The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
Northern Iowan
Friday, October 22, 2010
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Volume 107, Issue 16
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Cedar Falls, Iowa
Don’t stress out UNI ALC provides resources for students Page 5
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northern-iowan.org
Revenge, anyone?
Panthers host same opponent that killed 2009 playoff hopes
Page 13
JOHN ANDERSON Executive Editor
Homecoming 2010
Let the good times roar: Homecoming traditions
As early as the 1920s, University of Northern Iowa students would gather around the newly constructed Campanile at midnight during Homecoming to kiss under its clanging bells. Now, almost a century later, this tradition lives on. Campaniling is just one of several iconic Homecoming traditions that keep UNI’s history alive. “Traditions connect us to all of the past generations and future generations of Panther alumni and Panthers to be,” said Spencer Walrath, member of Connecting Alumni to Students. Last year, CATS released a book called the Traditions Challenge, which lists 50 UNI traditions for students to complete during their time at the university. If students complete 25 traditions, they will be given a lapel pin a graduation; if they complete 45, they will be given a medallion at graduation that signifies they helped to keep the traditions alive. “It makes you feel like UNI’s home,” said Joel Anderson, student body president and CATS member. “We just give you a book and say, ‘Here, place all of your memories in this and create friends that will last a lifetime. All you have to do is take pictures.’” During Homecoming week, students are able to complete roughly half of those 50 traditions, including 10 that students completed Thursday as a part of the Traditions Challenge Amazing Race, in which student teams followed riddles from tradition to tradition. “Homecoming is, in itself, probably
one of the most fun and greatest traditions we have, so I really encourage people to experience Homecoming to the fullest while experiencing it safely and responsibly,” Walrath said.
This year’s Homecoming week continues several university traditions, including mural and window painting, the Panther Scramble, the pep rally and Pride Cry, tailgating and the football game. For a full list of Homecoming events, visit www.uni.edu/homecoming/schedule-events.
Campaniling
One of the oldest and most timehonored traditions at UNI is campaniling, where students kiss under the Campanile at midnight on the Friday of Homecoming week. According to Anderson, the legend goes that, since UNI was primarily a teaching school and had more women than men, the tradition began when men
UNI I am... KARYN SPORY
Staff Writer
Monday, Oct. 11, the University of Northern Iowa unveiled its new campaign “UNI I am…” throughout campus and into the mainstream market. Three years ago UNI began its first comprehensive market research. They looked at the whole campus brand and decided that the previous slogan, “Just Right,” wasn’t properly
identifying all of UNI’s core values. “‘Just Right’ worked for our size, but it was a little too limiting, like we shouldn’t expand or contract,” said James O’Connor, executive director of University Relations. “As a University we are very good at finding and reinforcing individual strength,” said O’Connor. “We want students to challenge themselves and to step outside of their box… this branding personifies the core
would invite women to the Campanile and then hide in the surrounding bushes to see if she was good-looking enough. If she was, he would come out and the two would go campaniling, but if she wasn’t, he would wait until the woman left and wait for another to come by. However, Anderson believes that the tradition of campaniling likely began shortly after the Campanile was built in 1926 by people who had heard of similar traditions happening at other schools with campaniles. The tradition almost died out during the 1950s and ‘60s, and by the ‘70s very few students had even heard of it. However, the Alumni Association revived the tradition in 1979, and it has continued annually since. Several myths are associated with campaniling, many of which include falling bricks. “The tradition goes that if you kiss a certain someone under the Campanile when the bells start playing and a brick falls on your head, then you are not meant to be with that individual,” Anderson said. “To my knowledge, no brick has ever fallen on anyone’s head, so that means that everyone got married. So UNI has a 100 percent success rate on snogging.” Another myth states that a brick will fall on a student’s head if he or she does not go campaniling during their time at UNI.
The festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, is a continuation of the Homecoming parade, a tradition that started in 1922. The parade continued to be an annual tradition until 2008, when it was replaced by the first Panther Festival virtual parade due to construction on College Street. During the first Panther Festival, organizations created stationary parade floats that students, faculty, staff and alumni would visit, making it a sort of reverse parade. Since then, the festival has grown, and now features several interactive activities and food vendors. The festival is located on the lawn by the Alumni House. “There’s a lot more stuff to do than a parade where you see people sitting on a float waving, and getting candy thrown at you,” Anderson said. “There’s still plenty of candy; it just doesn’t get thrown at you, so the risk is gone.”
Panther Festival
The Panther Festival is a virtual parade that features booths and murals for student organizations, university departments and area businesses in addition to games and food vendors.
The “UNI I am…” campaign presents five core messages about UNI: 1. Quality, engaged faculty focused on student learning 2. Hands-on experience 3. The unique size of the institution 4. The first year experience 5. A safe and diverse environment in which to challenge oneself messages through personnel experiences and stories.” As of this week students
will be able to see the campaign at work. Buildings across campus are hosting the “UNI I am…” banners. Students will also be able to find the branding throughout departments such as the Financial Aid Office, which is displaying “UNI I am investing in my future.” Additionally, the first of two commercials to air this year is currently being broadcast on TV and online. As a result of the new campaign UNI is hoping to increase new student recruitment, queries, visits and applications. Long term goals include increasing student enrollment
ANNA SCHRECK/Northern Iowan
and increasing student diversity. “Our goal is that by 2015 we increase our enrollment to 14,000 students,” said O’Connor. In the months to come UNI will begin to repeat the market studies to see if there has been any effect with the new branding and if so, how much. O’Connor also wanted to note that there will be a button on Facebook, featuring the new slogan, which they are encouraging all students and alumni to click on and use as their profile picture during Homecoming week to show their pride.