Religious change sparks talk on queer advocacy
Since leaving her religious denomination more than a decade ago, Imborek explained between sips of tea how she has been skeptical about spaces that call themselves accepting.
As a mother and a queer woman of faith, Imborek worries about how welcoming religious spaces are, especially those
EPA, DNR search for source of pollution in IC
Residents of Iowa City reveal reported unexplained medical issues.
Evan Watson News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Eleven months ago, Iowa City residents asked for an answer and claim they heard silence in return. Men and women who allege they have suffered for years tried to stand against the expansion of an enterprise, but they say their pleas have gone unanswered.
Amid a pending investigation, rampant growth, and decades of unexplained health issues, the residents of southeast Iowa City are looking more and more for answers.
In January, the Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission met to approve the rezoning of the former Kirkwood campus on Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City, much to the disapproval of community members, to allow for the expansion of Procter & Gamble plants in Iowa City.
They voted to allow the plant to expand, 7-0.
Procter & Gamble is a manufacturer of household cleaning products, such as Dawn Dish Soap and Oral B. The manufacturer has plants in the southern part of Iowa City and plans to expand.
Nearby residents, however, are worried the expansion of these manufacturing enterprises in southern Iowa City will worsen problems they have been facing.
At multiple meetings earlier this year of the Planning and Zoning Commission and Iowa City City Council, community members voiced their concerns about air quality and pollution issues, citing smells that have led them to experience headaches and sickness.
Some community members living near the plant claim that chemical pollution is responsible for their physical and mental health issues.
Residents of the southeast side of Iowa City, primarily in the area of the Longfellow neighborhood, have worked for years, through various complaints to the city and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, to find what is causing their health issues, which they believe to be pollution-
related. Some believe it is the nearby Procter & Gamble plants.
Additionally, a Loparex facility operates in the area. It produces siliconized paper and film-based release liners, which are adhesive, sticker-like papers with numerous applications.
In a January 2024 statement to The Daily Iowan, when the rezoning was discussed by the city, Procter & Gamble Senior Director of Communications Patrick Blair wrote the company has been in Iowa City for over six decades and is focused on working for the community’s benefit.
“For generations, we’ve served consumers from our facilities in Iowa City, supported our employ-
ees, and helped the community — fundamental to our company’s purpose,” Blair wrote. “We look forward to continuing this commitment as good neighbors for years to come.”
Two residents, Tracy Daby and Anne Marie Kraus, both of whom have spoken extensively at City Council and Planning and Zoning meetings, report suffering from neurological and physical disability from exposure to airborne chemicals. Daby and Kraus said the smell comes at random intervals and they attribute it to gaseous releases from the Procter & Gamble and Loparex
Students restoring prairie terrain across Iowa City
UI students in the Prairie Restoration course learn the importance of local ecosystems.
Department, to begin restoration. According to the Story County Conservation Center, more than 80 percent of Iowa used to be covered in tallgrass prairie. But over time, the land has changed as cities, roads, and agriculture fields have been built. Today, less than a tenth of a percent of the original prairie remains, which is why prairie restoration among the state of Iowa is essential.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Katie Imborek, far right in the doorway, socializes with Sanctuary pastors and church attendees after a service at Sanctuary Community Church on Oct. 13. Imborek has been a member of the church since 2011, emphasizing the importance of the church’s messaging
Danny Enright | The Daily Iowan
Proctor & Gamble labs are seen off Lower Muscatine Road in Iowa City on Oct. 25.
that may present themselves as inclusive of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
She believes it is important to question — as she has in the past — any denominational or nondenominational church’s governing belief system to gain more knowledge about all types of faith and ensure the church represents its inclusive ideologies.
She encourages her children to do the same.
“One of the first questions that I probably asked, or what most of my questions were based upon, was, ‘What are my kids going to hear?’” Imborek said of her experience in a nondenominational church.
Having grown up in a denomination in which women were largely excluded from leadership, Imborek wanted to find a space in which she could comfortably practice her faith and where her children could explore their own faith-based interests.
Imborek’s concerns as a queer woman are not unfounded. Throughout history, different denominational religions have persecuted queer individuals based on foundational teachings. Imborek represents the millions of individuals affected today who are worried about practicing their beliefs in safe and respectful spaces.
AAmid their concerns, the Pew Research Center found that 28 percent of adults in the U.S. are religiously unaffiliated, a number that has grown slowly since 2020. Denominational churches everywhere are feeling the effects, especially the United Methodist Church, which has lost multiple congregations over disputes of LGBTQ+ rights.
Nondenominational growth
In the last 25 years, 40 million individuals have left denominational churches — particularly Protestant and evangelistic Catholic denominations. According to a Gallup poll, average church attendance for any religion has declined since two decades ago by 42 percent.
Many individuals step away from religion altogether. More than one in four Americans, or 27 percent, identify as religiously unaffiliated, according to the 2023 U.S. Religion Census. Denominational churches have responded to these losses by either reaffirming their traditional policies or by moving toward more inclusive legislation.
One such church is the United Methodist Church, or UMC, which lost more than 40 percent of its four-year budget in February amid the disaffiliation of 7,673 congregations over LGBTQ+ legislation controversies.
In May, the UMC approved national changes to its 52-year policies of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, making marriage and ordination of clergy more accessible for queer Methodists. With over 10 million members worldwide, these changes have had massive ripple effects.
Many members of the UMC have since remained with the church, seeing these changes as a milestone for acceptance. Other members of Methodist churches across the country have left their congregations for nondenominational spaces, seeking acceptance for themselves or their peers. In Iowa City, a mixture of emotions has caused members of several religions to reevaluate their approaches to acceptance and consider how the UMC’s decisions impact the future.
A historic shift
In late April, the United Methodist Church held its 2024 General Conference, during which the church’s lawmaking body voted to lift its ban on ministers officiating same-sex marriages and its 40-year restriction on gay clergy members becoming ministers.
On April 30, delegates of the conference, consisting of clergy and lay members elected by their respective churches, approved a document called Revised Social Principles that no longer referred to marriage as only being between a man and a woman, but rather between “two people of faith.”
Additionally, the delegates approved a measure that forbids the penalization of clergy for either performing or choosing not to perform a same-sex wedding. Two days later, delegates also approved the motion that the Revised Social Principles repeal the UMC’s previous ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”
This shift in policy follows decades of the UMC’s reaffirmation of its stance on banning gay clergy ministry and same-sex marriage ever since the 1972 General Conference declared homosexuality was “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
As members of the LGBTQ+ community and other Iowa congregants began to doubt the bans would ever change, they were given hope this summer when the Iowa Annual Conference of the UMC approved a vision for repealing the bans in the state.
Despite many churches embracing the new pro-LGBTQ+ changes, many others chose the opposite route: to disaffiliate from the UMC entirely, either becoming independent institutions or joining the more conservative Global United Methodist Church.
In Iowa, the pro-LGBTQ+ changes also provoked churches to leave the denomination. As of 2023, 20 percent of Iowa Methodist churches — a total of 142 churches — have disaffiliated from the UMC.
Members of the UMC who chose to stay celebrated the vote, believing the church had finally delivered on inclusive legislation it had been promising for decades. Many local former United Methodists — those who had chosen to leave years ago when the UMC was not as open to LGBTQ+ community — are concerned, however, that these new policies do not go far enough.
A difficult decision
For Methodists who chose to leave their churches years ago because they felt their congregations weren’t practicing inclusivity, say it has been healing to find other welcoming spaces to practice their faith.
Several former Methodists have found solace in Sanctuary Community Church. Sanctuary is a nondenominational church in Coralville, Iowa, that welcomes “every race, ethnicity, age, orientation, and gender identity,” according to its
website. Started in 1999 by Senior Pastor Adey Mellman and her husband Tom Wassink, a staff pastor and psychiatrist at the University of Iowa Health Care, Sanctuary was born out of the evangelical Vineyard movement that was restrictive of queer freedoms’.
While individual Vineyard churches differ in their acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, Mellman and Wassink’s former congregation “doubled down on exclusion and on forbidding freedom for queer people to live fully within themselves in the church,” Wassink said.
Having grown up in such a strictly anti-inclusive environment, Mellman and Wassink recognize the harms of congregants feeling like they don’t belong in their spaces of worship.
“We practiced exclusion,” Wassink said. “And to change isn’t just, ‘Oh, we’re going to welcome people who we formally excluded.’ You have to look at the full structure of your organization that produced the possibility of exclusion as a practice, undo that, and then build up something in its place.”
The pair left their former congregation to establish a new religious space that became Sanctuary. This was the non-denominational space that former Evangelical Lutheran Katie Imborek visited for the first time in 2011, and she has been attending services there ever since.
“It just was a much more vibrant community, right from the start,” Imborek said. “One that I really felt was more relevant to life, like one that I felt I was able to connect with the teachings, especially from having a female pastor. There was a sense of vulnerability and a real openness — a real ethos of not giving you the answers but kind of being open to questions and sort of questioning with you.”
Knowing people within their church who have been impacted by UMC policies, Mellman hopes the UMC’s lifting of its bans will have positive effects moving forward.
“We’re thrilled,” Mellman said. “We say it from a place of humility, but we wish it was a non-issue. It’s ridiculous that based on who you love, you should be excluded from any aspect of life.”
Husband and wife Paul and Judy McRoberts, former Methodists who now attend Sanctuary, believe the UMC has not taken accountability for its history of exclusion.
“They left churches to decide for themselves,” Judy said of the UMC Conference. “The problem is that a person can come in thinking that the church is going to be welcoming, and the church is rarely going to say, ‘Oh, no, we don’t welcome you.’”
Paul and Judy’s son Sean McRoberts also left the UMC after the 2019 General Conference reaffirmed its bans. As a gender-nonconforming individual, Sean was especially disappointed in the UMC’s lack of action. Sean served as an ordained pastor in several congregations before becoming a reverend in Iowa City’s Sacred Collective — formerly the Wesley Center — on North Linn Street.
Sacred Collective leadership identifies as both an independent and interdependent spiritual community hoping “to invite and partner with students to seek justice, to encounter community, and to linger in Divine truths.”
Sean was first introduced to Sacred Collective through the organization’s “not your typical Bible study” events, in which members of Sacred Collective observed and questioned passages of the Bible. This new exploration of faith from multiple perspectives drew Sean into Sacred Collective, and he joined the staff after leaving St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Iowa City.
“[Sacred Collective] was extraordinary and really a healing space for me, as I’ve been through some pretty hard times in my leadership as I was wrestling with my identity and role as a Christian minister,” Sean said.
Open to all
While nondenominational spaces are welcoming people who may have left their respective churches over issues of inclusion, denominational spaces like St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Coralville UMC, and the Newman Catholic Student Center maintain they embrace all people, regardless of their sexuality.
“Iowa City is a more liberal community than most of the communities in Iowa, and we already know that,” Reverend Alberta Ervin, lead pastor of St. Mark’s, said. “But I think that allows us to say, ‘We are here, we love you, we care about you.’”
Despite being unwavering in its inclusivity today, St. Mark’s has had its own history of splits around the topic and the general UMC’s stance on LGBTQ+ policies.
“I’m just trying to get our feet back underneath us, so as far as our church is concerned right now, we have folks in this church that are very supportive. They go to the pride parade and social action things,” said Rev. Ervin, who joined St. Mark’s in 2023.
Coralville UMC also underwent its own inclusive changes in March of 2019, according to Rev. Rachel Lamparek, who stepped into her leadership role July 1.
Like Rev. Ervin, she views the UMC’s legislation changes as a cause for celebration.
“The church was in pain for a long time, and I do grieve the loss and the people that left, and that’s very real,” Rev. Lamparek said. “I understand that, and I sympathize with that as well. It
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Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan (Above) Church attendees sing during a Sanctuary Community Church service in Iowa City on Oct. 13. Pastors and founders Adey Mellman and Tom Wassink clapped along with the music. The couple founded the church with the goal of inclusion, making notes to recognize weaknesses and to create a community that can grow and welcome one another. (Right) Church attendees grab coffee and socialize before a service at Sanctuary Community Church on Sept. 15.
CHURCH from 1A
Chart by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan Ervin
is hard to see that happen. But the United Methodist Church has been really wrestling with this for a long time, and the inaction was causing, I think, more harm. So, I’m celebrating, and I know others are, too.”
Lamparek believes one of the drivers of the UMC’s progressivity is the influence of youth.
Younger generations, specifically Gen Z, are found to be more moderate than their older peers in both political and social views. As of 2022, one-third of Gen Z is religiously unaffiliated, and Gen Z adults are identifying as LGBTQ+ at higher rates than older generations. Coralville UMC’s decision to become inclusive was largely inspired by input from youth members of the church, Lamparek said.
“To my understanding, [Coralville UMC] had two Sundays where people could basically say whatever they needed to say and just talk about it,” she said. “And some of the youth that were there in the church stood up and talked about what this means to them, and it really impacted people, and that’s part of the reason that they decided they needed to change their official policy.”
Persisting discrimination
Not every Methodist denomination has been as accepting of inclusive legislation.
The Global Methodist Church, or GM Church, was formed in 2022 by denominations that split from the UMC to uphold a more conservative stance on inclusion. The GM Church is a “resource for all who wish to join a ‘methodical,’ practical, and warm-hearted pursuit of loving God and serving others as Jesus’ disciples in the world,” according to its website.
In a list of statements adopted from the “Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline,” the GM Church explicitly affirmed its stance on the LGBTQ+ community.
“We believe that human sexuality is a gift of God that is to be affirmed as it is exercised within the legal and spiritual covenant of a loving and monogamous marriage between one man and one woman,” the statement read, citing several biblical passages.
The UMC Bishops clarified the status of their relationship after the May General Conference, stating in a press release that “there is no communication taking place to negotiate a common understanding of our two bodies.”
In a statement issued on May 1 responding to the UMC’s policy changes, the GM Church made a similar distinction.
“We do not have any affiliation with [the UMC’s] decisions, nor do we wish to comment or provide commentary on the actions of other religious organizations,” the statement read.
The GM Church declined to comment despite repeated requests from The Daily Iowan Community in Catholicism
Though the UMC’s policy changes do not directly affect other faiths, they represent evolving attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community in religion overall. Inclusivity of every person of faith, regardless of ethnicity or sexuality, is also an ideal of Catholicism.
The Newman Catholic Student Center, a Roman Catholic ministry in Iowa City, serves as a center of religious support for all students, faculty, and staff at the University of Iowa.
Belger believes identifying people of worship as members of the LGBTQ+ community rather than as their individual selves can be harmful.
“It’s more of a disservice to clump people together that don’t really have a lot in common,” he said. “I mean, every one of those letters represents an individual or a group that
share a common experience, but when you try to lump them all together, it isn’t a person. So, we try to meet the people, whether they come in or we go out and engage them, and we have a desire to get to know them and walk with them and meet them as individuals.”
Two years ago, the Newman Center tried to meet more people in the city with the help of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, or FOCUS.
FOCUS is a nationwide organization that sent six student missionaries around Iowa City on behalf of the Newman Center. The missionaries visited the Pride House on Melrose to introduce the center and start building relationships with students there.
“I think it was an attempt, but there wasn’t a lot of interaction and relationship building,” Belger said. “So, far as I know, we didn’t see any of them coming over here and getting involved in some of the things that we do. So, it was an attempt that — only God knows what bridges were built, or that sort of thing.”
Despite local efforts to engage with individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, the Catholic Church’s theologies of acceptance remain relatively unwavering. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the reference work of teachings and dogmas for all Catholic churches, takes a negative stance on same-sex orientation. It refers to “homosexual acts” as “intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law” and “homosexual tendencies” as “objectively disordered.”
However, the Catechism does not explicitly condemn same-sex orientation as a sin, and under the papacy of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church has become more queerfriendly.
Even though individual churches may have their own prerogatives about inclusivity, the Newman Center believes in supporting the more accepting position on the LGBTQ+ community that the pope has endorsed.
Pope Francis has explicitly stated being gay is not a crime within the Catholic Church and has called for Catholic churches to do the same, claiming such policies are “unjust.” The pope continues to assert that same-sex relations are a sin, but the Church must “distinguish between a sin and a crime.”
Though the pope’s beliefs are not fully accepting, LGBTQ+ advocates think they represent the Church moving in a more progressive direction.
Belger believes the Catholic Church’s foundational yet slowly evolving doctrine of same-sex orientation offers members of the church comfort and stability.
“I mean, there’s a reason why you came to the Catholic Church, right?” he said. “You weren’t wondering whether we were going to vote tomorrow to see if everything was going to be thrown up in the air and see where it lands. There’s something that is a great blessing for those things that move very slow and are unchanging in certain things and changing in others.”
An uncertain future
To some individuals, like Rev. Ervin of St. Mark’s, the lifting of the UMC bans seems like a step in the right direction for the LGBTQ+ community, shedding a positive light on the futures of all religious spaces.
“I think it’s going to make the church stronger,” she said. “I think as we step into this new way of thinking, new way of embracing people, it’s going to take us a while, but I think it will make us a stronger church in the sense that we profess our greatest commandments are love God and love each other.”
Paul McRoberts believes the UMC’s avoidance of fully embracing inclusivity is an effort to retain congregations.
“I think it was a big step for them to come to remove the negative language and to say, ‘You can decide,’ but I think they see a more positive statement [about inclusion] will potentially lose supportive membership,” Paul said. “I’m not real hopeful.”
Much like their parents, Sean is disappointed in the church’s lack of a positive statement on inclusion.
“I appreciate that the UMC lifted its bans on weddings and ordinations. At the same time, I am distressed that it explicitly allows for discrimination at the local level,” Sean said. “I’m aware of the way that, even now, the church is not acknowledging the pain that it’s caused the people who were pushed out, and lives have literally been lost over the last five decades since the prohibitions went into place.” Sean implores people to research local churches that advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly for transgender people, as anti-transgender legislation and violence are on the rise.
Thirty-five anti-trans bills are being tracked in Iowa, compared to a national 664 bills. 2022 saw the highest national rates of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans crime ever recorded, and the Human Rights Campaign declared in 2023 for the first time in its history a National State of Emergency for the LGBTQ+ community.
Looking forward, Sean recognizes the UMC has a long and difficult road toward fully embracing the LGBTQ+ community. But Sean will always have hope.
“I think that any real repair requires recognition of the harm that has been done and harm that continues to be done,” Sean said. “I do believe that it is possible, but I honestly don’t expect that happening within the near future.” Imborek’s opinions on the future fluctuate between hopefulness and a somber understanding that change is not happening because many individuals rely on their churches’ unwavering traditions.
“On good days when I’m most optimistic, I think that society is moving toward becoming more accepting and inclusive of queer people in general,” Imborek said. “On days when I’m not as optimistic, I think there’s still a lot of folks who espouse their political beliefs that are antiLGBTQ+ have religious reasons to do so.”
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
The Kids Connect program takes place at Coralville United Methodist Church in Coralville, Iowa, on Nov. 3. The church hosts programs open to all identities.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan Sean McRoberts speaks during an interview at Sacred Collective in Iowa City on Sept. 18. McRoberts is a reverend at Sacred Collective, formerly the Wesley Center. McRoberts opened up about their exploration of identity. “I care because it’s me,” McRoberts said.
Timeline by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan
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Tainted water, lost opportunities
Across the state of Iowa, water quality for recreational purposes are generally poor, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Opinions columnists at The Daily Iowan explore how the Iowa River is a manifestation of that quality and the potential it could hold for recreational purposes in the future.
The Iowa River shows Iowa’s water quality problem
Politicians and farmers have thrown water quality to the wayside in Iowa.
Cole Walker Opinions Columnist opinions@dailyiowan.com
The Iowa River is a reliable fixture in the Iowa City community and divides the University of Iowa’s campus into two unique segments. The river is a tributary of the Mississippi River and an essential part of Iowa’s ecosystem.
Despite the river’s historical significance, many Iowa residents are concerned about its stench, sludgy nature, and poor water visibility. These concerns largely stem from water quality issues in Iowa, which have been greatly impacted by local industries and inadequate water management.
I recognize the need to generate revenue, as well as the abundance of resources required to rehabilitate a large waterway. However, if we as a community wish to improve the Iowa River and Iowa’s water quality as a whole, we must first address the plethora of issues affecting the state’s water supply. This action is necessary to benefit our local environment and the health of all citizens.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, as of 2024 at least 721 bodies of water in Iowa do not meet water quality standards for recreational use,publicwater supplies, and aquatic life protection. Although the Iowa River is not on this list, it is classified as a Category 4 stream by the Iowa DNR, indicating the second-highest level of impairments for an individual water segment.
display different natural drainage and filtration processes to try and curb the mingling of toxic pollutants and public streams.
In 2023, the Iowa Senate and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 558, a budgetary bill for agriculture and water quality. This bill diverted upwards of half a million dollars away from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, which funds water quality research and pollution monitoring.
Using the Iowa River for recreation could be game changing
The Iowa River, a stunning natural asset, remains underutilized for recreational programming and activities.
According to UI professor and researcher Silvia Secchi, via Iowa Public Radio, the reallocated funds typically support “the water sensor network managed by UI.” Without this funding, the state wouldn’t be able to determine if its Nutrient Reduction Strategy is actually reducing pollution.
These sensors help monitor and alert officials of polluted waterways, including reservoirs and rivers like the Iowa River that contribute to the state’s drinking water supply. Without this support, Iowa rivers will see an uptick in pollutants and a lack of identification, which in turn will make the problem even worse.
When asked about the reasoning for the shift in funding, Rep. Norlin Mommsen, R-Iowa, who voted in favor of the bill, said, “We’ve got a ton of monitors out there already, so…like I said, the goal was to concentrate on projects.”
The bill claims that the funding for water research isn’t being cut but rather shifting to other organizations like the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
As a student, while I don’t interact with the river daily, I prefer not to live next to a water source contaminated with E. coli and other harmful contaminants.
Earlier this year, it was reported that 52 percent of Iowa’s assessed river and stream segments and 63 percent of the state’s lakes and reservoirs are impaired, meaning the water is too polluted for its intended uses, such as drinking, recreation, fishing, and supporting aquatic life.
The river has undergone several treatment plans, but it is not a high priority to the DNR due to the “total maximum of daily loads,” or TMDL, it has received for analyzing and attempting to curb pollution. The Category 4 designation primarily stems from the rampant identification of bacteria, specifically E. coli, in the river.
Many pollutants slip into Iowa’s waterways through groundwater supplies contaminated by over 109 billion annual pounds of manure produced by the state’s factory farms.
Given that Iowa has more than 3.45 million cattle and 24.6 million pigs, the presence of pollutants is, unfortunately, not surprising.
With such a large number of animals, an exorbitant amount of waste is expected. However, the chemicals and bacteria produced from this manure have completely altered Iowa’s natural waterways, contributing to a massive decline in water quality.
Martin St. Clair, a research scientist at the University of Iowa and hydroscience and engineer staffer, when referencing a 2022 USDA report, agreed with this assessment and claimed the animal waste runoff was most likely to blame.
Regarding new ways in which to address the issue, the Iowa Environmental Council, better known as the IEC, has been very active when attempting to chronicle and
However, in reality, the budget change further illustrates the Iowa state government’s endorsement of ignorance regarding Iowa’s water quality issues. It also reveals the price many lawmakers are, or more accurately are not, willing to pay in order to provide healthy living conditions for all their residents. This sentiment is also shared within the Iowa City community, as the Iowa River has been affected by the budget reallocation as well.
As previously alluded to, Iowa City’s drinking water is taken directly from the Iowa River. According to city officials, “source water is pumped from the alluvial aquifer (Iowa River through the sandy riverbed) to an aeration tank,” before being treated and distributed to residents.
Regardless of the plant’s intricate filtration process, the river’s water quality makes it costly and time-consuming to treat the bacteria. Pulling already polluted water out of the Iowa River, instead of ground water like much of the state, is not only detrimental to residents’ health but also to their city’s bank account.
I, like many in the state, understand the need for farmers to make a profit and the challenges of managing chemicals and bacteria like those in manure that seep into Iowa’s waterways. However, addressing this water quality issue should be a top priority for the state government, especially given the links between high cancer rates in Iowa and nitrate exposure from agricultural runoff.
As a student, while I don’t interact with the river daily, I prefer not to live next to a water source contaminated with E. coli and other harmful contaminants, nor do I love the idea that most of the water I drink on a daily basis has been linked to annually killing thousands of Iowa residents.
Despite the notion that these effects are consequential to Iowa’s historic roots in farming and agriculture, ensuring safe drinking water for Iowans, both in Iowa City and beyond, should be a guaranteed priority now and for future generations.
Jami Martin-Trainor | Executive Editor
Columnists: Carson Hartzog, Cole Walker, James McCurtis, Muskan Mehta, Abigail Jones, Caden Bell, Reese Thompson, Darrell Washington, Kennedy Lein, Jackson Mendoza
Editorial Board: Jami Martin-Trainor, Marandah Mangra-Dutcher, Jack Moore, Stella Shipman, Carson Hartzog, Charlie Hickman
Darrell Washington Opinions Columnist opinions@dailyiowan.com
As I cross the Burlington Street bridge, the aroma of fresh earth and lush greenery fills the air, blending with the sharpness of a late afternoon breeze. The Iowa River flows steadily beneath me, its surface gleaming like a sheet of glass touched by the sun.
I pause to take in the beautiful scene. Plants sway gently along the banks, their long, trailing branches dipping into the water, while a chorus of chirping birds supplies natural background music that is both soothing and energizing. The sun’s warmth on my skin contrasts with the chill of the river’s mist, which occasionally brushes my face as I lean over the railing, hooked by the sight of fish darting just beneath the surface.
As I continue my walk, I observe the concrete sidewalk that runs alongside the river, surrounded by wildflower patches. This calm landscape is nearly perfect, but it’s scented with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
I can’t help but think about how vibrant outdoor environments in towns like Madison, Wisconsin, and Austin, Texas, thrive near rivers. In Madison, the banks of Lake Mendota are alive with students kayaking, paddleboarding, and picnicking in parks that flank the lakefront. Meanwhile, Austin has an enormous network of pathways along Lady Bird Lake, where joggers and families can enjoy the fresh air and each other’s company.
These activities not only improve student life but also benefit local economies and promote community engagement. According to a study by the Journal of Urban Ecology , areas that invest in waterfront recreation see increases in property values and local business revenues.
In contrast, the Iowa River has been disregarded. While it’s a lovely resource, the infrastructure and programming required to encourage outdoor activities are minimal. The lack of recreational facilities like kayak rentals, picnic spots, and riverside walking trails detracts from what could otherwise be a lively outdoor scene for both students and residents.
Recent initiatives at the University of Iowa, like the Recreational Services:
Action Plan, have focused on improving student well-being through recreational activities. However, the river remains a missed opportunity. As a result, students are often unaware of the ecological benefits the river provides or the activities they could engage in.
With a rising emphasis on mental health and wellness in educational settings, improving the Iowa River infrastructure could play a critical role in promoting outdoor activities for students. According to Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory, or ART, mental fatigue and concentration can be improved by time spent in, or looking at, nature, which enhances the brain’s capacity to focus on a specific stimulus or task.
By creating spaces for students to engage with the river, the UI could foster a culture of wellness and connection to nature. This could also align with broader sustainability initiatives on campus, as engaging with the river would deepen students’ understanding of environmental responsibility.
So, why hasn’t the UI or Iowa City invested in the development of the Iowa River? One cause could be a lack of understanding about the potential benefits. Local governments and educational institutions frequently prioritize money for other projects, prolonging a cycle of underinvestment in natural resources. However, a coordinated effort by the institution, local government, and community members could shift this narrative.
Developing the Iowa River would provide significant environmental benefits. Improving riparian zones can enhance water quality, boost biodiversity, and provide a home for local wildlife.
A healthy river environment helps everyone, from the kids who use it to the wildlife that lives in it. According to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency on “Prevention and Restoration of Hydrologically Altered Waters,” restoring natural waterways can lead to significant ecological improvements and increased community resilience against climate change.
The Iowa River is a severely underutilized resource with enormous potential for recreational and ecological improvement. By investing in this natural treasure, the UI and Iowa City can enhance student life, promote outdoor activities, and benefit the environment and local economy. As we move forward, we must acknowledge the value of our natural resources and seize the opportunities they provide for a healthier, more connected society.
COLUMN
Madison Frette | The Daily Iowan
The Iowa River is seen in Iowa City on April 4.
Economic concerns win Trump a second term
The president-elect’s messaging and public dissatisfaction resulted in a massive win.
Roxy Ekberg Politics Editor roxy.ekberg@dailyiowan.com
Following in his dad’s footsteps, Michael O’Brien hopes to open a business after graduating from the University of Iowa. O’Brien, however, is worried the state of the economy will hinder him from accomplishing this dream.
For him, along with millions of Americans, Donald Trump is the answer.
The 19-year-old and second-year UI student cast his ballot on Election Day for Trump. He said he aligns with Trump’s views on business.
“I feel like Donald Trump helps business owners,” O’Brien said.
“He likes to cut back on taxes and everything, so I felt like that was the most beneficial for my family.”
These sentiments are not only felt in the state of Iowa. After taking on credit card debt, selling gold to boost her income, and moving to a rural town in Wisconsin for cheaper rent, Sarah Butke is also eager to see economic change.
The 38-year-old Elkhorn, Wisconsin, resident is paying off six credit cards and moved to the small town because her rent in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee, was no longer financially feasible.
Butke voted for Trump in hopes his policies will relieve some of her financial burdens.
“I believe that he is the one to lead our country and get us back on track,” Butke said. “Man, times have been tough. My boyfriend and I feel it.”
Living paycheck to paycheck, Butke said she bargain shops, racks up reward points, and clips coupons, but it does little to lessen the number at the bottom of her grocery store receipt.
The majority of voters felt similarly to Butke and O’Brien, voting with the economy on their minds as they grappled with inflation and high prices driving up the cost of everyday essentials. Political scientists and Iowans across the state say the vote for Trump came down to the economy.
Exit polling by AP VoteCast reported that 39 percent of voters surveyed said the economy was their top issue as they cast their ballots.
Deep economic discontent with President Joe Biden and everyday price concerns, such as Butke’s, helped Trump return to the White House for a second term.
The president-elect tapped into voters’ deep anxieties about the economy. Those worried about the economy generally voted for Trump. He made inroads among Americans who ranked the economy and their resulting financial stress as a top issue in the 2024 election.
Here in Iowa, Trump’s message hit home.
Trump won the Hawkeye state by his largest margin yet — over 13 percentage points. All of the state’s 99 counties swung right, with Iowans giving Trump 56 percent of the vote, securing him the state’s six electoral votes.
Trump won the state in 2016 against Democrat Hillary Clinton by nine points, and again in 2020 by eight points against Biden. He won the Iowa Republican caucuses by the highest the contest has ever seen — 30 percentage points.
Inflation coupled with rising prices heightened voters’ concerns. Currently, inflation is at a three-year low and economic forecasters express no major concern with its current state; however, inflation flared to a four-decade high under the Biden administration.
Biden’s annual inflation rates equated to 5.4 percent, while they were 1.9 percent under Trump, according to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics consumer price index. Inflation reached over 20 percent during the first 45 months of Biden’s term, which Biden blamed on COVID-19’s lingering effects and the Russia-Ukraine war.
The annual inflation rate for the U.S. was 2.6 percent for October compared to a rate of 2.4 percent in September, according to U.S. Labor Department data published on Nov. 13. This number approaches the U.S. Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2 percent.
Though the inflation rate has fallen, the COVID-19 pandemic fueled costs to soar higher in a lasting way that has put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, pushed up rental costs, and made the price of essentials such as gas and groceries a burden on Americans’ pocketbooks.
Only a tenth of Americans rate the economy as “very good,” according to an October CBS News/YouGov poll of registered voters taken before the election.
Gallup found in an October poll over half of Americans say their families are worse off today than they were four years ago.
Trump angled his campaign to needle at these worries, fleshing out voters’ anxieties and tactically swaying their votes for not only himself but Republicans down the ballot.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign pitch on the economy — while favored by almost two dozen Nobel-prize winning economists — did not resonate with the American electorate. The issues she centered on, like reproductive freedom and concern for democracy, fell flat in comparison to the potency of the economy as an issue this election cycle.
Trump’s messaging on the economy, combined with the public’s distrust of the Democratic Party on the issue, resulted in his massive win of the Oval Office.
Economic anxiety boosted Trump
Groups who placed family budgets as a higher priority than the issues Harris highlighted, like reproductive freedom, swung hard for Trump on Election Day.
Trump’s economic plans appealed to lower-income voters, middle-income voters, and voters without college degrees — all of whom placed their family budget as a top issue — according to an AP VoteCast Exit Poll of more than 12,000 voters nationwide.
The survey found these voters were twice as likely to cast a ballot for Trump than Harris, and roughly 60 percent of voters who said the economy and jobs were the most important issue facing Americans voted for the former president.
The issue was especially potent in Iowa.
A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found 46 percent of Hawkeye voters feel they are worse off financially compared to four years ago. Fifty-seven percent of Iowa voters feel Trump would handle inflation and the economy better than Harris.
Harris’ hyper-focus on abortion rights and the future of democracy resonated with college graduates and higher-income voters, but Trump’s white-knuckled grip on his base and marginal gains among some of Democrats’ core constituencies clinched his win.
This time around, Trump also improved his performance with independent voters. The key swing voter bloc largely favors Democrats, and just over half voted for Harris; however, roughly 45 percent of independent voters cast their ballot for Trump, according to Edison Research exit polling
data. This jump was a four percentage point improvement from Trump’s 2020 campaign. According to the data, independents accounted for a larger share of voters in the presidential election than Democrats. Trump’s gains within the voting group boosted his win.
Reporters at The Daily Iowan conducted exit polling for responses from local voters. Among them, independents discussed their sway to Republican candidates.
An independent voter from Iowa City, Steven Kniffen, voted for Trump because he hopes to see the Republicans make a positive economic impact.
Kniffen said he is worried about where the economy is going; he thinks a second term for Trump will alleviate the financial burden Americans are experiencing.
First-time independent voter and third-year University of Iowa student, Aidan Schrader, also favored the former president’s economic plan. As a college student, Schrader said he is concerned with where his money is going, how best to earn it, and how the government spends his tax dollars.
Schrader is also hopeful tariffs will help. The president-elect has
when you go to the store?’ And so other issues that would come up tended to not be as important.”
Dissatisfaction with Democrats
Nationally, the share of people saying they have been worse off under the current administration is the highest in presidential exit polls, reaching 45 percent of those who responded, according to ABC News. This high surpassed those who said they were worse off in 2008, in the jaws of the Great Recession.
Of those polled, 72 percent of voters said they were dissatisfied or angry with the direction the country is heading. Voter dissatisfaction, combined with Biden’s low approval ratings, ultimately sunk Harris’ campaign.
Hagle said Harris did not do a good job of dealing with this anger toward the incumbency and allowed Trump’s campaign to emphasize and capitalize on voter dissatisfaction.
Biden’s approval rating swooped to a near-record low in his 13th quarter, according to Gallup News. The president averaged a 38.7 percent job approval rating during his 13th quarter from Jan.
“There’s kind of a general sense in politics, if you have to explain something in great detail, you’ve lost.”
proposed a 60 percent tariff on goods from China and a tariff of up to 20 percent on everything else the U.S. imports.
“His tariffs, I think, are going to have a better impact on our country,” Schrader said, a topic that has caused a great deal of debate around the country among economists, trade analysts, and business owners/corporate watchdogs.
UI political science professor Timothy Hagle said “kitchen table issues,” such as the job market and the economy, are more important to independent voters because they directly affect them.
Hagle said the tangibility and concreteness of the economy made the issue more potent to voters.
“You go to the gas pump, you see what gas prices are, you go to the grocery store, you see what the prices are there, and it’s still hurting you,” Hagle said. “The Harris campaign really wasn’t able to get past that, and it was easy for the Trump campaign to simply say ‘Hey, what’s your bill look like
20 to April 19. This is a recordlow rating for presidents elected to their first term since Dwight D. Eisenhower took office in 1953.
Courtney Nava, an assistant professor of political science at Grinnell College, said Harris’ campaign, which only lasted 107 days, did not have enough time to address this dissatisfaction and distance her from Biden.
“It’s really, really hard for a sitting vice president to credibly distance themselves from the administration for which they are a part,” Nava said. “That’s almost impossible.”
Nava said voters favoring a Republican not only for the presidency, but across federal and state elections was likely not because of the party’s specific stances, but rather because of the electorate’s anger at the incumbent Democratic party.
“I’m not sure that their specific stances were that appealing so much as people were mad at the incumbent,” she said.
Nava said Trump’s economic stance largely balances on tariffs, which historically increase inflation.
“We know tariffs increase inflation, and so I don’t think that [voters] were really drawn to those areas of specific policy,” Nava said.
“I think that they were mad at the incumbent.”
Chad Miller, 50, of North Liberty, said he cast his ballot for Trump on Election Day because he wants to see America go back to the way it was when Trump was running things.
“I don’t trust [Harris],” Miller said. “I don’t trust the Democratic Party. They’ve taken this party, and they’ve crashed it.”
Trump’s message ‘digestible’ to voters
Iowa State University political science professor Mack Shelley said Trump and Republicans were able to successfully provide basic, simple answers to complex politi-
cal problems, such as the economy.
“There’s kind of a general sense in politics, if you have to explain something in great detail, you’ve lost,” Shelley said. “If you can say something and everybody has this sort of a gut level reaction and says, ‘Oh, yeah, I know what that is,’ then that helps your case.”
Trump’s economic policies laid out on the campaign trail remained broad but resonated heavily with voters. His array of ideas sprawled from providing tax relief, cutting prices, increasing tariffs, and strengthening the economy.
The president-elect plans to roll out a series of targeted tax breaks, including eliminating federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security benefits. Harris’ campaign outlined tax cuts for middle-class families, a plan to provide first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 to assist with down payments, and a strengthening of Social Security and Medicare.
Twenty-three Nobel Prize-winning economists signed a letter deeming Harris’ economic plan “vastly superior” to Trump’s. However, overwhelmingly, the American electorate preferred Trump’s plan.
Shelley, who has earned two advanced degrees studying economics, said tariffs will neither fix inflation nor make the national economy more competitive, as Trump communicates to voters. Although, Shelley said, Trump’s simple solution to a complex situation is very appealing to voters.
Shelley said if public perception hadn’t been stoked against current levels of inflation, it is possible that Harris’ strategy would have resonated better with voters.
“They trust what Donald Trump says, and the message they’re getting from Trump is relatively easy to digest,” Shelley said.
Other issues fell flat
Abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade’s long-standing protections and concern for democracy ranked high in exit polling, but both issues lost their influence on Election Day.
Concern for democracy was a primary driver among voters who cast their ballots for Harris, according to AP VoteCast. Harris’ messaging set a clear divide between what a future would look like under her or her opponent; she painted a bright picture and pinned joy as a common theme of her presidency. Harris placed abortion access and reproductive freedom at the forefront of her campaign. However, exit polling shows the economy was more influential to voters. Shelley said the concreteness of issues impacts how much voters care about them. The economy, inflation, and rising prices are easier to point to than the concept of democracy.
AP’s survey found voters for Trump were more motivated by economic issues and immigration. They pegged immigration and inflation as top issues. Trump’s economic message also played into fears about taxpayer-funded resources being used to care for immigrants without legal status. These issues were more tangible to voters, Shelley said, than those highlighted by Harris’ campaign.
“Something that affects your pocketbook and your ability to live basically, that’s almost for certain that they’re going to be the real driver of decisions,” Shelley said. “And that’s apparently what happened.”
Grace Smith | The Daily Iowan
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during his caucus night watch party at the Iowa Events Center in
Des Moines on Jan. 15. According to a poll taken before the election by CBS News/YouGov, only a tenth of registered voters rated the economy as “very good.”
Mack Shelley Iowa State University political science professor
The Ashton Cross Country Course became the perfect location to begin prairie restoration at the UI. The cross-country course contains a sprawling 80 acres, with 50 acres unused. The different departments collaborated to create the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory, where UI students, researchers, and the local community can visit and learn more about prairies.
“We built a successful prairie restoration about one acre in size, and that has now grown to about eight acres in total,” Fallon said.
Fallon knew he wanted to continue educating others about the importance of prairies and restoring them. Thus, the Prairie Restoration course was created, along with the expansion of living labs and continuous collaborations with various departments and community partners.
The course continues to be taught, which provides students with practical knowledge and skills in prairie restoration and sustainable landscape design. Students receive hands-on experience, such as preparing the site, distributing seeds, and maintaining the prairie. The course also fosters interdisciplinary learning opportunities across the university.
“The class is evolving, but its primary focus is to get students outside and to identify plants, identify insects, and learn the basics of restoring prairie and other native landscapes,” Fallon said.
Fallon and his students recently worked with the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities in West Burlington to create a pollinator garden.
The project took place in Pat Klein Park, which was chosen for its visibility and proximity to local schools. It also aided in providing ecological, social, cultural, and economic benefits.
Director Travis Kraus and Community Engagement Specialist Jennifer New from the Iowa Initiative For Sustainable Communities both spoke about the program’s work since the beginning of 2009.
“We help connect faculty and students to community projects all over the state of Iowa,” Kraus said. “Our partnerships kind of begin with the communities telling us what their needs and opportunities look like.”
Kraus shared the Iowa Initiative For Sustainable Communities aims to help communities advance local projects and provide students with unique learning opportunities, such as murals, engineering projects, and more. The program is also multidisciplinary and has various projects happening around the UI, Burlington, West Burlington, and other rural communities in Iowa.
New said the collaboration with Fallon and the Prairie Restoration course began last summer when she accompanied the class on a tour of the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory.
“I think one of the things that was really cool about this project is that West Burlington is hoping that this pollinator garden will
POLLUTION
from 1A
manufacturing plants. Daby said the smell resembled chemicals like acetone and “a really rotten dumpster.” She and Kraus both said the smells keep them from going outside or opening windows and cause them to experience headaches.
Daby said using the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJScreen mapping tool shows that chemical pollution likely affects the one-mile radius around the plants. However, they said the supposed chemical pollution may impact a larger area of Iowa City where it is not perceivable by smell.
Additionally, an upset Daby said she and her children began suffering from health issues within five years of living in the area.
Daby said her twin children, who are now approaching 28, were diagnosed early in elementary school as having pervasive developmental delay, which is a neurological condition that shares similarities with autism.
Additionally, she and her two kids developed physical, Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms that resulted in tremors in her hands.
She also said her family was diagnosed with unusually high levels of androgen hormones, which are male sex hormones.
Kraus said she has dealt with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome for several years. Referred to as MCAS, it brings episodes of chronic, allergy-response-like symptoms, like hives, rashes, headaches, and dizziness, in a way that is pervasive and disabling at times.
She said she has been affected negatively by the chemicals despite living just west of
set an example and a teachable location so that residents and businesses in the area might come to replicate what Mike and his students did,” New said.
Fourth-year student at the UI Mackenzie Bengen is currently enrolled in the course and believes it exposes students to essential experiences.
“This is a unique experience, especially since I’m a biology student, and this is my first time being out in the field, so it’s been just very different and very unique,” Bengen said.
Bengen said that prairie restoration is essential in fostering environmental stew ardship. She also values the course for its practical skills and community impact.
In addition, Bengen envisions incorpo rating prairies into her future home and promoting their benefits to others. She highlighted the mental health advantages of nature and the ecological benefits of prairies, such as improved soil health and increased wildlife.
“I think it’s really important to get that hands-on experience, especially because if people care about the prairie, they have skin in the game, and then they can spread the word to other places,” Bengen said.
In the future, Fallon said he will continue to teach the Prairie Restoration course to educate students and others while benefiting the environment.
the Longfellow neighborhood.
“That was happening to me even back then, and I have more frequent episodes that are triggered by much less now,” she said.
Daby said the situation has caused her great stress and anxiety when dealing with the companies as they expand, the seeming silence from the city, and her health issues.
“I can’t afford to move, so it’s caused a lot of anxiety,” Daby said.
Daby also said local officials defend the forthcoming expansion of the Procter & Gamble plants for the economic benefits the plants bring to the area, including job creation.
“I can’t afford to move, so it’s caused a lot of anxiety.
Tracy Daby Iowa City resident
Daby believes this is a poor excuse. She claims the plants are largely automated, with few employees inside or cars parked outside the plant.
Daby said she feels stuck in the area. She said the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is underfunded, so the proper tests could not be performed on the chemical releases, which left her unable to connect her illness with any potential chemical exposure — until recently.
The Iowa DNR reports receiving claims and complaints in the Longfellow neighborhood, or generally in the area south of Highway Six, for decades. Broadly, these
complaints seemed invalid.
However, DNR Environmental Specialist Senior Ryan Stouder recently started working with residents to pinpoint the cause, source, and strength of the supposed chemical pollution.
He, Daby, and Kraus, along with other residents, have communicated, and Stouder came to Iowa City to see what was going on.
In the area, earlier in the summer, Stouder used a photo-ionization detector, which detects volatile organic compounds, to see if there was indeed the presence of harmful chemicals in the area.
The detector reported a chemical response in parts per million, which means a specific number of volatile molecules were present within one million local molecules, he said. There was a faint smell, but the detector could not identify specific chemical compounds.
Stouder worked with Iowa City to identify other possible causes for the chemical presence, such as issues with wastewater disposal.
Eventually, that possibility was determined not to be problematic, but residents say the chemical problem remained.
So, with the combination of Stouder’s findings and comments from residents, Stouder contacted the EPA office in Kansas City for assistance.
The EPA then used specific monitoring equipment attached to a vehicle to search the area for hours to detect chemicals when they were released, as the times were seemingly random.
Now marks a waiting game; Stouder said the EPA is processing their reported findings, which could take weeks or even months. Stouder said that if the report
reveals the plants in the area are not correctly handling chemical releases, the EPA could fine them or order them to make changes.
Stouder said it has been hard to identify exactly how people are affected and by what. Iowa City Community School District Director of Community Relations, Kristin Pedersen, said Southeast Middle School in the affected area has not noticed any smells or experienced any side effects.
Similarly, the complaints seem to be hitor-miss with residents, he said.
“When you drive the area and ask people that live there, a lot of times folks say they don’t smell anything,” he said.
However, Stouder’s findings support the possibility that pollution is presently affecting the area, though the severity and length of time at which it has been present will be addressed by the EPA’s report and subsequent investigation.
Stouder said, from here, utmost caution is necessary to evaluate resident complaints and not attack businesses.
“Walking that fine line between folks in the neighborhood, companies, and other components make it a stressful situation,” he said.
To Daby, the situation is an environmental justice problem and needs to be addressed since it could affect local schools and a lower-income neighborhood.
“All three of us were disabled within five years of living here,” she said. “All three of us were disabled with severe neurologic and hormonal mysteries. I wish we had the political know-how to get through to the city council before they approved expanding petrochemical manufacturing in our backyards.”
Wyatt Goodale | The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa students inspect prairie seeds during a Prairie Restoration class taught by professor Mike Fallon at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Johnson County on Nov. 12. The class partnered with the BurOak Land and Trust field crew to pick seeds to plant at other prairie restoration sites.
Wyatt Goodale | The Daily Iowan
University of Iowa students harvest prairie seeds during a Prairie Restoration class taught by Professor Mike Fallon at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Johnson County on Nov. 12. The seeds were then spread across Pat Klein Park.
WOMEN’S WRESTLING
A women’s wrestling mecca
The Iowa Hawkeyes remain a hotspot for women’s wrestling talent.
Iowa No. 2 160-pound Kennedy Blades pats William Jewell College 160-pound Nylease Yzagere on the back during the Trailblazer duals
College, and Cornell College at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Nov. 16. Blades defeated Yzagere by technical fall, 12-1.
Jake Olson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
Establishing a culture for a college athletics program is one of the most difficult things to do in sports. Sitting in the upper echelon of programs, any given year is a challenge in and of itself. But reloading and repeating that same success year in and year out separates the good programs from the great the very task Iowa women’s wrestling
head coach Clarissa Chun faces during her second year at Iowa. Chun couldn’t have scripted a better start in the program’s inaugural season last year for the Hawkeyes. Year one of the Chun era at Iowa saw more accomplishments than anyone could have predicted.
Chun
The Hawkeyes had an undefeated dual record of 16-0, won the 2024 National Col-
legiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, and totaled six individual champions and 12 All-Americans.
Not too shabby for year one in program history.
1 Iowa,
But what defines a coach and their team is not the individual seasons of success. It’s the ability to return to the same national spotlight on an annual basis. This consistency is what turns one-year wonders into collegiate “blue bloods” of their respective sports — an even taller task in the name, image, and likeness era college athletics is entering. Chun and her coaching staff found some work left after some key departures entering the new season. Felicity Taylor and Marlynne Deede — a pair of national champions with significant impact on the wrestling room — both spent their final years of eligibility as Hawkeyes last season. Taylor competed in the 116-pound weight class and wrestled at McKendree Univer-
Affolter stepping into key role for Iowa women’s basketball
The player’s leadership and poise has led to a position in the starting lineup this year.
Jack Birmingham
Prior to the 2024-25 season, the Iowa women’s basketball team received tough news. A nagging pain in senior guard Sydney Affolter’s knee forced her to undergo a surgical scope of the knee, and sidelined her for the early portion of November.
Affolter was instrumental in the Hawkeyes’ 2023-24 campaign, filling in for an injured Molly Davis in the last nine games of Iowa’s season. The junior filled in admirably, posting 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, leading Iowa to its second consecutive NCAA championship game appearance.
“This is an unfortunate setback for Sydney, but she will work hard during her rehab and is expected to make a full recovery,” new Iowa head coach Jan Jensen told HawkeyeSports after the news broke. “She has the support of her
teammates and coaches, and we look forward to having a healthy Sydney back when she is given clearance from our medical staff.”
Despite this hurdle, Affolter played a key vocal role on the bench, supporting young players such as first-year guard Teagan Mallegni, who collected four threes during Iowa’s exhibition against Missouri Western on Oct. 30.
“Teagan has been playing exceptionally well,” Affolter said after the Hawkeyes’ 110-55 win. “I’ve been seeing that since the summer. Her talent is through the roof.”
Affolter also gave an update on her injury in early November, expressing a desire to return at full speed by January.
“It’s been going well,” Affolter, reflecting on her rehab process, said. “It’s been hard to be out. I just want to be out there competing with my girls. But I know it’s a very long season. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon.”
Affolter is no stranger to hard work. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, she earned numerous accolades and milestones at Marist High School, a private school located on the
FOOTBALL
Hawkeyes
Assistant Sports Editor Brad Schultz takes a look at Iowa’s Week 13 opponent – Maryland.
Brad Schultz
Assistant Sports Editor brad.schultz@dailyiowan.com
Following a disappointing loss to UCLA on Nov. 8, the Iowa football team returns to action fresh off their second bye week of the season to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Maryland enters the contest at 4-6 overall and 1-6 in Big Ten play after suffering a disappointing home loss to Rutgers last weekend. The Terps have played in three consecutive bowl games, but that streak will be on the line against the Hawkeyes. Head coach Mike Locksley is in his sixth season as Maryland’s head coach, compiling an overall record of 33-39. The program has improved under his leadership, but the Terrapins are hoping that Locksley can elevate them to the top of the Big Ten. 2023 looked to be a great opportunity for Maryland, but they suffered a mid-season swoon and finished at only 8-5. Now, the Terps seem to be going in the wrong direction in the new Big Ten, a hole that could be difficult to dig out of. Iowa and Maryland have met four times since the Terrapins joined the league in 2014, with the Hawkeyes holding a 3-1 edge in the series. Their most recent meeting came in October of 2021 in College Park, a 51-14 Iowa victory. To fully digest this matchup, let’s take a deeper look at the Terrapins.
Offense
Taulia Tagovailoa was one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten during his tenure at Maryland, but he graduated after the 2023 season, leaving a big hole in the offense. Former backup Billy Edwards Jr. took over the starting role, and he has tossed 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 2,855 passing yards through 10 games. Unlike some of Iowa’s previous opposing quarterbacks, the junior is not known for using his legs, tallying only 125 rushing yards. Edwards Jr. began the season on fire, but he has regressed badly over the last few games, recording four
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
between No.
No. 25 William Jewell
| The Daily Iowan
Iowa guard Sydney Affolter drives to the basket guarded by Toledo’s Destiny Robinson during a basketball game between Iowa and Toledo at Carver-Hawkeye arena in Iowa City on Nov. 13. The Hawkeyes defeated Toledo, 94-57.
Affolter
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Football
Saturday, Nov. 23
Maryland College Park, Maryland
11 a.m.
Men’s Basketball
Tuesday, Nov. 19
Rider Iowa City, Iowa
7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22
Utah State Kansas City, Missouri
7 p.m.
Caliendo’s gritty comeback win
After being down 9-2 at the conclusion of the first period, the North Dakota State transfer secured a 17-12 match triumph against Stanford.
Thousands of Iowa wres tling fans gathered inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena last Sat urday afternoon for a grudge match between two top-20 teams in the nation — No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 20 Stanford.
After the Hawkeyes lost the first two matches to open up the dual against the Cardinals, Iowa fans were anxiously squirming in their seats.
Men’s Wrestling Saturday, Nov. 23
Women’s Wrestling
Nov. 22 through Nov. 23
Volleyball
WHAT YOU’VE MISSED
The Iowa men’s basketball team landed a big commitment on Tuesday, with 6-foot-10 center Badara Diakite becoming the first verbal commit of the 2025 recruiting class for the Hawkeyes.
Diakite officially announced his intent to play at Iowa late in the afternoon on Oct. 12 in an Instagram post featuring a shot of him in a Hawkeye jersey.
The decision came after a visit to Iowa City on Oct. 11, by which Diakite had already received four different offers, starting with the Nittany Lions of Penn State on June 12, 2022. Iowa was the center’s second offer, coming in on Oct. 7, 2024. Diakite also earned offers from Boston College and Washington. Diakite, a student at South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut, comes in at No. 24 in the class of 2025’s top centers, according to 247 Sports. He is also ranked No. 3 as a player in the state of Connecticut and No. 129 nationally.
Diakite is coming off of a season that ended with South Kent School’s men’s basketball program ranked No. 19 in the nation. The program boasts a handful of Division I talent, having produced the likes of Seton Hall underdog Myles Powell, NBA Champion Dion Waiters, and two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas.
“The lanky forward showed versatility on both ends of the floor this weekend, using his tools and length to impact shots and generate steals all while showing a diversified shot portfolio,” Pro Insight wrote of Diakite’s performance at the 2024 New England Prep Schools Showcase in July. “His name continues to be one to watch closely heading into his senior season.”
But the Hawkeyes quickly bounced back with a trifecta of dominant victories, including two master-class showings from No. 4 Kyle Parco and No. 1 Jacori Teemer, both transfers from Ari zona State.
Then came North Dakota State transfer Michael Caliendo, who entered his Iowa career fresh off a fourth-place finish in the NCAA championships last season.
If fans were looking for a “no-sweat” victory from Caliendo, then they were greatly mistaken.
Caliendo went down 9-2 after the first period against No. 7 Hunter Garvin, further worrying Hawkeye fans, as a Stanford victory would put it right back in the match.
Garvin jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after recording a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the first period and rolled this momentum throughout the first period.
While the score was projecting a decisive win in favor of Garvin, Caliendo had his opponent at the right spot, knowing he could make his move at any point in the match.
“You could take me down three times — I’m going to take you down four, five, six times,” Caliendo said. “I know that no one can
Q&A | DOMINIQUE PHILLS
hold me down, so all I’m thinking about is the next scoring opportunity. That’s really all there is to us.”
Caliendo was in dire need of something positive and knew the significance of having a sound second period. After a few minutes of scouting Garvin’s moves, Caliendo recorded a crafty escape with 1:47 left in the second period to generate some momentum.
Then, in the final minute, Caliendo found his scoring opportunity, recording two takedowns on Garvin and bringing the Hawkeye to its feet with his resilience.
“I just got back to my feet and get back on my offense,” Caliendo said. “I was a little sloppy at the beginning. I just made him pay for it, started wearing him down, and got to my offense.”
Caliendo’s second period push
brought the score to a tightly contested 10-9 match, with Garvin holding on to a slim lead heading into the final frame.
When asked for his advice when trailing in an intense match after the dual, Caleindo gave a simple answer.
“You just have to be confident in yourself, and I’ve been in a hole like that before,” said Caliendo. “And I’ve bailed my way out of it. There’s just no point in the match where I’m scared.”
This confidence was apparent in the third period, where Caliendo outscored Garvin, 8-2, in the frame, resulting in a 17-12 victory via decision. It also sparked the rest of the Iowa squad, who went on to claim a 32-9 dual triumph.
“I know when that guy breaks, and I know when I’m able to have
Outside hitter talks school and media
Jack Birmingham Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The Daily Iowan: What was your favorite subject or class you took in high school?
Dominique Phills: My favorite class I took was criminal justice because there were a lot of fun activities like going outside, digging to find clues, just to get a feel of what it’s like to really work in the field.
What are some of your interests outside of volleyball?
I like knitting, and I like going on walks. I do that a lot since I’ve been here.
NCAA national championship win
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I would like to use the word ‘terrible.’”
Iowa football offensive coordinator Tim Lester on how he would describe the passing game right now
STAT OF THE WEEK
Iowa men’s wrestlers
ranked No. 1 or No. 2: Jacori Teemer, Michael Caliendo, and Stephen Buchanan
It’d be easy to sit here and run you down each piece of top-ranked Penn State wrestling’s roster, from Carter Starocci at 184 to Greg Kerkvliet at 285. But by that point, you’re seriously ignoring the dog-eat-dog mentality Iowa head coach Tom Brands is instilling in his team.
After the Hawkeyes’ measly fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships last year, the reliance on legends of old such as Alex Marinelli and Spencer Lee became evidently, well, of old. This program easily could have become a sinking ship, and Brands needed to adapt — or die. What he came out with for this season is arguably second-ranked Iowa wrestling’s deepest roster in a handful of years — headlined by the dominance of No. 2 Michael Caliendo coming into his own at 165 as well as the experi -
If you could meet any famous athlete, who would it be and why?
I would meet Serena Williams. She changed the way people look at women’s sports historically, so I think talking to her would be a good motivational conversation for myself.
What is one thing you love about Iowa? I love the campus. It’s so beautiful. They do a really good job of fertilizing plants and flowers, so it’s really beautiful on campus right now in the fall.
my way with him,” Caliendo said.
“And I think everyone saw after those last takedowns. He’s lying facedown on the mat, and I just took away his will to fight.” Iowa head coach Tom Brands was pleased with Caliendo’s grit and determination on the mat.
“No matter what your situation is, just don’t let the clock tick down,” Brands said. “You get back in it now. You just put yourself in positions that favor you. And sometimes, if you’re not in a position that favors you, a little bit of hustle can really make it swing your way.”
Fans will be eager to see Caliendo return to the mat as the Hawkeyes get set to take on in-state rival Iowa State on Nov. 23. The dual is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and will be livestreamed on Big Ten Plus.
What’s been your best memory with volleyball?
I would say making it to the semifinals in high school for playoffs because that’s the farthest that I’ve ever made it with a high school team. I played
for two different schools, and that was a whole different experience because at my previous school
Who is a big motivator or inspiration in I would say my mom because she showed me how to really fight for my goals and what I want to do in my life.
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick and why?
I think I would be invisible, so I could see what’s going on when I’m not there.
What’s your favorite movie?
I like “Legally Blonde.” That’s one of my favorites.
ence of No. 1 Jacori Teemer at 157, No. 1 Stephen Buchanan at 197, and No. 4 Kyle Parco at 149. With some movement around and out of these weight classes, nothing remains in these wrestlers’ ways to a national title unless they’re upset by lower-ranked guys. But that’s not going to win you a team championship alone, I know, and it won’t need to. The back-end of this starting 10 is one of the most underrated in college wrestling. No. 6 Gabe Arnold at 184 will shoot up the rankings with his skill, IQ, and strength. No. 12 Ben Kueter will do the same at 285 as he looks the most fit and determined I’ve seen him in a Hawkeye singlet. These guys will make for very, very tough tests for the Nittany Lions, if not for some upset potential, too.
But the season is young — and not without hiccups. Should No. 7 Drake Ayala dial in a style and confidence at 133 and Brands nail down a starter at 174, which might look like Patrick Kennedy here soon, the Black and Gold have a complete lineup and a perfect recipe for a chip early in 2025.
Second-place at NCAA championships
It’s no secret Iowa men’s wrestling has a long-standing tradition of excellence, but top-ranked Penn State’s legacy can’t be ignored.
With 24 national championships and 34 Big Ten titles, Iowa has proven throughout the course of time that it is capable of winning an NCAA national championship. Consistently keeping Hawkeye wrestling as one of the top-ranked programs in the country, Tom and Terry Brands have created a historic program during their tenures as head and assistant coaches.
While this is an exceptionally good Iowa wrestling squad this season, too, there is one burden standing in the way of the Hawkeyes’ road to a national title this year.
To get to the Hawkeyes’ “achilles heel” to winning that prized championship, let’s take the roughly 12-hour drive east to Penn State — home of the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions have been the only other team in the nation in
recent years to compete with Iowa wrestling for NCAA dominance — winning 11 NCAA National championships since 2011.
This year looks to be no different for Penn State, with Cael Sanderson entering his 16th season as head coach. His knowledge of the sport is near-unmatched, and it continues to attract some of the best wrestling talent in the world.
Just a season ago, Sanderson coached the program to an undefeated 12-0 season — defeating the No. 6 Hawkeyes, 29-6, in front of their home fans.
Entering the 2024-25 season, it could very well do the same as Penn State returns three NCAA national champions in their respective weight classes: Carter Stourocei at 184 pounds, Levi Haines at 174 pounds, and Greg Kerkvliet at 285 pounds. With that Nittany Lion roster, Sanderson knows exactly how to take a loaded roster like this on a NCAA national championship run. This Iowa team is deep but one can only do so much against a team like this.
Unfortunately, for the Hawkeyes, Penn State’s depth and veteran leadership will likely aid in Penn State’s favor — giving Iowa wrestling a horrid flashback to the 2021 season, where they placed second to Penn State, or even worse should that fifth-place finish creep back into the picture.
Dominique Phills Outside hitter 6-foot-1 Pearland, Texas Dawson High School Open major
Colin Votzmeyer Sports Editor
Trey Benson Sports Reporter
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa No. 2 165-pound Michael Caliendo reacts after defeating Stanford No. 7 Hunter Garvin during No. 2
Iowa’s first home dual against No. 20 Stanford at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Nov. 9. The Hawkeyes defeated the Trees, 32-9. Caliendo defeated Garvin, 17-12.
Benson Sports Reporter
sity for three seasons. She competed as an unattached athlete in her senior campaign before using her final year of eligibility to transfer to Iowa.
Taylor thrived with the Hawkeyes and showed the women’s collegiate wrestling world just how talented she was, going 31-2, winning two dual competitions, and taking home a title at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, or NCWWC, in 2024.
Deede was a 155-pound wrestler who also took advantage of her fifth year of eligibility. Deede amassed All-American honors in all four seasons at Augsburg University and capped off her career with the Eagles by winning a national championship in 2023.
Such accomplishments made it easy for Chun and her coaching staff to pursue Deede via the transfer portal. As a Hawkeye, Deede recorded one of the more impressive single seasons in collegiate women’s wrestling history, going 13-0 and winning both the NCWWC Regional and National championships.
And Bella Mir was poised to be the next woman up after having an impressive first season with Iowa.
Mir, daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir, made a name for herself wrestling unattached in the 2022-23 season, earning runner-up honors in the 2022 Soldier Salute, placing third at the 2023 Bearcat Open, and winning the 2023 U20 World Championships.
Her success made it easy for Chun to recruit her to the program, where she would continue her dominance while representing the Black and Gold. Mir went 21-3 in her rookie year with the Hawkeyes.
She notched first-place finishes in the 2023 Soldier Salute and 2024 Grand View Open Championship. Her runner-up finish in the 2024 NCWWC Regional earned her a spot in the championships, where she finished in fifth.
Many fans were excited to see how much improvement Mir could make going into her second year — but just this past August, Mir decided to take advantage of the transfer portal in college athletics and took her talents to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.
“You never want one of your own to take off to another team, especially a team we battled neck-and-neck in both the national duals and national championships,” Chun said. “But we love Bella and want what is best for her. We are cheering her on until we step across the mat from her.”
These departures have forced Chun to bring in athletes to accommodate for the team’s losses. While Chun believes both the transfer portal and regular recruitment have advantages, she finds there is a time and place for when they should be utilized.
“It’s a puzzle, and we are still figuring it out,” Chun said. “I feel like there is no one formula. Everyone is so different, and it has
south side of the city.
to be the right fit for them and our program.”
Indeed, thus far this season, Chun has used a talented group of recruits to step up and continue their predecessors’ success.
Chun added an abundance of talent to this year’s recruiting class. Seven first-year new comers were welcomed into this season’s roster, but highlighting the class is a trio of athletes who have especially impressed so far in their early collegiate careers.
Valarie Solorio and Rianne Murphy have made immediate impacts in the lighter weight classes. The pair have been consis tent in the lineup as the coaching staff has given both athletes the utmost confidence to compete at a high level.
“There is this raw authenticity that comes from the coaches that feels like a genuine belief that they have in you to achieve,”
Murphy said. “It spreads a good culture and energy on the team.”
pound weight classes.
Murphy, on the other hand, has been perfect in her debut season for Iowa. She has gone 10-0 with first-place finishes in the Luther Hill and Eagle Madness Open, both in the 103-pound weight division.
Solorio made a name for herself at the Iowa season opener in the Luther Hill Open. Here, she started her collegiate career off by winning her first three matches at 110 pounds before losing in the championship to fellow teammate and former national champion Ava Bayless.
Since then, Solorio has consistently been in the lineup. She has posted an 8-2 record and has rotated between the 110 and 124-
Affolter led the Redhawks to two state tournament appearances during her tenure, surpassing 1,000 points and 500 rebounds during her junior season. By the end of her storied career, she was named a three-time All-State and East Suburban All-Conference first-team honoree.
Affolter entered college as a highly-touted prospect, choosing Iowa over offers from Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Michigan State, Missouri, and others.
During her freshman season at Iowa in 2021-22, Affolter played in 19 games, collecting 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. She tallied four rebounds and a block during her college debut against New Hampshire, showcasing her potential.
Affolter continued her bench role over the next two seasons, battling established stars Cailtin Clark, Gabbie Marshall, and Kate Martin for playing time. Despite the stiff competition, she remained committed to then-head coach Lisa Bluder and the Iowa program.
“I made a commitment to this team during my junior year of high school, and that’s the kind of person I am — I’m gonna stick to that,” Affolter said during the 2023-24 season.
touchdowns and seven interceptions. Additionally, he has completed only 59 percent of his passes with an average of 5.89 yards per attempt. Now, he faces an Iowa defense that is desperate for redemption after struggling against UCLA.
One of the main factors of Maryland’s struggles has been due to a bad rushing attack that ranks 17th in the Big Ten with only 1,157 total yards, a number that slots behind only UCLA. Third-year Roman Hemby is the name to watch in this group, totaling 524 yards and six touchdowns.
The Terrapins have two wide receivers who have crossed the 500-yard plateau this season. Fourthyear Tai Felton is Maryland’s leading receiver with 1,040 yards and seven scores, while fellow senior Kaden Prather has totaled 579 yards and three touchdowns on 52 receptions.
Defense
Locksley’s Terrapin teams have been known for a strong offense during his tenure, but the lack of a formidable defense has prevented Maryland from moving into that upper echelon of the Big Ten in recent years. This season, the Terrapins rank 11th in the conference in total defense, allowing 29.2 points per contest under third-year defensive coordinator Brian Williams. Williams has been on staff since 2019 and previously served as the team’s outside linebackers and defensive line coach before being promoted in 2021.
Fourth-year linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II leads Maryland in total tackles with 47, while fel-
in front of them or in their way.”
While it has been just one season, Chun’s ability to recruit so many talented first-year athletes is an ode to the program she has built thus far as head coach. That’s especially with the draw of big-name transfer Kennedy Blades.
Capping off the impressive freshman class is Naomi Simon. Simon became a household name in the state of Iowa after winning four consecutive Iowa High School State Championships for Decorah.
She has continued this same success for the Hawkeyes while anchoring the 180-pound division. Similar to Murphy, Simon has yet to lose a match in her young collegiate career, earning top finishes in Luther Hill and Eagle Madness Open.
These three have been staples of the Hawkeye roster and have competed in nearly every competition thus far in the season.
“The three — you are seeing immediate success; their mentality coming into this program was ‘Why not them?’” Chun said. “They are going to be fighting for a spot and are not going to back down to anyone that is
“I’m super grateful that I did, and I think all the hard work behind the scenes is paying off.”
Clark, Marshall, and Martin graduated in the 2024 offseason, paving a way for Affolter to crack the starting lineup from the get-go. Her knee surgery temporarily derailed that dream, but it eventually came true after two games.
After watching the season-opener from the sidelines, Affolter returned to the lineup on Nov. 10 against Virginia Tech. She didn’t start but contributed three points, six rebounds, and three assists in 24 minutes of action, the fifth-most on the team.
The Hawkeyes won the game, 71-52, and Affolter’s comeback earned praise from her teammates.
“I think Sydney always brings a level of leadership that we need out there,” third-year Hannah Stuelke said after Affolter’s second game back, a 94-57 win over Toledo. “She’s always really good. She’s very talkative and she brings a lot of aggression, so it’s just great to have her back out there.”
Affolter logged only 21 minutes during Iowa’s next contest against Toledo on Nov. 13, logging 13 points, five
low senior Glendon Miller has accounted for a team-high three interceptions.
Special teams
The Terrapins’ kicking game has battled inconsistencies all season long, as Jack Howes has made only 11-of-16 field goal attempts along with an extra point. Howes has struggled mightily from 40+ yards, knocking in only 3-of-8 from that distance. On the flip side, second-year punter Bryce McFerson is one of the best punters in the Big Ten, averaging 46.2 yards per punt on 38 attempts, including a long of 64 yards during the season-opener against UConn on Aug. 31.
Final analysis
On paper, this should be an easy win for the Hawkeyes. But Iowa’s recent struggles on the road against Michigan State and UCLA should have fans slightly concerned.
Maryland will also be fighting for bowl eligibility and will likely throw the kitchen sink at the Hawkeye defense, hoping they can duplicate those bad performances on the road.
Iowa also has a bit of a quarterback problem, as Brendan Sullivan and Cade McNamara are both injured. But the Hawkeyes should be able to ride Kaleb Johnson and the league’s best rushing attack to a surprisingly close victory.
Blades, from Chicago, enrolled at Arizona State while wrestling at the Sunkist Kids wrestling club before winning silver at the 2024 Summer Olympics and making the jump to Iowa City to join Chun’s program of progress.
“We work on things that I don’t even think about,” Blades said. “The one thing that surprised me, but in a very good way, was that we actually work on getting off our backs. I don’t remember the last time I did that. The fact that we are practicing small things, thinking about being a huge impact, is what makes it really special.”
A lot of the culture established at Iowa has been attained from Chun’s ability to find success in year one of the program. But along with winning and recognition, the University of Iowa has prioritized and promoted women’s athletics altogether.
“Iowa specifically is the birthplace of Title IX, and I think it shows how much they value women’s sports,” Murphy said. “The fact that they are trying to give us an equal playing field in terms of having an amazing facility and all the resources the guys have — I think it’s special.”
rebounds, and four assists in her first start of the season. Third-year guard Taylor McCabe credited Affolter’s leadership and poise after the game.
“She’s been such a big part of this program from the second that she stepped on campus,” McCabe said. “Even though she was out for a little while, she was still such an integral part of our team. And that doesn’t change. When she steps on the court, it’s like she was never gone.”
Head coach Jan Jensen also praised the senior’s strong work ethic.
“Syd’s work ethic is off the charts,” Jensen said during a press conference on Nov. 11. “All youngsters need to take notes. She did her training to a tee, did as much extra as she could, and just really put herself in a position.”
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Iowa 124-pound Cali Leng wrestles William Jewell College’s Emarie Bolosan during the Trailblazer duals between No. 1 Iowa, No. 25
William Jewell College, and Cornell College at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Nov. 16. Leng won by decision, 5-4.
Solorio
Murphy
Simon
Stuelke
IOWA DOMINATES ON THE MAT
Iowa women’s wrestling team held their opening dual on Nov. 16.
The operations of resale stores in Iowa City
With comics, clothes, and records, the Iowa City community is reselling the past and trading it in for the present.
ICPL’s book gala brings community
Iowa City Public Library, in collaboration with Prairie Lights, held its 31st annual gala.
Hannah Childers Managing Editor stella.shipman@dailyiowan.com
The soft strains of classical music wove through the air as customers mingled and shopped for books at Prairie Lights. This after-hours sale was part of the Iowa City Public Library’s 31st Annual Book Gala.
A portion of the event’s profits went towards the ICPL’s Friends Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds to support different parts of the library’s programming. This gala was one of the many events used to acquire funds for the library.
Katherine Moyers, an attendee at the gala, served on the ICPL’s Board of Trustees and the Friends Foundation. She was one of the minds behind this fundraiser over 30 years ago.
Moyers told me the first gala—held back in 1993 — was quite upscale. People dressed up and were treated to food and wine. There were even elaborately decorated invitations, and the event had high attendance.
Coincidentally, they were donating to the two foundations that would ultimately merge to become the ICPL Friends Foundation today.
Moyers was astonished and pleased that the event was continuing thirty years later.
“To know that something we started was still going, it really is fun. I’m very grateful to Prairie Lights for supporting the public library,” Moyers said.
Prairie Lights owner Jan Weissmiller was more than happy to support the library. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prairie
Lights established an online shopping service so that people could still have access to the bookstore and support the library.
“We support the library. Our customers are the same people who support the library. So, it is a festive, easy thing [to do], and it’s not harmful to us,” Weissmiller said. She hopes that people will continue to attend this event for years to come.
‘The Penguin’ doesn’t waddle. It flies.
HBO’s latest crime drama set in DC’s Gotham City does not disappoint.
Charlie Hickman
Arts Editor
charlie.hickman@dailyiowan.com
In an era of constant spin-offs and “world-building”, HBO’s “The Penguin” justifies its existence beyond its place in the DC canon. Set mere days after the explosive climax of 2022’s “The Batman”, this limited series soars above expectations.
I think anyone who pays attention to franchise filmmaking is tired of the constant TV spinoffs. Whether it be the Avengers, the Jedi, or somehow even Sonic the Hedgehog, it seems the only way to keep a brand alive is to splatter it across streaming services.
Now it’s Batman’s turn. After Colin Farrell stole the show in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” two years ago, it made sense to expand his role and offer audiences a chance to spend more time with his iteration of the Penguin.
Luckily, with Reeves returning to produce and showrunner Lauren LeFranc at the helm, “The Penguin” tells a dark and entertaining enough story to span eight episodes. The series introduces Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone and Rhenzy Feliz as Victor to provide the Penguin with some much-needed support.
In the film, Penguin is so fun to watch because he isn’t the center of the story. There’s no complexity to him; he’s a cartoonishly evil guy. Going into the series, I was worried his thin characterization would get boring— and it does.
The Penguin is no Walter White or Tony Soprano; he doesn’t believably lead a series like this. The scenes centered around his rise to power within Gotham’s criminal underworld are a riot, but the emotional core of the show lies with Sofie and Victor.
Sofia is the daughter of a prominent mobster named Carmine Falcone and sister to Alberto Falcone, who are both dead. She wants to take charge of the family crime operation in an act of rebellion against the rest of the family who once betrayed her and locked her away in an asylum.
“It’s a communal event. [People] see other Iowa Citians they know, they see books that they may not see otherwise, they are shopping for presents for their families for Christmas, and helping the library,” Weissmiller said.
While this may seem like a small event, as it lasted only an hour and a half, it has made quite a contribution to the Friends Foundation over the years.
Development Director of the ICPL Friends Foundation Katie Roche spoke about the gala’s impact int he community. The event generates between $800 and $1,500 every year; this year hit the high end reaching a total of $1,200 in contributions.
“Over the course of 31 years, that’s an enormous contribution to the foundation,” Roche said.
President of the ICPL Friends Foundation Bridget Feagler was in attendance alongside Roche. She was seated in the cafe where people could get treats as well as learn more about the Friends Foundation.
“We’ve done a variety of [events] in the past,” Feagler said. “Last year, we had a big event at The Englert. This year, we’re looking at focusing a lot of our efforts on our spring event, which is [called] ‘Big Future’ in April. We’ll be partnering with businesses for sponsorships.”
While some of the attendees were regulars at this event, greeting Weissmiller and Roche by name, some were here for the first time. First-time attendee at the Book Gala, Tony Gentile, found out about the event through a quick internet search.
“I like Prairie Lights, and I want to support the library,” Gentile said. Having enjoyed this event, he looks forward to the next one.
The ICPL 31st Annual Book Gala was a rewarding event that promoted support for the ICPL Friends Foundation and allowed customers to interact with their fellow literature fans.
TV-SHOW
This storyline is incredibly compelling as we’re placed on Sofia’s side almost immediately thanks to a flashback episode that details her horrific life growing up among gangsters. She has a vendetta against the Penguin, and whenever I’m watching a scene with Sofia, I root for her.
Similarly, I was always rooting for Victor. A kid from a poor neighborhood in Gotham who the Penguin strong-arms into being his henchman. Victor forms a bond with the Penguin and ultimately finds his place within the criminal underworld. It’s a surprisingly touching arc for a show full of evil people.
The people are certainly evil. I enjoyed that even though the filmmakers want us to understand the Penguin and the criminals that make up this empire, they all do terrible things. No one is ever redeemed, it’s a bleak and miserable world and one that I greatly enjoyed existing in.
However, parts of the show’s effort to give Penguin a backstory felt sort of weak to me. A lot of time is spent exploring Oz and his relationship with his mother. We see numerous flashbacks to adolescent Oz and the gangsters that he looked up to in his youth.
Too much time is spent here in the latter half of the show. The ultimate point of these scenes — without spoiling what happens — is that Oz is an irredeemable devil of a man with no soul. That’s a pretty awesome characterization of such a goofy character, but it’s not a complicated enough characterization to justify dedicating so many scenes to his backstory. By the end of the show, every character arc receives an over-the-top dark conclusion. There’s nothing more engaging to me than a drama show in which nearly every character slowly marches toward their demise (literally or professionally). “The Penguin” sticks the landing on this and doesn’t shy away from all its talk of Gotham being the most crimeridden city on Earth.
The real joy of “The Penguin” is watching Colin Farrell in unbelievably well-done makeup and prosthetics transform into this character. It’s at its best when Oz is stumbling through alleyways and shouting very colorful language in a cartoonishly New Jersey accent. Only when it tries to read into the Penguin that it begin to falter.
IC events to look for over fall break
These local events contain something for everyone.
Annie Jr.
The first weekend of break sees the opening of “Annie Jr.” at The James Theatre. The Nolte Academy’s youth theater group is at the center of this show which will have four showtimes beginning on Friday and running through Sunday.
Stella Standingbear
On Nov. 24. Gabe’s Iowa City is hosting a night of native hip hop featuring Stella Standingbear, Def-I, Tall Paul and Stuart James. The doors open at 5 p.m. for a 6 p.m. show. Comedy Game Show!
On Nov. 30. Travis Coltrain will host an evening of comedy, games and prizes at The AlleyCat. The show is
interactive and encourages audience participation, so it is sure to be a more active night out. Starting at 9 P.M, the show will begin with comedy and conclude with karaoke. ICCSO concert
The Iowa City Community String Orchestra’s fall concert will be hosted at The Englert Theatre on Nov. 24. This free concert features Erin Pronto Freund on the harp and Jonah M. Gallagher as the composer.
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan Attendees browse during the 31st Annual Book Gala at Prairie Lights Books and Cafe in Iowa City on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. Prairie Lights partnered with the Iowa City Public Library and opened their bookstore after hours for attendees.
Jack Gruber | USA TODAY NETWORK
Colin Farrell presents the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series at the 76th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles.
Resale culture felt in Iowa City
Second-hand wares ranging
Kyrsten White Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
Isabelle Lubguban Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
Iowa City is a unique college environment, thanks in large part to its robust downtown that bleeds into the campus with each flourishing business filling a niche. Just as these establishments meet a need in the community, the community provides something they need: resellable items.
“We sell classical, to hip hop, to jazz, to industrial music. We’ll take anything from anyone, for the most part,” Record Collector Manager Jo Adams said.
The records at Iowa City store Record Collector come in many different shapes and sizes, whether on the walls or sitting on stands for people to peruse.
“[The records] are a combination of items we order in new, like new releases or reissues. The used items in the store are brought to us from the surrounding areas, so people come in to sell their old collections,” Adams said.
Reselling can sometimes get complicated, though, as some people try reselling stolen items. Adams discussed the precautions she takes at the store to address this. In this case, the closeness of the community has so far always worked in her favor.
“Since we are such a niche market and there is only one of us in this town, people selling stolen stuff doesn’t happen so much here at all. It’s not like a piece of clothing or furniture where you can go to one out of 10 stores to resell it to somebody else,” Adams said.
“If people are going to be stealing something from us, they’re not going to bring it back,” she continued. “Chances are, if someone has a large collection in town that gets stolen, we know that person.”
After stealing a record to sell it for more than the original price, an individual can go through an intense process. If the person does not know what kind of record they are dealing with along with all the details, the resale market can get smaller.
really steal for a resale type of situation, considering we are the only store in town that they could sell it back to.”
Alongside the physical store, Record Collector has a website for online sales. They use the website Discogs, which also serves as a database for record collection and music discoveries.
“They have releases that are blocked for sale, so bootlegs are a big thing in records where somebody may have pressed something without the permission of the artist or the label that owns [the record],” Adams said.
To date, there has not been suspicious activity from the Discogs site, proving the reliability of its security measures. Another reseller, Ragstock, is amping up their own security at their Iowa City location.
The store has expanded throughout the Midwest, increasing its exposure to recycled fashion.
“Basically, the company has buyers that go all across the country [to] purchase [and] resell stuff, and it all goes back to a warehouse,” employee Jacy
Gabaldon said.
Gabaldon also mentioned that the store website is not raking in as many sales as the brick-and-mortar stores.
“A lot goes into knowing exactly what pressing you have, the grating, the condition, everything,” Adams said. “I feel like [a record] is an item that people don’t
“For the website, we do have stuff that is resold, but it’s pictures of specific items. If you want a wider variety, you have to go into the store to see all the vintage and new [things] that we have,” Gabaldon said.
Environmentalism plays a key role in why there are so many downtown resellers, said Brooke Mitchell, the manager at Ragstock. Like many other thrift stores, a number of the locations are family-owned, which incentivizes ethically conscious shoppers.
“I think it’s also due to the fact that people enjoy thrifting and experiencing the thrill of finding an off-the-wall item,” she said.
With walls decorated by hats, shoes, and skateboard decks, resale store Vice Iowa City shows off its streetwear fashion.
Even with a small space, the owners of Vice create an
Edited by Will Shortz No. 1016
environment that brings the style of clothes they sell to life. Music blasts through the speakers to welcome anyone walking through their doors.
Refurbished clothes are not all Vice has to offer. Along with a solid variety of new clothes, they also offer new shoes. While their shoe collection is smaller compared to the amount of clothes they have, they take up the space of an entire wall, ceiling to floor.
One of the three owners, Peter Krogull, described how the store came to be. Krogull, along with Tony Casella and Demetrius Perry, worked to compile the items they each separately sold and
“I was selling stuff online and Demetrius … had an event called “Kick It” and reached out and was like, ‘I think there’s a huge demand for this in Iowa City, let’s sell at this event and maybe come together after that and open
On the clothing side of sales, much of it comes from customers looking to get rid of a few things. Even though the store does not accept donations, they do offer the chance to trade in items or to get store credit.
While they do have an in-person store, the trio also have their items listed on eBay. Many other stores might think of creating their own website, but that can become a difficult task.
“If you were to just have your own website, doing Instagram, you would have to have [consumers] find it organically or do a bunch of advertisement, and sometimes that doesn’t hit your target market. So, I feel like you cover all your bases with someone on eBay,” Krogull said.
University of Iowa professor Lauren Haldeman also provided some insight into why a store may not want to create its website. While part of it is simply trying to get eyes on the site, the official steps of trying to be an online store that accepts payments can become difficult.
“I would say the biggest thing is taking credit card payments. It needs a lot of security around it. You need a really good system around it, so using a site like eBay or Etsy would provide you with that security,” Haldeman said.
The trouble of finding a way to securely accept payments can be difficult, but there are always trusted third-party options to attach to a site. Even with that option, many stores opt to use eBay or Etsy, as it removes the hassle of going through design and payment processes.
Logan McCaw | The Daily Iowan
Sneakers are on display and for sale at Vice in Iowa City on Nov. 15. Vice features and resells streetwear fashion.
RESALE from 3C
Haldeman acknowledged that eBay or Etsy stores often receive backlash for using designs without crediting the online sources they’re from. She cited the website Unsplash as a resource for resellers to pull designs from. The site even allows users to credit photographers and artists.
Another big reason why many stores, especially reseller stores, would choose these options is merely the fact that they are so popular. Krogull said when he first started using eBay before the creation of Vice, there were nearly 180 million users already.
According to eBay’s website, it currently has 133 million active buyers and 2.1 billion listings.
With that many eyes already on the site, it creates a great opportunity for customers looking for specifics to find a variety of what they want.
“If someone looks for something and they type in ‘vintage Nike t-shirt,’ and you have a bunch of Nike t-shirts on your eBay page, they’ll find those,” Krogull said.
Similar to Vice, Daydreams Comics used to have an eBay presence. Since the new owner, Nathan Parriott, took over the store, they no longer have listings on the site. But Parriott has acknowledged it will be something that needs to be created soon.
“I will have to eventually do that, but I’m not doing that right now. We do get enough business to maintain a physical location,” Parriott said. While Daydreams does not have as many resale items, they do receive a few. Most of their product
“We live in a time where culture is readily available. Popular culture, I mean. And it’s interesting to explore that .”
Nathan Parriot Owner of Daydream Comics
comes in new, but there are specific occasions where they will take in previously owned comics.
A few of these special circumstances are when customers are looking to find a way to downsize their collection. Parriott said many people either grow too old to have a huge collection or have to find a way to leave things behind as they move. Daydreams will step in and buy some of these collections, benefiting both parties in the deal.
Downtown Iowa City is home to so many stores that emphasize trade-ins, but Parriott doesn’t believe that trend ends with the community.
“We live in a time where culture is readily available. Popular culture, I mean. And it’s interesting to explore that,” Parriott said.
With the past and present mixed into one culture, people find a way to connect with those who came before them, Parriott said. Through comics, clothes, and records, the Iowa City community is reselling the past and trading in for the present.
“We can draw inspiration from more readily than we’ve ever been able to,” Parriott said.
Logan McCaw | The Daily Iowan
Used Hawaiian flannel shirts hang on a rack at Ragstock in Iowa City on Nov. 15, 2024. Many thrift stores are family owned, which can be enticing for ethically concious shoppers.