The Daily Iowan WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024
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A new hub for energy drinks in the Ped Mall Hyper Energy Bar specializes in handcrafted infused energy drinks. Madelyn Ambroz News Reporter
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Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
Magnificat Choir members perform during the first ever African Festival of Arts and Culture in the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City on Sept. 28. Over a dozen vendors present were selling food, jewelry, and clothing from a variety of African countries.
Iowa City’s flourishing African community African Festival of Arts and Culture is a new annual event showcasing the diverse cultures of Africa’s 54 countries.
Isabelle Foland News Reporter
In front of the Graduate Hotel, artists and performers of all kinds took the stage. Poets, jugglers, dancers, singers, and bicycnews@dailyiowan.com list tricksters showed off their many talents. Walking down the Ped Mall, lines of booths were set up, with Charlotte Ericson signs representing the associated artist’s identity. Clothing racks, Arts Reporter beaded handbags, and dazzling jewelry caught attendees’ eyes as they walked by. arts@dailyiowan.com Fatima Saeed, a Sudanese immigrant who’s lived in Iowa City for over 20 years, works as a painter. She donates 45 percent Looking around his classroom over two decades ago, Sunday of her profits to various organizations, specifically those that Goshit did not see many students who looked like him. support underprivileged African towns and fund disaster relief. Goshit came to Iowa City from Nigeria for graduate school “I helped raise money to build a school in Kenya for refugees around 24 years ago. He said he has been involved with the local with the [United Nations] because I used to be on the board with African community ever since he set foot on Iowa soil. the Johnson County chapter,” Saeed said. “Now, Sudan is going While he has watched the community grow exponentially through war. I support a lot of families, kids who have been over the years, Goshit said some orphaned…medicine, shelindividuals in Iowa City’s burgeter…I sell this art to help oning African population felt it was these people and send a lot “I like to share ideas because there are a lot lacking something important: an of money to help them.” of different traditions between Iowans and event to showcase the continent’s In addition to helping Sudanese. Therefore, this festival provided a culture and bring those from it people, Saeed is inspired great opportunity to learn more about Sudanese to share her culture and together in one place. This is how the idea for this year’s culture along with other cultures across Africa.” learn more about other first Africa Fest originated. Goshit, cultures. the chair of the festival’s planning “I like to share ideas Fatima Saeed because there are a lot committee, and the other members Sudanese immigrant who has lived in Iowa City for over 20 years of different traditions and organizations involved in the between Iowans and festival spent months planning the event that would allow Iowa City residents to experience Africa’s Sudanese,” she said. “Therefore, this festival provided a great rich culture. opportunity to learn more about Sudanese culture along with The festival came to fruition on Saturday, Sept. 28. other cultures across Africa.” Iowa City’s Pedestrian Mall was transformed into an invigoThis festival transcended generational gaps and provided a rating atmosphere filled with upbeat music, laughter, and foods AFRICA | 2A from various African countries.
INSIDE
‘Every body is a rugby body’
New lounge for Student Disability Services University of Iowa Barbara Wilson spoke at an open house for the new space’s dedication.
Take a look into how the Iowa women’s club rugby team is breaking barriers through the rugged nature of the sport. SPORTS | 1B
ONLINE • Construction on a new food pantry in North Liberty began Tuesday. Check out our coverage of the groundbreaking at dailyiowan.com. • Listen to the latest episodes of The Daily Iowan’s two podcasts, Above the Fold and Press Box Banter, where reporters cover the latest news and talk sports at dailyiowan.com.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Barbara Wilson is shown fidget toys that are available to students during the Student Disability Services Lounge Open House on Sept. 24. The lounge is in room 1101 of the University Capitol Center and is open to all students. It was created to provide an inclusive and low-sensitivity environment for students on campus.
Energy drinks have become a new fad across the country, with the University of Iowa reporting increases in student consumption of caffine in recent years. A new company, run by Iowan Chris Whalen and his wife Izabella Whalen is bringing a shop solely focused on energy drinks to Iowa City. The business, called Hyper Energy Bar, is a beverage outlet that sells unique, handcrafted infused energy drinks. As of July, there are only five other locations open throughout the Des Moines area. The first Hyper location opened in July of 2021. The newest shop will be located on 115 E College St., replacing the ReUnion Brewery gift shop. Chris Whalen and Izabella Whalen have strived to create a friendly and welcoming environment and said they hope to expand the franchise nationally. The pair knew they wanted a location in Iowa City. Chris Whalen explained that growing up in the Quad Cities, he would often visit the downtown area in the summertime. Chris Whalen said having his own business in the Pedestrian Mall has been a dream come true, and he knows how significant it is to open a shop in a college town considering roughly 92 percent of college students drink caffeine regularly. Hyper locations are structured as drive -throughs rather than sit-down shops. The buildings are typically smaller and work as a two-lane drive-through to have fast and quality service. At the windows, customers are met directly with staff who will take and produce their order right before them. Izabella Whalen explained that both she and her husband made it a goal to ensure hospitality for customers. In doing so, both decided not to include intercoms — despite Hyper being a drive-through-based shop — to ensure customers are met with face-to-face interactions with their staff, also dubbed as “energistas.” “You get that interaction with someone and could make that person’s day,” Izabella Whalen said. “That really quick interaction can be something meaningful.” The Iowa City shop will be a new concept for the franchise due to its location in the Ped Mall. This specific establishment will act more as a storefront or cafe where customers can walk in and order. However, the shop will not contain any inside seating. As it is an Iowa-based franchise, UI stu-
HYPER | 3A Bri Brands News Reporter
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Located in Room 1101 of the Old Capitol Town Center, a new lounge dedicated to Student Disability Services is open to any student at the University of Iowa. UI President Barbara Wilson spoke to a crowd of approximately 40 people on Sept. 24 during the lounge’s opening. During her speech, Wilson recalled how students approached her during a meeting two years ago asking about a space dedicated to students with various forms of disabilities. At the time, she was unsure if the UI had the space to give them. “[I’m] just grateful for our student leaders for saying this would be really helpful to have — a lounge that’s quiet, that we can monitor the temperature and the lighting, and really just take a deep breath and get a kind of a recentering moment,” Wilson said. Mike Venzon, director of Student Disability Services, said surveys were conducted when designing the lounge. “Student feedback was huge in finding out what some of the best practices might be,” Venzon said. In addition to warm, adjustable lighting and a temperature-controlled room, the space offers a fidget center, weighted stuffed animals, different seating options for sensory preferences, adjustable tables, and soothing paintings as decorations. The lounge is open to any UI student from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays. “I’m really gratified to hear that it’s open to all students, which is really important because we can all learn about each other no matter what our backgrounds and differences are,” Wilson said in her speech. Mackenzie Goss, a contracts and assignment specialist for UI Housing and Dining, supports students living on campus and used Student Disability Services as a UI student. Goss remembers how when she was a UI student, a lot of people wanted a space on campus that was quiet. “I love that it’s not just for student with disabilities or students with SDS,” she said. “I like that it’s a really multiple space that isn’t necessarily academic focused or like a personal space, but just something in between, where you can go into the mall and you’re on campus.”