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Southeast hurricanes hit home
Iowans rally to provide aid and
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
For five agonizing days, Cedar Rapids father Brian Jones thought his daughter and grandson were dead, swallowed whole by the unexpected wrath of Hurricane Helene in the mountains of inland North Carolina.
“They had no clue,” Jones said. “Nobody had any indication this was going to happen at all.”
Making landfall as a Category 4 storm on the Gulf Coast on Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene unleashed historic rain and wind across western North Carolina in the days leading up to the storm’s peak.
The relentless deluge devastated inland mountain areas unaccustomed to such events, leaving towns isolated for days as flooded roads and landslides cut off access.
As the unprecedented destruction played out on national news ravaging the mountainous area of Burnsville, North Carolina, where his daughter Jeshua and 10-year-old grandson Kaden lived, Jones feared the worst as repeated calls to his daughter went unanswered.
“For her mother and I, this was very traumatic,” Jones said. “We thought we lost her.”
Then, after five days of uncertainty, the phone rang with the news Jones and his family had
for nearly two decades. “I go home tired every night, but I go home with a huge smile on my face.” HELENE | 2A
Holy Cow! State Fair butter cow travels to D.C.
The iconic slice of Iowan culture will be featured in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Grace Olson News Editor grace.olson@dailyiowan.com
When representatives from the Smithsonian of American Art visited the Iowa State Fair butter cow artist Sarah Pratt, she was overjoyed to just show them a few of her sculpting tools.
When she realized she’d be creating an
John Charlson | The Daily Iowan
Volunteers Barb Hartgrave and Joyce Rozek sort through supplies during a donation drive for Hurricane Helene victims set up by a partnership between Rozek and JMS Transportation in a warehouse south of downtown Cedar Rapids on Oct. 13. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” Rozek said, who has worked in sales for multimillion, international companies like Grainger
hardly dared to hope for — Jeshua and Kaden were safe.
Jones explained that his daughter’s home is situated on an incline, common in the mountainous terrain of Burnsville.
As a nearby stream overflowed, flooding her home, Jeshua and Kaden set out on foot, trekking for five days and relying on the help of other mountain residents for food and shelter along the way.
Finally, Jones said, they were rescued by someone on an ATV who brought them to a fire station, where his daughter was at last able to contact family.
“She walked off that mountain with that boy,” Jones said, fighting tears. “That’s what I’m most proud of her about.”
Jones said his daughter’s narrow escape began earlier that day when her landlord came by to check the rising water levels around the property Jeshua rented. While the landlord was assessing the stream that ran alongside the house, a sudden 10- to 15-foot-tall surge of water rushed down the mountain, tragically sweeping her landlord away.
“What was just a little creek had already come all the way up against her house and was just swooping by,” Jones said. “The big gush came, and all of a sudden, her landlord’s dead.”
The water started rising inside his daughter’s home, and he said she knew time was of the essence if she and her son were to survive.
Many others did not. As of Oct. 15, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 95 storm-related fatalities, with Gov. Roy Cooper announcing that 92 people are still missing in the wake of Helene.
Meanwhile, Florida residents were also reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene — which made landfall near Panama City on Sept. 26 — when yet another storm approached the region.
Just days after Helene’s devastation, Hurricane Milton formed in the Atlantic, quickly intensifying and prompting widespread evacuation orders along Florida’s southeastern coast as meteorologists warned of its potential to cause further catastrophic damage.
Much like the inland regions of North Carolina that were unexpectedly devastated by Helene, residents of Tampa Bay — which had not been directly hit by a major hurricane in over 100 years — were about to experience the same havoc as Milton barreled toward the coast.
Megan Maddaleno, a University of Iowa graduate and director of
COW from 1A
Pratt said she has a deep love for dairy cows and originally started apprenticing for Lyon as a farm worker, but when she realized she wasn’t much help with the real cows, she started helping create fake ones.
“I practiced with her for 14 years, and then there were different times throughout the apprenticeship where I could see her kind of leading me that direction,” Pratt said. “I never actually thought that it’d be something that I’d be able to or
orchestral activities and string studies at the University of Tampa, said she watched the news for eight hours the day Milton was due to make landfall.
“For most of the airtime, they were saying, ‘It’s going to shift last minute, it’s not going to hit Tampa,’” Maddaleno said. “And then, within the last hour before it hit, they said, ‘It is actually going to hit Tampa. Please brace yourselves.’”
Maddaleno said. “Even this far inland, which is absolutely crazy to me.”
Local efforts to aid hurricane victims
As floodwaters receded and communities began the long road to recovery, a wave of support began to flow in from an unexpected place: Iowa.
ony Heating offering Rozek use of its warehouse space to organize and pack items and Bank Iowa contributing $1,000.
“That kind of attitude is what Iowa is all about,” Rozek said.
In addition to Rozek’s grassroots efforts, the Red Cross has mobilized at least 30 volunteers from Iowa to assist in affected areas.
tion overall.
According to an Oct. 14 FEMA press release, the decision to relocate workers did not hinder ongoing search-and-rescue and life-safety operations in the area. The release states the reported threat was mitigated by law enforcement and cautioned against online misinformation that contributes to threats against response workers.
Maddaleno described the moment as terrifying, though she didn’t fear for her own safety since she lives in a third-floor apartment. Still, she noted that even weeks after Milton’s devastation, the Tampa Bay community is struggling to recover.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, at least 24 people have died due to Hurricane Milton’s widespread destruction as of Oct. 14, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal
An Oct. 14 press release from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said nearly 300,000 Floridians are still without power.
Maddaleno also pointed out the critical gasoline shortage in her area, which has left many residents stranded without vehicles and unable to power home generators. The city is also facing unprecedented flooding due to the backto-back storms.
“Boats are having to go down streets and pick people up in their homes,”
comfortable or confident enough to take over.”
The butter cow comprises a large frame of wood and steel mesh and then about 600 pounds of salted, low-moisture butter. Pratt reuses the butter for up to 10 years, sharing that the older the butter, the easier the sculpting. The butter is packed tightly in tubs and frozen until the next fair.
Pratt said her approach to the cow changes every year. She loves to sculpt different breeds and visit different dairy farms to capture farmers’ philosophies on caring for their animals.
Joyce Rozek, a Cedar Rapids resident, took it upon herself to gather donations and establish a partnership with JMS Transportation — a Cedar Rapids trucking company — to haul the donated items to Calvary Lutheran Church in Morgantown, North Carolina.
Emily Holley, regional communications manager for the American Red Cross Nebraska-Iowa Region, said the Red Cross deployed a small team of volunteers ahead of Hurricane Helene, following standard protocol.
“It’s nice to know that you’ve got fellow Americans willing to help in a crisis. That’s what I’m trying to do for the people in North Carolina.”
Joyce Rozek Cedar Rapids resident
Having experienced the chaotic aftermath of the Iowa flood of 2008 and derecho of 2020, Rozek said her goal is not only to collect and deliver as many essential items as possible but to ensure everything is labeled, organized, and packed with care, making distribution easier for those in need.
“It’s nice to know that you’ve got fellow Americans willing to help in a crisis,” Rozek said. “That’s what I’m trying to do for the people in North Carolina.”
Rozek fought back tears as she described the outpouring of support from Iowans. She said people from across the state have been driving long distances to contribute, bringing bags of essential items — often spending hundreds of dollars on food, hygiene products, and other donations.
Local companies have also pitched in, with Col-
“I love learning and love studying and love immersing myself in what I’m going to be sculpting,” Pratt said. “Before we landed on the traditional butter cow, we had explored a couple of different ideas that might be sculpted in butter.”
Beyond displaying her art in a Smithsonian, Pratt is honored to share a slice of Iowan culture on the national stage.
“I would have just been so honored to share a couple of my tools, right?” she said. “I would have been over the moon about that, so this feels just like a dream. It’s
“After we saw the extent of the damage of Helene, we began sending more people,” Holley said. “We are continuing to send people to support the disaster recovery efforts with Helene, and now Milton.”
Holley said 36 Red Cross emergency shelters across the Southeast are currently housing nearly 4,000 people, with most Iowa volunteers helping to meet shelter needs.
As relief efforts remain crucial, volunteer safety has become a concern after Federal Emergency Management Agency crews in Rutherford, North Carolina, were ordered to relocate due to reported armed threats against workers, The Washington Post reported.
“Obviously this goes back to the misinformation that has been spread around the internet,” Holley said, adding that the Red Cross is deeply concerned about the spread of such misinforma-
just so unbelievable.”
Possibly even more special to Pratt is the opportunity to share the experience with her daughters and work alongside them.
“To be able to be doing this project together with them feels like more than I could possibly ask for,” she said. “To be able to take that whole experience, the butter, the sculpting, the whimsy, the excitement of the Iowa State Fair, and to be able to do that in the context of working with my family is amazing.”
Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons is also looking forward to the exhibit.
“The Fair is thrilled to share our iconic butter cow and Iowa sculptor, Sarah Pratt, with the entire nation as part of this Smithsonian exhibit,” Parsons wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. “Nothing compares
Holley said the Red Cross has not relocated any personnel at this time but is working with government officials to assess threats and ensure safety, adding that misinformation can harm response workers and people in need.
How to help
Brian Jones has established a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to replace his daughter’s vehicle lost in Hurricane Helene.
Jones said his daughter, raised in the Dubuque area, moved to North Carolina over a decade ago, driven by her love for the mountains, and has worked hard to start her own successful cleaning company.
“Her cleaning company was something that she dreamt about. She built it, and then, bam, it was just all gone,” Jones said. “Her dream in the mountains turned into a torment of pain.”
Joyce Rozek is continuing to collect donations at 715 66th Ave SW in Cedar Rapids, and encourages anyone with questions or interest in coordinating a donation to reach her at 319-450-2723.
Emily Holley added that the Red Cross is seeking more volunteers, noting that roles are flexible and can be done during summer breaks or at times convenient for college students.
to celebrating the Iowa State Fair in Washington D.C. as part of America’s semi quincentennial.”
Second-year University of Iowa student Hannah Maschino said she’s been visiting the Iowa State Fair since she was a little kid, and the butter cow has always been a large part of her experience.
“The butter cow was an obvious place you had to go if you went to the state fair,” she said. “I just feel like it’s a staple for Iowa.”
Maschino is also very excited about the chance for Iowa to gain recognition for its traditions and culture.
“I feel like Iowa is overlooked,” she said. “Knowing that this is going somewhere national, I feel like that’s really cool. The butter cow represents a lot of the agriculture that Iowa is known for.”
Digital Editor Riley Dunn riley.dunn@dailyiowan.com
DITV News Director Johnny Valtman johnny.valtman@dailyiowan.com
DITV Asst. News Director Jayce Bertrand jayce.bertrand@dailyiowan.com
DITV Sports Director AJ Reisetter aj.reisetter@dailyiowan.com
DITV Asst. Sports Director Brady Behrend brady.behrend@dailyiowan.com
John Charlson | The Daily Iowan
Volunteer Barb Hartgrave organizes supplies bought with donated funds during a donation drive for Hurricane Helene victims set up by a partnership between Joyce Rozek and JMS Transportation in a warehouse south of downtown Cedar Rapids on Oct. 13. “I’m a thinker, and so I try to think through everything I possibly can. I don’t want anybody to donate, and then stuff end up not getting to them,” Rozek said.
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
Fairgoers pass by the butter cow at the Iowa State Fair at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Aug. 13. The butter cow is set to be displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in August of 2025.
tain Kirk was her third and final statue. Even though she decorated the statue, the idea behind it came from Joshua Schamberger, president of Think Iowa City.
“Kirk has continued on that tradition that was born again by Hayden Fry, and one could argue that Kirk’s success has been stronger than maybe most any other coach in the history of the program,” Schamberger said.
Liu was asked to design Captain Kirk because of the success of her two prior Herky statues, Schamberger said. Liu used an art style called decoupage.
Decoupage consists of using paper cutouts ranging from photos to things like old newspapers, gluing said cutouts to a surface, and placing some sort of finish over the top of the final product.
Liu said she didn’t have much prior knowledge of Ferentz and the Iowa football program but got to know them through the images she placed on the statue during the decoupage process.
“I saw him grow up to be a football player, to be a football coach, and so that was really interesting,” Liu said. “It was like ‘Okay, I’m making a Herky for an important person,’ but, from there, it turned into getting to know this person.”
Many longtime Hawkeye fans share the same sentiment as Schamberger.
Greg Suckow, a well-known Hawkeye character who dons a black and gold jumpsuit for most game days — earning him the name Hawkeye Elvis — has been a fan of the Black and Gold since he was a kid. He said he recalls when Ferentz took the reins from Hayden Fry.
“I remember the first couple of rough years under Ferentz,” he said. “You know, not winning a game, just getting pounded. Then, you started to see little sparks of life once Kirk got in there and was able to sort of restock the cupboards and rebuild things.”
Suckow said his popularity has allowed him a handful of opportunities to meet Ferentz over the years. But none of those moments are his favorite memory of the coach.
Rather, Suckow said the moment that has stuck with him throughout the years was the win over Penn State in October 2004 right after Ferentz’s dad died, coined as one of the most iconic moments in Ferentz’s tenure.
“The 6-4 win at Penn State right after his dad died and the emotion that got to him, which, anytime you see coach Ferentz really showing that emotion, it’s a big deal to him because the man is really stoic,” Suckow said.
Ferentz and the Hawkeyes were in Beaver Stadium a day after Ferentz gave the eulogy at his father John’s funeral. It was the fourth quarter of a high-tension game.
With 1:33 left, Iowa was ahead, 6-4. The Hawkeyes needed two yards for a first down to seal the game.
“I remember the first couple of rough years under Ferentz. You know, not winning a game, just getting pounded. Then you started to see little sparks of life once Kirk got in there and was able to sort of restock the cupboards and rebuild things .”
Greg Suckow Hawkeye Elvis
A clash of helmets rang out, immediately halted by a shrieking whistle, and a flag sits on the field.
Ferentz paced the sidelines, chewing gum, as the officials discussed and reviewed the play before calling an offsides penalty on Penn State resulting in a first down for Iowa.
Before the entire call left the referee’s mouth, cheers erupted and rang throughout the stadium. The Hawkeyes win.
Ferentz? He launched himself at his son Brian, holding him close as tears trickled down his face. They had just secured their fifth consecutive win over Penn State.
Suckow, after recounting his memories, said Iowa is better because of Ferentz and what he brings to the program.
“I’ve watched a lot of the online screaming, wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, and clutching of pearls over the years, but if you look around, you look at the consistency that he’s brought to Iowa football,” he said. Early Years
Long before Ferentz settled at Iowa, he started as a coaching assistant in 1977 at UConn, where he also played linebacker from 1974-76.
Under the gaze of legendary head coach Hayden Fry, Ferentz served as offensive line coach for eight years starting in 1981, guiding the Hawkeyes to two Rose Bowl appearances and 73 victories over nine seasons. In 1990, he was named head coach at the University of Maine, compiling a 12-21 record over three seasons. After
a 6-5 season in 1992, he left to become the offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick.
When the Browns relocated to Baltimore and rebranded as the Ravens after the 1995 season, Ferentz moved with them and remained as offensive line coach for three seasons. In addition to his role with the offensive line, Ferentz served as assistant head coach for two seasons.
When Fry retired after a disappointing 1998 season, Ferentz made the trip back to Iowa, becoming the 26th head coach in program history.
Ferentz was still juggling his prior job as the assistant head coach for the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks into December along with his new gig at Iowa, according to a Daily Iowan article from 1998.
“I just feel it’s the right thing to do,” Ferentz said during his introductory press conference back in 1998. “Ideally, I would be here 24 hours a day, but we’ll work through it.”
The Ravens, Iowa, and Ferentz weren’t setting a new standard with their arrangement. Ferentz was, at the time, one of three coaching staff members who had left the Ravens in the same manner within five years. The others — Nick Saban and Pat Hill — both finished out their time with the Ravens while balancing head coaching jobs at Michigan State and Fresno State respectively. According to the 1988 article from the DI, Ferentz coached in Iowa City on Thursdays and Fridays and returned to the Ravens from Saturday to Thursday. The schedule continued for three weeks into his Iowa tenure.
MAPPING OUT
Kirk Ferentz had a run in NFL administration before settling in at Iowa.
Looking back, Ferentz said the transfer from Fry to him was definitely strange.
“It’s strange because I worked for him for nine years,” Ferentz said at Iowa Football Media Day in an interview with the DI. “In retrospect — I think probably the most interesting thing about it — there probably wasn’t another coach in America who would have interviewed me, let alone hired me.”
Ferentz also remembered Fry’s keen eye for talent.
“The majority of our staff probably all have the same story. He had a real rare ability of seeing things in people that other people wouldn’t see,” Ferentz said.
Conflicts arise
This season had a tumultuous beginning. Ferentz announced ahead of the season opener against Illinois State he would be in a self-imposed suspension. The suspension was punishment for an alleged NCAA recruiting violation with an unnamed player.
The rumor mill has run its course, and several believe Ferentz illegally interacted with current Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara and his family before he entered the recruiting portal.
“I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not,” Ferentz said during a press conference on Aug. 22. “I made a mistake, and I want to apologize to our players, coaching staff, university leadership, and our incredible fans.”
This isn’t the first time Ferentz has found himself in hot water while with Iowa.
In 2020, Ferentz, the UI, and other football coaches were sued by 12 former players who claimed they were subjected to racial discrimination during their time within the Iowa football program.
Ferentz was dropped from the suit in 2023, without prejudice — meaning the suit against him could be refiled — according to previous DI reporting.
Stoic and beloved coworker
Current special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has coached under Ferentz since 2017 and played linebacker on Ferentz’s first two Iowa squads in 1999 and 2000. Woods said there are a lot of memorable moments from his time with Ferentz, but the most notable was during his playing days at Iowa.
“I go back to when I was a player,” Woods said. “I think about our first win here at Iowa. I actually watched this film not too long ago, and we were not a good football team, but we won. Just seeing the elation on his face, the first time he got emotional — what everyone calls the ‘Kirk Ferentz Moments’ — you know it’s real, it’s authentic. Everything about him is authentic.”
Another of Ferentz’s peers, Seth Wallace, said Ferentz
Nick Rohlman | The Daily Iowan
The Hawkeyes take the field before their game against Penn State at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 23, 2017. Penn State defeated Iowa, 21-19, on a last second touchdown pass.
Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan
FERENTZ | 6A
America’s modern voting system
The outdated barriers to voting in America are holding back democratic processes.
Hartzog
Carson
Opinions Editor carson.hartzog@dailyiowan.com
Now that we’re clear on how distorted the American voting system is — voting purists and avoiders alike — what can actually be done about it?
A lot, actually. Way more than the American government concedes.
We’ve been led to believe that mail-in voting and election fraud are synonymous — as if one can’t exist without the other. In reality, voting by mail has been around as long as standardized elections, if not longer. Fraud wasn’t a concern until former President Donald Trump decided it was and convinced everyone else, despite a total lack of evidence, that they, too, should be concerned.
Back in the 17th century, men in Massachusetts could vote from home if their houses were “vulnerable to Indian attack,” according to historian Alex Keyssar’s book “The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States.”
So, an unfounded fear — created by white men — was reason enough to vote from home, but a global pandemic wasn’t?
By the Civil War, military personnel could vote by mail, and by the early 20th century, railroad workers and people with an illness could, too. In typical California fashion, the state held the first entirely mail-in federal primary in 1978. Oregon also votes entirely by mail, dating back to 2000.
Let me be clear: Mail-in ballots don’t magically create more voters or inflate turnout. They simply make voting more accessible for those who would vote regardless. Like many American systems — and those annoying subscription emails — voters should have to opt-out of mail-in voting, not re-register for every election.
One of the most significant barriers to voting is registration. Georgia has a history of purging voters from its registration lists. Have these voters moved, died, or gone to prison? Nope. They just haven’t voted in recent elections, which I guess means Georgia has the authority to void their registration.
In 2017, more than half a million Georgians were cut from voter rolls. Iowa did something similar. In June 2023, the state left the Electronic Registration Information Center, also known as ERIC, which helps states track when voters move, die, or double-vote. It also requires states to send registration information to eligible voters.
Two years earlier, Iowa moved 249,000 registered voters to inactive status. Why? They didn’t vote in the 2020 general election. The ever-unpopular Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a law moving those voters to inactive status, proving Iowa isn’t interested in boosting turnout.
As someone who registered to vote and became an organ donor on the same day in Illinois, I can’t understand Reynolds’ logic. If I lived in Iowa, would my voter registration be canceled if I didn’t cast a ballot in the next election? Would they consider me an ‘inactive’ organ donor, too, if I didn’t donate a kidney within the same time
WHAT DO ELECTIONS LOOK LIKE WORLDWIDE? AMONG THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, THE U.S. IS ONE OF NINE COUNTRIES THAT HOLD WEEKDAY VOTING.
frame?
Implement ing same-day and automatic voter registration nationwide could fix this idiocy.
Some states already allow same-day voter registration, and the results show higher turnout, particularly among young and first-time voters. Add online voter registration and pre-regis tration for 16 and 17-year-olds, and you’d have a more engaged electorate before Election Day.
If we can afford to sign men up for the draft as soon as they turn 18, we can certainly spare the money to improve voter turnout. Or is it that we care more about sending people off to fight for our right to vote than getting them to the polls where they exercise that right?
WEEKDAY ELECTIONS WEEKEND ELECTIONS
In 2020, 25 percent of voters cast their ballots early in person, highlighting the need for standardized early voting across the country. Whether you’re in Iowa or California, voters should have the same opportunities to vote early.
Forty states and Washington, D.C. require a high school civics course, which often broadly covers the state and federal governments. But in the next year, 30 million people in the U.S. will move. This begs the question: How useful are these civics courses beyond the states where they’re taught?
Moving is stressful enough. Figuring out how to vote in a new state after spending your whole life doing it a different way shouldn’t be part of that stress.
There’s also the issue of polling locations. On Native American reservations, up to 60 percent of polling places were inaccessible in recent elections. In urban areas, polling places closed or delayed opening due to staff shortages. In 2022, Chicago’s voting precincts shrunk by nearly 40 percent. This saved money, sure, but it was done without much voter input, undermining democracy.
And what about the people who work at the polls? Compensation varies widely because counties handle elections. In my hometown, high school students can make $200 working the polls for a day. Because our schools are used as polling locations, we’ve always had the day off.
However, that’s not the case for many schools. Following the lead of my hometown would force millions of parents to find child care on a day when their child could be in school while they have to work.
Globally, more than 60 percent of elections are held on weekends. Turnout on Saturdays is 73.4 percent, compared to 69.1 percent on Tuesdays. Of the 36 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member nations, 27 hold their elections on the weekend.
Many want Election Day to be a federal holiday, but that
doesn’t necessarily solve the issue. Of the 78.7 million hourly workers in the U.S., many don’t get federal holidays off. So, while kids might get the day off, their parents probably won’t.
Moving Election Day to a Saturday simply makes sense. It’s what works best for most Americans. Parents already plan for their kids to have Saturdays off, so if they’re working, chances are they’ve already got childcare. Plus, only 28.1 percent of employed people work weekends, compared to 80.4 percent who work weekdays.
Finally, let’s talk funding. Local governments often receive inadequate funding for elections, leading to polling place closures, staff shortages, and outdated equipment. The U.S. spends over $93 million annually on congressional salaries but just $8.10 per voter on election administration.
If we can invest in politicians, why not in democracy itself?
Keep in mind the estimate above doesn’t account for federal funding. That said, Congress only provides funding for election administration occasionally, and often in response to a particular problem. Maybe I’m alone in this, but it’s a bit concerning to know that an election that could have grave implications on my day-to-day life doesn’t receive standardized federal funding. At least, not any that I could find.
The logic of holding Election Day on a Tuesday goes back to 1845, when most people were farmers. But no one’s traveling by horse and buggy to vote anymore.
All this to say, the current system doesn’t serve everyone equally, and it likely never will. There will always be a flaw in the system that disadvantages someone. But, by embracing reforms that make voting more accessible, we can create a system that intends to work for all — not just those who can navigate its complexities.
A new wave of political engagement: stickers
Despite seeming like a trivial idea, “I Voted” stickers help engage the community.
A werewolf ripping its shirt off in front of an American flag.
It’s not necessarily the first image that comes to mind when discussing politics and voting habits. But thanks to a 12-year-old student from Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, that perception has certainly changed.
Jane Hyounus, a seventh-grader at Brownell Middle School, set the internet ablaze earlier this fall when the Michigan Department of State revealed the winners of its 2024 “I Vot ed” sticker design con test. Her unconven tional drawing of the aforementioned muscular mythical creature shredding a navy blue T-shirt with the stars and stripes neatly displayed in the background was one of nine winning designs. The awards were di vided evenly between el
ementary and middle school students, high school students, and general entry applicants.
When asked why she chose such an imaginative design, Jane simply replied, “I didn’t want to do something that you usually think of when you think of Michigan.”
Now, thanks to the creativity of Jane and eight other artists, come election day in Michigan, all winning designs will be available for clerks to distribute to voters.
Recently, similar contests have been introduced on both state and nationwide levels. Johnson County, Iowa, even launched its own competition, with two designs crowned as this year’s winners.
Both designs feature the Iowa state bird — the American goldfinch — and the classic phrase “I Voted” across the front. One of the winning drawings was created by 11-year-old county resident Cameron Johnson. The original goal of these contests by government agencies was to creatively boost civic engagement and educate community members on local politics. However, these competitions have illustrated how inventive advertising can not only encourage people to hit the polls but also, based on online interest, actively engage them in local and national politics.
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Jami
Muskan Mehta,
Lein,
McCurtis, Caden Bell, Cole Walker, Carson Hartzog, Darrell Washington, Jackson Mendoza, Abigail Jones, Reese Thompson Editorial Board: Jami Martin-Trainor, Marandah Mangra-Dutcher, Jack Moore, Stella Shipman, Carson Hartzog, Charlie Hickman
COLUMNS, CARTOONS, and OTHER OPINIONS CONTENT reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.
EDITORIALS reflect the majority opinion of the DI Editorial Board and
or the University of Iowa.
Some may argue that design contests or even the existence of “I Voted” stickers are trivial and have little impact on the democratic process. In reality, these stickers play a larger role in voter turn out than many would anticipate.
A 2016 study “Voting to Tell Others” found that the “I Voted” sticker strikes a psychological cord in many of us. We often have a desire to show others that we’re engaged participants in our country’s democratic process. Displaying “I Voted” stickers serves as a reminder for others to cast their own ballots, thereby extending civic en gagement beyond the sticker’s initial purpose. This idea is underscored by sticker contests. Many people said their favorite part of voting is receiving uniquely designed “I Voted” stickers, especially when they feel involved in picking the designs that end up on voters’ chests on Election Day.
positive and uplifting atmosphere at the polling sites.”
Ulster County, New York, has held a countywide “I Voted” sticker design contest for several election cycles, boasting a variety of creative designs over the years. One of its most memorable designs featured a six-legged spider with a neon-colored humanoid face smiling at the words, “I Voted,” which received more than 158,000 votes in the fall of 2022.
Not only does this demonstrate how small details, like uniquely designed “I Voted” stickers, bring awareness to both local and federal elections, but it also showcases the subliminal need for citizens to help choose their leaders, even if it’s only to get a cool piece of sticky plastic as a reward.
In an interview with Fast Company, Ashley Torres, commissioner of the Ulster Board of Elections, said, “We consistently receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from voters of all ages, who say their favorite part of voting in Ulster County is wearing the unique ‘I Voted’ stickers designed by young local artists. Poll workers also tell us it’s their favorite part of the job, helping to create a
Regardless of what the sticker looks like, these contests and their creative results help voters connect with their respective regions and recognize individuals who contribute to the democratic process. Despite what critics may say, these competitions are a small price to pay for ongoing civic engagement, especially from the newest generation of voters.
Zeta Tau Alpha runs for breast cancer awareness
The sorority has hosted the philanthropic 5K race for the last 25 consecutive years.
Madison Schuler News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
For the last 25 years, runners in the University of Iowa’s chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha, also known as ZTA, have hit the pavement, pounding out miles to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research.
Starting at Hubbard Park, the rhythmic sound of runners and joggers echoed as they made their way to City Park and back in the annual 5K event.
The fundraiser supports the sorority’s philanthropy: breast cancer education and awareness. According to a statement on the sorority’s website, its mission is “to support and fundraise for this cause in order to positively impact all those affected and diminish this disease.”
The money from participants and donations goes to aid the Zeta Tau Alpha Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the NFL, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The American Cancer Society found that the average risk of a woman in the U.S. developing breast cancer is around 13 percent, which means that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Claire Daley-Jacobsen, vice president of philanthropy for ZTA, said she began planning for the event in January of this year.
“It’s important to, for example, book Hubbard Park six months in advance, while making sure we book other vendors,” Daley-Jacobsen said. “I was preparing all summer for this, along with our philanthropy committee, and we began fundraising in the summer as well so that we’re able to amass the amount we normally do.”
Daley-Jacobsen said ZTA tries to do a variety of community outreach methods, such as reaching out to small and national businesses.
Since the 5K began in 2000, the event has continued to gather more participants from around Iowa, the Midwest, and among former ZTA alumni.
“Everyone had a really good time and just being with their loved ones — I think it’s really special,” Daley-Jacobsen said. “People like doing good things, so even just showing up on a Sunday morning and knowing that their registration was going towards a larger cause, I think, makes people feel really good and makes them feel like they’re being productive.”
The event began bright and early as members of the sorority began setting up throughout campus at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 13.
Supporters and participants, such as UI students, parents, and others, gathered at Hubbard Park, where they checked in to receive their race bibs and T-shirts.
The start and finish line was stationed at Hubbard Park, but multiple checkpoints were marked along the route, such as in front of Iowa Memorial Union River Amphitheater and at the end of the pedestrian bridge. ZTA members served as cheerleaders at the checkpoints as they yelled encouragement at the participants.
Second-year student at the UI and member of ZTA Claudia Witte cheered participants on at a checkpoint during the 5K.
Witte said she has enjoyed the event past couple years as it allows for bonding with
new members while also giving back to the community.
“We just want to raise awareness and educate people and also raise money for all the people impacted by the risk,” Witte said. “Of course, we’re all really passionate about it and what we can do for our community and also nationally as an organization.”
ZTA does other fundraisers leading up to the 5K, like partnering with Everbowl and handing out pink ribbons to spread awareness, Witte said. A specialist from the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center talked to ZTA members for educational purposes as well.
“We do this event every year, and we always look forward to holding our 5K for our community members. So, many people come back to it every year, and all of our seniors get to walk it,” Witte said.
In addition, the 5K is accessible and allow a wide variety of participants to partake, including infants in strollers, young children, and even a dog named Daisy.
Mac Wilson, a senior at Iowa City West High School, participated in the event. Wilson said he formerly ran cross country, is in track, and has run other 5K events.
“I haven’t run in a while, so it’s nice to get out here,” Wilson said. “I think [the event] is a great way to get people to come out.”
Wilson said the main reason he joined in on the race was to run for a good cause and support ZTA’s philanthropy.
Kate Schlawin, a first-year student at the UI, and Sophie Pierce, a third-year student at the UI, also participated in the event.
Schlawin and Pierce both said they enjoy running, so it made sense for them to come out and support the cause.
Schlawin also said the proximity to campus drew her to participate. Despite the wind and chilly weather, those participating made their way along paths near the Iowa River, where they crossed bridges and looped around by City Park.
Connor Boyd, a second-year student at the UI, was the men’s first-place winner, and Abigail Adams, a third-year student at the UI, was the women’s first-place winner. Overall, the event raised over $21,000. In the future, ZTA plans to continue hosting the 5K, along with other events to spread education and awareness about breast cancer. “One thing that’s really special to me is the fact that we give a percentage of our proceeds from this race back to the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center,” Daley-Jacobsen said. “We do know that we are broadly helping a lot of different people around the world, but also the fact that a large amount of our money stays in Iowa City.”
University Heights halts traffic camera installation
ment of Transportation] is challenged, if that’s possible, we’re between a rock and a hard place,” Akers said.
Many existing traffic camera applications were denied across the state.
According to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s website, over half of the 348 applications the department received were denied.
The website states applications were required to be submitted by July 1, and municipalities were notified of their application status on Sept. 30. Unlike some cities in the state, University Heights never intended to use the automated traffic cameras as a means of generating revenue from speeding tickets, Mayor Louise From said. Instead, the city wanted to increase public safety on its busiest roads while making the jobs of its police force easier, she said.
hear more about what their next steps could be, there are already several methods in place to try to curb speeding, From said. University Heights has two speed trailers, which show drivers their speed and flash when they are going over the limit, she said. The University Heights Police Department also does what it can to patrol busy roads, From said.
“We are still wanting people to slow down through University Heights, and I think our police are doing their best to do that without traffic cameras since we can’t have them,” From said. “So, we’re lucky we have such good police here in University Heights.”
chief, said the city falls short on a
number of criteria required on the application. One of the pitfalls for the city is that the new rules state that any camera installed on or after Jan. 1, 2024, could not be issued a permit until July 1, 2026. Additionally, the rules state that the city applying for a camera must have a population of 20,000 or more. University Heights’ population is a little over 1,200, Akers said. Because of these challenges, University Heights
has not officially installed or applied for any traffic cameras and is just monitoring the situation, Akers said.
“Until the [Iowa Depart-
University Heights sees a lot of traffic because of its proximity to the University of Iowa Health Care clinics, Akers said. Melrose and Koser avenues are where speeding occurs most often and traffic is at its densest, From said.
While the city waits to
“We are still wanting people to slow down through University Heights, and I think our police are doing their best to do that without traffic cameras since we can’t have them.”
While city officials are concerned about speeding, some University Heights residents don’t see speeding as a major issue. Pat Yeggy, a long-time city resident, said she often walks her dog along Melrose Avenue during morning commuting hours and has never felt unsafe.
However, she said traffic is often bumper-to-bumper in the morning, and she has noticed a lot of speeding on Koser Avenue since it goes downhill.
Yeggy said her opinion on whether the automated cameras are needed is mixed. While it would be more convenient for the police department, she doesn’t see how the cameras would have much impact on public safety.
“I guess in some ways I’m just opposed to a camera giving you the
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
Nir Ben-Shlomo runs the 5K with baby Ori during the Zeta Tau Alpha 25th 5K run for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness in Iowa City on Oct. 13. The sorority raised almost $20,000
ticket,” Yeggy said.
Louise From Mayor of University Heights
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Marissa Majewski and Charlie Brink cheer through a megaphone for runners crossing the finish line during the Zeta Tau Alpha 25th 5K run for breast cancer education and awareness in Iowa City on Oct. 13. ZTA has done several other fundraisers leading up to the 5K.
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
A traffic light on the intersection of Koser Avenue and Melrose Avenue in Iowa City on Oct. 14. University Heights is set to
install additional traffic cameras along Melrose Avenue.
stands out as a college head coach because of his dedication. Wallace currently serves as assistant head coach and has worked with Ferentz since 2014.
“His resolve is on a high level,” Wallace said. “What he does and the purpose he does it for, the purpose he does it with are really some quality traits he has.”
On an administrative level, University of Iowa
President Barbara Wilson said the UI is excited to have a coach around for as long as Ferentz has been.
“To have a coach in that role for as long as he’s been is truly amazing,” Wilson said. “I think that the fact that so many players feel so connected to him and supportive of him, both when they’re here but also when they graduate, is a testament to his leadership.”
What’s next for Ferentz?
The Iowa coach’s contract was extended until 2029, so he’s set to stick with Iowa for the long haul. But for the first time in seven years, Ferentz has entered the season without his son Brian by his side.
Brian Ferentz was dismissed as offensive coordinator during the 2023 season, though he would be allowed to fin -
ish out the year. After a lengthy search, Green Bay Packers analyst Tim Lester was hired to take his place in January.
The younger Ferentz was later hired by Big Ten foe Maryland as an offensive analyst under head coach Mike Locksley. Iowa is set to play Maryland on Nov. 23 in College Park.
Some fans have shown some distaste for the Iowa football program this season, citing Kirk Ferentz’s predictable plays and reluctance to switch quarterbacks, but UI President Wilson said winning isn’t everything.
“I think we need to think about the whole athletic enterprise as more than just winning. It’s good to win, don’t get me wrong. I love to win,” Wilson said in an exclusive interview with the DI . “I also want to make sure that we have coaches that care about the whole student-athlete…that is a big part of who we are and what we do. How do we ensure they have success when they leave us, professional opportunities, mentoring, all of that? Coach does a great job on that front, and he has for a long time.”
When asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t Iowa’s coach, Ferentz didn’t stray much.
“Probably coaching somewhere else or teaching school,” he said. “I’d rather be coaching.”
Brian Moore | The Daily Iowan Retiring football coach Hayden Fry gives Kirk Ferentz, his successor, some final words of advice in December 1998 after Ferentz’s press conference at the Jacobson Athletic Building. After taking over from Fry, Ferentz has stayed with the University of Iowa for the past 26 years.
Economic policy key to deciding election for voters
Iowa voters feel the economy is doing poorly despite currently cooling inflation.
Mia O’Connor-Walker Politics Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Voters are dissatisfied with the economy. Despite lowering inflation rates and rising job growth, voters by and large feel worse off now than they did four years ago.
With less than a month until the election, these economic concerns may be the deciding factor in the 2024 election.
Polling shows voters feel Republicans have better economic policies than their Democratic counterparts, and that remains true from the top to the bottom of the ballot.
Concerns regarding economic policy are especially potent in Iowa, where Republican congressional candidates are running on the issue of “out-of-control” inflation under President Joe Biden, attacking their Democratic opponents’ affiliation with the Biden-Harris administration.
The issue is more important among Republican voters who have criticized President Joe Biden for the state of the economy during his administration.
Under Biden, inflation has reached record-high levels, reaching a 20-year-high at 9 percent in September 2022. Inflation has since dropped from its post-COVID peak to around 2 percent in September 2024. Additionally, the U.S. Federal Reserve has begun to cut interest rates, signaling the central bank is not as concerned about a possible recession.
The International Monetary Fund, a nonpartisan international organization focused on fostering economic growth, said in a June 2024 press conference that by most measures, the economy is doing well.
However, inflation has raised prices by almost 20 percent since Biden took office in 2020 and wages have remained stagnant, according to the Brookings Institute, a nonpartisan policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.
The Biden administration has struggled to defend its record on the issue, with polling showing that voters feel the economy is worse off under Biden.
While the current administration is grappling with voters’ poor outlook on the economy, it has bled into the presidential campaign. Polling shows that former President Donald Trump, a Republican, does better on issues like the economy compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat. Harris has inherited voters’ disapproval of Biden’s handling of the economy — according to an October ABC News/Ipsos poll. Among voters who say the economy is worsening, 74 percent support Trump compared to only 21 percent who support Harris.
The issue is also important to Iowa voters who favor Trump. A September Des Moines Register/ Mediacom Iowa poll found 46 percent of the Iowa voters polled feel they are worse off financially compared to four years ago. That same poll found that 57 percent of Iowa voters feel Trump would handle inflation and the economy better
than Harris. The issue could be a deciding factor in November. Harris and Trump are in a dead heat in seven key swing states that will decide the election. Harris also only leads by a few points nationally.
According to a September Pew Research Center poll, 81 percent of voters said the economy is a decid ing issue when thinking about who to vote for in November.
While the economy is doing well by most measures, public opin ion polling shows that voters feel the economy is doing poorly. Anil Kumar, an economic professor at the University of Iowa, points to rising prices and stagnating wages as a main contributor.
Federal Reserve’s influence on the economy
Public opinion polling shows that voters feel the economy is doing poorly, but economists say the economy is doing better than many other Western economies following the COVID-19 pandemic.
An October The Economist/ YouGov poll found that 46 percent of all voters think the economy is declining. Breaking this up into political parties, the poll found that 74 percent of Republicans say the economy is declining, while only 19 percent of Democrats say the same.
Linda Dim, a first-year University of Iowa student and Independent, said she feels prices have risen and neither candidate has talked enough about how they are going to lower inflation and prices.
“Inflation is obviously really high — I mean, like prices are skyrocketing,” Dim said. “I mean, gas has never been this expensive before, and I feel like it’s going to get more expensive as time goes on.”
Kumar, formerly of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said voters’ poor opinion of the state of the economy can likely be attributed to the media’s perception of the economy and increased prices. In reality, Kumar believes the economy is doing well.
“The economy is at a very sound footing, and the inflation rate is well on its way to the Federal Reserve target,” Kumar said.
Kumar said increased prices are less a result of the Biden administration, and more directly a result of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s fiscal policy aimed at improving the economy and avoiding a recession.
“So, what’s going on here is that in the process of controlling inflation, the Federal Reserve had to slow down the economy,” Kumar said. “There’s no other way. You’re not going to control inflation without slowing down the economy, and so it had to raise interest rates.”
Despite these higher prices, Kumar said the Biden administration performed remarkably well following the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other Western economies. But he also notes that while both the Federal Reserve and the executive branch play important roles in our economy, it is generally the Federal Reserve that has the largest impact.
“In the last couple years, whatever has been going on in the economy has been mostly due to the Federal Reserve,” Kumar said.
Voter opinions on the economy vary
While the majority of voters find the economy to be a deciding issue,
where exactly they land depends on their political affiliation and their age.
An October The Economist / YouGov poll found that almost all voters polled believe the economy is very important, but only 68 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 believe the issue of the economy is very important whereas 77 percent of voters aged 45 to 64 find the economy very important.
UI Political Science Professor Tim Hagle said older voters might find the economy more important. Better economic conditions mean better job opportunities and higher wages, which Hagle said is important to older voters who are responsible for supporting themselves and their families.
Jayden Khamphilanouvong, a first-year student at the UI and an Independent, said the economy is his top issue. While Khamphilanouvong thinks the economy is doing relatively well at the moment, he plans to vote for Trump because he feels he has been more vocal about the econ
omy. “I feel like [Trump’s] economic policies are a lot more straight
forward,” he said. “I feel I haven’t heard enough from Kamala yet on her economic policies.”
The Economist /YouGov poll found that only 35 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds say the economy is getting worse whereas 56 percent of voters 65 or older feel the same.
Younger voters, who aren’t supporting families or may be financially supported by their parents, are less likely to focus on the economy in an election, Hagle said. These voters might prioritize other issues, like the climate, for eign policy, or reproductive rights.
When it comes to the two plans that Trump and Harris bring to the table, Hagle said it’s hard to be sure which resonates more strongly with voters as neither candidate has been very clear on their proposed policies.
While the state of the economy is important to voters, the president has very little economic power, Hagle said.
“You hear presidential candidates make all kinds of promises, and it just never happens because they don’t have that much power,” Hagle said.
In reality, the legislative branch is responsible for passing laws, and with a divided Congressional government — as the U.S. has now — passing any major economic legislation would be difficult, Hagle said.
Parties disagree on the state of the economy
Due to the negative public opinion polling, political parties are taking differing approaches on how they frame the state of the economy and their economic policies.
Beyond age, Hagle said the political party a voter is registered with has a strong correlation with how they view the economy and what policies they deem as most efficient.
Hagle said he thinks the two candidates should focus on addressing the concerns of what he calls “no-party” voters, or Independents. Hagle said these voters care the most about “kitchen table issues” like jobs, the economy, and health care.
Candidates in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District largely mimic their presidential candidate’s plans for the economy. Both candidates in Iowa’s 1st District, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Iowa City Democrat Christina Bohannan, have made the economy a talking point on the campaign trail.
Miller-Meeks has sought to attack Democrats for what she says is causing sky-high inflation
Hart pointed to economic indicators that show the economy is doing well as proof that the Biden-Harris administration has improved the economy.
The S&P 500, an index measuring the health of stocks for the top 500 companies, hit an all-time high last month, pointing to a strong stock market. Unemployment is at 4.1 percent for September 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is on par with pre-pandemic unemployment. Kumar said these, and other factors, point toward a healthy economy contrary to public opinion.
David Barker, Iowa GOP finance chair, doesn’t share Hart’s views on the Biden administration’s economic outcomes. Barker said it’s easy for Republicans to focus on the economy in this election because every day, voters are facing higher prices than they were four years ago. This increase in prices, Barker said, is due to the Biden administration’s economic policies coming out of the pandemic.
“During COVID, the economy needed some stimulation, but by the time Biden and Harris were in office, that was no longer needed, but they kept their foot on the gas of spending, wild spending, and just tremendously inflationary policies,” Barker said.
Inflationary pressures are partly due to an increase in government spending, but supply chain issues and the Federal Reserve’s fiscal policy are more likely to blame for inflation, according to a Politifact Iowa report.
Barker said going forward, a Harris administration would make the economy worse. He believes her plans to prevent price gouging would create economic inefficiency and make life harder for those who are struggling.
“Those are the things that directly affect people,” Hagle said.
“Everybody is affected, and especially young people, are affected by high interest rates that they’ve not seen before,” Miller-Meeks said in an interview with The Daily Iowan “So, renting an apartment or if you’re wanting to buy a home as a young family, people feel that the American Dream is no longer available to them.”
Miller-Meeks said while inflation has gone down, its effects are cumulative and that Trumpera policies, like the Taxes and Jobs Act that gave tax cuts to corporations, would help with the economy. Bohannan, in turn, has made economic fairness and her middle-class roots a key part of her campaign, much like Harris has done nationally.
“I know what it is like to have to work really hard and still have to make very difficult choices and not be able to meet all of your family’s needs,” Bohannan said in an interview with the DI “People know that about me. They know that I am going to fight for hardworking families like my own.”
Bohannan’s campaign focuses on addressing the cost of health care, but Bohannan also supports many of Harris’s economic proposals.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart wrote in a statement to the DI the Democratic Party looks to build a robust, sustainable economy for all Iowans.
“We believe workers should earn a good living, have the right to unionize, have access to quality, affordable child care and public education, and that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share,” Hart wrote.
Harris’s plan for the economy looks to expand the Child Tax Credit, support first-time homebuyers, and increase taxes on corporations and households making over $400,000 per year. Meanwhile, Trump is focused on cutting taxes, imposing 20 percent tariffs on imports, and increasing federal housing support. Both agree on ending income taxes on tipped income.
Harris’s plan would add the least amount to the deficit
According to a report from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Finance, both candidates’ plans for the economy will add to the national debt. Harris’ plan would add at least $1.2 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, while Trump’s plan would add $5.2 trillion.
Kumar said to judge the impacts of each of the candidate’s economic proposals, voters should look at the national debt deficit.
Kumar emphasized that, at some point, the national debt will need to be paid. He said a plan that helps people today but increases the deficit will ultimately hurt people tomorrow, resulting in higher future interest rates, higher future taxes, and lower future spending.
“You have to look at some measures,” Kumar said. “And the measure I look at is whose plan is going to increase the deficit more, and unfortunately, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, it’s Trump’s plan.”
Photo illustration by DI Staff
Finding the culture in agriculture
Johnson
County growers and entrepreneurs promote rural business unification.
Evan Watson News Reporter
news@dailyiowan.com
On a Sunday morning, Walker Homestead Farm and Winery was brought to life with spouts of dust on a gravel road beneath the tires of an Express Midwest charter bus.
The bus tour left from Walker Homestead at 11:30 a.m. and traveled to Calyx Creek, a lavender farm, before leaving for Cedar Ridge Distillery and then Colony Acres Family Farm.
Each stop featured alcoholic beverages, snacks, and activities that fit the venue. Colony Acres is a pumpkin patch with a giant slide. Calyx Creek had lavender-themed items and the opportunity to tour the treehouses on the site.
Agritourism is a steady, seasonal industry in farming that deviates from traditional commodity ventures. It has been a source of income for farmers in the off-season or when no crops are in the ground and livestock are not ready to be sold.
The state of Iowa is home to a variety of industries. The population is concentrated in larger cities like Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. College towns like Ames and Iowa City have influxes of student life and culture every fall. It is easy to be caught up in the fast pace of everyday urban life for students in class or professionals working in downtown Des Moines. However, the one undeniable constant in Iowa is its rural communities. There is something unique about Iowa, and the rest of the Midwest for that matter, and that is the constant existence of industry wherever you turn. When you leave a city, you are almost immediately met with farm fields and gravel roads to rural communities.
The rate at which a person can go from a tall cityscape to rolling hills is astonishing. What’s more is the shocking proliferation of farms and small industry along these gravel roads and corn rows that sometimes can only be found by looking.
In Johnson County, however, local growers, producers, and entrepreneurs are working to change that fact in ways that bring people and culture from faraway places to rural Iowa.
Greater Iowa City Inc., the local Iowa City area chamber of commerce organization, hosted a bus tour event on Sunday to visit numerous local orchards, vineyards, and farmsteads in Johnson County. This was the first-ever tour and was propagated by the formation of an agritourism brand in Johnson County earlier this year.
Agri-Culture is a coalition of local Johnson County farmsteads and growers who came together to sponsor growth for rural businesses. Greater Iowa City announced the formation in April.
Greater Iowa City Director of Rural Development Sarah Thompson said considerations to unify rural Johnson County businesses began in 2022 when the company hired her as director. Previously, Thompson ran a consulting firm named Rural Revitalization.
“They [the county and Greater Iowa City] wanted to see work in rural communities,” she said. “One of the first things I did was reach out to a list of businesses that are in the county and tried to find as many as I could.”
Thompson met with the businesses in the fall of 2022, and since then, the businesses, which include places such as Wilson’s Apple Orchard and Walker Homestead in Iowa City, have hosted events and provided farm-to-table services to Johnson County families.
Thompson said there is great value in businesses working closely together in this way, which promotes collective problem-solving.
“A lot of the businesses have the same kinds of issues, and if one person solves it, then everyone can know how to solve it,” Thompson said. “Or if no one can solve it, maybe together we can come up with a solution.”
She said Agri-Culture’s goal is to grow steadily while exhibiting the finer aspects of rural Iowa life to Johnson County residents.
“It’s a great way for anyone who doesn’t really understand farming to get a tutorial to find out the kinds of people who like to live in the country or on a farm,” she said. “When you live in Iowa City, sometimes it’s hard to understand why anyone would want to live out in the middle of nowhere.”
Not only does the brand seek to increase awareness of rural Iowa businesses, but it is bringing elements of other cultures to the area as well.
Bob and Kristy Walker own Walker Home stead, just west of Iowa City on American Legion Road. It is a winery and wedding venue populated by machinery, animals, and dining venues. It was from Walker Home stead that the bus tour departed.
The Walkers own the venue, while also teaching at the University of Iowa. The uniqueness of their acquaintance with the rural side of Iowa does not end there; previously, Bob and Kristy Walker lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Bob Walker worked in banking. In 2017, the couple bought the land where they now live and operate their business.
Bob Walker said he and his wife took an interest in agritourism, which began as a part of Italian culture, called agri turismos. They traveled to Italy and earned their rural entrepreneurship education certificate. He said Italian scenery inspired the work they do at their homestead.
This vision is no less than realized. Standing outside the main venue, looking out to the west through the vineyard is reminiscent of classic impressions of the Italian countryside.
Kristy Walker values the work being done for local rural businesses in Johnson County and is glad to contribute.
“We’re doing this to feature the great places that people should go visit as a part of Johnson County,” she said. “Johnson County is full of really great food growers and makers, and we created this collabortion
to help and support one another.”
She said the farmstead began as a farmto-table service. Eventually, business began to ramp up when a chef asked to borrow the farm for an occasion. From there, the Walkers began to expand their fundraising and entertainment pursuits.
Now, they are a member of Agri-Culture and working hard to support their fellow businesses.
As the Walkers and their employees helped prepare for the day with wine mimosas, two long-time Iowa City retirees enjoyed the scenic Italy-inspired view themselves.
John and Sandra Hudson traveled to the homestead to participate in the bus tour.
The couple has been married for 67 years and has lived in Iowa City for 26 of them. Previously, they lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
John Hudson said he was interested in
seeing the different farms on the tour and appreciates local wines, like what is distilled at Walker Homestead and Cedar Ridge. At 97, Hudson recalls visiting his grandparents’ farm in the 1930s as a closely held memory.
“I’ve always liked farms,” he said, “especially from that period. I was old enough to observe and remember.”
To the Hudsons, the Walker Homestead and the other stops on the trip remind them, too, of the Italian countryside, citing images of Tuscany when looking at the vineyard and the wine tastings planned throughout the day.
Bob Walker, too, is excited about the work being done with Agri-Culture.
“Our mission statement is to bring the community agriculture education and business collaboration,” he said. “You bring people out, put your phones down, and talk to each other.”
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Bob Walker pets a goat during the first-ever bus tour at Walker Homestead on Oct. 20 in Johnson County. The farmstead originally began as a farm-to-table service.
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Attendees start to arrive during the first-ever bus tour at Walker Homestead on Oct. 20 in Johnson County. Reporters spoke with the owners beforehand about agritourism’s place in Johnson County.
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
A cow sniffs an egg during the first-ever bus tour at Walker Homestead on Oct. 20 in Johnson County. The farm has been owned by Bob and Kristy Walker since 2017.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
New additions bolster basketball team
Transfers and promising first-years present potential for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa forward Seymour Traore shoots the ball during men’s basketball media day at Carver-Hawkeye
The 2023-24 Iowa athletics season brought plenty of enthusiasm to Iowa City. The football team won 10 games and clinched its third Big Ten West division, women’s wrestling claimed a national championship in its inaugural campaign, and the soccer squad made an improbable run to the NCAA tournament.
And to top it off, the women’s basketball team won 34 games and went to the NCAA championship game for the second consecutive season, shattering records and trailblazing women’s sports along the way.
But often forgotten in the mix was the men’s basketball team, which suffered through a disappointing 19-15 season in 2023-24, missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018.
The dismal campaign frustrated many Hawkeye fans, as the program hasn’t
advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the Big Dance since 1999, despite All-Americans Jarrod Uthoff, Luka Garza, Keegan Murray, and Kris Murray playing for the program in recent years. Iowa won 26 games in the 2021-22 season, but has compiled only a 38-29 record since, barely hovering around .500 in the Big Ten each of those two years. Attendance has also dwindled, with many games last season barely attracting 10,000 people, even for conference games.
Hawkeyes look to scratch the Northwestern Wildcats
Assistant Sports Editor Brad Schultz takes a deeper look at Iowa’s Week 9 opponent, Northwestern.
Brad
Schultz Assistant Sports Editor
brad.schultz@dailyiowan.com
Following a disappointing loss to Michigan State last weekend, the Iowa football team turned their attention to a homecoming contest against Northwestern, who is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play after a 23-3 loss against Wisconsin last weekend.
This marks the 83rd all-time meeting between the two programs, with Iowa holding a 53-26-3 edge in the series. Despite the lopsided margin, the Wildcats have notoriously been the Hawkeyes’ nemesis for many years, holding a respectable 13-13 record against Iowa since 1995. Former Northwestern standout linebacker and head coach Pat Fitzgerald was usually at the center of those matchups, in part due to a grudge against Iowa after he
broke his leg against them during a 1995 game, sidelining him for the rest of the year. After being promoted to head coach ahead of the 2006 season, Fitzgerald compiled a 9-8 record against Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes, including an upset victory in 2009. Fitzgerald was fired just weeks before the 2023 season in the wake of a hazing scandal, ending the “rivalry” between the two schools. Defensive coordinator David Braun replaced him and went a remarkable 8-5, winning the Las Vegas Bowl. The Wildcats began the season with a measly 2-3 record, but bounce-back victories over Maryland and Wisconsin have them right in the mix for another bowl game. To fully digest this matchup, let’s take a deeper look at Northwestern:
Head coach Fran McCaffery returns for his 15th season in Iowa City and has boasted some of the top offensive teams in the country over his tenure. But defense has seemed to be the Achilles heel, as the Hawkeyes allowed nearly 80 points per game in 2023-24. Despite the lack of optimism surrounding the program, the Hawkeyes are hopeful for a turnaround, one they hope to achieve with a new-look roster featur -
VOLLEYBALL
Tulane transfer to team leader
Iowa volleyball’s Michelle Urquhart is taking the reins of the team.
Jack Birmingham Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The Iowa women’s volleyball team has found a new source of strength and leadership in fourth-year returner Michelle Urquhart, who has proven to be a weapon for the team with high figures across multiple matches.
Coming off an 8-24 season that ended with the team 0-20 in conference play, the largely new team is overall more successful this time around. The Hawkeyes aren’t perfect, but they’re collecting wins in Big Ten play and consistently holding their own against formidable teams.
Urquhart is playing a third and final season with the Hawkeyes, racking up high numbers during multiple key games. Humbly, she said a lot of the credit for good performance goes to the team as a whole, though, namely first-year setter Jenna Meitzler.
“I give all the credit to our defense and to our setter,” Urquhart said. “She’s putting up great balls, and we’re digging great opportunities to get those numbers. So really, all the credit goes to my team for putting me in those situations.”
Urquhart’s collegiate career began at Tulane, transferring to Iowa after one season. Urquhart’s teammate Anna Davis also played at Tulane.
Davis, now in a similarly final season of eligibility at Iowa, has seen Urquhart as valuable to the team across their collective careers.
“It’s awesome playing with her every game,” Davis said. “She brings a really competitive edge. Everything she does brings a good, commanding, but calming presence at the same time.”
Urquhart has developed a unique connection with head coach Jim Barnes just as she has with Davis. Barnes is also in his third season with the Iowa team, having previously coached at Tulane for six seasons.
“My relationship with him is amazing,” Urquhart said. “I joke around with him all the time. You can catch me during practice making jokes. I would say we have a great relationship. I’ll just pop into his office randomly.” Davis admires how confident Urquhart is as a person, something that helps both in and out of games.
“She knows who she is,” Davis said. “She knows what she’s about and what she stands firm in. That holds true in life and also on the volleyball court. Having someone that confident, that steady in all she does, it makes it easier to be around her and fun to be around her.”
As of Oct. 15, just prior to an away game at Northwestern, Urquhart is a team leader in service aces, having
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Arena in Iowa City on Oct. 7. The team took interviews from the media and held an open practice.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz reacts to a play by Iowa during a game between Iowa and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 19. The spartans defeated the Hawkeyes, 32-20.
Football Saturday,
Men’s Basketball
Friday, Oct. 25 Minnesota-Duluth (exh.)
Iowa
Soccer
Iowa field hockey needs some work
The Hawkeyes are fighting for the final spot in the Big Ten tournament.
When Iowa field hockey head coach Lisa Cellucci discussed the recent struggles the Hawkeyes have faced, the first thing she said was “It hasn’t been up to par of what we expect.”
Iowa is traditionally known for its excellence and consistency when it comes to the sport. But the recent stretch is something that hasn’t been seen many times with this program.
Over the past four weeks, the Hawkeyes have posted a 2-5 record, dropped three recent games, and will likely fall out of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association top-20 rankings.
Volleyball
This stretch is somewhat unprec edented compared to what Iowa has done the past six years. Since 2018, the Hawkeyes have posted an 85-35 record, averaging just over 14 wins per season.
But after dropping to Monmouth on Oct. 13, Iowa fell to 6-6 on the year and 1-4 in Big Ten play and is currently fighting for the last spot to qualify for the Big Ten tournament, in which seven of the league’s nine teams will compete.
Cellucci said her squad has had far too many close losses. Four of Iowa’s six losses have been onescore games, with three of those being in overtime or shootouts.
“In our sport, when you go to overtime, anything can happen,”
ence between a victory or an overtime defeat.
Another factor in these defeats has been the overall youth of this Iowa team. The preseason injury of
but we have to keep finding a way.”
Despite the recent struggles, the team’s energy has been upbeat and motivated. Cellucci and her coaching staff have tried to rally and mo-
wrong in these losses, using practice to further analyze some problems the team can fix going forward into the season.
“Obviously it was some very hard losses,” Herbine said. “It was very hard for the team, but I think we have a positive attitude about it going forward.”
Former Iowa cornerback and current Philadelphia Eagle Cooper DeJean made headway against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 13 during the first game of his NFL career.
Hailing from Odebolt, Iowa, DeJean was selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft at 40th overall. That was after his three seasons playing defensive back for the Hawkeyes, during which he earned the honors of unanimous All-American, Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, and Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year in 2023. The rookie excelled in his NFL starting debut, and he did it all. DeJean totaled three solo tackles, three assisted tackles, two quarterback pressures, one quarterback hit, and half of a sack. Additionally, he returned four punts for 51 yards and a long of 19 in the 20-16 win.
In the Eagles’ win against the Giants, 28-3, the following weekend, DeJean deflected multiple tackle attempts and made a 28-yard punt return. On the other side of the U.S., fellow Hawkeye defensive back Riley Moss is making headway of his own in the same role.
Moss played for the Hawkeyes from 2018 to 2022 and mentored DeJean en route to a third-team AllAmerican nod in 2021 and the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year award that same year.
Drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Moss has totaled 45 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, five pass deflections, and an interception as of Week 6 in the league. Named the team’s starting before the season, Moss has learned and developed opposite All-Pro cornerback and former Alabama Crimson Tide star Patrick Surtain.
WHAT YOU’VE MISSED QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Cellucci said. “It is such a different game, and we have been on the wrong end of some of those.”
Cellucci said the reason for a lot of these close defeats has been the lack of execution in the final quarters of the game, particularly when it comes to finishing the opportunities around the net.
The Hawkeyes have had “balls that just miss the post or went wide,” Cellucci said. These minor lapses in finishing can be the differ-
Q&A | SOFIA BUSH
“In our sport when you go to overtime, anything can happen. It is such a different game, and we have been on the wrong end of some of those.”
Lisa Cellucci Iowa field hockey head coach
fourth-year midfielder Lieve Schalk has forced Cellucci to start six underclassmen.
“We aren’t making any excuses, but the cards have been stacked against us since we started,” Cellucci said. “That’s been unfortunate,
tivate the team through this stretch, but some players have taken it upon themselves to get the season back on track.
Fourth-year forward Annika Herbine said the team has met a couple of times to figure out what is going
Iowa soccer midfielder on pregame ritual
Trey Benson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The Daily Iowan: Other than Iowa’s field, what’s been your favorite field to play on thus far?
Sofia Bush: Texas was fun. They had drums going on the whole game, and it was super nice. It was also early in the season, and we came out with a tie against a top-ranked team. So I think that just instilled a belief that we are good, and if we believe in each other, we can do anything.
What’s been your favorite moment of the season so far?
I would have to say when we played Ohio State and Maya Hansen scored a goal to tie us up. I
When you think about collegiate athletics, the first thing that comes to mind is big-named sports like football and basketball.
think that just shows the perseverance and resilience of this group. It was just really exciting to be there.
What’s your favorite drill to do in practice? Probably just six-versus-six small-sided scrimmages.
Iowa has three regular season games remaining: road trips to Ohio State and Michigan State and a home contest with Michigan. Cellucci has maintained the team’s focus and energy as the season enters its final stretch.
“Team spirits are high, and it’s a clean slate right now,” Cellucci said. “We have to continue to perform and get better. Really for us over the next three weeks, our success is going to be measured by us maximizing our potential.”
How competitive would you say practices get? Every day, it’s a competition. But I think that only pushes us to do better and get better.
And the coaches do encourage it.
Ideal day-off activities?
Oh, sleeping. I am not even kidding. Sleeping.
Go-to coffee order?
Before a
Say your parents are in town. Where are you going to eat?
If my parents are in town, I would probably have to say St. Burch Tavern. I just really like that place.
Do you have a go-to hype song?
Any Eminem song.
Any music genre you can’t stand? I am just not a huge fan of Taylor Swift, like all of her pop songs and all of that.
This could overall eliminate the need for sports that don’t add much revenue and lead to the abolishment of certain pro grams. We have already seen this story before with Iowa sports.
“It’s not going to be easy. We’ve got to go get it. But we’ve got the right guys in the locker room to go do that.”
Iowa football defensive end Deontae Craig
STAT OF THE WEEK
Iowa women’s soccer loss
so far ahead of the final three games in the regular season
These are sports that constantly make revenue for the university and force colleges and fans across the country to pour in money and resources to have the best product on the playing field.
At the University of Iowa, the main revenue-generating sports in the 2020s include football, men’s basketball, men’s wrestling, and now women’s basketball. These sports gather the most investment from the university solely because of the revenue they can generate. Unsurprisingly, Hawkeye athletics has decided to invest more time and resources in the sports that make them the most money. But does that hurt the overall growth and development of all other Iowa athletic programs?
I believe that the overall investment in these top money-making sports can decrease funding for smaller programs.
In 2020, the UI eliminated four sports that were a part of their athletic program due to financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving all got the boot to compensate for the university’s loss of money. While women’s swimming and diving was brought back due to Title IX compliance, the other sports have become a forgotten memory in Hawkeye athletics. This shows the university was willing to cut sports when its overall revenue was in jeopardy.
The need for bigger sports like football and basketball to be successful puts stress on the university’s spending. If overall revenue was lower than it had been in previous seasons, the university needed to make sure those sports remained competitive compared to the amount of invested money. College athletics are bigger than football and basketball. When the money needs to go where the attention is, it’s going away from the sports that need it more.
I harken back to University of Iowa professor Charles Munro’s Business of Sport Communication class when I tell you revenue-generating sports don’t overshadow the work of others. Indeed, one might argue the attention on football and basketball diminishes the impact nationally successful wrestling teams have had on Iowa. But wrestling is still a revenue-generating sport, albeit on a smaller scale, and it all boils down to the market and what the people want. Thanks, Charles. Wrestling is a perfect case in point. Within its niche, Iowa wrestling is huge. It packs Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and wrestling fans across the U.S. can easily point to the legends left behind from Dan Gable to Jaydin Eierman. The same goes for field hockey, volleyball, and track. The groups that pay close attention to these sports in this country give them
the recognition they deserve here at Iowa.
But those groups are small. Football, men’s basketball, and now women’s basketball command so much of the attention at Iowa because they’re the three sports that capture the entire country — not just select groups.
The attention to these Hawkeye sports is deserved, as is attention to the small sports succeeding, but to say it’s detrimental to the latter is an unfair description. To pour more money into programs that much fewer Americans statistically pay attention to is economically unsound.
Each sport has its market that it operates in. Iowa football is so popular because the sport of football is so popular, and the market is massive. Field hockey, unfortunately, cannot possibly gather enough traction in this country to compete.
In fact, that’s beneficial to the small sports when you recognize the profits from football go to funding the smaller sports, many of which — like women’s basketball before Caitlin Clark rolled onto the scene — lose money each year.
Iowa’s revenue-generating sports aren’t detrimental to smaller sports — they keep them alive.
game, I like black coffee — plain, nothing in it. But, right now, as a treat, I would have to say Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from
Sofia Bush #5
Second-year Midfielder Marion, Iowa Biology major
Sports Reporter
Colin Votzmeyer
Wyatt Gooddale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa players stand for the national anthem before a field hockey game between No. 12 Iowa and Indiana at Grant Field in Iowa City on Oct. 11. The Hoosiers defeated the Hawkeyes, 2-1, in double overtime. Following a loss to Monmouth on Oct. 13, Iowa’s overall record fell to 6-6, 1-4 in Big Ten Play.
NCAA from 1B
ing well-rounded athleticism and strong defense to complement their high-powered offense.
“We expect to be really good,” McCaffery said at Iowa media day on Oct. 7. “We expect to win a lot of games. We expect to go to the NCAA Tournament. We expect to contend night in and night out in a very difficult league.”
Transfers provide hope Iowa isn’t known as a hotbed for transfers, but the program has had a knack for finding under-the-radar recruits and quickly developing them into Big Ten caliber players. Notable examples in recent years are Filip Rebraca and Ben Krikke, each of whom enjoyed successful careers with the Hawkeyes.
Now, Iowa hopes to continue their history of development with new transfers Drew Thelwell and Seydou Traore.
Thelwell, a point guard from Morehead State, comes to Iowa City as the winningest player in Eagles history, recording 94 victories and leading Morehead to two NCAA Tournaments and two Ohio Valley Conference titles.
The 6-foot-3 senior chipped in 10 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, leading the OVC and ranking 15th nationally with 211 total assists during the year. Not only can Thelwell distribute the ball well, but he also topped the OVC in assist-to-turnover ratio, a key factor for success at the position.
Now in his fifth season of college basketball, Thelwell’s maturity and experience have already earned praise from McCaffery, with the coach also crediting Thelwell’s positive influence on sophomore point guard Brock Harding.
“It’s been fun just to kind of battle with him every single day,” Harding recalled. “I’m a lot quicker, obviously, and he uses his physicality. So, just kind of two different dynamics that we get to guard each
WILDCATS from 1B
Offense
The Wildcats employed a two-quarterback system at the beginning of the season, but second-year Jack Lausch emerged as the starter against Eastern Illinois after tossing 227 yards and a touchdown in the 31-7 victory. In all, the sophomore has tallied 808 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception this season.
Lausch is also a capable runner, collecting 141 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries of work. His passing game has been highly criticized by the Northwestern faithful, but Braun has full confidence in his young signal caller.
“He ’s not a glorified running back,” Braun told WildcatReport. “He’s a quarterback and he’s playing like a quarterback right now.”
Lausch struggled last week against Wisconsin, completing only nine of his 24 passing attempts for 82 yards. It will
other.”
Thelwell’s game translates well to McCaffery’s high-octane offense, a unit that has ranked in the top five of the Big Ten in assists per game for the last four seasons. Whether he starts or not, his passing ability could give this Hawkeye offense even more firepower and depth in conference play.
Traore, a forward from Manhattan, joins Iowa after a successful freshman campaign for the Jaspers, recording 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Traore ranked second on the team in scoring and led the Mid Atlantic Athletic Conference with 1.3 blocks per game.
Additionally, the 6-foot-7 forward was the only player in the MAAC to record 300 points, 200 rebounds, 60 assists, 40 steals, and 30 blocks. Though his Manhattan squad went 7-23, Traore’s performance earned him All-MAAC Rookie Team honors.
“I feel like this year I’m just going to be able to play my game, be versatile, especially on defensive end and offensive end, just being able to go out one through five and be able to score whenever I get a chance to,” Traore said.
Freshman upsides
Along with the additions of Traore and Thelwell, Iowa brings in a 2024 recruiting class featuring two high-upside prospects.
Chris Tadjo joins the Hawkeyes after a successful prep career in Canada, where he was a two-time Most Valuable Player of the All-Canadian Games, an event that showcases the best high school basketball prospects in Canada. Tadjo posted a double-double of 25 points and 16 rebounds in the 2023 edition, earning one of the two MVP honors.
In addition to his career in Canada, Tadjo has tallied an impressive resume with the NBA Academy Latin America, a training program for top prospects from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, South America, and Central America.
be interesting to see how he can bounce back after the rough performance.
The rushing attack has been solid, with three backs tallying over 100 rushing yards. Fourth-year Cam Porter leads the group with 320 yards and five touchdowns, but only posted 48 yards on 14 carries against Wisconsin last week.
Wide receivers AJ Henning and Bryce Kirtz have led the charge, with each recording nearly 400 yards on the season. Henning is in his second season in Evanston after transferring from Michigan and has tallied three scores.
Though he has yet to score this year, Kirtz has increased his production in recent weeks, racking up over 120 yards against Indiana and Maryland, but the Badgers stifled him last week, holding him to 23 yards.
Defense
The Wildcats have been stout defensively, allowing just 19 points per game, tied for 26th in the nation under first-year defensive coordinator
URQUHART from 1B
tallied 30 throughout the team’s 18 games of play.
Urquhart also holds up in kills, taking second on the team with 143 prior to the game against the Wildcats, second only to first-year Malu Garcia, who leads with 179. Davis noted how this season has really given Urquhart a chance to shine.
The 6-foot-8 forward is known for his rebounding and overall tenacious defensive ability, something that could pay huge dividends moving forward for the Hawkeyes.
“It’s easy to see the Canadian forward bringing value in spots early on in his collegiate career as a rebounder and defender given his physicality, toughness and athletic ability,” Max Feldman of MADE Hoops said in a recent article. “Continuing to polish his skill level, processing-ability, and carving out a bankable trait offensively will be keys long-term.”
Tadjo said he is still learning the ins and outs of McCaffery’s motion offense, but he hopes his patient approach to the game can “help everyone.”
Joining Tadjo in the 2024 class is Cooper Koch. Koch, a forward from Peoria,
Tim McGarigle. McGarigle previously served as linebackers coach for six seasons and was promoted to defensive coordinator after Mike Bajakian joined Utah in the offseason.
Linebacker Mac Uihlein leads the unit with an impressive 45 tackles and two sacks, while fellow linebacker Xander Mueller follows close behind with 43.
On the flip side, the secondary has collected six interceptions from six different players.
Special teams
Third-year kicker Jack Olsen has converted seven of his 10 field goal attempts and all of his extra point tries. Olsen’s longest field goal of the season was a
Illinois, posted 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for Metamora High School, earning Illinois High School Association Class 3A first-team honors. “I’m just trying to help the team as much as possible, try to space the floor and shoot it pretty well from three,” Koch said.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Koch is also a versatile player like Tadjo, and he can extend opposing defenses with his shooting ability, his prowess for scoring from all areas of the court earning praise from McCaffery and his teammates.
“I remember I went to see him out west, and he had eight threes in a row,” McCaffery said. “You remember, he is 6’8”, so he can score inside. He does offensive rebound. He can post up. He is a three-level scorer.”
46-yarder in Week 3 against Eastern Illinois.
Third-year punter Luke Akers, the son of longtime Eagles kicker David Akers, has followed in his father’s footsteps nicely, averaging 42.4 yards per punt on 33 attempts.
Final Analysis
Northwestern has always been a thorn in Iowa’s side, but the Hawkeyes will be highly motivated to come out with a victory after the disappointing outing against Michigan State last weekend. The game will be close in the fourth quarter, but expect the Hawkeyes to have just enough firepower to win this game in front of the home fans at Kinnick Stadium.
Urquhart, in the midst of a season that has seen multiple double-doubles, has enjoyed the energy the team brings.
“It feels like a real family,” Urquhart said. “We’re just making history for Iowa, and people are just going to have to see what else we bring.”
“Last season, there was a lot going on,” Davis said. “This season, she’s really come out and given everything she’s got and been able to put up those numbers. It’s like all the hard work that she’s put in and that I’ve seen her put in for the past four years is starting to really pay off.”
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles runs into the sidelines during a game between the Iowa and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 19. The Spartans defeated the Hawkeyes, 32-20.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Fran McCaffery speaks at a press conference during Men’s basketball media day at CarverHawkeye Arena in Iowa City on October. 7. The team took interviews from the media and held an open practice.
KICKING IS WINNING
The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, 32-20, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday. Michigan State kicker Jonathan Kim scored 18 points for the Spartans and broke a school record for farthest field goal in a game.
JONATHAN KIM MADE SIX FIELD GOALDS, RESULTING IN 18 POINTS, SETTING A NEW RECORD AT MICHIGAN STATE.
(Top) Michigan State running back Kay’ron LynchAdams runs from Iowa defensive players during a game between Iowa and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 19. The
defeated the Hawkeyes, 32-20.
A Spartan fan yells during the game between Iowa and Michigan State. There were 69,682 people in attendance for Michigan State’s homecoming game. (Middle) Iowa defense attempts to block Michigan State kicker Jonathan Kim during the game. Kim went 6-7 field goals for the Spartans, scoring 18 points and breaking the school record. Kim also broke his personal record for longest field goal. Including Kim’s 1-2 points after touchdown, his total points for the game made up for 19 of the team’s 32. (Left
Emma Calabro and Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Spartans
(Right)
bottom) Michigan State linebacker Jordan Turner gives his glove to fans after the game. Turner recorded six tackles for the Spartans.
Crystal balls, singing bowls, and precious crystals in IC
Wild Culture reimagines classic cocktails
Owner Kyle Crossett recreated a few popular menu drinks.
With a sun-drenched sitting area on one end and a dimly lit den of couches on the other, a long bar stretching between them like a center of gravity, Wild Culture’s taproom is an accommodating space for anyone interested in sipping a good drink in a cozy space.
Wild Culture opened its downtown location at 210 N Linn St. in 2018. It has been serving customers at the Iowa City Farmers’ Market since 2016, though, when its original owners began brewing kombucha, a roughly three-week fermented type of tea high in probiotics.
Since current owner Kyle Crossett and his partner took over Wild Culture in 2020, Crossett has been expanding the drink menu beyond kombucha to other beverages, including coffee and cocktail classics with a twist.
“We try and use a lot of local produce, whether it be herbs or spices, things like that, in our cocktail menu,” Crossett said. “And that kind of changes semi-seasonally. We don’t necessarily have a whole seasonal flip, but we’ll rotate through four to five cocktails.”
In a demonstration for The Daily Iowan , Crossett made three cocktails, one of which is a fan-favorite called “Double Vision.”
The delicious gin drink is inspired by a “Green Eyes” cocktail Crossett first encountered in Seattle.
Creating the “Double Vision” was a lesson in chemistry as Crossett filled a mixer with ice, pours of lime juice, Bombay gin, sugar syrup, Strega, which is an italian herbal liqueur, egg whites, and orange bitters. After shaking the mixer with skillful style, he strained the concoction of its ice and shook it again to make the egg whites as fluffy as possible.
Crossett presented the light yellow drink in an Old Fashioned glass with two ice cubes, a layer of froth settled across its surface. He
Last-minute Halloween costume ideas
a Halloween party you
Isabella Nekvinda Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
As someone who loves Halloween but delays shopping until the very week of festivities, I know a thing or two about last-minute costumes.
If you want to celebrate the holiday but do not have a costume, then look no further. These last-minute costumes can be sourced from your very own closet or picked up from a quick run to Ragstock.
Princess and The Pea
If you have a pajama set on hand, this adorable and comfy costume only requires one prop. Put together your favorite sleep set, throw on some slippers, an eye mask, and perhaps a robe if you’re feeling especially wild.
That only leaves one key addition to the costume: the pea. However, a plush pea is not as hard as one might think to get a hold of. Walmart and Barnes & Noble carry them in-store for those who do not want to test the fates with an Amazon order. This is a unique costume that will keep you cozy on a frigid fall night.
Beanie Baby
Already planning on dressing up as an animal this Halloween? Pin a stuffed animal tag to the front of your top to give it the unique twist your costume is missing.
Whether it be a cat, bunny, or whatever animal you conjure, adding a plushie tag will give your costume an elevated and creative element.
Care Bear
With a monochrome outfit and a bear-eared headband, you can be your favorite childhood cartoon!
A quick run to Ragstock before your function and you can grab the key element of your costume in minutes.
Pair with an outfit that matches from head to toe, and it will tie this adorable costume together just like that!
Marie Antoinette
Do you have a corset top and a white skirt? If you said yes to both of these, you are halfway finished.
Tie this together with a tiara and a curled updo and you will look like a French aristocrat in seconds.
Optional little details to elevate the costume can be knee-high stockings, a paper fan, lace gloves, and pearl jewelry. The more accessories, the better!
spritzed it with absinthe and topped it off with a slice of dried lime, a Luxardo cherry, and a silver skull skewer.
The texture of the egg whites in my first sip of “Double Vision” warmly introduced the drink’s citrusy taste, enhanced by the sweet notes of black licorice from the absinthe. The liqueur, perfectly balanced by its fellow ingredients, offered contrasting herbal flavors, mint and fennel being most apparent.
The second cocktail Crossett made was “All Choked Up.” For this daiquiri-inspired drink, he combined ounces of Italian liqueur Amaro Montenegro and artichoke liqueur Cynar with lemon juice and a dash of saline solution for a salty finish.
“A traditional daiquiri should be very well-balanced between sweetness and bitterness and citrus,” Crossett said. “We just kind of wanted to do a fun, little twist on it.”
Served in a coupe glass, “All Choked Up” is a harmony of fruity and herbal flavors. Hints of orange, vanilla, and even plum in every sip coupled with its maroon-colored appearance make this drink, in my eyes, a perfect autumn pairing.
Wild Culture is also ambitious with its nonalcoholic drinks, presenting several mocktail reimaginings of menu items. One such mocktail is the “Beast of Burden,” which is a cocktail typically made with vodka and the taproom’s Ginger Hibiscus kombucha.
Instead of using a nonalcoholic spirit substitute, Crossett simply removed the vodka from his ingredients. He filled a Moscow Mule mug with ice, homemade kombucha, lime juice, and club soda, slipping a slice of dried lime on top.
Reminiscent of ginger beer, the “Beast of Burden” is elevated by its infusion of lime and sweet hibiscus undertones to produce a refreshing and botanical beverage.
With their drink menu expanding, Crossett added that Wild Culture will eventually look to expand its food menu items as well. The menu currently consists of light platters to complement customers’ kombucha and cocktail experiences.
Crossett explained how grateful he is for his staff and the supportive community Wild Culture is privileged to be a part of.
“We’ve got a really good, really strong staff that is dedicated to hospitality and giving people a great experience,” Crossett said. “Whether it’s donations or doing fundraisers or just working with different organizations, I love that we have this and that we’re able to positively impact this community. Iowa City is great for us.”
TV-SHOW
A Discovery of Witches on Netflix BOOK
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
MOVIE
The Blair Witch Project directed by Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick
WITCHY SINGALONGS
Absurdism meets personhood in ‘Brick Bang’
The Stanley Museum brings Funk Art piece by Robert Arneson to its ceramics collection.
Haya Hussain Arts Reporter niassuhayah@gmail.com
Father of the Funk Art movement, Robert Arneson, mastered the art of changing everyday items into objects of sardonic humor.
In ‘Brick Bang’ from 1976, he incorporates his self-portrait with the famous Arneson brick to encase another one of his controversial, absurdist statements.
The Stanley Museum of Art hosts this piece as an installment in the ceramics collection, thanks to late collector and curator Joan E. Mannheimer.
The Daily Iowan takes a look at Arneson’s work and responds in poetic form.To see the art, visit stanleymusem.uiowa.edu.
Ceramic Cynics & Where do they come from?
There’s a giggle dancing on your lips! Draw it out, let it linger a little longer, who’s listening? Who’s listening! Who’s listening to us anymore, our senile whispers, our tangy breath, the secrets crawling under our hair, clicking and ticking as they dig deeper into our scalp.
It’s all so so so so so easy. It’s really, really so easy to slap a small smirk on it. Yes, this is fine. Do you care? Who cares? Who cares! Who cares about our fickle minds, we’ll all be away anyway, and then who will wonder? Is anyone wondering? Is there even any use in
wondering about these things?
Save your breath– we’re here for a little longer, but let it all draw out, let it take the form of something you’ve seen before. Let it shape itself into everything here, everything is here, it is all here! And isn’t it all so familiar? It’s all so familiar! It has all run down the little streams of our minds and suddenly, suddenly you’re reminded of all the things, all the familiar things, and there’s that tingling, that giggle– that giggle! Dancing on your lips! And something else has danced, too, just like this, yes, just like that! But it’s so sad, really, truly so sad. Because there’s a part of you, of your mind, that wants it all back. But is anyone even wondering, is there any use wondering and wanting things of the past? It’s all gone now, and then it’ll be gone again. Put it all to shame, why don’t you, put it all into silence. Grab a little something and shove it in there, fix those memories, let that giggle, oh that giggle! linger a little while longer. This is all there is to do. It will all plaster away, anyway. So let me give you into something permanent and still this laughter for a little longer. Before that escapes us, too. But this is not something to grieve. There is nothing to grieve. There is, here, and then hereafter, nothing reasonable. And that brings you so much joy, once you take that part of you away.
Let me, friend, take it all away from you. Then that laughter can linger a little longer.
POETRY COLUMN Hannah
from 1C
singing
“It’s a very basic principle of science, like resonance, how sound kind of travels,” Saini said with a bowl in her lap, tapping the rim to evoke a vibration. “There is a tone to it, a sound, so both of those are very helpful in healing. You are doing something now, you are in the present moment, which is called mindfulness. Each sound corresponds to one of the energy centers of the body, which are called the chakras.”
Since Saini grew up in India, she takes a lot of her influence from Vedic culture, a culture that purposefully lacks in organized religion. In other words, people are free to explore themselves in any way they wish.
“My big learning experience from life is that it’s not all about logic. Like why you did or didn’t do that, this should be more profitable or this should be avoided. I go with what I am drawn to,” Saini said. “If I
connect [with something], and if it makes me think ‘Yeah that makes sense,’ I can relate to that. [If] it brings immediate peace and calm, why not [explore it]?” Saini said. Saini said life-changing miracles have occurred right in front of her eyes as a result of her spiritual practices. In one such case, a Cedar Rapids woman had walked into Om, and Saini could tell that she was having a bad day. “We were having a conversation and a book [near the display] fell. So, she picked up the book and she [almost] put it back, but she ended up not doing so,” Saini said.
That book was about sound healing, which intrigued the customer. Saini knew the author; he was one of her distributors from Nepal.
She told her customer about the distributor’s expertise in sound therapy, and through further communication, found out he was holding a class in Colorado. After booking a flight, the woman was able to attend the session.
“When she came back, she told me that [her] life changed and that [she] found
her purpose,” Saini said.
The woman decided to practice sound therapy outside of her experience in Colorado and eventually offered to teach others about the joys of sound healing. Despite stories such as these that suggest what is almost divine intervention, many people, especially college students, are choosing not to affiliate with religion. Thirty-eight percent of 18-29-year-olds identified as religiously unaffiliated, according to the Public Religion Research Institute’s 2022 Census of American Religion.
However, adults continue to identify with “New Age” beliefs in the occult and metaphysical spirituality. According to a 2018 Pew Research study, 62 percent of nonreligious adults in the United States believe in at least one “New Age” belief. Some “New Age” practices include crystal healing, astrological prediction, and tarot card readings, all of which can be resourced in Iowa City. Thus, the thriving college town Iowa fosters has become home to stores like Om. Retail isn’t the only way to engage with the spiritual realm, though.
Stephanie Prier’s sense of the past, present, and future is a gift she recognized in her childhood. As she learned to understand her ability, she came to a realization.
“What I’m doing here is making a difference in this individual’s life and helping them through whatever situation that they might be going through,” Prier said. “Eventually [I started doing that] for friends and then family members, and eventually [I felt] like I wanted to expand my ability by reaching out to locals around me and being able to do readings for them.” One of Prier’s specialties is tarot card reading. During each session, she shuffles a deck of tarot cards as her client focuses on their wishes, dreams, and the energies they want to attract. Then, the stories come to her. Laying out the respective cards, she finally explains her client’s tale. Prier detailed how the energy she feels from the client can affect the results of their reading. “If you’re feeling really anxious or really nervous, it’s not going to give you the right
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answer,” Prier said. “I mean there [were] some clients who came in that I guess were impatient. I [told] them to give their reading more time and eventually they [would] call back and say, ‘You were right.’”
One of Prier’s other practices besides her tarot card readings is crystal ball readings. Her sto ries, however, do not show up inside of the ball like they do in the movies — it is just a tool to aid her abilities.
“It goes into the past, present, future, love, marriage, and business,” Prier said. “It will answer questions and give guidance, and I can also pick up on other individuals as long as I have their name and their date of birth.”
Reaching that point of calm is one of the main points that Prier stresses, and it is the same for local business PrismsScape Gems,
“A friend of mine used to say Reiki is channeling divine love. So, it’s universal life energy, and Reiki has been around probably almost as long as people have been around.”
Gina Crosheck
PrismsScape Gems & Healing Center owner
which is a place that does much more beyond showcasing its wide arrangement of crystals.
PrismsScape Gems & Healing Center is just outside the city’s downtown area, but it has grown into a prominent spiritual store over the past ten
Since starting her metaphysical journey in 2002, owner Gina Crosheck has come a long way and gained a team of many specialists throughout that time. The tragic loss of her husband and sister within the same week sprouted a path to the spiritual that Crosheck has Croshek has worked at the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights in the College of Law for the past 27 years, during which time she took a leap of faith and began her private practice around Reiki and past life regression.
“A friend of mine used to say Reiki is channeling divine love. So, it’s universal life energy, and Reiki has been around probably almost as long as
people have been around,” said Crosheck.
Past life regression is a form of hypnotherapy that takes an individual through their past lives and experiences to help them explore memories they might not be able to access on their own.
Through sessions of past life regression, an individual can reconnect with their past experiences by getting rid of some of the “noise” that might be covering these memories up.
Not too long afterwards, Croshek had people wanting to work with her, which led her to open PrismsScape in 2015.
The store sells crystals and offers appointments for those who want to find their spiritual balance. One of these specialists who offers their service at the store is Richard Hirsch, who uses integrative kinesiology, which combines Eastern and Western medicine.
“He had trained early in life as a chiropractor, but then he went to China and studied with the masters of Chinese healing four times. He’s able to see things that many of us cannot see,” said Crosheck.
PrismsScape also offers energy scans, craniosacral massages, and meditations with galactic energies.
The myriad of distinct practices offered at Crosheck’s store alone speaks to the ever-growing nature of the spiritual community.
The store’s welcoming, cozy atmosphere wouldn’t be possible without the decorated shelves of crystals and Crosheck’s hugging policy. If any of PrismsScape’s spiritual guides are met with a customer who just needs a hug, they’ve been told to go for it.
The healing power of the hug is akin to the healing Iowa City’s mystic messengers hope to provide.
“The primary directive of the whole business is sharing love with people,” Crosheck said.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Stephanie Michelle’s items and trinkets are seen at The Psychic Shop in Iowa City on Oct. 18. Michelle specializes in tarot readings and psychic readings, noting that October is a busy month for her business.
