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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2026
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
What’s at stake in the midterm elections?
What Panthers need to know before going to the polls By Ulyana Karplyuk
Assistant News Editor
Midterm election season is in full swing now. While some Panthers took advantage of the satellite voting days last week in Maucker Union, many students still have not cast their vote. The general election date of Nov. 3 is approaching rapidly, but some might still feel unsure or need more clarity on the nature of midterm elections. Last Thursday, Oct. 15, Donna Hoffman, a professor of political science at UNI presented a lecture titled “The Nature of Midterm Elections.” Hosted by UNI’s Panthers Vote, the free event aimed to help students understand what to expect from this year’s midterm elections and how they compare to presidential ones. Some constituents tend to overlook the importance of midterm elections, as presidential ones are usually perceived as more “high-stakes.” All elections are an integral part of a Graphic/Election.org democratic government. “[Elec- The share of U.S. adults and citizens who reported voting in every federal election since 1964. tions] allow for the government to be responsive to the people, formed and educated,” said Hoffman. 53 seats, and Democrats have 47, inbut also to allow citizens to render acThis midterm, control of Congress cluding two independents they caucus countability for the governmental sys- is one of the main things at stake, ac- with. tem as well,” said Hoffman. cording to Hoffman. As of now, the “In any midterm election it is enAnother issue with elections in- House of Representatives has 219 tirely theoretically possible for the volves voters. Some do not put in the Republicans, including one Republi- House of Representatives to turn out, effort to make sound judgments when can-aligned independent, 214 Demo- because all of those seats are up every casting their votes. “[Many] don’t crats and two vacancies. two years,” said Hoffman. The Senate, meet the requirements of what a deIn the Senate, Republicans have however, only has a third of its seats mocracy requires in terms of being in-
up. Despite that, both chambers could still shift in control. According to the latest polling, Democrats may take over Congress this year. “One of the patterns [in midterm elections] is that the president’s party will lose seats in Congress,” said Hoffman. In some cases, the presidential party may lose many seats but remain in control of Congress. Several factors cause this paradox. First, the opposing party often gains more seats. Going back to the 1934 midterms, only three elections saw the ruling party gain more seats in the Senate: 1934, 1998 and 2002. A second factor is that “some voters are going to treat the midterm elections as a referendum on presidential performance.” Hoffman discussed how the President of the United States seems to be playing into that strategy, as he’s been encouraging voters to act like he’s on the ballot. The opposition party may be more excited than the presidential party. Third, the voters like the notion of an “additional check,” as they prefer that no single party has unlimited power in the government. Hoffman added that divided government has become increasingly common in the country.
Things to remember when voting:
See MIDTERM, page 6
1. You need to bring one of the following forms of identification: Iowa driver’s license or non-operator ID, U.S. passport, U.S. military or veteran’s ID, Travel ID/document or Iowa voter ID card. 2. To register to vote you can do one of the following things: register to vote online, send a voter registration form to your county auditor, same-day voter registration at the polls or register to vote at the county auditor’s office. 3. The deadline to request an absentee ballot via mail has passed. If you have already submitted your absentee ballot request, ballots need to be mailed or submitted in person by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
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NEWS OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
LILY MUNNIK Executive Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Bluetooth bees: How UNI researchers can study bumblebee movement on campus By Mia Kelly Staff Writer
During the summer of 2026, UNI biology professor Mark Myers and UNI graduate student Myah Sierens, expecting to earn her master’s in biology in May 2027, were involved in a new research study that tracked black and gold bumblebees (Bombus auricomus) on UNI’s campus. Research overview Myers and Sierens tracked 24 bumblebees at three different locations on UNI’s campus: Daryl Smith Prairie, Highway 58 Prairie and the UNI Wetland Complex. The research aimed to measure daily movement and paths of black-and-gold bumblebees within their home range. Researchers attached BlūMorpho tracking devices, equipped with Bluetooth and GPS capability, to bumblebees in the late spring and tracked their movement into the early fall. The trackers weigh only 60 milligrams, about 10% of a bumblebee’s weight and the mass of a single drop of water.
the transmitters turned out to be too heavy for the bees. With further advancements in technology resulting in an 80% reduction in transmitter weight, bees in his recent study were unaffected by the tracker attachment, with several even living to their full lifespan.
Courtesy Photo/Myah Sierens Black-and-gold bumblebee flying with the BlūMorpho tracker.
Attachment procedure To ensure a safe and smooth tagging process for the bees and confirm that trackers wouldn’t inhibit the bees’ flight, researchers devised a process to make it work. “We made mock trackers out of zip ties and strings, captured the bees, and observed them with the mock trackers to ensure the flight wasn’t affected,” Sierens said. After the bumblebees were identified and captured with insect nets, they were placed into a small tube and into a cooler with ice for 10 minutes. This step completely immobilizes the bees, allowing researchers to quickly and easily tag them in fewer than three minutes to minimize stress. While immobile, bees were placed into the small indentation of a foam block (as shown in the photo), where two insect mounting pins were gently fixed into the thorax: the midsection where legs and wings are attached. Then, while one researcher applied a small amount of glue to the back of the tag, another applied pressure to the full area using a blunt needle for two minutes, ensuring full proper adherence to the body. Once the glue dried, bees recovered in a holding container with bubble wrap.
Courtesy Photo/Myah Sierens Applying pressure by using a blunt needle to secure the tag on the bee.
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Earlier research Five years ago, Myers, an ecologist and conservation biologist, attempted a similar study on black-and-gold bumblebees using Very High Frequency (VHF) radio transmitters instead of BlūMorpho trackers. However,
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Results Due to the time and effort needed to monitor a species, research on bumblebee movement remains limited. Sierens said there are not any previous studies on black-and-gold bumblebee movement, making their research and data collected “cutting-edge” and “exciting.” So far, researchers have conducted a brief data analysis. They have found one worker bumblebee to have traveled around 92 km (more than 57 miles) in one day. “In the past, we got a couple hundred data points, and this summer, we got over 30,000 locations,” Myers said. The larger dataset provides more information about black-and-gold bumblebee movement than what was available in the previous study. Significance to future research Black-and-gold bumblebees were selected due to their large size and stable populations across the Cedar Valley. Because their study demonstrates that tracking bees can safely be done on a common species, Myers and Sierens are optimistic it could be applied to track species that might be at higher risk in the future. Tracking bees can hold many benefits, as bumblebees are among the most efficient pollinators on earth. The Bluetooth tracking approach can help inform conservation efforts by allowing for more efficient and abundant data collection than some previous tracking methods used, including traditional mark-recapture, genetic mark-recapture, radar tags, and pollen analyses. However, bee and pollinator populations are declining locally and globally. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, an estimated 70-87% of flowering plants rely on pollinators, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates “As much as 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce.” According to The Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation, about 25% of bee species are at risk of endangerment in North America, and four of those species are in Iowa. “Showing that we are able to safely deploy these trackers on a common species can inform methods for research on species who might be at risk,” Sierens said.
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NEWS
FAITH VANDENBERG News Editor
OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Can Love Transcend Language?
‘The Language Archive’ tackles the topic
Photo Courtesy/Johnathan Allender-Zivic Pictured: George (played by Riley Sergent)
By Theo Trimble Staff Writer
With “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” closing at the chology of women who divorce their husbands and beginning of the month, TheatreUNI’s Wonderings statistics of women before they leave their husbands and Wanderings season ends the fall semester with and afterward. So mostly focusing on why women “The Language Archive,” written by Julia Cho. often find more happiness after they separate from Blending humor with emotional beats, Cho’s play their husbands.” shows how the beauty of language can both shatter In another “side story,” Alta and Resten, played and build human relationships. by fourth-year Emy Jackson and third-year Aiden The main character, George, is a linguist who pre- Quam, are the last native speakers of Ellowian, the serves dying languages. Even though his research native tongue of Elloway. The two bicker, fight and is brilliant, he still struggles to understand his wife, complain in English, but they pride themselves on Mary, who leaves him due to his lack of communi- using their language for the beauty of love. cation. While he and his assistant, Emma, attempt to “They go straight into their problems, and they understand the Ellowian language from the bicker- love really hard. They fight for each other, and that ing couple Resten and Alta, George must decide what is more important: his job or his marriage. Erika Kuhn, the show’s director, says that the play is written more like a movie than a stage production, with fast cuts and switches to entirely new areas in the performance. “Julia Cho has this awesome interview where she talks about growing up, not in the world of theater, but in TV and movies,” Kuhn said. “So for her, the idea of cutting from one location to another, to another very quickly is just how the story works and can be told.” Third-year performance major Riley Sergent, who plays George, says his character is “intense” and discusses his creative process when working with the script. “My process involves taking a lot of inspiration from images, songs and other characters,” Sergent said. “Incorporating those into my performance helps me grasp a more tangible sense of what it means to be this character.” On the other side of the story, George’s wife, Mary, played by third-year Audrey Ruff, struggles to find a purpose in her life after leaving her husband. Ruff talks about her research with the character, diving into statistics and the “what-ifs” of the play. “I did a lot of research on the psy- Photo Courtesy/Johnathan Allender-Zivic Pictured: Mary (played by Audrey Ruff)
was really attractive to me,” Jackson said. “The Ellowians are from a river town, or a place with plenty of bodies of water. Parts of my family are from Honduras, so I tend to visit them, and we would hang out at the río [river].” Jackson said. “I feel like that part of me transfers to Alta, since part of her life also involves hanging by the río.” This play takes place between the universe’s past and the present universe. Kuhn describes the setting as having a “quirky millennial 2010s” vibe to it. “I’ve seen productions where there are really specific claims at certain years, time frames or aesthetics. We’re honing in on the magical realism of the play, and interpreting it as something a little more whimsical,” Kuhn said. The script presents itself as very straightforward, with the actors having to be fully immersed in their characters to perform their specific actions and dialogue. “The script demands certain things from your performance, meaning there are certain things that have to be the exact same way every time,” Sergent said. “For instance, if I have to cry because someone asks me if I’m crying in the scene, I have to cry.” Kuhn, who is an alum of TheatreUNI, talked about how she feels being back in a director and professor role. “Occasionally, I sort of fall through time in this building, and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re so close to graduation. Right?’ It’s been really, really lovely,” Kuhn said. “I just wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without the wisdom that people poured into me.” Running from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 in the Bertha Martin Theatre, “The Language Archive” encourages the audience to connect with their emotions and realize how they can change a person and feel almost otherworldly to us. Ruff describes the play in just one word: “Love.”
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N.I. EN ESPAÑOL
N.I. EN ESPAÑOL OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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JENNA WESTENDORF Managing Editor
ZACH MINEART Spanish Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Lo que significa para los estudiantes el recién establecido Humanities Hub Escrito por Zach Mineart Editor de Español
Como los estudiantes se acercan a sus años finales de la universidad, la vida después del aula se vuelve inminente y con frecuencia se encuentran pensando en qué harán después de graduarse. Para muchos, obtener la experiencia profesional mientras están en la universidad es un paso crítico en su camino educacional. Algunos estudiantes toman una pasantía para aplicar su aprendizaje del aula al mundo real, mientras que otros la toman para obtener la experiencia del trabajo antes de que se suban al escenario de graduación y entren en el próximo capítulo de sus vidas. El recién establecido Humanities Hub en la UNI, hecho posible gracias a una subvención de cinco años de 2,4 millones de dólares de la Fundación Andrew W. Mellon, provee a los estudiantes en carreras de historia, idiomas y Courtesy Photo/Jess Cruz literatura, comunicación y El Humanities Hub es un programa recién establecido para dar la oportunidad de una pasantía pagada y de desarrollo profesional a los estudiantes medios de comunicación, de carrera en las humanidades. y filosofía y las religiones “Generalmente, los Angels. ocimientos nuevos mientras pasantía. del mundo con oportuni- estudiantes en humanidades “Les (los estudiantes de No solo puede mostrar expanden su conocimiento dades de pasantías pagadas no tienen mucha preparación a un estudiante que quizás actual del aula. carrera en español que no mientras completan su car- para la carrera, el desarrollo no quiere hacer algo, sino “Tengo la habilidad de están especializados en la rera. profesional, ni las pasantías que puede permitirle obtener trabajar con abogados en educación) da una mane“La idea del Humanities en sus currículos”, dijo Jess experiencia en un campo por casos y aprender más sobre ra muy estructurada de Hub fue creada como Cruz, la coordinadora del el que está súperapasionado. el sistema judicial desde una no solo practicar usando un resultado de nuestra Humanities Hub. “Tener este Obtener esta experiencia perspectiva diferente a la español en el mundo real, sensación de que podemos apoyo y experiencia [prosino aprender cómo articayudar a los estudiantes fesional] al tiempo que se ular las habilidades profea navegar los caminos gradúa y se prepara para sionales que han obtenido potenciales que su carre- ser más empleable y quita en adición y en conjunto ra puede abrir”, dijo la algo de la ansiedad de que la con sus habilidades de idiDra. Jennifer McNabb, la vida va a parecer después de oma”, dijo la Dra. Elise jefa del departamento de graduarse”. DuBord, una profesora de Historia y una de los dos español y coordinadora de Empezar la universidad miembros de la facultad a los 18 años y tener que los programas de español. que propusieron la idea del escoger lo que quiere hacer Un estudiante de Humanities Hub. español está aprendiendo por el resto de su vida puede Este programa pone las ser intimidante y la primera más que solo cómo hablar necesidades de los estudi- cosa que escoge podría no español. Está aprendiendo antes al frente, con un ser la adecuada. Una meta sobre la cultura y cómo enfoque en el desarrollo principal del Humanities comunicarse con otros que profesional y pagando a Hub es proveer estas expeno comparten la misma Kendall Duit los estudiantes por el tra- riencias para los estudiantes, cultura. Este programa es UNI Humanitaries Hub student bajo que hacen con estos así que pueden decidir si su una manera de aplicar este negocios. conocimiento de forma que plan original es algo que En el pasado, a los todavía quieren perseguir. no solo puede permitir a que tendría en el aula”, dijo ayuda a los demás. estudiantes de carrera en Si usted es un estudiante Puede ser tan beneficioso los estudiantes usar las hab- Miranda Lozada, un estudihumanidades que han teni- entender que no quiere hacer ilidades que aprendieron en ante de carrera en español y de español que tiene interés do pasantías puede que algo como descubrir que sí el aula y aplicarlas a sus pre-ley, quien actualmente en completar una pasantía no les hayan pagado o les quiere hacerlo. vidas profesionales, sino que trabaja para la oficina de con el Humanities Hub, hayan pagado mal, y el “Siento que tener una también puede permitirles Iowa Legal Aid en Waterloo. contacte a la Dra. Elise Humanities Hub quiere dar pasantía en la carrera de aplicar el conocimiento que Para los estudiantes de DuBord (elise.dubord@ una pasantía pagada a los grado puede ayudar a guiar obtienen en una pasantía a español que no tienen un uni.edu). estudiantes de carrera en a la gente adonde quiere sus estudios. Las solicitudes para los enfoque en la educación, no humanidades, además de ir después de la graduUna de las metas princi- es tan fácil tener la apli- fondos deben entregarse los recursos de desarrol- ación”, dijo Kendall Duit, pales del Humanities Hub cación en el mundo real. el 30 de octubre. Dirige lo profesional y las opor- una estudiante de carrera en es proveer esta experiencia Este programa crea esta cualquier pregunta o duda tunidades, para que estos inglés y estudiante actual pagada, así que los estudi- oportunidad de usar las hab- a Jess Cruz (jessica.cruz@ estudiantes entren a la del Humanities Hub con una antes de carreras en humani- ilidades que ha aprendido uni.edu), la directora del fuerza laboral preparados. pasantía en Cedar Valley dades pueden obtener con- en el aula y aplicarlas a una Humanities Hub.
Siento que tener una pasantía en la carrera de grado puede ayudar a guiar a la gente adonte quiere ir después de la graduación.”
FAITH VANDENBERG
PAGE 5
NEWS
News Editor
OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Lovely Spam, wonderful Spam!
The UNI Spamthers ex-Spam their horizons By Jocelyn Loveless Staff Writer
The University of Northern Iowa currently offers over 200 student clubs and organizations, all widely ranging from philosophy to line dancing. One of the more unique clubs you can find on campus is the UNI Spamthers: a club focused on socializing and enjoying Spam! Spam is a pressed meat made from pork shoulder and pork ham and sold in iconic tins. It’s often eaten on sandwiches or in dishes like Spam fried rice. Every meeting, the Spamthers make similar dishes, though rarely repeat recipes.
Courtesy Photo/ @spam_thers on Instagram Spamthers at the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.
Why a club surrounding canned meat? It all actually started with a letter. The current president of the Spamthers, Ella Tew, a third-year student, thought it’d be “funny” to write a letter to Hormel requesting to be a campus ambassador for the brand.
It was then that her friends kindly interrupted the studious moment. “Me, [and a friend] walked in on her, writing a letter to Hormel, asking if she can be a Spam ambassador. And so then the three of us kind of helped Ella word it out and figure out how she wanted to say this and send them this letter,” recalled founding member David Huiskamp. From there, the Spamthers seemed to naturally form, starting as regular hangouts among close friends, and growing into a student organization. One of their larger accomplishments along the way was when they visited the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota. “They invited us to go, and we got a personal guided tour throughout the museum,” Huiskamp recalled. They look forward to similar activities as the club continues.
The club has grown in numbers, and interest only seems to rise across campus. “I think this is going to be a very good year for the Spamthers,” said Tew. “This is our first whole year as an actual student org; we have a lot more resources than we did. We have access to our funding, room reservations; we just have a lot more things we can utilize on campus.” This month’s meeting is on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Schindler Education Center room 216. It is their “Spam or Treat” event, and costumes are recommended. For more details, visit their Instagram page (@spam_thers). If you’re nervous about attending this event, or any other Spamthers event, Tew has some advice for you: “Just do it, because it’s gonna be so much fun!”
The turbulent, yet thriving success of RadioUNI
By Brendon Schnathorst Staff Writer
At the start of the 2026-2027 school year, RadioUNI, located in Lang Hall, had seen an influx of students wanting to participate in the organization. Originally founded in 1955, the broadcast has gone through many different lives. Until 1998, the service was available only on campus, via carrier current, but the rise of online streaming has allowed students across campus to successfully develop their own more expansive brand. Michael Rueber, the broadcast engineer for the Department of Communications and Media and academic advisor for RadioUNI and the adjacent Applied Digital Media credit, had plenty to say about the growth of RadioUNI. Before Rueber stepped in as the advisor, the station, at that time broadcasting as KULT, had experienced issues regarding bills, legal requirements, fundraisers and licenses. “It came to the point where nobody wanted to be an officer,” Rueber
We want to let people decide what they want to do, because there are a lot of different possibilities.” Michael Rueber RadioUNI Academic Advisor
shared. “This was back in my third year, being more of an academic advisor. It really was me speaking up, saying ‘things have got to change’, and then I was allowed to come and change things,” Rueber added. This included transitioning to fully being online, moving the studio from Maucker Union into Lang Hall and adding three new recording spaces for radio broadcasting and podcasts. “The primary reason somebody is to be a part of a club is to have fun,” Rueber said. Many students in the Communications and Media department take the Applied Digital Media credit, an experience for students to Brendon Schnathorst/Northern Iowan Gabriel Salazar at the mic. His show, “Tejano Hour,” airs Mondays from 2 to 3 p.m.. apply their skills towards areas like Hilltop Media, the Northern Iowan or I found that after I left it, I had this hole like to share that mistakes happen, Radio UNI. in my heart for doing radio, and thank- with RadioUNI serving as an exercise Students, especially newcomers, are fully UNI gave me the opportunity to where anything can occur. highly encouraged to participate. come back into it. I’m able to host my For instance, during last Wednesday’s “We want to let people decide what own show, use my real life skills that show, Loveless didn’t realize she they want to do, because there are a lot I’ve used in radio and gift UNI with wasn’t streaming for ten minutes of of different possibilities…it’s kind of my voice” her one-hour block. enabling people to do things.” Echoing Salazar in his appreciation When it comes to a public service, Because of this fix, the organization is Jocelyn Loveless, host of “For Your many things can go awry. Recently, has amassed a strong, loyal following Consideration.” the basement of Lang Hall flooded, which the DJs highly appreciate. One “The system we use is actually leading to the space being unusable for of the newer DJs, Gabriel Salazar, is really simple,” Loveless said. Sharing a week and moving to a storage space. the host of “Tejano Hour.” that RadioUNI “allows people who Broadcasts might go mute, water “I’m thankful that RadioUNI gives have never really gotten into radio might interrupt or technology might me the opportunity to get my hands in tech before to really understand it and be unstable, but the small community radio.” expand their knowledge of it in a basic that RadioUNI has provided will lead Salazar added to the idea of how way that will help them get internships to plenty of stories and experiences for RadioUNI can influence personal and opportunities outside of UNI.” students to broadcast with the world. growth and skills, sharing that he “had While there are grades on the line a radio internship over the summer and for many students, Loveless would
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NEWS OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
LILY MUNNIK Executive Editor
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
MIDTERM
continued from page 1
Finally, the idea of surge and decline is at play. More people vote in presidential elections than in midterm elections, which also means the electorate is different in a midterm election than in a presidential one. While every election matters and shapes the next few years, this year is particularly unique, especially for Iowa. “One of the glories of being in Iowa is that very frequently in the last 20 years, a majority of our House seats have been in the middle three: [lean Democrat,
toss-up, lean Republican].” It’s important to note that recently, two Iowa seats have shifted. Iowa 1 now resides in the ‘likely D’ category, and Iowa 2, the district UNI is in, is now in the “toss-up” category. As a rule, competitive seats tend to go the way they’re leaning. “Generally speaking, if [the seats] go Democratic, they will go Democratic, and if they go Republican, most of them will go Republican.” “The Congress is organized on partisan lines, and the House in particular is majoritarian,” said Hoffman. Control of the House gives the controlling party
a lot of power. For example, if the Democratic Party gets control of the House, it will grant subpoena power to the committee chairs. The same case does not apply to the Senate. Hoffman emphasized that voters should receive a sample ballot before making their final decision. The document, available from your county board of elections, will have all of the candidates and issues that will appear on the actual ballot when you cast your vote. It may also include additional information, such as voting instructions and polling place and hours.
Panther esports hosts the Northern Iowa Knockout 4Ever Tournament By Delaney Von Ahsen Staff Writer
On Oct. 17, esports players from all over the community gathered together in Maucker Union at UNI to compete for a $1,000 prize pool, with the top three winners sharing the money. The UNI Esports team, Panther Esports, hosted the Northern Iowa Knockout 4Ever Tournament (NIK4EVER). In the main area of Maucker Union at each table, there were three computers set-up for the competitions. Downstairs, in the Panther Gaming Lounge, they had monitors at each table for competitors to practice the games they were playing in their downtime between matches. There were 20 players there for the first round of competitions. They had a singles and doubles bracket for SmashBros, with the event coordinator and a student at UNI, Sullivan Reck, keeping track of the
points after every match. “Having community connections, making sure you have enough to cover the costs, and having enough space,” Reck said. “One of the biggest struggles is coordinating event dates with other events going on. We’ve struggled with that in the past, but we’ve figured out ways around it.” Reck said he coaxes students to enter the tournament by pointing out the redemption bracket. “If competitors lose their first few matches, they still have a chance to win and keep competing in the redemption bracket,” he said. Much like setting up events, coordinating the structure of the tournament, and keeping track of scores makes the tournament happen, so do the competitors. “Esports brings people
Delaney Von Ahsen/Northern Iowan Partners pair up to compete in the tournament in Maucker Union.
Delaney Von Ahsen/Northern Iowan Competitors gather in Maucker Union before the tournament starts.
together and gives people a new community to interact with and be a part of,” Damian Jackson, an unaffiliated player in the tournament, said. “I wish more people knew that rage and feelings are a real thing, and people need to take genuine issues with games more seriously,” Jackson said. “I’ve grown up with video games, I enjoy being competitive, and it helps motivate me for other things in life.” Another unaffiliated competitor, said. He saidt he wishes more people knew about the competitive environment of esports. “It’s not as bad as people make it out to be. The players in esports are stereotyped as boring, but they’re actually cool peo-
ple to hang out with, and it’s a good place to gather and meet new people that are passionate about the same things you are.” “Everyone’s just trying to have fun and not bring other people down,” a stream manager and competitor, said. “It’s one community and a family-like atmosphere.” He explained that esports is important to him. “It’s a place to have fun and get better at video games. Video games have been a part of my life since I was a kid. esports can help connect people from different backgrounds and bring people together.”
LILY MUNNIK
PAGE 7
OPINION
Executive Editor
OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
‘You Can See Everything’ The more you see, the less you know
Courtesy Photo/IMDb Elizabeth Holmes in “You Can See Everything” (2026).
By Brendon Schnathorst Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: Opinions written by staff do not reflect the entirety of the Northern Iowan, only the writer who shares their opinion. All opinions are welcome in the Northern Iowan as long as they do not promote hate or discrimination. This movie is like a Rubik’s Cube. Before you start, you see all the colors in place and begin to reorganize it. It starts simple, but soon, right before you complete the cube, one color is off. You go back to fix it, but the more you try to match the colors, the more complex the cube becomes until you don’t know where to go. While this analogy seems challenging, stepping back reveals its chaotic beauty. Directed by comedian Nathan Fielder, known for “Nathan for You,” and Lance Oppenheim, known for the recent release of “Primetime, this documentary becomes an astonishing masterpiece, examining everything that revolves around power, media and the ethics of documentaries. It follows Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the privately held corporation Theranos, which fraudulently claimed it could run every blood test known to man with one drop of blood on one device. After Holmes’ conviction, her story has been dramatized in the form of documentaries and a Hulu miniseries starring Amanda Seyfried. Thirty-four days before her sentence, Holmes invites Fielder, Oppenheim and their documentary crew to record them 24/7 to show the real her. We witness intimate interviews between Fielder, Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, about their lives, raising their two kids, Holmes’ intentions to re-
start Theranos and the plea of the people that we expect to ‘Oh, this is really interesting. her innocence. trust in a film like this. If we can’t agree on what’s On a technical level, this Everything in that trailer happening, there’s something movie succeeds in ways many of Holmes at home being inter- here.’ And our curiosity sort of documentarians only dream viewed is only the first hour of just drove us from there.” of. Working alongside Fielder the movie. This documentary Oppenheim added that the is Oppenheim. Over several goes down so many obscure, crew “would unpack the day’s years, he’s established himself ethically fascinating and ana- events, and no one could agree as a visionary in documentary lytical paths that it’ll be hard to on the seemingly mundane narratives with “Some Kind of trust anybody in your life. moments that would transpire. Heaven” and “Spermworld”. When speaking to Vari- Everyone had a different point Whether you’re watch- ety, Fielder and Oppenheim of view. So Nathan and I starting a documentary or not, the explained why this approach ed thinking, ‘If we can just try way conversations are framed was necessary. In reference to and get out of the way of this can raise the stakes and set the Oppenheim, Fielder said that and capture this and attempt mood in any situation. Using “We’d completely disagree to bring people as close to that a seven-person crew with up on what something meant to experience of being there as to 16-hour workdays, they as- us and what we thought was possible, then maybe there’s an sembled a documentary whose happening. Then we were like, interesting project to be made editing makes its nearly out of this.” three-hour-long runtime Without spoiling, feel much shorter. the places this movie Oppenheim’s use goes to ask these quesof intimate extreme tions are astronomically close-ups, wides and fascinating. While on long shots crafts a largethe surface, this movie scale, high-stakes story begins as a beautifully that the audience can fall bizarre examination of into. The way the scenes Holmes. In fact, it starts are cut, often right after to feel pretty normal, somebody finishes their aside from Fielder’s sentence, or right beunconventional style, fore, adds an appropriquestions and methate level of discomfort ods to psychoanalyze to this narrative. Holmes’ persona, but Fielder, as a comeit’s all a trick. dian, is extremely dry, “You Can See Evoften telling the truth erything” is truly the “F directly while playing a For Fake” of this centucharacter. In “You Can ry. It guides us to think See Everything,” he’s it’s about one thing, bethe audience’s POV, but fore the rug begins to we learn that we can’t suffocate you. trust him. In fact, we Instead of telling can’t trust anybody in Courtesy Photo/IMDb you a one-sided narrathis narrative, not even Elizabeth Holmes in “You Can See Everything” (2026). tive POV from Holmes
or Billy Evans, it interjects the opinions of several unconventional figures to sculpt its themes of power, the manipulation of humanity through artificial intelligence, politics and the impossibility of reproducing reality, all through the framework of bias and cognitive dissonance. So many questions are thrown at us: is Holmes telling the truth? Is she? Can she? Is she aware of the consequences of her actions? Is Fielder’s involvement contradictory? Why get Fielder to document your life? Does Fielder like her? Does he hate her? Must we question everything? Can we question this question? We can’t know everything about a person, even if we tried hard enough. While documentaries and fiction try, we can never get inside another person’s mind. Every shot in a documentary, the music it incorporates and the people the crew interviews are calculated to fit a specific narrative. This documentary is a guide to understanding the harmful lies that are shared every day in our political system. This movie truly feels like lightning in a bottle. Bringing the strengths of two visionaries together. Fielder’s knack for dry comedy and grand experiment is brought into a piece that will make you recontextualize the inherent bias of every documentary you’ve ever seen. Rating: 10/10
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MICHAEL SPAHN
SPORTS OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
Sports Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
How UNI is navigating a new era of NCAA athletics By Giada Grimes Staff Writer The NCAA has undergone groundbreaking changes over the last few years. With the introduction of roster caps and unlimited scholarships, schools everywhere are grappling with how to handle these staggering transformations, UNI included. Following the House v. NCAA settlement in 2025, the NCAA introduced new revenue, scholarship and roster rules. Universities could now share their athletic revenue directly with students. Schools are given a cap of $20.5 million spread across all sports, which will increase each year slightly. Previously, schools had a limit on how many scholarships they could give. For example, softball has 12 scholarships they could divide among the team. Now, they are able to give more scholarships, if budget allows, but have a stricter roster limit of 25. Budget permitting, a school could grant every softball player a scholarship. With these new changes, most collegiate sports have lost roster spots, with the trade-off of being able to give all of their athletes scholarships. These changes have brought an array of concerns. Fears for Olympic or non-revenue sports like track, tennis or swimming have arisen, with many scared that they may eliminate them to funnel money into different sports. Others are worried that the revenue sharing model puts smaller, mid-major schools like UNI at more of a disadvantage against Power Four schools that bring in millions of dollars of revenue each year. But what do these groundbreaking new changes mean for UNI specifically, and are these concerns something that we need to be aware of? Senior Associate Director for Compliance and Sports Administration Ben Messerli stated it was a strategic decision to opt in to the settlement. “The main idea that we were looking at was obviously how it would affect us at UNI,” Messerli said. “There was the competitiveness of it, and how we wanted our roster to be competitive. There was a
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
The Northern Iowa football team runs out of the tunnel in a matchup against Butler on Aug. 30, 2025.
MVC standpoint… and really trying to evaluate how it might affect and positively move our programs forward.” UNI decided to opt in to the house settlement going into the 2025-26 school year. The decision to opt in earlier gave UNI the flexibility to manage its rosters without cutting athletes who go over the new roster limit. “Opting in allowed us to give the term DSA, designated student-athlete, to any of our student-athletes,” Messerli said. “It just listed them as that and then allowed us not to count them towards that roster limit.” UNI opting in year one allows them to use the DSA term and to not cut athletes, and have the university retain those students. “It’s student-athletes’ families, it’s their siblings, it’s their friends. It’s the university losing a student,” Messerli stated. UNI gets to avoid the harsh roster cuts as well as allow more scholarships, if budget permits. The other portion of
this bill is connected with revenue sharing, with schools now being able to share revenue directly with their students. UNI has taken advantage of this through fundraising efforts, which is where all of the revenue-sharing money will come from. Choosing to opt in has given the university different financial options for where to allocate money, but doesn’t necessarily mean we have more money for athletics. It simply means UNI has the flexibility to give the athletic teams money through donations and fundraising efforts. “We have the same pot of money that we’re trying to grow for different resources to go to different places. So… we’re working under our budget structure. However, we have more ways to send that money out,” Messerli said. The revenue-sharing that UNI does looks different than the revenue sharing that bigger schools, like Iowa and Iowa State, may do. BIG 10 schools normally have large television contracts that allow them to
bring in millions of dollars of revenue to give back to their teams, something UNI is not in the position to do. This multi-million-dollar gap raises concerns that smaller programs will fall further back from larger schools. While this may be a possibility, UNI is less focused on the gap between Power Four schools, and more interested in who exactly they can be competitive with. “We are very successful at our level,” Messerli said. “We’re really, in our time here now, trying to figure out who our competitors are. We want to be competitive at the highest level in all our sports. However, we had to figure out what our best resources should best look like and be compatible.” All in all, in order to be competitive at any level, revenue sharing has become essential. Opting in has given the university the opportunities to do so. However, this doesn’t eliminate the concern for Olympic or non-revenue sports. With
many schools funneling money to their revenue-generating sports, like football or basketball, it may leave other sports in the dust. While the worries of schools cutting non-revenue sports may apply to other schools, UNI is dedicated to being successful at all sports and wants to share the wealth. “At UNI, we’re good at everything. We’re one of the top schools, kind of spreading out all of our resources, and being good at everything is our goal,” Messerli said. The NCAA v. House settlement is new and scary for many athletes and onlookers, and it does bring about the possibility of negative side effects. However, UNI has made consistent efforts to stay a competitive program through a variety of sports and to use the settlement to widen opportunities. While we are still in the beginning stages of this new NCAA era, it will hopefully continue to bring an array of possibilities to the university’s athletic programs.
MICHAEL SPAHN
PAGE 9
SPORTS
Sports Editor
OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
UNI’s club sports take national stage By Sam O’Hair Sports Writer The University of Northern Iowa has athletic programs ranked No. 2 and No. 5 in the country, and they aren’t what you might expect. The UNI Men’s Rugby Club, ranked second at the Division II level, and UNI Women’s Rugby, currently ranked No. 8 at the Division I-AA level, are shining examples of how club sports at UNI transcend typical student involvement. While not sanctioned by the NCAA, each club is designed to offer a fun, yet competitive environment welcome to a wide range of students, “We have a dynamic sport club program here at UNI that allows UNI students to continue the sports that they love or learn a new sport that they may not have ever played,” Recreation Services Director Chris Denison said. “When we talk to potential Panthers at Panther Visit Days, we always explain how much fun they will have as well as explain that this will likely be one of your friends’ groups for the rest of your life.” Many of UNI’s clubs build on a casual, fun foundation, but have also mastered balancing enjoyment with national-stage ambitions. “The club team is definitely competitive, but we definitely still have our fun… I found a group of the most genuine people that played varsity soccer
just like me, but didn’t pursue it at the DII and DIII level,” men’s soccer club treasurer Reece Murray said. In fact, the “club” title can feel misleading. Many are fullon teams in a competitive conference, often traveling far to face off against other schools and practicing weekly throughout the season to prepare. It isn’t just rugby and soccer either. Baseball, men’s and women’s volleyball, ultimate, fishing, bowling, golf, disc golf, tennis, pickleball, and climbing all boast club teams here at UNI. UNI’s developed club environment results from many different factors. One is growing student participation. “Our turnout for tryouts was the best it’s been in my four years at UNI.” Men’s Soccer Club president Xander Wellman said. The development and boost in membership of the club sports program yielded wildly positive season results last spring, which saw several teams notch some form of national recognition. Three former women’s rugby players made pro rugby rosters for the Twin Cities Gemini in Tatyana Reed, Lynn Kleyer and Morgan Linck. The fishing club sent two members to the Collegiate Bass Fishing National Championships in Florence, Alabama. Women’s volleyball qualified and attended the National Collegiate Volleyball Association national tournament in
Photo Courtesy/UNI Women’s Rugby
Former UNI women’s rugby member Morgan Linck runs with the ball. Linck played for the Twin Cities Gemini of the Women’s Elite Rugby league for the 2026 season.
Kansas City. The men’s golf club finished ninth at the National Collegiate Club Golf Association tournament. UNI’s Disc Golf Club won its regional championship and followed up with a 22nd-place finish at the Collegiate Disc
Golf national championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Similarly, the ultimate frisbee team won their regional tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and UNI’s Trevor Rial was named the competition’s MVP. Both the men’s and women’s rugby teams also had a
strong 2026 season, racking up several notable achievements. The men’s club took gold in the Great Midwest 7’s Conference Championship, ultimately finishing 7th in the National Collegiate Rugby Association 7’s tournament.
Volleyball earns 60th straight MVC win By Tyler Wood Sports Writer The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team hosted two home matches against conference opponents in the McLeod Center last weekend. The first match took place on Friday, Oct. 16, against the Valparaiso Beacons, with the Panthers coming away with the victory in a 3-0 sweep. UNI returned to action on Oct. 17, against the University of Illinois Chicago Flames, where they also won with a sweep. The victory against UIC marked the 60th consecutive win against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent for the Panthers. Head coach Bobbi Petersen was thrilled with her team’s
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
The Northern Iowa volleyball team celebrates during a match against Valparaiso on Oct. 16. The Panthers improved their conference record to 6-0 over the weekend.
performance as her team improved to 6-0 in conference play. “I thought our weekend was probably the best we’ve
played consistently in all areas of our game,” said Petersen in her weekly coaches press conference. “It was by far our best weekend offensively, we were
able to hit all of our percentage goals in each of the sets that we played…which never happens.” The Panthers swept the Beacons by set scores of 2515, 25-15 and 25-17. Contributing to the dominant offensive performance was Cassidy Hartman, who led the Panthers with 13 kills against Valparaiso. Calia Clubb added 12 terminations, while Lily Dykstra finished the match with 11. Dykstra also had three aces, three blocks and seven digs in an impressive performance for the senior. Taryn Rice had two aces followed by Reese Booth, who had an ace as well. Booth led the team in assists by a wide margin with 31. Jaydn Petersen led the team in digs with 22. In route to their sweep against UIC , UNI won each set
by scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-17. Dykstra led the Panthers in kills with 15, while adding four blocks and nine digs as well. Booth led the team in aces with two and led the team in assists with 32. Maryn Bixby led the team in blocks with six. Bixby also had an ace and had eight kills as well. Coach Petersen was also proud of her team’s ability to familiarize themselves with two different opponents in such a quick turnaround. “We had two completely different teams, so to be able to adjust to different styles, I was really proud of our team. UIC throughout the match had only three players that we’ve never seen on video at all. I thought the in-game adjustments of our team was really good.”
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SPORTS OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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MICHAEL SPAHN Sports Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Panthers fall short in comeback attempt By Elaine Lund Sports Writer After an exciting homecoming win over No. 4-ranked North Dakota last week, the Panthers traveled to Ohio to face No. 6 Youngstown State. Right off the bat, Youngstown State returned the kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown, and the point-after was good. The Penguins led the Panthers 7-0 with 14:48 left in the first quarter. Ben Gordon returned the 55-yard kickoff 20 yards to the UNI 30-yard line. UNI started the drive with a 27-yard rush by Gordon, who was pushed out of bounds at the YSU 43. Jaxon Dailey’s pass to Xavier Terrell fell incomplete at the YSU 44-yard line after YSU’s defense broke it up. On 2nd-and-10, Dailey completed a short pass up the middle to Taj Hughes, who caught it at the YSU 35-yard line. Panthers first down. With 13:16 on the clock, Christian Collins rushed for a gain and was tackled on the YSU 26-yard line. On 2ndand-6, Terrell rushed for a one-yard gain. On 3rd-and-5, Dailey ran up the middle for a 6-yard gain and another Panther first down. Dailey then found Terrell in the air, who caught the ball at the YSU 22yard line before being brought down at the six-yard mark. With the Panthers six yards from a touchdown, Collins rushed the ball for a one-yard gain. Dailey’s next two passes fell incomplete, and the Pan-
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
Brady McCullough catches a touchdown against Youngstown State on Oct. 17. McCullough has scored five touchdowns this season.
thers’ field-goal attempt also fell short. YSU started its second drive at its own 20-yard line. After another touchdown and extra point, they now led the Panthers 14-0. UNI got the ball back and turned it over on downs. YSU reached the UNI 42-yard line as the first quarter ended. The Penguins completed a 42-yard touchdown pass and connected on the point-after to extend their lead to 21-0. UNI took over at their own 25-yard line, but lost five yards on a rush attempt by Terrell. Dailey’s next two passes went incomplete, forcing the Panthers to punt. YSU almost fumbled, but officials ruled the runner down before the ball was dropped.
YSU then gained on the Panthers, scoring another touchdown and setting up an extra point attempt. It was still the second quarter, and the Penguins now led 28-0. UNI started their drive at their 25-yard line. The Panthers pushed against YSU, slowly moving into Penguin territory, one short pass and rush at a time. With 1:02 left in the second quarter, Dailey completed a 24-yard pass to Kai Black for a Panther touchdown. Max Bartachek converted on the point-after, making the score 28-7. The Penguins would start their drive at their own 10-yard line after a personal foul. The clock ran out as YSU advanced to the UNI 40-yard line. UNI started its first
third-quarter drive at its own 25-yard line. Dailey made a short right pass to Zach Mehmert, who caught the ball at the 26-yard line and was tackled at the 39-yard line for a 14-yard gain and a first down. Then Dailey made another complete pass up the middle to Jaiden Ellis-Lahey for an 11-yard gain and another first down, putting the Panthers at the 50-yard line. The Panthers then gained a one-yard rush and threw an incomplete pass. Dailey then threw a deep pass to Gordon, who went out of bounds at the YSU 20-yard line for a 29-yard gain and another first down for the Panthers. Dailey then ran twice for three yards total and threw to
Terrell for another one-yard gain. With the Panthers facing 4th-and-6 at the YSU 16-yard line, Dailey threw to Brady McCullough, who caught the ball in the endzone for a touchdown. However, the Penguins blocked Bartachek’s extra point attempt. YSU would still lead 28-13. The Panther defense then tightened, keeping YSU off their side of the field and forcing the Penguins to punt. The Panthers returned the punt from their 37-yard line and gained 11 yards before YSU committed a personal foul, giving UNI 15 extra yards on the penalty. The Panthers made a 45-yard field goal before the end of the third quarter. The Penguins started the fourth quarter on the UNI 16-yard line, scoring another touchdown and field goal to make it 35-16. The Panthers fought back with one more touchdown to make it 35-22, but it was too little, too late. YSU ran the clock down and took a knee to end the game. Dailey finished with 318 passing yards on 28 completions. Gordon led the Panthers with the most receptions (6) and had 70 yards. He also led the team in rushing with 45 yards. Black added 76 yards and 3 receptions. The Panthers will continue their away stint against Southern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Peterson leads UNI golf in season finale
By Christian Rasmussen Sports Writer The UNI women’s golf team travelled to the Oak Hills Country Club in Omaha Nebraska for the Big O Classic on Oct. 12-13. After three rounds, the Panther women finished 5th place out of seven teams to end off the fall golfing season on sunny and windy days. The UNI men’s golf team travelled to Jonesboro, Arkansas, for the Arkansas State Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate on Oct. 12-13. The men’s team finished 12th of 17 schools in their second to last golf tournament of the fall season. Women’s golf Leading the Panthers was sophomore Jane Peterson, who finished the three rounds with a 17 over par. She opened on Monday with an 80 (+8), then
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
Jane Peterson attempts a shot at the MVC Championships last season. Peterson shot 17 over par in three rounds at the Big O Classic on Oct. 12-13.
with the help of six birdies completed the second round with a 78 (+6). Petersen ended Tuesday with her best round with a 75 (+3), good enough for a seventh place finish. Close behind Peterson was freshman Camille Wood, finishing 17th with a 236 (+20). Wood recorded five birdies
with her second round score of 75 (+3). Senior Addison Berg completed the tournament tied for 21st with a +22 score, carding rounds of 84, 74 and 80. Berg led UNI with seven birdies and recorded the team’s lowest score of the day with her second round score of 74 (+2). Senior Greenlee Smock
ended her Tuesday tied for 32nd place at 33 over par. Smock tallied four straight birdies to start the back nine in her opening round, ending with her lowest score of the tournament, a 75. Freshman Brinley Carlson completed the lineup for the Panthers’ by finishing tied for 38th at 38 over par. Carlson scored two birdies over the three rounds in Omaha. The women’s team finished fifth of seven teams with a team tally of 951 (+87). The women end their fall season with their third best team score. Men’s golf Senior Tanner Dinnebier continued to lead the Panthers, finishing three over par through three rounds. Dinnebier finished the tournament tied at 26th place shooting 219. He carded a 71 (-1) and 70
(-2) with his second and third rounds. Dinnebier led the Panthers with 12 birdies, double the amount as the next highest UNI golfer. Sophomore Anthony Galvin followed close behind Dinnebier, ending his rounds with a 223 (+7), tied for 42nd. Galvin improved his score each round, with his final round landing even. Sophomore Davis Tripp finished tied for 61st at 13 over par, including six birdies throughout the three rounds. Junior Sam Wahman ended his Tuesday in 91st place at 61 over par and four birdies. Freshman Drew Dawson rounded out the team tied in 92nd place with 31 over par while scoring five birdies. Read the full story on our website, northerniowan.com.
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MICHAEL SPAHN
SPORTS OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
Sports Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
Lillie leads UNI XC in season debut By Carter Lust Assistant Sports Editor With less than a month remaining before postseason racing, the University of Northern Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Peoria, Illinois, to compete in the Bradley Pink Classic. The Panther men finished 13th out of 25 teams, and the women took 12th out of 26 teams. The meet featured many other Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) opponents and served as a preview of next week’s conference championships. Overcast skies, a gentle breeze and temperatures around 50 degrees made for typical cross country conditions at the Newman Golf Course, where the men took off at 1:30 p.m., followed by the women at 2:15 p.m. After delaying his season opener at the Gans Creek Classic due to a minor injury, Collin Lillie led the Panthers to the 8K finish line in his 2026 debut. “He had spent about two weeks [before the Bradley Pink Classic] not running on land,” said UNI Head Cross Country Coach Alex Teubel at the Oct. 19 UNI Athletics coaches press conference. “We were really happy to get him out there for his first performance before conference.” He placed 37th in 24:10.3,
knocking 48 seconds off his previous personal best. Lillie is now just eight seconds away from Caleb Shumaker’s 24:02.0 school record, which he set in 2024. Freshman AJ Willey notched the sixth-fastest 8K mark in Northern Iowa history, shattering the 25-minute barrier for the first time with a 24:23.1. Willey finished 54th overall, with teammate Ethan Olds backing him up in 69th. Olds dropped 25 seconds off his previous best, walking away with a new personal record of 24:32.1. Cooper Erickson continued the Panthers’ string of career performances, dropping 22 seconds off his previous best to post a 24:47.8 and finish 91st. Jonas VanDis finished close behind as the Panthers’ final scorer, posting a 24:53.7 to place 96th. Carson Owens finished 133rd in 25:23.2, followed by Ty Getz and Caleb Kass. Getz ran 25:57.7 for 168th, while Kass posted a 20-second personal record of 25:29.1 for 169th. Caleb Rankin was the final Panther male finisher on the day, taking 201st in 27:10.2. Bradley University easily captured the team title with 45 points. Jayde Roslee of the Braves also took the individual win in 23:02.6 Meghan Wheatley led the way for the UNI women, cov-
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
Collin Lillie sprints towards the finish line in a cross country meet in 2025. Lillie placed 37th at the Bradley Pink Classic with a time of 24:10.3.
ering the 6K course in 21:16.6 for a 25-second personal record and 48th-place finish. “It was a pretty big race for [Wheatley] said Teubel. “Probably her best cross country race she’s had in college so far; really happy for her, that felt like a bit of a breakthrough.” Clare Wright backed her up with a 21:38.7, 79th-place performance, continuing the duo’s streak as the Panthers’ top two runners. Sophomores Evie Henneberry and Josie Simonson ran stride for stride through the last kilometer, with Henneberry eventually finishing just
one second ahead of Simonson. Henneberry placed 87th in 21:43.7, and Simonson took 89th in 21:44.7. Freshman Izzy Hardin made her 6K debut in 21:52.7, taking 104th and rounding out UNI’s scoring runners. Kaylee Woolery closely trailed her teammate, finishing 111th in 22:00.4. Lucy Murphy placed 121st in 22:12.6, and Brooke O’Brien finished 140th in 22:38.6. Abbi Durrow concluded the day for the Panthers by sneaking under the 23-minute barrier in 22:59.6 to take 166th. Bradley also claimed the women’s team title with 49
points. Noelle Steines of the Braves won the individual crown in 19:57.2. What’s next? Both the Northern Iowa men’s and women’s teams will return to action on Oct. 30 for the MVC Championships in Des Moines, hoping for podium finishes. “[I’m] just thrilled with… where the team is as a whole,” said Teubel. “Really excited for where we can stack up [in Des Moines]. I think everyone is motivated.”
UNI soccer aims for MVC playoff spot By Michael Spahn Sports Editor The UNI soccer team played in two hard-fought games within a four day span, losing to Evansville 1-0 on Thursday, Oct. 15, followed by a 0-0 draw to Murray State on Sunday, Oct. 18. With just five regular season games remaining, the Panthers sat tied with Valparaiso for sixth in the MVC table with four conference points, with the league’s top-six teams slated to qualify for the MVC Tournament. Despite not picking up a victory in either contests, coach Alex Place Thomas is still optimistic with how her team is playing approaching the later part of the season. “Overall, I’m very proud of how the team has been playing,” said Place Thomas in her weekly coaches press conference. Soccer is a very interest-
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
Tori Delgado sprints towards the goal in a matchup against Evansville on Oct. 15.
ing sport. You can do a lot of the right things and sometimes the results don’t fall in your favor as easily as you’d like.” Evansville Game UNI had a scoring opportunity early in the contest, as Shaelee Franck put a shot on goal in the second minute of action. After the Panthers tallied two more shot attempts, Franck recorded a second shot
on target that was once again saved by Evansville. The Panthers’ added one more shot on goal in the first half courtesy of Morgan Smith, but ultimately would be held scoreless. The Purple Aces recorded three shot attempts in the first half but failed to get on the board. UNI held Evansville scoreless for 74 minutes. The deciding factor of the contest would
come from a penalty kick. After a foul on UNI’s Allison Flies in the box, Evansville’s Brielle LaBerge converted on the penalty shot to lift the Purple Aces over the Panthers. Smith led Northern Iowa with three shot attempts on goal, followed by Franck with two. Audrey Still recorded one shot on goal on two attempts, while Aly Arena, Kylie Knief and Ella Ubben each had one shot attempt. The result didn’t end up going in the Panthers favor, but Place Thomas took away a lot from the contest. “I think it was probably one of the best 90 minutes of soccer we’ve played all year,” said Place Thomas. “Unfortunately the result does not show that. The majority of our team had over a 75% passing accuracy percentage, that means they were completing three out of four passes which is a huge stat to have. We also had 13 shots,
six of them were on goal.” Murray State Game After a long road trip three days prior, UNI returned to Cedar Falls for their second to last home contest of the season. UNI struggled to stay out of foul trouble in the first half, recording eight penalties in 45 minutes. The Panthers also failed to record a shot attempt on offense in the first half. Kylie Knief and Ella Ubben tallied UNI’s first two shot attempts early in the second half, but failed to break the scoreless tie. Smith and Ubben would each put a shot on goal in the 64th and 67th minute but couldn’t get one past Racers goalkeeper Griselda Revolorio. Murray State had one last opportunity in the 86th minute with Erin O’Shea putting one on net, but UNI goalkeeper Hailey Luedtke denied the opportunity.
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ETC. OCTOBER 21, 2026 |
CROSSWORD BY NEW YORK TIMES
Across
1) Las ___, Canary Islands 7) Device with an addictive aerosol, for short 11) Plant, as seeds 14) Laid back 15) "Hello ___" (smartphone tagline) 16) "That's terrible!" 17) Campfire cookout, informally 19) Crafty 20) Jake ___, 1980 Oscar-winning role for Robert De Niro 21) [Hey, I can hear you, you know] 22) Criticize very harshly 25) Old-time winter excursion 27) Loosey-goosey 28) Not yet posted, in brief 29) Bit in a nutrition bar 30) Flattering lines? 31) Indian yogurt dish 34) Susceptible to bribery 38) "Seriously, though..." or a hint to 17-, 25-, 48- and 58-Across 41) Unit of magnetic flux density 42) One who says "Hell if I know!"? 43) Subtle greeting 44) Letter-shaped
part of a blueprint 46) Part of every day, in Italy 47) Improvised instrument in folk music 48) Pugilist's pain point, perhaps 53) Serious aversion 54) Make 55) Farm storage building 57) Short-term job 58) Seattle landmark from which Mount Rainier can be seen 62) Exploit 63) What a dawdler may need to pick up, with "the" 64) Further out there 65) Flanders of "The Simpsons" 66) Dust-ups 67) Loud speaker, maybe
Down
1) What's shaken in the order to "Shake!" 2) Filled up on 3) Gymnast Suni 4) Virile 5) It's west of the Bering Strait 6) Appears to be going down the drain 7) Overact 8) Mammal with a long ringed tail
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
ANSWERS
JENNA WESTENDORF Managing Editor
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VOLUME 123, ISSUE 9
SUDOKU
9) "We're on!" 10) Tricked 11) Dish with vinegared rice 12) Eyed lustfully 13) Question exclaimed after misfortune 18) One way to spell relief, per ads 21) Crafts, in Córdoba 22) Part of a homecoming parade 23) Big scoop 24) Leaps for Michelle Kwan 26) Fine cigar 28) Hardships 32) Madre's hermana 33) French author ___ de Saint-Exupéry 35) Stealthy spy with a blowgun 36) It may follow deuce 37) Overlook 39) Designer Calvin 40) Hummus bean 45) Piece of goalie gear 48) Started 49) Not leave a bet as is 50) Gave a push 51) "Fire-breather" in the night sky 52) Relays and rallies 53) Shenzi in "The Lion King," e.g. 56) Bottom 58) Luxury resort amenity 59) Relatively short Morse code bit 60) Sign of summer 61) Blunder
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