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THURSDAY, APRIL 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7

VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

STREAMING WARS

FILM REVIEW

CROSS COUNTRY

OPINION PAGE 3

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Opinion Columnist Taylor Lien discusses HBO Max and Disney+.

Film Critic Hunter Friesen reviews “Terminator: Dark Fate.”

Men’s and women’s cross country teams finish third and sixth, respectively.

Panthers win in home opener 58-53 JACOB POTTER

Sports Editor

Eager to get the season rolling, Panther fans packed the McLeod Center Tuesday night for UNI men’s basketball’s season opener against Old Dominion for a highly competitive defensive battle.

“We had a good crowd in there tonight for kicking off the season,” head coach Ben Jacobson said. “I think our fans are excited about our roster and our team.”

Returning 10 players from last season, including A.J. Green, the all-MVC preseason first team selection and the comeback of junior center Austin Phyfe, provided plenty to look forward to.

The Panthers turned to their defense after shooting 6-31 for 19.4 percent from three. They held the Monarchs to 35.6 percent shooting from the floor.

“The defensive effort was terrific,” Jacobson said. “The reason that we led the game, the reason we extended it to double figures in the second half is because we defended for 40 minutes.”

Defense and trusting that shots would eventually fall led to the win after UNI’s starting backcourt of A.J. Green and Spencer Haldeman went 4-21, combined from behind the arc.

“That comes with coach Jake’s confidence in us,” Haldeman said. “He gives us the green light to play like we do. Everybody has a green light to shoot no matter how we’re shooting.”

“We went in at halftime 2-17 and as I told our guys

‘we’re not changing who we are,’” Jacobson said. “‘So, we’re going to go out and play the same way, and if we get the same shots, we feel like we’re going to make enough of them to get us a lead.’”

Green and Haldeman each contributed 12 points on the night.

“I really like the shots we generated,” Green said. “I just want us to keep shooting those shots and have that confidence.”

Phyfe, the former WaverlyShell Rock standout, tallied 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in his first game back from a season-ending illness last year.

“I’m feeling great,” Phyfe said. “Being back out there is the best feeling in the world [...] all my teammates around me being able to talk to me through all that tough stuff last year, and this year, today being able to play 32 minutes.

Them supporting me through it all has been really big to me.”

“I thought he was great,” Jacobson said. “I kept looking at him in the second half thinking he was going to be tired

and he was going to have that look like, ‘Coach, you gotta get me out of here, just give me a break.’ He did not show that.

He looked like he was having a good time playing. I’m really proud of him for how hard he’s worked on his conditioning.

He’s worked really hard to be where he’s at right now.”

Jacobson also expressed how proud he is of UNI Athletics as a whole with men’s basketball looking to add to the success that UNI has seen recently.

“What’s important this early in the season is what

we’re doing as a Panther family,” Jacobson said. “Look what our football team is doing right now with the way they’re playing. Our volleyball team, the way they’re playing, our swimmers what they did, our cross country team what they did. [...] Big thanks to our student athletes, our other coaches and our administration for what’s going on.”

Up next, UNI takes their show on the road as they look to spoil the season opener for the Northern Illinois Huskies in Dekalb, IL., on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.

Michael Ugarte.

Ugarte visited campus as part of the 2019-2020 Hearst Lecture Series, hosted by the Department of Languages and Literatures. Last week, author Sandra Cisneros visited UNI as part of the lecture series.

Ugarte, a native of New Hampshire who now resides

in both Spain and the United States, is professor emeritus at the University of MissouriColumbia. His talk focused on his research into the colonial and post-colonial relations between Spain and its African territories, including Morocco, West Sahara and Equatorial Guinea. Ugarte also discussed

his experiences as a translator of Afro-Hispanic literature, especially the works of Guinean writers.

UNI Spanish professor Heather Jerónimo introduced Ugarte, emphasizing the connections between Ugarte’s work and the lecture series’ theme of “Border Crossings.”

“Much of his work focuses on the in-between spaces of society,” Jerónimo said.

“Throughout his work, Dr. Ugarte invites us to understand another site of crossing, sharing with us the importance of breaking borders.”

TONI FORTMANN/Northern Iowan

Translator and author Ugarte visits UNI ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

Approximately 50 UNI students, faculty and community members gathered in the Slife Ballroom in the UNI Commons at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, for a talk given by translator and author

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UGARTE

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Ugarte began his hourlong lecture with a historical overview of the African countries he has studied. In many of its African colonies, including Morocco and Equatorial Guinea, Ugarte said, Spain simply “closed the curtain and went home” after the countries gained their independence. The lack of continued economic support from Spain has led to political unrest and, in the case of Equatorial Guinea, oppressive dictatorships in many of these former Spanish possessions.

One aspect of the Spanish culture which has persisted after Spain’s departure, however, is their language.

Ugarte described African Spanish as “Spanish with African inflections infused

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with words from various languages.” He said many Afro-Hispanic write not in the indigenous language of their countries, but in Spanish, to disseminate their works to a wider audience.

“Spanish is used as the language of self-determination,” Ugarte said, speaking about the small African country of Western Sahara, one of the countries he has studied. “It is the language that the people […] use to make their plight known.”

Ugarte mentioned several Guinean writers who have also used Spanish as a means of sharing their identity and culture with the wider Hispanic community. Among them was Justo Bolekia, a poet whose work Ugarte has translated into English. “[Bolekia is] making readers aware of where he’s coming from, his identity as […] someone who’s speaking in Spanish and who wants to make his culture known outside of his area,” Ugarte said.

This connected to one of the main themes of Ugarte’s talk — the importance of writing as a way for authors to share their identities with readers from other cultures, and his place within that process as the translator. Ugarte discussed his work translating the novel “Natives” by Guinean author Inongo Vi Makomé, which depicts the immigrant experience in Spain.

The novel centers on two upper-class Spanish women

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ELIZABETH KELSEY News Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan

Author and translator Michael Ugarte delivered a lecture on Monday evening discussing his work translating African Spanish texts, as well as the use of language as the author’s identity.

and their interactions with an African man, and discusses the politics of racial and sexual power as well as the importance of understanding the cultural identities of others.

Ugarte said that the translator’s role in the storytelling process, as well as the level of contact with the author, depends on personal preference and the genre of the text that is being translated.

“Translation of poetry involves not only the imitation of certain cadences and, if you combine them, the rhythms and rhymes, but also the spirit of the poem,” he said, in reference to his work on the poetry of Justo Bolekia. “I was in constant contact with the author.”

Translation is also about more than just words, Ugarte said. He cited fel-

low translator Lawrence Schimel’s belief that translation should make the reader feel “duende,” a feeling of inspiration and emotional connectedness, in the text’s new language.

“I’m in favor of the person that says that translation should be seamless, and the reader should have the sense that they’re reading the original,” he said. He discussed the need to balance accuracy with fluidity and said that preserving the author’s artistry and style is one of the translator’s greatest challenges.

“Through Dr. Ugarte’s work of translating novels from Spanish into English, he is not simply shuffling words across a linguistic border from one language into another,” said Jerónimo in her introduction. “He is sharing stories about people, cultures and beliefs with

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an entirely new audience.”

One member of Ugarte’s audience on Monday, sophomore deciding major Jenn Culver, said the talk gave her a new viewpoint on both the work of translation and the Spanish culture.

“I think it was an interesting perspective on how translation is more about understanding the experience rather than a direct translation word for word,” she said. “[It was] a look into a specific area, Spanishspeaking Africa, that I had never really thought about or heard about.”

The remaining speakers in the 2019-2020 Hearst Lecture Series will be translator Aron Aji at 7 p.m. on March 9, 2020, author Lluís Maria Todó at 7 p.m. on March 23, 2020, and writer Luis Urrea at 7 p.m. on Sept.

25, 2020. All events are free and open to the public.

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NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

Streaming wars make for tough decisions TAYLOR LIEN

Opinion Columnist

The streaming wars are ramping up every day with more and more announcements from new streaming services. As of last week, HBO unveiled their plans to launch HBO Max in May of 2020. Disney has been discussing launch of their streaming service for over a year, and it will be debuting next week. Much of the marketing and selling points of Disney+ is the sheer amount of properties that they own.

From an industry standpoint this is very troubling, but for consumers, having the properties of so many companies will solve the question of which streaming services are worth subscribing to.

However, HBO and its parent company, WarnerMedia Entertainment, will likely pose stiff competition to Disney+. Arguably, it will be one of the only streaming services whose library will be able to rival Disney’s.

Disney+ revealed hundreds of back titles as well as original programming in a Twitter thread, which will all be available on day one of the service, next Tuesday, November 12. Not to be outdone, HBO had a similar series of tweets detail-

WarnerMedia

ing for different audiences what titles would cater to them. Disney may have Pixar, Marvel and LucasFilms, but HBO Max has Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, all of the Harry Potter films and that’s not even mentioning any of the kids programming, like the entire back catalogue of Sesame Street as well as new original programming featuring characters like Elmo.

Despite this launch being just over six months out, HBO seems keen to capitalize on those who may be trying to decide whether or not to sign up for Disney+. HBO Max is also a major blow to Netflix, since they are reclaiming streaming rights for many of the shows that have been

the backbone of Netflix for years, such as “Friends,” “The West Wing” and more. HBO Max seems to encompass the best of Disney+ and Hulu with a price tag that rivals the monthly fee for both.

The question of which existing HBOGo and HBONow subscribers will have access to their service as a part of their subscription is also something to keep in mind. Since HBONow is available through platforms like AppleTV and Amazon Prime, deals will have to be struck in order to include HBO Max in those customers subscription.

Something to note for both Disney+ and HBO Max is their commitment to revi-

Tribune News Service

Opinion Columnist Taylor Lien discusses HBO Max and Disney+ as their respective launch dates approach.

talizing classic films. With the loss of Filmstruck, a streaming service dedicated to classic and arthouse films, in 2018 and the lack of films before 1980 on most major streaming services, this is a huge win for the continued cultural relevance of classic films. The loss of old television shows and movies is often an unfortunate side effect of streaming and bringing older titles onto these platforms is a step in the right direction.

There will no doubt be standout projects from both services, but with the amount of back titles that will live on these platforms, it’s hard

to say whether the services’ exclusive content will get much attention. Their back catalogues, to some degree ,will likely render any original content they may produce to be rather moot.

The streaming wars are really just beginning and the next few months and years will reveal whether Disney or HBO will capture a larger portion of the streaming market. Both have strong libraries of content and for the consumer, the number of titles available has never been better. The hardest decision to make will be whether or not to subscribe and what to watch on both platforms.

Wellness Services: express gratitude every day Editor’s Note: This guest column was submitted by Student Wellness Services.

November is a time of busy schedules, heavy academic commitments and stretching ourselves to meet the needs of others. The colors of the trees changing and leaves falling reminds us that autumn is a season of transition. We shift into wearing sweaters, drinking warm beverages, and turn-

ing our clocks back. These little moments remind us to reflect on how we have transformed as individuals throughout the year. Our thoughts may be filled with observations of what we learned in our studies, what we accomplished as leaders, or what we discovered about ourselves. During this time of contemplation, it is important to implement an attitude of gratitude towards

our growth.

Expressing gratitude can result in several beneficial outcomes. Ryan M. Niemic, author of “Character Strengths Interventions,” places substantial emphasis on the overall perks of spotlighting a grateful mindset in our lifestyle. Niemic claims that gratitude positively correlates with “positive emotion, life satisfaction, optimism, prosocial behavior, increased cardiovascular and immune functioning, longevity, lower levels of anxiety and depression, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and low neuroticism.” This means that with every effort to extend gratitude, each one of these aspects of our lives has the opportunity to increase. In other words, we have every reason to practice being thankful. This process can only transform us to have a brighter perspective on life.

Gratitude is a muscle that all of us are capable of developing, as long as we focus on turning our attention to fine tuning it. There are several ways we can implement every day activities rooted in

gratitude. Below is a list of ideas to get you brainstorming: • Keep a gratitude journal • Mail a handwritten letter of gratitude to someone special in your life • Compliment a stranger • Reflect through mediation • Say three things you’re grateful for in the morning or right before bed Student Wellness Services at UNI offers a variety of opportunities for you to exercise these activities. We want to help students find the strategies that work for them so they are able to feel the benefits of gratitude, including lowered stress, better sleep and stronger relationships. One strategy we have available is the labyrinth, a meditative tool student organizations, groups, and classes can request to utilize. The labyrinth at UNI is a large cloth, canvas designed with circular patterns that have one path leading to the center of the circle and then back out again that participants walk on for meditation purposes. At first glance, it may seem similar to a maze, yet it is very dif-

ferent. There are no wrong turns, no dead ends and no tricks. The labyrinth is one of the oldest contemplative tools, used for centuries for meditation and personal growth. UNI students who have participated in walking the labyrinth describe it as “relaxing, peaceful, centering, and reflective.” We also have resources to help you practice gratitude on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Makerspace of Rod Library (LIB 286). Our Wellness Ambassadors will have activities to help you learn how to include gratitude in your day-to-day routine.

How are you practicing gratitude? Let us know by commenting on our social media posts this month! Check us out on Facebook (UNI Student Wellness Services), Instagram (unisws) and Twitter (@UNI_SWS)! Let’s work together to spread an attitude of gratitude around campus.

If your organization is interested in requesting the labyrinth, please email Student Wellness Services at wellness@uni.edu for more information.

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CAMPUS LIFE NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

FILM REVIEW

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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SOFIA LEGASPI

Campus Life Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

‘Dark Fate’ can’t revive tired franchise HUNTER FRIESEN FIlm Critic

No matter what our differences may be when it comes to political and social issues, as humans, we can all agree that the “Terminator” franchise has been downright awful for nearly 30 years.

Since the innovative “T2” by James Cameron, the three sequels by lesser filmmakers have buried this once-popular series in a grave of mediocrity. And once again to milk more money out of nostalgic and hopeful fans, the franchise has been quasi-rebooted into the form of “Terminator: Dark Fate.”

Set in a present where Judgement Day never happened, “Dark Fate” opens in Mexico City as two robots from opposite sides arrive from the future. Their target is Dani Ramos, an important figure that will someday lead the human resistance against the robot overlords.

The human-robot hybrid sent to protect her is Grace and the robot sent to kill her is the Rev-9, a shape-shifting terminator similar to that of the T-1000. As Grace fights to protect Dani, she is eventually joined by Sarah, who helps the pair go on the run from the relentless killing machine hunting them.

Directing: 3/5 Directed by Tim Miller of “Deadpool” fame, “Terminator: Dark Fate” is a downhill action flick where

Tribune News Service

NI Film Critic Hunter Friesen reviews the sixth installment in the “Terminator” franchise, Tim Miller-directed “Terminator: Dark Fate.” The film was released on Nov. 1 and received a 66 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

the ride starts at the top and continues to sink lower as time goes on.

The beginning action set pieces are ripped straight from “T2: Judgement Day” as the two robots track down their target and eventually meet for a fight. This initial scene is by far the best in the movie as each robot gets to show off their unique powers. Miller also lets the scene play out with minimal editing and great stunt work that highlights the quality special effects.

Once this scene is over, Miller has foolishly played his whole hand and left nothing else for the remaining 90 minutes. The action becomes a recycled mess as each subsequent scene takes place in more dimly lit areas that try

to hide the flaws. Nothing new is introduced about the humans or robots and it all melds together into a blob of standard movie action tropes.

Writing: 2/5 With three screenwriters and five credited story contributors, “Terminator: Dark Fate” has way too many cooks in the kitchen that end up canceling each other out.

The plot is incoherent, which has now become a staple of the “Terminator” sequels. Time travel is a finicky business once you start to think about it, but this movie has serious logistical problems straight from the start. These huge, gaping plot holes negate any emotional connection to the

story and make every plot twist easy to see from a mile away.

The overstuffed writer’s room also led to some insufferable dialogue choices.

The usual franchise catchphrases are all here, only this time they’re painfully inserted and delivered to the point of parody. There’s also an incessant need for every other sentence to be a profound statement, especially any line from Dani or Sarah.

Acting: 3/5 In a seemingly desperate move, the producers brought back Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. The character and Hamilton’s performance is the film’s biggest asset, even as she struggles to work with the amateur

material given to her.

Mackenzie Davis is pretty good as Grace, the robot-human hybrid from the future.

Like all robot characters from the franchise, she brings great physicality to her performance. Unfortunately, she doesn’t bring much emotion to her human half, stifling any connection to her character.

Relative newcomer Natalia Reyes plays Dani and falls in the usual rookie trap of overacting. At the start, she does fine work, but as the film gets more dramatic, Reyes overleans into her one-note performance.

L a s t ly, Ar nold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the T-800 terminator. It’s no surprise that the Austrian is great in the role that he can play in his sleep by now as he makes a nice pair with Hamilton and is the only reason some of the comedic moments work.

Overall: 2.5/5 “Terminator: Dark Fate” is the best sequel since “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” but that’s such a low bar to jump over that it isn’t saying much.

It’s like a student got three straight F’s on their exams and then got a C minus. It’s still not good, but at least they didn’t fail this time and are somewhat moving in the right direction.

UNI to host 2019 Education Summit COLBY WEBER Staff Writer

Teachers and students alike will be gathering to discuss important issues in the field of education during the 2019 Education Summit. From K-12 teachers to college professors, educators of all kinds will be present.

The 2019 Education Summit will take place on Monday, Nov.

11 from 3 to 7 p.m., with an additional session on Tuesday, Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Both sessions will be held in Maucker Union.

“The Education Summit is an effort that we typically put on every year,” said Lisa Hooper, director for the Center of Educational Transformation and Richard O. Jacobson Endorsed Chair. “It brings

COURTESY PHOTO

The 2019 Education Summit is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 11 and Tuesday, Nov. 12 in Maucker Union.

together scholars, practitioners, policy makers, teachers, parents and students in an effort to inform. We have rich and deep conversations about critical and emerging issues and evidence-based research and practices.”

Themes of the conference are contained within its title, which is “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practices: Challenging Systemic Inequity and Injustice in Education and Health.”

When the summit was first announced, people were invited to submit proposals involving different topics. From these proposals, four “strands” were created as areas of focus. The strands were culturally responsive pedagogy (i.e., teaching methods), inequity/injustice in the education system, partnerships between communities, schools and universities and cultural/linguistic competence in the education and healthcare systems.

Although Hooper is look-

ing forward to every speaker at the conference, she is especially excited to hear some of the voices from outside of the teaching field.

“We have parents and students who are participating,” Hooper said. “I think that, sometimes, in the academy, we don’t get to privilege the voices of parents.”

Aside from parents, another voice that will be heard comes from a fourth-grader.

“Really, I’m excited to hear everyone speak,” Hooper said.

“But in particular, parents, students and, in this case, a fourth-grader.”

Two of the events during the summit will encourage interactivity with the audience.

One of them is a think tank dialogue titled “Leading and Learning with Character.” The second interactive presentation will be called “The Power of an Invitation: The Impact of Using Hip Hop to Help Students Share What They Know,” led by Shuaib Meacham.

Christopher Burke, 2019 Iowa Teacher of the Year, will also be present at the summit.

As a new resident to Iowa, Hooper has noticed some changes that have taken place between this year’s conference and the years before it.

“One of the things that I have done — I’ve been here for a bit over one year — is try to understand the culture of Iowa in general, the Cedar Valley in particular,” Hooper said. “I’ve also tried to understand critical and emerging issues for the state of Iowa. One of the themes in those conversations over the past 15 months has been the intersection of education, health and culture. That is a change that is bringing different sectors and disciplines to work towards a common good. It improves education, it improves health and it improves levels of equity. That intersectionality and cross-section work might be slightly different.”

See SUMMIT, page 5

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CAMPUS LIFE

SOFIA LEGASPI

Campus Life Editor

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

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VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

‘Hi God’ to juggle knowledge, faith SOFIA LEGASPI

Campus Life Editor

Do knowledge and faith conflict or intersect? How does a person of faith navigate the world of academia?

What is it like to feel out of place in higher education?

Grace Mertz will face these questions in her one-woman show “Hi God” on Nov. 7, 8 and 9. The production will take place at 7:30 p.m. on each date in the Lang Hall Interpreters Theatre.

The play is Mertz’s response to her undergraduate and graduate experiences as a person of faith. Among these experiences, she said, is the consistent notion that Christians lack the intelligence to pursue academia, as well as expressions of hatred and threats of physical harm towards people like her.

“It’s just not a super productive environment for people of faith,” said Mertz, a second-year graduate student in performance and communications studies. “The constant assumption that because I believe in something I can’t see, I have no grasp of logic — yeah, which I think is a false dichotomy.”

The play’s inception transpired last fall when Mertz first arrived at UNI. Lonely, with few people to speak and process life and faith experiences with, Mertz said she started writing letters to God. The emotions expressed in the letters — some of which are currently displayed outside the Interpreter’s Theatre in promotion of the show — range from confusion and frustration to gratitude and celebration.

One letter, dated May 1, 2019, reads: “Hi God […]

Thank you for the terrible wonder of doing a new thing every day. Thank you for this world that made it through the winter and is glowing in the spring. If I can ask for one thing, God, I’d like to glow, too.”

Midway through her second semester at UNI, Mertz’ inner ponderings evolved from written letters to become the basis of her master’s thesis: a show written, directed and performed entirely by her. Her advisor, Danielle McGeough, aided the process

SUMMIT

continued from page 4

One of Hooper’s favorite parts of the conference is seeing people learn and share. She enjoys seeing people lean forward in their seats and get excited. In addition, she has seen many people form partnerships at the summit.

“The aim this year and going

COURTESY PHOTO

Graduate student Grace Mertz will perform her one-woman show titled “Hi God” in the Interpreters Theatre on Nov. 7, 8 and 9.

of transforming the letters into a script — now in its seventh or eighth draft, Mertz said. The production further evolved during the last few weeks of technical rehearsals with the addition of lighting, blocking and final polishing tweaks.

“It’s made it a lot more real to me that this is something that’s happening, and that I’m going to share this with people, and hopefully they’re going to connect with it a lot.” Mertz said. “Yeah, it’s turned it from more of a nerve-wracking thing to just exciting.”

Hi God, Thank you for the terrible wonder of doing a new thing every day.

GRACE MERTZ

Writer, director, performer

One issue addressed within the play with which audience members may connect is Imposter Syndrome, defined as “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success,” according to a sign displayed by Mertz’ letters outside the theatre.

Although its subject material may be weighty, Mertz assured potential attendees there would be many light-hearted moments throughout the performance. forward is that the Education Summit offers something to everyone,” she said. “Offering useful information and conversation for everyone that attends — that is really important, that utility. The summit affords the participants something; they leave with something. A tool, some knowledge, a seminal scholar or a partner going forward is useful.”

“It is as much comedy as possible with a topic like this,” she said. “I do best when I make fun of myself.”

Joining Mertz on stage will be her ukulele, named “Ulysses.” While partly for comedic effect, Mertz said she wrote music into the script for its ability to convey messages more effectively than spoken word.

Mertz didn’t always know she wanted to pursue performance. She didn’t do much theatre before college but discovered performance studies as an undergraduate student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Now specializing in autoethnographic performance, Mertz said her objective is unlike traditional theatre in its constant creation of something new; rather, it is to tell her own story and relate it to broader social, cultural and political narratives — as well as to individuals’ experiences.

“I didn’t know that existed until I went to college,” Mertz said. “So when I found out, I was so excited because I’ve always been a writer, and it’s so fun to write something and then stand it up and have people respond, like, in the moment.”

The response Mertz hopes to elicit from her audience is the realization that, if they question their place or lack a sense of belonging, they are not alone.

“Everybody’s lonely and

everybody kind of wonders if they’re good enough, but we just don’t voice it often enough,” she said. “And if we talked about it more, we would help each other a lot.”

For professors who attend the show, Mertz hopes to inspire a change in attitude toward people of faith in their classrooms, including the expectation that those who have progressed through the higher education system have outgrown non-academic beliefs.

“So much on the conversation about faith in academics is structured around, ‘Well, this is what the generation before us believed; this is what our parents believed, but we’ve grown out of that and we’re too good for that and we’re smart enough to not think about that anymore,’” Mertz said. “So I just don’t think that professors realize they’re doing it, but it’s just the narrative of academia. But I would love for a lot of professors to just take a second and rethink their assumptions.”

While “Hi God” may portray Mertz’ own experiences

and reflections, she hopes that her story resonates with those who hear it.

“The point of telling my story is not to tell my story,” she said “It’s to open a space for other people to tell their stories back and say, “Oh, this is how I’ve felt excluded or like I haven’t belonged in higher education.”

After each performance, a station with materials will be set up in the theatre, and audience members are invited to write letters of their own — to God, to important figures in their academic careers or to anyone else they choose.

Mertz herself has continued maintaining a regular written correspondence with God, even though she said the loneliness that first spurred it has since dissipated.

“After the show’s over, I’m probably just going to shoo everybody out of the theatre for a second, and I’m going to need a minute to write a letter,” she said.

Admission for “Hi God” is free and open to the public.

Seating is limited. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

PAGE 6

SPORTS

CROSS COUNTRY

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

JACOB POTTER Sports Editor

|

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

Third and sixth place finishes for UNI Cross Country COLIN HORNING

Sports Writer

The UNI men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Valparaiso, Ind.,

on Saturday, Nov. 2 for the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships.

In their last race before the NCAA Championships on Nov. 15, the Northern Iowa

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

men’s team notched a thirdplace finish, and the Panther women finished in sixth.

The Panther men were led by senior Wal Khat, who finished in fifth place with a time of 25:05. Senior C.J. May followed right behind him with a sixth-place finish.

Bradley University won the team race with 17 points, including the top four finishers on the men’s side, followed

by Drake University with 74 points. The Panthers ended up with 94 points, placing third overall in the team scores.

The Panther women came in at sixth place in a race dominated by the University of Loyola-Chicago. The

Courtesy Photo/UNI Athletics

Ramblers had the top four finishers in the race, leading with 17 total points and the firstplace finish. McKayla Cole was the top finisher for the Panthers, crossing the finish

line with a time of 18:43.

Up next, the Panther men and women will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday, Nov. 15.

SOCCER

UNI women’s soccer finishes season at Valparaiso BRIELLE KIEWIET Sports Writer

The Panther women’s soccer team ended their 2019 season with a 3-0 loss to the Valparaiso Crusaders in Valparaiso, Ind., on Friday, Nov.1. The Panthers took on the Crusaders for the seventh time in program history with both teams fighting for a place in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

“They [Valpo] look an

awful lot like us,” head coach Bruce Erickson said. “But I think it’s just going to come down to one team making one more play.”

The Crusaders ended up making that play and scored early on in the 12th minute with a cross from the left side. They scored again in the 25th minute off a corner kick, followed by a third goal in the 57th minute.

Although the Panthers were unable to find the back

of the net, they outshot the Crusaders 16 to eight.

Senior Sydney Hayden, the Panthers’ leading returning scorer, led the Panther offense with four shots.

Seniors Jordyn Rolli and Jamie Althiser, along with freshman Lizzie Mewes followed close behind, each with three shots.

The Panther women ended their season with a 5-11 overall record and a 1-6 conference record.

GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan

FOOTBALL

Analysis: top 5 UNI football players so far this season PATRICK HANSEN

Sports Writer

Another Panther football season is coming to an end as only three games remain this season.

As the No. 5 Panthers near the tail end of the season, it’s time to rank the five best Panther football players so far this season.

QB Will McElvain First on the list, hands down is redshirt freshman quarterback Will McElvain.

McElvain overcame many challenges coming into this season.

The Panthers were in need

of a standout QB this season as last season it seemed difficult for one or the other QB to remain consistent throughout the season.

Nine games into the season, the Des Moines native has led the Panthers to a 6-3 record, while remaining undefeated at home. McElvain has racked up 1,948 yards through the air and 236 on the ground.

The agile QB is looking to have a bright career in the Purple and Gold the next three years after walking on to the team.

WR Isaiah Weston Coming in at number two is wide receiver Isaiah

GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan

Weston. Weston is putting up career numbers after missing last season with a torn ACL. The redshirt sophomore has already posted 924 receiving yards (sixth in the nation), including a career high of 189 against South Dakota, leading all Panthers with over 100 yards per game.

Weston, a Minneapolis native, is also making a name for himself nationally as he is ranked second in the FCS for yards per reception with 24.97. He is also tied for second nationally with ten touchdowns.

RB Tyler Hoosman Leading the Panther rushing attack is Tyler Hoosman.

In the beginning of the season, Hoosman did not see much action as the running back position was up for grabs, but he hit the ground running since he took the starting job.

The Plainfield, Ill., native has improved from 205 yards last season, recording 380 yards on the ground along with four touchdowns.

DE Elerson Smith The pass rush is led by

GABRIELLE LEITNER/Northern Iowan

Elerson Smith at the defensive end spot. Smith played in every game last season recording 7.5 sacks. He has seen stark improvements this season, racking up 10 sacks and 39 total tackles, 14.5 of which were for a loss.

“When you put him in the weight room, you know, he doesn’t look like a guy that’s going to go in there and outlift [Jared] Brinkman, but there are some lifts that he is that strong,” head coach Mark Farley said.

“He just knows how to put it all together […] his coordination and timing of leveraging people is really what makes him a different kind of player.”

DT Jared Brinkman Anchoring the defensive line alongside Smith is Jared Brinkman. The Iowa City native totaled 31 total tackles in his first two seasons at UNI, but is looking to surpass double that by the end of the season as he currently has 54 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.

Brinkman often flies under the radar in the middle of the D-line, but he consistently takes on double teams and still has put up six sacks so far this season.

Keep a lookout for these standouts as the fifth-ranked Panthers pursue a run to the playoffs.

SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor

PAGE 7

FUN & GAMES NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

SUDOKU ONE

|

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

SUDOKU TWO

5 Ballpark treat 6 State that celebrates Pioneer Day 7 Pâté base 8 Govt. agents 9 Fancy scarves 10 Hardest to come by 11 Whiz 12 Notable Downing Street address 13 Important span 18 Seen enough 22 Think tank products 24 Tehran’s land 26 Dudes with fab abs 27 Slipped up 28 Fast Atl. crossers, once 30 Horn-honking Marx 31 Country singer Travis 32 Chow line?

33 Piglike forest dweller 34 Swiftness 37 Successor to Claudius 20 Up to, casually Across 38 __-ski 21 Sticky 1 Zippo 39 Second to none 23 Tie the knot 5 State of irritation Down 41 Hurry off and hide 25 Runs like mad 9 Produce carrier 14 Historic British school 29 Remove italics from 1 Semiaquatic salaman- 42 Hunt down the source ders of text?

15 Plains native 2 Skylit courts 44 Gridiron complement 33 “All __ Jazz” 16 Indy participant 3 Lacy place mat 45 High society types 17 Financial support at 35 Zones 4 With 58-Down, “Life of 48 Deadly African virus 36 “The A-Team” actor Kitty Hawk?

49 Single-master 37 Bread served with tan- Pi” director 19 Skybox setting

CROSSWORD

doori chicken 38 Met highlights 39 Spelling contests 40 Some iTunes downloads, briefly 41 Cal. entries 42 Have an inclination 43 Siblings sharing a ceremony?

46 “... because you don’t want to cross me” 47 Up-to-the-minute 51 In seventh heaven 55 Women’s rights activist Nellie 56 Battleship barrage 59 Contact a fictional pirate?

61 Fuss over feathers 62 Stare at creepily 63 Balm ingredient 64 Change, as a will 65 They’re often loaded 66 Continuity problems

50 Small fry 52 What Noah counted by 53 Constellation named for a mythological ship 54 List 56 Place for a retreat 57 Usher’s offering 58 See 4-Down 60 Folklore crone

Puzzle answers on page 8

PAGE 8

CLASSIFIEDS

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 |

NORTHERNIOWAN.COM

|

SIERRA STEEN Managing Editor

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20

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