Northern Iowan t h e u n i v e r s i t y o f n o r t h e r n i o wa’s s t u d e n t - p r o d u c e d n e w s p a p e r s i n c e 1 8 9 2
JANUARY 13, 1012
I
FRIDAY
VOLUME 108, ISSUE 28
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
OPINION
The gravity of the cross
CEDAR FALLS, IOWA
CAUCUS 2012
Romney remains top presidential candidate
You call this winter?
This year’s Panthers not unlike last year’s In chronicling the Panthers’ ups and downs over break, Brad Eilers couldn’t help but draw parallels to last season’s squad. < See PAGE 9
ONLINE PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE
Should field goals be eliminated from football?
In light of game-losing missed field goals, columnist Paul Kockler wonders whether the sport would be better without the kicking game. < visit northern-iowan.org
INDEX I SPY AT UNI.....................2 OPINION...........................4 CAMPUS LIFE...................5 SPORTS...........................8 GAMES..........................10 CLASSIFIEDS.................11
BUDGET
Additional UNI funding a distinct possibility Executive Editor
WEATHER
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NORTHERN-IOWAN.ORG
JOHN ANDERSON
Tom Early explores whether the cross has become a symbol of radical love or rejection in our culture. < See PAGE 4
It’s January, though it hasn’t felt like it until now. UNI professor Alan Czarnetzki provides some insight into the causes behind Iowa’s warmerthan-usual winter. < See PAGE 6
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TIM DOMINICKThe State/MCT
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Charles Towne Landing in Charleston, S.C., on Jan. 5. South Carolina will hold their primaries on Saturday, Jan. 21.
BLAKE FINDLEY Staff Writer
After two rounds of primaries – in Iowa on Jan. 3 and in New Hampshire on Jan. 10 — GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is on top. Romney won the Iowa caucuses with 24.6 percent of the vote and won the New Hampshire primaries with 39.3 percent of the vote. While Iowa residents voted Rick Santorum second with 24.5 percent of the vote, New Hampshire residents gave Santorum 9.4 percent of the vote. Ron Paul placed third in Iowa with 21.4 percent and second in New Hampshire with 22.9 percent of the vote. South Carolina will hold the next primaries on
Saturday, Jan. 21. After that, voters will head to the polls in Florida on Tuesday, Jan. 31. According to Donna Hoffman, the department head of political science at the University of Northern Iowa, Republicans will likely know who their nominee is by March 6, also known as Super Tuesday.
Analysis by the experts
On Jan. 3, more than 120,000 Iowa Republican voters participated in their local caucuses. Chris Larimer, an associate professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa, said the Iowa caucus “served its role in terms of winnowing the field, especially with the Bachmann and Perry campaign.”
Bachmann dropped out of the presidential race after the Iowa caucuses. While Perry has not officially dropped out, Hoffman said he has “for all practical purposes.” “The caucus eliminates candidates without good organization or a message that connects with voters,” Larimer said. Similarly, Hoffman said the caucuses don’t pick nominees, but instead “narrow the field of candidates.” Larimer said, based upon the winners of the caucuses, it “seems that Iowans were somehow able to balance electability and consistency in the candidates.” “The caucus advanced a candidate like Santorum, See CAUCUS, page 3
The University of Northern Iowa may receive a funding boost next year to the tune of $4 million. During the 2012 Iowa legislative session, which began this week, the Iowa General Assembly will vote on a supplemental $12 million, three-year funding request for the university, which was approved by the state Board of Regents last fall. The increase was requested to offset the inequitable effects state budget cuts have had on the institution in comparison to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. With 90 percent of its student body comprised of Iowa undergraduate students, UNI receives far fewer tuition dollars per student compared to the state’s other public universities, and so is more dependent on state See BUDGET, page 2
LOCAL BUSINESS
WHITNEY PHILLIPS/Northern Iowan
Alex’s still fails to pay employees
LINH TA Staff Writer
Ryan Grothe, a senior finance major, started working at the recently opened Alex’s on College Street, but quit two weeks later because he wasn’t getting paid. Grothe still hasn’t seen any money, despite manager Barb Bitterlie’s comment that employees would hopefully be paid by Dec. 17, as reported in the Dec. See ALEX’S, page 2