WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2024
First transgender legislator’s path to Iowa House
Aime Wichtendahl made Iowa history on election night when she became the state’s first openly transgender legislator.
The TRC’s tumultuous four years
The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Iowa City was tasked with addressing systemic racism and started in 2020.
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
After four years of controversy and limited progress, Iowa City’s Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or TRC, is nearing the end of its mandate, embodying the broader challenges of addressing systemic racism at the local level.
Created in response to national protests after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the TRC was tasked with a bold mission: to gather stories of racial injustice, recommend policy reforms, and foster healing in the community. As the commission prepares to submit its final report, questions remain about its impact and the future of racial equity efforts in Iowa City.
At the commission’s Dec. 5 meeting, Chairperson Chastity Dillard said the group intends to ask the Iowa City City Council for a six-month extension for the commission to finish writing its final report. The Iowa City City Council addressed the TRC’s request at the Dec. 10 meeting.
O’Grady stepping up for the team
Her playing time and role on the floor once fluctuating, Iowa women’s basketball center Addison O’Grady has been a strong surprise this season. The voice she’s crafted now includes a career-high 27 points against Drake in November.
SPORTS | 1B
“If we do not get this extension, we will not have the reports that we feel confident about, but we will make do,” Dillard said. Commissioner Amos O Kiche said he is hopeful the city council will grant the extension, as the TRC did not ask for additional funding.
“We are the ones who are volunteering to give over time and resources,” O Kiche said. “They help us with the building and the facility, so the fiscal impact is very little.”
The TRC was created by a resolution in 2020 from the city council, which stated that the TRC would submit a final report to the city council, including a summary of its work, stories of community members, and recommendations for the city council for policy reforms to address systemic racism.
“This is pioneering, where we’ve been trying to pave a new way, blindly at times,” Dillard said. “That takes a lot of work, trying to form or reach the goals that we are hoping for.”
At the December meeting, the TRC discussed ways to per manently integrate their goal of addressing systemic racism into the city’s infrastructure to create preventative, rather than reactive, measures for combating systemic racism.
Commissioner Louis Tassinary emphasized the importance of this in light of recent restructur ing of the University of Iowa’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments.
challenges the TRC has faced since its inception, including internal conflicts that surfaced early in its history.
“That’s what’s so important to me about something coming out of this that becomes routine,” Tassinary said. “Because when it’s something special, it’s always the first thing that can be axed.”
This emphasis on creating lasting change highlights the
One of the first controversies sur rounding Iowa City’s Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission arose when former chair Royceann Porter resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote scheduled after commissioners accused her of fostering a culture of bullying
and Commissioner Tony Currin also resigned in solidarity. In his resignation letter, Currin called on the city council to pause the TRC “to refit it with tools for oversight and better self-governance.”
Later that month, the Iowa City City Council voted 5-2 to suspend the TRC for a month following nearly two hours of public comment, the majority of which opposed a suspension.
At the time, Porter was also a Johnson County Supervisor. She was recently unseated by Mandi Remington in the latest election.
Following Por ter’s March 8, 2021, resignation, vice-chair T’Sha ilyn Harrington
Sanctioned by USA Boxing, the annual Fall Brawl event brought competitive boxing to the Iowa Memorial Union Ballroom.
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
When the TRC resumed in April 2021, commissioner Mohamed Traore was elected chair, and he appointed commissioner Amel Ali vicechair. The second wave of TRC leadThe importance of self-care for students
Self-care has become an integral part of today’s culture. Iowa City professionals and UI professors weigh in on how it can be approached during finals week.
ARTS | 1C
Listen to the latest episodes of The Daily Iowan’s two podcasts, Above the Fold and Press Box Banter, where reporters cover the latest news and talk sports at dailyiowan.com.
• The Iowa City Community School District discussed a district-wide cellphone ban at its board of directors meeting. The discussion follows state trends to ban cellphones. Check out our latest coverage of cellphone bans at dailyiowan.com.
Johnson County and Iowa City are exploring the potential of a joint law enforcement facility. The conversation is in its early stages, but leaders are optimistic about what efforts could look like. Check out our latest coverage of the partnership at dailyiowan.com.
Fall Brawl showcases Iowa Boxing Club talent
Gloves were up, and adren -
aline was high at the Iowa Memorial Union on Saturday night as the University of Iowa Boxing Club hosted its fifth annual Fall Brawl event, drawing a crowd eager for a night of grit and glory in the ring.
For Michael Conefrey, a fourth-year political science major and vice president of the Iowa Boxing Club, the Fall Brawl is a familiar stage.
“It’s my fourth time fighting at the show. I know what to expect.
So just letting the young guns know what to expect as well,” Conefrey said before the event.
“It’s my favorite fight we do, so I’m amped but calm.”
Max Borkowicz, a third-year business management student, fought in last year’s show and served as the announcer this year.
“We do the best show in college boxing,” Borkowicz said.
“We’ve got a great production
victory, redeeming his loss from 2023 Fight Night.
Toy drives brighten Iowa City this holiday season
Iowa City is spreading cheer with toy drives and mutual aid efforts.
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
As the holidays near, Iowa City residents are stepping up to support toy drives aimed at brightening the season for local families.
Alta Medea, DVIP’s director of community engagement, emphasized that bringing joy to families during the holiday season plays a vital role in supporting their clients’ healing journey.
“Celebrations happen even when you’re in crisis,” Medea said. “We are often working with folks at the very worst time of their lives, having to make some really hard decisions and fleeing abuse.”
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program, or DVIP, is gathering donations for its annual holiday shop, which provides free gifts to families receiving shelter and outreach services from the organization.
She said that DVIP ensures the holiday shop is fully stocked with a wide variety of gifts, giving parents the opportunity to choose items that match their children’s specific interests and needs. The available items include large presents, stocking stuffers, pajamas, and stuffed animals.
“A lot of individuals that shop at our holiday store have not been able to choose gifts for their kiddos previously,” Medea said. “Having that wide variety, hav-
ing that option for them to do so safely, without fear of being stalked or harassed or the burden financially, is able to give them a little bit more hope.”
DVIP’s holiday shop will remain open for families until Christmas Eve, and Medea said any donated gifts left over will be added to the organization’s birthday closet, which is open year-round for families to access TOYS | 8A
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Commissioner Louis Tassinary listens to Commissioner Amos O Kiche speak during a on Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting at city
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Los Primos Valjot Boyal and Michael Conefrey face off during Fall Brawl, hosted by Iowa Boxing Club, at the Iowa Memorial Union at the University of Iowa on Dec. 7. Numerous schools including Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Illinois as well as other boxing organizations fought in 11 bouts. The pair rematched with Valjot earning a
ership would ultimately be short-lived.
Following a TRC meeting on Nov. 4, 2021, Traore was arrested in connection to a 2019 offense of operating while intoxicated.
When informed of a warrant, Traore expressed confusion, stating his probation officer never mentioned it during the past year, and he believed he had fulfilled the requirements of his 2019 case, though police claimed he hadn’t completed his sentence.
In a press release following Traore’s arrest, Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston acknowledged the concerns about the timing of the arrest, emphasized the officers’ good intentions, and reaffirmed the department’s support for the TRC’s mission while committing to building trust with the community.
Traore was released from Johnson County jail the following day and continued to serve as TRC chair until July 2022, when he ultimately stepped down, citing personal family matters and career goals. Traore appointed Ali to fill the role going forward.
However, just a couple months into Ali’s time as TRC chair, Porter approached the city council at its August meeting, demanding that Ali be removed from the TRC for comments made during a June appearance on the podcast “Rock Hard Caucus,” where Ali allegedly referred to Porter and other local Black leaders as a racial slur.
Ali, also a woman of color, told the Iowa City Press-Citizen that her use of the term aligned with its slang usage within the Black community to criticize Black leaders perceived as not supporting Black communities.
At the meeting, Porter claimed an anony -
on Oct. 25, 2023, following legal troubles earlier that year. In June 2023, Harris was charged with possession of a controlled substance and domestic abuse. Placed under house arrest, he allegedly cut off his ankle monitor on Aug. 30 and attempted to flee to Chicago, leaving the device in a trash can at the Trailways Bus Station on East Court Street.
When deputies contacted Harris via text, he admitted running to avoid arrest. He was apprehended and charged with flight to avoid prosecution and escaping custody, and he was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Oct. 5.
According to Iowa court records, Harris has faced multiple criminal charges since 1998, including assault, domestic abuse, driving while barred, and possession of a controlled substance.
It is unclear whether city officials were aware of his background before his June arrest, as background checks are not conducted for city commissioners.
Despite the controversies, the TRC continued its work, utilizing $400,000 in funding granted by the city council in May 2023. The funds were used to hire consulting firm Kearns & West to gather local data on systemic racism and facilitators such as ThinkPeace, Mobile Crisis Outreach counselors, and Native American community partners to guide community truth-telling events.
The last of four community truth-telling events, hosted by the TRC in March 2024, derailed into a heated conflict between Commissioner Chad Simmons and ThinkPeace facilitator David Ragland.
The conflict arose after Simmons invited a retired Chicago police officer to share his experiences via Zoom, which Ragland argued was harmful to the event’s purpose. The disagreement escalated into a physical and verbal altercation, and Ragland called Simmons a racial slur, temporarily halting the event before it resumed with a healing circle aimed at restoring dialogue and reflection.
This tension came to a head during a July 6, 2023, Johnson County Board of Supervisors meeting, where Nobiss accepted a procla mation recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
In May 2024, the TRC approached the city council at a work session to address an earlier request for an additional $250,000 in funding. During the work session, Simmons told the council that failing to approve the request — which the TRC filed in January — would signify abandoning the community they pledged to support, and Dillard urged council members to help the commission finish its original goal.
During the meeting, Porter interrupted Nobiss’ remarks to emphasize the procla mation should include all people, not just Indigenous individuals. Nobiss accused Por ter of making an “all lives matter” argument, calling her comments inappropriate during a moment meant to highlight Indigenous issues.
“Why was I treated badly by Royceann Porter when receiving this proclamation on this very delicate, very sensitive subject? Because [Porter] has a chip on her shoulder regarding my involvement with the TRC,” Nobiss said.
Beyond the broader chal lenges faced by the TRC, controversy extended to former Commissioner Eric Harris, whom the TRC voted to remove
crew, better than most people put on.”
A boxing ring was set up in the IMU ballroom, and the event began at 4 p.m. featuring matchups between UI boxers and opponents from Iowa State University and other colleges.
The crowd was lively with music playing and lights illuminating the space.
Eleven fights were held throughout the night. The final fight was between 176-pound Valjot Boyal and Michael Conefrey in the Elite Male Division, where Boyal succeeded in defeating Conefrey, winning Fall Brawl.
As it was a sanctioned event, officials from USA Boxing were also present, with Chief of Officials Jeannie Joiner expressing her excitement.
“Officials enjoy coming to their show,” Joiner said, referring to the Iowa Boxing Club. “It’s like a big boxing family with officials, coaches, boxers, and doctors.”
George Chamberlain, a coach for Iowa Boxing Club and owner of Big George’s Boxing Club, said he hopes to instill in
Councilors Josh Moe and Megan Alter expressed disappointment that the previous $400,000 in funding did not lead to a more detailed action plan accompanying the funding request. Although no vote was taken during the work session, Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague and several councilors expressed reluctance to approve additional funding for the TRC, citing the lack of specific or general project ideas in the commission’s presentation.
While Teague said he was open to the possibility of additional funding with more specific plans, Dillard described the council’s hesitancy as a pivotal moment for the commission, prompting members to reassess their next steps within their mission.
The TRC hosted two final meet-and-greet events on Oct. 5 and 20, providing an opportunity for commissioners to engage with the community about Now reflecting on the commission’s history, Dillard, Tassinary, and O Kiche acknowledged the immense challenge of tackling such a broad and complex mandate, emphasizing the difficulty of addressing systemic racism on a community-wide scale.
the club’s 35 members a sense of resilience that will serve them beyond the ring.
“I always like to say that there’s two kinds of people in life as in the ring,” Chamberlain said. “There’s a hitter, and there’s a hit-ee. Of those two, who is it you want to be?”
Chamberlain encourages the boxers he trains to adopt the mentality of a hitter, both in the ring when facing opponents and outside of it, urging them to actively pursue their dreams and goals with the same determination.
Alexandra Loren, a UI neuroscience graduate and trained Jiu-Jitsu fighter, assists the Iowa Boxing Club with marketing, advertising, and occasionally offers support as a certified paramedic.Loren said adopting a “hitter” mentality has served her in various aspects of her life.
“You have to be the hitter, so you have to be willing to take that initiative,” Loren said. “It’s a lot easier to get chewed out by a co-worker when you’re used to fighting 300-pound men. It really puts things into perspective.”
“Most [truth and reconciliation] commissions are usually very specific to a particular thing, maybe killings in a certain area, mass killings or something,” O Kiche said. “Ours is looking at social and economic things in a general way.”
Regarding past controversies, Tassinary said he prefers to remain focused on the positive results of the commission.
“There are some missteps, but I think it would be a mistake to devolve the conversation into conspiracy theories,” Tassinary said. “I just think there’s a lot of people who honestly have been trying really hard. People have been very passionate.”
Dillard said the fact the TRC has persisted and requested one last extension to provide a high-quality final report for city council proves the dedication of the members.
“If we’re still here, we care,” Dillard said.
Commissioners expressed hope that aspects of the commission will be integrated permanently into the structure of Iowa City, possibly as part of another existing city commission, and that the goal of proactively addressing structural racism can provide a model for other cities.
Editor’s note: Chastity Dillard is a former employee of The Daily Iowan.
Chamberlain’s coaching philosophy also prioritizes the boxers’ safety.
As a USA Boxing-sanctioned event, the Fall Brawl adhered to strict protocols, including pre and post-bout medical examinations, the presence of certified officials, and compliance with USA Boxing’s comprehensive safety regulations.
“Safety is definitely the number one concern,” Chamberlain said. “Everything that we do is to make sure that the kids do really well.”
Chamberlain also emphasized that boxing is less dangerous than people often think, noting it doesn’t rank among the top 25 sports for injuries per capita among amateur athletes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“You have to be in really good physical shape to compete, and you’re competing against one other individual who is directly right in front of you,” Chamberlain said of the overall safety of boxing. “It’s really hard, if you’re in good shape, to get hurt because you should be able to protect yourself.”
Loren said outdated stereotypes of boxing
“I always like to say that there’s two kinds of people in life as in the ring. There’s a hitter, and there’s a hit-ee. Of those two, who is it you want to be?”
have led the UI’s risk management team to raise concerns about the Fall Brawl in past years.
She noted that serious injuries at boxing events on other campuses typically occur in unsanctioned matches, which lack the rigorous safety standards required for sanctioned events.
“The university came after us and was like, ‘We need to know more about what safety measures you’re going to provide here at the show,’” Loren
said. “But USA Boxing actually has very strict regulations.” Loren highlighted that sanctioned matches require boxers to undergo medical exams before and after the match, with a ringside doctor and officials present to intervene if necessary.
“The referee can end the fight at any time, the medic can end the fight at any time, the coach can end the fight at any time,” Loren said. “A lot of safeguards are in place.”
Asst.
Opinions Editor Carson Hartzog carson.hartzog@dailyiowan.com
Visuals Editors Isabella Tisdale isabella.tisdale@dailyiowan.com Emma Calabro emma.calabro@dailyiowan.com
Digital Editor Riley Dunn riley.dunn@dailyiowan.com
Audience Editor Shreya Reddy shreya.reddy@dailyiowan.com
DITV News Director Johnny Valtman johnny.valtman@dailyiowan.com
DITV Asst. News Director Jayce Bertrand jayce.bertrand@dailyiowan.com
DITV Sports Director AJ Reisetter aj.reisetter@dailyiowan.com
DITV Asst. Sports Director Brady Behrend brady.behrend@dailyiowan.com
DITV Tech Director Madison Johnson madison.johnson@dailyiowan.com
Business Manager Debra Plath debra.plath@dailyiowan.com 319-335-5786
Advertising Director/ Circulation Manager Juli Krause juli.krause@dailyiowan.com 319-335-5784
Liston
Nobiss
Harris
Moe
BRAWL from 1A
George Chamberlain Iowa Boxing Club coach
Teague
Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan
free birthday gifts for children.
As DVIP works to support families in crisis, a separate toy redistribution project in Iowa City emphasizes the power of mutual aid to create a more inclusive holiday spirit.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, community members Annie Ventullo and Tricia Windschitl saw firsthand how economic hardships impacted families, especially during the holiday season.
In response, Windschitl and her daughter launched the first toy redistribution initiative, and Ventullo, drawing on her background in social work, quickly joined the effort.
Four years later, Ventullo said the initiative continues to address a vital need in the community, extending its impact far beyond the pandemic.
“A lot of families were really struggling during the pandemic,” Ventullo said. “And it turns out lots of families are struggling all the time. So, we’ve expanded this.”
Ventullo described the toy redistribution initiative as a mutual aid network rather than a traditional charity. Unlike conventional models in which people with resources donate to those without, this initiative welcomes all families — regardless of economic status — to pick up donated toys.
She emphasized that this approach helps reach families who often miss out on traditional charity programs. These programs usually require extensive paperwork or proof of need, which can be a barrier for families who move frequently or for parents with executive functioning challenges that make accessing such documents difficult.
“I was just seeing these gaps where traditional need resources were not always supporting folks, so we’re going to eliminate as many barriers as we can,” Ventullo said. “We don’t ask for proof. We just say, ‘How many kids are you here to shop for?’ And then they get to shop.”
The toy redistribution initiative has grown with the help of Windschitl’s nonprofit organization the LENA project, as well as CommUnity Crisis Services, which provided a warehouse space for Windschitl and Ventullo to gather donated toys this year.
Local tattoo shops Velvet Lotus and Swanky Bits also
supported the initiative through a “Tats for Tots” fundraiser earlier this fall.
Michelle Balhan, owner of Velvet Lotus, shared that the shops hosted a day-long event where participants chose from a selection of pre-designed tattoos, raising $4,200 for the toy redistribution effort.
“We do fundraising ahead of the event to supplement any toys,” Balhan said. “Sometimes, it’s hard for people to donate gifts for the teenage [age] range.”
Balhan echoed Ventullo’s emphasis on the value of
mutual aid and highlighted another benefit of the toy redistribution initiative: It appeals to environmentally conscious families.
By redistributing gently used toys, the program helps keep items out of landfills while supporting local children.
“I just love the concept of just people helping people,” Balhan said. “It doesn’t matter what the economic or income level of someone is — it’s just everybody helping everybody.”
UIHC expands care with new procedure
The hospitals have two new minimally invasive procedures for patients.
Evan Watson News Reporter
University of Iowa Health Care recently debuted a new, minimally invasive heart valve procedure after years of research and months of work toward approval by the Federal Drug Administration. A second procedure will become available later this year.
The two procedures are offered to patients with tricus pid valve regurgitation, which causes blood to flow back ward through the heart’s right chamber due to an improperly closing valve, according to a release by UIHC.
The release said some people are born with the condition, but others can develop it later in life. At that point, later in life, the condition is likely caused by infection or other underlying health issues.
The first procedure — tri cuspid valve repair — is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter to guide small clips onto the valve to repair it and reduce the flow, according to the release.
The second procedure will be available later this year and is a more invasive valve replacement surgery in which surgeons replace the existing valve with a new one.
patients with already weakened physical health and also act as a substitute for daily medications prescribed to the weakened population.
Mohammad Bashir, UIHC cardiothoracic surgeon and structural heart disease program surgical
“We know that people recover a lot faster, and it allows a larger group of patients access to a treatment because many of these people went untreated before .”
Phillip Horwitz
Interventional cardiologist and executive director of UIHC Heart and Vascular Center
The release said these procedures are ideal alternatives to invasive heart surgeries for
director, said the recovery time is almost nonexistent for patients undergoing catheter treatment.
Bashir said patients have reported substantial improvements in their health following the procedure, even though it is not as direct as open-heart surgery.
He said individuals with tricuspid valve regurgitation often experience congestion, as the heart acts inefficiently because of the backflow. Patients accumulate fluid in the legs and other extremities, impacting mobility.
Blisters and shortness of breath are other symptoms that generally reduce a patient’s quality of life, he said.
He said the technology and procedure itself can be costly, like most new health care technologies. However, he said the benefits are greater than the risks.
“If somebody can benefit
from it [surgery], and the benefit of the surgery outweighs the risks, that is the pathway they should go for,” he said.
Eventually, similar to new technologies, the price will go down, he said.
“Hopefully, costs will come down with time. It’s expensive, and we’ve yet to see its effects on the health care system,” Bashir said.
He said cost is one of many factors that will be improved with time. Data is an important element of how these procedures will impact patient health going forward, and data needs time to be collected.
Phillip Horwitz, interventional cardiologist and executive director of UIHC Heart and Vascular Center, said these procedures are necessary
to treat patients who cannot have invasive surgeries.
“Open-heart surgery is a big operation,” Horwitz said. “It puts a lot of stress on a patient. There are just many people who are not good candidates for that.”
Horwitz also said 5 percent of Americans will get tricuspid valve regurgitation at some point in their life.
He said older individuals or those with preexisting health conditions are typically unable to receive invasive treatment. These new procedures and the research behind them seek to include a larger population of patients.
Horwitz said the procedures’ research trials and their current uses post-FDA approval have shown success. However, he said it is too soon to tell how the procedure, being less invasive, matches the longevity of more intense open-heart surgeries. There are too many disparities between patient populations who choose which surgeries, meaning older individuals with existing conditions opt for less-invasive procedures while younger patients have more invasive procedures. These facts make it difficult to compare the two categories of procedures against one another, he said.
However, Horwitz said the catheter procedure is nevertheless effective so far.
“We know that people recover a lot faster, and it allows a larger group of patients access to a treatment because many of these people went untreated before,” he said.
Overall, he said the number of tricuspid valve regurgitation patients who can receive necessary treatment has doubled thanks to these new procedures.
“Many more people who are sicker, older, or less mobile are able to get life-saving therapy,” Horwitz said.
Jenna Galligan | The Daily Iowan
Michelle Balhan works on Kayla Way’s blackout sleeve at Velvet Lotus Tattoo on Sept. 23, 2021. Balhan’s shop and Swanky Bits had a “Tats for Tots” fundrasier earlier this fall.
Photo contributed by UI Health Care
OPINIONS
The dangers of AI chatbots
Young adults are becoming more reliant on this technology.
Reese Thompson Opinions Columnist opinions@dailyiowan.com
Artificial intelligence is an ev er-changing industry with a grasp on social media platforms, news outlets, and almost all aspects of internet cul ture.
It’s a common misconception that chatbots and AI programs are relative ly new technologies. The first chatbot was actually programmed in 1966 by MIT computer scientist Joseph Wei zenbaum.
Though these applications are not new, the debate around whether AI is safe or appropriate for teens and young adults was sparked recently.
Earlier this year, Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against the company Character .AI claiming it was responsible for her son’s suicide. Her son, Sewell Setzer III, spent months corresponding with Character.AI and was in communicating with the bot moments before his death. Immediately after the lawsuit was filed, Character.AI made a statement announcing new safety features for the app.
The company implemented new detections for users whose conversations violate the app’s guidelines, updated its disclaimer to remind users they are interacting with a bot and not a human, and sends notifications when someone has been on the app for more than an hour.
The next generation of children will need to be taught how to emotionally separate human interactions from interactions with artificial intelligence.
One of the main issues with these applications is they are not up to date with the slang children and teens use, nor the nuances of how they converse with each other. This could lead to the bots unintentionally encouraging negative
COLUMN
speech because the algorithm is unfamiliar with the wording.
If someone relies on AI chatbots for social interaction, it can hinder their social skills because they become emotionally dependent on technology, which can threaten their interpersonal connections.
AI technologies promote an increase in screen time because the conversations one can have with a chatbot are seemingly never-ending. The chatbot will keep responding and prompting the user to respond until the device is turned off.
Snapchat introduced its new My AI chatbot to users on Feb. 27, 2023. This application is unique from others because users can name and dress their chatbot and create a bio for it, which customizes its personality.
For example, you can write in the bot’s bio that it is funny and outgoing, and it will respond to you accordingly. This type of personalization has parents worried their children will form a relationship with their chatbot and priori-
tize it over their real-life relationships.
COLUMN
People should worry about 23andMe
The once-popular DNA company is reportedly in financial limbo.
The newest development in AI chatbot technology was launched earlier this year. It’s called the “Friend,” and it’s a necklace you can wear every day with a bot living inside of it.
The device communicates via text messages or push notifications through the user’s phone. You can hold a button to ask the bot questions, but the device is always listening and will sometimes send unprompted notifications based on what it hears.
The dangers posed by generative AI and chatbots all go back to the idea of anthropomorphism, which is defined as the attribution of human qualities or behaviors to a non-human object.
Assigning a name to a chatbot, giving it a personality, a sense of style, and even a voice can provoke the user to create an unhealthy attachment to the technology because of how lifelike it is.
Parents need to be aware of the risks these AI technologies pose to their children’s mental health and overall well-beings.
The ‘iPhone face’ can be harmful
The “iPhone face” is a dangerous reflection of our misconstrued and misplaced beauty standards.
Abigal Jones Opinions Columnist opinions@dailyiowan.com
Nothing ruins a good period piece more than an actor or actress with lip filler, buccal fat removal, Botox, or any number of other 21st-century beauty operations.
This look has been coined “smartphone face” or “iPhone face,” a term that refers to the idea that the audience can tell the actor has seen and knows what a smartphone is — that their face conforms to modern-day beauty standards and is too modern to fit realistically into the time period they’re supposed to depict. Although the term applies to both actors and actresses, it feels like there is more common criticism of the “iPhone face” in women than in men. Is it because we as a society have always tended to be more critical of women? Or perhaps the result of such scrutiny is that more women than men adopt more modern, trendy approaches to beauty?
The media constantly bombards us with every manner of label and judgment, leading women to alter and exchange their natural beauty for fabricated beauty that is more accepted and commended by society — and yet we then complain that they look too modern or “fake.” Notable and recent instances of “iPhone face” include Millie Bobby Brown in “Damsel,” Dakota Johnson in the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion,” and the entire cast of “Daisy Jones and the Six.” They’re compared with stars such as Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, and Kate Winslet, who seem to have the “proper” period piece look.
The usage of makeup and costuming can also have a major impact on the believability of period pieces. As was point-
ed out after the release of “Bridgerton” season three, regency-era women were not wearing highlighter or pulling off smoky eyes like the actresses in the television show.
Regardless of how suitable a performer’s face may be for a period piece, or if it’s merely dependent on their makeup and context, “iPhone face” appears to be yet another label used to manipulate beauty standards. These labels suggest the deeper and more harmful effects of the beauty industry. There are hundreds of classifications and terms coined to categorize and organize every aspect of ourselves until we are no longer our own.
Are you girl pretty or boy pretty? Deer pretty, bunny pretty, or cat pretty? Do you have legging legs or jean legs — or legs that are better covered up? Do you have American Girl doll teeth, gapped teeth, or veneers? Do you have good facial harmony? Is your nose button, bulbous, Roman, or Grecian — and if it’s any of the latter three, you should really consider shaving off a bit.
Modern-day beauty standards are impossible — especially for women, of whose lives they seem to infiltrate and impact every facet.
But not to worry! Just buy yourself some hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, face wash, moisturizer — one for the morning and one for the night — toner, face masks, hair masks, and every other product that is a “must-have” to become beautiful. Don’t forget to get your facelift, lip filler, and buccal fat removal. Get a BBL, but be sure to have it removed when it’s no longer the fashion. When it comes to outward appearance, the choice is the individual’s. Whether she feels more confident with a cosmetic procedure, likes to enhance her features with makeup, or prefers to keep it au naturale, it is not up to us to condemn and judge her one way or another. Women should be free to present themselves as they feel comfortable, not as beauty standards demand.
We as a society need to take a step back and reevaluate our beauty standards and expectations. There’s a reason more and more people are choosing to alter their natural appearances — a reason some actresses no longer resemble the regency or flapper-era characters they play.
There exists a vicious, self-fueling cycle between the people, media, and the companies that stand to profit. People express ideas or preferences toward beauty, the media magnifies and picks apart such expressions, and the capitalist system finds a way to further manipulate and promote them for capital gain.
And when we are constantly surrounded by celebrities in advertisements, on social media, and on television who all look the same — who don’t look much like us — we, too, feel the need to change. Although we seem to be progressing in so many ways of life and have amassed a great amount of knowledge about ourselves and our inner workings, beauty standards continue to move in contrary ways.
We know that genetics encodes some women to be more curvy and others more thin, to give some defined cheek and brow bones while others have fuller, softer faces. We know it is unrealistic to expect all women to conform to preferred expectations, yet we continue to do so. In the inherent case that there will always be actors and actresses who perhaps look a bit more modern, either naturally or by their own beauty preferences and alterations, we need to look to those who may be overlooked but present a more honest portrayal of the period — those who are representative of the varieties of beauty that exist.
And before you judge an actress in a movie or a woman on the street, take the time to consider how your own perceptions of beauty affect such judgments.
We must continue to remember who we are as individual women and build one another up together.
EDITORIAL POLICY STAFF
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
COLUMNS, CARTOONS, and OTHER OPINIONS CONTENT reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.
EDITORIALS reflect the majority opinion of the DI Editorial Board and not the opinion of the publisher, Student Publications Inc., or the University of Iowa.
You’d collect a saliva sample, ship it off, and within six weeks, you’d receive a complete ancestral and health history based solely off your spit.
Millions of people across the country participated in 23andMe’s program, which allowed customers to identify and trace their family lineages to specific locations worldwide. This fun and informative service became a popular Christmas gift over the past decade. However, the company has recently fallen on hard times. Despite having more than 15 million customers, the company failed to attract repeat buyers because most people only used their kits once.
With no significant room for growth and few new products, the company lost more than 99 percent of its $6 billion valuation and is nearing bankruptcy. To combat the losses, founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki slashed the workforce by 40 percent and announced plans to buy back remaining shares. She also reportedly intends to take the company private.
Even so, many 23andMe users are worried about their genetic data being sold. Previously, news outlets reported that Wojcicki was open to outside buyers, potentially including the sale of its assets — such as the genetic data of over 15 million people.
Since then, conflicting reports have emerged, with Wojcicki deciding it’s in the company’s best interest to remain in her hands. The back and forth and uncertainty that surround the company’s future have only worsened people’s fears.
A 23andMe source told Business Insider that its privacy statement protecting customers’ information would stay in place “unless and until customers are presented with a new privacy statement by a new entity.”
This implies that customers would most likely have a chance to opt out if the company was sold, however, it does introduce people to the possibility of outside sources having access to their information if the company is acquired.
University of Iowa law professor and genetics privacy expert Anya Prince recently commented on the issue in an article from Advisory Board saying, “ …if someone had access to that information, and they could identify you, they could learn something about your health.”
This issue has raised privacy concerns for some and has caused many to begin panicking about the possibility of their information being identified and collected for unknown uses by unannounced entities.
Adding to these concerns, 23andMe suffered a mass data breach last October, impacting more than 6 million people. Hackers accessed passwords and logins, ultimately posting customers’ genetic data on the dark web. The company settled over a dozen lawsuits, paying more than $30 million to those impacted. By way of GINA, or the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, if sold, users’ information cannot be used by insurance companies or employers to discriminate or harass individuals based on their genetic details. However, their information can be used for research purposes due to the fact that direct-to-consumer companies like 23andMe are not protected under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.
This loophole has recently allowed 23andMe to use the spit samples of former customers who have recently undergone clinical trials to develop new cancer treatment medications, according to Bloomberg.
Customers did have to consent to this usage when first signing up to use their ancestry kits. While some may find it noble that they may play a small part in helping to treat cancer in millions of patients, others may feel gypped that they aren’t seeing any financial reparations if such drugs are approved and taken to market.
If these medicines are sold, 23andMe is set to see a massive boost in profits most likely in the millions, all thanks to help from customers and their $199 purchases.
Cole Walker Opinions Columnist
The future of CRANDIC in Iowa City
Studied options thus far include two kinds of passenger rails and a bus route.
Isabelle Foland News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Local elected officials are weighing the pros and cons of three potential uses of the CRANDIC rail line, a freight line that connects Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
For years, there has been discussion among various government entities about the feasibility of converting the line to be a mode of public transportation for Corridor residents. Most recently, three options were discussed at the Nov. 19 Iowa City City Council work session.
According to its website, the CRANDIC rail was used to carry passengers in electric train cars in the early 1900s. However, as cars became more popular, the rail’s ridership greatly decreased, and it eventually ceased operations as a passenger rail in 1953.
Kent Ralston, executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County, presented the three options to the city council, which include converting the line to a passenger rail, repurposing the line to accommodate public buses, and entering into a lease agreement for a temporary passenger rail.
The first option came from a three-part study from 2015 to 2020, Ralston said. This study examined a nine-mile stretch from Burlington Street in Iowa City to North Liberty’s Penn Street.
In theory, this option would feature seven different stops along the nine miles, taking 25 minutes to travel one end from the other. The train would run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and is estimated to have a daily ridership of 5,300 passengers. In comparison, Iowa City buses carry around 4,500 riders each day, Ralston said.
The capital cost, or the one-time cost to operate the rail, would be $60 million. Each year, it would cost nearly $6 million in operating costs.
The second option discussed was getting rid of the rail to instead operate a bus from Iowa City’s Clinton Street to Penn Street in North Liberty. This option, known as the Bus Rapid Transit, completed its study a few months ago, Ralston said.
The bus would feature 18 stops and would take just under half an hour to travel end-toend. The bus would operate from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, with reduced service on the weekends. The estimated ridership for this option is 4,300 per day on weekdays.
The capital cost for this project is the most expensive of the three options at $87.4 million. The yearly operating cost is estimated to be $2.4 million. This option also features some bureaucratic difficulties because there are certain rules and regulations that have to be followed when removing rails from a line, Ralston said.
Finally, the third option includes a lease agreement with Pop-Up Metro for a pas-
MAP OF THE CRANDIC RAIL
The CRANDIC line connects Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
senger rail from Burlington Street in Iowa City to Penn Street in North Liberty. Pop-Up Metro is a North American transit company that utilizes low-density freight rail lines and battery-operated passenger trains.
The lease agreement would be three years with the opportunity to renew the lease or sell the battery-operated cars once the lease is up, depending on what the community would like to do, Cady Gerlach, senior director of community development for Greater Iowa City, Inc., said at the meeting.
This option would feature six stops, taking half an hour to run end-to-end. The train would run on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The capital cost of the Pop-Up Metro is approximately $5.7 million, and the yearly operating cost is $3.7 million.
What do elected officials think?
A handful of elected officials are united behind the Pop-Up Metro option because of its flexibility and lower cost.
In an interview with The Daily Iowan, Laura Bergus, an Iowa City city councilor, said the Pop-Up Metro option is more flexible because the platforms for each stop can be moved somewhat easily. The lower cost also seems more justifiable, and the live study element would help elected officials
see how successful the train is in real-time, she said.
“I really like the idea of a solution that would enable us to move people up and down the Corridor before we invest tens to hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure that we can get it operationally correct,” Bergus said.
Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster felt similarly things about the Pop-Up Metro option, praising its flexibility and ability to be customized to the community’s needs.
Foster said while the Bus Rapid Transit option is interesting, it would be logistically difficult to pull off. The option features the highest capital cost price tag and may be redundant as the Corridor already has a similar method of transportation in the 380 Express Bus that runs from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids, she said.
North Liberty’s Mayor Chris Hoffman said he also likes the Pop-Up Metro option the best, highlighting its lower operating and capital costs.
“Going the Pop-Up Metro route, financially, that’s a little lighter lift for all of us,” Hoffman said.
The Pop-Up Metro would also be the “smoothest entry point” into the world of train transportation because of its live study element, Hoffman said.
Whichever option is chosen, the county
would not be likely to play a major role in the operation, Rod Sullivan, chair of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, said. While the county will be supportive, it would not be in charge of running the system, he said.
Sullivan said he leans more towards the Bus Rapid Transit route because the community has lots of collective experience with operating buses and no experience with passenger trains. However, he said he does not feel strongly one way or the other and can see both sides.
Other supervisors appear to lean more in support of the Pop-Up Metro. At the board’s Dec. 4 work session, Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green discussed putting out a resolution declaring which option the county would like to see happen.
The draft resolution stated that Pop-Up Metro would be the county’s preferred option. The resolution also asks that each city and the University of Iowa state its preferred option by Feb. 28, 2025.
The resolution would be non-binding and would just act as a show of support from the county to keep momentum going with this topic, Green said.
What are the next steps?
At the Nov. 19 Iowa City City Council meeting, Ralston said the next steps include choosing which option to proceed with, identifying funding sources, and establishing a regional transit entity.
No matter the option, it’s not feasible for one entity to take on the project themselves, especially with the passenger rail options, since the community does not have experience with trains, Ralston said. This means there needs to be some sort of county-wide transit authority to help operate the system, he said.
Finding funding for any project is a source of concern for some elected officials. Foster said Coralville already has existing issues funding its own public transit, which is currently supplemented with federal pandemic relief funds that are set to run out soon. Cities are also increasingly limited in their ability to raise revenue in light of state legislation cutting back on property tax revenue, a major source of income for cities, Bergus said. Even with these concerns in mind, elected officials all expressed their excitement about moving forward with this topic and bettering transportation for the community.
“Whether you’re running for office or not, this is something that’s going to be a big deal in your community,” Hoffman said. “And you may not ever use it, but you’re going to interact with it, or you might be directly affected, so there’s a broad spectrum of folks that’ll have some interaction with this.”
First transgender legislator’s path to Iowa House
Aime Wichtendahl discusses her historic journey to Iowa’s statehouse.
Roxy Ekberg Politics Editor roxy.ekberg@dailyiowan.com
Coming home late from her election night watch party, Aime Wichtendahl, like many Amer icans, anxiously refreshed her phone for results.
Her screen lit with the outcome. She had won a seat in Iowa’s House. Standing in her unlit living room past midnight, Wichtendahl learned she became the state’s first transgender legislator.
“I won,” she called to her son, Steven, who was gaming in the other room.
As a Democrat serving on the Hiawatha City Council for eight years, Wichtendahl, 44, secured the open seat in Iowa House Dis trict 80, which includes the Cedar Rapids area.
Inretrospect Wichtendahl said the whole ordeal was anticlimac tic. Her campaign team rented a venue for a watch party, but her race results came in later than expected. The group had to leave when the space closed.
Wichtendahl first made history in 2015, when she was voted onto the Hiawatha City Council and became Iowa’s first transgender elected official.
Making state history for the second time, Wichtendahl said she felt numb. Worried about the Iowa House losing Democrats and the results of the presidential election, she didn’t feel celebratory until others reached out to her in congratulations, saying her victory was a silver lining.
Wichtendahl will join a Democratic minority in the Iowa House, entering into a Republican trifecta with a red House, Senate, and governor. Having gained ground in the election, the party holds a supermajority in the legislature.
Wichtendahl will join the very institution that has tried to enforce legislation targeting those like her.
Iowa Republicans introduced 40 anti-LGBTQ+ bills last legislative session, including legislation that would have prevented transgender Iowans from changing gender markers on legal documents and legal protections for conversion therapy.
“I don’t expect the Republican majority to look at me fondly, but I also know that I don’t believe that the majority of them ran because they wanted to do this,” Wichtendahl said.
Wichtendahl and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community such as One Iowa, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ Iowans that has worked closely with Wichtendahl, are prepared to combat future legislation.
“There’s probably going to be another 40 [bills] this year,” Wichtendahl said. “A lot of those bills were defeated because people showed up, and we need to be prepared to go ahead and do that. I’ll at least be able to be a voice on the House floor against those things should they actually make it to the House floor.”
Many of Iowa’s advocates for LGBTQ+ rights said Wichtendahl’s election is a major win. They are excited and proud to see her in the Statehouse and are prepared to rally around her in support.
Wichtendahl’s election follows a national trend of increasing representation for the LGBTQ+ community in elected office, including the election of Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wichtendahl’s win also came with a record number of LGBTQ+
candidates running for Iowa legislature this past election cycle. Ten openly LGBTQ+ Iowans campaigned for the state legislature, and three won, each claiming a seat in the Statehouse — incumbent Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Cedar Rapids, first-term incoming House Rep. Austin Harris, who won District 26, and Wichtendahl.
Nationally, numbers for LGBTQ+ representation in politics are on the rise.
A June report by the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, which works to increase queer and transgender representation in public service, found the number of LGBTQ+ people who have won elected office has increased by nearly 200 percent since 2017.
The report found a total of 1,303 openly LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S., which equates to only 0.25 percent of all elected officials in the nation. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have elected officials who identify as transgender, and 235 state legislators identify as LGBTQ+. Entering a Republican stronghold, Wichtendahl is eager to enact change in Iowa.
Road to the Statehouse
Wichtendahl’s political journey began at a young age.
She remembers the election of 1988 as the first presidential election she was politically aware of.
At eight years old, she tried to figure out the electoral college and recalls being mad at her parents for voting for Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis when she thought George Bush was a much better option.
Later on, she became involved with Barack Obama’s campaign, served as a caucus secretary, and was appointed as a delegate to the state convention. Wichtendahl went on to run for Hiawatha City Council in 2015 and served in that position for eight years.
In her time on the city council, Wichtendahl helped lower the property tax levy rate, develop new retail locations such as Peck’s Landing and New Village Plaza, and build a public safety building and fire station.
In Hiawatha, she also secured
funding for a mental health liaison for local police departments. Wichtendahl said she plans to pursue a similar model on the state level.
Dick Olson served on the Hiawatha City Council for over 20 years, eight of which were with Wichtendahl. Supporting her bid for the Statehouse, Olson endorsed Wichtendahl and provided financial donations to her campaign.
He said he is proud of Wichtendahl, and believes she will use her voice to champion meaningful legislation to protect the rights of all Iowans, not just the LGBTQ+ community.
“She’s
Olson said Wichtendahl consistently championed public safety, strongly advocated for advancing small businesses, and always made excellent fiscal decisions. Olson also highlighted Wichtendahl’s ability to take on a large role in communicating with state legislators.
He said she was able to join the city council on an initiative to lower the property tax levy and was successful in doing so for roughly six straight years. Olson said although she is entering a Republican stronghold, he still thinks she will be able to reach across the aisle.
“She’s going to have some challenges, but I think she’s the kind of person who will do an excellent job building coalitions for just causes from both sides of the aisle,” Olson said. “That’s just her nature, that’s just her personality.”
Running for the Statehouse was a long-time goal of Wichtendahl’s, and she waited until the timing was right for her — after her son graduated high school and the district seat opened. The district’s incumbent Democrat Art Staed opted to pursue an Iowa Senate
seat in a neighboring district, leaving District 80 open.
Wichtendahl connected with her campaign manager, Tim Nelson, just before announcing her candidacy in December 2023.
Nelson said the two clicked very well together, and he was drawn to her sensibility. He said she’s a very driven person and very blunt in a positive way.
“She’s going to speak her mind, and she’s going to speak up for issues of justice and civil rights and what she cares about no matter what,” he said. “She’s going to hit on those issues publicly and loudly and is not going to shy away from the controversial fight if it’s the right fight to have.”
Wichtendahl described her bid for Iowa’s House as the adventure of a lifetime but a very long process. Throughout her campaign, she took very few personal days, working through the weekends with her campaign team.
Going into the campaign, Nelson said, although they knew the seat was previously held by a Democrat, they had no illusions of winning the district. Instead, they went in with the idea they were going to work for every vote.
“Everything was done very intentionally with the idea that nothing is a given,” Nelson said. “Obviously, we saw from this year, nothing is a given, at least in the Democratic side of politics. And so we went in with the idea that this was always going to be an uphill battle, and we had to fight for every single vote.”
The Democrat beat Republican opponent John Thompson by over 800 votes.
Nelson said despite Iowa’s rightward drift, Wichtendahl’s election shows Iowa can move forward as a state to be more accepting of the tapestry of people who reside in Iowa, including transgender folks.
“My hope is that they see hope in this, and they see someone willing to fight for them every single day, that they know that their voice is represented in that room, that there are not going to be decisions made about trans people without a trans person there to, at the bare minimum, call out bullsh*t, call out hatred, call out bigotry, call out lies,” Nelson said. “Hopefully trans people can see themselves in her, and that, as hard as it can be, there is a fight you can fight up that hill, and there will be a future in this state and in this country where we accept trans people.”
Iowa’s LGBTQ+ advocates excited for Wichtendahl
Incoming Johnson County Board of Supervisor Mandi Remington staunchly advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ Iowans. As the mother of a transgender child, the topic is more than political for Remington.
Founder and director of the Corridor Community Action Net-
work, Remington has crossed paths with Wichtendahl several times through advocacy work. Remington said for Draytin, her 17-year-old who identifies as transgender, finding out about Wichtendahl’s win helped counteract negative emotions about the conservative swing on election
Remington said Wichtendahl’s election gives Draytin and other transgender Iowans representation and someone to look up to.
Wichtendahl’s win creates not only another ally in the Statehouse who can advocate for causes but someone who directly represents transgender Iowans, Remington
Draytin, like other transgender youth in the state, is unable to participate in team sports or access to gender-affirming care, Remington said, but having Wichtendahl’s presence in the Statehouse as someone who understands these struggles is crucial for bringing hope and validating the experiences of transgender Iowans.
Despite Wichtendahl’s win, Remington acknowledged there is still much work to be done by advocates such as herself to support the Democrat.
Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy at One Iowa, a statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, said Wichtendahl being in committee rooms and on the debate floor will give a voice to a group of people that the legislature has been targeting for years in a different way than Iowa has ever had.
Crow said it’s fairly obvious the upcoming legislative session will be one of the worst sessions for transgender Iowans on record, but Wichtendahl’s presence will represent a community that has not had a voice in the legislature.
The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s report updated after the election found Iowa has 15 LGBTQ+ elected officials, and Wichtendahl is the only elected official who identifies as transgender.
According to the most recent data from the Williams Institute, 3.6 percent of Iowa’s population identify as LGBTQ+. With a projected population of 3.21 million people, this percentage equates to more than 115,000 Iowans.
“The hope is that even if the session goes extremely poorly, it’s going to be a little bit more bearable when we actually have a member of the community in that body, talking about those pieces of legislation and how they impact them personally,” Crow said.
Reaching across the aisle
Crow, Remington, and Wichtendahl herself acknowledge it will be difficult for her — and any other Democrat — to pass legislation in the Republican stronghold. However, Crow said he knows for a fact Wichtendahl will be able to reach points of agreement, and he does not have any worries about her performance.
Highlighting Wichtendahl’s record on city council, Crow said she has experience working with others to improve outcomes for community members, such as her influence on Hiawatha’s infrastructure and small business owners.
“For Aime, it’s never been about the letter behind your name,” Crow said. “I don’t think she’ll have any problem reaching across the aisle and making those connections on policies. I think the question is really going to be, how much are they going to focus on the fact that she’s trans, and not on her ideas, which are all very good and, for the most part, very bipartisan.”
Wichtendahl’s priorities for her first legislative session include promoting public education, protecting LGBTQ+ rights, and combating rising costs in health care, housing, and food. The session begins on Jan. 13, 2025.
Wichtendahl plans to pursue legislation to provide funding for mental health liaisons who work with law enforcement, an initiative she enacted and found successful in Hiawatha. She said there’s an appetite for legislation such as this and a potential to get it through the legislature and passed into law.
Whichtendahl also pinned protecting reproductive freedoms as a top issue. With Iowa’s six-week abortion ban enacted in July, Iowa Democrats have also said they will prioritize the issue in the legislative session. Her campaign resonated with voters, Wichtendahl said, and she believes they are things that Iowans want, so she will work to achieve them.
“I always believe that a better future is possible,” she said.
Infographic by Emily Pavlik | The Daily Iowan Sourced from LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
Dick Olson Former Hiawatha city councilor
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Incoming Iowa House Representative Aime Wichtendahl speaks with attendees at a human rights protest at Greene Square Park in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 8. “I know this next year will be difficult,” Wichtendahl said. “I will be fighting every single day that I can, because at the end of the day, I still believe that Iowa is still my home.”
Increased stray animals add pressure to Johnson County shelters
Shelters across Johnson County are facing challenges with resources and space.
Madison Schuler News Reporter
news@dailyiowan.com
Across the country, many stray or lost animals can be seen wandering the streets looking for scraps of food or shelter.
In many cases, these animals are rescued by good samaritans or Animal Control, who then place the animals in shelters or rescues.
According to the Roice-Hurst Humane Society, there are as many as 70 million strays throughout the U.S.
Of those, around 6.5 million end up in shelters or rescues across the nation.
Despite rescuing the animals from harsh conditions and life on the street, placing them in shelters or rescues can pose more challenges. Around Johnson County, shelters and rescues have continued to see an increase in stray or surrendered animals.
Currently, the Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center can house up to 25 dogs at a time, with it currently housing 22 dogs. With cats, it can house around 90 in the building, but that number has increased, with it currently having 110 in the building and 50 in foster care.
This increase can not only create a lack of resources and space but also pose a need for more adoptions and fosters.
Devon Strief, animal services coordinator at the Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, discussed the shelter’s history, current capacity, and challenges due to increased animal intake.
The shelter has been serving the Iowa City community for many years, with it being in its current building since 2015.
In addition, the shelter is a division of the Iowa City Police Department, which places restrictions on where it can take animals from location-wise, Strief said.
The Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center has also faced significant challenges in the past.
Back in 2008, the shelter had a temporary building due to the historic flood that destroyed or damaged multiple structures in Iowa City.
Nonetheless, the Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center has continued to provide assistance and care for animals over the years.
Strief believes the increase in animals comes from a variety of reasons, including inflation.
“I think the biggest thing that we’re seeing is inflation, cost of veterinary care, cost of food for animals and people,” Strief said. “People have to make the decision: Am I going to feed my family, or am I going to feed my pets?”
The increase of animals not only puts a strain on the Iowa City Animal Shelter and
Humane Society Tami Geyer spoke on how the nonprofit organization is aiding in ending animal overpopulation.
“While there hasn’t been a significant increase in the number of free-roaming cats, there has been a rise in unwanted litters, both from owned pets and community cats,” Geyer said. “This strain on resources can lead to overcrowded municipal shelters and increased rates of euthanasia.”
The Johnson County Humane Society became a nonprofit organization in 1982, and since the beginning, it has been dedicated to reducing overpopulation through a program called Trap-Neuter-Return.
“We’re also working towards a mobile spay and neuter clinic, ‘Project Litter Quitter,’ which would travel to high-need areas and sterilize cats in just one or two days,” Geyer said.
The Johnson County Humane Society also supports owners who cannot afford sterilization through the Florence Unash Neuter Fund, which helps to ensure more animals are spayed or neutered.
“People have to make the decision: Am I going to feed my family, or am I going to feed my pets?”
Adoption Center and its resources but on the animals as well.
“The longer an animal is here, the harder it becomes on them,” Strief said.
Younger animals, such as puppies, need socialization and stimulation outside of their kennel, which creates a lack of opportunities they would otherwise have in a home.
Animal Services Officer Mara Stewart said she has noticed an increase in surrendered animals. She also said there have been more stray animals with collars, along with unclaimed microchipped animals.
“We definitely have seen an increase in people asking for food, litter, or other resources for their pets, or even asking to surrender them in general,” Stewart said.
President of the Johnson County
In addition, the Johnson County Humane Society has offered other shel tering services while playing a key role in changing the way people view community cats and collaborating with local govern ments to enact laws that protect them.
During these times, the community can assist the shelters and rescues facing these increases by donating, volunteering, or fostering animals, Strief said.
In addition, Strief said the Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center will continue to take in animals and provide them with the care they require.
“We’re doing the best we can because we’re an open admission shelter,” Strief said. “If somebody walks in with a stray animal from within our jurisdiction, I can’t turn them away just because we don’t have space.”
Erin Shane begins as Johnson County Board of Supervisors executive director
Shane was recently appointed to the role in late November following former director Guillermo Morales’ termination in September.
After a multi-month gap in leadership, Johnson County has appointed a permanent executive director of the Board of Supervisors.
Erin Shane, who has served as the deputy auditor for the last year and a half, was sworn into the position at the board’s Nov. 26 formal meeting.
Shane’s tenure will follow that of Guillermo Morales, who was fired for alleged insubordinate and argumentative behavior toward county employees in a 3-2 vote on Sept. 4. Johnson County Project and Systems Analyst James Bechtel has been serving as the interim executive director since his appointment on Sept. 12 to temporarily fill the void.
Board Chair Rod Sullivan described
the board’s operating efficiency during the unique period.
“We’ve gotten through quite successfully,” he said. “I would say there’s a couple of initiatives that we’ve had to put on hold because we just wanted to get Erin in place first. We’ll be picking that stuff up right away as soon as she gets started.”
Sullivan said one of the most important initiatives in the queued bundle will be strategic planning.
Shane herself shares the board’s excitement.
“I was looking for more responsibility consistent with my prior experience,” she said. “I just thought it would be a really good fit. I’ve attended every single one of their meetings during my tenure here, so I feel like I know a large part of what they do and how they work.”
Shane also touched on how the board has operated since Morales’ firing.
“The Board of Supervisors office has been managing okay since Guillermo
left,” she said. “ I definitely see the need for a more permanent solution, and I do look forward to stepping in and helping with that and carrying forward the work of the county.”
Shane was sworn in with unanimous approval, but some disagreed with the broader context surrounding the new appointment.
Such tensions were displayed at the Nov. 13 work session when the board considered moving the DEI coordinator from the Board of Supervisors office to the HR department. The issue was set for Shane to decide at a later date.
Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz disapproved of making the departmental change without staff input through an executive director.
“It makes it, in my mind, a very strange and sometimes strenuous relationship because there are things that we dictate. For example, we want to do an apprenticeship program, and then we ask our staff to do that, and that is
worked out through the executive director,” they said.
Fixmer-Oraiz reflected on how the shake-up affected subordinate board staff.
“We have staff here in this office [and] we have fired their executive director. Now, we’re looking at reorganizing without their consent. We hired a new executive director for them without their input. I don’t know what kind of message we’re trying to send to even our own staff,” they said.
Fixmer-Oraiz voted against Morales’ termination in September alongside Supervisor Jon Green.
While the board disagreed on the roots of the new appointment, all approved of Shane as a worthy fit for the open role.
“Erin has always impressed us with her work ethic and her attention to detail, and those are two important qualities for somebody to have in this job,” Sullivan said. “We were excited to know that she was interested in applying.”
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
A volunteer plays with Anubis Prime at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center on Dec. 6. There are as many as 70 million strays throughout the United States, according to the Roice-Hurst Humane Society.
Jacob Calvin News Reporter
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Cats Tails and Snuggles look around the room at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center on Dec. 6. The center has had an overflow of cats and repurposed their spaces to make room.
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Two cats crawl around their beds at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center on Dec. 6. Currently, the shelter has 110 cats in the building and 50 cats in foster care.
Devon Strief
Iowa City Animal Shelter and Adoption Center animal services coordinator
Shane
BALLROOM BRAWL
The University of Iowa’s Boxing Club hosted the annual Fall Brawl at the Iowa Memorial Union on Saturday night. Schools including Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Illinois, along with other boxing organizations, squared off in the boxing ring.
Emma Calabro and Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
(Top) Illinois’ Hunter Pacholski and Iowa State’s Zech Guy face off during the Fall Brawl, hosted by the Iowa Boxing Club, at the Iowa Memorial Union at the University of Iowa on Dec. 7. Numerous schools, including Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Illinois, along with other boxing organizations, fought in 11 bouts. (Middle left) Illinois’ Hunter Pacholski and Iowa State’s Zech
Guy face-off during Fall Brawl, hosted by the Iowa Boxing Club, at the IMU on Dec. 7. Throughout the night, the event housed four developmental fights, one of them between Pacholski and Guy. (Middle right) Illinois’ Hunter Pacholski boxes Iowa State’s Zech Guy during Fall Brawl, hosted by the Iowa Boxing Club, at the IMU on Dec. 7. Over a hundred attendees flocked to The Ballroom for the fourth annual showdown. (Bottom) A USA Boxing official holds up the hand of Los Primos Valjot Boyal after he won a face off against Michael Conefrey during Fall Brawl, hosted by the Iowa Boxing Club, at the IMU on Dec. 7. The Iowa Boxing Club’s next event is set at Iowa State this coming February.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
O’Grady stepping up for the team
Fourth-year center Addison O’Grady has found her voice and place on the court.
Colin Votzmeyer
Once rather emotionless on the sidelines as she watched chunks of highly touted Iowa women’s basketball games pass by, fourth-year center Addison O’Grady has exploded into a passionate and aggressive threat this season.
Now 8-1, the Hawkeyes began this season criminally underrated, unranked, and with a brand-new look.
With Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin off to the WNBA, Gabbie Marshall graduated, and famed head coach Lisa Bluder retired, Jan Jensen assumed a team that had to find its identity early to really be successful.
The biggest surprise emerging through the smoke and mirrors, though, has been O’Grady, a 6-foot-4 center from Aurora, Colorado.
“Addison has made great strides,” Jensen said at the team’s official media day on Oct. 10. “I expect Addison to have a critical role.”
O’Grady made a massive leap onto the scene in her freshman campaign through
2021 and 2022, collecting Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Jan. 3, 2022, a double-double against Evansville with 14 points and 12 rebounds the day before, and a season-high 16 points against Wisconsin on Feb. 3 on 7-of-9 from the field.
In fact, O’Grady was a reliable postseason big off the bench on both ends of the floor, finishing the season with 319 minutes, 4.1 points per game, 109 field goals attempted, and 26 blocks.
But with her sophomore season in 2022 and 2023, the addition of forward Hannah Stuelke significantly altered her role on the floor, sometimes eliminating it altogether. Bluder went to Stuelke over
Hawkeyes to battle the Tigers in Nashville
Assistant Sports Editor Brad Schultz takes a deeper look at Iowa’s Music City Bowl opponent in Mizzou.
Brad Schultz Assistant Sports Editor brad.schultz@dailyiowan.com
Following a disappointing 8-4 regular season, the Iowa football team will have one final opportunity to end its 2024 campaign with a victory, as they will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. It will be Iowa’s second appearance in the bowl, as they defeated Kentucky, 21-0, in the 2022 edition. The Hawkeyes will take on the University of Missouri Tigers, who enter the contest with a 9-3 record under fifthyear head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. The two programs were supposed to face off in the 2020 Music City Bowl, but the Tigers were forced to back out due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 2010 Insight Bowl, a 27-24 Iowa victory. Iowa will be without the services of star running back Kaleb Johnson, as he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft last week. Missouri has also dealt with some key opt-outs but will still present a challenge for the Hawkeyes. To fully digest this matchup, let’s take a deeper look at the Tigers.
Offense
The Tigers have posted respectable numbers on offense this season, ranking 62nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 390 yards per game. Kirby Moore is in his second sea-
O’Grady in the same role behind starting center Monika Czinano, O’Grady playing in 32 games but seeing just 179 minutes, two points per game, 45 field goals attempted, and 10 blocks.
While O’Grady got some time and played her role that year, her timid nature on the floor showed she still had to find her place on the team to significantly contribute — or otherwise sink.
But any hooper on the bench always needs to be ready, just as the second-year athlete was in the 77-73 win over South Carolina in the Final Four of the NCAA
MEN’S WRESTLING
Angelo Ferrari shaking it up
The Iowa men’s wrestler took advantage of a surprising start against Iowa State.
Trey Benson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
When Angelo Ferrari first stepped foot on campus in August, he had visions of becoming one of the all-time Iowa men’s wrestling greats.
Ferrari, who experienced the Iowa City campus numerous times before as a recruit, could now compete in “Wrestletown”, USA, as a Division-I student-athlete, a feat every wrestler strives to achieve.
Hailing from Melissa, Texas, the young prodigy had an illustrious career at Melissa High School, achieving a record of 27-2 and earning second place at the Texas State Championships as a freshman.
That success translated over the next three years, during which Ferrari won three state titles and went a perfect 102-0 in his last three seasons of high school.
If three state titles were not enough, Ferrari also won three IRONMAN championships in his respective weight class. The IRONMAN Wrestling Tournament is widely regarded by many wrestling aficionados as the toughest high school wrestling tournament in the country.
This remarkable run of achievements helped Ferrari earn the No. 1 pound-for-pound high school wrestling ranking by FloWrestling and Matscouts for 2024. When it came time to choose a college, Ferrari felt the long-standing excellence and tradition of Iowa wrestling couldn’t be beat.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Hawkeye gang,” Ferrari said live on FloWrestling after committing in May 2023. “[Visiting Iowa] it’s like Alabama football. It’s always been like that. It’s crazy.”
As he entered his freshman campaign, Ferrari knew the competition in Iowa City would be much harder than his days in high school and that he would have to work for a starting role. Second-year Gabe Arnold ultimately
Talan Nelson | The Daily Iowan
Iowa forward Addison O’Grady picks up guard Sydney Affolter after an and-one during an Iowa women’s basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Nov. 13. The Hawkeyes defeated Toledo, 94-57.
Jerod Ringwald | The Daily Iowan
The Iowa Spirit Squad trots out flags during the 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl between Iowa and Kentucky at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 31, 2022. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats, 21-0.
O’Grady
Men’s Basketball
Thursday, Dec. 12
Iowa State Iowa City, Iowa
6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15
New Orleans Iowa City, Iowa
1 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Iowa State Iowa City, Iowa
8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15
East Lansing, Michigan
11 a.m.
Women’s Wrestling
Sunday, Dec. 15
NCC Open Naperville, Illinois
9 a.m.
Track and Field
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 13-14
Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational Iowa City, Iowa
WHAT YOU’VE MISSED
Iowa football’s Cade McNamara’s career with the Hawkeyes has come to a close. The quarterback announced his intent to enter the transfer portal for the second time via an Instagram post on Wednesday morning.
“My last two years at the University of Iowa have been an incredible journey,” he wrote.
“Through so many ups and downs, I couldn’t be more thankful for the amazing people and experiences I’ve had here. I am deeply grateful for the relationships I’ve built with my teammates, coaches, and newfound friends.
“I want to specifically thank Coach [Kirk] Ferentz, Coach [Tim] Lester, and the entire Iowa football staff for their unwavering support and wisdom,” he continued.
“I will truly miss this program and state, and they will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Listed as a graduate student, the 24-year-old McNamara started college in 2019 at Michigan and will have to wait for the NCAA to grant him another year of eligibility. Considering his seasonending injury in 2023, this could be in the form of a medical redshirt.
McNamara logged 13 games in the Black and Gold over two seasons, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,522 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His 2023-24 season was cut short due to a seasonending ACL tear. This year, a concussion suffered on Oct. 26 against the Wildcats left him sidelined for the remaining contests. On Senior Night against Nebraska, the quarterback opted out of the pregame ceremonies. His career at Michigan, shortened by the emergence of J.J. McCarthy, McNamara joins wide receiver Kaleb Brown and running back Leshon Williams as Hawkeye transfers this season. For McNamara, a heralded beginning met an unceremonious end. His first pass as a Hawkeye was a touchdown. His last was an interception returned for a touchdown. The quarterback doesn’t want that play to be the end of his collegiate career.
Adjusting with gratitude
Iowa men’s basketball player Chris Tadjo balances motivation with perspective during his first year in the program.
Matt McGowan Pregame Editor matt.mcgowan@dailyiowan.com
Chris Tadjo and Chris Street. Two Iowa men’s basketball players who never met, but without Street, Tadjo would’ve had no idea where he was going when he made the thousand-mile journey to Iowa City to play for the Hawkeyes.
Tadjo’s introduction to Street arrived through the Big Ten Network’s documentary of the former Hawkeye forward, a rising star in the program who was killed in a snow plow accident during his junior season in 1993.
Witnessing Street’s story 30 years later and more than 1,500 miles away from Iowa City in Montreal, Canada, a high school-aged Tadjo familiarized himself not just with Street but Iowa as well.
“I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a place,’ and somehow, I wanted to come here,” Tadjo said at Iowa men’s basketball media day on Oct. 7. “I was, like, ‘OK, why not go there?’ I just think that was just something God wanted to do.”
Before he arrived at Iowa as a 6-foot-8 first-year forward, Tadjo’s basketball journey spanned three continents and multiple countries.
Driven by a devotion to his family, Tadjo aims to perfect his game, a goal that sometimes adds undue stress. As he navigates a first season with limited minutes, Tadjo has to balance his motivation with perspective.
“Give my 100 percent every time,” he said.
“Knowing that when I finish a game, I cannot move, and I’ll be like, ‘Damn, you did your best,’ just knowing that somehow I helped the guys doing something on the court.”
Born in the Ivory Coast, Tadjo spent the first 11 years of his life in Africa before moving across the Atlantic to Montreal, where he learned to speak French and play basketball.
Tadjo said his peers didn’t believe he could make these adjustments and felt pride when he proved their doubts wrong.
Yet he felt a greater satisfaction for meeting the expectations of his mother, who decided to move herself, Tadjo, and his younger brother so that the children could have a better life.
“Whatever I would do to help my mom have a relief, that would be the best thing,” Tadjo said.
Tadjo said his work ethic derives from his mom, who’s held multiple jobs and currently works at a Montreal hospital. In her absence, Tadjo usually looked after his brother.
“I needed to be around. I always wanted to be that kind of perfect brother,” he said.
After picking up a new language and sport over four years in Canada, Tadjo had to essentially restart the process when he moved alone
Q&A | STERLING DIAS
to the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico – an elite basketball training program for top prospects from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Canada. Having learned basketball according to FIBA rules, Tadjo had to adjust to NBA guidelines, all while moving to different countries like Brazil and Spain for competitions.
Just as he had done before, Tadjo’s flexibility paid dividends as he became a two-time MVP for the All-Canadian Games, including a 25-point, 16-rebound performance in 2023.
An On3 four-star recruit, Tadjo had offers from Akron, Xavier, and TCU but opted for Iowa, whose head coach, Fran McCaffery, saw valuable intangibles in him.
“We respect his work ethic — his intensity level,” McCaffery said. “That’s a talent. That’s an underestimated talent. Hard work, physicality, intensity level on every possession, not everybody does that, and he does.”
Nevertheless, perfectionism is a side effect of Tadjo’s work ethic and can sometimes be overbearing. McCaffery said Tadjo is “so conscientious” and doesn’t want the first-year to tear down confidence with every mistake.
Iowa second-year center Owen Freeman went through a similar struggle in his first season with the Hawkeyes and has offered advice.
“You’re making a huge jump, just playing against high school guys to grown men,” Freeman said. “Just continue to work every day,
Dias talks team culture and favorite movies
Jake Olson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
The Daily Iowan: How is this year’s team different from last year’s?
Sterling Dias: Obviously, there are a lot more girls, and it is a very versatile team. There are different styles of wrestling, which I love seeing. We elevate our game a lot more in the practice room and on the mat. There is much more intensity, focus, and eagerness to compete and want to be the best.
Do you think having more girls on the team can help in the long run?
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I am excited to see where God takes my football journey next. Now and forever, Go Hawks!”
Former Iowa football quarterback Cade McNamara in his transfer announcement
STAT OF THE WEEK
Hawkeye football players who have entered the transfer portal as of Dec. 4.
Bowl games may be a far cry from the honors associated with the College Football Playoff National Championship, but they obviously still mean something in the world of the sport.
While some bowl games are admittedly obscure — yes, there’s actually a Pop-Tarts Bowl — they all give competing teams a chance to earn some level of recognition. Let’s also not forget the fact that the New Year’s Six, referring to six different bowl games around the holiday, all have the chance to determine the national champion.
Every year, the semifinal games are represented by either the Rose and Sugar, Orange and Cotton, or Peach and Fiesta Bowls. If bowl games had no meaning, six of them wouldn’t pave the way toward the national championship game.
You also have to look at how a bowl game can cement or tear
I think having a good amount of girls is really essential for a team, given the fact that my class specifically will be graduating soon. Eventually, a lot of us are going to leave.
and don’t worry about it. Just move on. If you have a bad practice, bad shot, whatever, just keep moving.”
“[Tadjo’s] becoming more confident in himself and just making plays,” he added. “He’s still really hard on himself, and I’m trying to get him to ease up. It’s a long season.”
Missing time this season due to a concussion, Tadjo saw action in two games, totaling five points and two rebounds. The transition to Big Ten basketball still has its speed bumps – such as Tadjo’s four personal fouls against USC Upstate – but the forward doesn’t forget the effort it took for him to get to this point.
Tadjo remembered calling his mom upon arriving at Iowa and telling her he needed to work even harder from now on. He’s by himself at Iowa – his mom is still in Canada, and his brother is at the same academy in Mexico – but Tadjo’s sacrifice for basketball is the least he can do.
“I feel like I don’t have another choice,” Tadjo said. “I really want my mom to enjoy the life that she wanted to have, that she didn’t have because of me and my brother. Somehow, I want to give it back to her by working hard and going to the NBA and give her back whatever I can.
“But at the same time I know I won’t be able to give her back everything because she has done a lot that I would never be able to pay.”
What is your favorite sporting event to go to outside of wrestling? It used to be gymnastics, but I think I will do volleyball.
If you weren’t doing wrestling, what other sport would you compete in? I tried out softball and really enjoyed it, but wrestling didn’t allow me to do that. [I] also [would play] flag football as well.
down a team’s seasonal legacy.
Iowa is a perfect example of this. In the 2023-24 season, the Hawkeyes, led by an absolute defensive powerhouse, went 10-2 in the regular season. This sounds great on the surface, but when all your wins come from unranked teams, most of them the same rotation of Big Ten foes you’ve played for years, doesn’t that suddenly seem like less of a good look?
A 10-2 record looks good on paper, but Iowa’s performance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl last season, a 35-0 blowout to Tennessee, showed the Hawkeyes there’s still work to be done, especially on the offensive end. This is not a crushing blow to morale or a mean-spirited twist of fate; the loss served as a reminder that good defense alone, especially against ranked teams, won’t cut it. Ultimately, bowl games, while numerous and often named as tacky marketing techniques, still mean something in the world of college football. Without them, teams would be confined mostly to their own conference, matchups like Iowa and Tennessee would seldom happen, and of course, the road to the national title would look way, way different.
What is your favorite restaurant in Iowa City or Coralville?
[My favorite is] Blue Elephant because I just love Thai food.
If you were stranded on an island and had to bring three things, what would you bring?
I would bring my dog, my phone, and sushi for the rest of my life.
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’d have to say “Monsters Inc.” — for sure. Boo is so cute.
No
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and the payment of players, bowl games really mean nothing.
Sure, the “bowl games” that lead up to the championship mean something — but not because they’re inherently bowl games. It’s because they lead up to that prized final game. The Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl used to be the most-anticipated games of the season. Now, they’re a means to an end.
In fact, now that 12 teams can make the final tournament, teams are chasing a conference championship or one- or two-loss season for a spot in that bracket. They’re not chasing, say, a Sugar Bowl appearance for its inherent value.
That’s because no one is paying attention to your Pop-Tarts Bowl — or whatever you will. In today’s college football era, fans, media,
recruits, and their families want to see a team that competes for a national title. Look at this season. Iowa football went in with solid odds to be one of those 12 teams. After the loss to Iowa State, the fans still showed up, but it wasn’t hard to gauge the investment in the team dropped way off. The only thing that kept players playing was the sake of time. Jay Higgins, a solid middraft selection to the NFL this year, is sticking this season out because of his character. Kaleb Johnson, on the other hand, knew he could get picked early if he stayed healthy — and make big bucks as a result. Indeed, college football players are also going to programs that will pay them a hefty sum above all else — and especially above teams that will just go play in a bowl game. Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 player in the class of 2025, committed to LSU before flipping to Michigan upon a $10 million check to move to Ann Arbor.
Players like Underwood don’t care for the bowl games. They know they can get paid to play, and if they’re not going to play where a championship is, they’re going to play where the dollar signs are instead.
Sterling Dias Women’s wrestler Second-year 103-pound weight class
Colin Votzmeyer Sports Editor
Jack Birmingham
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa forward Chris Tadjo poses for a portrait during men’s basketball media day at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Oct. 7. The team took interviews from the media and held an open practice.
and shooting 13-of-21 from the field with zero rebounds and three blocks.
“I have grown tremendously,” O’Grady said. “Now [I’m] getting a bunch of minutes and just getting into a rhythm early in the season that has been really good for my confidence so far.”
Beyond the stat-watching, though, O’Grady certainly sprints the floor hard to set and push the pace of the game, working with Villanova transfer guard Lucy Olsen and now Stuelke to move the ball with a two-post threat on offense. She finishes under contact with great technique to seal her defenders in the post and has even developed a nice outside jumper.
“My teammates are doing a really good job at getting me the ball,” O’Grady said. “And I think it’s really good that early in the season we’re looking inside and getting our inside game going.
“Once I do my work before the ball even gets to me, then it’s an easy shot,” she added. “If they’re fronting, then the guards pass me a good pass, and I’m working them up the floor, and then it’s just really easy from there. So, it’s doing your work early and just never letting the defense rest, always putting pressure on them and getting those easy shots.”
Mixed with her quick reactions in rim-protecting on the other end, another key to her game is rebounding, especially at her height, size, and physicality. O’Grady is averaging five rebounds per game, and 14 of the 38 total are offensive.
tournament, in which she saw 10 minutes on a duo of dangerous Gamecock bigs. In the Hawkeyes’ 102-85 loss to LSU in the 2023 NCAA championship, O’Grady played nearly half of the game.
This planted the seeds for success the college basketball world is seeing from her now.
“I think she just went for it,” Jensen said. “And I think sometimes, though, when you become a senior, she’s had three years to watch and learn from Monika Czinano. And then last year, she had … some really good minutes, and she got a hunger for it.”
With another runner-up finish in the dance the following season, the then-junior embraced the battle with Stuelke,
son as the offensive coordinator, and he has helped Missouri to 20 victories in his tenure, the best stretch for the program since the Gary Pinkel era 10 seasons ago.
The Tigers’ offense is spearheaded by senior quarterback Brady Cook, who has tossed 2,248 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions on the season. While not a trademark of his game, Cook has also shown his rushing prowess, collecting 63 yards on 11 carries against rival Arkansas in the regular season finale on Nov. 30.
Junior wide receiver Luther Burden III has been Missouri’s most explosive player this season, accounting for 676 receiving yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Burden’s performance this season has raised his draft stock, and he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft last week and will miss this game.
The Tigers will also be without star right tackle Armand Membou, who is also projected as a top prospect in the NFL Draft.
Despite Burden’s lofty status, he isn’t the leading receiver on this squad. Theo Wease Jr. has led Missouri with 809 receiving yards in 2024, and he will play against the Hawkeyes.
The rushing attack has been balanced, with backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll
coming into her mold with a voice on the floor, letting her passion and emotions fly. O’Grady displayed everything a coach looks for in a big — hustling, running the floor hard, rebounding, and attacking with aggression.
While she finished the season with a statline similar to her freshman season 335 minutes, 3.9 points per game, 121 field goals attempted, and 20 blocks — it became clear O’Grady found her role.
“She’s long, and she’s lean,” Jensen said. “I think that’s a really fun thing that she is able to just alter some things just by virtue of being in there. If you get in there, she’s pretty big, and I think she enjoys that role.”
But the road to a secured spot on the floor was not yet straight and narrow, first-year Ava Heiden coming in to challenge her for the starting job alongside
tallying over 500 yards on the ground. Carroll leads the squad with 12 touchdowns.
Defense
Missouri has posted a stout defense this season, ranking 22nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing 319 yards per contest. Linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. leads the team with 76 tackles, while Dreyden Norwood has paced the secondary with a team-high two interceptions. Fellow linebacker Triston Newson has also produced a strong season, collecting 64 tackles.
Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon is in his first season with the program, and he operates a basic 4-2-5 system. Batoon has previously served as the defensive coordinator of Florida Atlantic, Hawaii, and South Alabama before joining Missouri.
Special teams
Missouri has struggled in the kicking department this season. Placekicker
Blake Craig has only made 22 of his 32 field goal attempts, good for a measly 68 percent accuracy. He’s also just 1-for-7 from 40 plus yards.
On the flip side, third-year punter Luke Bauer has recorded an average of 41.5 yards per punt on 44 attempts. Bau -
backup AJ Ediger. Through illnesses and openings around her, though, O’Grady jumped at her opportunity.
“That center battle — it’s pretty competitive,” Jensen said. “Addi … she has a little more experience. She knows what we want a little bit more. So I really want it to be competitive and reward that when everybody stays hungry, but it’s neck and neck.”
Moving into the Dec. 8 contest against Tennessee in Brooklyn, New York, O’Grady has started all nine games of her senior season. She’s already played 192 minutes — and is averaging a whopping 15 points per game.
She’s scored in single digits in just one game, which was nine points against Kansas. But on the other end, O’Grady totaled a career-high 27 points against Drake on Nov. 17, playing 33 minutes
“I think the more she’s progressed, it’s like, ‘Hey, I like this,’” Jensen said. “So, I think I like having her there. I think she just gives the presence inside gives us a little different look consistently this year than we had last year.” With more minutes now comes a need for ball security, and her 21 turnovers hurt this Iowa offense, proving her need to control the ball and use her strength in every regard on the court.
O’Grady’s development is a testament to both her own commitment and the development Jensen has with her bigs. Her scheme with Stuelke at the four and O’Grady deep down low is paying dividends, and it should continue as the Hawkeyes climb the polls toward March.
“She paid her dues — she worked hard for it,” Jensen said. “And now she’s enjoying the fruits of her labor.”
er’s season-long was a 60-yarder against Oklahoma on Nov. 9.
Final analysis
The changing landscape of college football has made bowl games like this
secured the start at 184 pounds to begin the season, going 3-0 in each of his matches.
Ferrari plans to redshirt this season, but NCAA rules allow a wrestler to compete five times before sitting out the remainder of the campaign. Iowa head coach Tom Brands immediately knew one duel that would be perfect for his young grappler – the annual Cy-Hawk clash against in-state rival Iowa State.
When asked why the decision to start Ferrari at the 184-pound bout was made, Brands gave a simple yet effective answer.
“Just shaking it up,” Brands said before the duel.
“Shaking it up.”
Iowa looked to win its 20th straight duel against the Cyclones, and it did just that, prevailing 21-15 on Nov. 23. The victory was special for the Hawkeyes, but it marked Ferrari’s first time on the mat
one almost like a scrimmage, but head coach Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes will be more than motivated to finish their season strong. Who knows what to expect in Nashville, but it should be a competitive game to close out 2024.
in front of the raucous crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
With Iowa holding a narrow 14-12 edge, it was up to Ferrari to extend the lead. He would enter his match as the underdog, facing No. 15 Evan Bockman.
But Ferrari was the aggressor from the start, recording an early takedown in the first period to draw first blood. Bockman bounced back with an escape to end the frame, but Ferrari remained in control.
The freshman picked up right where he left off in the second, collecting an escape and a takedown to increase his lead to 7-1 after two. With the Hawkeye faithful cheering behind him in the final period, Ferrari rode
the momentum to a dominating 8-2 triumph.
“I live for these moments, there’s nowhere I’d rather be on a Saturday night than Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” Ferrari said after the match. “I love it out there.”
For Ferrari, the bold coaching decision by Brands was not a surprise — it was an opportunity.
“You know, it was kind of last-minute. I was extremely pumped, excited, you know. I told my parents, and I just felt ready,” Ferrari said. “I have the best partners in the country all around me. I’m wrestling better guys than this guy every day. How can I not dominate out there?”
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Addison O’Grady and Anna Miller jump for the ball during an Iowa women’s basketball game against Drake at the Knapp Center on Nov. 17 in Des Moines. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bulldogs, 86-73, with standout performances on both teams.
Grace Smith | The Daily Iowan
Iowa defensive lineman Deontae Craig celebrates a play during the 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Dec. 31, 2022. The Hawkeyes became the 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl champions after defeating the Wildcats, 21-0.
DEBUTING IOWA’S FRESH START
Iowa women’s gymnastics started their season with the annual Black and Gold Intrasquad meet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 7 with a new head coach.
Hannah Neuville and Clara Jarecke | The Daily Iowan
(Top) Iowa head coach Jen Llewellyn speaks with gymnasts during the women’s gymnastics Black and Gold Intrasquad exhibition meet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 7. Llewellyn was appointed as the fifth head coach in program history after former head coach Larissa Libby resigned earlier this year following allegations of mistreatment within her program. (Above) Fans celebrate during the Black and Gold Intrasquad exhibition meet on Dec. 7. A meet-and-greet for young fans was held before the event that included sign-making and other activities. The Iowa gymnastics squad will next compete against Iowa State and Brown University in Ames, Iowa, on Jan. 10. (Beside) Iowa gymnast Karina Muñoz performs a split leap on the beam during the Black and Gold Intrasquad exhibition on Dec. 7. Muñoz performed in all four events.
(Bottom) Iowa gymnast Cassie Lee celebrates following her dismount from the beam during the Black and Gold Intrasquad exhibition on Dec. 7. Lee competed for team Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Canada’s women’s artistic gymnastics team placed fifth overall, matching the country’s best-ever Olympic rank.
2024 CANADIAN OLYMPIANS
The Iowa women’s gymnastics team debuted two athletes at their exhibition meet who competed for Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Aurélie Tran Cassie Lee
The importance of self-care for students
Finals week is a stressful time for college students. Iowa City professionals weigh in on new and traditional methods of relaxing.
Four seasonal beverages that warm up the holiday season
Hannah Childers Arts Reporters arts@dailyiowan.com
With the holidays and finals approaching, here are four festive and caffeinated drinks, as well as some additional recommendations from baristas, to keep you energized this winter season.
Java House: CaramelGingerbread Latte
When we think of holiday flavors, oftentimes we think of chocolate or peppermint. In a unique twist, Java House has captured a different aspect of the holidays with their Gingerbread Caramel Latte.
A sweet and lightly spiced coffee, this drink features their house espresso blend, which is quite mild and pleasant, and it is topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
I am not a fan of caramel, but I still found this drink enjoyable. The inclusion of the
caramel helped to counteract the slight natural bitterness of the coffee.
As you sip it, you get the distinct undertones of spice, but it’s not unpleasant or overpowering. Emulsified with the sweet whipped cream and caramel, each element of the drink balances out.
of the warm fireplace in the Coffee Emporium.
Note to the newer coffee drinkers: Cold brew is a stronger, more concentrated coffee, so if you’re trying it for the first time, I recommend ordering the smaller size.
Cortado:
Coffee
Emporium: Maple & Cinnamon Cold Brew Latte
For the brave souls who enjoy drinking cold coffee year round, this drink may be for you. This drink features Coffee Emporium’s cold brew infused with cinnamon and maple syrup. Once milk is poured over it at the end of the drink’s mixing, a beautiful golden color washes over the cup.
As you sip it, it leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste, as most cold brews tend to do, but there is also a lingering sweetness from the syrups.
I prefer hot drinks over cold, but there was something quite refreshing about sipping a cold drink in front
Take a breather from the stress of finals at the IMU
The University of Iowa’s Iowa Memorial Union hosts a week full of events for students to help folks suceed during final exams.
Flynn Milligan Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
Feeling stressed about finals week, packing up all your things to go home for the holidays, and just life in general? Well, on a college campus, you fall into the majority. However, there are ways to lighten the ever-feared stress of the end-of-semester season. These five on-campus studying and preparation events will help you feel ready for that big week. From Sunday, Dec. 15 through Dec. 19, the IMU at the University of Iowa hosts at least 33 different events to help you relax, do some study prep, or just have some fun before the most chaotic week of the semester. Here are some of the highlights: Sunday, Dec. 15: Coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. Massages.
You can start the week with a relaxing cup of hot chocolate as you hide away from the cold outside. Drinks will be served all day in the Welcome Center. Feel free to sip on your drink while you wait for your relaxing massage, hosted from 6-8 p.m. in the South Room. Sunday offers two great options to start your week on the right foot.
Monday, Dec. 16: Pancake Man and therapy dogs. Bingo and pizza with UI Dance Marathon.
Pancake Man is likely the most sought-after IMU event every year. The IMU website even warns students to arrive early, as it is always such a popular event. After you watch the Pancake Man flip some delicious pancakes for audience members to catch, you can pet therapy dogs starting at 3:30 p.m. on the third floor. Who doesn’t love a good puppy cuddle to calm them down? If that isn’t enough, UI Dance Marathon will host bingo and pizza from 7-9 p.m. in the main lounge. Finish off your day with some fun with friends.
Tuesday, Dec. 17: Grab-n-Go-study with Pancheros. Yoga.
One of the busiest spots in Iowa City, regardless of time or day, is Pancheros. Go grab some study fuel at 5 p.m. in the Hubbard Commons. Yoga is from 5-6 p.m. in the North Room, but maybe save eating the Pancheros until after. Wednesday, Dec. 18: Casey’s break- fast pizza. Semester Sundae Sendoff with CAB.
Ah yes, Iowa’s staple. The cuisine of Hawkeyes. Start your day off in Midwestern fashion and grab a slice of Casey’s famous breakfast pizza, opening at 7 a.m. in the Hubbard Commons. Need a sweet treat after that pizza? CAB is hosting a build-your-own ice cream sundae bar alongside take-home craft activities to send you on your way before the break. The event is from 6-8 p.m. in the Hawkeye Room.
Thursday, Dec. 19: Hawk Shop Open House. Popcorn.
Are you planning to bring home some Hawk gear for the family as a Christmas gift? Look no further than the Iowa Hawk Shop Café and Market. Come for snacks, drinks, and discounted shopping at the Hawk Shop from 3-7 p.m.! Free popcorn is provided every day through Thursday, except for Sunday, Dec. 15, at the IMU during the week. Go grab a salty snack from 12-5 p.m. in the Hubbard Commons. Whether you want a way to calm down, grab some study fuel, or just want to have fun with your best friends, there are lots of choices. From pancakes to fluffy dogs, campus has it all.
T’spoons Coffee and Treats: Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte
For those looking to preserve the Thanksgiving spirit a little longer, this drink may be for you.
A creamy, rich latte infused with cheesecake flavoring, cinnamon, and a hint of pumpkin, this drink smelled like fall and warmed me from the inside out.
Lattes are my favorite drink because I like my coffee milky and slightly sweet. Served in a beautiful ceramic mug, this drink was perhaps the creamiest latte I have ever had.
If you’re interested in trying this drink, it was on T’spoons’ list of ‘Sweater Weather Drinks.’ Also on the list, T’spoons owner Monique Holtkamp, recommended trying their Rosemary Honey Matcha Latte.
As a person whose favorite candy is Reese’s, I was immediately intrigued by this drink — especially the idea of peanut butter in a drink. This mocha is a delicate espresso infused with peanut butter syrup, whole milk — my milk of choice — and mixed with chocolate ganache. The milk was swirled in a pretty rosette pattern on top, which made my cup quite aesthetically pleasing. My only previous experience with nutbased drinks was with hazelnut syrup. I never expected peanut butter syrup to work so well in a drink, but it did. It elevated the simple mocha by lending it a slight nuttiness.
If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, the barista also recommended the Pumpkin Spice and Macadamia Nut Chai which has a chai base, milk of choice, pumpkin spice, and a macadamia nut syrup. Both drinks can be found on Cortado’s list of “Fall Specials.” So, the next time you’re braving the cold on your way to class, be sure to treat yourself to one — or more —of these delicious drinks from Iowa City’s iconic coffee shops.
Peanut Butter Cup Mocha
LIST CARTOON
IC promotes self-care as finals week looms
Self-care
Flynn Milligan Arts Reporter
arts@dailyiowan.com
Charlie Christensen Arts Reporter
arts@dailyiowan.com
Self-care is an important part of day-to-day life. From being a student to being a part of the working world or otherwise, we need to look out for ourselves. Iowa City offers plenty of options to treat yourself, from traditional to burgeoning new methods.
Depending on the time of year, stress levels can fluctuate, and for students at the University of Iowa, the end of each semester can be especially challenging. This is when self-care practices are best to stay on top of, and it’s important to remember that self-care encompasses mental and physical health. On the mental wellness side of things, the university has professors who have devoted their lives to practices. These methods help put minds at ease, but some of the more experimental options elude students’ mental health upkeep. One such school of health is music therapy.
“The people that we work with can be individuals of all ages from the beginning of life to the end of life and everywhere in between,”
Abbey Dvorak, a music therapy professor at the UI, said.
Music therapy, while not the most traditional therapeutic practice, is becoming increasingly common in the U.S. It has a wide range of uses, and depending on the “energy” of the music, it can impact our brains in several ways.
“When we think about how music affects us, it affects our physiological state, as well as psychological states, especially when stressed,” Dvorak said. “Music can help us with energizing and calming our mood. When we want to energize, we turn on high rousing music, music that might be fasttempo, very rhythmic.”
Music is everywhere in most people’s daily lives. They listen to it in the car, on the way to class, to
impacting your mood.
“Different elements of music help us understand that it’s high arousal. That might be music you use to exercise with or music that wakes you up in the morning,” Dvorak described. “I just did that this morning. I put on ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor because I could not get out of the door. It is something that helps prompt your movement and energizes you.”
A lot of people may just think about music in terms of motivating themselves for a test or before a sporting event.
Using music to promote relaxation must be considered, too, though. Finding the balance is key during high-stress periods like finals week.
“We also have what’s called low arousal music, and that’s music that is slower to moderate tempo, very repetitive, no abrupt stops or starts. An important factor is that there are no loud, dynamic changes — just music that helps you stay mellow,” Dvorak said.
“That’s good music to study with. It’s usually music that doesn’t have any words because our mind goes to the words, and we start thinking about that instead of something else we want to focus on.”
Music is often overlooked as an important tool in learning, but it influences neuroplasticity, a concept that describes the sensation of neurons firing together and binding in the mind.
“Think about when we’re younger and trying to learn the alphabet. It’s really 26 different units of information, but we put it in the song and we repeat it over and over and over again. So, the neurons are all firing in time, and they’re wiring together,” Dvorak said. “If we can do that now, putting information to music, or even to some type of rhythm, that can help us remember it better.”
Listening to music while studying dramatically improves the potential for a brain to remember the other task at hand.
“Yoga connects mind, body, and spirit to build a healthy and positive relationship with yourself and others.
Like music, social media is a form of entertainment used daily but not always recognized as a factor of mental health.
for a decrease in mental health among students, though. It’s also down to the individuals and how they manage social media use. Ekdale gives students a strategy for creating boundaries, though. He said it’s important to consider which accounts or influencers are making you feel bad and cut them out.
“If social media makes you feel like you’re missing out when other people are doing things, maybe I don’t want to be on at a certain time of night when some people are going to be out having fun and I’m going to be inside studying,” Ekdale said. “I think for some people, there’s not an addiction, but there’s kind of a mindlessness with which we engage with social media, where it flips to the next video, to the next video, to the next video.”
The constant, almost unconscious, scroll from influencer to influencer living a life the average college student can’t afford produces anxiety in some people. Social media is an idyllic representation of people’s lives, as Ekdale points out, so it’s important to keep that in mind when establishing boundaries.
It isn’t all doom and gloom, though. Incoming students often feel overwhelmed in a new environment, and social media is a key option for new students to connect with people.
mental wellness side of things. It’s also about taking care of your body.
“At Hothouse Yoga, we like to say we’re a community first and foremost, but we operate as a hot yoga and movement group practice studio. We offer several types of yoga, pilates, barre, dance cardio, and workshops in a hot and humid room,” Cara Viner said.
Viner has been with Hothouse Yoga for several years as a teacher and manager and is just closing on her second year as the owner.
get motivated for a tough workout, or to help them relax. It’s also a key part of huge life events like listening to holiday classics while celebrating with friends and family, listening to Taylor Swift through a tough breakup, or whatever else it may be.
According to Dvorak, though, music therapy is all about being more aware of what kind of music you’re listening to, and more importantly, how it may be
“People are using it more and more as a way for entertainment, to stay informed, and to stay connected with each other. There’s certainly been a growth in video-based apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. In terms of the impact on mental health, I think it depends on the person,” UI social media professor Brian Ekdale said. Social media isn’t all to blame
Edited by Will Shortz No. 1106
“There are ways in which we can use social media to stay connected and emphasize care and attention,” Ekdale said. “I think using social media to enhance our relationships rather than tear ourselves down can be productive.”
Social media isn’t going away any time soon, so being aware of social media’s influence on your mental health is imperative to being healthy.
Self-care isn’t just about the
“Mentally preparing oneself is such a vital part of any stressful period. Often, though, in all this stress going on in our brains, we can easily forget that the rest of the body holds tension as well. Yoga is a great practice that helps ease some of this stress,” Viner said.
“Yoga connects mind, body, and spirit to build a healthy and positive relationship with yourself and others.”
The lessons taught within the walls of Hothouse Yoga last far beyond the reach of the studio.
Viner described the lifestyle that
comes with active participation in yoga classes, saying that relaxation promotes an increase in compassion.
“Yoga builds strength, resilience, and flexibility not just for the body, but for the mind and heart as well. I love how my body and mind feel after practicing yoga. It’s like a reboot to a computer — a reset to restore balance,” Viner added.
As we approach finals week, Iowa City’s self-care professionals provide options to upkeep mental and physical health. Outside of stressful periods, though, it’s always important to dedicate time to de-stressing.
“Taking time out of your day and stressful work to move with connected breath will help with finals and deadlines,” Viner said. “The brain needs to take a breath, just like one’s body, to function efficiently and with energy.”
FROM 1C: Photo illustration.
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Cara Viner, owner of Hot House Yoga, demonstrates a warrior pose at the North Liberty location on Dec. 9. Hot House Yoga has three locations, including ones in Iowa City and Coralville.
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Cara Viner, owner of Hot House Yoga, poses for a portrait at the North Liberty location on Dec. 9. “Mentally preparing oneself is such a vital party of any stressful period,” Viner said.
Cara Viner Hothouse Yoga owner
“You will be found” at Hancher’s musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’
The
Tony Award-winning musical features amazing acting and strong vocal skills.
Riley Dunn Digital Editor riley.dunn@dailyiowan.com
No one deserves to be forgotten. That is the message “Dear Evan Hansen” presents to its audience through the stories of the titular Evan and the people he interacts with.
Even on a stage flooded with backdrops of scrolling social media posts and notifications, the individual hopefulness and heartbreak of the characters shine through, evoking a multitude of emotions from the audience.
Like many others, I flocked to Hancher Auditorium on Saturday night to experience the first installment of its 2024-25 Broadway series, and I must say, the standing ovation at the end was well-deserved.
There were so many things to admire about this show and cast. Michael Fabisch, the actor who portrayed Evan Hansen, carried the production well.
From the first moment he stepped on stage, Fabisch’s portrayal was on point. His performance brought out the awkward and well-meaning aspects of Evan’s character.
Throughout the musical, the character, who is meant to be a socially anxious 17-year-old, breaks his arm and accidentally has a run-in with troubled teen Connor Murphy. Connor takes one of Evan’s letters to himself (which served as a therapy assignment for Evan) and then dies by suicide. This leads the rest of the Murphy family to believe Connor and Evan were best friends.
Through a series of unfortunate and panicked events that escalate in the songs “Forever” and “Sincerely, Me,” Evan allows them to believe this. This act is, on its surface, an incredibly messed up thing to do to a freshly grieving family. However, Fabisch’s acting allowed me to feel sympathy for Evan.
In his interactions with other characters and the emotion thrown into his song lyrics, Fabisch peeled back the layers of Evan, showing a vulnerable and lonely kid who takes a chance to be something more than he’s always been.
Evan does unlikable things, but he is also a hurting teenager. At his core, he wants to do something to help the Murphy family — for whom he comes to care deeply.
In addition to Fabisch’s performance, the rest of the cast followed up with their talented takes.
Q&A | BEN ALRICHS
Hatty Ryan King’s Zoe Murphy — Connor’s sister and Evan’s crush — pulls at heartstrings in the ballad “Requiem.” She struggles to piece together the version of her brother she knows and the one Evan tells her about, even questioning if her brother is a “monster.”
Both of Murphy parents, portrayed by Alex Pharo and Caitlin Sams, also star in the same number, voicing their own conflicting emotions about the alleged friendship between Evan and Connor. All three voices mesh well together, creating a harmonic yet melancholic tone for the song.
The hidden depths of Evan’s mother, Heidi Hansen, also come to light in the show through Bre Cade. The penultimate musical number, “So Big/So Small,” was one of my favorites from Hancher’s show.
The song sheds light on just how much Heidi cares for Evan. Cade inflects care and softness in her vocals when addressing her in-universe son, showing she will always be there for him and always tries her best to make the world more bearable.
Having been a fan of several “Dear
English ambassador’s journey into poetry
Finding himself deeply impacted by the English department and his life experiences, Alrichs brings a profound understanding of nature and community.
Haya Hussain Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
The English department’s student ambassador Ben Alrichs is an English and creative writing major on the publishing track. He shared formative experiences with his writing, ranging from leading writing groups at the University of Iowa to an eye-opening exploration of the natural world in Alaska.
The Daily Iowan : How did you become an ambassador for the English department? What does the position require of you?
Alrichs: I was in a small writing group my freshman year with only three other people besides our group leader. It’s not an application process — it works through recommendations. My group leader recommended me to Kate Torno because he thought I’d be interested. As an ambassador, I meet with prospective high school students, and we also speak at panels. It’s also common for us to lead a writing group.
Last year, I led a fiction writing group that liked workshopping, and that’s what we did almost the entire semester. The group I am leading this year is focused on poetry, and we decided to dedicate our meetings to more writing time. There’s a lot of community-building, and I especially like this group because poetry is the main thing I enjoy. I bring poems I’ve written or read in class and prompts that have been given to me in class. We want participants to learn how to talk about other people’s work and how to talk about poetry. Some of the work brought into the creative writing spaces I’ve been in is vulnerable. These groups become a place of tenderness, and I want to pass that on to others. I also want to make sure people know what is okay to say and what is not okay to
say. A lot of it is preparing the students for workshopping.
What are your goals with creative writing?
I plan on applying to MFA programs in poetry this upcoming year. The longterm goal, though, is to teach literature. As for current projects, I spent a summer in Alaska. This semester, I am writing a collection of about 25 poems about that experience.
How was this experience in Alaska formative to your writing?
I’ve always had an interest in the natural world, and so being in one area with different images of the natural world was very important to me. The place I was in is called Juno, and it has the largest temperate rainforest, and it also has an ocean and wildlife like whales. It was also the first time I had been on my own. I’m from Iowa, so many people from my hometown came here, but this was my own space, and I could be my own person. It was important for me to see my voice kind of cut through that space and see my identity form in the natural world. I was studying and interested in queer ecology, which looks at humans and animals not in a hierarchy but as existing together and alongside each other.
I recently wrote a poem titled “Why Birds Fly.” Lately, I’ve been focusing on making my writing more associative and intentional, and there are a lot of images in there that I love, like birds and whales. It’s me reaching to understand queer ecology and the natural world, and it acts as a culmination of all my interests and efforts.
Cuddle up with these cozy Christmas books
Christmas is on the way, so find a warm spot and get into the spirit of the season with these five festive books.
Kyrsten White Arts Reporter arts@dailyiowan.com
With the winter winds picking up and the holidays in view, the season can become busy and stressful. When looking for a good distraction, a nice book can help to pass the time and relax. Whether you cozy up with a fuzzy blanket, near a warm fireplace, or even at a local coffee shop, these five books will help you get into the Christmas spirit.
All I Want is You Falon Ballard’s short and sweet novel follows two romance writers, Jessica Carrington and Nick Matthews, five years post-breakup. Writing for the same publishing company reunites the pair for a holiday work event. Having declared Nick her enemy, Jessica finds herself in the unfortunate situation of being snowed in at a small inn with him. With the beautiful holiday decorations and Christmas-themed details, this is the perfect book to cozy up with by the fireplace.
I’ll Be Gone for Christmas
Georgia K. Boone’s fun novel will remind readers of the Christmas rom-com “The Holiday.” It follows two women, Bee Tyler and Clover Mills, from opposite sides of the country as they swap houses for the holidays. Headed to San Francisco for the first time, Clover leaves behind traditions in search of something new, while Bee spends her time in the small town Salem, partaking in close-knit Christmas events. This book captures the energy of the Christmas spirit as both women make new friends and celebrate the holidays differently.
The Christmas Countdown Holly Cassidy’s “The Christmas Countdown” follows a girl, Callie Meyer, who wants nothing to do with Christmas. After discovering her ex — who ended their relationship just a few months prior — has recently gotten engaged, she wants to stay far from home. While lounging around in her feelings, her older sister Anita creates an advent calendar that forces her to get back out into the world. Along the way, she participates in several winter events that bring in the holiday spirit. This entertaining book feels like reading the perfect Christmas Hallmark book.
Along Came Holly Codi Hall’s “Along Came Holly” immediately brings out the Christmas spirit, describing the main character Holly Winters as she decorates her holiday shop for the new season. Unfortunately, the owner of the store next door Declan Gallagher is the biggest hater of the holiday. When Holly’s plans to win their town’s Festival of Lights go awry, her only option is to ask the grumpy man next door for help. He begrudgingly agrees, thus starting their Christmas rom-com story. In a town named Mistletoe, this novel could not do better at evoking the feeling of the season.
The Christmas Swap In Talia Samuels’ novel “The Christmas Swap,” the main character Margot Murray finds herself acting as a fake girlfriend for a man named Ben Gibson. After her recent breakup, she needs to get away. There is no better place for her to go than a mansion away from the bustling city of London with this mystery man. Along the way, she finds it more difficult to ignore her pull toward Ben’s sister, Ellie. Readers can easily enjoy this book as it follows the days leading up to a cliché Christmas.
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Evan Hansen” songs for years, I massively enjoyed seeing the stage musical for the first time and think Hancher did
a phenomenal job of bringing the story to life. I will be eagerly awaiting the next Broadway series installment.
Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade