assumed beer and wine were a safer alternative than hard liquor.
Globally, 741,300 cancer cases in 2020 were related to alcohol consumption with approximately 185,100 of those cases reported from individuals drinking two or fewer drinks a day. The largest impact
Artificial intelligence technologies are advancing at an unprecedented pace, and with each passing year, these systems are surpassing human performance.
The problem with the nonstop development and training of these technologies is the toll they are taking on our environment. Between the manufacturing of servers, microchips, and the accelerated creation of e-waste, AI is doing much more harm to our planet than good.
E-waste, which refers to discarded electronic devices and equipment – whether they are functioning, broken, or donated items – contains harmful chemicals such as lead, chromium, and mercury. These toxic materials can pollute soil and contaminate water sources, endangering both the planet’s health and the well-being of the global population.
tons through the implementation of the “Tobacco Control Act” via the FDA. The purpose of these labels is to inform the public that the product they intend to consume can be harmful to their health.
The bigger question regarding these new revelations is what this means for those who consume alcohol consistently and abundantly, like many college students, especially at the University of Iowa.
While some may be concerned about their future health, others like senior Niko Balderas don’t necessarily share the sentiment. According to the busi -
ness student and Illinois native, “The revelation that drinking causes cancer is both unsurprising and concerning. The unfortunate fact of that matter is that countless items in our lives can cause cancer. One more isn’t going to kill me. I would much rather give up other cancer-causing products such as Red 40 or Iowa drinking water.”
The jury is still out on how drinking patterns, like “casual” versus binge drinking, can affect these rates, as well as how drinking at different ages can heighten one’s susceptibility to being diagnosed with cancer. Regardless, major concern has been raised about college students’ drinking habits in general, especially since Iowa has been consistently listed as one of the top party schools in the country.
For an abundance of bars and liquor stores within walking distance from campus, drinking in Iowa City has become incredibly convenient with thousands of Iowa students consistently indulging in both casual and binge drinking every week. Regardless of whether one is a “heavy drinker” or not, all young adults should pay heed and think more critically about their drinking habits if they wish to continue living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Cancer can be caused by several factors, but why should recently legal adults continually increase their chances?
However, e-waste also contains valuable metals like gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. If we shift the narrative from “cleaning up e-waste” to “collecting valuable metals,” we could address the economic aspect of the issue while also reducing its environmental impact. A study on e-waste published in Nature Computational Science predicts that by 2030, around 1,000 times more e-waste will be produced than the amount created in 2023. Rapid tech development is prioritized
over the environmental impact. Focusing on creating a more sustainable AI manufacturing process or decreasing excessive energy consumption would be costly for tech companies because they would have to halt current production and development. Increasing the lifespan of these devices would help to cut down the waste, since AI devices typically only last two to five years. This brings up data security concerns, though, because destroying a device is the best way to completely erase personal information. If the equipment is being recycled, sensitive information must be deleted beforehand, especially if the device belongs to a company dealing with confidential data.
AI’s environmental impact goes beyond e-waste, though.
AI microchips contain precious metals typically mined unsustainably that are difficult to recycle without releasing hazardous substances into the air and soil.
The manufacturing process of these AI chips, or semiconductors, creates a substantial ecological footprint. Not only does the process require large amounts of water and energy, but it also emits toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases.
In addition, AI uses water as a form of energy. ChatGPT drains 500 milliliters of water just to respond to every five to 50 prompts. Comparatively, a solitary Google
search only uses half a milliliter of water in energy.
AI’s disproportionate water usage comes from various sectors of the industry. Water is used to cool servers and data centers and is also used as a form of electricity in the U.S.
The U.S. is considered a primary user of thermoelectric power plants that indirectly affect the water footprint of data centers.
The environmental issues caused by AI will never be solved without global cooperation. This is not just a problem seen in the U.S. but in every country that uses or manufactures AI technologies.
Renewable energy could be used to power these technologies rather than relying on water, which is already an increasingly scarce natural resource. Optimizing model efficiency of AI systems would also reduce their carbon footprints.
Nothing has been done thus far by tech companies to reduce their carbon footprints or make AI manufacturing less harmful. With that being said, companies like Amazon are finding sustainable ways to use AI, including cutting down packaging waste, food waste, and analyzing products to measure their carbon footprint.
Government policies need to mandate water usage for AI tech companies, and new e-waste recycling protocols must be established. This doesn’t have to be an ongoing issue; with the extensive research proving how damaging AI has been to the environment and the multiple solutions suggested to fix the problem, all the government and tech companies need is the support and attention of the public.
Pilates and yoga trending for college students
Prioritizing fitness and stress management has increased workout class attendance at the UI.
Genevieve DiChiara News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
The University of Iowa Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is home to many activity rooms in the large facility — one of which holds a mindful yoga class. Free to UI students, the clean scent and calming music provides a space for attendees to find a moment of peace.
Lately, when scrolling through various social media platforms, fitness and health content runs rampant. From workout regimens to tips on hitting protein goals, wellness has seeped into the online sphere.
Many creators on these platforms are considered “fitness influencers,” sharing what they eat in a day, their lifestyle choices, and motivational mantras. These creators gain a following by inspiring others to better themselves both mentally and physically.
With the rise of this content has come the increased popularity of pilates and yoga among college students. Students are, more than ever, prioritizing physical fitness, stress management, and mental health, which makes these low-impact exercises appealing.
Various free yoga and other fitness classes are being taught and instructed at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center along with other studios around Iowa City.
Pat Kutcher, the former associate director of fitness and wellness at the UI, is now a fitness instructor and teaches classes at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.
Kutcher said her class mostly consists of women, but she has seen more men start to join her classes recently.
very long — it can do 30,000 gallons per day.
It’s small but it works pretty well,” he said.
Seberg currently runs the wastewater system’s operations in Dow City. He visits the treatment plant weekly to confirm the system is running as it should.
Another vital company in this wastewater project is ISG Engineering. ISG’s leading wastewater engineer, Leonard Larson, is a UI alum who has worked with both Just and Seberg to develop the project.
“[ISG Engineering] was hired by Dow City to look into their wastewater facility,” Larson said. “I wanted to see if there was an opportunity to try something different, so I connected with Seberg and he was working with Just at that time.”
ISG Engineering was brought in and got involved with the project in 2022. Larson recognized both Just and Seberg’s work on the treatment plant from the very beginning.
“Just’s team is invaluable,” he said.
“Seberg had been collecting data for three years or so at the Dow City facility in conjunction with us. Just and his team eval-
to return to her university after winter break, noting that the reality for Los Angeles County residents is often different from how it’s portrayed in national news.
“This is a multi-million population city where a vast majority of people are just normal people who work really hard. They were born in LA, so they stay in LA because that’s their home,” Mkhitaryan said, emphasizing that the glitzy mansions lost to the wildfires are just a small part of the overall devastation.
She expressed disappointment in the online discourse surrounding the wildfires, criticizing the assumption that only wealthy individuals who can easily rebuild are impacted. This narrative, she said, ignores the devastating consequences on vulnerable groups, including working-class families, renters, small business owners, and those without the means to escape the fires.
“Even down to the fact that our death count right now is definitely not including all the homeless people who, for sure, had no way to evacuate,” Mkhitaryan said.
Mkhitaryan also expressed disappointment in the leadership of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who has faced criticism for being on a diplomatic trip to Ghana when the fires began. The city’s recent budget decisions, which cut funding for the fire department while increasing funding for the
There is a mix of faculty, staff, and students in Kutcher’s fitness sessions, and there are usually many individuals participating via Zoom. She said after the COVID-19 pandemic, there were more mind-body classes added to the schedule to help with mental health and getting students’ bodies moving while being isolated in dorms.
UI fourth-year student Karoline Kroll added these classes to her fitness routine and has gone one to two times a week for about a year.
Kroll also makes her own “morning wellness shots” and takes a prebiotic and probiotic. Kroll said she was not incredibly impacted by influencers online. However, she said influencers have helped her try different forms of exercise besides exclusively weightlifting.
“I was scared at first, and then I tried it and loved it, so I just kept attending,” she said.
UI fourth-year student Dionna VanGorkom said she has made attending these workout classes a priority recently, but she started attending them during her second year of college to help set a consistent schedule.
VanGorkom said influencers helped her motivation and excitement to try new things.
“[I] started after high school,” she said. “I didn’t know how to work out without someone telling me what to do.”
Not knowing how to workout without structure is common. The social aspect of these classes creates a supportive and enjoyable atmosphere for some participants, making the setting more engaging compared to exercising alone. Group exercise classes
uated and worked with the data to develop a system that would work for [wastewater treatment] applicants.”
This project comes after years of research, funding, advocacy, and partner ships. Just said his time at the UI helped build the connections that helped the proj ect succeed.
“I’ve been at the university for 32 years,” Just said. “Some of the professional engi neers you need to design this are alumni of our program and people that I know. That also drives these projects a little bit because some folks might have sentimental value and want to work with the college [where] they went to school. I think ties like this make these projects special.”
Just said he is continuing his work on multiple projects as the new wastewater treatment system is up for federal approval. He said he likes to stay busy by working on multiple projects at at a time.
“We definitely want to see this expand,” Just said. The Dow City wastewater treatment system will be reviewed by the Department of Natural Resources this coming February. Once the solution gains approval, distribution is likely the next task.
play a vital role in the success of many fitness programs, inspiring enthusiasm, and fostering a sense of community that encourages regular appearances in class.
This idea is discussed among college students, sharing how their experiences with group workouts help with motivation, accountability, and making exercise more enjoyable through social interaction.
Kutcher offers many motivational quotes in her yoga class at the UI Campus Recre-
ation and Wellness Center to keep attendees engaged and encouraged.
The words “Let’s have some fun” and reminders for attendees to work out at
“your own pace” were shared throughout the class, and smiles are shared and laughs are brought to all participants.
“We give options and modifications to all levels in our classes,” Kutcher said.
“Not everyone has a ton of experience, and that’s alright.”
police, have also been a point of contention in public discourse.
However, Mkhitaryan emphasized more than local leadership failures or the yetto-be-identified cause of the wildfires, the dangerously dry vegetation and extreme weather conditions in Los Angeles County — driven by climate change — are primarily to blame for the devastating impact.
“Point the finger at the people who privatized California’s water reservoirs and put us in this drought to begin with,” Mkhitaryan said.
The Red Cross is also addressing the issue, with Emily Holley, regional communications manager for the Nebraska-Iowa Region, highlighting the organization’s efforts to raise public awareness about how climate change is intensifying the severity of natural disasters.
“Our weather is changing,” Holley said. “Disasters like these wildfires and hurricanes and the tornadoes and floods — they’re becoming more frequent and more intense. And that means that the Red Cross is now launching twice as many relief operations for major disasters than we were a decade ago.”
Holley emphasized that even in regions not typically at risk for wildfires or hurricanes, climate change is intensifying the severity of all types of natural disasters — including the extreme heat waves and tornadoes that have increasingly impacted
Midwesterners in recent years.
“Part of our responsibility as a disaster response organization is to make sure that people are aware of what’s going on and that they are doing what they can to prepare themselves and their families,” Holley said.
There are currently over 700 Red Cross volunteers working in affected areas of southern California, including four volunteers from Iowa. Holley said the volunteers primarily work in Red Cross shelters, which house over 600 displaced residents.
“Our main objective is to make sure that people have the immediate support that they need,” Holley said. “Food, water, safe shelter, that’s what we’re working on.”
Holley explained that the Red Cross prioritizes partnering with local nonprofits that have strong, established relationships within their communities to ensure aid reaches as many people as possible.
She also stressed the organization’s support extends beyond meeting immediate survival needs, highlighting the emotional toll natural disasters take on survivors. Red Cross volunteers, she noted, play a crucial role in providing emotional support and helping individuals navigate the trauma and uncertainty that often follow such events.
“When I’ve done disaster deployments, part of that is just sitting with people and helping them process what they’ve gone
through and letting them know that they have someone that is there to listen and help them in whatever way we can,” Holley said.
As the Red Cross continues its relief efforts in southern California — where wildfires remain active and containment efforts are still underway — the organization is set to receive a heartfelt contribution from three students at Hillcrest Academy in Kalona.
Moved by the ongoing devastation, seventh grade student Elise Hartsock took the lead in organizing a bake sale to raise funds for wildfire relief, with her friends Celie Shetler and Jaimee Helmuth eagerly joining in to help.
The students described how the impact of the wildfires has extended to the Hillcrest Academy community, with family members of a school administrator having lost their entire home and the family of Helmuth also being impacted.
“My aunt’s dad is having a hard time getting his stuff back, and it’s really hard for him,” Helmuth said. Profits from the bake sale, scheduled for Feb. 4 during the Hillcrest basketball game, will be donated to the Red Cross, according to Hillcrest middle school math teacher Ashlee Miller.
“I’m just so proud of them, and I love being their teacher,” Miller said. “This is why I became a teacher, to foster these things.”
John Charlson | The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa engineering professor Craig Just gestures to his computer in the Seamans Center on Jan. 24. Just has been working on an affordable solution to Dow City’s wastewater treatment problem for 15 years.
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Pat Kutcher leads 14 students in stretches during a yoga class at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City on Jan. 20. The group meets every Monday from 1212:45 a.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m., one of many activities on campus with the goal of health and wellness.
MEN’S WRESTLING
An overdue homecoming for Buchanan
In his third destination, Hawkeye Stephen Buchanan wrestler has remained dominant.
Iowa No. 1 197-pound Stephen Buchanan raises his hands in celebration during a men’s wrestling dual between the No. 2 Iowa
Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 25. The Hawkeyes defeated the Buckeyes, 24-13. Buchanan defeated No. 17 Seth Shumate by a technical fall, 18-1.
Trey Benson Sports Reporter
sports@dailyiowan.com
Ten minutes before his first-ever appearance at a Big Ten dual meet, Iowa men’s wrestler Stephen Buchanan was at ease, pointing out family members in the crowd to head coach Tom Brands. It was his father’s first time watching him wrestle collegiately in person, but he only got to see 40 seconds.
During the countless meets and victories the top-ranked, 197-pound Buchanan has accumulated during his career as a Wyoming Cowboy, Oklahoma Sooner, and now an Iowa Hawkeye, his father was never once able to share a moment with his son post-victory.
Coming from Loyal, Wisconsin, trips for Buchanan’s father to Laramie, Wyoming, or Norman, Oklahoma — or even
any colleges his son’s prior two programs might’ve visited — were not easy to make.
But as Loyal is just three hours north of Madison, the opportunity on Sunday, Jan. 12, at the Wisconsin Field House, was perfect.
“Yeah, I talked to a friend of his from his hometown and said that this was going to be the first match that his dad gets to see him wrestle in college,”
Iowa football’s transfer portal additions improving the roster
Iowa’s significant roster turnover with new transfers from the portal bring optimism for next season.
Chris
Meglio Pregame Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
Kirk Ferentz just completed his 26th season as Iowa’s head football coach. Ferentz is currently the longest-tenured coach in the sport, but the landscape of college football has changed drastically since he became coach back in 1999.
The transfer portal was nearly an afterthought when he first began leading the Hawkeyes. It’s since grown into a pivotal part of the collegiate sport, and with that comes the understanding that he and his staff must indulge themselves in that realm, whether they like it or not.
“We’re not trying to build through the portal,” Ferentz said in December. “If we can supplement our team, we’ll do that.” And supplement the team he did.
Amid a crucial offseason for Iowa football, the team has faced significant roster turnover through the transfer
portal — most of which brings optimism for next season. The five players who are set to begin their Hawkeye careers in 2025 bring unique skill sets that can contribute to winning, whether right away or in the future.
Key additions
Arguably the most notable addition was South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski. Gronowski became one of the most decorated players in school history, tossing 10,330 passing yards and 93 passing touchdowns to go along with 1,767 rushing yards and 37 additional rushing scores. Before the acquisition of Gronowski, Iowa also reeled in quarterback Hank Brown from Auburn. Brown spent most of his two-year tenure with the Tigers on the sidelines but brings great promise, as he completed 34 of 52 passes for 535 passing yards, six touchdowns, and three
and the
Brands said. “He was in Wyoming and then Oklahoma, so that’s a big deal. That’s meaningful.”
And while Buchanan may have looked calm before his match, even cracking a joke to Brands, the actual match itself with Wisconsin’s Niccolo Colucci was anything but calm. Having waited all this time and trav -
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
McCabe showcases Iowa’s deep shooting abilities
The third-year guard is the most accurate shooter from beyond the arc for the Hawkeyes this season.
Jack Birmingham Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
While the Iowa women’s basketball team lost a lot of flashy and exciting shooting this past offseason, the Hawkeyes’ deep shooting game is still very much alive thanks to the efforts of players like third-year Taylor McCabe. Standing at 5-foot-9, McCabe has garnered attention as a solid three-point shooter, with most of her career points coming from beyond the arc.
The guard’s success from downtown dates back to high school, where she was the recipient of numerous accolades, including being ESPN’s only ranked recruit from the state of Nebraska and the first Class A guard in state history to cross the threshold of 2,000 career points.
New head coach Jan Jensen noted the emergence of McCabe and other guards such as fourth-year Kylie Feuerbach during Iowa media day on Oct. 10.
“They get a shot to take the shot,” Jensen said during the press conference. “They get an opportunity to be the one that’s the key stopper. They have leaned in beautifully. Kylie has a sense of confidence. Taylor is stealthy with that three.”
McCabe’s first season with Iowa saw the guard collect 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc in a game against Rutgers on Feb. 12, 2023. In her second season, McCabe upped the ante with 18 points from the arc against Florida Gulf Coast University on Nov. 25, 2023, and five threes against Big Ten rival Minnesota on Feb. 28, 2024, good for a 71 percent clip.
In all, McCabe shot a staggering 46 percent from distance during her sophomore campaign, helping Iowa advance to its second consecutive NCAA national championship game.
“I feel like I’m definitely more of a three-point threat, especially at this level,” McCabe said during a press conference after a 94-57 win over Toledo on Nov. 13, 2024. “I’m going to have to expand and start doing more things so that people have to guard me at all levels.”
McCabe’s performance in Iowa’s 2024-25 campaign has so far followed in the path of previous seasons, despite several lackluster games from the Hawkeyes as a whole in Big Ten play. In Iowa’s exhibition game, played against Missouri Western on Oct. 30, the guard racked up eight points, six of which came from the three-point line.
In a later game against Drake, where McCabe’s sister Peyton is a first-year student, the guard saw a nine-point
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
Hawkeyes
No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Iowa players celebrate after a play during the 2024 TransPerfect Music City Bowl between Iowa and No. 19 Missouri at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 30, 2024. The Tigers defeated the Hawkeyes, 27-24.
Gymnastics
Saturday,
7 p.m.
Team facing problems of their own making
The Iowa men’s basketball team will have to adjust on both ends of the floor.
Matt McGowan Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The dichotomy was on full display near the tunnel of Carver-Hawkeye Arena the night of Jan. 21. Fresh off an upset victory, the Minne sota men’s basketball team bounded down the hall with joy and delight, a mass of burgundy uniforms impatiently waiting for a postgame celebration.
Iowa players, on the other hand, trudged off the hardwood as if held captive by the harsh, jarring reality they created on the court – a 72-67 loss to the Big Ten’s last-place team, the latest defeat in three-game losing skid that hasn’t technically burst a tournament bubble, but it bleakens a once promising start.
The contest against the Gophers appeared to be the perfect “get right” game for the Hawkeyes, who were coming off a disappoint ing West Coast trip where they never led for a second. Instead, it only exposed the hindering flaws the team needs to fix.
[Sentence on Penn State game]
With plenty of dirt to shovel until it emerges from the hole it dug itself in, Iowa’s improvement has to start with the players. Senior forward Payton Sandfort and head coach Fran McCaffery both alluded to missed calls after the Minnesota game, but officiating should only be an obstacle, never a reason for a loss.
“You’ve got to find another way to win, which unfortunately we couldn’t do,” Sandfort said.
[Sentence about Penn State game]. Yet, with Big Ten powerhouses Purdue, Illinois, and Wisconsin on the horizon, Iowa needs to develop a sound strategy, one that prioritizes defense and a diversity on offense.
With senior guard Drew Thelwell a fixture in the starting lineup, Iowa will constantly have difficulties on the glass without a traditional power forward position. The Hawkeyes were outperformed on the glass in all but one conference game, six times by 10 or more.
MISSED
Drake University head coach Joe Woodley announced defensive lineman Joe Evans as the school’s new defensive line coach on Tuesday.
Evans is one of eight coaches who was confirmed to be joining the Drake coaching staff. The announcement came via a Tuesday announcement from Woodley, the former head coach at Grand View from 2019-2024, who praised the former Hawkeye for his abilities and legacy.
Hailing from Ames, Iowa, Evans joined the Hawkeye program as a walk-on in 2018 but eventually turned into a defensive stalwart, collecting 135 tackles, 35 for loss, 28 sacks, and one touchdown in 56 games played.
Evans guided the Hawkeyes to an impressive 10-4 campaign during his senior season in 2023, a year that also saw him earn thirdteam All-Big Ten honors and be named a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
Evans signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 3 but was later released by the Ravens on Sept. 24 after spending time on Baltimore’s practice squad. Now, he ventures into the coaching profession where he will be located a mere 30 minutes from his hometown.
“As a proud Iowan I feel humbled and blessed to start my coaching career at Drake University,” Evans said in Woodley’s press release. “I can’t wait to join the incredible staff Joe Woodley is putting together. My goal is to help build and grow this great program. Go Bulldogs!”
“There’s
Benching Thelwell isn’t the answer, as his defensive impact is invaluable. A small lineup can make up for a rebounding disadvantage by forcing tough shots, yet oftentimes opponents will secure easy baskets via the ball screen.
With a small lineup, switching on a screen
only creates opportune mismatches for the opponents. Yet oftentimes an Iowa big man, whether that be Owen Freeman or Riley Mulvey, winds up along the three-point line trying to defend a pick on the ball. As a result, their counterpart flashes to the post, where he is likely open against a smaller defender.
Even worse, two Hawkeyes will end up guarding the same player on the perimeter, which automatically leaves an open man. In the second half against the Gophers, Minnesota’s Parker Fox rolled to the right block off a ball screen without a defender near him. After he received the post pass, Iowa’s Seydou Traore had to help from the back side, leaving Traore’s assignment open on the opposite block for a dunk.
Iowa guards Thelwell and Brock Harding are high-energy guys. Fighting through a ball screen shouldn’t be a problem. On-court communication is also a must for all players.
On the other side of the ball, up-tempo scoring has been a mantra under McCaffery, but the head coach has his limits, criticizing the
Iowa wrestler talks memories and music
Jackson Miller Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The Daily Iowan: What is your favorite memory from your wrestling career?
Naomi Simon: Last year, my high school team won the state tournament. That was really fun. We were just hanging out at the hotel and having a good time.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? I would fly because then I wouldn’t have to go through airports and drive far.
What is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? New Orleans, Louisiana.
quick shooting of his Hawkeyes. Sandfort has played through wrist and shoulder injuries this season and is shooting a career-low 34 percent from three this season. Credit to him for staying available, but averaging a career-high 13 shots a game isn’t conducive for not being fully healthy. Early-in-the shot-clock triples from Sandfort and others can ignite a crowd, but aren’t the most reliable at a sustained offense. Utilizing screens to create mismatches or open shots, especially with Freeman down low or Josh Dix at the midrange, can have success.
Iowa players don’t lack motivation. They didn’t treat the Minnesota loss as a fluke. Thewell buried his head inside his jersey on his way off the court, knowing full well his team gave away what should’ve been an easy victory. Yet Freeman was right by his side, not about to let his teammate navigate an uphill journey alone.
“The guys in the locker room, we got guys with great character and great basketball players. So we’re going to build on this and we’re just going to come back stronger.”
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tacos.
What do you enjoy most about the University of Iowa? All of the opportunities. There are so many.
What is your favorite wrestling move? I like an arm spin. I don’t do them very often. Who is your favorite musical artist or
Right now, The Offspring.
What is the most challenging aspect of wrestling? The mental toughness it takes.
What is your favorite portion of practice? I just love wrestling.
If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be and why? Adeline Gray because she’s awesome.
Will the Iowa women’s basketball team make the NCAA tournament this year?
It may not look great right now, but Iowa women’s basketball can and will still make the NCAA tournament.
The team has had its fair share of setbacks starting this past offseason with Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, and of course, Caitlin Clark, all moving on from the program. This, combined with the departure of 24-year head coach Lisa Bluder, left a sizable hole that the team would have to work hard to fill.
While not always perfect or as polished as last season, nothing changes the fact that Iowa fans KNEW this would happen. We knew the team would have setbacks, that the Hawkeyes would graduate a lot of flashy shots and the points that came with them. But by and large, the team has done a good job of holding its own.
New head coach Jan Jensen had the best start to coaching tenure in program history with an 8-0 run to kick off the season. While the losses
have since started to rear their heads, Iowa’s seven defeats have only been by a combined 36 points. In other words, there’s an average of 5-6 points between the Hawkeyes and their foes with every loss.
The tail end of the season isn’t going to be easy, but nobody said it was going to be. The Big Ten is arguably the strongest conference in the sport, and the addition of four former Pac-12 schools has only increased the intensity of the gauntlet. So, while Iowa may not be favored, the Hawkeyes are still very much alive, armed with multiple standout players, including multiple talented, top-ranked first-year players.
The final component will be the Big Ten tournament, as doing well in this would increase Iowa’s chances drastically. Of 18 Big Ten competitors, all but three will make the Big Ten tournament. With Iowa boasting wins over Penn State, Purdue, and Washington already, they are in prime position to at least qualify for this bracket, which could give them rematches of close games, such as Michigan State and Oregon, which they dropped by a combined three points.
Iowa has a chance, and this program has shown that a chance is all it needs.
The Iowa women’s basketball team’s recent five-game losing streak puts its NCAA tournament hopes in serious jeopardy. It was just two weeks ago when the Hawkeyes were a ranked team atop the Big Ten conference. But as it currently stands, the Hawkeyes hold a 3-6 Big Ten record and a 13-7 overall record, good enough for the 13th and 12th spots, respectively.
Can they make up the ground they suddenly lost? It’s a tall task when you observe the remainder of the schedule.
Iowa has a favorable matchup against Northwestern coming up on Jan. 28 — a good opportunity to notch a secondstraight win. But right after that, the Hawkeyes take on Juju Watkins and No. 4 USC.
After that comes No. 23 Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 1 UCLA, No. 24 Michigan, and Wisconsin before heading
into the Big Ten tournament. Rutgers and Wisconsin sit below Iowa in the standings as of now, while Nebraska is sitting right outside the top 25 teams with a better conference and overall record than No. 24 Michigan.
If there’s one takeaway from watching this team, it’s that turnovers and defense have been a problem all season long. The Hawkeyes typically win games by simply outsourcing the other team rather than stopping them from scoring. Of the nine games remaining, six of those future opponents score more points per game than Iowa, and four of those teams — UCLA, USC, Ohio State, and Michigan — score north of 80 points an outing. And the sloppy play on offense will become more costly as each game is played. Ohio State and USC average doubledigit steals on top of those two, UCLA, and Minnesota holding opponents to less than 60 points on average. Now, by no means does Iowa have a zero percent chance to pull off a stretch where it wipes out most of these teams. But the odds aren’t in their favor right now. And it will certainly take a lot of luck to clinch that postseason spot.
Naomi Simon 180 pounds 5-foot-7
First-year Decorah, Iowa Human Physiology major
Chris Meglio Pregame Reporter
Jack Birmingham Sports Reporter
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Minnesota forward Parker Fox blocks the ball during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Jan. 21, 2024. The Hawkeyes fell to the Gophers 72-67.
eled all this way, Buchanan’s father saw just half a minute of wrestling before his son had Colucci’s arms locked back against the mat with his shoulder blades down, too. The referee inspected the position briefly before calling the pin a 40-second finish.
Where the Wisconsin Field House went quieter in dejection, Buchanan’s personal fans made their presence known. And the Hawkeyes steamrolled the Badgers, 45-0.
“He is down for the first time, so that was pretty sick,” Buchanan said. “Then some family friends who I wrestled with back in my home wrestling team they came down to see me wrestle, too. That was for the first time, so that was pretty cool, too.”
Most wrestlers would have been ecstatic with a swift pin in under a minute. However, for Buchanan, it was especially sweet, as his fastest finish of the season just so happened to be the one match his father watched.
“It was good to be back home,” Buchanan said. “I had a lot of people come on and show out. So, that was nice seeing them in the crowds and then having my coaches point that out. I didn’t even realize how many people came down. But it was nice talking afterwards and getting that nostalgia.”
Nostalgia is indeed relevant when a long journey with the storied sport of wrestling takes you across the U.S.
Prior to Buchanan’s time at Iowa, the wrestler from Loyal, Wisconsin, spent three seasons from 2019 to 2022 at Wyoming and the following two seasons at Oklahoma before heading to the Midwest for his final outing. In his prior two destinations, Buchanan has made history.
During Buchanan’s early career as a Wyoming Cowboy, the young prodigy
started out strong, as the true freshman accumulated 26 wins in his first colle giate season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships after placing seventh at the Big 12 Championships.
But it was the following two years at Wyoming that helped cement his name in Cowboy history books. Buchanan became the fourth wrestler in the school’s history to record consecutive All-American honors.
He finished eighth at the NCAA tour nament in 2021 before an All-American nod in 2022, winning a Big 12 title that season and becoming the first Cowboy to do so at 197 pounds. The phenom finished his last season as a Wyoming Cowboy 16-3 versus ranked opponents, never dropping a single match to an unranked opponent throughout the whole year.
Buchanan elected to jump to the Okla homa Sooners, redshirting his first year there in 2023 before a highly touted second year there that put him on Brands’ radar. In fact, he gathered a 29-3 record, earned his third All-American honors, finished third at the Big 12 Championships, and finished third again at the NCAA tournament — the highest Sooner finisher since 2016.
But it all returns back home.
The Wyoming and Oklahoma transfer-turned-Hawkeye has been making a name for himself in the historic black and gold singlet this season, leading the Hawkeye wrestling squad in multiple statistical categories, too.
Currently, the Hawkeye wrestler has yet to lose a dual match for Iowa, marking a perfect 1.000 dual winning percentage. Buchanan also leads the team in dual meet points scored with 37 on the season — a stalwart in Brands’ impressive back half of the lineup.
The 40-second pin by Buchanan now puts his name third on the team leaderboard for “Fastest Pins” — with heavyweight Ben Kueter recording a
three interceptions. Brown comes to Iowa City with three seasons of eligibility left and poses as a viable long-term option for the Hawkeyes.
Along with Gronowski is fellow South Dakota State teammate Bryce Hawthorne. The defensive tackle logged 25 total tackles and 3.5 sacks through his first two years and now looks to make a bigger impact with the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes added another offensive weapon in wide receiver Sam Phillips. One of the most enticing wideouts in the transfer portal, Phillips logged 2,088 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 153 receptions for an average of 13.6 yards per catch across three seasons at Chattanooga.
Iowa also added some defensive depth, snagging Central Michigan defensive lineman Jonah Pace. Pace recorded 54 total tackles, five sacks, two deflected passes, and one forced fumble through his three-year tenure with the Chippewas.
Key departures
The Hawkeyes saw 22 players enter the portal since August – 13 walk-ons and nine scholarship players.
Among those nine scholarship players are quarterbacks Cade McNamara and Marco Lainez, running back Leshon Williams, and wide receiver Kaleb Brown.
McNamara spent the last two seasons as Iowa’s starting quarterback after spending three years at Michigan. He
32-second pin and 157-pounder Jacori
Teemer recording a lightning-fast 24-second pin.
As a current Hawkeye who is undefeated on the season, Buchanan has been firing on all cylinders this year and will look to bring the same dominance into the NCAA championships come March. Brands is infamous for reiterating certain mantras to the team throughout the season. This season proves to be no different, as Brands believes for the Hawkeye wrestling team to be successful in the postseason, they must not get too complacent following landslide victories.
“The biggest thing is knowing that we have bigger things ahead of us,” Brands said.
appeared in five games during the 2023 season before suffering a torn ACL in a game versus Michigan State.
He returned for the 2024 season and recorded 1,017 passing yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 60.5 percent completion percentage across eight games before losing his starting role due to inconsistent play in the middle of the season. McNamara entered the transfer portal in December and committed to East Tennessee State on Jan. 25.
Williams had a strong 2023 season as the Hawkeyes’ top running back, logging 821 yards and one touchdown on 170 carries, but the emergence of other backs Kaleb Johnson, Jaziun Patterson, and Kamari Moulton resulted in Williams falling to the fourth spot on the depth chart.
Williams initially committed to Memphis on Nov. 26 but quickly changed his decision and announced his commitment to Kansas on Dec. 5. He will have one season of eligibility remaining with the Jayhawks.
Brown transferred to Iowa ahead of the 2023 season after spending one season at Ohio State. He emerged as one of the Hawkeyes’ best wideouts that season, logging 215 yards and one touchdown on 22 receptions.
But the 2024 season proved to be a difficult one for Brown. His lone appearance this season came against Troy, where he recorded his lone catch for 18 yards. After missing his third game of the year, he decided to take a redshirt year and enter the transfer portal, where he announced his commitment to Alabama-Birmingham on Dec.18.
Lainez’s lone appearance in a Hawkeye uniform came in the 2023 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, where he posted four passing yards on 2 of 7 passing attempts in a 35-0 blowout
performance, hitting at a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown. Iowa collectively shot at a 35 percent clip from behind the arc.
Matching McCabe’s sharpshooting is her dedication to a changing program. While the guard started in early contests, such as a Nov. 6 game against Northern Illinois where she collected 11 points, the return of fourth-year Sydney Affolter to play saw McCabe appear less in the starting lineup.
Even with the fluctuating lineups, McCabe has taken the changes with grace and humility, a trait her coach loves.
“I just feel like there’s always a little disappointment, and there should be because we all want to start,” Jensen said. “But that’s what I love about Taylor McCabe — one of the many things.”
The game against Toledo ended McCabe’s streak of being a starter, but the guard remained unfazed, putting up one of her best performances of the season so far. McCabe snagged 14 points in Iowa’s 37-point win, 12 of them from the arc.
As the Hawkeyes advance further into the Big Ten component of their campaign, the overall offensive presence has at times been stagnant. A 50-49 loss to Oregon on Jan. 19 is one example of an offense that failed to fully capitalize on its potential. Nevertheless, McCabe has been a consistent player, hitting 2-for-4 in the loss to the Ducks to add six points to her name.
Following the Oregon loss, the third-year ranked sixth in the Big Ten for three-point shooting accuracy, hitting at a 44 percent clip, making more attempts and buckets than any player in the top five.
“I had to change my mindset a little bit,” McCabe said after the Toledo game. “I just got to stay prepared for when I get those chances. I’m going to knock them down, and I know I can do that better than anyone else.”
While big things are destined for Buchanan, making the jump to the unanimous top-ranked 197-pounder, the All-American wrestler does not let one match cloud his mindset on the mat.
As a long journey through collegiate wrestling comes closer and closer to an end in Iowa City, Buchanan’s sights are set on a podium at the NCAA championships in Pennsylvania — the NCAA champion status the only honor still to evade him.
“I take every match one at a time and take every guy as seriously as I can,” he said. “I’ll have top-10 guys, top-five guys in the next upcoming week. So, I just focus on my training and focus on myself to see what I can do to build every single day.”
loss to Tennessee. Following the 2024 season, he entered the portal and committed to Elon.
Takeaways
First things first, the new-look quarterback room will be something to pay close attention to throughout the offseason.
Even with the loss of McNamara and Lainez, Hawkeye fans can feel confident knowing the team retained Brendan Sullivan for next season. Sullivan’s dual-threat ability allowed Iowa to march downfield at a more consistent rate in the set amount of games he played in 2024.
The addition of Gronowski gives the Hawkeyes two dual-threat quarterbacks on top of a younger play caller in Brown who can certainly develop his run game behind the two veterans.
Iowa’s receiving core got stronger with the addition of Phillips. He, along with established receivers Jacob Gill, Reece Vander Zee, and Addison Ostrenga, will pose as a lethal combination of pass catchers bound to cause problems for opposing defenses.
As for the defensive side, the losses of Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson, and Jermari Harris to the NFL Draft unquestionably hurts the Hawkeyes. But the hope is that bringing in Pace and Hawthorne will make a strong impact on the line while Ferentz and Co. figure out the back half of the defense.
So now the question gets asked: did Iowa get better through the transfer portal? While we won’t find out the true answer until the 2025 season begins, it sure looks like it right now.
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
Iowa No. 1 197-pound Stephen Buchanan sweeps the leg of Ohio State’s No. 17 Seth Shumate during a men’s wrestling dual between the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes and the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 25. The Hawkeyes defeated the Buckeyes, 24-13. Buchanan defeated Shumate by a technical fall, 18-1.
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Iowa guard Taylor McCabe looks for a pass during an Iowa women’s basketball game against Drake at the Knapp Center on Nov. 17, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bulldogs, 86-73, with standout performances on both teams.
SQUEAKING BY
The Iowa Hawkeye men’s basketball team defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 76-75, on Friday, Jan. 24. In the second half of the close game, guard Thelwell achieved his 1,000th career point.
(Beside) Drew Thelwell goes up for a dunk during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Penn State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 24, 2024. The
defeated the Nittany Lions, 76-75. During the second half of the game, the graduate student surpassed 1,000 points in his career and finished with 1,004 career points. (Top) Freddie Dilione V shoots a threepointer during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Penn State. (Middle) A young fan shows frustration during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Penn State. The Hawkeyes failed to score during the last 3:28 of the one-point game. (Bottom) Payton Sandfort reacts to the
win during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Penn State. This victory broke a three-game losing streak for the Hawkeyes. Drew Thelwell has scored 1,000 career points.
Jessy Lane and Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Hawkeyes
Hawkeyes’
50 YEARS OF HISTORY AT GABE’S
After decades of service, Gabe’s has maintained its status as one of Iowa City’s most iconic spots.
‘Nickel Boys’ speaks a new language
RaMell Ross’ Oscar-nominated film is emotionally devastating.
Charlie Hickman Arts Editor charlie.hickman@dailyiowan.com
The most impressive feat a film can pull off is to convince its viewers they are seeing something wholly original. Even more impressive is when a film can accomplish this while adapting a work, making it definitionally unoriginal.
Despite being adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” feels entirely fresh. The story follows a young man named Elwood who is unjustly chartered to Nickel Academy after n a traffic stop incident in segregated Tallahassee, Florida.
There are two timelines at play. That of Elwood’s experience at Nickel Academy, where he becomes close with another boy named Turner, and an adult Elwood considering testifying in a growing case against the long-shuttered academy.
When reading about the horrific abuse and torturous conditions these teenagers — and sometimes young children — were forced into, I struggled to imagine how the violence would be depicted on screen. Whitehead’s novel is a forceful, grisly work at times, and depicting it on screen seemed challenging.
Ross is a visionary filmmaker, though, so his film adapts the novel in a way greater than I’ve ever seen accomplished. Instead of worrying about nailing every plot point as you remember — it excludes a few — the film captures the feeling of the story.
The entire film is shot from the first-person perspective, meaning the camera adopts the eyes of Elwood and Turner the entire time. Whitehead’s story is one of empathy, so it is necessary for the audience to feel as connected as possible to Elwood.
Bolstering a background in experimental and documentary film, Ross is the perfect filmmaker to tackle this. His ambitious use of technology is a sight to behold in “Nickel Boys.” I was wowed within the first few minutes, and that feeling never dissipated.
Amid the opening few scenes as I settled into the film’s often dreamlike rhythm, I felt as though I was discovering a new cinematic language. I could feel my understanding of what movies could do expanding in real time.
The difficult technique involved in shooting the film has created a lot of buzz in the filmmaking world. Before going into the film, I was worried the perspective trick would give me a headache or make me nauseous. Instead, I clicked with the choice immediately and felt incredibly emotionally invested in Elwood.
One scene halfway through the film finds Elwood once again unjustly punished for his actions. In the scene, Elwood is beaten by one of the white headmasters at the academy, but the camera breaks its rule.
Instead of showing us his perspective, the camera takes us away from Elwood and forces us to face static darkness. Only the sounds of a belt cracking against flesh break through the overwhelming, visceral static. The speakers in the theater boomed with the whirring of the furnace Elwood leans on, and the unsettling score blared into my skull.
I felt physically shaken by the scene and ultimately incredibly impressed by how successful the film’s stylistic choice had turned out. If a film can truly, deeply impact me in the way this single scene in “Nickel Boys” did, I would consider that a success.
The only other times we leave Elwood or Turner’s point of view is with interstitched segments of news footage. We see Martin Luther King Jr. speaking in Washington, D.C., flashes of advertisements, and eventually footage of the Moon landing.
The last 20 minutes of the film shockingly revolve around this visual motif of the Moon landing. I won’t give away what is going on between these clips, but I found this choice incredibly impactful. Ross shows us the new heights of the American dream — in the 1960s when the story is set — with the harrowing realities of the American experience for young Black men.
Not since “The Zone of Interest” have I witnessed an audience sit in complete, stunned silence once the credits rolled. “Nickel Boys” is an incredibly special film. Bold in its artistry, it elevates an already emotionally devastating story to new cinematic heights.
“Nickel Boys” is now playing at FilmScene in Iowa City.
COMMENTARY
TV-SHOW Flight of the Conchords on HBO
FILM School of Rock directed by Richard Linklater
BOOK
Accidental
Revolution:
The Story of Grunge by Kyle Anderson
Tips to help stay motivated
Lacking incentive this semester? These methods may help.
Flynn Milligan Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
Staying motivated can be difficult. Whether in academics, the workplace, or a new fitness routine, it always comes down to discipline compensating for lack of motivation. As we begin the spring semester, motivation is as important as ever as we continue to deal with the few hours of sunlight — and arctic temperatures — we have seen. Here are five ways you can feel more motivated this semester.
Watch a motivational film
Starting with a fun and simple option that may seem silly, I often find motivation comes from art. As a film fan, I naturally gravitate toward movies the most — specifically “Miracle,” the 2004 film by Gavin O’Connor. The movie details the historic underdog performance of the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team against the Soviet Union. “Miracle” is my favorite sports movie of all time and always boosts my mood. “The Pursuit of Happyness” by Gabriele Muccino accomplishes the same goal for non-sports fans.
Set specific and realistic goals
People often become distressed because they don’t meet lofty goals they set for themselves — especially around the new year — but being specific about your goal goes a long way to make you feel better. Vague goals can be hard to track and end up causing a blow to self-esteem. A better practice is to write out stepping stones, ultimately shrinking the big goal into a handful of smaller objectives.
Reward yourself
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” That’s the famous line the character Jack Torrance repeats in “The Shining,” but it also serves as good motivational advice. Working all the time while never letting yourself catch your breath won’t accomplish your goals faster. We do better work and have more fun when we set intelligent goals and reward ourselves for sticking to them. Maybe it’s taking a
LA wildfires impacting Hollywood’s biggest night
University of Iowa students and staff members debate how the fires in California will impact the Oscars.
Grant Darnell Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
“I hear what you guys are saying about the Oscars and how they’re a celebration of life, and the show must go on,” author Stephen King shared on Threads. “It all makes a degree of sense, but to me it still feels like Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Or in this case, wearing fancy clothes while LA burns.”
King is one of many individuals acknowledging the impact of the Los Angeles wildfires on the entertainment industry and calling for something to be done. He once wrote, “life isn’t a support system for art; it’s the other way around,” and in that sense, it’s hard to imagine how an awards ceremony could be the most pressing issue with so many people’s lives and homes at stake just next door. But this issue, like most, is more nuanced than it first appears.
“[The Oscars] are a big part of the culture of the city,” University of Iowa first-year student Blake Blechner said. “But when it comes to fires and stuff like this happening, you see the actual culture of the city that isn’t fully promoted like the Oscars are.”
Blechner, who hails from Los Angeles, believes that if holding the Oscars is still feasible, the ceremony should pro-
ceed. But he doesn’t think it should be just like any other year.
“[They can] use it to raise money for communities that have been harshly impacted,” he said. “A lot of people need help right now, so if they’re going to go ahead and put a lot of media attention on it, why not use it for good?”
Although it seems that the Oscars will proceed mostly as planned, the Academy has made the decision not to feature any musical performances from the Best Original Song nominees, something they’ve done on the broadcast since 1946. This is meant to honor the city of Los Angeles and “reflect recent events.”
Blechner also noted the parallels between the wildfire situation and the events of 2020, in which the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising Black Lives Matter movement drastically altered the world outside of Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
“The industry became very aware of what was happening,” Blechner said. “But there is this disconnect between what they do and what actually happens [in the real world].”
Although the Oscars ceremony has never been outright canceled, it has been postponed in the past. Both in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and in 1981 after the attempted assassination of former President Ron-
night off from studying or doing a fun activity with friends. Whatever it might be, make sure you’re giving yourself consistent reasons to celebrate.
Positive self-talk
It is completely normal to feel poorly about yourself, but it becomes unhealthy when dwelling on it. For every bad thing you think or say about yourself, try saying five things you love about yourself. Alternatively, say five nice things about yourself every time you look at yourself in a mirror — maybe every time you walk through a doorway. If it works, keep it. Remember, we aren’t machines. It’s OK to expect a lot from yourself, but it’s important to make sure you’re treating yourself kindly.
Acknowledge how far you’ve come
You may already be familiar with the idea of “playing your highlight reel in your head.” It’s a strategy that psychologists often assign to people and one I used as an athlete when I felt nervous or incapable before a competition. Feeling like you can’t get the grade you want on a test you’re about to take? Think about when you did amazing on a test. It may even help to think of a time or two in the past when you thought you wouldn’t do well on something but did great. The truth is, everybody has made it through a million difficult situations before, but it’s important to be reminded by yourself every so often. As the spring semester goes on, use strategies that work for you so that you don’t just get through these next months but thrive during them.
Find out more ways to stay motivated this semester by checking out the full story at
ald Reagan, Hollywood’s biggest night was put on hold. Blechner believes real-world crises can serve as a wake-up call for massive industries, such as Hollywood, to take action.
“People become more aware, more initiatives, more inclusion across filming, putting people in TV that represent the communities that they’re from, instead of what’s largely been the case for a long time where it’s a very non-inclusive place,” Blechner said.
If nothing else, Blechner said, the fires have highlighted a portion of the community that isn’t normally thrust into the spotlight. The recent uptick in coverage has reminded people that LA is more than just stars and celebrities.
“When people think of LA, there is this real view of it as this city full of stars,” he said. “A lot of that stuff happens in the city, and it’s a huge part of the city’s culture, but [LA] is not everything.”
Robert Rouphail, a UI professor teaching the course Unnatural Disasters: A Global History, had thoughts on the matter as well.
“On one hand, Americans love a feel-good story, and this kind of pageantry provides a venue to remind people of the struggles and heroics of the city,” he wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. “On the other, the event surely will serve a more politically expedient purpose as a venue for elected officials to demonstrate competence in the face of disasters.”
Rouphail also noted that LA will serve as a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. Projecting this sense of normalcy in the face of catastrophe might be the general strategy for some of California’s other monumental events.
Although Blechner lives on the west side of the city and thus wasn’t personally impacted by the fires, he still made efforts to volunteer with friends, meeting people from all around the city who came together in assistance.
“I think people really do care about each other, and you do get to see that in these moments when it’s not just the glitz and glam of the city,” he said. “We really saw this connection that hasn’t been seen in a while, which is kind of nice.”
How Gabe’s came to be an Iowa City staple
After 50 years, Gabe’s has maintained its status as a hotspot for music in Iowa City.
Charlie Hickman Arts Editor charlie.hickman@dailyiowan.com
Stella
Shipman Managing Editor stella.shipman@dailyiowan.com
It might have been the convenient thoroughfare of I-80 between some of the biggest touring states in the country that first attracted bands to the two-tiered venue in Iowa City. The legacies visiting bands have left with the locals there, however, have made Gabe’s the rock music staple it is today.
Situated snugly on the edge of Iowa City’s bustling downtown district, the grunge bar is notorious for its nightmarish bathrooms and beloved for its beer garden. The unassuming exterior blends in with the beige brick of its neighbors, but within the walls on the upper floor of Gabe’s lies the source of its history.
Since 1974, Gabe’s has been a haven for alternative, rock, metal, and hip-hop music for every patron lucky enough to trample its beer-stained floors during a particularly electrifying guitar solo. The compact space forms an up-closeand-personal atmosphere that connects performers to their audience like nowhere else in Iowa City.
“It’s very high energy up there. Some shows can be chill, it depends on the music, but when it’s a metal show, and everybody’s dancing… you’re like sardines in a can,” Joe Heurermann, a regular at Gabe’s, said. “There’s no music venue like it.” Over the years, the illuminated sign above Gabe’s has read different names — The Pub, Fox & Sam’s, Gabe & Walker’s, The Picador, Gabe’s Oasis — but for fans like Heurermann, the charm has remained the same. Heurermann has been bartending at Gabe’s for a year and a half but has been a regular at the bar for 13 years.
“There’s plenty of places to go like Trumpet Blossom, or PS1 do shows, but it’s not like the weird stuff you get here,” he said. “There are no seats, so you have to be in it. You’re closer to the music, and you can feel it.”
Most other music venues in Iowa City have to contend with the sizes of their auditoriums to ensure every audience member gets to experience a concert. At Gabe’s, these assurances aren’t necessary. The setup makes it impossible to escape the music, and that’s why Heurermann loves it.
The eclectic music selection has been a staple since the bar opened as well. While Gabe’s is known for platforming local artists and helping grow their communities, it has also seen its fair share of high-profile names take the mic.
“Chance the Rapper played here for five dollars,” Pete McCarthy, the general manager at Gabe’s, said. “So, most of those famous artists got big after playing here. We still book national acts, but a lot of the time we’re getting lucky. We’re catching bands that are routed from Colorado and were already driving past us.”
Gabe’s has had much luck in the past, seeing Nirvana playing on a weekday before hitting it big and hosting several Smashing Pumpkins shows after the band had blown up. Even on the odd occasion one of these headliner acts rolls into town, Gabe’s still honors its decadeslong commitment to platforming local artists as opening acts for high-profile performers.
“We rarely have nights where there isn’t at least one local onstage,” McCarthy said. “We’re lucky to have this college town and eclectic group of people that really make a vibrant music scene.”
Iowa City has become well-known for its music scene – one that Gabe’s had a large hand in tailoring. The venue’s unique brand of performance has drawn in interesting performers from Iowa and beyond, but it has also had an impact on how other venues operate.
“Gabe’s has held some of the highest caliber shows Iowa City has seen in recent years,” Englert Theatre’s Programming Coordinator Grace Merritt said. “Not just because of Nirvana but because it inspires local artists, too. People always get excited about their first time playing at Gabe’s.”
The Englert Theatre has collaborated with Gabe’s recently for the Mission
Creek Festival, the annual Iowa City music and performance festival that hosts shows at a litany of venues downtown.
“People trust when they get into that room, they’re going to get good sound and good care from the staff. Engineers and artists know they will get a good experience,” Merritt said. “They know
fixture. There are a lot of venues that are no longer, like The Mill or Blue Moose, but Gabe’s has stood through all of that,” Merritt said. “They raise the bar for the rest of us.”
Artists who start out performing at Gabe’s will often go on to perform at the Englert later in their careers, according to Merritt. Whether they be locals building
“Gabe’s has held some of the highest caliber shows Iowa City has seen in recent years...Not just because of Nirvana but because it inspires local artists, too. People always get excited about their first time playing at Gabe’s.”
Grace Merritt
Englert Theatre programming coordinator
what people in the community want, and they trust that instinct.”
Through their willingness to book acts of all kinds, Gabe’s has inspired change around the Iowa City music scene. Other venues like The Englert Theatre, the James Theater, Trumpet Blossom, and even Hancher Auditorium have had programming decisions influenced by Gabe’s.
“In terms of the overall music community, Gabe’s has been a consistent
their resumes or national bands who enjoy their experience in Iowa City enough to return, Gabe’s plays a role in keeping artists booked at other venues around town.
“You can’t have good acts at the Englert without having the place for artists to grow first. Gabe’s is an essential part
of the ecosystem here,” Merritt said.
The possibility of losing an artistic space is more real than ever in light of Iowa City’s loss of Sanctuary Pub, which closed in December after 52 years. This was a blow to University of Iowa Students and locals alike, who both enjoyed studying or socializing in the Sanctuary’s ambiance. Though the Sanctuary was not a music venue like Gabe’s, it also hosted spoken word events, without which performance artists have one less opportunity to hone their craft.
For longtime regulars, the loss was even more devastating because the Sanctuary was a fixture in their daily lives for years. Gabe’s provides similar stability for its own regulars, like Brad Kastantin.
“I frequent here pretty much. Of the downtown bars, it is seemingly the most age-appropriate for the late 20s or early 30s people, so my friends and I meet up here a lot,” Kastantin said.
The younger demographic has been essential to Gabe’s success since the very beginning, when they deployed quarterbeers to attract students. Finding ways
Tate Hildyard | The Daily Iowan
Up and coming rapper, Mosden headlines at Gabes in downtown Iowa City on Thursday, March 5, 2020. “Mosden is like positive hippy rap,” said Chandler Carpenter, a fan from Davenport.
Rachel Mummey | The Daily Iowan
A group of friends meet to talk over a pitcher of beer and some smokes at Gabe’s in the beer garden on Sept. 13, 2005. Gabe’s is known for hosting local artists and helping grow their communities.
Stephanie McNiel | The Daily Iowan
Atmosphere, the hip hop group from Minneapolis, performs at Gabe’s on Sept. 9, 2003. Atmosphere has been active since 1996.
GABES | 4C
to keep the younger crowds coming back repeatedly has grown the bar’s roster of regulars.
“Part of my favorite thing is that the people are just respectful. They create an atmosphere that is positive to be around,” Kastantin said.
The kindness he described extended even to the often rowdy and crowded concerts.
Reflecting on one of his favorite shows, Kastantin referenced an impromptu metal show in the middle of the afternoon and when the rock band Missouri came to town. During one Missouri show, Kastantin curiously observed the performance without getting involved until the lead singer began doing somersaults into the crowd.
“He was getting everybody riled up, and everybody was having a good time. But at the same time, everybody is still being respectful to each other and making sure everyone was feeling solid and enjoying it,” Kastantin said.
Most people who have attended a show at Gabe’s, from regulars to music programmers at other venues, have a favorite memory. The charm of the wobbly stairs, cheap beer, and historic acts continue to bring music fans together.
“When Prof. played here he had already blown up. He was playing sold-out shows at First Avenue in Minneapolis, so when he came here, I remember him talking to his manager about how small it was,” McCarthy said. “When he played his show, the sold-out crowd was saying every lyric. Afterward, he put out this emotional Instagram post that went viral about how he was blown away by Iowa City.”
Acts like Worst Impressions, who recently headlined Gabe’s 50th birthday concert, Sinner Frenz, Led Zeppelin, Acoustic Guillotine, and plenty more share a part of this iconic venue’s history.
Half a century since its inception, Gabe’s has remained essentially unchanged, except for the everexpanding wall of photographs of the bands that have left their marks.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The blueprint is set. It’s a rock club,” McCarthy said. “I don’t want to make it super clean and fancy because people don’t want it that way. People like the venue the way it is.”
Kate Wolfe contributed to this story.
Edited by Will Shortz No. 1225
solve.
Region near the North Pole
What might be set under the item hidden in this
Florida city or bay
School yr. part 21 Arizona’s National Park
Red nose during wintertime, maybe?
Like fresh paint
Go-___
Singer Rita
What might be draped from the item hidden in this puzzle
One seeking refuge from a dangerous situation
Some two-seaters 36 Euro competitor, for short
Handle things?
Tweety Bird, e.g. 41 Even if, casually
Rend
What might be hung from the item hidden in this puzzle
Civics, for example 50 Where most of the world’s rice and tea is grown
Word repeated in the lyric “Do you ___ what I ___?”
King of France
