The Daily Iowan

Born to be a Hawkeye

How new Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum’s competitiveness led him to his dream job.

It’s 5:30 a.m.

While most of Iowa City is still asleep, the lights inside Ben McCollum’s Carver-Hawkeye rena o ce are shining. owa’s new head men’s basketball coach prefers to start his day early, sometimes throwing in a morning run.

Before he can enjoy his pregame meal — a Snickers bar and a cup of coﬀee and take the ﬂoor in his infamous white button-down shirt, McCollum is hard at work preparing the Hawkeye program for one of its most anticipated seasons in years.

Coaching the University of Iowa is a dream come true for McCollum, but he doesn’t have much time to enjoy it. His o ce still has unpacked boxes and a few pictures on the wall, which perfectly represent his personality.

The coach presents a quiet, friendly demeanor oﬀ the court, but on it, he’s an intense teacher of the sport. Basketball may not be as popular as football for its physicality, but the sport’s competitiveness is why McCollum loves it so much.

“I probably enjoyed competition the most, more than even just the game of basketball,” McCollum told the Daily Iowan in July. “Basketball was just the game that you kind of fell in love with through that competition — for that love of competition.”

Growing up in the college basketball-crazed state of Iowa made that obsession easier to obtain. Iowa has no professional sports teams, so McCollum had to gravitate toward a college team.

The choice was a no-brainer for McCollum. The Hawkeyes were one of the most nationally recognized college basketball brands of the era. Stars B.J. Armstrong, Roy Marble, and Chris Street dominated many local television sets in the state.

ne of those T stations was T , the local C a liate in Siou City. The station serves the northwestern section of the state, including McCollum’s hometown of Storm Lake. The nearly four-hour drive made it di cult for cCollum and his family to attend many games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but he was able to stay close to the Hawkeyes through the TV screen.

“Probably didn’t come to a ton of the basketball games [at Carver],” McCollum said. “You just didn’t make your way up here. You just watch them on TV.”

Though he couldn’t see them play during the season, McCollum was able to interact with the UI teams through the annual Iowa basketball traveling summer camps, which always made a stop in Storm Lake. Started by legendary head coach Lute Olsen in the 1970s, the camps allowed aspiring youth basketball players to learn new skills, compete against other kids in the area, and interact with their favorite Hawkeye players and coaches.

The camps were easily one of the highlights of McCollum’s childhood, and he would always be the first to arrive early, sometimes

as early as two hours before the start of the event.

“It was what you look forward to every summer, just being from there, and you get ﬁve-on-ﬁve competition against some of the better players in northwest Iowa,” McCollum said. “Obviously, you had the coaches that came as well. And you got to meet some of those coaches and players. It was a blast to get there.”

The experience further instilled McCollum’s sharp competitiveness, which carried over into his playing career. McCollum always dreamed of playing for the UI, but in his own words, he “was never good enough” to play at the Division I level.

After playing his first two seasons of college basketball at the junior college level for North Iowa Community College in Mason City, McCollum wanted a new challenge. With help from one of his best friends, McCollum tried out for NCAA Division II school Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Missouri.

“It went like, ‘Hey, I’m going to come down and try out for the team, essentially, and play with the guys,’” McCollum said.

McCollum did, in fact, try out for the Bearcats and successfully made the team. He didn’t earn much playing time under longtime coach Steve Tappmeyer, but he made the most of his time on the bench, closely studying Tappmeyer’s coaching skills and learning the ins and outs of running a successful college basketball program.

“I learned the importance of guys that don’t play as much as they like, and the value that they can bring to a team and the intensity and energy,” McCollum said. “I also saw what it means to be at an elite level, like to be able to be in ﬁrst place consistently is really di cult.”

as it’s your passion,’” McCollum recalled. Family has always played a big role in McCollum’s life. His mother, Mary Timko, raised McCollum and his brother, Joe, as a single mom for McCollum’s first 11 years. If raising two young boys wasn’t enough, Mary also had to balance motherhood with her professional life.

Foreshadowing her son’s future head coaching position, Mary earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Iowa. She began her legal career in Iowa City as an assistant county attorney in Johnson County, where McCollum and his brother were born.

Mary and her young family remained in Iowa City until 1988, when she was appointed as an associate juvenile judge for Iowa District 3. The district serves 16 counties in northwest Iowa, including Buena Vista County, where Storm Lake is located.

Timko has lived in Storm Lake ever since, closely following McCollum’s coaching journey.

McCollum credits his mother as one of the biggest influences in his life, and watching her go through her own path as a single mother has taught him a crucial lesson.

“She just kind of taught you, you’re not a victim to your circumstances and to keep ﬁghting, and she’s elitely competitive,” McCollum said.

McCollum’s male inﬂuence came from his stepfather, Roger Timko, a -year veteran law enforcement investigator with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Division of Criminal Investigation.

to be the head coach at Iowa, but no one wants to pay for their own way of graduate school for a year,” McCollum said. “I think that’s the beauty of what I was allowed to do.”

McCollum served on the Hornets staﬀ through the end of theseason. Tappmeyer, who had built Northwest Missouri State University into a perennial power by then, announced his retirement. The school began an immediate search for Tappmeyer’s replacement, but it didn’t have to look far.

Tappmeyer had always wanted McCollum to succeed him in Maryville, and his advocacy was enough to convince Northwest to hire the rising -year-old coach.

“He had built such a great legacy and obviously a great program, and so it meant more that he wanted me to have that job, that he thought that much of me to get that one,” McCollum said.

“McCollum is just on another level, as far as watching film and calling you in to watch two or three clips and changing just the smallest detail that can put you in the best position for success that weekend,” Ryan Hawkins, one of McCollum’s former players at Northwest and later a star at Creighton, said.

Tappmeyer’s Northwest teams reached the Elite Eight twice, but McCollum and his team broke through to the 2017 Final our and secured the ﬁrst national championship in program history with a - win over airmont State University in the ﬁnal.

Three more Final Four appearances followed in 2019, 2021, and 2022, and the Bearcats left with a national title in each one. The impressive run earned McCollum five NABC DII National Coach of the Year awards — the most in the award’s history.

up to be successful. I love Des Moines. Des Moines is awesome. So there’s a lot of factors in that.”

Drake had become a Missouri Valley Conference contender under head coach Darian DeVries, but his swift exit for West Virginia left the cupboard bare. Bulldog fans were excited about McCollum’s arrival, but the expectation was that it would take him a few years to build the program.

McCollum needed only one season to return Drake to the top of the Valley. Led by star point guard Bennett Stirtz, the Bulldogs won a school-record games, both the regular season and conference championships, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the ﬁrst time in years.

McCollum’s passion and love for the game were evident to many visiting recruits. Austin Meyer, who would later play and coach with McCollum, the recruits.

Mary and Roger met through their respective jobs in law enforcement. They married in 1992, when McCollum was 11, and remained together until Roger’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2024. According to his obituary, Roger treated his two stepsons as his own and was angry when C19 ended McCollum’s chances of winning a second consecutive national championship.

“[I’ve] been through a

McCollum’s second stint in Maryville began on an inconspicuous note with two straight losing seasons, the first time the Bearcats had done so since the late 1970s.

Yet despite these struggles, McCollum never panicked. While he doesn’t enjoy losing, the coach said one of the keys to building a program is

McCollum’s success at Northwest led many DI programs to call for his services. While McCollum’s goal was to coach at the highest level, the decision was always about what would be the right ﬁt for him and his family.

“Some of them were just more conversations, and some of them were job oﬀers,” cCollum said. “ It’s just, obviously, none that were the right ones.” t took years for

While Drake fans and the local media celebrated the unexpected season, McCollum and his team remained focused. Success is never a surprise for McCollum. He’s just trying to make sure his squad is prepared each night.

“I don’t really think like that. I think more process-focused. ou don’t really think, ‘OK, I’m trying to go - this year,’” McCollum said. “It’s more I’m just trying to be the best version of myself and have the best team that we could possibly have.”

“He was always communicating, even somebody like me as a , -year-old coming on a visit, you’re kind of nervous and this and that, but he right away was great on the visit, making me feel at home,” Meyer said.

McCollum graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2003 with a degree in ﬁnance. He planned to move to Kansas City to work for ells argo with his ﬁancée — now wife — Michelle McCollum, but soon realized he wanted to coach.

ichelle was caught oﬀ guard, but quickly showed support for her future husband.

“She goes, ‘OK, as long

big deal to myself,” McCollum said. “A lot of people have done a lot of things for me, so I’m certainly appreciative of all.”

McCollum leaned on his family’s support and stayed in Maryville for two years. The young coach was forced to pay his own way through his ﬁrst year of graduate school before joining Tappmeyer’s staﬀ as a graduate assistant for the - season.

cCollum’s first fulltime position came the following season, when he was hired as an assistant coach for Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, under head coach David Moe. The job was both tedious and rewarding, as McCollum was the lead scout, recruiter, and even the team bus driver.

“I think a lot of people in these kinds of professions, everybody wants

those. After all, Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke squads had consecutive losing seasons early in his tenure before becoming one of college basketball’s signature programs.

“I almost feel bad for coaches who come in and finish third, because what happens sometimes is they don’t understand how far away they actually are, and they don’t improve,” McCollum said. “But when you hit rock bottom, then you have to figure it out, or you fail and get fired. ne of the two.”

McCollum’s persistence would quickly pay oﬀ, and Northwest became a DII powerhouse. The Bearcats would never suffer another losing season under McCollum’s watch, winning 20 or more games in each of his ﬁnal 13 seasons in Maryville.

University called, the opportunity to return to his home state proved to be the right job.

“I think the timing was right. I think just being from the state of Iowa, that’s a big deal,” McCollum said. “Being closer to home, it was from a ﬁnancial perspective, was set

McCollum’s rapid success led many national media outlets to tie

him to various power-conference openings. Longtime UI head coach ran cCaﬀery was ﬁred just one week before rake’s first-round matchup against Missouri, and the rumors began circulating that McCollum would fil the role.

Despite the constant stories from the press, McCollum remained locked in on the Bulldogs.

“You just have to stay focused, and you just have to hope that your team trusts that you’re focused on what needs to be, what needs to happen, and that’s what we were,” McCollum said.

Following Drake’s second-round loss to Texas Tech, KCCI reporter Shannon Ehrhardt asked McCollum if he would stay in Des Moines for another season. The coach didn’t conﬁrm or deny his plans, but his reaction was telling.

“Those are questions that I don’t probably want to answer right now,” a chuckling McCollum said.

Forty-eight hours later, McCollum was named as the UI’s 23rd head men’s basketball coach.

cCollum is the ﬁrst native owan to lead the owa program since Dick Schultz in the mid-1970s. The coach understands the state’s landscape and culture more than most people, but a position like this comes with great pressure from a loyal fanbase.

“It’s cool just having grown up here, and obviously we’re super excited about that, but again, it’s still, ‘So now you’ve got the job, so what are you going to do to make it great?’” McCollum said.

Turning the Hawkeyes into a great program will not be an easy task for McCollum. The Hawkeyes were once a perennial postseason contender under cCaﬀery, but missed the C tournament in his ﬁnal two seasons, leading to dwindling fan attendance and enthusiasm.

He has heavily emphasized the importance of reaching out to the Iowa faithful. The coach has been a frequent attendee at numerous Hawkeye sporting events at hiring, often shaking hands and talking with fans, even hanging out in the student section before UI football games.

“Getting people excited about Iowa basketball is important, and that’s part of my job. So I’m going to keep doing that,” McCollum said.

McCollum has carried the gesture over to the local

media as well. He gave countless interviews with many outlets over the summer — including the DI — and opened his ﬁrst media day press conference by thanking the media for their coverage.

“Part of their job is to get those interviews, and part of my job is to publicize some of the cool things that are going on in Iowa basketball,” McCollum said. “It’s just about being a good person.”

Promoting the program is one thing, but winning is what will ultimately keep Carver-Hawkeye rena ﬁlled each winter. any

Drake players, including Stirtz, followed McCollum to Iowa City, but McCollum also found success in the transfer portal, adding Kansas State University guard Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris University forward Alvaro Folguieras, the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year.

Hausen, a career 39 percent three-point shooter who also played two seasons for Villanova University, should provide plenty of oﬀensive ﬁrepower, while the -foot11 Folguieras could be the necessary steady presence near the rim. Hausen has been in Iowa City for only a few months, but he credits McCollum for building a strong culture.

“Coach Mac is the culture guy. He doesn’t let us have bad days,” Hausen said. “We win bad days here. The culture, it just doesn’t die.”

Like the fans, cCollum and his coaching staﬀ won’t have a great gauge on their team until the season begins on Nov. 4, but Hawkeye fans are already anticipating a scrappy, competitive squad. That style has been a trademark of McCollum’s teams and bolstered his reputation as an intense coach. Most of McCollum’s current players are used to his rigorous practice routines, but some of the newcomers to his system are still taking time to get acquainted with it.

One of those players is forward Cooper Koch, one of only two players from

practice and a McCollum practice is McCollum’s focus on defense, which was always the Achilles heel of the cCaﬀery era.

“Just the emphasis on defense, because we practice that, I’d say, a little over half the practice,” Koch said. “So working on that will just help us that much more.”

Though McCollum will likely always be known for his intense coaching, anyone who has worked or played with him sees the opposite oﬀ the hardwood. He maintains a close friendship with Meyer, who was an assistant coach with him for 10 seasons at Northwest and is now the head coach of the Northwest women’s basketball program.

“ ven though haven’t worked with him in ﬁve, si

years now, [he’s] just always checking in on how I am doing, and always if I had questions on things, but he’s just a great friend and a great mentor,” Meyer said. Stirt , who received no oﬀers out of high school, got engaged over the summer. Besides his parents, one of the few people to know about the proposal was McCollum, who gave Stirtz a brief pep talk.

While Stirtz admitted McCollum’s message made him more nervous, the fourth-year praised his coach’s honesty, which was one of the factors that led him to play for cCollum in the ﬁrst place.

“That’s the main thing that stuck out to me, just that he’s a heck of a ball coach, but he also cares about you oﬀ the court,” Stirtz said.

McCollum’s Hawkeyes face a challenging schedule. The nonconference schedule is one of Iowa’s toughest in years, highlighted by contests against Xavier University, the University of Mississippi, and Iowa State University, while the Big Ten schedule features three preseason AP top- teams over the ﬁrst si games.

Winning national championships is the obvious longterm goal for McCollum and the Hawkeye program, but like many objectives, it won’t happen in one season. The coach is conﬁdent owa will be a competitive team this season, but his secondary goal is to make the state of Iowa proud of its basketball team.

McCaffery’s ﬁnal squad to remain with McCollum.

Koch, who credits McCollum for “lighting a fire” under him in practices, says the most significant difference between a cCaffery-coached

“The biggest thing that I want to do is make the state of Iowa and the University of Iowa proud of the kids that we coach and proud of the toughness that they show and the communication and the connectivity that they show,” McCollum said. “Hopefully, we have a community that will do that. We have fans that will do that. And I know we have players that will do that.”

Voters are required to cast their ballot within an assigned polling place, which can be found on the Johnson County Auditor’s website. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.

To register to vote in Johnson County, you must meet the following criteria:

• U.S. citizen

• Resident of Iowa

• At least 17 years old as long as you turn 18 by the election

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is 5 p.m. on Oct. 20

Iowa uses same-day voter registration at the polls.

• Early voting ends on Monday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.

• The auditor’s o ice will be the only early voting location on Monday.

For those who plan to vote on election day but have not yet registered to vote, Iowa polls o er same-day registration. Voters need to bring identification and proof of residency, such as:

• driver’s license or student ID

• water bill, university bill, or bank statement

University of Iowa students and Iowa City residents interested in casting a ballot for the Nov. 4 local elections have options for where to vote.

SNAP-Ed funds cut in reconciliation bill

The future of nutrition education programs across Iowa becomes uncertain.

between owa Health and Human Services, or owa HHS, and the owa State niversity tension and utreach ce.

Elimination of SNAP-Ed funding leaves food pantries across the state uncertain of how to ﬁ ll funding gaps, as many of which are hoping to rely on private support to maintain current nutrition assistance programs.

Federal funding for the Nutrition Education and besity revention rogram, or S - d, was slashed under federal funding cuts put into law by President Donald Trump’s “ ne ig eautiful ill ct,” which he signed on July 4.

SNAP-Ed funded many programs and grants to provide easier access to nutrition education and promote active lifestyles for low-income individuals.

ationally, million in funds were set to be distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to states as a part of SNAP-Ed for ﬁscal year , which began ct. , with an estimated . million originally allocated for the state of Iowa. SNAP-Ed still technically e ists, but all of its funding for ﬁscal year and beyond has been eliminated as a result of the reconciliation bill.

n owa, S - d programming was distributed largely through a partnership

Iowa HHS administered programs such as resh Conversations, which aims to provide nutrition support to adults aged and older, and the hysical ctivity ccess roject, which aims to improve walkability and bikeability in local owa communities.

The S e tension o ce provided the “Spend Smart. at Smart.” program, which includes recipes for meals that can be made on a budget. The information was used by food pantries across Johnson County, including the orth Liberty Community Pantry and Coralville Community Food Pantry.

Luke l inga, chair of the owa Hunger Coalition, said owans did not have to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition ssistance rogram, or S , as a condition of benefitting from SNAP-Ed resources. SNAP provides federal food purchasing assistance to low-income individuals.

The SNAP program faced its biggest budget cuts in program history from the same reconciliation bill.

Specialists talk healthy food access at local pantries nne iller, special projects

coordinator at orth Liberty pantry, distributes materials on nutrition, many of which are from the S - d program, to families who use the pantry.

She worked with a healthy food access specialist from the S e tension o ce, who visited the pantry quarterly to adapt programming to the needs of the individual pantry and assess how SNAP-Ed can best help the community.

away nutrition education is not the way to get there,” oller said.

Garden grants through SNAP-Ed yan obst, e ecutive director of the orth Liberty Community ood antry, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan the orth Liberty pantry had coordinated several nutrition program eﬀorts with S e tension o ce through S - d, and the pantry had hopes of a greater expansion in

“We were hoping to have her teach a class at the pantry that was on saving money while grocery shopping and cooking healthy, basic meals, but her role was cut,” Miller said. “It’s a loss of another resource for people.”

The SNAP-Ed funded positions at ISU’s tension and utreach o ces, including healthy food access specialists, have been eliminated eﬀective Sept. , the end of ﬁscal year , l inga said.

l inga works as policy and advocacy manager at Des Moines Area Religious Council, or C, which operates a large food pantry network in the es oines area. t C, healthy food access specialists would come and do classes for pantry volunteers so they can better inform community members how to make the best decision for their nutritional needs and budget.

John oller, e ecutive director at the Coralville ood antry, said the specialist would pay speciﬁc attention during quarterly visits to proper labeling of foods and recipe creation at the Coralville pantry.

Boller said volunteers and employees do not have enough time to provide the same in-depth nutrition information that was previously oﬀered by a specialist through S - d, and he anticipates families who visit the pantry will feel the change.

“It’s frustrating because I’m hearing from a lot [of people] in our community and country who have a desire to make merica healthy again,’ and it seems like taking

program resources after moving locations in June.

New plans included the incorporation of more educational eﬀorts into the garden space.

“That will not be possible now. We will still have a garden, but we will lose access to some of the education and resources in this program [S - d],” obst wrote in the email.

obst said the pantry is left to ﬁgure out what to do on its own, but the S e tension o ce agreed to leave resources provided through SNAP-Ed available on its website.

Boller said the Coralville pantry has received grant funding for their garden which will cover multiple years through rowing Together owa, a S - d program,including to establish raised bed gardens at their new facility, which opened in .

Boller said the elimination of SNAP-Ed leaves huge funding gaps individual pantries are e pected to ﬁll.

He said the Coralville pantry has not had enough time to consider how to move forward, but oller hopes they can ﬁ nd enough private support, in the form of donors, to maintain current programming, which includes nutrition education and recipe cards.

l inga said the future of many S - d programs is uncertain, but the grants for community gardens funded through Growing Together Iowa have already been eliminated.

5 candidates running for ICCSD school board

Candidates are vying for three at-large seats on the ICCSD school board.

Five candidates have announced their candidacy for the Iowa City Community School District’s school board ahead of Nov. 4. elections.

The ﬁve candidates are competing for three open seats, with two incumbents and three newcomers on the ballot. The district has seven seats on their school board. Board members elected at-large in this election each serve an overlapping term of four years.

Finch was originally elected to the school board in and has served on the board since.

Finch has been involved with the district for eight years, serving as Chair of the ICCSD quity dvisory Committee, and as school board member. hen asked what inspires her, Finch shared it is the teachers inside the classroom that motivate her.

“I’m inspired by our educators. The last four years on the board have really deepened my understanding of the expertise and care that they bring,” inch said.

Finch is currently a physician assistant in otolaryngology at the Iowa City Veterans ﬀairs edical Center. She also serves as a mentor for a student at Liberty High School through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County, an organi ation creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships for youth in the community.

Finch said the most pressing issue facing the district is enrollment numbers. From - , total enrollment is e pected to decrease by students.

She said declining enrollment in the district is being directly impacted by the voucher program.

She said the program has made private schools more accessible to students, taking away enrollment along with funding for public schools in the state.

“A decline in enrollment means that [the district] has to make cuts somewhere. really want to make sure that every decision we make is prioriti ing enrollment,” Finch said. inch plans to prioriti e educators and make decisions positively impacting and supporting teachers in the district.

alone, school board president, has served two consecutive school board terms, and is looking to serve a third term. She was initially elected to the board in and then re-elected in . Malone is an administrator for the Department of Psychological Brain Sciences at the niversity of owa, and serves as a director on the Iowa Association of School Boards’ Board of Directors.

Malone said her biggest priority going into a third term would be making sure the district is prioriti ing the well-being of staﬀ, including classroom safety for teachers and students.

“It is really important to me that we are protecting the people that are directly engaging with students in our classrooms,” Malone said.

Malone said it is important to her that the district is successful in helping students prepare for their futures. Whether that be going directly into the workforce, going to college, or going into the military, alone feels it is important for the district to prepare students for their futures outside of ICCSD.

She also wants to focus on the achievement discrepancies the district faces. Iowa spring assessment results for the district show that proﬁciency rates are lower for students with disabilities, and students with free and reduced lunch rates are also showing lower proﬁciency in reading and math scores. She believes the discrepancies that the district is seeing did not happen overnight, but are a result of generational discrepancies. Malone said that most of these discrepancies are a result of racial oppression stemming from “segregation times.”

“I’ve always been incredibly impressed with the district,” Stevenson said. “ ith the experience that I’ve had as a teacher and union leader, think these have given me a solid background and understanding of how school districts work.”

Stevenson said his top priority for the district is cultivating safe and supportive schools and making sure students are receiving “equitable educational opportunities,” meaning students are receiving the support that they need, regardless of their background.

“The wonderful thing about public education is we have the duty and honor of teaching all students in our district,” Stevenson said. “Students come into our schools with a wide variety of needs, and it is incumbent on us educators in providing opportunities for them to succeed.”

n addition, Stevenson emphasi ed the role of the district in supporting educators and empowering them in their roles. Stevenson hopes to be a part of a policy process to ensure that educators are supported in what they need to be able to serve students, citing the need for additional funding, sta ng, and support.

stems from funding. She notes the district is not keeping up with the rate of inﬂation and is having to funnel money into private education.

“We need to do everything we can to maintain and grow our ﬁnancial position, including attracting students to enroll into our district to ma imi e our per-pupil funding,” Horn- rasier said.

Horn-Frasier said another pressing matter for the district is supporting and retaining quality staﬀ in the district. She thinks this will become harder as public attitudes about public education become more skewed. dditionally, Horn- rasier wants to focus on being committed to supporting civil and human rights for students, staﬀ, and families in the district.

Stevenson has been in the classroom for over years and is currently a teacher at West Liberty High School , teaching eighth-grade U.S. History. Stevenson previously served as president for the est Liberty Education Association and has also served on the Iowa City ublic Library oard of Trustees.

Horn- rasier, a longtime educator and alumni, previously taught in the school district, teaching middle school and high school language arts. She is now a strategy consultant with luebird Sky, a strategy consultancy that helps companies, nonproﬁts, and coalitions develop strategies that help them reach their goals. Horn Frasier has a bachelor’s degree in English Education from the University of Iowa. hen asked what motivated her to run for the board, she cited her concern about the future of public education, saying she worries about how legislative decisions and budget cuts could impact students and teachers in the district.

“I’ve been watching over the years the systematic dismantling of our public education, which worries me tremendously because I know that public education is essential to communities and to democracy itself,” Horn-Frasier said. Horn-Frasier said her top priority for the district is funding, because everything

Noerper has lived in Iowa City for years and has two children who are currently enrolled in ICCSD. He strongly supports public education, having been a peer tutor for many years and interacting with students of varying needs and backgrounds. ecause of this e perience, he advocates for policies that align with children’s needs.

“ think that sometimes district policy is made by people looking at best practices, as opposed to actually having lived through the trauma that some of these kids have e perienced,” oerper said. “ think that personal connection of understanding is pretty essential when you are making policies to move beyond best-case scenario practices to understand what people might need.”

Noerper’s top priority for the district is working on behavioral issues. He is advocating for district policies that provide extra support for students with behavioral issues. He said that students that act out make learning di cult for other students, and make instructing harder for teachers.

“ really feel like we need to reach out to our teachers and understand how big this problem is. very teacher have talked to has said that the problem is getting worse as the years go on,” oerper said.

Noerper said district communication is also something he would like to focus on. He says the district needs to create an environment of trust where people can communicate and express their needs and criticisms without fear of retaliation from the district.

OPINIONS

Halloween horror is your Shein order

Fast fashion costumes may be cheap, but their environmental cost is terrifying.

The leaves are falling, the temperature is getting colder, and it’s finally acceptable to flood your home with scents of apples and cinnamon to ring in the fall season. Houses in the neighborhood have orange and purple lights or inflatable horror characters in their front lawns.

carved pumpkin sits on every stoop, but my excitement for the season started when I placed the Shein order for my Halloween costumes.

espite the fun and e citement surrounding the holiday, we with cheap, trendy costumes and accessories fuel an industry built on exploitation and environmental harm, and we justify it “just because it’s Halloween.” ore often than not, we buy something for a costume, use it, and then stash it somewhere unseen for the rest of eternity.

As a college student, Halloween is one of the best e periences to take part in. Whether it’s coming up with niche characters for your friend group to dress up as or trying to ﬁnd a funny but still se y couples costume, ctober gets people thinking creatively about what to wear. This year, ’m taking the funny route ’ll be a hite House plumber while my friend struts as ichard i on, rake and Josh, and a surfer with a shark.

These costumes, however, often don’t contain practical items I have on hand, so ’m stuck looking through catalogs and websites to find the e act top or necklace to make the costume. Hoping each item won’t cost too much, the looming

The novelty making Halloween’s fast fashion consumption extra detrimental, though, is the social culture surrounding the day and the impracticality of many cos tume garments. s broke en- ers looking for a one-time get-up, we take advantage of the less-than-ethical, but ever-so-tempting option of fast fashion. I can get the exact outfit want off a site like Shein for roughly . feel confident, look good, and saved a few bucks.

“The least practical thing I purchased was probably a choker with pretend blood on it for a vampire costume. I obviously never used that again,” atima labdulrasul, a University of Iowa second-year student said. “ absolutely think college influ ences fast fashion costume habits because people want things that are quick, cheap, and trendy.”

Fast fashion is a method of creating, pro ducing, and selling products following no seasonal rhythm. It prioritizes fast pro duction, low quality, and cheaply priced items, allowing consumers to be ﬁnancially stable while participating in the hottest micro-trends of the month. It is a system of an increased scale of production to yield greater economic results.

uicker trend cycles require brands to have various options available to cater to a wider audience. t’s the deﬁnition of being trendy on a budget, but there’s actually so much more being risked for that perfect costume you’ll never touch again after Oct. 31.

ow, social media has taken over fashion trends. rands like Temu and Shein are prioritized for their speed in production and collection release, with new items coming out within days of each other. While many people are aware of the ethical implications of this kind of consumption, they still don’t ﬁnancially have many options to steer away from it.

“I try not to be super into fast fashion outside of Halloween, but as a broke college student, don’t judge people who are,” Alabdulrasul said.

The biggest contributor to the non-biodegradable clothing items we can’t stop purchasing is the cheap material they are often made of plastic polymer, which, in its oil-based form, can take an estimated 20 to 200 years to decompose, according to an April 2024 Vogue article by Alyssa Hardy. Around 83 percent of Halloween costumes use non-recyclable materials, dooming them to live out their life in a landﬁll, according to Hardy.

platforms like Shein, Temu, and lie press, according to a World Health report from Le Monde in August 2024. They found many products failed to meet legal standards for chemical composition, with one pair of shoes from Shein containing 229 times the legal limit of

phthalates. chemical used to make plastics more ﬂe ible, phthalates can cause reproductive harm in both men and women.

Other chemicals found in Shein’s products include formaldehyde, which is used in home building products; dioxane, a possible human carcinogen causing liver poisoning; and high methanol concentrations, according to reporting by ahoo inance in August 2024.

dditionally, brands like Shein and Temu faced a percent tariﬀ on their packages

ages hailing from Hong Kong and mainland China. So, honestly, is it even still worth it?

From decorations to candy wrappers alone, Halloween produces roughly 2,000 extra tons of waste, according to a 2025 report by WasteManaged.

I’ve already mentioned the creativity and fun encapsulating the costume-deciding process, but it’s also a method of self-expression and adhering to social trends, which allows people to simply change identities and bask in anonymity while still being themselves. However, acknowledging the issues with our habits isn’t the end of Halloween. In fact, it isn’t even the end of an aﬀordable Halloween. ther options, like thrifting, buying secondhand clothing, -ing accessories or clothing articles can help combat unethical consumption.

Ahh, not the same generic costume again

People with a lack of originality scare me and we need to get a li le more creative.

Every year as Halloween approaches I feel a slight sense of fear. Not because I suspect ghosts and monsters are real, but because I am scared of people’s bland taste in Halloween costumes.

I am haunted by previous experiences, seeing masses of men wearing sports jerseys and hordes of women wearing different colored corsets and animal ears. I remember one year when my nstagram page was filled with pictures of low-effort angel and devil costumes. I still tremble when I recall the sight of lazy costumes.

Costumes are supposed to be an opportunity to express oneself. Seeing the same minimal eﬀort costumes makes me concerned for the personality and passion of the general population.

I remember the sense of relief I felt for the world when one of my classmates showed me a picture of a Lolita-styled dress he sewed himself.

Even costumes people simply ship from Amazon can be quite inspiring. This year, a friend of mine bought a costume of Jim Carrey’s character from “The ask,” and ’m very excited to see him wear it. Sometimes, costumes are fun simply because they mean something to the wearer.

One of my classmates last year dressed as a professional dart player. The costume consisted only of a visor, a themed shirt, and a fanny pack, but it was personal to her since one of her family members was a professional dart player.

Costumes like these are beautiful e amples of how to use Halloween to be creative, show oﬀ our skills, display our sense of humor, enjoy our favorite characters, and celebrate parts of ourselves.

Even the simple, classical costumes have their merit. For example, the sheet ghost costume is almost as old as Halloween itself, yet it remains a beloved choice. The pure homage to classic Halloween imagery, such as its appearance in “ t’s the reat umpkin, Charlie rown” or the title sequence of the original “Scooby- oo,” gives the onlooker a feeling of nostalgic pleasure, yet the get-up takes only a few minutes and minimal supplies to make. inding a fun costume does not need to be strenuous work.

It’s not the character or time spent on a costume take issue with it’s the way the costume is e ecuted often oﬀends me.

dress as a sexy witch, you can simply put on a short skirt, a black corset, and a cheap pointy hat.

This costume likely required no thought, no passion, and was picked simply because the wearer previously saw other people wearing it and wanted to ﬁt in. ow imagine if they wore the same articles of clothing, a short skirt, a black corset, and a pointy hat, but they were excited about what they were wearing.

Thankfully, there are some costumes see that shake this feeling. Homemade, costumes are nice to see in a herd of corsets.

Take the “se y witch” costume, for e ample. Witches are consistently one of the most popular costumes every year. In addition, the sexy phenomenon in feminine adult costumes tends to dumb down outﬁts to lingerie, accompanied by accessories. To

Maybe they have a small broom they can carry around, then decide to use their talent in makeup to paint a spooky, pretty look, or ﬁnd a cape online to match their corset, all of which are signs of thought in the outﬁt.

Asenta Oliver, member of the University of Iowa’s Culture Collective, agrees

accessori ing is key to breaking free from costumes that “can often be extremely boring.”

She suggests putting on thematic makeup or cool accessories to deviate from the bland. Little personalizations and creative touches can be all that is needed to save your outﬁt this Halloween.

“ feel like people think costumes are worn to disguise yourself, but I believe costumes are the ultimate form of self-expression,” liver said.

That being so, please do not squander the wonderful opportunity you are given to express yourself without parameters. our Halloween costumes say something about you.

Meet the at-large candidates for IC City Council

Two incumbents and two newcomers are vying for two open seats in the Nov. 4 election.

ﬀordable housing, public safety, and community engagement are the biggest topics of the ov. owa City City Council election, where four candidates two incumbents and two newcomers are vying for two at-large seats.

Candidates include incumbents egan lter and ruce Teague, who currently hold the two open seats, and newcomers ewman buissa and Clara eynen.

s owa City residents prepare to head to the polls, here’s a look at what each candidate brings to the race.

Syrian-born immigrant ewman buissa lived in owa City for almost years and has worked for the owa epartment of Transportation for years.

The chair of the rab merican Caucus of the owa emocratic arty, he served as a delegate for presidential nominee and former .S. Secretary of State John erry years ago and at the emocratic ational Convention.

buissa has focused his campaign on connecting with the community and said if elected, he wants to make housing more aﬀordable, provide more support for marginali ed groups in owa City, and create a more sustainable environment.

“ do have a vision listen and empower,” he said. “ want to listen to the communities. think we have lots of e pertise in this community. want to represent those groups.”

buissa wants to bring his insight from the epartment of Transportation, saying it has allowed him to work with other cities in owa.

“Through my e posure to working with those cities, feel like there is a diﬀerent culture in some of those cities, and think owa City can beneﬁt from becoming a little more open, a little more active, to achieve the goals mentioned,” he said.

egan lter is running her third campaign for an at-large seat. She formerly served as mayor pro tem in . lter grew up in ichigan and lived in ew ork City before moving to owa City in . She currently works as a senior resource manager at CT.

hile serving as a city councilor, she has helped implement fare-free public transit, launch eviction prevention initiatives, e pand investment in aﬀordable housing, and establish a wage enhancement program for child care workers.

put focus on child care. She has worked with a coalition of providers, directors, and nonprofits working in child careadjacent areas with the age nhancement program, a locally funded initiative providing an hourly pay supplement to eligible child care workers.

“ t’s important to help stabili e the industry a bit, but we need more slots, we need it to be more aﬀordable,” she said. “ e need to continue to help with wage enhancement. How do we, as a local government, start to think about and act on creating more local solutions t’s not going to be a silver bullet, but if we can help ease some of the pain points, think that’s going to be really important.”

lter said she also wants to reach out to the public more to get input from the community during campaign season.

“ e get out, we go to farmers markets, have coﬀee, or knock doors, and it’s great,” she said. “ e need to do something similar, perhaps not quite so intensively but we need to do similar outreach as an individual on council to have these conversations not just wait for people to have an issue and come to us.”

lter has endorsements from former owa City ayor Jim Throgmorton, current ayor ro Tem a ahir Salih, and istrict Councilor Shawn Harmsen, according to the campaign’s website.

Clara eynen is a librarian, a graduate student at the niversity of owa, and an active member of the Campaign to rgani e raduate Students, a graduate student union through the

bachelor of arts at the in theatre arts and religious studies.

eynen said she wants to focus on public safety in owa City.

“Things that make our community safe are things like housing, [adding] bike lanes,” she said. “ hen we are meeting people’s material conditions, we are keeping them safe.”

f elected, eynen said she is interested in bringing a younger voice to the city council to strengthen connections between the city and the university, adding the council should have more access to leaders to discuss issues.

“The easiest way to get somebody to take better care of their community is to make them feel like they have a stake in it,” she said. “ nd really do believe if college students felt more involved and more encouraged to become a part of the community, they would take better care of it, too.”

ith endorsements from istrict C Councilor liver eilein and istrict Councilor Laura ergus, eynen said she appreciates support from sitting members and wants to take a similar approach to theirs on the council.

“ really believe will be in the same position where ’m not just going to sit back and wait for things to come across the desk,” she said. “ want to be out there listening to community members, making sure the city is working, and making sure people’s basic needs are being met.”

Current ayor t-Large ruce Teague is the longest sitting member on the owa

City Council, starting his

term in . riginally from Chicago, he has lived in owa City for years, and is the owner and C of Caring Hand ore LLC. owa City does not have a direct mayoral election rather, the owa City City Council appoints the mayor among the sitting members in January of every even year. Teague was appointed as mayor in and has held the position since. ith the campaign slogan “ e all belong here,” Teague said he wants to provide a safe community for marginali ed groups, including the L T community, the transgender community, immigrants, and the unhoused, through greater access to the “essentials of life” such as food, clean water, and housing. “ arious individuals, various groups are being attacked,” he said. “ nd at the end of all of the noise and all of the activities, really think it is so important for us to continue to reside as a community and that we all belong here, even in the moment of these challenges.”

Teague, a loomberg Harvard City Hall ellow, a two-year, paid fellowship placing recent graduates in city halls to help address pressing urban challenges, said he plans to tackle affordable housing differently from his opponents, working with housing coalition partners, developers, and vocational training programs to ﬁnd more ways to attack the issue.

“ ith that designation, have brought a resource to the city that really has advanced us,” he said.

He also points to his leadership style and e perience.

“The historical data that have on where we were then, and how and what we plan to do, [ ’ve] just been able to look at it through a wider lens.”

A look at IC City Council District B candidates

One incumbent and one newcomer are running for an open seat in the upcoming election.

nlike the at-large side of the ov. City Council election, there is only one istrict seat, and sitting Councilor Shawn Harmsen is running against newcomer my Hospodarsky for a voice on the council.

Shawn Harmsen is an owa City resident and a professor at Coe College. He has his h. in journalism and mass communications and has worked in broadcast, T , and radio news. Harmsen has also worked on several city council campaigns, including ayor ro Tem a ahir Salih and current Councilor egan lter, before running himself in . Hospodarsky is a nonprofit leader and small business owner in owa City. She has served on both the Comm nity Crisis Services and the ffordable Housing Coalition boards and is the current director of Crowded Closet, a nonprofit thrift store in town. This is her first time running for public o ce.

Harmsen has sat on the owa City City Council for almost three years and was sworn in to his ﬁrst term in January . Starting on the council in the midst of the C - pandemic and making decisions for the city during that period of uncertainty is something Harmsen is very proud of.

“ hen got on the council, not only did have the task any new councilor does of learning how to help make decisions for a town of roughly , people and a major university, but we also had to make some pretty big decisions on what owa City was going to look like post-pandemic,” Harmsen said. “ hat ’m really proud of is the way was part of that decisionmaking process.”

uring his time on the council, Harmsen helped make decisions to help relocate and provide about million in funds for people whose housing development plans were impacted by the C - pandemic. He was played a role in the decision to

partner with Johnson County and provide funding for workers e cluded by federal programs and work on the free bus service, which Harmsen calls the “crown jewel.”

The council was able to come together and work on a strategic plan, which included goals for the city’s public transport.

“ t’s a really good e ample of when government works really well, the way it’s supposed to work,” Harmsen said.

Harmsen also highlighted work he has been a part of in istrict speciﬁcally, such as helping to make the decision to pitch in million to help renovate a free medical clinic that reopened on ct. .

Harmsen said he is very engaged with aﬀordable housing and wants to continue working on this issue if reelected. He also cited his e perience and relationships with community leaders a a priority.

“ take the job very seriously, and ’ve worked very hard to learn how the city works, doing not just meetings [and] not just meeting packets,” Harmsen said, “Since got on council, have taken time to go and spend time with department heads, to do e tra tours of diﬀerent operations, and city facilities and road construction projects.”

given her e perience. She also said being a single mother has given her a unique lens the council does not currently have.

Harmsen said providing what he calls “good government” is incredibly important, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the state and federal government, speciﬁcally with funding cuts to federal programs. rotecting the most vulnerable in the population is also something Harmsen plans to focus on if reelected.

“ believe the job is about serving others, not about me working really hard, because think it is really important. mean, this is my town,” Harmsen said, “ e also have to do the job which is knowing how the city works and making sure that we keep it running, because if we don’t, that hurts people.”

owa City since and has held several community leadership positions since, which she said has

“ got really involved here and got to learn a lot of diﬀerent things about the community through that work,” she said.

“ lived e perience of being a solo income household here in owa City, and what that entails, and just also a diﬀerent perspective on life, of being the juggler of being a mom and a professional and serving my community in this way”.

Hospodarsky said her decision to run is a culmination of a long process of thinking, and she has followed local politics for a number of years. She also said her community work on several local business and nonproﬁt boards gave her a wealth of contacts that would be beneﬁcial to the council.

f elected, Hospodarsky said something she is passionate about working on is the issue of aﬀordable housing in owa City.

fter serving on the ﬀordable Housing Coalition board, something Hospodarsky called an “impactful e perience,” the issue has been on the forefront of her mind. Hospodarsky also said ensuring residents are at the center of every decision the council makes is incredibly important to her.

Hospodarsky also said she will prioriti e maintaining and developing relationships with community organi ations by using he e tensive connections outside of the council.

“ ecause of the work ’ve done professionally here in owa City, have a wealth of contacts at what would call the nonproﬁt level, or the organi ational level,” she said, “So the people often doing the work to fulﬁll our plans outside of the government.”

Hospodarsky plans to focus on roviding funding for groups serving the community and making sure they can do their jobs adequately. f elected, she also hopes to see the council function as a whole to achieve its goals, even if it means putting what she thinks is best for the city above her own opinions.

“Local government is probably more important now than ever before, and it’s a time when we really need to unite around getting our chosen future developed in the way that we’ve laid out,” she said, “ nd part of that takes putting your own thoughts and opinions to the side a little bit and being able to understand what’s good for the whole, and want to bring a voice encouraging that.”

Hospodarsky has lived in

SPORTS

Managing hype, expectations on the hardwood

Women’s head coach Jan Jensen prepares a young squad while first-year men’s coach Ben McCollum meets looming anticipation.

As the temperature in Iowa City drops, expectations rise on the hardwood. Iowa men’s and women’s basketball seasons tip off on ov. and , respectively, and while neither square off against a formidable opponent, each contest will showcase an offseason of change.

For the men’s squad, the alterations were seismic in the form of a change in head coach. ran cCaffery roamed the sidelines for years in owa City before owa fired him following a dismal final two seasons. The Hawkeyes haven’t qualified for the C Tournament since theseason and never advanced to the Sweet during cCaffery’s tenure.

Such stagnancy induced apathy from the fan base, and ticket sales declined.

Tasked with reigniting hype and returning the team to the promised land is new head coach en cCollum, hired days after cCaﬀery’s dismissal. Signed to a si -year contract, McCollum returns to his birthplace of owa City. He grew up rooting for the Hawkeyes and now looks to instruct a group made almost entirely of transfers, a majority from rake, where he used to coach. orward Cooper och is one of owa’s few holdovers from last season and a reminder that, in the days of immediate transfer eligibility, a coaching change triggers immense roster turnover. hile fans will learn plenty of new names for the men’s team, the women’s roster remained relatively stable, but will lean on the younger side, with nine of its players as ﬁrst or second-years.

Head coach Jan Jensen returns for her second season after taking over for Lisa Bluder and aims to continue the success of her predecessor. owa qualiﬁed for the

C Tournament as a si seed last year and took down urray State in the first round before falling, - , to klahoma. The loss on the Sooners’ home floor was the Hawkeyes’ worst margin of defeat that season, but a demorali ing end won’t diminish the optimism on the horizon. ovember is only the first leg of a marathon season for both squads, but a spring of postseason ball would be a gratifying finish line.

cCollum has been adamant about getting fans back into Carver-Hawkeye rena to support the Hawkeyes. He knows the fanbase has been deprived of success. “ think the biggest thing that want to do is, one, make the state of owa and the niversity of owa proud of the kids that we coach and proud of the toughness that they show, and the communication and the connectivity that they show,” cCollum said. “Then two, bring everybody with us

in regards to that.” hat he immediately brings to owa City is the e citement of a new era of men’s basketball and a whole new roster. efense fueled cCollum’s lone season at rake, and the coach will rely on his si former ulldogs who followed him to help establish the culture early on. rguably the most important of these transfers is ennett Stirt . The -footpoint guard was a bonaﬁde raft prospect and one of the best guards in the country last year, with averages of . points, . assists, and . rebounds on . percent shooting on the way to earning the issouri alley Conference layer of the ear award.

He’ll be expected to lead this new Iowa squad this year, his last of eligibility. ael Combs, Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Tavion anks, and Joey atteoni made the move with Stirt .

Looking up the role of an outside hitter in volleyball online yields an abundance of information related to the position, with search results including

“The team’s primary attacker.”

“ crucial oﬀensive and defensive player.”

“They need strong hitting, reliable passing, and great endurance.” owa volleyball’s roster boasts nine athletes who can ﬁll this position. The group hails from a variety of countries, including stonia, kraine, and ew ealand. Their e perience ranges from ﬁrst-year to graduate student. Second-year Hallie Steponaitis works to prove herself as a standout.

“ would say Hallie is very strong,” third-year abby eery said. “She comes [to] the gym every single day with this mentality of trying to be the best one in the gym. would say she’s a light for our program.”

The fellow outside hitter also noted Steponaitis’ fearless attitude as a welcome addition to the program.

“ ou can see the competitiveness behind all of her

swings and the way she carries herself in practice,” eery said. “ t’s very empowering to myself to see someone work hard and then have success in that role. ’m very proud of her.” graduate of oodstock High School in llinois, Steponaitis garnered numerous accolades in her time with the lue Streaks, including a second-team all-state selection as a senior.

Steponaitis started playing volleyball later in life, and in her ﬁrst year in owa City, chose to redshirt her initial season. year on the bench withheld possible on-court e perience but also provided an opportunity to learn from the position veterans.

“ ﬁgured would rather [redshirt] and gain e perience than maybe playing here and there,” she said. “ took it as a year to learn and really grow.”

Steponaitis believes a year of watching and learning made a huge impact on the player she is today. This season, she ranks sixth in points and kills.

Head coach Jim arnes credited how fast Steponaitis has caught on and improved.

“She had a good summer, and in ugust, she kept showing really huge jumps in consistency,” arnes said. “She was

From the Lone Star State to the Hawkeye State

How Ella Magallan has found success with Iowa cross country.

February weather in Iowa is notoriously unkind to outsiders. A walk on campus requires enduring bitter cold temperatures, fierce wind gusts, and the occasional trudge through freshly fallen hen Te as native lla agallan enjoyed her ebruary visit to owa City, it had to be a sign that she was meant to be a Hawkeye.

lash forward eight months, and agallan has already established herself as a key scorer for owa despite running in only four meets so far. t the Hawkeyes’ last meet, the niversity of issouri’s reational nvitational, agallan delivered a signature fter a slow start to the race, the first-year flipped a switch.

“ t the was si th on the team and knew that could do better,” agallan said. “The last is where told myself wasn’t going to settle because knew wouldn’t be happy with the result.”

agallan passed runners in the final kilometer of the race, more than any other Hawkeye in that stretch. The first-year placed fourth on the team, and her finish helped owa rise from th to th place as a team from the mark to the finish line.

agallan earned her third ig Ten omen’s reshman of the eek award following the race.

hen asked if he was surprised by agallan’s performance, owa cross country head coach andy Hasenbank gave a simple answer

“ o, not at all.”

The first-year’s trait that sticks out the most to Hasenbank is her confidence.

“There’s no need for a you can do this’ conversation,” Hasenbank said. “She’s always ready to go out there with the mindset that she’s going to kick some butt.”

agallan wouldn’t be herself without her confidence, and that confidence is boosted by the support she gets from her teammates.

The first-year appreciates the culture the girls have

Gearing up for the postseason

After reaching the Sweet 16 last season, the No. 5 Hawkeyes can continue to build on past successes with another postseason run.

With just one regular season game left in 2025, the No. 5 Iowa soccer team must shift its sights on advancing down the postseason trail.

While the road to stardom will not be easy, the Hawkeyes are coming off a thirdplace finish in the ig Ten and appeared in the Sweet last season. There, owa narrowly fellagainst irginia Tech, which later dropped a - heartbreaker to uke in the quarterfinal.

Now sitting at 10-3-4, the Hawkeyes are ﬁlled with grit and determination to improve upon last year’s successful season. The ﬁrst thing Iowa should focus on to be successful is to continue applying pressure on opposing teams’ defenses.

Fans that have followed Iowa this year have seen an oﬀ ense that prides itself on taking more shots than its opponents. The Hawkeyes are currently outshooting opponents 264-160 and are also ﬁ nding more opportunities to score, leading in corner kicks, 94-54.

Out of the 264 shots this season, 120 have been on goal, leaving the potent Hawkeye oﬀ ense with goals this season. owa has been sharing the scoring wealth this season as well, with over 16 different Hawkeyes having scored.

Fourth-year forward Kelli McGroarty currently leads Iowa in goals, with six on the year. Trailing c roarty with four goals each are ﬁ rst-year midﬁ elder Liana Tarasco and second-year forward Berkley Binggeli.

eteran midﬁelder and owa native en ie Roling is next on the list, recording three goals on the year. Four other Hawkeyes have tallied two goals, with the remaining eight players all scoring once.

The diverse Hawkeye offensive arsenal has made it extremely hard for opponents to scout the owa oﬀense. Leaving defenses on their toes and having multiple scoring threats come oﬀ the sidelines has proven to be an instrumental part of Iowa’s winning solution this season.

Controlling the tempo on offense has also enabled owa’s goalkeeper duo, Taylor Kane and Fernanda Mayrink, to thrive as anchors of the Hawkeye defense. With the

departure of five-year starter and Iowa’s career shutout leader Macy Enneking, the squad had big shoes to ﬁ ll heading into the 2025 campaign.

Kane and Mayrink have taken the opportunity with poise, splitting starts and allowing just 18 goals throughout the season. Kane, who was second in line behind Enneking last season, has seen the ﬁeld in eight starts this year.

Kane has tallied 26 saves and has allowed six goals in eight games. On the other hand, Mayrink has 20 saves on the year and has allowed goals. The duo has combined for 46 saves, compared to opposing goalkeepers who have 88 saves during the same time frame.

The Hawkeye off ense must continue to dominate field possession to limit opposing team offensive counterattacks keeping ane and Mayrink fresh throughout games. While it is still a question of who will start come postseason time, there is no question they must perform well at the forefront of the Iowa

Ben McCollum’s former player looks back

The Daily Iowan: What led you to play for Coach McCollum?

Hawkins: The success of that program he had built, the attraction to it, and then when I met him, just the complete honesty he had with me.

How did he develop you into the player that you became?

I would say the biggest thing he did was always putting me in a position on the floor, and in basketball in general, where I’m going to be able to play to my strengths. He’s never going to ask me or make me do something on the floor that isn’t one of my strengths. He’s very good about finding what you do well early on, encouraging you

defense if the squad wants to make a deep tournament run.

Another need the Hawkeyes should implement into the postseason is limiting oﬀensive fouls and oﬀsides. The ig Ten is known for being a physical conference on the pitch, and Iowa is no exception to this.

Iowa has 178 fouls this year, 12 fewer than their opponents, who have accumulated . The Hawkeyes also need to limit offsides come postseason time, as Iowa leads its competition to nine in oﬀ sides. eing oﬀ side during an attack gives the opposition a potential scoring chance from an awarded free kick.

Come tournament time, when every play and every shot can be the difference between advancing or going home, the Hawkeyes must be smart on the field.

With the postseason on the horizon, No. 5 Iowa will aim to hone its game in the coming weeks in hopes of being the final squad hoisting the coveted Women’s College Cup.

and putting you in the best place possible to use those strengths.

What was a typical practice session with Coach McCollum like?

Intense. And a lot of game-like situations, just so that way, when we got into the actual game, you were never overwhelmed by what was going on around you. It was just straight to the basics of what you’ve been doing all year in practice, and you either rise to the occasion or you sink to the level of your training.

What are some of your favorite off the court memories of Coach McCollum?

I would say my favorite memory is probably playing slow pitch softball with him years ago, and he is playing shortstop and diving all over the ﬁeld for balls, that probably takes the cake.

How has McCollum’s strong culture building played a role in his success?

would deﬁnitely say it’s a big part of it. ut the other side of it is he prepares gameplay very well, at an extremely high level, and watches so many clips. There’s a lot of things that make him a great coach, but his ability to ﬁnd the right guys for his team and to develop them is uncanny.

What should Iowa fans expect from a McCollum-coached team?

’d say disciplined. They’re going to have high energy every single day in practice, and then they’re going to go out and compete on the ﬂoor. That’s what every single team was ever part of was like, even last year watching Drake. They just go out and compete their tails oﬀ every single day.

Who will be Iowa basketball’s breakout player this season?

Sports reporters Chris Meglio and Ma McGowan debate which Hawkeye will rise to the next level.

With a roster of new players, many of whom arrived from mid-major schools, almost anyone on the men’s team could be considered. But for safety concerns, I decided not to go with Bennett Stirtz, who is already a star in college basketball.

Hence, I present Brendan Hausen, someone with PowerFour experience, but the potential to take the next step in his ﬁrst year in the ig Ten. Standing at 6-foot-4, Hausen brings a pure catch-and-shoot ability similar to what Payton Sandfort possessed for Fran McCaffery’s Iowa squad. Last season for Kansas State, Hausen averaged 10.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on 38.8 percent shooting from three — not an all-

around player, but a heat-check guy who could score in bunches.

The e pectation is this newlook Hawkeye squad will be a fast-tempo, athletic bunch that’ll run the floor any chance they get. The majority of the roster will consist of speedsters that’ll attack the rim consistently, giving guys like Hausen and Stirtz opportunities for open outside shots.

Last season, Hausen posted 17 games where he had at least three three-pointers and 20 contests scoring in double digits. His highest total for made threes in a game was six — once in a 88-71 loss to St. John’s and another in a 77-64 win over Cleveland State. I believe shooting ability should make defenders bite on ball fakes and open the lane for him to get downhill and score at the rim.

This pick was challenging considering almost the entire team is new. We haven’t seen any of the transfers compete in a Power Four conference except Hausen. His experience should make him a leader for the Hawkeye men.

I hope this selection isn’t too obvious, because honestly, Heiden’s surge began toward the end of last season. In her college basketball debut season, the four-star recruit never scored in double figures until the ig Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. In Iowa’s secondround matchup against Michigan State, Heiden notched 11 points and four rebounds. In the next two contests against Ohio State and Murray State, Heiden averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Against the Racers, she became the fifth freshman in program history to score at least 15 points in an NCAA Tournament game.

In this trio of games, Heiden never played more than 17 minutes in a contest. With forward Addison O’Grady graduating, more playing time awaits the 6-foot-4 Heiden

in her sophomore season. Heiden shot 56 percent from the floor last season, and such efficiency should only improve with experience. At the team’s local media day on Oct. 14, Heiden explained she had to remodel some of her offensive moves in the post. The spin-move was her go-to back at Sherwood High School in Oregon, but at the college level, superior defenders can steal the ball easier, rendering the spin and other dribble-heavy moves ineffective. Additionally, Heiden said she was overthinking some of her game, but with an expanded post-move arsenal and postseason competition under her belt, her style of play can be more reactive than predetermined. When an athlete can play naturally, the production will follow. Heiden’s height and speed will be crucial in the Hawkeyes’ offense, which seeks to play faster than last year. Running up the floor in transition, Heiden will be a prime target in the fast break, and her improved footwork will lead to easy baskets. Expect double-doubles to become the norm for Heiden, who I believe will become a starter and a formidable presence in the ig Ten.

While not from Drake, third-year Alvaro Folgueiras figures to provide instant impact from Robert Morris. The 6-10 forward 2024-25 Horizon Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 54.8 percent shooting.

“ e demand a lot of eﬀort. e demand a lot of diﬀerent things. He can give that,” McCollum said of Folgueiras. “Before we start to put a great deal of emphasis on just the teaching of the X’s and O’s, which we still do, we need to make sure that guys are meeting the standard, which he is.”

McCollum said he will be cautious with the younger guys out of the gate, naming guard Tate Sage, forward Trey Thompson, and center Trevin Jirak speciﬁcally. He wants to let them learn how to play through mistakes and will be patient with the process.

Each player in this trio is at least 6-foot7. Given the lack of size throughout the roster, there will be some push to get the group mentally prepared for Big Ten play.

“So once they get to a point where we feel like, ‘OK, these guys are ready.’ And if they make one mistake, we’re not going to yank them, then that’s probably the time that they’ll stay in the game consistently,” McCollum said.

It’s important to note there will be growing pains with this team. Almost every player on the roster will be foreign to Power Four play, including McCollum, too, in terms of coaching.

Patience is warranted, but McCollum insists his squad will have an identity forged from an overlooked past. The new head coach demands his team not be satisﬁed when there’s always room to grow.

“Understanding that I’ve always worked better with a chip on my shoulder, either doubted or whatever. And same with those guys,” cCollum said. “Making sure that we continue to have that edge and don’t have a sense of arrival, more so than anybody in the league, that’s what we’re going to need to have to be successful in the ig Ten.”

working her way up through the depth chart. When she got her chance to play, she really elevated her game.”

The fourth-year head coach also noted the potential Steponaitis showed early on.

“That’s why we redshirted her, so she wouldn’t burn the year,” arnes said. “She’s actually ahead of schedule. She got to train all last year. She surprised us on how fast she’s improved.”

Steponaitis credited the Hawkeyes for

Jensen began her press conference at the team’s media day on Oct. 14 by reminding reporters that Iowa sports its youngest roster since 2012. Her mentioning the fact was less so about tempering expectations than preaching patience.

“On paper, it all looks really exciting and it looks, ‘Wow, this is really a deep team and we’ve got all this versatility,’” Jensen said. “But I think anybody who coaches or teaches knows there is a learning curve, and you cannot skip the steps.”

ith a di cult nonconference schedule, featuring the likes of Baylor and defending-champion UConn, the Hawkeyes must prioritize progress as they factor in a new point guard and other talented ﬁrstyear players.

Lucy Olsen led Iowa in points and assists per game last season, her ﬁrst and only with the Hawkeyes after arriving from Villanova. Now in the WNBA, Olsen’s replacement, at least as a distributor, arrives from down south. Second-year guard Chazadi “ChitChat” right transferred to owa from eorgia Tech, where she ﬁnished second on the team in assists.

Jensen praised the 5-foot-4 Wright for her unselfish play style but wants her to shoot the ball more. Maintaining such an equilibrium is di cult, and Jensen knows learning a new offensive system is challenging. or the coach, finding the balance between encouragement and criticism is key for development.

“When you’re playing tighter you really can’t keep growing as much,” Jensen said. “So with Chit-Chat, I’m keeping her a little loose and telling her it’s OK to make mistakes.”

The same could be said for other new Hawkeyes like ﬁrst-year ddie eal, a ﬁvestar recruit from Irvine, California, or fellow freshman Layla Hays, a prized prospect from Alaska and Iowa’s tallest player at 6-5.

Alongside 6-2 senior Hannah Stuelke and 6-4 sophomore Ava Heiden, Hays can help reshape Iowa’s frontcourt and pave a somewhat new identity on the ﬂoor.

“We haven’t really had that luxury,

their unity as a team.

“The team is doing a really good job of learning with each other and working together,” Steponaitis said.

Deery expressed excitement to see Steponaitis’ future with the program. In her eyes, Steponaitis won’t hesitate to make a play on the net, and such conﬁdence will only help her teammate’s career.

“She swings into a block, she swings out, you can bet that she will be swinging for the ne t ball,” eery said.

“She’s never timid. She’s very aggressive in all of her swings, that’s going to take her far.”

right ” Jensen said. “ e’ve kind of been true to who we are because we haven’t had the si e.”

Jensen said she hopes the Hawkeyes can feature a small, big, and hybrid lineup sometime this season, forcing the opponent to adjust rather than vice versa. Regardless of lineup, the head coach aims to play fast, and post players running the ﬂoor in transition will be key.

uard Sydney ﬀolter perhaps most embodied such versatility last year. In her final season with the Hawkeyes, ﬀolter averaged . points and teamhigh 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Teammate Kylie Feuerbach tied with Affolter in the steals category, and after electing to return for a ﬁfth year of eligibility, aims to e pand her repertoire.

“Just doing whatever I need to

established to support one another as a team.

“There’s no ‘Ugh, she beat me,’ after races,” agallan said. “ t’s more like, She worked harder, so she deserved it.’”

Following each race, every runner on the team will say one positive thing about their own race, and then something positive they noticed from another teammate’s race.

“After every race I would usually be negative in my head,” agallan said. “Hearing my teammates talking positively about themselves and complimenting others is really good.”

A little bit of confidence can go a long way, especially for a firstyear. With the mentality Magallan has and the performances she’s posted already, she’ll come across as a seasoned veteran by the time her first-year campaign comes to an end.

defensively, just upping that even more than could have last year,” euerbach said. “Then oﬀensively, stepping into more of a scoring-threat mentality.”

Feuerbach and Stuelke are two of Iowa’s most experienced players, holding a combined 124 starts. The pair each played a role in Iowa’s Final Four run in 2024 and know the path to the mountaintop. The trail isn’t immediately clear for the Hawkeyes and, considering Jensen’s words, shouldn’t be mapped out yet.

It would be ironic to say that hope springs eternal as the weather turns bitter cold, but in Iowa, positive reinforcement strengthens a young spirit amid the hype that’s stuck since the Caitlin Clark era.

“I’m encouraging [my teammates] in everything,” Stuelke said. “ t’s really hard to come in, learn a new system, and play without any encouragement.”

“She’s just getting started,” Hasenbank said. “It would surprise me moving forward if she’s ever out of our top five.”

Braving the elements of an Iowa winter isn’t for every Texan, but for Magallan, the support and care of her teammates make every minute of the struggle worth it. With three Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards already to her name, the sky is the limit for the lone Hawkeye first-year.

Haig’s quiet rise anchors Iowa’s youthful squad

The second-year brings composure, versatility, and minutes to a team full of newcomers.

The owa ﬁeld hockey program boasts a young group of athletes this season. The roster features ﬁrst- and secondyear players, but one has managed to stay under the radar.

Second-year Lexie Haig has quietly become a fundamental asset for the team, racking up minutes played rather than worrying about assists and goals.

Over 25 games with the Hawkeyes, Haig has played over 500 minutes but has only tallied one goal and one assist. fter her ﬁ rst-year campaign, Haig worked to establish her own identity on the ﬁeld, one she hopes will stick for the rest of her career.

“I really worked on having better composure and strength on the ball, as well as working on playing hockey the way I want to play rather than a new style of hockey,” Haig said.

Haig’s story in ﬁeld hockey goes well back to her days in her hometown of Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. While in high school in the U.K., Haig competed for numerous ﬁeld hockey clubs, leagues, and organizations. One of these teams rostered former Hawkeye Katie Birch. Another featured current Iowa associate head coach Michael Boal. These indirect connections planted the seeds of her potential recruitment at Iowa.

“I knew I would like Michael’s coaching

philosophy, and after seeing Iowa on my visit, the environment and the team just solidiﬁed that this was where wanted to be,” Haig said. To the Iowa coaching staff, Haig showcased the desired traits. Head coach Lisa Cellucci said Haig’s intelligence and versatility allowed Iowa to eventually use her in multiple diﬀerent positions, lines, and situations.

“Last year, we had her play mostly in the midﬁeld, sometimes even as a deeper screen player, and this year she has been able to play up front, ﬁlling gaps in areas where we need some e tra depth,” Cellucci said.

One common adjustment all the international players, including Haig, have to make when coming to the U.S. and joining the owa ﬁeld hockey program is the diﬀerence in playing styles.

“In England, the style is more technical and slow, but here it seems to also be technical but more fast-paced,” Haig said.

Fourth-year Milly Short, originally from England, takes it upon herself to help her teammates feel comfortable.

“I also had to adapt to the playing style here in America, so I sort of think of it as we are all in this together as a team – as an owa team,” Short said.

Haig said Short would periodically help her understand some of the diﬀ erences in ﬁ eld hockey terminology between

England and the US. Short’s leading role has inspired Haig to keep going and learn every chance she gets.

“It just gave me the clarity that yes, it is diﬀerent, but look at where she is now, that could be me one day,” Haig said. .

As the season nears its end, Haig and the coaching staﬀ look forward to ne t

season and what she can continue to improve on.

“I want her to continue to accept the role she has been given, especially up front after her strong season this year, and really try and ﬁnd ways to get upgrades and outcomes in the oﬀensive third,” Cellucci said.

Iowa City’s haunting history

Exploring Iowa City’s spooky history of ghost and spirits.

A whistle of wind, the cracklings of leaves, the snap of a twig: these are the sounds that make us jump at night, look over our shoulders in dark alleys, or avoid a shadowy hallway when we’re alone.

Though there are many legends Iowa City residents know, like the statue of the Black Angel, there are plenty of sites that get missed on the daily. There are places in Iowa City that go beyond their functional purpose or well-known story, places where people say they have seen or heard the unexplainable.

The wind, like the voice of a young girl, or the creak of the floor, echoes like footsteps. These places are passed by every day.

Within the Brown Street Historic District on Iowa City's north side, brick roads and tall oak trees paint the neighborhood as a cultural epicenter. The neighborhood was classified as a nationally recognized historic district in 1994 and encompasses 15 acres of houses in northern Iowa City.

Brown Street was one of the early neighborhoods of Johnson County as the city was beginning to develop as the territory's capital.

At the end of the street, only seven blocks away from the Iowa River, is the Oakland Cemetery.

Back when the bricks were first laid in 1907, this street was the preferred route for the funeral processions as deceased members of the community were paraded down the street, guided to their final resting place.

Matthew O’Brien, the head of the Iowa City Ghost Hunters, has heard multiple stories regarding the area near Brown Street. Its long-standing residency has caused it to have many run-ins with violent events.

“There was a murder there and just a lot of deaths connected to that area,” O’Brien said.

The origins of Brown Street’s haunted history stem from stories among the residents who have experienced unexplainable events. One of those residents is Candice Wuehle, a University of Iowa professor.

While Wuehle was attending the Iowa Writers Workshop in 2014, she and some of her peers lived on Brown Street and had brushes with the paranormal. One of those friends was living in what was considered to be a historically haunted home where a spirit lived within the walls. The ghost was said to pull people’s hair. Though Wuehle never experienced this, she said a few of her friends did.

There is also the case of the white dog. One of the friends who also lived in this house was on Skype with her long-distance boyfriend late at night when he noticed something lurking in the background.

He had asked her when they got a dog, and she said, ‘We don’t have a dog. We’re not allowed to.’ Then he said, ‘There's been a white dog walking around behind you on the camera,’” Wuehle said.

Another interesting aspect of Brown Street is the GasLight Village, a group of four buildings housing apartments and studios available for lease.

What really sets this area apart is an interesting architectural feature: a wall of gravestones. This feature has garnered so much attention the residents are used to various ghost tours or investigators showing up at their home.

“It’s happened several times at the Brown Street house, where the people living there will walk out to their car and go, ‘Haunted tour?’ and they’ll go, ‘Look at the gravestones!’ because they are from the 1820s and

1840s. You might have to push some branches back, but you’ll see them,” Wuehle said.

Plum Grove Mansion is also the subject of reported paranormal activity. Located on the south side of Iowa City, the home originally belonged to Robert Lucas, who was the first governor of the Territory of Iowa from 1838 to 1841.

After serving as governor, Lucas returned to his home state of Ohio. But after losing the Congressional election in 1843, Lucas and his wife sold their farm and moved their family back to Iowa. The property, which originally sat on 360 acres of land, was home to orchards of plum trees, from which his family took the name.

started with a volunteer when c endree

ﬁrst began working for the society around 13 years ago. He was leading a tour when he took the group to the second ﬂoor to see the bedrooms.

“When they got to the three rooms upstairs — the master bedroom, boys’ bedroom, and a girl’s bedroom — they found a doll belonging to the granddaughter of Lucas and some examples of toys and furniture from that time period. He said once they got close to the room and looked in, a woman became flustered and said they didn’t get good vibes and refused to go inside,” c endree said. As a member of the historical society, c endree is used to reporters and paranormal investigators asking to investigate certain sites and

Today, the home sits as a historic landmark on four acres of land oﬀ irkwood Avenue and is open to the public.Alexandra c endree is the executive director of the Johnson County Historic Society, and while she has personally never experienced a paranormal event in any of the locations she’s managed in the last 13 years, she has heard a story concerning the old Lucas home.

The story

UI Neiman lab studies sex and snails

UI professor explores the intersection of biology and gender using snails.

Many scientists model biological processes with the study of mice, rats, and even ﬂies, but snails have been especially useful to Dr. Maurine Neiman. She has been a professor of gender, women’s, and sexuality studies and biology at the University of Iowa since 2008.

Neiman’s lab is dedicated to bridging biology and gender studies. More importantly, it seeks to answer questions, using snails, about something universal yet still elusive to humans: sex.

“The question we’re asking is: why is sex so common? Sex is the fundamental component of organisms and diversity,” Neiman said. “Just imagine a world without sex. All these colors, actions, noises, sounds are produced by and for sex, for organisms to mate with each other.”

Neiman’s lab works predominantly with Potamopyrgus antipodarum, a freshwater snail native to New Zealand. This species became the subject of her question because it reproduces sexually and asexually with wide ploidy-level variation, or diﬀerent numbers of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell.

Collecting the snails involves extensive travel and requires special precautions.

“We go out to a lake for the entirety of a day and genetically and ecologically characterize populations. Snails are knocked oﬀ of rocks and other aquatic spaces,” Neiman said.

These snails are also invasive, requiring her to develop meticulous protocols and receive a permit from the state of Iowa. There are several layers of precaution in the lab. However, even with years of focused work, an answer to Neiman’s “big se y question” is hard to ﬁnd.

“There is no big sexy answer,” Neiman said. “If you study sex or sexes in nature, there are no simple answers. You can barely have a concrete handle on its complexity.”

nowing this makes the rigor of the snail sex lab even more impressive. With over 27 people on their mailing list, dubbed Snail Mail, they have scientists and students making strides towards understanding sex every day.

International Ph.D. candidate Alejandra Garcia Lopez is heavily involved in this eﬀort.

“When I started my Ph.D., focused on the New Zealand mud snail P. antipodarum, I noticed that most of the papers I

read had at least one author from the snail lab, very frequently Dr. Neiman herself,” Garcia Lopez said.

After an email exchange with her, Lopez was able to bring her research in Vigo, Spain, to the UI for several months. She has since created fond memories.

“The lab meetings are safe, supportive spaces. Sometimes, someone even brings homemade treats. I also really enjoyed being part of the monthly Scientweens outreach events at the library with elementary school kids,” she said.

Beyond research, the lab focuses on cultivating scientiﬁc and cultural enrichment in Iowa City. Scientweens is just one example, but the lab manager and fourthyear student Winnie Gavin has been grateful to experience more.

As lab manager, Gavin takes on the role of maintaining snail environments, feeding them, and training new members. She thinks of herself as a mentor in science communication.

“The lab prioritizes science communication in a way other labs don’t,” Gavin said. “With posters even just in Biology uilding ast, we make sure that our ﬁgures make sense and our text is minimized so that science is readable and accessible within the community. Our goal is to

connect people interested in our lab.”

This overwhelmingly positive atmosphere is rooted in Neiman’s emphasis on perspective. Biology is quite literally the study of diversity within organisms and life, and to better understand it, there must be variation in the people studying it.

“Diversity of the scientists is critical to science. For example, until women were involved as scientists, it was believed women were passive recipients of mating. We know now this is not true among many populations, but that is thanks to the perspective of women against male scientists,” Neiman said. “Diverse groups do better science.”

7 books to add to your fall reading list

Fall is the best time of the year to find a brand new book. But where do you start?

As the days shorten and the air grows crisper, people are beginning to slow down for the colder months, meaning cozy sweaters, aromatic teas, coﬀees and ciders, and of course, ﬁnding the perfect book to read for winter.

Whether you prefer holding onto the edge of your seat during a thrilling murder mystery, having your heartstrings tugged at by a romance novel, or learning about the fascinating history of the world, everyone has a book to enjoy.

“The Secret of Secrets” is the sixth book in “The Da Vinci Code” series, pulling Harvard professor Robert Langdon into another adventure where he will be pushed to uncover the secrets behind the shadowy city of Prague, a setting helping reinforce the gorgeous mood and tone of the book. The stakes are high in this novel. Langdon will have to navigate a city steeped in myth and history and do what he can to save what he holds dear.

eeping with the theme of classic mysteries, Richard Osman recently

released the fifth book in his classic Thursday Murder Club series. Additionally, the movie adaptation of the namesake first book debuted just a few months ago on etfli . The latest book, “The Impossible Fortune,” follows an ex-spy, a retired nurse, a psychiatrist, and a former trade union leader as they work together to solve a murder case from their fictional retirement home in ent, ngland.

While the original draw to this series may be the mystery aspect, the grounded characters feel real and will keep you coming back for more. Plus, if the series happens to hook you, there’s certainly no shortage of content to keep you satisﬁed.

Followers of Pynchon should be able to recognize his sharp and witty style from a mile away. Those who don’t will probably attribute it to the old s ﬁlm noir genre, with all of the makings of a moody detective ﬁlm, including, but not limited to, a is, Russians, dancing, the heiress of a fortune going missing, and, strangely enough, cheese.

Clocking in at around 300 pages, quicker readers might not spend all fall reading this story. Don’t let that cloud your judgment, though, as this book contains intrigue, suspense, and wit-packed between its two covers.

For those looking to spend their fall with fewer backs stabbed with daggers and more hearts struck with love, look no further than “Pride and Prejudice.” The classic story follows Elizabeth Bennet and the rich and proud Mr. Darcy, who dislike each other at ﬁrst, but eventually get over their “pride and prejudice” and fall in love.

This book is perfect for those who love to hate a love-hate relationship, and for those who enjoy a good scandal now and then. The evolution of the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth is bold and intriguing, with no lack of turbulence. This book is a great read if you can get past ye olde language.

Dangerously recent, “Minor Black Figures” by UI Writers Workshop alumnus Brandon Taylor dives into the role of art in protest through the eyes of Wyeth, a black painter struggling with artist’s block. This book is sprinkled with wisdom and conversations on faith, race, purpose, and love, while still containing a heartfelt and compelling story. Wyeth chooses to challenge traditional representations of black people through his art, which ends up having the opposite of its intended eﬀect.

This causes Wyeth to come face to face with his own detachment from his race and other deep-rooted insecurities as he searches for love, inspiration, and himself.

A surreal and introspective exploration of identity, illness, and the disorienting eﬀects of the C - pandemic, “ ill There Ever Be Another You,” follows a writer named Patricia who experiences mind-melting side eﬀects from her brush with the infection. The story’s complexity makes way for an intimate and wild journey. If this coming season is going to be a time of change and growth for you, this book might keep you very interested.

e’ve finally reached the promised cookbook. Wyse, who some may recognize from his TikTok account, offers many traditional recipes with a fourth-generation Southern Iowa twist on them. Some featured recipes fitting well with the fall season are Wyse’s chili-spiced sweet potatoes, which blend sweet and heat that’s great for the colder months, cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread, a classic fall treat, and Wyse’s mom’s signature skillet goulash, which is guaranteed to leave your belly full and your body warm.

and areas looking for stories like this.

“The first question I get asked at most of our sites is, ‘Is it haunted?’ and I will say I have not experienced anything after 13 years of being in the house day and night,” McKendree said, “But hey, if there is anything here they are happy with me because I am taking care of the house and continuing to share the history.”

Another addition to Iowa City’s spooky scene is the E.C. Mabie Theatre. Located on the west side of the UI’s campus, the building is rumored to host the spirit of Edward Charles Mabie trapped inside.

Though he is known for being a spirit in the building, Mabie is even more known for starting the theatre department at the UI. Mary Beth Easley, the chair of the

had also heard haunted rumors about the theatre.

Early in Borreca’s career at the UI, he had a coworker who was given a gift by the late department secretary, Diane Topinka. Borreca explained how Topinka claimed the gift was evidently left for her by Mabie’s spirit.

“I asked the department secretary about it, and she said, ‘Oh yeah, didn’t you hear? The ghost of E.C. Mabie, he’s around and sometimes he leaves things for people,’” he said.

Though neither had a true ghost story of their own, each did bring up the topic of “ghost lights” when it comes to the end-of-night process in a theater. It is the practice of leaving a single light on the theater’s stage when everyone has left for the night.

“Myth has it they do that to keep the ghosts either away or to give light to the ghosts, where they have light to be able to perform or do whatever they want to,” Easley said.

Despite ghost lights having a practical purpose, Easley found it fun to think of them more supernaturally. She has been part of the theatre world across the country and has seen some odd things happen.

“If I want to have fun and say there’s a ghost in there, I think it’s kind of fun people’s spirits can hang around and be part of it,” Easley said.

Department of Theatre Arts at the UI, said some stories have arisen from Mabie’s supposed presence.

“A joke once was E.C. Mabie, who founded this department and is [who] the theater’s named after, hated musicals,” Easley said. “So whenever there was a musical, things would happen, and he was causing them to happen.”

Despite the thought a ghost being in a building is negative, Mabie’s is more on the positive side. Art Borreca, the co-head of the UI’s Playwright’s Workshop,

Ba le of the fall trends

Two arts reporters debate what styles to follow during the fall season.

Being in the depths of fall brings out the best and worst styles of the season. With the way fashion is ever-changing, there are consistently new trends around every corner, but fall fashion does not always need to change, as the classic statement pieces embody the season’s feelings.

All I will ever need for fall is a good pair of baggy jeans and a nice sweater. As much as I love and adore scrolling through Pinterest, I try to stick with traditional fall styles. Anything taking inspiration from Rory in the iconic “Gilmore Girls” is something I enjoy seeing once there is a chill in the air. As soon as the summer sun begins to fade, everyone had better have their knitted sweaters on.

Even though skinny jeans have been on the rise again, I think the trend should stay gone. Skinny jeans can be pulled oﬀ sometimes, but it really depends on the person. Most times, though, it reminds me of Caitlin Covington, the woman who

has been posting those “Christian Girl Autumn” photos since 2019.

Even when it comes to other trending clothes, like jorts and ru e shorts, they have to be styled in a speciﬁc way to make the outﬁt work. have to be honest, am a big hater of jorts. Those could have easily stayed in the past. I also feel like some of these trends just are not practical for the chill we face in Iowa City. This might be the southerner in me speaking, but once it starts hitting 50 degrees or lower, I need something to cover my whole leg.

While I think there are quite a few fun microtrends, I also think sticking with traditional fall clothes simply brings out the season the most. A good oversized sweater with a skirt and some tights is what truly encapsulates the autumn feeling.

This is not me saying to dress a certain way because everyone deserves to express themselves how they want. This is just me saying I lean a bit more on the side of classic fall clothes. Not to say I do not appreciate other people’s outﬁts when they go all out, either.

Personally, though, I am simple, just like a good pair of baggy jeans. They go with almost anything and provide much more space for accessories — at least in my experience.

Enjoy what you will, and do not let my poor fashion views get in the way of how you dress. Love your clothes in your own way, just ﬁnd something that makes you feel comfortable with yourself.

We all know fall fashion trends cycle without fail every year: pops of red, browns, furs, and chunky knit sweaters. However, fashion is made more fun when moving off the beaten path and e perimenting with interesting microtrends. I’m a bit of a microtrend warrior. I love searching interest for the newest outfit cycles finding ways to spice up my wardrobe. This fall, I have found several trends cycling back from the past, contributing to the microtrend craze.

First, skinny jeans. The outdated, millennial-iﬁed skinny jeans can still work, especially as the weather starts to get colder. However, now they’re being styled with taller boots, rather than ankle booties, or more structured, pointed-toe shoes, such as kitten heels or leather loafers.

Another way to modernize skinny jeans is to pair them with a super chunky knit sweater, something more classic, or with another oversized jacket, poncho, or blazer; other pieces that have been popularized in recent years.

Although this style of jeans may be less comfortable than the modern baggy jean trend, sometimes sacriﬁce is worth it.

Lace is also making a resurgence as a microtrend, speciﬁcally as ru e shorts resembling bloomers or pantaloons and long-sleeve shirts used for layering under sweaters and cardigans. will admit, have the ru e shorts in orange, and I’m planning on buying them in another color as well. I absolutely love them, and they can work in spring, summer, and fall transition outﬁts.

Again, these are being worn in the fall time with a massively oversized sweater, probably the trending teddy bear sweaters, to balance the proportions of the tiny shorts. Footwear often includes tall riding boots, such as Frye boots, which can be called classic but are making a resurgence among young fashion savants.

Pantaloon and balloon-ish pants are a micro-microtrend that go hand in hand with lace, as many of the pants have lace or are styled with lace underneath. They also use more structured blazers, a classic being used to oﬀset the quirkiness of the pants.

Jorts are also having their moment again, only this time they’re being used in several diﬀerent ways the performative male or the chic night out. Performative male is more classic; think baggy shirts and sneakers. However, people are dressing up their jorts with — again — tall boots or kitten heels, chunky knit sweaters, and lots of layered jewelry, often sporting big gemstones or charms.

Go have fun! Find the most eccentric pieces of fashion and ﬁnd ways to style them, it’s all about experimentation.

Lola Jane Jewelry makes a statement

Rachel Hoskins displays nature-inspired creations at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market.

This is an installment in a multi-part series.

In the middle of the Saturday morning buzz at the Iowa City Farmers Market, a pair of silver bumblebee earrings glinted in the morning light, dangling beside a delicate golden leaf secured at the end of a chain necklace. Surrounded by the murmur of morning shoppers, an aroma of fresh bread, and the hum of local performing musicians, Lola Jane Jewelry makes an artistic statement.

Rachel Hoskins, the owner and creator of Lola Jane Jewelry, specializes in crafting local, handmade pieces blending simplicity with nature. She also oﬀers opportunities for customized commissions, personal designs, and even jewelry-making parties.

Pieces are often made using objects found in nature or repurposed materials — a subtle nod to creativity and sustainability working in tandem.

“Her selection was really pretty. It’s simple but timeless and elegant,” Sydney Schulte, a customer browsing through the carefully crafted display of necklaces and earrings, said.

All of Hoskins’ designs are grounded in her craftsmanship. Utilizing her skills in metalworking, bead stringing, and wire weaving, she designs every piece of jewelry she sells by hand, with the occasional simple bracelet strung by her mother.

But jewelry-making is not Hoskins’ full-time career — at least, not in the traditional sense. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 2013, Hoskins became a pharmacist for the UI College of Pharmacy. She also teaches a pharmacy elective at the UI and started a drugs and American pop culture course two years ago.

She’s also a mother, which is initially why she stepped into the jewelry-making business.

something more. She took classes in town, further inspiring her passions and leading to her selling her creations. With her biggest muse being the outdoors, natural designs such as stones, leaves, acorns, and small ﬂowers or plants are commonly seen throughout her pieces.

designs aren’t the only remarkable thing about Lola Jane Jewelry. The prices are student-friendly and aﬀordable, opening up Hoskins’ business to a larger group of customers.

Creating jewelry in the middle of her nine-to-ﬁve and family life has helped her ﬁnd balance, Hoskins said.

“Two years ago, since my daughter’s been getting older, I’ve had all this free time and wanted to start being creative again like I was in high school,” she said. The rediscovered artistic spark quickly evolved into

“[The jewelry] is super unique and definitely looks and feels quality-made. There’s a lot of different choices,” Lesley Corey said, visiting the market for the first time from Pennsylvania for the Iowa vs. Penn State football game.

Corey picked out a pair of earrings as a gift for her friend’s birthday.

As a tribute to the UI spirit, many Hawkeye bracelets, earrings, and necklaces can be found, too. Hoskins knows her demographic well, meaning the quality and

Lola Jane Jewelry represents more than just adornment. While Hoskins once strived for perfection in every aspect of her life, she now focuses on self-acceptance and balance, something visually conveyed through her creations. Nature is imperfect, Hoskins said. It’s “messy, asymmetric, and inconsistent,” and to her, those traits are exactly what make it, and people, beautiful. She encourages people to see their value and ﬁnd worth in their uniqueness and imperfections — the same way she has with her jewelry.