The Daily Iowan — 04.17.24

With Clark’s celebrity status, she could have the opportunity to make up to $250,000 per year on a Player Marketing Agreement, or PMA, as early as her first season, according to former Daily Iowan Sports Editor and the IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson. PMAs allow the league to pay players for being brand ambassadors for the WNBA and its partners yearround.

With only 12 teams in the WNBA it is harder to claim a roster spot. Out of the 36 athletes who were drafted last year, only 15 made an opening day roster, according to Front Office Sports.

Clark will try to prove that her game is roster-worthy starting with training camp on April 28. The Fever will play a preseason game against the Dallas Wings on May 3, and the first regular season contest is on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun. After being drafted, Clark told reporter Holly Rowe on ESPN that if she stays true to herself and has fun, the wins and other accomplishments will come.

“Just do me, have fun, smile. I’ve loved playing basketball since I was a little girl, and that’s not going to change,” Clark told Rowe. Clark and Rookie of the Year center Aliyah Boston are expected to be a lethal duo, reminiscent of Clark and Monika Czinano’s connection at Iowa.

“Getting to play with Aliyah lights your eyes up as a point guard,” Clark told ESPN during the draft.

The former Hawkeye could also help spread out the floor. Last season, Mitchell was the only Fever player to attempt more than 100 3-pointers. Clark made 201 triples and attempted over 500 in her final season with the Hawkeyes.

According to IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson, Clark’s biggest competition for the point guard starting role will be Erica Wheeler, who is in the final season of a two-year, near-max

contract. Wheeler started last season and averaged 9.9 points and 5.0 assists per game.

It’s also possible that Clark won’t make a roster or have a great start to her pro career.

Current and past WNBA players like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi have voiced how much more physical the pro league is compared to college. Since there are only 12 teams and 144 total players in the WNBA, Sue told ESPN that “people learn your weaknesses so fast.” Now a back-to-back WNBA Champion, Kelsey Plum didn’t earn All-Star status until five years after being drafted. Sabrina Ionescu, the NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, took three years to become an All-Star.

“The league is loaded with so many people, and I think that’s something that I’ve always had a knack for,” Clark told ESPN in a predraft interview on Monday. “I think once I really start playing with my teammates, they kind of can read me too and read my eyes. So, I love playing with good post-players.”

While Clark’s opponents will work to exploit her weaknesses on the court, just like they do with any other rookie, some players are looking forward to competing against the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer.

“Anybody who says, ‘Oh, she’s not that great,’ is downright completely dense. She’s a threat. She’s a threat in so many different ways, but she’s also lifting the tides,” Nneka Ogwumike, the No. 1

overall draft pick in 2012 and a current power forward for the Seattle Storm, told ESPN.

The Caitlin Clark Effect had already translated to the pros before the star guard’s name was called on Monday night. With Clark as the face of college basketball, Iowa broke numerous viewership records this season across national networks. Just like in college, Clark’s presence in the WNBA is expected to attract more viewers to the league.

“Getting to play with Aliyah lights your eyes up as a point guard.”

Caitlin Clark Former Iowa guard

The Indiana Fever will have 36 of its 40 total games on national television during the 2024 season, the most of all WNBA teams, the league announced. The Las Vegas Aces are second in nationally televised games with 35, while the New York Liberty sit in third with 31. Last season, when the Fever went 13-27, Indiana’s schedule included just one nationally televised game, per BleacherReport.

After Clark announced she was declaring for the draft, site traffic to the Fever home page spiked 180 percent overnight, and the average listed price for Indiana’s home opener increased 303 percent.

Along with the high demand to see Clark’s unique playing style came more expensive entry fees to watch the star rookie perform. Indiana’s average ticket price doubled from last season, going from $60 to $140 on VividSeats.

The Las Vegas Aces already moved their July 2 game against Clark and the Fever to T-Mobile Arena, which can hold 18,000 fans. The Aces typically play at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay, a 12,000-seat complex.

“Honestly, you can never take away what Caitlin has already done for women’s basketball, the impact she’s had, the eyeball she’s bringing,” Bird told ESPN. “What I hope is that that continues. I hope all the people Caitlin has brought to the league will stay because they love and appreciate her and want to see how her first WNBA season goes. But I also hope they stay because they’re seeing the high level, right? The high level that is the WNBA.”

Ayrton Breckenridge | The Daily Iowan

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark drives toward the basket during the NCAA Championship game between No. 1 Iowa and No. 1 South Carolina at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 7. The Gamecocks defeated the Hawkeyes, 87-75.

Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan

Clark

RVAP is about $1.1 million.

RVAP is an advocacy, education, and prevention organization for victims of sexual assault that provides its services at no cost and has existed for over 50 years. The program was founded in 1973 when a group of volunteers started a phone line to help sexual assault victims. RVAP’s services extend out to Cedar, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Lee, Washington, and Van Buren counties.

Hansen said after discussions to figure out the best way RVAP can serve survivors of sexual assault, the UI concluded the transition was the best solution. She added that the conversation about RVAP’s role in the university is a conversation that has been ongoing for 25 years.

“It’s come up multiple times in my history

DVIP hiring more staf

Because of the transition, Fortmann-Doser said DVIP is expected to absorb a similar budget to RVAP, and it will likely hire 10 to 15 additional staff members. The UI is guaranteeing its funding to DVIP but will have to reapply to other revenue sources.

“That hiring will occur as soon as we have concrete numbers to put a budget together … we’re encouraging and inviting our RVAP staff to apply for those positions,” Fortmann-Doser said.

RVAP is composed of 12 daytime employees who work on-call and assist in the overarching goals of RVAP. Two of these 12 are full-time, while the rest work on contracts, Brewer said.

Brewer said of 12 daytime employees, six were laid off by RVAP’s closure. Two employees were previously notified of layoffs due to less funding, and four employees’ contracts were previously set to expire on June 30.

RVAP also has seven backup on-call direct service advocates, according to Brewer. The direct service advocates function as nighttime on-call staff members who assist people who call its 24/7 hotline.

Alta Medea, DVIP’s director of community engagement, said DVIP has 33 staff members located throughout its serviced region, and the organization has experienced a 38 percent increase in victims of domestic abuse requesting services since 2017.

Medea said she wants to see more funding from the Iowa Legislature because with limited financial support, more stress is put on victim services as a whole.

“We need the state of Iowa Legislature to fund victim services in general,” Medea said. “I think funding and victim services are vital to keeping all of the programming we need in place.”

were shocked and confused when they received a mass email from the UI Division of Student Life on April 4 informing them of the transition.

Brewer wrote that the DVIP Board of Directors voted on April 3 to approve the RVAP transition. He said officials had in-person meetings with the 12 regular RVAP staff members on April 4 to notify them of the transition. The entirety of the RVAP staff was informed via email.

A release from the UI on April 4 stated the reason behind moving RVAP is to allow both RVAP and DVIP continual growth in the community. DVIP is a 501c nonprofit organization that serves the same eight counties as RVAP, with a focus on survivors of domestic violence.

at the institution, most recently in 2018 when the previous vice president was here, and no one has necessarily been willing to take the difficult step of making that decision,” Hansen said.

Executive Director of DVIP Kristie Fortmann-Doser said she anticipates many of the same grants and funding RVAP receives will go to DVIP.

Eight. Gustafson posted on social media that she is excited to be teammates with Martin again.

The WNBA is one of the most competitive leagues in sports, as there’s only 12 teams with 12 roster spots. Martin will have to prove she’s worthy of a spot on the Aces, and the 23-year-old is ready for the challenge.

“You know, I have a really good work ethic. But more than anything, I think I’m a very versatile player. I can score on multiple levels, and I can guard multiple positions,” Martin told Rowe. “I’m really excited to get there, and I know I’m gonna give it all I got.”

Martin wasn’t one of the 15 athletes invited to attend the draft, but she was in Brooklyn anyway to support teammate Caitlin Clark and hoped to hear her name called. Clark was picked No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, making it the first time since 1998 that two Hawkeyes have been selected in the same WNBA Draft.

Teammates Gabbie Marshall and Jada

Fortmann-Doser said the UI will keep RVAP’s name and hotline number for 18 to 24 months after it is completely transitioned to make sure survivors of sexual assault know where to access services.

RVAP employees react to transition

Olivia Brown, who works as an on-call direct service advocate at RVAP, said they

Gymafi were sitting in the crowd next to Martin and embraced her in excitement when the 18th pick of the night was revealed. The camera showed Marshall wiping tears from her eyes, overcome with joy for someone she considers a “friend for life.”

Hansen said funding played no role in the university’s decision to transition RVAP’s services.

Brewer wrote the operating budget for RVAP comes from state, federal, and local grants. He wrote the UI funds two full-time positions and provides office space and administrative support.

Funding from the UI covers about 20 percent of RVAP’s budget. The Undergraduate Student Government provides

$50,000 and $127,000 from the university’s general education fund. The university also provides administrative services for RVAP. The rest comes from grants and support from the state. Brewer wrote that DVIP is guaranteed funding from the university and it is expected that all grants and contracts will go to DVIP.

While Brewer wrote it is expected that all grants and contracts that account for 80 percent of the RVAP’s budget will go to DVIP, it is not guaranteed. The grants will have to be reapplied for by DVIP and the city funding will have to be approved by respective city councils. As for donors, their funds are distributed at their own discretion.

Brown said they believe DVIP is not equipped with enough resources to support survivors of sexual assault at the same level as RVAP due to losing the community of workers that there’s not enough funding to support it.

“It’s hard for me to believe that things are going to move as normal because you can’t offer the same services that we have if you’re not bringing the people over,” Brown said. “A disruption in service is going to happen.”

points per game and second-year Hannah Stuelke’s 14 points per contest.

Marshall and Martin ended their collegiate careers having played the most games in Iowa women’s basketball history, with 166 and 163, respectively.

“She’s probably the best leader I’ve ever been around in my entire life. She is somebody you want on your team no matter what sport it is, male or female.”

Caitlin Clark Former Iowa guard

Martin’s family gathered in Milan, Illinois, and set up tables in the garage to watch the draft. When her name was called, surely everyone in the neighborhood heard the Martin family yelling and clapping in

celebration. Martin was instrumental in the Hawkeye lineup and helped lead Iowa to backto-back national championship games. Out of Edwardsville, Illinois, Martin is the first Iowa women’s basketball player to amass 900+ points, 500+ rebounds, 400+ assists, 120+ steals, and 60+ blocks in a career. She also joined Clark and Sam Logic as the only Hawkeyes to record 1,200+ points, 700+ rebounds, and 450+ assists. She was Iowa’s third-leading scorer this season, averaging a career-high 13.1 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Martin was behind Clark’s impressive 31.6

“She’s probably the best leader I’ve ever been around in my entire life,” Clark said of Martin during Iowa women’s basketball media day. “She is somebody you want on your team no matter what sport it is, male or female.”

Martin’s draft stock saw a significant upbringing during postseason play. Martin averaged 13.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game throughout this year’s Big Ten and NCAA Tournament. One of the best games of her career came when Iowa defeated defending national champion LSU in the Elite Eight. Martin played a career-high 38 minutes while recording 21 points and six boards.

Known as ‘The Glue’ by Iowa fans, Martin’s leadership is sure to benefit the Aces in the locker room and on the court.

“I’m so proud of Kate because her dreams came true,” Bluder told Hawkeye Sports. “She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step.”

JoCo hog farmers see financial losses

Johnson County

As economic pressures continue to affect various industries and consumers’ wallets, hog farming in Johnson County and the rest of Iowa is seeing some of its worst losses in the last 25 years.

For Jim Thompson, a livestock farmer outside of West Branch, just 20 minutes east of Iowa City, the losses are sustainable as long as the job is done right.

“The people who are good at raising pigs will make money. Those who watch their bottom line, who are doing everything they can to keep their pigs as healthy and comfortable as possible, will affect their final outcome,” Thompson said. This year was forecasted to be the second of two years in the worst period of profitability for hog farmers since the 1990s, according to a 2023 Iowa State study.

Thompson said national pork prices have gone up relatively little since the 1990s, but increased efficiencies, such as larger litter sizes for infant pigs and the ability to harvest more meat, have led to a substantial increase in supply.

“You can have the most superior genetics of pigs, but if you as a person and a producer are not providing them the environment or lifestyle they are bred to be in, to the best of your ability, that’s where you will see losses you won’t really recognize,” Thompson said. Thompson said livestock markets allow individuals little control, so those in the business must save and plan for when the market is less than fortuitous.

However, demand and supply as market indicators are contributing to mounting economic pressures for hog farmers in the Johnson County area and the rest of Iowa.

According to the recently released USDA Census of Agriculture, hog farmers in Johnson County are second in number only to cattle farmers, who are in ranging enterprises such as dairy. The USDA has found that there are 186 hog operations in the county.

Lee Schulz, extension economist for Iowa State University, wrote in an October 2023 article that 2024 losses for hog farmers could amount to $18 per hog, compared to $32 in 2023. In the article, he focused on the nature that agriculture is largely cyclical.

In fact, April has been showing an upturn that might push the market to average at near-break-even prices. Prices are up by 10-30 percent for various pork products so far in April, according to Pork Checkoff. Schulz illustrates cycles in agriculture within his article. He wrote that hog farmers saw record profits in 2014 of

farmers are

$51 per hog, which indicates the permanence of investments for some farmers.

“If you look back 30 to 40 years, hog production used to be something that producers were in when it was profitable, and not when it wasn’t,” Schulz said in an interview with The Daily Iowan

He said this level of fixity, or the ability to sell property or machinery while making a profit, is recent in the market is recent. Schulz said when the market reaches a downtrend in its life cycle, those who cannot adapt their operations will face the consequences of fewer profits. The downtrend in this case is decreasing consumer demand, Schulz said.

“You would think the producers would stop producing,

but due to these investments, it is more difficult to do that,” Schulz said.

In a 2013 article written by Schulz and another Iowa State professor of economics, Chad Hart, pork consumption had faced a steady and continuous decline in Iowa, and by extension, Johnson County. That decline has continued into 2024.

However, there have been very recent upturns in the market, and Richard Foster, president of the Prepared Foods group of JBS Foods, a multinational meat processing corporation, said pork producers in Iowa need only hold out for the market to reach a point of equilibrium.

“If I am a pork producer in Iowa, maybe the worst is over for now,” Foster said.

MARTIN from 1A

Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan

All this for a birth control pill?

A new bill affecting birth control access in Iowa comes with serious caveats.

Natalie Nye Opinions Columnist natalie-nye@uiowa.edu

Iowans deserve better access to birth control and over-the-counter contraceptives.

On Feb. 19, the Iowa House advanced House File Bill 2584, formerly known as Iowa House Study Bill 642, allowing pharmacists to distribute non-prescription hormonal birth control over-the-counter. Since then, Republican lawmakers have thrown punch after punch with conservative amendments to the bill.

While the bill covers oral contraceptives, vaginal rings, and patches, it does not include drugs that induce abortions.

Iowa lawmakers must allow women easier access to contraceptives because those with financial constraints may not be able to regularly see a health care provider for check-ups.

According to Iowa Capital Dispatch, Gov. Kim Reynolds has pushed for this legislation since 2019 to expand access to birth control and reduce abortions. This bill would have been a step in the right direction toward allowing women total financial governance of how and when they can get contraceptives.

This February, a poll by the Des Moines Register concluded that 79 percent of Iowans support over-thecounter access to birth control. The people in our state largely agree that women should not have to scavenge for

In the United States and at the University of Iowa, it is unacceptable that trying to further their education often leads to graduate students financial turmoil.

Recently, the UI’s graduate student union Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, or COGS, held a protest on the Pentacrest to continue their push to end graduate student fees.

In addition to their actions protesting the fees, COGS has also made public pushes for higher wages for graduate workers earlier this academic year by protesting a Board of Regents meeting. Graduate student workers, like all

Chick-fil-A

What makes Chick-fil-A the best? Variety.

If you want tenders, Chick-fil-A has it, but it also has nuggets, sandwiches both spicy and regular, wraps, and a grilled option for each chicken item. Located at 1451 Coral Ridge Ave. Suite 620 in Coralville, hungry students and residents alike will find abundance at Chick-fil-A.

At Chick-fil-A, there is an item for everyone, with salads, mac and cheese, and more than just tenders, there is an item to make everyone happy. There are also seven sauces you can choose for dipping and eight dressings for your salad.

contraceptives. Furthermore, women should not have to drain their wallets to pay for regular doctor visits to be allowed to take a contraceptive pill to guard their bodily autonomy.

A study published in February by the Guttmacher Institute states that since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, there was a “6-to 12-percentage-point decrease” in access to contraceptive care checkups or prescriptions in Iowa, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

In 2022, Power to Decide, a pro-choice organization, concluded in its fact sheet that 176,550 Iowa women in need don’t have easy access to all contraceptive methods. Out of that group, 49,620 women live in counties without a health care center to provide those methods, exemplifying Iowa’s ongoing maternal health care crisis.

According to Iowa Starting Line, Iowa House Republicans introduced damaging amendments in March that defeat the purpose of the bill itself.

Two amendments, both proposed by Rep. Luana Stoltenberg, R-Davenport, restrict the maximum supply of birth control a pharmacist can give to an amount equaling four months and shorten the original check-up requirement from every 27 months down to every seven months.

There are also a few rather peculiar amendments to the bill that equate taking preventative contraception to abortions, disregarding that both are routine, medically safe procedures. One amendment would require pharmacists to tell customers about options outside of abortions and the risks of abortion. Another, arguably the most strange, would require the

customer to view the “Meet Baby Olivia” video, which portrays fetal development from the distorted and medically inaccurate lens of the anti-abortion group called Live Action. The customer would need to sign an agreement that they had viewed the video before receiving their medication.

All this for a birth control pill?

This is not shocking at the very least, as conservative lawmakers, especially in Iowa, are obsessed with the “Meet Baby Olivia” video. Iowa Republicans introduced a separate bill in March to show this propaganda to children in schools.

It is maddening to watch Iowa lawmakers back women further into a corner with each of these amendments.

Iowa, along with many other states, routinely shames women into feeling guilt for preventing pregnancies. Conservative lawmakers want to convince women that their lives are less important than the cluster of cells that may eventually sit inside their womb. These amendments are embarrassing for our state and lawmakers, and especially damaging to the women in need of easy access to contraceptives and deserving of a supportive transaction. Iowa women deserve to have easy and seamless access to contraceptives without the requirement of excessive doctor check-ups that they would have to pay extra for or the forced viewing of antiabortion propaganda.

students, should not have to fight tooth and nail to be able to afford education. Between inadequate wages and expensive fees, UI graduate workers deserve better. When students are paying tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in total tuition and work for the university in tandem, why should their pay be so low?

The COGS protest on the Pentacrest was a boycott of One Day for Iowa, an event in which the public can donate to university organizations and departments. This year, donations totaled over $1.8 million. This is not to say that organizations that receive donated money don’t deserve adequate funding.

These organizations are undoubtedly necessary for a fulfilling experience at the university.

Still, it’s hard to believe that “budgetary constraints,” as stated by the UI in an email response to COGS, are the reason

that graduate students must pay so much in fees that they consider dropping out.

UI graduate workers have the second-lowest rate of base pay out of all the Big Ten schools. A particularly frustrating burden for graduate students that comes with this issue is how overlooked some of these issues are. While high tuition costs in the U.S. have been the center of policy debates for the last few years, many issues that fall under that umbrella receive little to no attention, such as expensive fees and poor wages.

It’s important to remember that these fees, which are hundreds of dollars, are required on top of tuition, which is almost $13,000 for in-state graduate students and almost $32,000 for out-of-state graduate students for the 2024-25 academic year.

When we think of the debate around this issue, conversations are largely centered around annual or yearly tuition costs and how that prevents people from being able to go to school.

While that is an important conversation

to have, how often does anyone stop to consider something relatively smaller like fees that can still have a big impact? Do we realize how many students go to school, fork over thousands of dollars, but then have to drop out after the fact? They don’t get a refund on that.

Additionally, this issue should not be dismissed as one that only affects a minuscule percentage of graduate workers; of just north of 6,000 graduate students at the UI, over 1,000 signed a petition calling to end the fees. These students are fed up.

No matter which way we paint it, graduate students are struggling to get by, and in this day and age, in a nation with as much wealth as we have, that is an atrocity. We need to be aware of the troubles that these students and workers endure, and practice solidarity with them in any way that we can.

Chick-fil-A also has a rotation of seasonal items that help to keep the menu fresh.

From chicken tortilla soup and honey pepper pimento chicken sandwiches to mango milkshakes, the menu never gets boring at Chick-fil-A.

Don’t take my word for it; consumers have already made their choice clear.

According to NBC, in 2023, Chickfil-A was the No. 1 fast food chicken chain, having polled for 45 percent of the popular vote, compared to Cane’s at No. 4 with just 7.5 percent. Clearly, Chick-fil-A remains dominant in the chicken landscape.

If you want good chicken that is more than just tenders, Chick-fil-A is the place to go. With a menu that spans from breakfast to dinner with multiple options for quality food that can make any hungry customer happy, it is easy to see why Chick-fil-A dominates over the competition.

Chick-fil-A also has a breakfast menu, a feature that Cane’s lacks. A breakfast menu that includes chicken biscuits, sausage muffins, hash browns, and yogurt parfaits. Chick-fil-A also has a plentiful dessert menu with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or cookies-and-cream shakes.

drop FAFSA cycle. This stark drop shows fewer high school seniors are filling out the form this year, which experts attribute to the fumbled rollout.

WASHINGTON — Jayna Gilman, a University of Iowa first-year student studying human anatomy and physiology, is just one of millions of students nationwide who are unsure how much they may be expected to pay for college this fall after attempting to fill out the new federal financial aid application.

Technical errors and unanswered questions plagued college students like Gilman and high school seniors attempting to navigate the bungled rollout of the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form for the 2024-25 school year.

The form is annually used by colleges and the U.S. Department of Education to determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid and typically becomes available in early October.

This year, however, the form wasn’t released until Dec. 30 to give the department more time to complete updates on it. However, technical issues delayed several users’ access to the form until late January.

Gilman said she didn’t get a chance to start filling out the form until Feb. 10, five days before the deadline for maximum financial aid considerations. She expected the form to take hardly any time at all to complete.

Gilman, now married to a noncitizen from the Cayman Islands, said she didn’t expect to run into issues. However, when Gilman sent the link to her husband to fill out his part of the form, they found there was no way for him to register for an account because he did not have a Social Security number.

The U.S. Department of Education did not announce fixes for the issue facing students who have contributors without Social Security numbers until mid-March, but some students can still face difficulties when attempting to submit the form.

“I’m not surprised that they’re not too forgiving for situations like the ones that I’m in,” Gilman said of the difficulties getting help completing the form. “I’m probably going to get less aid this year, even though I really need it. So it left a bad taste in my mouth.”

Gilman is still facing issues filling out her form and has yet to submit the form because of the difficulties.

The new form is the result of a 2020 law that directed the department to simplify the form and included changes to the underlying formula used to calculate financial aid eligibility.

However, with the rollout of the new form beginning months later than required by law and technical difficulties still plaguing the form, many are still struggling to submit their application.

According to data from the National College Attainment Network, an estimated 35 percent of high school seniors nationwide have completed the FAFSA form by March 29.

That’s a sharp drop from 49 percent the year before, falling 14 percent drop in completion rates, compared to a 3.5 percent

Experts say the delayed rollout will affect prospective college first-year students the most, as students from low-income backgrounds depend on financial aid offers from colleges to decide if they can afford to attend. Their college decisions are now delayed due to the technical issues with FAFSA, even as the nationwide May 1 decision deadline rapidly approaches.

spend to fix the problem.

Ernst and Grassley were among those senators.

Ernst told The Daily Iowan that the rollout was a “disaster” and “not thoughtfully done.” Ernst said her office has spoken with many high school seniors who are considering a gap year because of the bungled rollout and the difficulty with getting financial aid.

maximum financial aid consideration was Feb. 15 and its enrollment deadline is May 1 for incoming freshmen.

“The work we [previously] did in January and February and even before that we are now doing right now and working tirelessly to prepare financial aid offers as soon as possible,” Buzynski said. “If all continues to go well, we will have financial aid offers out by the end of April.”

Along with a complicated rollout, underlying changes to the aid formula could mean less institutional aid for students with multiple siblings in college. A question asking students to report the net worth of their family’s businesses or for-profit agricultural operations could affect the amount of aid available to those students.

“There are many, many young people that we’ve talked to that are considering a gap year because they don’t believe they’ll be able to afford college and this is a real setback,” Ernst said in an interview with the DI on April 10. “The Department of Education has a lot to answer for, and if we see these young people that are deserving take that gap year and then don’t actually follow through and end up going to school, that is an incredible loss for us.”

“They’re waiting longer and that just adds more stress to an already stressful situation.”

Speer Career development facilitator at Liberty High School

The issues have drawn criticism from Iowa’s U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who have called on the department’s delays and the effects questions about the net worth of families’ assets could have on families who own small businesses or farms.

Technical issues led to delayed rollout

Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

The law directed the U.S. Department of Education to release a new and improved form that reduced the number of questions from 108 to as few as 18 questions for students.

The law gave the department until October 2023 to make the necessary changes to the form so it would be available for the 2024-25 school year.

The department did not meet the deadline. Instead, the form was released in late December 2023, but with severe technical problems leaving the site unusable most of the time.

The form would be up for a few hours each day until late January when the form was up the majority of the time, with students like Gilman still struggling with filling out the form.

The poor rollout prompted dozens of U.S. senators — Democrats and Republicans alike — to sign a letter to the Government Accountability Office asking the office to investigate the reasons for the delay and how much money the department will have to

FASFA COMPLETION RATES

With higher than the national average completion rates, Iowa still has yet to catch up from the delay in releasing the FAFSA form this December.

Grassley echoed Ernst’s remarks, telling the DI that he can’t speak to why things went wrong but “with our big education bureaucracy we have, they ought to have the resources to get it done and get it done on time.”

High school senior applications lag

Fewer high school seniors seniors — an estimated 14 percent — have filled out the FAFSA form than at the same time last year, according to data from the National College Attainment Network.

his is compared to a 3.5 percent decrease from the year before. Applying for FAFSA is typically the second step in the college admissions process just after applying to schools.

That decrease also rings true in Iowa. Only 36.4 percent of high school seniors in the state are estimated to have completed their FAFSA form — slightly above the national average of 35 percent and a 32 percent decrease among Iowa seniors from the previous academic year.

Rick Speer, the career development facilitator at Liberty High School, said the delays and difficulties in submitting the form form have made the college application process harder for families.

“It’s an anxious process in a good year and it has only increased with families that are concerned about their financial situation and how they’re going to pay for college,” Speer said. “They’re waiting longer and that just adds more stress to an already stressful situation.”

MorraLee Keller, the senior director of strategic programming at the National College Attainment Network, said delays have affected all students but drastically impacted low-income students who rely on the financial aid award to see if they can afford college.

Colleges are rushing to get financial aid award letters out

With the delay in the process, colleges and universities across the country are seeing delays in being able to send award letters. Many have pushed back enrollment deadlines — the date by which high school seniors have to make their decision on which college to attend — to give students time to make a decision.

Nalia Medina, a policy associate for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said financial aid offices across the country are coping with “compressed timelines.”

“Our members are definitely feeling the effects of all of the delays and compressed timelines,” Medina said. “... It really does impact in aid office’s ability to get the aid offers out to students.”

UI Assistant Provost of Student Financial Aid Brenda Buzynski said the university didn’t get student information until midMarch, resulting in significant delays to the financial aid and admissions process.

The UI’s priority filing deadline for

Buzynski said the UI is not seeing a drastic decrease in the number of students who filled out the FAFSA at the same time last year, unlike other Big Ten schools. Buzynski attributed that to the marketing and communication campaign, the Office of Student Financial Aid launched to let students know to file their FAFSA by the Feb. 15 deadline.

Formula could change amount of aid

The change in the formula used to calculate the FAFSA is meant to expand eligibility for the Pell Grant — a form of aid given to lowincome students that they don’t have to pay back — by raising the maximum income.

The changes also remove the number of siblings a family has in college from the equation, typically resulting in families receiving more aid if they have multiple siblings in college.

With the removal of the “sibling discount,” students whose families make roughly $70,000 a year would have less aid eligibility if they have multiple siblings, according to a report by the Brookings Institute, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. The higher the student’s family income, the more a student would benefit from the sibling discount, according to the report.

However, the change in the formula will only affect higher-income families and the neediest will not see an effect, Medina with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said.

This is because inside the changes to the formula is an increase to the Pell eligibility for median-income families raising the maximum income level to be considered for a Pell Grant. Under the new guidelines students whose parents make up to 275 percent of the federal poverty level can receive some Pell Grant funds, which experts say will result in more Pell Grant eligibility for median-income students.

“I think what’s important to remember here is that we know that the very neediest of families will not be impacted at all by this change,” Medina said.

Asset questions could mean less aid for farm families

While the new form got rid of almost 100 questions, a new question is causing heartburn for farm families who are assetrich but cash-poor.

Families are asked to estimate their net assets on the new form if they make enough money. This question could affect the amount of aid that farm families or small business owners are eligible for.

“With any changes to the federal methodology formula, there could be some instances where a student loses some aid but because we are waiting to see what the broad scale impacts will be,” Medina wrote in an email to the DI Grassley and Ernst have advocated that the question be removed so that farm families aren’t forced to sell their farms to send their kids to college.

In a letter the senators sent to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, they said a family earning $60,000 a year could face over $41,000 in annual college tuition costs compared to $7,600 under the old formula.

Ernst, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act in 2023 which would remove the asset question from the FAFSA. “[The question] makes no sense,” Ernst told the **DI** in an interview. “So it does need to return to what it was before. So there are going to be individuals that are asset rich, but cash poor and we need to make sure that they have the same opportunity to go to school.”

Rick

IOWA HOG VALUE DROPS

Prices are up by 10-30 percent for various pork products so far this month but Iowa is in it’s second year of the worst ever recorded profitability period.

eye uniform. Then, it all came crashing down. Although he redshirted his first year, Shannon worked hard and slowly moved up the depth chart, eventually earning a starting spot on the lauded Iowa defense by his third year. Following the 2022 season, Shannon had two options — enter his name into the NFL Draft or return for one final season in Iowa City. Ultimately, Shannon chose to return for his sixth season, providing a big boost

Mia Boulton Sports Reporter mia-m-boulton@uiowa.edu

Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody and his wife, Heather, founded the Iowa Speed Track & Field Club in 2011 in hopes of introducing their kids to the sport. Over a decade later, Drake and Isabelle Woody continue to compete under their father as Hawkeyes. Drake Woody, a fourth-year, competes in hurdles while Isabelle Woody, a second-year multi-event athlete, transferred to Iowa this year after a season at UC Santa Barbara. “I’ve been doing track since I was really little with my parents,” Isabelle Woody said. “It was just so natural in my family.”

Isabelle Woody was the 10-and-under high jump national champion at nine years old in her first year competing in the event. Joey Woody believes it was these moments that foreshadowed her future in collegiate athletics. “We had glimpses,” he said of her early success.

It was the same story for Drake Woody. After trying out

for defensive coordinator Phil Parker. It seemed like the stars were aligning perfectly for Shannon and his teammates, but luck would have otherwise. Shannon and two other members of the football program allegedly placed wagers on Iowa sporting events, which is against NCAA rules. Shannon imme -

various other sports and following his parents’ lead, he began to focus on track and field.

When he saw the javelin throw, it was love at first sight.

“He wasn’t nearly as involved initially, but at a youth track meet one day, Drake saw someone throwing something called a turbo javelin out in a field,” Joey Woody said. “He was like, ‘That’s cool. I want to do that.’”

His father said Drake Woody was a three-time All-American in the javelin throw through the AAU circuit, placing in the top eight at the national meet.

Drake and Isabelle remember the lessons their father taught them during their young athletic careers.

“He told me that I may not be the biggest and I may not be the fastest, but if I work hard enough, I can catch up or even pass those people,” Drake Woody said.

Isabelle remembers her parents’ confidence in her never wavering despite season-ending injuries among other setbacks.

diately admitted his involvement, but the NCAA suspended him for the entire season. He appealed the suspension, ending his final year of gametime before it even started. Despite the adversity he has faced in the past year, Shannon refuses to give up his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL.

Both Isabelle and Drake Woody used their experience in youth track and field as a foundation to carry them through their high school careers and college recruiting processes.

During Isabelle Woody’s first year in college, she competed at UC Santa Barbara.

“Going there made me realize how much I wanted to be coached by my dad,” Isabelle Woody said.

After entering the transfer portal at the end of her first season, she found a home back with her family at the University of Iowa.

“I’ve never had to question the belief my dad has in me,” she said. “I just know he sees so much potential in me.”

Straight out of high school, Drake Woody was recruited by multiple college programs, and one was led by his father.

Drake Woody emailed the Iowa coaching staff inquiring about the program. He said the process was no different for him than it would be for any other future Hawkeye.

The coaching staff responded, interested in his potential to compete in the 400-meter hurdles and javelin throw.

“I called him when I was in Texas on a recruiting trip and said, ‘Hey, this is Coach Woody. Is Drake Woody there?’” Joey Woody recalled. “We gave him the normal sales pitch.”

This recruiting call set Isabelle and Drake Woody’s standard for adjusting to a new family dynamic.

“He’s been coaching me for so long,” Drake Woody said. “It started out as just for fun, but now our relationship is very professional. He treats me like one of his other athletes.”

Similarly, when Isabelle Woody calls or texts her father about track and field, she refers to him as “Coach Woody.”

“If we’re at track, he’s ‘coach’ to me,” she said. “That helps a lot because I need to hear from him in a coach perspective to get better.”

The Woody family navigates this challenge by keeping track and field and life separate at home. Joey Woody says he directs conversation toward other aspects of their life, though their sport always seems to come up.

After all, track and field is the center of the Woody legacy.

“I just want the best for them,” Joey Woody said. “I want them to have great experiences and great performances, but it’s the same thing with every other athlete.”

Cooper Worth Sports Reporter cooper-worth@uiowa.edu

However, none of these legends have ever won a national championship. Barkley, Dionne, and McCoughtry all won gold medals representing their countries in the Olympics but never hoisted championship trophies when it came to their professional leagues.

Still, it would be disrespectful not to consider these athletes some of the greatest of all time, or the GOATs, of their sports because they were unable to get over the hump and win a championship during their illustrious careers. If Iowa guard Caitlin Clark chose to not enter the pros following her four historic seasons with the Hawkeyes, which ended in an 87-75 loss to South Carolina in the NCAA Championship, she, too, would be considered one of the GOATs of women’s basketball.

As Iowa made its way through the gauntlet of teams such as LSU and UConn in the tournament on its way to a second consecutive national championship appearance, many legends of the women’s game — past and present — voiced their opinions on how Clark wouldn’t be considered one of the greats unless she won a national championship.

Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, a four-time national champion at UConn from 2012-16, said before Iowa’s matchup against South Carolina, Clark wouldn’t be considered one of the greats unless she beat the Gamecocks.

“You’re going to look 10 years back, and you’re going to see all the records she’s broken … But anybody knows that your goal when you play is to win a national championship,” Stewart said in an interview with SiriusXM’s Nicole Auerbach.

Even South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley agreed with Stewart’s sentiments, saying Clark is “really damn

Barry Sanders, Ken Griffey Jr., Charles Barkley, Marcel Dionne, Angel McCoughtry — these are all Hall of Fame caliber athletes for their respected sports with legacies that will last for a lifetime.

SHANNON | 3B

Baseball Wednesday, April 17 vs. Bradley

Duane Banks Field

6:05 p.m., Big Ten Plus and Hawkeye Radio Network

April 19-21

Softball

April 19-21

Three-game series vs. Indiana

Bob Pearl Field Big Ten Plus, Hawkeye Radio Network

Three-game series vs. Rutgers Duane Banks Field Big Ten Plus and Hawkeye Radio Network Track and field

April 17-20

Mt. Sac Relays Walnut, California

April 19-20

BASEBALL

Davis Cop emerges as key transfer

The Utah graduate leads the Iowa baseball team in RBIs this season.

Musco Twilight Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track Iowa City, Iowa

Women’s golf

April 19-21

Big Ten Championships

Havre de Grace, Maryland

Men’s golf

April 19-21

Robert Kepler Intercollegiate OSU Scarlet Course Columbus, Ohio

IN THE RAFTERS

After having arguably the most esteemed college basketball career in Iowa history, it’s only right that No. 22 will hang in the rafters at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa women’s basketball will retire Caitlin Clark’s jersey, Athletic Director Beth Goetz announced at the team’s end-of-season celebration on April 10. She will be the third women’s basketball player to have their Iowa jersey retired, joining Michelle Edwards’ No. 30 jersey and Megan Gustafson’s No. 10 jersey. The university has not yet announced when the jersey will be revealed in the rafters. “We always knew your jersey would be hanging in the rafters,” Goetz said at CarverHawkeye Arena. “It is a privilege for me to now make that official. You will be the last to wear No. 22.” The guard, who hails from West Des Moines, averaged 28.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 37.7 percent from three, and 85.2 percent from the free throw line over her four-year tenure with the Hawkeyes. She finished her career as college basketball’s alltime leading scorer with 3,951 points, breaking Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 points that stood for over 54 years. Clark is also second all-time for men’s or women’s points with 548 made threes and 1,144 assists. “It’s super incredible,” Clark said after the jersey retirement announcement, with her teammates cheering behind her in their seats. “It’s something I’m very thankful for. I’ve had some amazing teammates over the course of my four years here ... That number holds a lot of weight, far beyond my name, and I’m just super grateful.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Iowa baseball has thrived on finding players in the transfer portal who can make immediate impacts on their roster. This time, it’s Davis Cop. Two years ago, South Dakota State transfer Adam Mazur took the country by storm after winning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and becoming a Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-American. Last season, it was Wofford transfer Brennen Dorighi who made his presence felt for the Hawkeyes, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors while leading the team in home runs and RBIs. Head coach Rick Heller and his coaching staff have utilized this new tool as an extension of recruiting, bringing in people to replace lost talent to the MLB Draft. “It is really hard to replace guys because you don’t know who is going into the draft,” Heller said. “Based on performance and how the year went, you can give a pretty good guess on what you think. That’s when you are looking for replacements you don’t have in your recruiting class.”

This season, Utah graduate transfer Davis Cop has been able to slide right into the Hawkeye lineup and make a positive impact. With the Utes last season, the catcher and infielder was one of the more valuable bats in all the Pac-12. While earning Pac12 All-Conference Honorable

Mention, Cop posted a .367 batting average and .478 slugging percentage in conference play, leading the team in both categories. Cop entered his name into the transfer portal at the end of last season while the NCAA Tournament was still taking place. With many programs still competing for a chance to get to Omaha, teams weren’t sure which positions they needed to go after in the portal. “Getting into the portal was a little hectic,” Cop said. “A lot of guys were still playing and didn’t know what they needed. I was kind of filtering through the schools that were reaching out

Q&A | MARIEL BRUXVOORT

and figuring out where was going to be a good fit.” Out of all the schools that reached out to him, the Hawkeyes found themselves at the forefront of Cop’s choices. What made Cop fall in love with the program was the idea of being competitive this season. After taking his first visit to the state of Iowa on a recruiting trip, Cop knew he wanted to be a Hawkeye. “I have never been to the state of Iowa, and I knew nothing about the state until I got here, which was awesome,” Cop said. “I came out here for a visit, and [the coaching staff] got to talk about the pitchers and that we

Iowa hurdler shares pre-meet traditions

Mia Boulton Sports Reporter mia-m-boulton@uiowa.edu

The Daily Iowan: Do you have any premeet superstitions?

Mariel Bruxvoort: I always do the same hairstyle: two little braids on the side of my head and a high pony. I always take two scoops of creatine, which is, like, way more than you are supposed to [take], before I race. I also wear the same pair of socks.

When did you start doing those things? It definitely started in college. I didn’t do anything like that in high school.

When you think about your first season of competing, what do you remember?

I used to be so much more nervous than I am now. I used to be such a mess that I would do anything to calm myself down.

were going to be a really competitive team this year, which was exciting to me.”

After a slow start, Cop has settled in nicely with the Hawkeye lineup. After going on an 11-game hitting streak, Cop is now batting .317 and leading the team in RBIs with 38. “It’s just been sticking with my plan,” Cop said. “Even when things statistically may not have been going as great, we talk a lot about a ‘rolling average’ and rolling through the season. If the numbers on paper are not exactly how we want them to be, it’s sticking to the process and not trying to get away from what I do well.”

How did that affect your daily practice routine?

I used to listen to crazy pump-up music all day. Now, I don’t need that. I’ll watch a show or call my mom while I get ready. I’m so much less nervous, so I don’t stimulate myself as much anymore.

Does your warm-up look different?

I warm up way more. Maybe that’s just me getting old. I don’t like to be stressed on time, so I go slow and take my time.

Where did this growth come from?

I’m learning more about what works best for

Mariel Bruxvoort

Fourth-year Hurdler Grand Rapids, Michigan South Christian High School

my body. I think the bigger portion is just being more confident about what I need to do and how I need to do it. I am so much more relaxed and so much more experienced. You kind of get nerves of steel after a while.

How would you describe the team dynamic at Iowa?

We are super close. We make an effort to put our phones down at meets and even at the airport. The women’s team has been super intentional about spending time together when we have the opportunity because it does go by so fast.

Are there any big goals you are shooting for this season?

We’re definitely chasing the Big Ten title. I would say that is our big goal.

Is NIL good for college football?

Absolutely not

While I think NIL certainly has some positives, it has completely destroyed the sport we all love. College football should be considered a step to the NFL, yet the NCAA is trying to turn it into its own professional sport.

assurances do I have that I’m going to play’ because they’re thinking about transferring, and ‘How much are you going to pay me?’” Saban said.

The negative effects of NIL have even harmed the Iowa football program.

“He’s very infectious to everyone, so it’s not hard to be excited to come to practice every day.”

Iowa football’s Nick DeJong on working with new offensive coordinator Tim Lester

STAT OF THE WEEK

1,000+

The number of receiving yards Iowa wideout Kaleb Brown said he is striving for this season.

NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness, essentially allows college athletes to be compensated for the personal brands they develop while competing at a university. Old-school head coaches such as Kirk Ferentz and Nick Saban not only built their programs around winning — they also developed their players into great role models off the field.

Now, the only concern of every high school recruit is how much money they will make at a certain school rather than committing to the coach and the program itself.

Following his retirement in January, Saban summed up the current state of college football in an interview with ESPN.

“Maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: ‘What

On March 19, offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor announced his intention to transfer out of the Iowa program. The announcement came only months after he made the leap from Alabama shortly after Saban’s retirement. It marked the second time Proctor decommitted from the Hawkeyes. Ahead of his junior year of high school, Proctor made a verbal commitment to Iowa but later changed his mind and went to Alabama after reportedly being offered over a million dollars in NIL cash.

There is no reason colleges should be allowed to throw millions of dollars at an athlete that might not even stay with their program for more than one season.

It also creates a massive competitive disadvantage for schools that don’t have as much funding such as Iowa or Purdue.

Money is now the driving force of college athletics, whether we like it or not. It’s all pay for play these days.

If you are affiliated with the NCAA and somehow read this, please consider making changes with NIL.

It depends how you look at it

Before July 1, 2021, there was a ton of backlash from former and current collegiate athletes about not making any money despite profiting millions of dollars to the NCAA through their play. The controversy built up enough to where the NCAA passed a rule that allowed players to make money through their name, image, and likeness, also known as NIL. We now have collegiate athletes making up to millions of dollars — USC basketball guard Bronny James leads all athletes with an estimated $4.9 million in NIL earnings, according to On3 Sports — which allows athletes to continue college and get their degrees without stressing over finances.

However, Brad did list some examples on how NIL is destroying collegiate sports across the board. Making money is necessary for any human being to make ends meet, and it’s now become a bigger factor in athletes’ future plans. It has led to a

record-high number in transfers and multiple legendary coaches resigning due to the matter. However, there have been some players who put their NIL money to good use.

In October 2023, Arch Manning Texas backup quarterback and nephew of football Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning — made nearly $2 million in NIL, according to Business Insider, and donated the earnings from an auctioned Manning card to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. But it wasn’t just any ordinary donation as the card sold for a whopping $102,500.

Another household college football name during the 2023 season was Michigan running back Blake Corum. With around roughly $854,400 in NIL earnings, according to On3 Sports, Corum bought over 600 turkeys and gave them away in Ypsilanti, Michigan, around Thanksgiving last year, for the third year in a row.

There are more examples of college football players using their NIL money for good use, but we can’t deny the truth of money changing the way teams recruit and keep their players. Many schools will be outbid by these prestigious, established programs and will eventually lose their star players.

All in all, everything comes with its fair share of positives and negatives, and that’s certainly the case with NIL.

Cop Heller Clark

Ryan Paris | The Daily Iowan

St. Thomas infielder Tanner Recchio and Iowa infielder Davis Cop watch a pitch during a baseball game between St. Thomas and Iowa at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City on April 10. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tommies, 17-11.

Wave of emotions

Throughout the course of the investigation, Shannon said his emotions were like a rollercoaster. At times, there seemed to be a chance he could run back out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel alongside his teammates, but, at the same time, the grim reality of losing his last collegiate season wrestled his mind.

“The reinstatement process was weird because you get your hopes up, and then they just go all the way down,” Shannon said. Shannon cooperated by providing valuable information to investigators. He acknowledged that he made a mistake and broke the rules.

“He’s been honest throughout this whole process, very transparent and about as honest as you can be,” Ferentz said.

After his appeal was denied, Shannon’s emotions were mixed. He understood the NCAA’s decision but was frustrated that he couldn’t play.

“I don’t agree or understand the decision, especially when it comes to the severity of the punishment,” Ferentz said.

Despite losing his final year of college football, Shannon said he made peace with the decision by late October as the Hawkeyes were making a push toward the Big Ten West division title.

“Obviously it wasn’t easy, but everyone goes through tough times, and it’s about how you respond to them,” Shannon said.

Finding purpose without football

Though Shannon wasn’t allowed to play for Iowa, he could participate in practices and film sessions with the team. He said he “did everything except play on Saturdays.”

“He showed up and worked his ass off every single day,” fellow sixth-year defensive lineman Joe Evans added.

Until his suspension, Shannon had played the game of football for 18 consecutive years. Despite not being on the field, he said the time away from the game allowed him to build a closer bond with his teammates and coaches.

“Everyone made sure to go out of their way and make sure that I was OK,” Shannon said.

Shannon also credits his faith for helping him find his purpose last season.

“I really got closer in my relationship with God and Jesus Christ,” Shannon said. “During that time, I had a lot of trials and trib-

CLARK from 1B

good regardless,” but that winning the championship would seal the deal.

“You’ve got to win a championship,” Staley said in a press conference leading up to the national championship. “That’s me, personally. Like I had a great career, but it’s always, ‘Did you win a championship?’”

Stewart and Staley have every right to share their thoughts on Clark’s game, and they are not entirely wrong.

Unlike golf or boxing, basketball is a team sport, and there are numerous examples of one player collecting numerous accolades that didn’t translate to a team-wide big victory.

But that’s just it. Basketball is a team sport, and unlike Stewart and fellow UConn alum Diana Taurasi, Clark didn’t have the same supporting cast as these two GOATs during their national title runs.

As one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, pointed out, Stewart played with not one, not two, but 12 teammates at UConn who went on to play in the WNBA, while Taurasi had 10. Clark has had one teammate, center Monika Czinano, get drafted to the WNBA, but she did not make the Los Angeles Sparks’ final roster. This is by no means shade at Clark’s current or former teammates, as her chemistry with Czinano and fellow guards Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall on the court made Iowa women’s basketball must-see TV while also leading the program to the most success ever in its 50-year history. This just means Clark was asked to do more than the other GOATs of the game regarding her playmaking abilities and bearing the brunt of much of Iowa’s scoring.

A troubling number of greats in women’s basketball have seemingly undermined Clark’s records and accomplishments in the GOAT conversation.

Clark became the all-time leading scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball this season with 3,951 total points, the only player in Division I history to lead a season in both points and assists per game — achieving this twice — and more recently set the NCAA tournament three-point and scoring career record, just to name a few.

What’s more impressive, however, was that she was able to do this with the pressure of the world watching her every move. The Iowa women set or

ulations and really made sure I kept my faith.”

To recognize Shannon’s extraordinary leadership in the locker room during his suspension, the Iowa coaching staff awarded him the Coaches Appreciation Award for the defense. He was also named to the 2023 Player Council, which a group of upperclassmen players involved with team decision-making.

Back in the game

After Iowa’s loss in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, Shannon began preparing for the NFL Draft. He spent the offseason working out at X3 Performance & Physical Therapy in Nashville.

The time away from the game also gave Shannon an opportunity to recover from a shoulder injury that he suffered during the 2022 season. He kept playing through the pain, but the injury required surgery in the offseason. Today, Shannon says his shoulder is just fine.

“My shoulder has been really great,” Shannon said. “Since I didn’t play last year, I made a full recovery.”

Iowa’s pro day activities on March 18 gave Shannon a chance to prove to NFL scouts he can compete at the next level. Shannon performed a variety of exercises such as bench presses, columns, shuttles, and basic position drills.

Despite a long and grueling journey to get to this point, Shannon feels good about his progress. “I received good feedback from the scouts,” Shannon said. “A couple of them approached me afterwards and congratulated me and told me to keep going because they knew my story.”

Beside talking to some of the scouts attending Pro Day, Shannon has also met with a few NFL teams. He looks forward to “building more relationships.”

Even without playing his final season, Shannon’s two years starting on the defensive line will be huge for his chances moving forward, as NFL scouts can view live game action rather than just workouts. “I’m really glad that this wasn’t last year or the year before, because I wouldn’t have had the extra film that I have now,” Shannon said.

Standing at 6-foot-1 — a small stature for a defensive lineman — Shannon is inspired by the success of former NFL star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is the same height. During his career, Donald made 10 Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

“Some people want to be big and tall, but leverage is everything in football,”

broke attendance records in all but two of their regular season games this season and broke broadcasting viewing records nearly every time they were on TV. These accomplishments didn’t stop several greats trying to diminish Clark and Iowa’s achievements.

Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes incorrectly said Clark passing former Washington guard Kelsey Plum as the all-time scoring leader “shouldn’t count,” since she had five years to achieve it, while Plum had four. This was, of course, not the case, as Clark broke the record with four regular season games remaining in just her fourth season with Iowa.

Fellow Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard said Clark did not break her all-time scoring record because Clark didn’t have to play with a men’s basketball or without a three-point line like Woodard did.

More recently, Taurasi suggested Clark won’t have the same success when it comes time to playing with the pros. “There are levels to this thing, and that’s just life,” Taurasi told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “You look superhuman playing 18-year-olds, but you’re going to [go against] some grown women who’ve been playing professional basketball for a long time.”

Why are the greats so quick to tear down Clark instead of appreciating that she has brought so much attention to the sport? I don’t want to suggest jealousy, but Taurasi’s comments after Iowa took down her alma mater, UConn, came off like she was hating. It hasn’t all been negative, though. In South Carolina’s post-game celebration, Staley promptly gave Clark her flowers.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley said after winning her third national championship as a coach. “It’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour, [and] when she is the number one pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well. So, Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you’re one of the GOATs of our sport.”

So yes, Clark never was brought a national championship back to her home state of Iowa, but this should not define her legacy. The 22-year-old has her whole career ahead of her to continue doing great things for the sport of women’s basketball.

“I don’t want my legacy to be, ‘Oh, Caitlin won X amount of games,’ or ‘Caitlin scored X amount of points,’” Clark said following the national championship. “I hope [it’s] what I was able to do for the game of women’s basketball. I hope it is the young boys and young girls that are inspired to play this sport or dream to do whatever they want to do in their lives.”

Shannon said. “If I am able to get under you, I don’t think you have a good chance of moving me.”

‘All I want is a shot’

Throughout his football journey, Shannon’s priority has always been honesty. Now, with the biggest opportunity of his life in front of him, the focus remains the same. “I’ve owned up to everything and admitted that I’ve made mistakes,” he said. “I’m not trying to be the victim. I’m just trying to better myself and continue to build the person I am today.”

Near the end of pro day media availability, Shannon offered one final pitch to NFL teams. “I hope I get drafted, but if there’s any team that’s willing to give me an opportunity, I’m going to do everything I can with it,” Shannon said. “Just give me a shot.”

Evans

Ferentz

Martin

Marshall

IOWA CITY UNDER THE SUN

Weekend temperatures in Iowa City neared 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Isabella Tisdale and Grace Smith | The Daily Iowan (Top) Students play Spikeball at Hubbard Park in Iowa City on April 15. Temperatures rose to 76 degrees Fahrenheit on April 15 and several students visited parks around town to play sports and lay in the sun. Students and Iowa City residents flocked to Hubbard Park and the Pentacrest to experience various activities. (Above) Will Carey, 15, attempts to untangle his line at City Park in Iowa City on April 14. Numerous families, groups, and friends congregated in the park to enjoy the sun. (Beside) Carey, 15, and David Randall, 14, fish on Iowa River at City Park in Iowa City on April 14. Numerous families, groups, and friends congregated in the park to enjoy the sun. Temperatures in Iowa City reached up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. ( (Bottom) Kids play a game of football at City Park in Iowa City on April 14.

View more of The Daily Iowan’s coverage about the high temperatures in Iowa City at dailyiowan.com.

YOGA SHAPES LIFE BEYOND THE MAT

Martha Gordon, a 70-year-old Iowa City yoga instructor, believes hot yoga is about longevity.

the floor-to-ceiling mirrors adorning the walls. I immediately began picking apart everything I hated about my body.

When I first met my yoga instructor Martha Gordon last August, I arrived at her weekly hot yoga class physically and mentally unprepared for how her practice would change my life. I had done yoga only once before, and not by choice. A parent of one of my fourthgrade classmates convinced my mother to sign me up for her after-school program. While she read from a cartoonish children’s book of Hindu deities to a semicircle of nine-year-olds, I was too distracted by her bunions to retain anything.

But Gordon’s class appealed to me in another way, one that was depressingly young adult-ish: On her website’s description of the practice, she wrote that hot yoga, in particular, boosted metabolism and burned fat.

As someone who has long struggled with a dysmorphic obsession of my appearance, these words drove my sole intention for attending her class: to lose weight.

The Monday night class is taught in her home studio, a sunlit alcove atop a renovated two-floor garage, tucked away in a residential corner of Iowa City. At 75 minutes long, each Bikram hot practice covers five vinyasas, or five meditative sequences of postures.

From the moment I met her, it was clear Gordon possessed an indomitable human spirit and a passion for the history and culture of her practice.

At 70 years old and no more than five feet tall, Gordon exudes the candid strength and unadulterated stamina of someone twice her height and half her age. She is the type of person everyone wants to respect and be respected by.

Once the group shuffled into the studio, Gordon instructed the eight of us to stand at the top of our mats and face

Without missing a beat and as though she could hear my thoughts, Gordon stated the mirrors were not placed to fulfill vanity, but rather to help us ensure the fullest, most accurate expression of our poses.

My ego felt stripped and vulnerable. I wanted to retort: How am I not supposed to think about my appearance in a room full of mirrors and strangers?

Throughout the entirety of the excruciating practice, I flailed. Gordon, however, could contort with an ease that stunned me and encouraged me to prove myself physically capable of taking her class.

my skewed intentions, and the progress I’ve made in championing these obstacles. Then, I asked her if she at all related to these challenges. To my surprise, she did. Though she was a physical person all her life, her decision to become a certified hot yoga instructor came after a period of ultimate mourning when Gordon’s youngest brother, her mother, and her father all died within six months of each other.

“I can’t think of anything more brain-changing than to extend the range of your physical experience of the world.”

Ayron Messerschmitt Hot yoga regular

On many occasions, much to my chagrin, she would pause the group practice midpose to correct my posture. “Straighten your back,” she’d say with a maternal cadence. “Your left foot should be flat on the floor.”

Timing my poses with my breathing became all I could focus on. Then, somewhere between Warrior 2 and Standing Eagle, I was no longer fighting my mind.

Over the next seven months, each time Gordon brought our sweaty, tired bodies into savasana — the relaxing “corpse pose” — at the end of our practice, I felt myself letting go of the mindset I brought to my first practice.

When I sat down with Gordon in her studio last week to propose this story, I confessed to her my initial shortcomings,

“I was going through a heavy-duty transition,” Gordon told me while we sat on her sofa, her hands occupied in the fur of her Pomeranian. “My heart was broken open.” Soon after, Gordon had a chance encounter with a hot yoga class during a trip to Florida. There, she was forced to pour her full attention into her body.

For 90 minutes, amid one of the darkest periods of her life, Gordon had completely let go of her life beyond the yoga mat.

“[The instructor] would say, ‘Martha, pull your shoulders back. Martha, pull your head up,’” she said. “I wasn’t thinking about anything except not falling out of the posture.”

Gordon said she left that class feeling completely drained, but also a little lighter. For the remainder of her vacation, she returned every day to practice at the studio

Not long after she returned home, she went back to Florida and undertook stringent training under the guidance of Jimmy Barkan at the Yoga College of

India in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with the prospect of receiving her certification. She described this experience as the most challenging, yet rewarding, years of her life.

For the next 24 years, Gordon dedicated herself to learning everything there was to know about hot yoga.

She said that, in her experience, people often find yoga during a major transformation in their lives — whether or not they’re even aware of it.

“When you go to these trainings, this is what you find: people who are seeking peace,” she said. “They’re either getting divorced, or they moved, quit smoking, are trying to break an addiction, or someone died. Either way, everyone is mourning something.”

As true as this was for me and Gordon, it also resonated with one of her regulars, Ayron Messerschmitt, who first took her class about 15 years ago.

Messerschmitt, who described his younger self as “intensely cerebral” and by no means a gym rat, studied the spiritual texts within yoga and meditation but would have never imagined his first practice to be so intensely physical.

“I didn’t care about the poses,” he said. “I thought I was going to sit down and, you know, picture a black egg in my throat or have some kind of revelation.”

Before becoming a regular at Gordon’s studio, he didn’t know what it meant to be present in his body.

After an uncomfortable first practice, he emailed Gordon to tell her he could no longer come due to financial reasons — an excuse he fabricated in lieu of admitting to his physical limitations.

“It was total bullsh*t,” Messerschmitt said. “But Martha was just one of those handful of people in my life [who] completely understood it was bullsh*t.”

Gordon responded to his email. Messerschmitt recounted how it read something along the lines of: “Congratulations! You get the ‘Sensitive Guy’ award for the first-ever Martha’s Studio yoga scholarship. Free yoga for a year — no excuses, just get on the mat.”

The accuracy of her intuition shocked him, and Messerschmitt had no choice but to keep showing up.

During our conversation, Messerschmitt recalled a time he was able to complete a challenging pose to its fullest expression. As he spoke, he abruptly brought his foot inches away from his face to mimic the moment of his epiphany. “I was just like, ‘I’ve never experienced my foot this way.’ I’ve walked on it, looked at it, and touched it, but being able to put it on my face was like a new relationship to something I possess,” he said, still holding the pose. “I can’t think of anything more brain-changing than to extend the range of your physical experience of the world.”

For many yogis, it is impossible to make hot yoga our sole commitment. Beyond the mat, I’m still a workaholic and a natural contrarian to the spiritual aspect of hot yoga.

However, each time I leave practice and find my mind is a little less separated from my body, it carries me through the week until my next practice.

Gordon began practicing late in life compared to the yogis she trained with. However, this never deterred her from what she feels is a means to honor her body. To her, hot yoga is about longevity.

“I’ve never spent a lot of time worrying about what my age is. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t be doing [hot yoga],” Gordon said. “Jimmy always said find your fullest expression and find your next inch … I’m still improving, and I just keep going to the mat.”

Shaely Odean | The Daily Iowan

Martha Gordon practices yoga in her studio in Iowa City on April 11. Gordon has practiced yoga in Iowa City for over 20 years.

THURSDAY

APRIL 18

• SPAREME: 1950s DECADES BOWL

Immerse yourself in a throwback-themed night of bowling, music, and novelty drinks with SpareMe.

6 P.M. | SPAREME BOWL & ARCADE

404 E. COLLEGE ST.

FRIDAY

APRIL 19

• DOUG COLLINS AND THE RECEPTIONISTS

Twin Cities singer-songwriter Doug Collins will play his warm, smiley brand of twangy tunes to Iowa City’s Elray’s.

7 P.M. | ELRAY’S LIVE & DIVE

211 IOWA AVE.

• IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER

The UI Theatre Department’s newest show intersects ancestral mythology and a coming-of-age story.

8 P.M. | UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

THEATRE BUILDING

200 N. RIVERSIDE DRIVE

SATURDAY

APRIL 20

• FREDDIE OLD SOUL

Englert presents Track Zero: a new series highlighting burgeoning, diverse, exciting artists in Iowa City. Chicago emcee Freddie Old Soul will be joined by Kurr-is, Kay Killa, and The Zeffsterr.

7:30 P.M. | WRIGHT HOUSE OF FASHION

910 S. GILBERT ST.

SUNDAY APRIL 21

• H EREIN LIES THE TRUTH

UI Master of Fine Arts nonfiction candidate Aaron Pang wrote and is starring in an autobiographical oneman show described as part stand-up comedy and part storytelling.

7:30 P.M. | RIVERSIDE THEATRE

119 E. COLLEGE ST.

MONDAY APRIL 22

• M IDNIGHT RELEASE PARTY: FUNNY STORY BY EMILY HENRY

Enjoy a scavenger hunt, trivia, and romance novel speed dating to celebrate Emily Henry’s new book “Funny Story.”

10 P.M. | SIDEKICK COFFEE & BOOKS

1310 1/2 MELROSE AVE.

TUESDAY APRIL 23

• CAROLINE ROSE

Part of Englert’s Track Zero series, Caroline Rose with Ian Sweet

Ahzia is an Iowa-based rapper with an impressive record. Debuting in 2018 with an EP entitled “READY. SET.GO,” Ahzia has opened for GZA, Cautious Clay, and Swae Lee. The artist has traveled around the country sharing his witty lyrics with adoring crowds but has a soft spot for the music scene around Davenport and Iowa City, where he got his start.

Ahzia is one of four artists featured in the second season of Headliners, a concert video series by The Daily Iowan This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The Daily Iowan: How did you get into performing? Ahzia: Accidentally. I grew up in Davenport, and I went to North [Davenport High School], and I was always a super big art fan — a big enthusiast. I was a big illustrator growing up and because of a speech teacher who saw something in me and wouldn’t take no for an answer, I got forced into theater. That then led me to join show choir and then in choir class a group of guys and I, by the end of the year, started doing little rap battles in the back. That resulted in a video being recorded of me rap-battling another kid and people were like, “Yo, this is kind of hard, you should drop a mixtape.” Something in me was like, “You know what? Maybe I will.” And then I just started

James Patterson

Notable crime fiction series author talks about book banning in the U.S.

rapping, and now I’m a bit addicted to it.

How do you write your songs? I have a notes app for spontaneous ideas and a notebook with a word bank. When I like little phrases or when humorous lines come to me, I just put them in notes. I mostly just have words that I like and find ways to weave them together once I get the instrumentals. There’s already an established mood within the production, so once I have that, I make sure the words marry the instrumentation.

What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?

In 2023 I did a slew of shows that I couldn’t even have predicted. I wound up getting to rap an open for Mavi — he’s associated with Earl Sweatshirt — who is a big influence and inspiration to me. It was surreal to meet him. I got to open for Cautious Clay, GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, and then for Swae Lee. So, all that was ridiculous. When I say it a lot out loud it really hits me that I did all that.

What has your experience in the Iowa City music scene been like?

Avi Lapchick Arts Editor olivia-lapchick@uiowa.edu

With more than 425 million copies sold; more than 260 New York Times’ best-sellers; and an oeuvre of nearly 400 books spanning from murder-mystery to middle-grade fiction, many of which have been turned into movies, James Patterson is, by many accounts, one of the most prolific contemporary authors.

Best known for his crime fiction series “Alex Cross,” “Maximum Ride,” and “Women’s Murder Club” his humorous children’s books such as “I Funny” and “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” and his Emmy Award-winning memoir, “James Patterson by James Patterson,” Patterson competes in all literary genres.

The Daily Iowan spoke to Patterson ahead of his talk at the Writers’ Workshop and Prairie Lights on April 4. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Daily Iowan: I remember, back in high school, I was reading “Instinct,” I remember feeling wowed at how incredible your imagery was.

How do you approach describing visual scenes without overwriting the details?

James Patterson: I don’t think about it too much. My big thing is just telling stories. There’s a line that’s been guiding you most of my choices recently, and I think it’s actually more relevant for kids who are studying at Iowa than it is for me. The line is: “My time here is

short — what can I do most beautifully?” And I love that. I just think it’s such a motivator, it focuses you, and it could be anything. It could be what you do for a living, a hobby — there’s a lot of ways to go with it, but trying to try to be honest with yourself and realize that, even if you’re 20, your time here, is short. This isn’t something to stress people out or put pressure on people, but it focused me on the projects that I do or don’t do.

You’re a very versatile writer; how do you switch gears between books like “I Funny” and “Filthy Rich: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein – The Billionaire’s Sex Scandal”? I don’t [write] anything that I don’t fully understand how it works. Like, I could not write a book about a military general; I just don’t know how they think or talk. I just couldn’t do it. I’ve written love stories, but I couldn’t write a classic romance because I don’t entirely understand it. I mean, the kids books that they do are all humorous. “Alex Cross” — not so funny. But with the kids [books], I mean with a title like “I Funny,” presumably it should be somewhat funny. I enjoyed that.

What do you hope people get out of your performances?

We’re in this big streaming era, and that has its place, but looking at metrics and stuff doesn’t do anything for me. There’s something indescribable about a live show and having people in a room sharing an energy — that’s when it becomes real to me. I’m a fan of music first and foremost before I’ve ever thought of being a rapper. I was always a literature buff. I love words and rap is like rhythm words, you know. I just want to prove to people that you can find really dope local stuff because people can be cynical and don’t think I live here. They’re like, “Oh, you must be a traveling act.” I want to dispel the belief that people don’t make heat here.

What do you have planned for future performances?

I can say pretty confidently that I would not be in the position I’m in had I not moved up here. One of the big strengths of Iowa City is that downtown is so condensed. It keeps people very close together. It’s less of a hassle to encourage some moving here, we’ve really hit the Gabe’s scene hard. [Gabes] is like a second home to me.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling — LA, New York — that just expanded my worldview and allowed me to feel embraced by a new audience. I feel like I’ve built up a solid support system in Iowa City, so to go to completely new terrain is a part of it. I would love to tour. I would be happy to be someone’s opener and get more people in the know. Next year will be 10 years of making music and I still love it. I haven’t written my best verse yet, and that’s what keeps me coming back.

REVIEW | ‘QUIET ON SET’

The unseen side of kids TV shows

New docuseries spotlights the years of disturbing activity at top networks.

As someone who grew up watching several of Dan Schneider’s shows on Nickelodeon, I had no idea just how disturbing the allegations against the studio and its employees actually were.

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” exposes the disturbing situations behind the scenes at Nickelodeon, as well as the first public statement from child star and musician Drake Bell, who was the John Doe in a case from 2005 that convicted Brian Peck, a former Nickelodeon dialect coach, as a sexual predator.

The series’ first four episodes, all released in late March to Max, were the first of their kind to see any sort of massive public response. Before “Quiet on Set,” there were countless rumors and whispers of Dan Schnieder’s uncomfortable tendencies toward children.

Years ago, I enjoyed “iCarly,” “Drake & Josh,” and “Victorious,” but through the eyes of a child. After revisiting their content with the background from “Quiet on Set,” I will never really see my childhood favorites in the same way again. However, Schneider’s shielding of the truth was completely dismantled by these four episodes and their harrowing first-person interviews with people directly harmed by the ex-TV producer. The docuseries itself is filmed technically well, though some loose ends never seem to wrap up. The bonus episode, released on April 7, did not seem to add anything new to the series, instead only recapping what was already revealed.

Additionally, the series never directly addresses the allegations and convictions of Drake Bell himself, who pleaded guilty in June 2021 to a felony charge of child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. This oversight seems to imply that because Bell was abused in his own childhood, his behavior as an adult no longer matters.

Emily

Ahzia Hester performs during The Daily Iowan Headliners in The Daily Iowan newsroom in the Adler Journalism building on Feb. 24. Four groups will be featured in the series’ second season.

Black Angel bar may be the new Mill

After the live music spot closed in 2020, the Black Angel is following in its footsteps.

Isabella Nekvinda Arts Reporter isabella-nekvinda@uiowa.edu

In a final goodbye to fans and artists of the Mill, the local bar and music venue posted its hopes for the future of the Iowa City live music scene on Facebook in 2020.

“After 17 years of keeping the Mill going through its 58th year in business, it’s time for us to step away. We hope that someone else might want to take over the mission to preserve this institution,” the business wrote in its post. The post went locally viral, garnering over 1,000 reactions and 280 comments.

When the venue closed in 2020, co-owner Marty Christensen set out on another entrepreneurial venture. He opened the Black Angel in 2023.

The bar is named after Iowa City’s Oakland Cemetery Black Angel statue, originally created as a memorial for the Feldvert family. Surrounded by superstition and ghost stories, the monument is alleged to have been cursed since it was erected in 1912.

“[The naming of The Black Angel] was sort of a joke really. The have been so many restaurants in the space

where the Black Angel is. The humor is that it is sort of a cursed location. The curse of the monument and the curse of the restaurant,” Christensen said. “But it also is an iconic Iowa City name, and no one has ever really co-opted it.”

While he wanted his new space to encompass the charm of the iconic former venue, Christensen did not want the Black Angel bar to be merely a replica—he wanted it to bring something unique to Iowa City. With a current capacity of 45 people, The Black Angel provides an intimate space for performers and listeners.

In contrast, the Mill had a capacity of 250 people and brought in internationally touring acts, ranging from pop band Japanese Breakfast to alternative indie singer Caroline Rose. Despite the difference space, the values between the Mill and The Black Angel have some similarities.

The Black Angel typically books singer-songwriters and folk artists, though its stage is big enough for, at most, three musicians. Solo artists and small bands are the typical acts that occupy the Black Angel’s lineup.

However, Christensen has concerns with his programming.

“Live music just isn’t as popular as it used to be,” Christensen said.

A musician himself, Christensen described himself as “pretty picky” when choosing artists.

“It’s about authenticity, dynamics, and artistic sensibility rather than just a filler to me,” he added.

Dan Padley is an Iowa City musician who has performed at both the Mill and the Black Angel.

“Oh god, I loved performing at the Mill. I started playing at the Mill when I was in the Jazz department during undergrad,” Padley said. “I think the vibe [at The Black Angel] has carried over as far as the decor and the nice listening room.”

The Mill often hosted variety shows with an open mic where poets, rap artists, and singers were encouraged to perform. Christensen’s goal with the Black Angel was to further spotlight local talent. To him, good music is more important than profit.

“The Mill was a meeting place when it came to all of the arts. That community function was one of the big losses,” Christensen said. “I am quite honestly hopeful that the Black Angel can fill that void to some extent.”

Another musician, Bo Ramsey, who previously performed at the Mill, played at The Black Angel on April 14. Ramsey, with one Grammy award and two more nominations under his belt, cherished both times he played in the Iowa City venues.

“I think [Christensen] really has something going with The Black Angel,” Ramsey said. “I played at the Mill many, many times. It had a good sounding room and a good sounding stage, and, when you make music, that is important.”

“Paper Towns” to his most recent dive into the nonfiction realm with “The Anthropocene Reviewed.” He also works closely with his brother Hank Green as a digital content creator, most commonly regarded for his work creating Crash Course — a YouTube channel dedicated to making educational videos widely available to the public. Green is visiting Iowa City on April 18 to speak and receive the Distinguished Lecture award from the University Lecture Committee. Before his visit, Green spoke with The Daily Iowan on the emotional toll of book bans, his own insecurities as a writer, and the importance of collaborating for content creation. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Daily Iowan: Between your novels, YouTube videos, and social media presence, your endeavors have deeply impacted a wide audience. How has your celebrity presence in the way you approached the internet shifted as you tackle some of these new projects?

John Green: Well, my relationship with the internet is always shifting. I think that’s true for all of us. I definitely am a little more cautious about sharing stuff from my private life than I used to be. I don’t post pictures of my kids or things like that. What I’m interested in, and what I’m working on, is always changing. It’s very different to be working on a YA [young adult] novel than it is to be working on a book about tuberculosis, and so that shifts my relationship with the internet. I would say my relationship with the internet is a smidge of a tortured romance. I love the internet, and it’s been very good to me, but it’s a complicated relationship, for sure. Sometimes it would be a

little toxic, I’d imagine. I’ll say this: I’m glad that my marriage is not like my relationship with the internet. Do you have a favorite book that you’ve written? No. They’re all insufficient in different ways. I think “[Turtles All the Way Down]” was the hardest to write, and so I have a special kind of slot in my mind for “Turtles.” But yeah, I have to be honest. I don’t like any of them that much. I think that’s universal among authors. Like, I can’t look back on those. I feel grateful. I think a good book can only become great if it’s read generously. I think no matter how good the book is, it has to be read by someone who’s going to bring their whole self to it and bring all their empathy and experiences to it. All of my books have been very fortunate that way, like they’re made better by their readers, which isn’t a universal experience for authors. But I’ve just been very lucky in that respect. I’m proud of my work, but thinking about it, I can only think about what I should have done better.

That’s super interesting to hear, especially considering your desire to improve yourself coming from someone like you who has had incredible successes within the industry. Do you think that that sort of mentality can almost be affirming for writers? I think it’s important to hear that the insecurity never goes away.

In the state of Iowa, but also beyond, there has been some recent legislation that’s focused on banning books, and many of your novels have made the list. What does the process look like in terms of fighting against these bands? Is there any way that readers can help support you and support, keeping this available for the public? I

librarians and teach ers who have to deal with this stuff alongside doing their actual jobs of teaching and librarianship. I do think that readers have a big, big role to play in terms of standing up for intellectual freedom. When people attend those school board meetings and say that reading this book mattered to them and it didn’t make them a worse person, it wasn’t dangerous, it didn’t harm them. Instead, it helped them. I do think that matters. We’ve seen that when communities push back against these book bans, they tend to work. To be honest, it’s hard. It’s hard to be called a pornographer. It’s hard to be called a groomer. Those things are hurtful. It’s a bummer. But I’m proud of my work, and I stand by it, and I’m very grateful to the teachers and librarians who continue to share it.

One last question for you. You’re coming to the UI, commonly known as the writing school. What sort of advice would you give to any young, passionate, budding writers?

Well, first off, I’m so intimidated to come to the University of Iowa because of all of the talented writers there, including my dear friends Kaveh Akbar and Paige Lewis who teach there. Then secondly, I am asked to give advice to writers. I feel as if I am an elephant who has been asked to tell a group of other elephants how to be an elephant. That would be fine, except that I don’t know anything about how to be an elephant. I have no idea how to be an elephant. What a weird situation to be in. I don’t know how to make sense of it. The only real advice I have is to read and read broadly. I think reading is the apprenticeship that we have as writers. It’s a chance to learn directly, not only from Kaveh Akbar and Paige Lewis but also from William Shakespeare and Toni Morrison. How fortunate we are in our craft to be able to learn directly from people who’ve been gone for centuries. So,

that’s my only piece. In general, I feel like everybody else knows more about how to be an elephant than I do.

Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan

Bo Ramsey tunes

Q&A | JOHN GREEN

Gary Brockman | USA TODAY