The Daily Iowan — 10.30.24

A growing gender gap in young voters

Women

Jami Martin-Trainor Executive Editor jami.martin.trainor@dailyiowan.com

Rita McCarthy is voting for Vice President Kamala Harris because she is worried about losing individual rights and freedom in America.

“There’s a lot at stake for women,” she said.

Caleb Killing-Matthews plans to vote for former President Donald Trump, partially because he disagrees with the social stances of more progressive candidates.

“They’re forgetting the rest of the population,” he said.

Both McCarthy and Killing-Matthews are current students at the University of Iowa, learning to navigate an increasingly polarized political climate that has pitted young men against women. As a hotbed for political activity, college campuses across the U.S. showcase this gender divide in political ideology.

Historically, voters under 30 have been a solid voting block for the Democratic Party. In 2020, almost 60 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 cast ballots for President Joe Biden, according to Pew Research Center.

Recent data, however, suggests the tides have shifted. Polls from The Wall Street Journal show a majority of men under 30 prefer Trump to Harris in office. Women under 30 have only shifted farther to the left, with data from the Harvard Youth Poll showing 50 percent of white women and 70 percent of non-white women preferring Harris as the next president.

IC’s Black Angel: a century of love, loss, and lore

The Black Angel is a bronze monument turned black shrouded in eerie folklore, with legends of curses and fated love stories spanning over a century.

Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com

One hundred years ago, Teresa Dolezal Feldevert died, her ashes

laid to rest beneath a statue that has since become an icon of dark romance and superstition in Iowa City. The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery, commissioned by Fel-

devert in 1913 to honor her late son and husband, has sparked myths of curses, fated romances, and claims that the statue — which was originally bronze — darkens in color every Halloween.

Escucha Mi Voz is requesting $100,000 from the the City of Iowa City to go toward support for immigrants in the local community. Check out our latest city coverage at dailyiowan.com.

Some say touching its feet brings death, while others believe a moonlit kiss near the statue can seal a tragic fate or a lifelong bond, depending on the storyteller. However, Matthew O’Brien, a paranormal investigator and founder of Iowa City Ghost Hunters, said the true story of Feldevert — a grieving mother and pioneering physician — is often lost in the lore.

“I do get the feeling that the mother, Teresa, is not at peace,” O’Brien said. “I believe she’s upset because of the death of her son.”

Born in Strmilov, Bohemia, in 1836, Feldevert was a practicing doctor who later trained as a midwife. She immigrated to Iowa City with her son Eddie Dolezal in the late 1800s when he was a toddler. They lived in Iowa City until 1891, when Eddie, then 18 years old, died of meningitis.

Heartbroken, Feldevert commissioned a monument resembling a tree stump, symbolizing the severed family line, to mark Eddie’s grave at Oakland Cemetery. This monument still stands next to the angel.

After her son’s death, Teresa married Nicholas Feldevert and moved to Oregon. When Nicholas died in 1911, she returned to Iowa City and commissioned the Black

Ken Platt is among the first to be successfully treated with the newly launched

Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com

After suffering cardiac arrest in March, Ken Platt’s heart stopped for 45 minutes — a span that typically marks the end of life. But thanks to a groundbreaking eCPR program, the 65-year-old got a second chance.

When Platt awoke with chest pain and quickly lost consciousness on March 9, first responders asked

his wife, Kaitlynn Platt, where to take him. Living in Muscatine and knowing Ken Platt’s history with a pacemaker and defibrillator from a previous heart attack, Kaitlynn Platt chose University of Iowa Health Care, where he had been treated before. “If we would have went anywhere else, we probably wouldn’t be having this interview,” Kaitlynn Platt said. Ken Platt’s heart first stopped during the ambulance ride to

UIHC, but paramedics were able to revive him. After arriving at UIHC, his heart stopped again, and defibrillation was no longer effective. Kaitlynn Platt remembered a doctor delivering devastating news: All efforts had failed, but there was one last option. “I said try whatever you can, please, because we haven’t even been married a year yet,” Kaitlynn Platt said. “I couldn’t lose my best friend.”

The crucial intervention was extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or eCPR, an advanced procedure combining traditional CPR with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, also known as ECMO. This life-support technique temporarily takes over heart and lung function during cardiac arrest, keeping blood circulating to vital organs and delivering oxygen to the ECPR | 3A

Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan

Divisive political topics

The existence of a gender divide in American politics is not necessarily new, Karen Kedrowski, the director of the Iowa State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics said. Kedrowski said women have historically voted for Democratic candidates.

“What’s different about this year is the size of the gender gap, espe cially among young voters,” she said.

Kedrowski said the overturning of Roe v. Wade is one of the main drivers in this fractured political climate.

She said while men might feel empathetic regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade, they are not as directly impacted by abortion bans and restrictions cropping up across the country.

candidates to have tangible plans for the economy and immigration.

“I think that they’re starting to lose us because they’re no longer concerned with our concerns,” Killing-Matthews said.

Kedrowski also pointed to the different versions of masculinity presented by the respective presi dential tickets as a manifestation of this divide.

“It might be an issue that interests men, but it’s more abstract,” Kedrowski said.

McCarthy said while she was less politically active in 2016, she remembers being “upset and scared” by how former President Trump’s choices would impact marginalized people in the U.S.

“Going through it all over again and having your rights at stake again,” McCarthy said. “It kind of feels more extreme this time.”

For Killing-Matthews, however, that emphasis on women’s rights is what is turning off some young voters.

He said rather than observing more social issues like abortion and LGBTQ+ freedoms, he wants

“For voters for whom a particular type of masculinity is important — you know, the sort of ‘Hulk Hogan rip your shirt off’ kind of masculinity — they are going to be really attracted by the more aggres sive displays,” she said, referencing wrestler Hogan’s 2024 Republican National Convention speech which Hogan ripped off his shirt with his bare hands partway through.

Kedrowski said while these displays may be empowering and motivating to men, there are generally turn-offs for women.

In turn, Kedrowski said Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz presents an alternative to the hypermasculinity seen in former President Trump’s campaign strategy.

Walz has embraced the masculine elements of his Midwestern roots — being a hunter, a member of the National Guard, and a former high school football coach — while also stressing the importance of joy and care for people. Kedrowski said, for women, this manifestation of masculinity is more persuasive.

“The masculinity demonstrated by Governor Walz, I think, would be more attractive simply because it’s just not as aggressive and is not rooted in violence,” Kedrowski said.

Voter turnout and civic participation

With a tight race between Harris and Trump — who are neck and neck in essential swing states when looking at aggregated data from The New York Times — young voters could tip the scales of the electoral college.

According to Politico, young people are a large reason why Georgia, traditionally a deep red state, flipped blue in 2020. Biden’s win in Georgia was due to a group of activists in the state mobilizing first-time voters who were predominantly young people of color to vote for Biden. Eeking out a razor-thin majority with just 49.5 percent of the vote for Biden, these efforts in Georgia were years in the making.

While the gendered gap in voting prefer -

ences has skyrocketed, the actual voting results may not be as stark come November. While more young men prefer Trump to Harris in the upcoming election, these supporters are less likely to visit the polls and vote, according to the Harvard Youth Poll.

Hawk the Vote, a nonpartisan organization at Iowa focused on driving student civic engagement, has held several events engaging with potential student voters across Iowa City.

Through these efforts, students involved with Hawk the Vote have been allocated a firsthand look at the current political climate at the University of Iowa.

“The university very much feels like a microcosm of greater society,” Jaden Bartlett, the executive director of Hawk the Vote, said. “Every aspect of the larger world is represented here on a smaller level.”

Christine Valora, the communications director for Hawk the Vote, said around two-thirds of students registered in a course collaborating with the organization to bolster political engagement on campus are women.

“That might not necessarily be who’s voting, but it’s who’s politically attuned,” Valora said.

While Valora and Bartlett have observed topics that both conservative and progressive students have some unity on — including a need for third spaces that exist outside of work and home — social topics such as abortion have fragmented young voters.

“It’s fear, and on both ends,” Valora said.

This fear could manifest in more people showing up to the polls, Valora and Bartlett said.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Bartlett said. “We don’t love polarization, but at the same time, the more that you see another group as a sort of enemy, the more charged you’re going to be to take action.”

Editor’s note: Christine Valora is a former staff member at The Daily Iowan

New project connecting rural Iowa

The UI Driving Safety and Research Institute completed a project to help rural America.

Zoe Smith News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com

It is a freezing day in January 2024. 18-year-old Hannah Gross cannot leave her farm because fresh snow consumes the gravel roads that are too dangerous to travel on, and no one can get to her family’s farm.

Every time it snows, Gross and her family have to wait out the storm on their farm in Amana, Iowa, until her grandpa can come with the tractor to plow. For the Gross family and many other families around the state, accessible roads are a luxury.

Driving outside of Iowa City in any direction, chances are corn and soybean fields will take over both sides of the road. In 2022, the total farmland for the 36 million-acre state was 30.5 million acres, according to the USDA. The abundance of farmland around the state not only brings in crops and a bustling agriculture industry but also presents unique challenges for the Iowans who call rural America home. Transportation on rural roads can pose a deadly challenge for those traveling. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, or DOT, 80 percent of the nation’s roadways that Americans travel on are rural. Because of this, 60 percent of traffic fatalities occur on rural roads.

“While a smaller portion of Americans live in rural areas, half of all fatalities occur on rural roadways. Automated vehicles are going to improve safety. That’s one of the key benefits that we’re told is going to come from vehicle automation,” Omar Ahmad said.

Ahmad is the deputy director of the Driving Safety and Research Institute at the University of Iowa and the project director for Automated Driving Service, also known as ADS, for rural America.

The project’s goal is to test the use of automated driving technologies on rural roads in hopes that the data will lead to automated vehicles on the road, which will help assist in day-to-day opera-

Rural counties in Iowa by population in 2020

In 2020, the population size for a county to be considered urban was having at least 5,000 people or 2,000 or more housing units. Polk County is the most urbanized county in Iowa based on population.

tions, barriers, and dangers for rural Iowans.

“In rural areas, when you’ve got folks with mobility issues, then it’s an extra challenge. If someone can ride in a car, they have a lot more options, but if they use a wheelchair, then their options for how they can get around are really limited,” Dawn Alam said.

Alam is the director of Johnson County Seats, an organization that provides transportation to underserved populations that don’t have access to public transportation. Alam has been with the program for 16 years, originally joining to become a casual driver after she had her son.

“I really feel like transit is kind of in similar ways to child care, I guess, a big equalizer,” Alam said. For rural populations, transit and child care can go hand in hand. For Gross and her siblings, the half-hour drive to Clear Creek Amana Elementary School was hard to juggle for her parents, as no buses came out to her farm.

“[Driving] was actually a big inconvenience for my parents, and they had to drive me to elementary

school. Everyone else that went to my school, the bus came to their house,” Gross said.

Because of travel, day-today life takes extra time for Gross, who is active in school and her community, participating in Future Farmers of America, showing and keeping livestock, beekeeping, and many other activities.

The isolation can be damaging for older rural populations who don’t have the luxury of socialization at school and other activities. Even just making it to their doctor’s appointments and grocery store trips can be a day-long commitment.

Ahmad said the importance of this project in relation to UI Health Care.

“The University of Iowa isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially if you live in rural Iowa and don’t have help. For some people who live in rural areas, this may be a day-long affair to go from where they are to their appointment,” Ahmad said.

Alam and the team at Joco Seats have already been working to combat this issue. Their mission, Alam said, is to improve the quality of life

for at-risk rural populations through transportation.

“I think when you look at older people, people with disabilities, people without cars, who live in rural areas, social isolation is a pretty big barrier to quality of life. I think, ultimately, that our goal is to try to meet the needs of as many people as we can,” Alam said. Lack of resources, such as drivers, can be a barrier to the growing need for transportation in rural communities.

“With time and resource restraints, it can be hard to keep up with the need,” Alam said.

The ADS for Rural America project aims to improve research to expand access to transportation using automated systems that don’t require drivers.

“We want to see this project grow. To go from just testing into maybe a deployment of an actual service that serves rural areas and rural Americans. I would love to see something like that happen in the next five to 10 years,” Ahmad said.

The project, originally granted funding in 2019 before COVID-19 hit and halted research, has been a

passion project for Ahmad and his team.

“We basically work with our technology partners to put [out] all the sensors and computers that would be needed to support the automation software. Then, we did several months of testing in simulation and on the road on the actual roadways that we were going to be collecting data,” Ahmad said.

With the data collected, Ahmad hopes that researchers nationwide will use it to improve transportation in rural areas.

“We drove those rural roadways over and over, in different lighting conditions and different kinds of [vehicles] in different times of the day, in different seasons, during rain, and sometimes even during a little bit of snow,” Ahmad said. “ We collected a lot of data on this automated vehicle on rural roadways, and then we’re now in the process of publicly sharing that data for the next five years.”

The sharing of data, according to Ahmad, will hopefully lead to an increase of awareness and an eventual solution for at-risk populations and people like Gross and her friends, who have to navigate dangerous rural roads at a young age.

“I did have a friend who was in an accident that was pretty bad. That was pretty upsetting, just because people think that because they’re on gravel roads, they don’t have to look both ways, or they don’t have to fully stop at stop signs,” Gross said. “There are giant trucks for, like, livestock or gas and stuff that are hauled through. They’re actually more unsafe than people think. If you’re not experienced, like driving on gravel, it actually can be really dangerous.”

Ahmad and his team are looking to flip the script so rural Iowans and rural populations are not forgotten.

“You can’t easily find a taxi or an Uber in in rural areas, right? But that doesn’t mean that we don’t take care of those folks. Automated vehicles can potentially be, one day, part of that solution,” Ahmad said.

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Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan

brain, preventing irreversible damage.

UIHC launched its eCPR program in November 2023, the first of its kind in Iowa and among only a few nationwide. Ken Platt was among its first patients.

“Whatever they did, they did it right,” Kaitlynn Platt said of the UIHC team. “To go that long without blood flow and him to not lose any brain function is absolutely phenomenal.”

In addition to the life-saving eCPR treatment, Ken and Kaitlynn Platt described their experience with the UIHC staff — doctors, nurses, and specialists — as exceptional during Ken’s three-month stay. The couple stayed in close contact with ECMO director Lovkesh Arora, who treated

Angel, both as a guardian for her son’s grave and a final resting place for her husband’s ashes.

When Teresa passed away on Nov. 18, 1924, her ashes were placed beneath the angel as well.

Having received multiple requests from community members, O’Brien said he and his team of paranormal investigators visited the Black Angel on Halloween night in 2016.

O’Brien described how, upon arriving, he and his team made several slow circles around the statue to get a sense of its presence. They noted the angel’s missing fingers — broken off by vandals years ago — and the usual assortment of offerings left by locals at its base.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, O’Brien said. But as they continued their rounds, he said something unexpected appeared.

“The fourth time we went around it, there was a red rose that appeared on the ground, and it wasn’t there all the other times,” O’Brien said. “There was nobody out there with us, just us, and it was in

Ken in the first week and provided ongoing care and support throughout his recovery.

“Every day, he came back to check on Ken. Even on the days he wasn’t on the floor,” Kaitlynn Platt said. “We’ll never forget him.”

Ken Platt recalled that during one of his early follow-up appointments at UIHC, he made a point to visit the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit to personally thank the team who had originally treated him, including Arora.

“I decided, okay, I’m gonna walk,” Ken Platt said, noting that he lost 30 lbs and much of his leg strength after three months in bed. “I can’t walk a whole long time then, but I’m not gonna go in there in a wheelchair.”

Ken Platt explained that although Arora was in a different department, the ICU staff

broad daylight. So, we would have seen other people come up.”

Despite the statue’s eerie reputation, O’Brien added that he and his team did not sense anything negative during their investigation.

While some believe the statue’s change in color is due to Teresa’s marital infidelity or spiritual darkness, O’Brien said he attributes the shift to natural oxidation after years of exposure to the elements.

“As far as all the myths saying if you touch the feet you’re going to die, and stuff like that, I have to say that’s all garbage,” O’Brien said. “I personally touched the angel on the feet, and nothing’s ever happened to me.”

Perhaps the unexpected appearance of the rose suggests a more tender side to the Black Angel — a side that, for some, has proven to be a symbol of love and connection.

For Mikayla Rosenthal, a 2020 graduate of the University of Iowa, the angel became a central part of her own love story.

“I refer to her as my girl, because she brought my boyfriend and I together,” Rosenthal said. “So, when I go, it’s more of a welcoming presence.”

Rosenthal explained that she and her boyfriend met six years ago during her freshman year at the UI. They spent their first date

called him, and he came immediately.

“That was one of the best bear hugs I’ve ever got in my life,” Ken Platt said.

Arora said this moment in the ICU and Ken Platt’s overall recovery are deeply meaningful to him as well.

“He was able to go home, and he’s living a good, functional life, and that gives us a lot of happiness,” Arora said. “He also came to our ICU to see all of us a few weeks ago, and it was a wonderful moment.”

Arora explained that Ken needed a left ventricular assist device, also known as LVAD, for ongoing support since his heart hadn’t fully recovered. Now, the implanted device helps circulate blood, powered by a battery pack he wears on his chest.

“I have a battery-operated husband,” Kaitlynn Platt joked, adding that they’ve used humor as a coping mechanism.

“I refer to her as my girl, because she brought my boyfriend and I together. So, when I go, it’s more of a welcoming presence.”

Mikayla Rosenthal University of Iowa graduate

exploring several of Iowa City’s historic sites, including the Black Angel monument.

“We didn’t have our first kiss there, but we did hug for the first time at the Black Angel,” Rosenthal said.

Since then, they’ve returned to the Black Angel every year on their anniversary, with plans to one day exchange their vows there.

“I’m almost protective of her and want to shed light on it being a good omen, not a bad

Ken Platt’s cardiologist, Ernesto Ruiz Duque, described his recovery as remarkable.

“It’s not common to have a patient that came from the illness that he had during his event to be able to come back and make a full recovery,” Duque said.

Duque also described Kaitlynn Platt’s dedication as unwavering, noting that she never left her husband’s side throughout his treatment and recovery.

“They are nice people, there are good people, and I’m happy they are having the life that they want,” Duque said. “They want to be together. They’re just recently married, so I’m happy for them.”

Arora and Duque both emphasized that Ken Platt’s recovery was only possible through the coordinated efforts of the entire medical team at UIHC working together to provide life-saving care.

omen,” Rosenthal said. “Look at her not as something spooky but as Iowa City’s hidden mascot.”

This sense of romance around the Black Angel also resonates with Amy Kanellis, a lifelong Iowa City resident and UI alumni who remembers nights spent creeping around the statue with friends in high school, captivated by all its lore.

“It’s definitely associated with romance. For some people, it’s not good romance. And for some people, it’s good luck,” Kanellis said. “So, I think you can decide what you want it to be.”

Kanellis recalls a popular rumor from her college days, which claimed that any couple who shared a kiss in front of the Black Angel was destined to marry.

“But I’m telling you that that is not true,” Kanellis said. “Because I’ve kissed a few people next to it and only married one of them.”

ANGEL from 1A

Stop underestimating women’s sports

This year’s unequal ticket prices reflect continued inequity

If any institution is aware of the demand for women’s sports, it should be the University of Iowa.

After years of barrier-breaking and record-setting history with the UI women’s basketball team — led by former guard Caitlin Clark at the helm of that change — both the university and state of Iowa know there is a demand for women’s sports.

This was made clear last year when the university saw the women’s basketball team fill Kinnick Stadium with 55,646 fans, breaking the record for attendance at any women’s basketball game.

Courtside tickets on SeatGeek for Iowa’s game against Michigan on Feb. 15 — where Clark made history, passing Kelsey Plum for the NCAA Division I women’s scoring record — were listed at $4,624.

Both attendance and viewership for women’s basketball has subsequently exploded following Clark’s rise to national fame. This attention has spilled over to the WNBA, where fans are not only watching Clark as she plays with the Indiana Fever but teams across the league.

Yet, despite this energy and willingness to support the women’s basketball team, the Athletics Department made the decision in July 2024 to sell men’s season tickets ranging from $325 to $375 — the same price as the year prior.

Women’s season tickets, however, sold for a maximum of $225 and were cheaper with renewal passes at $210 for adults. While this is an increase from the year prior, the price for women’s tickets is still considerably less than men’s season tickets.

Back in 2022, tickets to women’s basketball games for students were entirely free. That only changed after Clark and the rest of the team made their historic run to the NCAA championship game.

Jim Hall, a library assistant at the UI Art Library, has been attending women’s basketball games at the UI for decades — prior to the establishment of “season tickets” for the program.

“Since we’ve been going so long, and the support of women’s athletics is so important to me and my wife, I doubt there’s a price that they would consider going to that we would refuse to pay,” Hall wrote in an email to the DI

The university should have started charging for women’s basketball tickets back in 1988 when the all-time attendance record was broken at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with

COLUMN

in collegiate athletics.

22,167 fans. This was well over the arena’s 15,500 person capacity, establishing Iowa as a leader in women’s sports decades ago.

In a statement to The DI from the UI Athletics Department, “fan demographics, market research, historical pricing, strength of schedule and performance,” are the varying factors that go into ticket pricing for various programs.

Looking into the 2024-25 season, it is abundantly clear that Iowa is looking at an entirely different team. With the loss of head coach Lisa Bluder and superstar Clark, as well as seasoned players Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Molly Davis, and Sharon Goodman, this year’s team is particularly young.

“They’re going to look different,” UI president Barbara Wilson said in an interview with the DI

However, despite this new team, there’s still significant energy surrounding the program. With key returners like Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter, who both made substan-

Caitlin Clark did her job. Now it’s our turn.

While her presence has boosted viewership, we need to make sure we also give other talented players in the WNBA the recognition they deserve.

Jackson Mendoza Opinions Contributer opinions@dailyiowan.com

Caitlin Clark has opened the doors of women’s basketball to millions. From her time here at Iowa to her current team, the Indiana Fever, Clark has put women’s basketball on the map. Since Clark joined the Fever, jersey sales went up 1,193 percent, ticket sales by 264 percent, and the team gained 38 nationally televised games, according to the Indy Star

If you were to walk across the University of Iowa campus right now, there’s almost a 100 percent chance you’ll see somebody wearing a Fever shirt. While all the attention on Clark and the Indiana Fever is fantastic, it shouldn’t be the only reason people watch the WNBA. The league consists of 12 teams, which is already 18 fewer than their male counterpart, the NBA. The WNBA plans to add three new teams, including ones in Portland, San Francisco, and Toronto. The Golden State Valkyries will join the league next season, with Portland and Toronto following in 2026.

This expansion reflects the explosive growth of women’s basketball in recent years. During the 2024 NCAA March Mad ness tournament, the women’s tournament averaged more viewers than the men’s for the first time in history, according to the NCAA. This growth in viewership is driven by the star power of women’s basketball players.

Names like Clark, Angel Reese, and Cam eron Brink became household names in the sports world, drawing large crowds and significant viewership. After their collegiate careers ended, they made their way to the WNBA, further fueling the league’s growth.

tial contributions to the team last season, and the addition of transfer Lucy Olsen, Iowa has the makings of a strong group. Former associate head coach Jan Jensen is also leading the program as head coach, giving some level of stability to the team.

The excitement for Iowa women’s basketball is still strong, hence the cost of tickets to games. Tickets for Iowa’s game against USC — featuring second-year star JuJu Watkins — are already listed for as much as $400 on resale sites.

Nebraska, the team Iowa narrowly beat in a nail-biter of a Big Ten championship game, plays in Iowa City on Jan. 16. Resale tickets are going from $50 to nearly $200, depending on the seat.

Money is talking — why isn’t Iowa listening?

The increasing energy surrounding women’s basketball may have started with Clark, but that’s not where it stopped. For proof of

this excitement, just look at the WNBA. While it’s true that the highest-viewed games from this season featured the Indiana Fever — the team that drafted Clark as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft — games featuring other teams also saw elevated viewership and attendance.

According to ESPN, the finals series featuring the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx saw a 115 percent increase in viewership over last season — and neither team featured Clark nor any other Iowa alumni.

People are tuning in to watch basketball, independent of former Hawkeye Clark. They have been doing so for years. While her impact on the sport is undeniable, Clark is not the only talented player fans tune in to watch. Now that all eyes are on women’s basketball, the cost for tickets should, at the very least, match those of the men’s team. Anything less is a severe underestimation of the Iowa women’s basketball team.

Clark’s arrival in the WNBA naturally grabbed all the attention. Again, this is great and all, but there are plenty of other WNBA players that deserve your focus.

A’ja Wilson is a three-time MVP, two-

Indiana

continues to excel in the pros. Stewart won the MVP award in 2023 aand secured the WNBA championship win with the New

While all the attention on Clark and the Indiana Fever is fantastic, they shouldn’t be the only reason people watch the WNBA.

time Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time champion with the Las Vegas Aces. She is by far the best player in the WNBA, but she doesn’t generate as much buzz as Clark.

Breanna Stewart made a lot of noise during her college career at UConn and

Martin-Trainor, Marandah Mangra-Dutcher, Jack Moore, Stella Shipman, Carson Hartzog, Charlie Hickman

York Liberty on Oct. 20, earning her third championship.

Courtney Williams, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx, is in her eighth season in the league. She’played in the WNBA Finals against Stewart’s New York Liberty and consistently puts up solid numbers. Williams

was an All-Star in 2021 and continues to be a difference-maker for her team.

On a positive note, this year’s WNBA postseason was the most viewed ever, averaging 970,000 viewers — a 142 percent increase from last year’s 470,000, according to Front Office Sports.

Additionally, the league recorded its highest total attendance in 22 years, with the Fever’s home attendance hitting a single-season record of 340,715 fans, according to the WNBA.

The WNBA’s trajectory is on the rise, with no signs of slowing down.

All I ask is that you watch the WNBA not just for Caitlin Clark but for all the incredible athletes who make this league special.

Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan

Caitlin Clark goes up for a shot during a women’s basketball game between then-No. 4 Iowa and then-No. 14 Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, on Feb. 22. The Hoosiers defeated the Hawkeyes, 86-69.

Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan

forward Caitlin Clark shoots over Minnesota guard Natasha Hiedeman during a WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 24. The Lynx defeated the Fever, 90-80.

Iowa’s first Chicken Salad Chick opens in Coralville

The grand opening on Oct. 16 brought dozens of customers to the restaurant chain.

Jacob Calvin News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com

Despite the chilly morning air, many eager customers stood patiently in line as Chicken Salad Chick opened its doors to the public. Groups stood huddled against each other and the outside walls as they used the Chicken Salad Chick mobile app to claim instore benefits and rewards.

Located on 2510 Corridor Way, the Coralville location was opened in mid-October. The franchise prides itself as America’s only fast-casual chicken salad chain. The chain has over 280 locations across the country. The ceremony served to commemorate not only as the first opening in Coralville but in the state of Iowa, which will be the franchise’s 20th state of operation.

Dozens of eager customers stood waiting outside even before the opening officially began to be among the select first 100 customers offered a large “Quick Chick” chicken salad every month for a year. The very first customer, who arrived at 5:30 a.m., received free chicken salad every week for a year.

Local owners Melissa and Pat Ingle were excited to share their journey of bringing the chain to Iowa.

“We found this place in Florida about three years ago,” Pat Ingle said. “It was just a really welcoming and inviting place to come eat and enjoy fresh food made every day.”

“We love the concept. We love the feel of the vibe,” Melissa Ingle added. “It just kind of feels like home. It’s very welcoming, and the food is great.” Construction began at the end of July. The couple began the franchising process about a year before that. The couple had prior experience in managing restaurants, owning a Nothing Bundt Cakes in Coralville for the past four years.

Pat Ingle made it clear that they wanted to bring more than the unique food to the Coralville location.

“Customer service has kind of left all restaurants now; you’re just a number. We just want to bring that back here and let people come and eat and enjoy [their time] instead of just in and out real quick like

everywhere is going to.”

The restaurant offers 13 unique chicken salad flavors.

“Being brand new to Iowa, they don’t really know our flavor profile, so it’s gonna be an experiment to see what it is,” Pat Ingle answered.

Chicken Salad Chick’s Chief Marketing Officer Tom Carr elaborated on the flavors, excited to hear feedback on certain ones, such as the spicy buffalo wing chicken salad, the fruity and nutty varieties, and “savory” flavors like the bacon, cheddar, and ranch chicken salad.

“Each flavor is named after somebody who was really helpful to the family who started Chicken Salad Chick originally and sisters and cousins and best friends,” he said. “And it’s a way for us to honor those people as we move forward building this brand long -term.”

Carr explained the chain’s beginnings, which date back to 2008.

“We started down in Alabama, originally. We have a lot of restaurants down in the southeast, so we’re so excited to be expanding here in the Midwest and, finally, in the state of Iowa,” he said.

Carr was optimistic about future openings in Iowa, particularly around the densely student-populated streets of Iowa City.

“We would love to get closer to Iowa City,” he said. “This family is focused on this Coralville restaurant, but there will be opportunities for other folks to come in, too, if they were interested to open a restaurant.”

Pat Ingle reflected on his number one goal in opening the new location. He hopes he is successful in “bringing smiling people here” and to “be able to provide jobs and a great place for people to come.”

“And great food,” Melissa Ingle added.

Veteran nonprofit to auction off Caitlin Clark, Lisa Bluder signed basketball

Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience works to combat PTSD and suicide

Jack Moore Managing News Editor

jack.moore@dailyiowan.com

In the dappled sunlight of Solon’s forests, Navy veteran Paul Austin sat in stillness, waiting for the perfect moment. Paralyzed seven years ago after a service injury contributed to a fall that broke his back, he now held a crossbow, a buck in his sights. With each breath, he aimed not just for the hunt, but for the opportunity to show what he was still capable of.

Paul Austin had traveled from North Carolina with his wife Brandi Austin to meet with fellow veterans at the nonprofit called Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience. The organization has worked out of Solon for six years with the goal of bringing veterans together in the outdoors to help with post-traumatic stress and suicide ideation.

The nonprofit pays for veterans’ expenses during scheduled events, including a bow hunt, a ruck walk, and fishing trips. The organization also holds a silent auction each year to fund these trips because the organization is entirely funded through donations.

Paul Austin served in the Navy from 2003 to 2007. After his fall, Paul Austin’s spinal cord was severed, which permanently put him in a wheelchair. Brandi Austin said the largest blow was that her husband felt he would not be able to enjoy the outdoors again.

“Directly after surgery, one of the very first things was that he kept saying over and over again, ‘I’ll never be able to hunt again. I’ll never be able to be on my fourwheeler again. I’ll never be able to do these things again.’ Everything dealt with being outside,” she said.

Paul Austin said his wife discovered Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience and signed him up to go to explore the new opportunity. They said the nonprofit paid for all their travel costs from North Carolina to Iowa, including a stay at a handicap -accessible hotel, which they said is often a barrier for them.

Once they arrived, they spent several days in the woods with the group of veterans before they saw the buck following a doe.

“I was just kind of waiting, and then I had a grunt call, and the buck comes shortly after that, and Brandi, it was kind of funny, because she whispered, ‘Dear,’ and so I turned over and said, ‘What?’” Paul Austin said.

“The next thing you know, this deer is starting to run, because it’s looking for the doe, and he shoots it with the crossbow,” Brandi Austin said. “It was so incredible, we grab each other and we’re like ‘Oh my gosh, you got it…’ I’m grinning ear to ear because it was so magical.” They said everyone from the hunting party gathered and congratulated Paul Austin. For him, he said it was an incredible experience.

“He always said, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do that,’ and then, so we say, ‘I can’t’ became ‘I can,’ and then we advanced it to an ‘I did,’” Brandi Austin said.

ideation.

Scott Storck, president of Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience, said that for veterans, having a space in the outdoors therapeutic for veterans and provides them a chance to know they are not alone, which has saved lives.

“Since we started, we’ve had 16 veterans, both male and female, that have, before they left our event, said that because of the group and the camaraderie that they get with all their fellow veterans, knowing they’re not alone, we’ve actually saved their lives, and that suicide is now off the table,” Storck said.

According to data from Veteran Affiairs, an estimated 22 veterans commit suicide each day, which leads to a total of more than 8,000 veteran deaths each year.

“That’s 16 more lives,” Storck said. “We stay in contact. You know, we try to reach out. Everybody that participates is in our phones, and so we tell them before they leave, ‘You can call us 24 hours a day, someone’s going to answer.’”

The bow hunt this year starts next weekend. It is preceded by their silent auction, which has a special contribution from the Iowa women’s basketball team.

Doug Thompson, one of the nonprofit’s board members, contacted the University of Iowa last year telling them about the organization and what they do. Storck said the women’s basketball team got a basketball and put it in the team’s locker room. He said the entire team signed it,

including Caitlin Clark and former head

coach Lisa Bluder. “It shocked us all. For them to kind of step back and take a look at that and something like that, for us, it’s really

incredible,”

John Charlton | The Daily Iowan

Customers enter Chicken Salad Chick during its opening on Corridor Way in Coralville on Oct. 16. The restaurant has 13 different chicken salad flavors.

participants of Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience

Contributed by Scott Storck, president of Iowa Veterans Outdoor Experience

An election defined by immigration

Immigration is one of the top issues for voters in the upcoming November election.

Roxy Ekberg Politics Editor roxy.ekberg@dailyiowan.com

Thought to be the first Sudanese American official elected to public office in the United States, Mazahir Salih, finds immigration to be an issue of human rights instead of yielding it as a political tool.

Deeply involved in supporting Iowa City’s immigrant community, Salih worries about the outcome of the upcoming general election.

Immigration is one of the top issues for voters in the narrowing race for the Oval Office. The majority of registered voters polled — 61 percent — say immigration is very important to their vote in the 2024 presidential election, according to a September Pew Research Center Poll.

Salih, also the co-founder and interim executive director of the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County and Iowa City City Council mayor pro tem, focuses on helping and empowering immigrant families and said this work should be done regardless of the political climate.

“Unfortunately, it is often politicized. This can really distract from the real issue facing immigrants,” Salih said.

Most Iowans say it is necessary to address the southern border, according to a September Des Moines Register /Mediacom poll. The poll shows that 60 percent of Iowans consider securing the border “critical.”

Experts say it is common for immigration to be an issue in election cycles, but the number of voters who rank it as a top issue is unique to the 2024 election.

Drake University Political Science Professor Adrien Halliez said public opinion on the issue and candidates willingly bringing immigration to the forefront of their campaigns is out of the ordinary.

“What we’re seeing right now is fairly unprecedented,” Halliez said. “But immigration has always been fairly high in some elections as a top concern.”

Immigration surged to the top of voters’ priorities in February — 28 percent of Americans called it the most important problem in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll. The percentage is the highest share of Americans ranking the issue as the most important the country is facing since 1981.

The issue has pushed to the forefront of campaigns from the top to the bottom of the ballot. Halliez said Republican messaging on the issue forces Democrats to respond and discuss their own platforms.

Republican candidates center campaign messaging on securing the border and reducing all-time high border crossings. Contrarily, Democrats have been set on the defensive, batting against criticism that they are not doing enough to stem border crossings.

Illegal border crossings soared to record highs under Biden, averaging 2 million per year from 2021 to 2023. Crossings dropped sharply in the spring and summer after the Biden administration tightened border controls and closed off access to asylum.

In the race to the Oval Office, former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris among likely Iowa voters by 4 percentage points — 47 percent to 43 percent, according to a September Des Moines Register /Mediacom poll. These numbers reflect a much tighter race between Trump and Harris than the Trump-Biden matchup. In June, Trump led 50 percent to 32 percent in Iowa against the current president.

Nationally, however, the numbers are flipped. Polling updated on Oct. 23 by The New York Times shows Harris leading the national polling average by 2 percentage points. Trump trails with 47 percent to Harris’ 49 percent.

Immigration as a political issue

University of Iowa Political Professor Tim Hagle said immigration being at the top of voters’ minds and the front of candidates’ campaigns are directly related.

“The two things feed on each other,” Hagle said. “If candidates mention it a lot, maybe mention the problems potentially, then the voters start to see that it’s more important, and vice versa.”

Hagle said the public being concerned about immigration forces political candidates to take notice of the issue and develop platforms and responses.

Down the ballot, Republican campaigns have elbowed immigration to the forefront, capitalizing on the importance of the issue to voters. A September national NBC News poll found voters overwhelmingly say they trust Republicans to do a better job with border security and immigration than Democrats.

GOP hopefuls push for border security and deportations of immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

Iowa’s 1st Congressional District incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has made immigration a major tenet of her reelection campaign.

Miller-Meeks supports securing the border and limiting illegal entry while reforming the immigration system and providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. She wants to finish building a wall and utilize technology at the border to monitor and prevent crossings.

In an interview with The Daily Iowan, Miller-Meeks said she has campaigned so heavily on the issue because people think it’s a major problem.

“The Biden-Harris administration broke the border. They own this crisis,” Miller-Meeks said. “We had immigration under control under the Trump administration.”

Migrant crossings reached the lowest point of Biden’s administration in September, according to CBS News. In that month, U.S. Border Patrol agents recorded nearly 54,000 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the country between legal entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border.

This tally is the lowest number recorded by the agency since August 2020, and a 78 percent drop from a record high in December, when illegal border crossings hit 250,000.

Jacob Martin, a fifth-year student at the UI, plans on casting his ballot for Trump because of his stance on border security.

Martin said a secure border is necessary for a sovereign country, and human trafficking and drug trafficking hurt immigrants who are trying to come to the U.S. legally.

“Biden and Harris have not handled that very well with just letting basically anyone in here,” Martin said. “I don’t have a ton of faith in Trump, but I just hope that it’s better.”

Fifty-five percent of likely Iowa voters say Trump would do a better job than Harris handling immigration, according to a September Des Moines Register /Mediacom poll. Nationally, polling shows 45 percent of voters say Trump is a better candidate to handle immigration issues, compared to 4 in 10 who prefer Harris.

Republicans have used the issue to needle Democrats, who have struggled to gain footing on the issue. Democrats previously hadn’t taken a hard-line stance on the issue, but since Republican criticism, the party has evolved its messaging to securing the southern border.

“The Biden-Harris administration broke the border. They own this crisis. We had immigration under control under the Trump administration.”

Mariannette Miller-Meeks Iowa Republican

Challenging Miller-Meeks for the second time, Iowa City Democrat and congressional candidate Christina Bohannan supports securing the border and limiting illegal entry while reforming the immigration system. She backs providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

“The truth is that no one has done enough to fix this issue, not the president, not Congress. Not Democrats, not Republicans, no one has done enough to fix this issue,” Bohannan said.

Hagle said Trump pushed immigration as a campaign theme in his first go-around as a presidential candidate. After his failed attempts to build a complete wall at the southern border, he’s continued to dedicate time at nearly every campaign stop to discuss border issues and his plans should he win a second term.

Trump supports a historically restrictive agenda on immigration and advocates for what would amount to the largest deportation operation in American history. He plans to continue with his previous immigration policies from his first presidential term, such as finishing building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. The former president also supports ending birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented parents.

Labeling Vice President Kamala Harris as President Joe Biden’s “border czar,” Trump and other Republicans have routinely criticized Democrats’ stance on immigration. Trump speaks frequently on the issue while campaigning Harris waned on the topic until a September visit to the border, where she outlined her policies.

U.S. Rep.

Harris supports securing the U.S.-Mexico border along with reforming the immigration system to make an easier path to citizenship. Samantha Sutton, a firstyear student at the UI who immigrated from the Caribbean, said requirements for citizenship for immigrants should be made more realistic.

“I do understand the issues that people have with illegal immigration, but immigrating to America is an incredibly difficult process and a process I don’t think Americans themselves could even do if it was asked of them,” Sutton said.

Sutton plans to vote for Harris in the upcoming election.

“She can relate,” Sutton said, referring to the vice president. “She understands the struggles of being the child of an immigrant and the experiences of immigrants. And I feel like that experience is very necessary to have because you can easily talk about immigration but just be completely far away from the issue, and you don’t understand it fully. You may be like, ‘Oh, yeah, these rules are reasonable,’ but you’ve never been the person who had to adhere to these rules and see how much it’s asking of people, especially people who are trying to get into this country because they’re trying to get away from things that are worse.”

Both Bohannan and Harris accuse their opponents of worsening the situation at the border by killing a bipartisan border security act earlier this year. Both Democrats say they will bring the bill back and sign it into law.

Trump rallied Republicans to block the bill that tied border reforms to Ukraine aid, knifing legislation with the most extensive border reform in years. which included toughening asylum standards and hiring more border agents, asylum officers, and immigration judges.

Republicans argue the bill would never have survived even if Trump had not been involved.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart wrote in an email to the DI that Trump urged Republicans to vote down the bill they helped build so he could run on the issue this election cycle.

“During President Biden’s tenure, Republicans and Democrats worked on and agreed to an expansive border bill, one that would’ve helped stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. and solved many of the issues we see today,” Hart wrote. “Democratic leadership is working to solve immigration issues. Republican leadership is focused on using these issues as a talking point to win elections.”

David Barker, Iowa GOP finance chair, said the bill had no chance of passage regardless of Trump’s intervention because it was a bad bill.

“It made other changes to immigration law that were exactly what Harris and the

Democrats want, which is more people crossing the border,” Barker said. “There are far better answers to the border than that bill.”

In the first and only debate of their race to a U.S. House seat, Bohannan criticized Miller-Meeks for doing the same as Trump by voting down the bill.

“Rep. Miller-Meeks keeps blaming the Biden administration,” Bohannan said in an interview with the DI. “The president has some power to act, but Congress has a wide authority to actually solve the problem. Rep. Miller Meeks had an opportunity to bring this bill to a vote and refused to do so, even though it would have been the most strict border bill that we have seen in our lifetimes.”

‘Every state is a border state’ Iowa Republicans push that border crossings at the southern border influence communities in the Hawkeye state, pointing to an increase in fentanyl in the state. A January report by the Omaha Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration showed Iowa saw a 105 percent increase in fentanyl seizures last year. Overdose deaths are rapidly declining across the U.S. with Iowa as an exception, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Border security, Republicans argue, will fix this problem. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law to make illegal immigration a state crime in Iowa earlier this year. The “illegal reentry law” gives state law enforcement officers the ability to charge people with an aggravated misdemeanor if they have been denied admission, deported, or if they currently have been ordered to leave the U.S.

A federal district court judge granted an injunction of the law this summer, ruling the law is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird appealed the injunction, and the law remains in litigation.

Iowa’s law mirrors a recently adopted law in Texas, and both are backed by state leaders who criticize Biden for inadequate immigration enforcement.

Reynolds said in a statement following the injunction that she signed the bill to protect Iowans from the results of the border crisis: rising crime, overdose deaths, and human trafficking.

“With this injunction, states are left defenseless to the ongoing crisis at our southern border,” Reynolds said in the statement. “The Biden administration is failing to do their job and enforce federal immigration laws allowing millions to enter and re-enter without any consequence or delay.”

The law is considered one of the most far-reaching anti-immigration laws ever passed in Iowa.vIowa City Council Member Salih is worried about the potential impacts on immigrants if Trump is elected for a second term.

She looks to policies the former president enacted while in office, including a travel ban barring people from a select group of countries that are predominantly Muslim.

To encourage her community to vote for Democrats down the ballot, Salih has been sending out messages reminding people of such policies.

“I will encourage everyone to vote Democrat up and down the ballot so we can have people who will treat people in this country fairly,” she said. Salih said Democratic candidates will address issues immigrants face, including systemic barriers such as access to housing, health care, and education.

“We’re going to still fight and make sure of the immigration policy we need,” Salih said. “A candidate that fights for us and makes sure immigration policy reflects the dignity and the humanity of the people, rather than dividing.”

Talan Nelson | The Daily Iowan

Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih asks a clarifying question about the Burlington Street bridge project during a City Council meeting at the Iowa City City Hall in Iowa City on Sept. 17. Salih expressed worries about a second term under former President Donald Trump and its impacts on immigration.

Infographic by Emily Pavlik | The Daily Iowan

Iowa up to date on sexual assault kit testing

In 2017, there was nearly 400 backlogged sexual assault kits across the state.

Grace Olson News Editor grace.olson@dailyiowan.com

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, a sexual assault occurs every 68 seconds in the U.S.

If a victim of sexual assault decides to press charges, a crucial piece of evidence for the investigation is what’s known as a sexual assault kit. Over the past decade, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance has launched the Sexual Assult Kit Initiative so states around the country can address a backlog of sexual assault kits awaiting testing, aiding victims waiting for justice.

In 2024, the Iowa City Police Department, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation all said there is no longer a backlog of untested kits in the state and country.

This is a somewhat stark comparison to 2017, when there were 43 backlogged kits in the Johnson County Sheriff’s office, 210 at the Iowa City Police Department, and seven in the University of Iowa Police Division, according to the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa.

Nearly 400 kits were submitted to the Department of Criminal Investigations in 2023 and Iowa Department of Public Safety Strategic Communications Bureau Chief Tawny Kruse said all submitted kits are ultimately tested.

Kruse said for the past year, the turnaround time in the Crime Lab DNA unit has been 55 days and the sexual assault kit testing is generally complete in 20 days unless the case requires rushed processing.

Lee Hermiston, Iowa City Police Department’s public information officer, said not all kits are tested, but there is no backlog of collected kits in need of testing.

“The Iowa City Police Department believes in a victim-led approach to sexual assault investigation,” he said. “There are times when our kits have not been tested due to the wishes of the victim or because the suspect was known to us through other investigative means.”

ITEMS FOUND WITHIN A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT

A kit is used for DNA collection and further forensic exams after an assault for potential charges.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Katrina Rudish said there is also no backlog of kits awaiting testing in Johnson Country. As soon as the investigation team gets word to send a kit to the DCI for testing, they send it, she said.

SECURING SCHOOLS

“If the state has a backlog, then that creates a long wait for us when we’re trying to move forward with prosecution,” she said.

Forensic Exams

Sexual assault kits contain various instruments and receptacles for evidence collection of as well as detailed instructions for nurses’ conduction sexual assault exams and consent forms for the individual having an exam done.

The UI College of Nursing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner team is responsible for conducting all exams and collecting kits in Johnson County and sending the collected kits to the proper law enforcement agency.

Where kits are handed off to is based on jurisdiction of where the assault occurred. For example, an assault in a UI dorm would be taken over by UI Campus Safety, an assault in downtown Iowa City would

be taken over by Iowa City police, and an assault in Hills or areas without an official police force would be handled by the Johnson County Sheriff.

“We get a lot of history from the patient about the assault, and one of the questions we ask is where the assault occurred,” UI

SANE Coordinator Katy Rasmussen said.

“Obviously, there are some situations that are a little bit iffy because they may not know the specific locations. We just try to get as much information as we can, to narrow it down as much as possible.”

UI SANEs conduct roughly 100 sexual assault exams annually, which also includes other medical care for the victim such as emergency contraceptives, STI prevention care, and addressing any other injuries.

“We have specially trained nurses on call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to see patients,” Rasmussen said. “We have advocates available so people know that they can still get care.”

Victim and Backlog Advocacy

On Oct. 1, the Domestic Violence Advocay Program officially integrated the UI’s Rape Victim Advocay Program. DVIP Director of Community Engagement Alta Medea said the organization has handled seven sexual assault exams between Oct. 1 and Oct. 18. Medea said October is often their busiest month as it falls in the “red zone,” the time of year when the majority of sexual assaults occur on college campuses. DVIP’s role in an exam is to send an advocate with a victim to support them and walk them through the process of getting to the hospital and bringing them new clothes or food. Advocates also help victims through the legal process once the investigation begins if charges are pressed.

Medea said in order for a sexual assault kit to be tested in the state of Iowa, a victim has to press charges, so a portion of the backlog is due to situations where a case was never opened.

The average wait time for kit results in 2015 was six months, Medea said, but now she’s seeing kits processed and tested in about six weeks.

“It’s up to the victim how they proceed with it,” Medea said. “The idea being that if you aren’t pressing charges, it’s not absolutely vital to your case to have that evidence, so they prioritize those that need evidence. For victim survivors moving forward in their case, that priority is important to that process.”

In addition to providing advocacy resources, DVIP is a member of both the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence. As a 501c3, DVIP can’t lobby the government, but these membership organizations can lobby on their behalf for areas they feel are in need of reform, like the sexual assault kit backlog.

DVIP also attends legislative kickoff events to introduce themselves and their services to newly elected officials, and educate them on the current issues surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault. The organization educates lawmakers in Des Moines as well where they present their services and needs to the Iowa State Legislature every March.

Training for the worst case scenario

Moore

Jack

Iowa law enforcement and schools are collaborating, adapting training and reporting methods in response increasing school threats.

Managing News Editor

jack.moore@dailyiowan.com

This is the first installment in a multi-part series about school safety in Iowa.

As Stephen Bayens, commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, recounted the details of the Perry school shooting in a press conference, law enforcement in Johnson County rehearsed life-saving tactics with replica firearms in the deserted corridors of the former Hills Elementary school — readying themselves for the worst case scenario.

Commissioner Bayens said since the Perry shooting, the department’s Division of Intelligence has tracked 855 school safety threats that were investigated across the state. The Iowa City Community School District has received seven threats of violence so far this year compared to six last year.

With increases in threats, the state, Johnson County law enforcement, and local schools have been actively working through training to be prepared. Access to threat reporting has increased through software such as Safe and Sound, schools have seen increased funding for their buildings, and law enforcement have been creating elaborate drills in preparation for active shooter scenarios.

In August, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, along with 50 law enforcement agencies, totaling more than 160 emergency responders, acted out one of the largest training exercises they had ever done at Clear Creek Amana High School.

Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said the exercise took around six months of planning and included the University of Iowa AirCare team, the county medical examiner, media, and other organizations. During the exercise, they had people simulating the shooter as well as victims at various stages of injury. No students, besides volunteers were present during the training. Kunkel said the training included a simulated explosive device as well to create as real of a scenario as they could produce.

“We do every piece of it, to getting in the door, [identifying] where’s the shooter, navigating through the building, and bypassing victims to stop the threat,” Kunkel said. “It was start to finish. It was as real as it’s probably going to get.”

He said these types of training have become ingrained in law enforcement. One way they stay prepared is having their deputies walk through schools in their jurisdiction almost daily, which Kunkel said helps several factors, including interacting with students and staff, but also knowing the layout of the building.

“It’s really been worked into law enforcement training, just the same as we do OWI and field sobriety testing,” he said. “We just know that active shooter training is a fundamental part of what we do.”

In recent weeks, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department has coordinated with the county’s Emergency Management agency to perform training in the former Hills Elementary school building. Hills was closed by the Iowa City Community School District to save $1.6 million in their budget last year. It is slated for demolition.

Dave Wilson, Emergency Management coordinator, helped set up the training at Clear Creek Amana High School and at Hills. He said the Hills training consisted of information sessions along with drills using blue guns, which are fake guns that cannot fire, but they simulate a real weapon.

He said in some training scenarios, they will use paintball guns when it is a force-on-force scenario and no teachers are present. They are planning one more training before the building is demolished.

Wilson said gaps in training come from turnover in public safety professionals as well as the perishable nature of the skillset because police are not constantly handling shootings in schools. He said having this training refreshes law enforcement on the best protocols.

Wilson believes the county is one of the best in Iowa for its law enforcement training.

“I doubt there’s a county in Iowa that trains more than we do. We just don’t go out and advertise it,” Wilson said. “Every

law enforcement agency in this county takes that training seriously, and they train on it at every opportunity, whether it’s a large-scale incident or a small one.”

Commissioner Bayens said during the press conference that 1,484 law enforcement officers have gone through active shooter training in the state, with 5,386 teachers and civilians having received civilian response to active shooter training.

The sheriff’s department plays a large role in making sure teachers in the county are prepared. The department has seven staff members who go to schools and do ALICE training for teaching staff in presentations. ALICE is an acronym for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate. The training began in 2000, shortly after the 1999 Columbine school shooting.

Jorey Bailey, lieutenant of investigations for the Iowa City Police Department, has worked with the department since the Sandy Hook shooting in 2014. For police, he said the most important thing that has changed with training is having officers go straight to the threat.

“We have to stop that threat right away,” he said.

While they have worked with ALICE training, he said the department is working to transition their training to CRASE, which is similar to ALICE in its response to a violent intruder except the police department is able to adapt certain pieces of information for the environment they are working in, like hospitals, which they work closely with in Iowa City.

He said they plan to switch over to CRASE training within the next year.

At Iowa City schools, Bailey said the district uses two anonymous reporting programs to create access for people to report problematic behavior. One is Safe and Sound, which is an anonymous reporting software that will get sent to a dispatcher to disseminate and organize police response if necessary.

The other is Securly 24, which uses algorithms to pinpoint words, phrases, and pictures on school computers to identify possible threats. He said the department ultimately takes every threat seriously.

Kate Callahan, director of student services at the Iowa City Community School District, works on a newly formed safety committee that was created by the district last year. The committee is composed of department heads to review safety features at a district level. She said the committee meets weekly to discuss these topics.

She said the primary focus of the committee is looking at the safety features of their buildings. Each location has

an emergency radio for emergency communication, secured building entrances, and cameras.

She said the district gives law enforcement a floor layout of each of their buildings, and they work to create a comprehensive safety audit to evaluate the safety measures in the schools on an annual basis. Shatterproof window film is also in the early stages of being installed in the buildings.

New staff go through ALICE training, and drills with staff happen annually when no students are present. Staff will also participate in two-hour long violent intruder drills facilitated by police annually.

In these training sessions, students are not present, however, Callahan said that is something they are reconsidering this year.

“‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation has some training materials that we’re reviewing right now to determine if they are trauma-informed before we conduct the training with students. So that’s on the docket this year,” she said.

The district uses the “I Love U Guys” approach for their standard response protocol if a situation were to happen. The protocol includes different events and the response that will be put in place, such as secure, lockdown, evacuate, or shelter.

She said mental health of students is a priority within the district because it enables them to get ahead of situations before they become dangerous. While they do not train students in these scenarios, she said spreading awareness about reporting concerns in the district has been a priority.

“If we can get in front of the situation, that means nothing’s happened yet, and what we are doing is just providing support to a student and family of a student in need before there’s an issue,” Callahan said.

The district also has a threat assessment team trained to identify threats within the district.

“We have a lot of tools in our district that we have utilized or that we put in place, but it’s not just having those features in place. Staff needs to know what we have in place and then how to use it,” Callahan said.

A common sentiment shared among law enforcement is that school safety does not stop at training; a holistic response includes parents staying informed about their children and knowing when something is not right.

“I think everybody needs to have accountability for what’s going with their kids and get them the appropriate help they need when there’s a crisis developing,” Wilson said. “We all have stressors in our life, whether we’re adults, the elderly, or kids, and we just need to be in tune to that.”

Illustration by Amy Scott | The Daily Iowan

RETURNING TO THE NEST

Thousands of current and former Hawkeyes attended events around Iowa City for Homecoming week. The university hosted events including blood drives and concerts, leading up to a football game on Saturday against Northwestern.

DI Staff | The Daily Iowan

(Top) Andy Eiffert with Iowa athletics grounds maintenance paints the grass on the Pentacrest in Iowa City on Oct. 21. Painting began in the morning and finished up in the late afternoon.

(Left) Nurses Joseph Hulsizer and Cassie Graves help students Ava Wheelock (left) and Caelan Cummins (right) donate blood during the 2024 Homecoming Blood Drive hosted by the DeGowin Blood Center in the Iowa Memorial Union on Oct. 22. The blood drive was set up by the university, which partnered with the regional blood donation center ImpactLife, based in Davenport, Iowa. (Right) The 502s perform during the Homecoming Concert on the Pentacrest in Iowa City on Oct. 25. The show featured the 502s and Magdalena Bay. (Bottom) Fans watch a flyover before a fooball game between Iowa and Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 26. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats, 41-14.

Addie Deal sticks with Iowa

Five-star combo guard Deal is fully committed to Iowa women’s basketball.

van Aalsum finding her groove

Jake Olson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com

Before her sophomore campaign, Iowa field hockey second-year forward Dionne van Aalsum knew it

would adjust to her elite scoring and passing abilities in 2024. “I already expected that it wouldn’t be that easy to do the same thing as I did last season,” van Aalsum said. “I got into the season saying, ‘Of course I’m going to try and do my best and everything.’” Her prediction turned out to be correct, as she has mustered just eight goals in 14 games and has been held scoreless in seven of those contests.

Head coach Lisa Cellucci credits opposing defenses for employing new strategies to slow down van Aalsum.

“They [opponents] just have to really key into their individual defense because she is so talented,” Cellucci

Chris Meglio Pregame Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com

Former Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder may have put down the clipboard, but five-star prospect Addie Deal never wavered on her decision to become a Hawkeye.

Deal, a combo guard, is the top-ranked player in California by ESPN and is playing at the prestigious Mater Dei High School — that’s produced the likes of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and Katie Lou Samuelson of the Indiana Fever.

Deal received offers from Arizona, Stanford, Iowa State, Ohio State, and Indiana, among many other schools, but she chose to continue her basketball career with the Iowa Hawkeyes upon seeing the environment each player grows in.

“Just seeing the girls and seeing the culture that they brought, how they cared about each other on and off the court, that really drew me in even more than the coaching staff,” Deal said. “I already loved the way they played basketball. And when I saw in-person how much of a family culture it was, that’s when I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I can really see myself here.’”

Deal was eased into basketball growing up from the start. Her dad played basketball at then-NAIA school Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, now a Division II school.

She began playing around the same time her older brother started, and she even played on the same teams as him up until the seventh grade.

Her experiences growing up turned her into a young star entering high school. She played her freshman season at Pacifica Christian High School in Orange County before transferring to Mater Dei — where she blew up and arrived on the national women’s basketball scene.

Deal played under Kevin Kiernan her first two years with the school. Kiernan, the all-time winningest coach in California high school girl’s basketball history, stepped down after last season to become the school’s athletic director.

His successor is Jody Wynn, a former USC basketball player and Division I coach for 25 years. She spent time as the head coach at the University of Washington and Long Beach State and was an assistant coach at USC and Pepperdine University.

Now at the high school level, she’s grateful to work with Deal, as a person and as a ball player.

“Addie is the ultimate teammate,” Wynn said. “Addie is someone that everybody loves, that everybody trusts, that everybody respects … She plays both sides of the ball with purpose, intent, and energy. She’s fun to play with. “She’s extremely talented and not cocky or arrogant at all,” Wynn added. “She just plays the game with joy, passion and a lot of energy … And I think because of who she is as a person is why she’s such a great teammate.”

During the summer, Deal plays with the Cal Stars of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League — commonly known as the EYBL, a circuit that has produced some of the best college and professional basketball talent in the country. Some of the best players in each respective class play in that league, with many players picking up offers after these sessions.

She was named to the Nike Girls EYBL Session III

Battle for the Bull

DI assistant Sports Editor takes a look at Iowa’s Week 10 opponent in Wisconsin.

Brad Schultz

Assistant Sports Editor brad.schultz@dailyiowan.com

Following a dominating 40-14 homecoming win over Northwestern last weekend, the Iowa football team looks to keep the momentum going against rival Wisconsin, who enters the contest at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers began the year with a measly 2-2 record, but have won three of their last four games, with all three triumphs coming by 20 points or more.

Head coach Luke Fickell enters his second season in Madison and is under a bit of scrutiny from the Badger faithful after posting a 7-6 record last season, tied for Wisconsin’s second-worst campaign in the 21st century.

The Badgers have historically played a smashmouth, old-school style of football, but Fickell implemented a pass-heavy system after taking over. Wisconsin showed some initial struggles with the new scheme, but the system has seemed to pay off, as the Badgers have scored 29 points per game compared to only 23.5 in 2023.

This marks the 98th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Iowa taking three of the last four meetings. Since the introduction of the Heartland Trophy in 2004, Wisconsin leads the series 10-8.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 p.m. at Kinnick Stadium on NBC, marking the third time the Hawkeyes will play in the “Big Ten Saturday Night” matchup this season.

To fully digest this matchup, let’s take a deeper look at the Badgers. Offense

Shortly after he took over, Fickell hired North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo to run his offense in Madison. Longo has been a longtime disciple of the air-raid offense during his coaching career, and the hire quickly gained national attention. Wisconsin hasn’t thrown the ball around as much as it has hoped during Longo’s tenure, but a strong rushing attack led by Tawee Walker has opened the passing game up for Braedyn Locke and company.

Emily Nyberg | The Daily Iowan

Contributed by Addie Deal

Football

Saturday, Nov. 2

Wisconsin

2:30 p.m.

Men’s Wrestling

Saturday, Nov. 2

Oregon State Corvallis, Oregon

9 p.m.

Three keys to soccer’s success

The Hawkeyes will have to focus on veteran leadership for a shot at winning.

Women’s Wrestling Saturday,

Field Hockey

Friday,

WHAT YOU’VE MISSED

Iowa women’s basketball legend Caitlin Clark was named to the All-WNBA First Team on Oct. 16, marking the first rookie guard to earn the honor since Diana Taurasi in 2004 and first rookie to receive the recognition since Candace Parker in 2008.

Drafted as the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever for her inaugural WNBA season, Clark made one headline after another, including becoming the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year upon posting 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. The Fever advanced to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, where they were quickly eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in two games. Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty secured the title last week. The nomination of Clark to the All-WNBA First Team is only the latest feather in the sharpshooting guard’s cap as she joins four other WNBA stars in this achievement, including league MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces. Clark’s teammate, 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston, echoed the team’s sentiment in an Instagram caption. The award tops off an incredible calendar year for Clark, as it’s now been over one year since “Crossover at Kinnick” — an exhibition game held the Iowa Hawkeyes inside Kinnick Stadium, normally home to the Iowa football team. The event smashed women’s sporting event attendance records and began a historic Iowa athletics season. Clark then led Iowa to a 34-5 overall record, the Big Ten Tournament Championship, and a second consecutive Final Four and NCAA championship game appearance, replicating the success from last season. After, she joined the Fever and rejuvenated the league’s fanbase, often playing in front of sell-out crowds as she’ll continue to do into the future.

The women’s soccer regular season is rapidly approaching an end, and the newly ranked No. 11 Iowa women’s soccer team will look to continue the success it found into postseason play.

Last season, Iowa soccer shocked the conference and won the Big Ten title, defeating No. 12 Wisconsin, 1-0, in the championship match. With a 13-1-3 record on the season, Hawkeye soccer has what it takes to make an even bigger run in the postseason, aiming its sights on winning the program’s first NCAA championship.

There is no doubt that this will be quite a challenging feat to obtain, but in order to do so, Iowa will have to play some of the best soccer of the season — and focus on three key points.

Score early, dominate early

It’s no secret the Iowa offense has been nothing short of electric this season. However, most of these goals have come from the second half of play, hence the thriller. In the postseason, for the team at least, thrilling is nerve-wracking, too. Iowa has 13 first-half goals on the season to 21 in the second half. While clutch second-half play has given Iowa a competitive advantage during the regular season, postseason play is a whole different animal.

In do-or-die scenarios like the impending tournaments, Iowa does not want to have to solely rely on clutch offensive play in the second half.

Leading the charge for the Iowa offense this season has been firstyear Berit Parten, who was recently named Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week and has amassed seven goals this season. Closely behind Parten are Meike Ingles, Sofia Bush, and Maya Hansen, who all have a respectable five or more goals on the season.

Q&A | JACEY WITTEL

These four have accounted for 22 out of the 34 goals this season and will likely be who the Hawkeyes look to early in postseason play. That, however, requires setting the tone early and not waiting for the final moment.

Let experience reign

While there is no question Iowa soccer’s underclassmen have played a pivotal role in their regular season success, the Hawkeyes will have to look toward veteran leadership if they want a chance at taking an NCAA championship appearance.

While the lineup for the Hawkeyes has fluctuated throughout the season for various reasons — such as opponents, matchups, and injuries — Iowa will have to rely on veterans Ingles, Elle Otto, Macy Enneking, Rielee Fetty, and Kenzie Roling to lead the team. It’s important for younger players to have someone to look to in stressful away-game environments. The pressure of postseason play at the

Division I level is extremely taxing, so any experience to help guide the underclassmen is extremely beneficial in the postseason. Ingles, Otto, Enneking, Fetty, and Roling have played a combined total of 6,075 minutes on the pitch this season. In a previous interview, head coach Dave DiIanni emphasized the depth and differing experience on this team.

“We have an interesting mix,” he said. “[We are] incredibly old with very experienced players who have [played in] big games. Macy Enneking and Elle Otto have played a lot of minutes. I think that, on the flip side, you have young players such as Sofia Bush and Sophie Kincaid who have been very important early on for this team. This is the deepest team I have ever had at Iowa.”

Limit fouls

Fouls have been a glaring issue for Iowa throughout the whole season. The Hawkeyes currently have 209 total on the season, compared

Field hockey midfielder discusses memories at Iowa

Jake Olson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com

The Daily Iowan: What is one TV show you would choose to watch the rest of your life?

Jacey Wittel: I would say “That ‘70s Show.” I watched it when I was in middle school and high school and watched it over and over again. I really like it.

Favorite memory with Iowa field hockey?

I think it was my sophomore year — we won the Sweet 16 to go onto the Elite Eight in double

shootouts. It was just crazy. Mia [Magnotta] had some awesome saves. That’s my first. My second is when we beat Michigan when we were No. 2 and they were No. 1. All the fans stormed the field. I can’t choose which one. What is the coolest goal or play you have ever made at Iowa? Probably against North Carolina this year when we were down. I sent a ball across the cage to Miranda [Jackson] to score a goal. We were still losing, but it was really good to get a goal. I was glad to make something happen.

to their opponents’ 169 average during the same timeframe. In a sport where one goal is often the difference between advancing or going home empty-handed, Iowa will have to clean up play in order to succeed in the postseason, especially as fouls give the opponents too many extra chances.

Fouls have even led to players sitting out of games for the Hawkeyes. During the 4-0 shutout win against Oregon, Hawkeye defender Eva Pattison, who has started 16 games for Iowa this season, sat out against the Ducks after accumulating five yellow cards on the season. Additionally, fouls can lead to free kicks, and even sometimes the much more detrimental penalty kick. Iowa’s historic season could easily come to an end simply because of a goal off the latter. Fouls are simply something that cannot happen in the postseason and surely cannot happen if Iowa wants to make a long postseason run.

A book — probably a long book. Maybe a Harry Potter series to keep me busy. Maybe a lighter just to be practical, and then my cats.

Which Harry Potter book?

Probably the “Prisoner of Azkaban.”

What’s the best meal your parents ever made for you?

My dad is a really good cook, and he makes something called poppy seed chicken. Instead of breadcrumbs, he mashes up Goldfish, and it’s like the best meal ever.

If you had to bring three things to a deserted island, what would they be?

What’s the best meal in Iowa City? It is the brisket quesadilla from Bread Garden.

Who is the greatest Hawkeye NFL player?

Dallas Clark

Tight End University — need I say more?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“And when Brendan [Sullivan] gets an expanded role, or if he gets an expanded role, I think he’ll do well.”

Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz

STAT OF THE WEEK

Iowa football’s rank in total

offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision

Dating back to the Hayden Fry era, the Hawkeye football team has consistently produced toptier tight ends. From the likes of George Kittle and Sam LaPorta to TJ Hockenson, Marv Cook, and Jonathan Hayes, Iowa is a breeding ground for producing at the position.

With so many great tight ends who have gone on to have exceptional careers in the NFL, it was very hard to narrow my choices down for the greatest Hawkeye NFL player ever — but it has to be a tight end.

After making some phone calls to some hometown scholars of Cherokee, Iowa — who have had a front row seat to hundreds of Hawkeye football games at the same bar and restaurant, the Brightside Lounge, for years — my choice became clear.

Dallas Clark.

Clark, who first came in with the Hawkeyes in 1999 as a walk-on

linebacker, eventually forged a historic run as tight end at Iowa.

The position of tight end is known for being a bruising and less glamorous position than wide receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks. However, this is exactly what makes Clark’s reign that much more impressive.

Clark was a first-round pick at No. 23 in the 2003 NFL Draft to the Indianapolis Colts. During his final two years at Iowa from 2001-02, the consensus first-team All-American and John Mackey Award winner racked up over 1,251 yards and eight touchdowns through two games. That Hawkeye success continued in the NFL.

The Livermore, Iowa, native recorded 505 receptions, 5,665 receiving yards, and 53 touchdowns in the NFL. With 53 touchdowns, Clark sits at 12th all-time for touchdowns at his position, among the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe.

This success led Clark to winning a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2006, being recognized by Sports Illustrated as a NFL All-Pro in 2008 as well as a Pro-Bowler in 2009. On Oct. 20, the former Hawkeye was inducted to the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor, solidifying himself as the best NFL player ever to pass through Iowa.

Andre Tippett

The glamor, the touchdowns, the help from Peyton Manning — all of that is great. But what Dallas Clark is missing that Andre Tippett has is a gold jacket and a much more impressive resume.

Clark’s one first-team AllPro nod? Try two and two more on the second team. That was Tippett from 1985 to 1988. One Pro Bowl selection? Try five. That was Tippett 1984 to 1988. And he was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, one of the best football players in the decade who saw some of the greatest players to grace the gridiron.

That’s not to mention the linebacker won the NFL Co-Defensive Player of the Year Award by the Newspaper Enterprise Association in 1985, which he shared with fellow Hallof-Famer Howie Long. That was also as Tippett played among one of the greatest defenses ever in the Monsters of the Midway, or the Chicago Bears, that season. Step aside, Mike Singletary.

Let’s take a deeper look.

Playing for one of the greatest franchises of all time, Tippett has survived the test of time as he continues to stick out as an alltime great for the New England Patriots — one of football’s winningest teams ever.

Tippett, competing with Tedy Bruschi and Steve Nelson, was selected to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame after earning spots on their All1980s Team, All-1990s Team, 35th Anniversary Team, and 50th Anniversary Team. That legendary franchise made its first Super Bowl behind Tippett. Do I continue? I will. Tippett was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. Clark doesn’t have half the honors to stack up against Tippett. Nor does he have the statistics.

Tippett isn’t around the top 10 against any other players at his position, as Clark is. In fact, he was arguably one of the greatest defenders of his time, totaling 100 sacks in 151 games — nearly a sack a game. That’s unbelievable. And he retired with franchisebests in sacks, sacks in a season, and fumble recoveries. Alongside the great Lawrence Taylor, Tippett is regarded as one of, if not the, greatest on-ball linebackers the NFL has ever seen.

Jacey Wittel #27 Fourth-year

Sports Reporter

Colin Votzmeyer

Iowa forward Berit Parten fights two Indiana defenders for possession during a soccer match between Iowa and Indiana at the University of Iowa Soccer Complex on Oct. 6. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers, 1-0.

said. “Because she is so tall and skilled, she is able to create a lot of different spaces.”

Cellucci and her coaching staff have tried to dial up as many plays as possible for the talented forward.

Using set plays from penalty corners or taking advantage of numbers in the midfield, Cellucci wants to give van Aalsum as many chances, knowing how valuable her star forward is to the offense.

“I think the team just feels a little bit of sense like ‘She’s on fire, let’s go continue to help her get more options,’” Cellucci said. “I think that it just raises the confidence for everybody.”

Cellucci’s strategy has shown some promise, as van Aalsum has scored four goals in the last three contests.

Cellucci credits the recent success to not only van Aalsum’s improvement as the season has gone on but to the movement and flow that the midfield now plays at, potentially generating shots on goal for van Aalsum and the rest of the squad.

The Hawkeyes have also emphasized success on the power play, and Cellucci has often called up plays for van Aalsum. The second-year tallied two goals off penalty corners in a 3-0 victory against California on Oct. 20.

“Our goal is to always draw penalty corners because she is our main piece for us on that,” Cellucci said. “Whenever we can get her the ball on a set play situation, that is fantastic.”

WISCONSIN

from 1B

Walker leads the Badgers with 624 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the season but was held to only 59 yards against a stout Penn State defense last week, contributing to the 28-13 loss. Even still, Walker is an explosive back who the Hawkeyes will have to watch out for.

Locke was slated to be the backup quarterback behind Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke this season, but Van Dyke suffered a season-ending injury against Alabama on Sept. 14, forcing Locke to take over.

Locke’s results as the starter have been mixed, recording seven touchdowns and six interceptions on 1,281 yards passing. He struggled badly last week against Penn State, completing only 22 of his 42 passing attempts for 217 yards, no touchdowns, and a crucial pick-six in the third quarter.

Defense

The Badgers may have inconsistencies on offense, but their defense has been stout this year, allowing

DEAL from 1B

Third Team after averaging 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last summer. And in March, prior to the 2024 EYBL season, Deal announced her commitment to Iowa.

“I love the way that they play — very fast, very up-tempo, a lot of good shooters,” Deal said. The beautiful thing is Deal fits into that very mold, constantly looking for an open shot and taking it confidently when she finds it. Her footwork gives even the most persistent defenders a challenge staying in front.

“I always had said that she would fit in beautifully

only 18.9 points per game under defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. Tressel, the nephew of legendary Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, had previously served in the same post at Cincinnati and Michigan State before coming to Wisconsin. This unit is a well-balanced attack, with linebacker Jaheim Thomas leading the way with 52 tackles and a sack this season. Joining him at the linebacker spot is Jake Chaney, who has also posted an impressive 34 tackles and a sack in 2024.

The secondary has also been tough, with safeties Hunter Wohler, Preston Zachman, and cornerback Nyzier Fourqurean manning this unit. Zachman has a team-high two interceptions on the season.

Special Teams

Third-year placekicker Nathanial Vakos has made eight of his 12 field goal attempts and all 26 of his extra point tries this season. His season-long 53 yarder came against Alabama in Week 3.

Second-year punter Atticus Bertrams is in his

with the style of play that Lisa coaches,” Wynn said. Bluder is a beloved figure in Iowa City after serving as the Iowa women’s basketball head coach for 24 years. Right by her side through it all was Jan Jensen, serving as her lead assistant.

Jensen was an easy choice to become her successor once Bluder announced her retirement, and she works just as well for Deal’s plans.

“Jan was obviously a very well-respected assistant coach for a number of years, and she earned that reward to be named the head coach for Iowa,” Wynn said. “Jan is really an extension of Lisa.”

Iowa has been in contact with the California native

second year as the starting punter, averaging 46.3 yards per punt on 33 attempts. Bertrams hails from Sydney, Australia,

since she was a freshman in high school, and Jensen was the main contact in the recruiting process.

During this time, Deal visited Iowa City on unofficial visits when visiting her brother at Grinnell College, which is about an hour away from the university.

The relationship the two built through the recruiting process made Deal feel secure in her commitment despite expecting Bluder to be her head coach.

“I got to know [Jensen] really well [through the recruitment],” Deal said. “It speaks volumes about how Jan took over the position, and not a single person has transferred out. Not a single commit has decommitted. I think

continuing the trend of successful Australian-born punters playing in the Big Ten.

that just shows how amazing she’s going to be and how much we trust in her and believe in her.”

And while she’s eager to begin her collegiate career, her eyes are set on capping off an illustrious high school career with a state championship.

California is a hotbed for basketball talent, meaning there’s no easy road to a title. But with a player of Deal’s caliber, the Monarchs are confident in their chances.

“We’re going to have a great year,” Wynn said. “We just want to keep her healthy, and we’re excited for her to help lead us. We have big, big goals and dreams of winning a California state championship, and it’s a tall task ahead.”

Final Analysis

Both teams may be elimi

it’s still a heated game between two bitter rivals. Expect an old-school Big -

Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan

Iowa defensive lineman Aaron Graves tackles Northwestern running back Joseph Himon II during a football game between Iowa and Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 26. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats, 40-14.

John Charlson | The Daily Iowan

Iowa midfielder Dionne van Aalsum moves the ball down the field during a field hockey game between then-No. 17 Iowa and then-No. 18 California-Berkeley at Grant Field in Iowa City on Oct. 20. The Hawkeyes defeated the Golden Bears, 3-1.

Contributed by Addie Deal

BRINGING HOME 40 MORE

The Hawkeyes stomped the Wildcats, 40-14, for the Homecoming game at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 27. Iowa scored 28 points in the third quarter alone.

KEY IOWA PLAYERS

80 HOURS

Political artwork in IC catalyzes change

Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan

The exhibit “I Will Not Look Away” hangs in the K.K. Merker Gallery in North Hall on Oct. 20. Clara Reynen incorporated drawings, poetry, and physical media, and based the tally design on the Gaza Health Ministry’s known death count of Palestinians by Israeli forces. Reynen is a graduate student at The University of Iowa.

The scourge of Halloween waste

Second-hand stores are

battling excess waste produced by single-use costumes.

Emma Isenhart Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com

Beneath the spooky costumes and ghoulish face paint, an even scarier monster lurks — Halloween waste. Every year, millions of pounds of costumes, candy, and dec - orations are dumped in landfills

across the U.S. What can Iowa City and its residents do to minimize this unnecessary debris?

With 35 million Halloween costumes thrown away each year, the overconsumption of this holiday has run rampant in recent years. On average, a single trick-or-treater generates about one pound of trash. Multiply that by 41 million people every year, and the amount of waste quickly becomes more terrifying than the scariest monster mask. Historically, trick-or-treating picked up in popularity in the 1930s, and the costumes used were largely made by stay-at-home mothers. Once large corporations and manufacturers stepped on the scene around 1950, costumes transitioned from DIY activities to department store pur -

chases. Now, everyone from toddlers to college students can find any costume they dream of at the drop of a hat. The only problem is that these costumes are often poorly made with cheap, synthetic fibers that harm the environment. Many individuals — including college students — buy more than one costume for the holiday festivities, causing the amount of garbage generated to grow with each passing year.

Since it takes anywhere from 50-600 years for the plastic in these costumes to decompose, anything we can do to reduce the amount of waste can have a positive impact on the environment. Ragstock, a clothing store located in Iowa City, aims to help with this problem.

“In our Halloween department, we have half new stuff and then we have half recycled,” Ragstock Manager Brooke Mitchell said. “All of our recycled stuff is actually kept year by year. If it doesn’t sell, then we just backstock it in the warehouse in Minneapolis. We don’t throw it away — it just tries to get sold the next year.”

Buying a costume secondhand, or even purchasing a costume and holding on to it rather than throwing it away, are both viable options this Halloween. However, in order to cut down on waste even more, Mitchell recommends thrifting.

“[My advice would be] secondhand shopping. If you have any useful friends that can sew or add decorations to a costume or anything like that,” Mitchell said. “Even here at Ragstock, just avoid the new and go straight to the recycled.” On top of stores like Ragstock and Goodwill, platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great resources for finding a secondhand costume. Repurposing old costumes not only decreases waste but allows for a level of creativity missing in the Halloween section at Target. With the internet at our disposal, there are thousands of resources to find inspiration for a homemade or sustainably sourced costume. Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, and many other platforms have vast amounts of content for Halloween.

Flynn Milligan Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com

As October starts, most are digging into their stash of favorite Halloween films for the season. If you want a break from the classics, here’s a guide for some new — or often forgotten — films to mix things up this fall.

“Abigail”

A horror-comedy film directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, “Abigail” is a vampire-themed thrill to fit the Halloween vibe. Starring the late, amazing Angus Cloud, “Abigail” is the story of a young girl who is the daughter of a very important criminal figure. When Abigail is kidnapped by a group of criminals, she is held for ransom in a remote mansion, but her captors soon discover the truth: Abigail is a vampire out for blood. The colorful cast of criminals is thrown into a gory haunted house hunt making for a silly, action-packed film. “Abigail” is now streaming on Peacock.

“Frankenweenie”

When it comes to animated spooky movies, most people think of the critically acclaimed “Coraline” or “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (or is that more for the Christmas season?). One film that flies under the radar is “Frankenweenie,” one of the lesser-known creations from legendary director Tim Burton’s arsenal. The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a young and lonely child who resurrects his dog Sparky after a tragic accident. This animated remake of the 1984 short film under the same name is sure to fit the mood of the season for all ages. The movie is now streaming on Disney+.

“Salem’s Lot”

This remake of the 1979 miniseries, based on Stephen King’s 1975 horror novel, is a little less family-appropriate. It follows an author returning to his hometown, Jerusalem’s Lot, to find inspiration for his next project. After the author arrives, he discovers the townspeople are being hunted by an aggressive vampire. Directed by Gary Dauberman and released on Max on Oct. 3, the film is sure to frighten.

Another recent horror movie to keep you up at night this season is “Cuckoo,” directed by Tilman Singer. Released in the U.S. in August, the film follows a young girl named Gretchen who, to her dismay, must go from America to the German Alps to live in an eerie resort with her father. Gretchen soon finds out the resort holds a terrifying truth that endangers her and her family. Madhouse horror fans everywhere — this one’s for you. “Cuckoo” is now available to rent on Amazon.

“Goosebumps”

To conclude with something that probably won’t give you nightmares, check out the 2015 movie “Goosebumps.” Based on the horror books by R.L. Stine, this family-appropriate scary movie mixes things up this October. After a family move, Zach Cooper, played by Dylan Minnette, meets and fawns over his new neighbor Hannah, played by Odeya Rush. Shockingly, he finds that her father is none other than R.L. Stine, portrayed by Jack Black, the famous author with a meta twist.

After a mishap that leaves the creatures from Stine’s books terrorizing the town, the group must work together to return the classic characters to the pages of Stine’s beloved books. If you’re like me and grew up watching the ‘90’s “Goosebumps” TV series, this is a must-watch. “Goosebumps” is now streaming on Prime Video.

If you want to try some new material in between the endless viewings of “Halloween” and “Hocus Pocus” this fall, take a look at some of the newest additions the genre has to offer — or some great movies you may have missed.

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Nearly 1,500 people would be admitted to the gallery daily to experience the collection. Mauricio Lasansky portrayed Nazis as they were — killers. His figures were donning skull helmets with teething visors consumed by death and destruction. Suffering women and children were focal points of the collection.

The objective of the work was to not only show the devestation of the Holocaust but also to serve as a warning of the possibility of an event like this recurring. And to Mauricio Lasansky, the illustrations were motivated by a deep fight against fascism and antisemitism.

“If you grew up as an artist during wartime, the perspective was if you chose to do art over working, manufacturing, or fighting in the war, it better be important,” Diego Lasansky, Mauricio’s grandson from the Lasansky Corporation Gallery in downtown Iowa City, said.

Today, the Lasansky Corporation keeps Mauricio Lasansky’s legacy alive through cataloging, preserving, and distributing work to museums. Diego Lasansky is con-

“If you grew up as an artist during wartime, the perspective was if you chose to do art overworking, manufacturing, or fighting in the war, it better be important.”

Diego Lasansky Mauricio Lasansky’s grandson

tinuing his grandfather’s legacy through this studio space.

“When he retired, part of the goal was to have studio space still in Iowa City,” Diego Lasansky said.

Mauricio Lasansky was born in Argentina in 1914. His parents were Eastern European Jews. His father was a talented printmaker and engraver who worked at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.

Beginning to pursue music, he was involved in the arts from a young age. Eventually, his father became his instructor in printmaking: the medium that would define his career.

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0925

In the 1930s, Mauricio Lasansky established himself as an important artist in Argentina. At 22, he became the director of the Fine Arts School at Villa Maria College. But as Mauricio Lasansky’s star rose, former President Juan Perón consolidated power and set the stage for a dramatic clash between art and authoritarianism in Argentina. Perón’s administration began closely monitoring artists to control cultural expression and censor their work. He viewed art as a potential threat to his regime’s authority and the unified Argentine identity he sought to promote. Mauricio Lasansky, outspoken in his criticism of the government, felt the weight of their scrutiny on his every move. In 1943, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Director Francis Taylor first saw Mauricio Lasansky’s work. Taylor led him to his first of many Guggenheim Fellowships and a way out of Argentina.

In New York, Mauricio exposed himself to more art than he could imagine. Having access to the MET Print Archive opened his world. Enveloping himself in the works of Renaissance printmakers like Albrecht Dürer, inspiration grew. In his new vibrant art communities, Mauricio Lasansky was first exposed to Pablo Picasso. “As soon as a young artist sees Picasso for the first time, [they] get influenced,”

Desperate to keep making art and stay in the U.S., Mauricio Lasansky searched for more opportunities. His search brought him to the University of Iowa.

The UI had held status in the art world as one of the first state institutions to offer a Master of Fine Arts degree. In 1940, Elizabeth Catlett was part of the first graduating class and the first African American woman in the world to earn an MFA. Before the university adopted the MFA program, artists hailing from marginalized communities scarcely had access to outlets of artistic expression.

“[Catlett] spent a significant formative period of time in Iowa City doing her Masters of Fine Arts degree,” Diana Tuite, the visiting senior curator of modern and contemporary art at the Stanley Art Museum, said.

While a platform was given for artists, the realities and lack of civil rights still were apparent. Catlett’s practices and depictions of the Black experience through sculpture and printmaking were the foundation of the rise of politically driven work in Iowa City. As World War II ended, thousands of young G.I.s returned to college campuses. Many sought outlets to express the atrocities they saw during their service and promptly turned to Lasansky’s printmaking class.

“The [printmaking] process means that your art typically is more available. It’s a little cheaper, more of the general public can have it,” Diego Lasansky explained.

Mass distribution was not Mauricio Lasansky’s goal. His pursuit of advanced techniques pushed the boundaries of the field. A printmaking renaissance was happening in Iowa City.

“If you go to the late 1950s, any professor in printmaking was a student of my grandfather’s or of an Atelier 17,” Diego Lasansky said. “By the early 1960s, Iowa City and the University of Iowa became the printmaking capital of the world.”

Works from the Lasansky family can be seen everywhere in Iowa City. From the public library to the Java House coffee shop, prints from Mauricio Lasansky and his grandchildren are fixed proudly on the walls.

Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan

The exhibit “I Will Not Look Away” hangs in the K.K. Merker Gallery in North Hall on Oct. 20. “I’m hoping that people can just take some time to see this, sit with it, and imagine, you know, all these tally marks are representative of people,” said University of Iowa graduate student Clara Reynen.

Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan

The exhibit “I Will Not Look Away” hangs in the K.K. Merker Gallery in North Hall on Oct. 20. There are 42,000 tally marks spread throughout 20 pieces of kneaded paper on display. Each one marks a live lost from the conflict.

ART

Depictions of great thinkers like Abraham Lincoln are shown in portraits to inspire a new generation of artists.

“[Mauricio Lasansky] thought of himself as a humanist, and he thought of art as being that,” Diego Lasansky remembers. “A voice for the people.”

Although both the Holocaust and the creation of Mauricio Lasansky’s work took place over 70 years ago, the idea of using art to cope with tragedy has continued into the present. From Russia invading Ukraine to the attacks in Gaza, our world today has many subjects for this kind of work.

One of the most discussed conflicts of the present day is the Israeli-Palestine conflict. With the violence worsening by the day, more and more creatives are using art as both an outlet and a call to action. Clara Reynen, a third-year graduate student in the dual library science and Center for the Book program, is a prime example of an artist using their talents to showcase the loss of lives in the Gaza Strip.

Titled “I Will Not Look Away,” Reynen marked tallies for each individual who has died so far due to the conflict on 20 large sheets of kneaded paper. Each sheet contains 2,100 tally marks, totalling 42,000 tallies over the 20 sheets.

Reynen isn’t the only artist bringing attention to Gaza through her work. Palestinian artists are expressing themselves through political art, as well as those who are not from Palestine but are still concerned.

Jordanian-American artist Ridikkuluz has expressed his outrage over the topic through his work. His painting “Handala of Liberty” plays off the iconic Palestinian character created by Naji al-Ali and the Statue of Liberty. The original al-Ali character is a 10-year-old refugee with his back turned, but in Ridikkuluz’s version, Lady Liberty has her back turned.

While many artists use art to cope with what’s happening in Gaza, many others use it to call attention to the conflict and force people to confront what’s happening.

“I’m hoping that people can just take some time to see this, sit with it, and imagine, you know, all these tally marks are representative of people,” Reynen said. “ I hope people can understand the true scale of the destruction in Gaza.”

Although Palestine is over 2,000 miles away, Reynen has a special connection to the country and its people.

“Growing up, my family moved to a brand new town my freshman year of high school, and I didn’t know anybody. On my very first day of math class, I sat down next to someone who would become my best friend. Her family is originally from the West Bank, so I’ve always been really lucky to know a Palestinian family personally,” Reynen said.

“I’ve never met anybody who’s more generous or kind,” Reynen said. “[It’s] heart-wrenching to see all of these false narratives being pushed about Palestine, what it means to be Palestinian, and what it means to be advocating for liberation.”

the horrors from the war through their art.

Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan

The exhibit “I Will Not Look Away” hangs in the K.K. Merker Gallery in North Hall on Oct. 20. University of Iowa graduate student Clara Reynen incorporated drawings, poetry, and physical media, and based the tally design on the Gaza Health Ministry’s known death count of Palestinians by Israeli forces. The exhibit was open from Oct. 13 to 19.

Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan

The exhibit “I Will Not Look Away” hangs in the K.K. Merker Gallery in North Hall on Sunday, Oct. 20. Clara Reynen incorporated drawings, poetry, and physical media. Following World War II the University of Iowa had a print-making renaissance. Many artists at the time expressed