The Daily Iowan — 11.05.25

The Daily Iowan Local agencies’ ICE protocols

Immigration detainments and deportations hit record highs nationally

Local response to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the Iowa City community varies by jurisdiction. The Daily Iowan obtained federal law enforcement and ICE-response policies from local law enforcement, area governing o cials, the Iowa City school district, and the University of Iowa.

U.S. immigration detention reached the highest level in history within the first months of the Trump administration, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Racking up 61,000 detainees as of late August, the numbers are projected to reach as high as 107,000 by January 2026.

Iowa has also hit a record high number of deportations, according to the most recent data obtained by the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by the DI. The data reports IC arrests have been made between January and July.

President Donald Trump ordered nationwide ICE crackdowns with the intent of removing criminals from the U.S.

Roughly 60 percent of those arrested by ICE in Iowa this year have a criminal conviction, about 30 percent have at least one charge, and around 9 percent had no charges or convictions, according to the data.

On Sept. , the first IC arrest was made in Iowa City, sparking an uprising within the community and concern for how to respond to ICE’s presence, given agents are not required to identify themselves as federal enforcement.

Four locals made 911 calls on Sept. 25 regarding Bread Garden Market employee Jorge Elieser González Ochoa’s arrest. The calls reference González Ochoa being tackled to the ground by men in plain clothes who have since been identified as IC agents.

According to the 911 tapes obtained by the DI, another Bread Garden Market employee called the Iowa City Police Department at 10:59 a.m. during the arrest:

“They have tasers, they might be ICE, I’m not sure,” the employee said. “They have him in handcuffs, I’m not sure if they’re cops or not though.”

“I need an o cer at the read arden we got all sorts of problems. I don’t know if I’ve got ICE in here or who it is,” a bysander who witnessed the event and called ICPD said.

“Some people just tackled one of the workers out the door, I have no idea if they’re ICE or what,” another bystander said in a 911 call.

González Ochoa has since been indicted on three counts by a grand jury. According to the indictment filed Oct. , he is charged with fraud and misuse of documents, use of immigration identification documents not lawfully issued, and false representation of a Social Security number.

and in Iowa.

No individuals detained by ICE in Iowa City or anywhere in Johnson County will be housed in the Johnson County Jail.

There are currently six county jails in Iowa that have Intergovernmental Service Agreements with the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, a statewide membership-based advocacy and immigration legal service organization driven and led by immigrant and refugee voices.

The six jails are located in Woodbury, Pottawattamie, Polk, Hardin, Linn, and Muscatine counties.

Under the lights of Kinnick Stadium, Carissa Wolfe spins, bends, and launches a baton into the air as she performs with the Hawkeye Marching band. She first picked up a baton at years old, and she’s been twirling and tossing it ever since.

Now, the first-year student has four international gold medals in twirling for the International Baton Twirling Federation in Italy and holds the position of the Golden Girl for the Hawkeye Marching Band.

The Golden Girl, or feature twirler, adds visual excitement to Hawkeye football halftime performances with the marching band through baton twirling, including high-speed tosses, intricate tricks, and coordinated choreography.

“I get to do something I’m passionate about, and I get to go into a little bit of a leadership position,” Wolfe said. “So that’s me training on my own at least two hours a day, plus two hours a day of rehearsal.”

Marching Band Director Eric Bush said the featured twirler

The agreements allow for these jails to house ICE detainees for 72 hours or longer. Each jail listed can hold up to 200 people collectively.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors does not have a contract with the federal government. Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green said he is “confident there would not be an agreement” with the federal government pertaining to ICE. The board is also hoping to quickly develop a statement about ICE. County jails across Iowa have the option to sign contracts with ICE to house detainees, but Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan said the county has never been approached with the option.

Golden Girl shines bright at UI

UI study shows variance in state fluoride levels

The study found large fluoride gaps in Iowa’s groundwater amid debates.

In a study spanning nearly 90 years of testing, Iowa’s groundwater fluoride levels ranged from barely traceable to more than 11 milligrams per liter, far above the federal guideline, according to University of Iowa researchers.

The September study conducted by UI researchers found that, across the state, fluoride levels in groundwater ranged from below 0.1 to 11.2 mg/L, with a median of 0.35 mg/L. The study, however, only reported its objective observations and did not conclude why the variance is so wide.

While Johnson County wasn’t singled out in the study, the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s monthly fluoride report revealed that from to , the Iowa City Water Department sat comfortably at 0.71 mg/L over the past six years.

The U.S. Public Health Service recommends an optimal fluoride concentration of 0.7 mg/L in order to prevent tooth decay while minimizing the risk of dental fluorosis, a condition caused by excessive fluoride ingestion that can lead to severe discoloration, deep pits on the teeth, and structural damage to teeth.

In the study, researchers say such extremes from too little or too much fluoride could have important health implications, as low levels reduce protection against cavities while high levels can damage teeth and bones. Some cities add fluoride in drinking water.

position involves an extensive audition process with applicants from around the world. Can didates submit a résumé, personal statement, and twirling demonstration.

A panel made up of outside ad udicators selects finalists, and Bush conducts interviews and a final audition to choose the winner. He said Wolfe’s person ality and skill set her apart from the rest.

“[Wolfe] is in a league of her own,” Bush said. “She’s a wonder ful person. She’s a person that’s goal-oriented. She has ambition, but she understands the big picture of the Hawkeye Marching Band as well as how the feature twirler position fits into that. She is an incredible athlete. Her twirling is second to none.”

Bush said Wolfe’s vision of how she wanted to perform and interact with the band made the decision to select her for the position of Golden Girl clear.

In her interview, Wolfe was already showing she was willing to collaborate and had ambition to elevate the position, Bush said.

To Wolfe, the beauty of the sport lies in how many disciplines from different kinds of sports it brings together.

“It’s a combination of dance gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics — all the things put together in one,” she said.

The choreography she performs on the field is entirely designed by Wolfe herself. She said she gets inspiration from TikTok and Instagram videos and is able to teach routines to both herself and younger, aspiring twirlers.

Wolfe said she loves to teach choreography to younger students and really enjoys the creativity that creating a routine requires.

Wolfe won her gold medals competing in the International Baton Twirling Federation, a global organization hosting a baton twirling world championship each August.

The findings come amid a growing national debate over the safety and benefits of water fluoridation. As of October, both Utah and Florida have banned the chemical in drinking water to the disapproval of the American Dental Association.

Johnson County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski said overall, Iowa is a dental care desert.

Last year, 22 percent of kids aged 0–20 years old receiving an oral screening by I-Smile in Johnson County had tooth decay.

As for the entire state, 87 of Iowa’s 99 counties have been marked as dental shortage priorities needing closer access to dental resources, according to Delta Dental of Iowa.

“We don’t have a lot of access to dentistry in the state, especially for folks who are low income,” Pettit-Majewski said. “Water fluoridation is a safety net for all of our populations who are drinking fluoridated water because it protects the enamel on their teeth.”

In the UI study, the Manson region of north central Iowa was particularly analyzed.

The Manson region had the highest concentrations of fluoride throughout the nearly 90-year period. Wells within 50 kilometers of the Manson region had an average fluoride concentration of 0.81 mg/L.

Overall, 69 percent of the total samples fell below the optimal 0.7 mg/L, while 7 percent exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s, or EPA, secondary limit of 2 mg/L.

The secondary limit is a

“I’ve been lucky enough to get to do that the past three summers,” she said. “It’s been super cool to be on Team USA and represent my country.”

Marching Band Drum Major

formances, and he has enjoyed working with her for his last season in the marching band.

“It’s been just so fun to work with her and watch her grow every single game day and just excel with

and UI graduate student Brandon Alpers, whom Wolfe called her “built-in older brother,” said she brings a layer of excitement and depth to each of their per-

unenforceable guideline set by the EPA to prevent fluoride from reaching above 2mg/L, which can cause mild dental fluorosis.

Only 0.4 percent of the groundwater samples exceeded the maximum containment level of 4 mg/L, a limit enforceable by law and one that, if ignored, could cause severe dental fluorosis.

Darrin Thompson, associate director of UI’s Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination and a coauthor of the study, said most current fluoride research only paints a picture of fluoride levels on the national level.

“Here, we wanted to look at what this means for Iowa and what that concentration looks like historically so that readers can be better informed about potential risks,” he said. “The general theme is that Iowa overall has typically very low levels of fluoride.”

Thompson hopes the study can also assist private well owners, as between 230,000 and 290,000 Iowans rely on a private well for their drinking water supply, according to the Iowa Environmental Council.

“Testing a private well is the responsibility of the owner,” he said. “You can look at the maps of the aquifers and well depths [in the study] that may be of concern. And if you have a concern about fluoride, use that to either seek out testing or seek out treatment to meet your needs.”

Stuart Cooper is the executive director of the Fluoride Action Network, an organization working to promote the avoidance of fluoride due to its potential harmful effects. He said he believes the 7 percent of samples found exceeding the secondary limit are worrisome, but the .S. overall has safer fluoride levels

her twirling and her performing,” he said. “Seeing her get more comfortable in the role, interacting with fans, and getting to know more people in the band, it’s

than the rest of the world.

“There are countries like India and China that have a lot of naturally occurring fluoride in the drinking water,” he said. “And it is an epidemic, people have skeletal fluorosis. They’re hunched over, they have brittle bones. Their lifespan is dramatically short, and they have a di cult time filtering it out.”

In the U.S., Cooper said there is still much to be done for alerting residents of higher fluoride levels, as most notices for high local fluoride concentrations are only found in the water bill.

Cooper said there is still room to be worried about the health risks of fluoride before it begins to exceed the EPA’s maximum containment level.

He cited JAMA Pediatrics, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association, and their meta-analysis published in January, which found fluoride exposure above 1.5 mg/L is associated with lower IQ scores in children.

Cooper said this could especially be a problem for mothers who use infant formula with tap water.

“A child who consumes infant formula with fluoridated water has an increased risk of lowered IQ by an average five I points,” he said. “This comes with additional neurobehavioral disorders, lower executive function, and also a whole host of other issues, like kidney, liver, and endocrine disruption.”

Cooper also cited a National Research Committee report in 2006, which claimed that the maximum containment level and the secondary maximum containment level are not protective of public health.

The study did not evaluate or oppose the 0.7 mg/L level used in community water

simply a joy.”

Wolfe said her favorite memory of the year so far is performing to the Iowa ight Song for the first time with the marching band.

“It was definitely interesting coming in,” she said. “I realized that I have 300 people who will always have each other’s back. Nothing’s ever personal, and we’re all in it together.”

Having only twirled in Kinnick with the Hawkeye Marching Band so far, Wolfe said she hopes to perform in a bowl game at the end of the season.

“I think that would be super cool to get to go to a bowl game and travel with all the new friends I’ve made,” she said. “I want to show my twirling somewhere other than Iowa City. I think that’s so cool to get to represent the school in a bunch of different places.”

fluoridation programs.

“So here we are, and that’s the need,” Cooper said. “Neither have ever been lowered for political reasons because the public will lose trust. You can’t call something the greatest public health achievement of the 20th century and all of a sudden walk it back.”

Steven Levy, a professor in the UI College of Dentistry and a coauthor of the study, said the JAMA Pediatrics meta-analysis used by critics of fluoride was scientifically faulty.

Levy said the meta-analysis grouped very high fluoride levels from other countries like China and India into the study, which host a myriad of additional contaminants in their waters. The meta-analysis also grouped many tropical areas areas that reported drinking three to five times as much water.

“Unfortunately, those scientists didn’t do a good job scientifically on that. They put it all together to try to exaggerate the risks by not separating things,” he said. Levy and his colleagues are currently working on another analysis of the meta-analysis.

Levy said when water fluoride is naturally occurring, it is tested less frequently. When it is artificially adjusted water fluoride, it is tested daily and reported to the state and the Centers for Disease Control.

“So we want to reassure people that even though there’s different sources and different mixes and different situations of naturally occurring versus adjusted fluoride, it’s all monitored very carefully,” he said.

Pettit-Majewski said fluoride helps prevent far more than cosmetic deficiencies on the teeth.

Damage to tooth enamel can lead to gum inflammation and allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream, potentially contributing to serious health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes complications, and even miscarriages, Pettit-Majewski said.

“Our mouths are an opportunity for infection to travel to the rest of our body,” she said.

“Children who are struggling with cavities have a difficult time eating, they might have a difficult time sleeping, they might have a difficult time learning or paying attention in class because they are in pain.”

Becky Hackett-Leas, the oral health coordinator of Johnson County Public Health, said no community is adding excessive fluoride to the point of the EPA’s maximum containment level.

While the study revealed that 7 percent of the groundwater samples exceeded the EPA’s secondary limit of 2 mg/L, 99 percent of the actual drinking samples remained below 2 mg/L.

“There is not a fluoride advocate across the nation that advocates for 4 mg/L of fluoride,” Hackett-Leas said. “We are really talking about that balance, not too little, not too much. Just like anything else in our diet, we need to keep things at an even scale.”

“Our jail is in such poor condition and so overcrowded that we couldn’t do it even if we wanted to,” Sullivan said. “The board has never actually taken a vote. But I also think it’s worth saying there’s no question in my mind that the board would be [voting] 5-0 to not do that sort of thing.”

Sullivan also said any local in Johnson County who witnesses an individual being tackled or grabbed, similar to what happened at Bread Garden, should call the authorities to respond to the situation. He said this is especially important so authorities can get public body camera footage of the interaction and file an incident report.

“Any requests for assistance from ICE will be handled through the lens of our policy and Iowa law,” ohnson County Sheriff rad Kunkel said in an email statement to the DI “The ohnson County Sheriff’s O ce will always strive to ensure public safety and fairness to all residents of our community.”

Iowa Code 27A, which covers immigration enforcement, requires that if law enforcement agencies have custody of someone “subject to an immigration detainer request” by ICE, they must fully comply with any instruction made by any legal document provided by ICE.

The law also states restriction of enforcement of immigration law is prohibited, and local entities, regardless of whether or not they have a federal contract, must comply.

“A local entity shall not adopt or enforce a policy or take any other action under which the local entity prohibits or discourages the enforcement of immigration laws,” the code states.

Failure to comply with any of these laws will result in an investigation by the Iowa attorney general, and if an entity is found in violation of the code, the punishment is denial of state funds.

After González Ochoa’s arrest at the Bread Garden Market on Sept. 25, Iowa City City Council members have emphasized the importance of keeping community members safe and stated they stand with immigrants in Iowa City.

Mayor Bruce Teague led chants of his campaign slogan, “We all belong here” during a protest in support of González Ochoa on Sept. 26.

He said the council should be vocal when immigrants in the community are being targeted by ICE.

“This is not what anyone should be experiencing,” Teague said. “There is absolutely a process that should be followed by any governmental directed personnel, and ultimately, together as a community, we will get through this.”

Councilor Megan Alter said council members need to be talking about keeping community members safe.

“It’s horrifying that we’re having to keep people safe from our own government agencies first and foremost,” she said. “I’m deeply committed to keeping residents safe, and I think there needs to be multiple ways to help residents because ICE is coming from federal agencies, from governmental agencies.”

Alter said the Iowa City Police Department does not assist in these immigrant warrants.

“Iowa City Police are not being informed of these agents coming to town,” she said. “It’s dangerous for the residents, but the police are not there to assist ICE, and I think that we need to continue being very visible in our support of our immigrant community.”

Councilor Oliver Weilein emphasized that the city government cannot physically prevent ICE from coming to Iowa City, but they are going to continue to be vocal about the situation and listen to people’s concerns.

“A local city government is not going to be the source of salvation for people,” he said. “It’s going to have to take grassroots, bottom-up, brave and courageous resistance and risk-taking from the public. City governments are not equipped or cut out to do these things.”

The Iowa City Police Department declined a request for comment from the DI on how they have responded to ICE’s presence in Iowa City.

The niversity of Iowa O ce of the General Council updated campus guidelines for law enforcement presence, which includes ICE.

“If a law enforcement o cer requests access to records or a UI space, ask them to wait while you consult with OGC and UIPD for guidance,” the instructions read. “If the agent declines your request to wait, do not obstruct law enforcement agents or interfere with their actions.”

President Barbara Wilson and UI Campus Safety declined to comment on the O ce of eneral Counsel’s guidelines.

The guidance states law enforcement o cers from different agencies may be present in public campus spaces. However, some spaces are private and not open to the public. The o ce lists out residence hall rooms, patient care areas, or other spaces that are locked during business hours as generally private.

A UI professor, who the DI granted anonymity due to her concerns for her job, said the university’s policies are vague, which creates a chance for instructors and students to be hurt.

“I feel that the university is not being honest about its position and is neglecting to be honest with its students about what will happen if ICE came to campus,” the professor said. She said the UI is putting everyone on campus in an “unsafe position” by not making their position clear.

“Because this is vague, it protects the university and leaves the burden of interpretation on the instructor, who can then be at risk if they’re deemed to have interpreted

this rule, which is written in multiple ways, in a way the university deems to be incorrect, that they did the wrong thing,” she said. “But I think the biggest burden when it comes to safety, is on the student.”

Loren Glass, UI English department chair, said the guidance has cleared up many questions professors had about how to handle situations if ICE were to come on campus, and it is “better for the university to take the responsibility off our hands.”

“It liberates us from having to worry about sort of specificities of, What if I’m here,’ or What if they ask for this person,’ or What if it’s a student ’” lass said. “I mean, there’s all sorts of scenarios that people sort of put out there, and every one of them, I have to say, I’m not an immigration lawyer.’”

Glass said it has been a very stressful time for people in positions like his, where others are looking for rules or advice, and the university’s guidance has alleviated some of the weight of navigating how to best support staff and students.

Number of ICE, CBP arrests in first months of Trump presidency

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun to arrest more people than U.S. Customs and Border Protection after the first nine months of President Donald Trump’s second presidential term.

The Iowa City Community School District is working to address ICE concerns among students, staff, and families in the district. Ruthina Malone, ICCSD school board president, said she has heard the concerns surrounding ICE raids in schools and tries to respond assuringly.

“We want our students, their families and staff to know that they are valued members of our district, and we are here to support them,” Malone said.

Public school districts nationwide are guided by the Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe, which mandates all students, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education and cannot have their immigration status collected or maintained by the school district.

While the district works to reassure families, recent federal policy shifts have complicated their efforts. On Jan. 20 the Department of Homeland Security made a change to its rules for ICE. The new rule removes previous guidelines that had stopped ICE from going into “sensitive locations” including churches and school buildings.

The district has cited measures taken in terms of supporting the emotional well-being of students, but the district must be in compliance with the state and federal law.

On its website, the district states it will not share student information or let law enforcement into schools unless legally required to do so. This is a gray area for the school district, as it can only react to the threat of an ICE raid.

“[It is important to] ensure our students’ records are updated with contact information for an emergency contact. This allows us to provide more support to our families,” Malone said.

Malone said communication with families is vital in addressing the concerns surrounding the ICE presence in the community. Being able to quickly contact families to communicate to them what is happening at their schools is a role that the district can play in helping families impacted by the threat of ICE, Malone said.

lena Casillas- offman is a communications specialist for Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice who advocates for involvement.

“Everyone should feel empowered to ask questions especially when it comes to the safety of our students,” Casillas- offman said. “We also always want to encourage parents, educators, and all individuals in the schools to ask questions to school administrators about what their policies and practices are if ICE shows up.”

The organization has an online training program educating individuals about their constitutional rights. These trainings also include emergency plans for migrant families, with a three-step guide. These steps include how you and your family should prepare before you face detention, how to interact with the officials who are making the arrest, and what to expect to happen inside a detention center.

The organization is creating training made specifically for parents and educators.

“Every student and parent should feel safe entering a school with the ability to completely focus on learning,” Casillas-Hoffman said. “Schools should be safe zones for students to learn, grow, and interact with new ideas.”

Casillas-Hoffman is working alongside the organization to create change in Iowa, and to keep schools a safe place for all students.

“Iowans have a proud history of being leaders in education, of creating and fostering learning for all students. It’s a history that we can and should want to continue. It’s a future we can all work towards, but it’s a future that depends on all of us to be vigilant in working towards,” Casillas- offman said.

Similar to the Johnson County Sheriff Department, the Coralville Police Department may not detain any individuals, but it can assist ICE if its presence is requested.

“An officer should not detain any individual, for any length of time, for a civil violation of federal immigration laws or a related civil warrant,” CPD’s policy 414.4 states. The policy also states that “requests by federal immigration o cials for assistance from this department should be directed to a supervisor. The Department may provide available support services, such as tra c control or peacekeeping efforts.”

CPD did not provide further information on handling ICE arrests in its jurisdiction.

The North Liberty Police Department’s policies are nearly identical to those in Coralville — with response to federal requests for assistance is the same.

Both departments also share the same policies for determining if it’s appropriate to turn over an individual in their custody to federal agents.

“When notified that an officer has detained an individual and established reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe the person has violated a criminal immigration offense, the supervisor should determine whether it is appropriate to: (a) Transfer the person to federal

authorities. (b) Lawfully arrest the person for a criminal offense or pursuant to a judicial warrant,” CPD policy 414.4.1 and NLPD policy 414.4.1 state.

NLPD Police Chief Diane Venenga added the department does not monitor immigration status with the city’s license plate readers.

“We do not track, monitor, or have access to any illegal immigration lists,” Venenga wrote in an email to the DI. “If requested, and we are available, we will help any other law enforcement agency. Our automatic license plate reader cameras lock do not alert or flag for any civil immigration orders.”

OPINIONS Taylor Swift, is it over now?

Taylor Swift’s era of oversaturation has been going on for far too long.

It’s impossible to ignore Taylor Swift.

She is on every late-night show, hitting top charts every time she releases music, and makes an enormous impact on the economy by touring.

I can undoubtedly admit Swift is a global phenomenon deserving of discussion. It is almost ignorant not to acknowledge her influence. et, we also can’t ignore the recent profit-driven style her work is stuck in.

My love for her music peaked at her albums “folklore” and “evermore,” which could be said for a lot of her fans. But I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of her as a person, and especially not of her latest music.

Candice Wuehle, University of Iowa professor for the honors class “Poetics (Taylor’s Version),” said Swift’s impact, both economically and socially, merits her work being discussed in an academic setting. The class encourages discourse about Swift’s work through a poetic lens, as students analyze intertextuality and themes within the artist’s stardom.

“‘The Tortured Poets Society’ openly acknowledges she is working within poetic traditions. There are direct allusions to her resonance with the confessionalist movement, and we get literary references, from Greek mythology to Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Wuehle said.

Harvard professor Rachel Burt started teaching about Swift’s discography in 2023, with countless colleges, including the UI, following suit shortly after.

However, her newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” has become emblematic of problems in the music industry, and has solidified my personal distaste.

“The rule of show business is, if it’s the first week of my album release, and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping,” Swift said in response to the criticism surrounding the album.

But that’s not what art is. Music is about telling a story, which Swift, admittedly, has done in the past. At 20-yearsold, Swift told a story of heartbreak and vulnerability with her 2010 album

“Speak Now.” In “Reputation,” Swift reacted to the public scrutiny she faced, namely about her feud with the Kardashians, and about reclaiming her story.

As an emerging female pop star, Swift rightfully had a story to tell. In her acceptance speech for the Woman of the Decade Award, she explicitly called out the double standard between men and women in the music industry.

In her 20s, her publicized relationships and start in the music industry as a young woman made for great songwriting. At 35, this formula is oversaturated. And with her billionaire status, perpetuating these storytelling beats feels like a money-making attempt.

“[Swift doesn’t] have any uplifting story anymore to cause me to care about her or her music,” Nell Petersen, UI second-year student, said.

In the first week of her new album’s release, Swift released 34 variants of the same album. In the same week, she made $135 million in revenue, according to Billboard.

Avid fans were buying these variants even before hearing the album itself, with Aiden Watson, a Taylor Swift fan, sharing in a story by People Magazine he had spent $800 on the variants. Watson stated he doesn’t even play the music he buys but merely uses them as wall art.

This isn’t new, though. “Midnights” had 19 variants offered to fans, in the form of CDs, cassettes, vinyls, and more. It might just be speculation to think she released so many versions of “Life of a Showgirl” so soon because of the criticism and lukewarm reviews it received.

in money, and it’s not just because of album variants. She also released an 89-minute lyrical video “watch party” in theaters, which made $46 million worldwide.

“Swift’s music uses aesthetics to fill the void where artistic substance should go,” Parker Lee, a UI second-year student, said. “Her vapid, childish lyricism, like writing ‘So High School’ when she graduated nearly two decades ago, appeals to and encourages a demographic of, largely, other young women who are scared of growing up.”

And maybe, for that reason, “The Life of a Showgirl” has a marketing disconnect. When Swift first announced her album on fianc Travis Kelce’s podcast, many people, including myself, expected the album to be primarily about the record-breaking Eras Tour that had concluded months prior. Although a few songs definitely reference her experience, it seems the main focus of the album is Kelce… and sex?

resonated with me as an artist in part because she has made independence for women glamorous,” Wuehle said. “But I was very disappointed when ‘Life of a Showgirl’ came out, and I heard she made a reversal. It makes me really sad she has made this reversal at this current political moment.”

Swift’s influence extends far beyond the music industry — her political presence, or lack thereof, recently, has become ust as defining.

Although we shouldn’t turn to celebrities for their political views, nor should celebrities feel obligated to educate their fan base, Swift has explicitly involved herself in politics in the past.

In her “ iss mericana” etflix film, she emotionally discussed President Donald Trump and how she could no longer stay silent about politics. During the 2024 presidential election, Swift publicly endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, while criticizing Trump. et, Swift has been largely silent about Trump’s recent actions in the White House, including the immigration arrests across the country and the white supremacy movement taking place.

But in the end, Swift is raking

Swift, who has been a symbol of independence and feminism for women, has largely appealed to female audiences. But in doing so, she alienated other audiences, especially men, from her music. I would argue she has changed her narrative to appeal to audiences who think her music is overly sappy and annoying.

“Swift has definitely

She has also yet to make any statement about the Israel- amas conflict, for which she, rightfully so, has received backlash. Fans, namely the #SwiftiesForPalestine community, have persistently asked the artist to comment on the occupation in Gaza, to no avail. What is even more deafening about her silence is her fianc ’s neutrality in politics. Before the 2025 Super Bowl, Kelce said it was an honor to have the president at the game, no matter who it is. Now, when it really matters, she has suddenly gone mute. It’s hard not to wonder whether her previous activism was an authentic conviction or a strategic move to fit the cultural moment. Recent lyrics like “have a couple kids, got the whole block looking like you” and “good thing I like my friends canceled” combined with merch reading “protect the family” are incredibly tonedeaf. Even though these might not have been intentional, her silence on such topics is not helping her case. It’s impossible to ignore Swift, but maybe that’s the problem. The louder her fame gets, the quieter her substance becomes.

Why I still listen to Taylor Swift

My reasons for continuing to enjoy Swift’s music despite issues with her personally.

One of my most vivid childhood memories includes Taylor Swift and her music. Though I no longer tell everyone I know how much I love her music and hope to have a career like hers someday, I do still find myself seeking out her songs when I feel down.

I was almost primed to be a fan of Swift. Her debut album was released in October 2006, just two months after I was born. My mother was the same age as Swift at the time, and the rest was history. But eventually, I stopped listening to Swift just because my mom did. It took me a few years to figure out my own opinion, which I am still working on, to be honest. At some point in middle school, things changed, and I started listening to her music on my own.

By then, I had already seen her in concert, and Swift was on the verge of releasing her 2017 album “Reputation.” That was the first album of hers not tainted by my mother’s thoughts and feelings.

It happened to be around the same time I was discovering my joy of writing. I was able to finally appreciate the way Swift writes her lyrics in “Reputation,” overanalyzing every line and finding the meanings behind them.

My love for her music expanded in 2020 when she released “folklore.” I still have so many memories tied to that album, and it is the one I look for when I am going through a rough time. It helped me get through everything I was struggling with, and even inspired some of my current writing.

Now, none of this is to say I support Swift as a person. It has been di cult for me to stop listening to her music these past few years because of how ingrained she has always been in my life, even if I agree with personal criticism.

Despite still taking time to listen to her music, I no longer seek out her new stuff and have not heard anything from her new album yet. It is the old stuff that holds a large part in my life, and I have not found myself enjoying her new work as much as what I loved from childhood.

There are so many instances throughout my life in which Swift’s music has been a part. One of the shows on her “ ed” tour was my first concert, and for most of my life, she was the only artist I had ever seen more than once in concert. Many of my oldest friendships from

Rent increases fuel competitive IC housing market

Insurance, taxes, and construction

costs push rents higher, while student demand keeps market competitive.

As class sizes continue to increase at the University of Iowa, so do the challenges of finding affordable housing. This year the UI welcomed its second-largest class in its -year history.

Iowa City has a student-driven housing market due to its proximity to the university. The downtown housing market has remained relatively strong, showing a similar rate of leases in the last decade, according to the Iowa City rea ssociation of ealtors.

The association shows, as of October , there are approximately available rentals in Iowa City. ut the same forces sustaining property values are also driving up rents and competition for off-campus housing, as well as property owners’ bottom lines, rad Comer, Iowa City assessor, said.

“The presence of students helps stabilize values during a downturn in the market,” Comer said. “The university keeps the market pretty strong here. We wouldn’t have nearly as many properties here without them.”

Comer’s observation is reflected in the Cook ppraisal’s Iowa City rea partment ental Survey, the most recent report. The study analyzed over , rental units across Iowa City, finding rent prices increased slightly in , and vacancy rates dropped.

According to data from the study, the average asking rent for a -bedroom unit in Iowa City is around , per month. ow in , realtor.com reports rent averages around , per month.

The survey shows a continued demand for off-campus living units, even after new construction of luxury apartment complexes like Replay and RISE have added beds to the market.

“Whenever a new structure goes up in town, you are adding beds to the population,” Cabel ray, researcher at Cook ppraisals, said. “We want to know if those beds are filling up, and what the landlords are charging.” ray said the data still shows the market is healthy for property owners. The study found the vacancy rate in Iowa City among rental units is . percent which has decreased by . percent since .

“In , rents went up. It wasn’t a huge amount, but it was a move in the positive direction for property owners,” ray said. “ acancies went down, which tells us there is still demand for off-campus housing.”

While the demand remains strong, the cost of maintaining buildings and developing units has grown substantially, ray said.

“Taxes have gone up, insurance has gone up, and cost of building materials and construction has gone up,” ray said. “The only way property owners are making money is by raising the rent, and the goal of a developer is to make profit.”

According to a property tax calculator, property taxes in Iowa are currently . percent, which is well above the . percent national average.

These pressures are what Iowa City landlords like Tracy arkalow are experiencing every day.

“The big one right now is the cost of insurance and just operational costs for the property management companies,” arkalow said.

Seventy-two percent of students at the university live off campus, and many feel the competitive environment of the housing market, he said.

arkalow said he has dealt with leasing disagreements with student renters in the past. e also said many students do not take care of the units they are renting, and he struggles with the upkeep of units by students.

where students can easily access thousands of units from different property owners and developers.

arkalow said while he thinks adding his units to the site would benefit his business, arkalow and ssociates ealtors. e ultimately cannot afford the price of advertising his properties on the site, estimating he would have to pay around , to advertise on the website.

arkalow said this is a result of the university attempting to take advantage of property owners looking for student tenants, and that advertising on other websites is significantly less expensive.

The Cook Appraisal study found even with steady construction, new developments have not eased competition or affordability concerns. ray noted the economic pressures of the housing market are impacting everyone, not ust students.

arkalow pointed to rising costs of advertising as an additional fee contributing to an increase in rent. The university offers an off-campus housing website

“It is across the board. It hits homeowners, it hits renters, it hits everybody,” ray said.

IMU prepares 50-year time capsule

The time capsule will seal away student artifacts and notes as part of the IMU’s centennial celebration.

The University of Iowa’s Iowa Memorial Union is putting together a student time capsule as part of its th anniversary celebration, with a planned unveiling in years.

The centennial celebration kicked off the festivities late September with an open house featuring free food, activities, and building tours, helping students and attendees alike becoming more engaged with renovations to the space.

The celebration coincides with an . million renovation project approved in pril by the Iowa oard of egents after contention and concerns surrounding approval of federal grants.

Renovations are underway and are set to be completed by the spring of . The pro ect is funded through undergraduate and graduate student fees as well as I Student ealth reserve funds.

The renovation will include a wellbeing center offering physical and mental health services, student care projects, and wellness programs. Interior and exterior lounge areas will also be constructed, along with improvements on building wayfinding and circulation to help navigate the IMU, renovated dining spaces, and retail food options.

“We are in a wonderfully unique situation where we’re celebrating our th anniversary and at the same time, we’re renovating our building,” ill elson, associate dean and executive director of the I , said. “ nd so it’s an appropriate event to do a time capsule that’s consistent with student unions and remodeling our student union.”

The IMU hosted a time capsule event in the awkeye oom on Oct. , allowing students to leave notes and photos from a photoshoot in the box.

total of students and staff attended the event, elson said.

Twelve photos and notes were submitted into the box during the event. The notes allowed students to write to future versions of themselves. The Oct. print edition of The Daily Iowan was also included in the capsule.

“We have the opportunity for students to leave their mark and their time for students down the road — in our case, years to be able to learn about those students and their marks,” elson said. elson said he predicts different reactions and feelings when the time capsule is unsealed in the future.

“What I think is special is that some of the students wrote from a personal perspective and other students wrote from a student organization perspective,”

Wilson said. “So we’ll be able to capture not only individual students’ memories and thoughts, but the same for student organizations.”

Second-year race ochberger attended the time capsule event and shared her enthusiasm for students and

attended the time capsule event and said he is excited about the idea of using it to measure the change in half a century when the box is opened.

“I’m sure the way we talk, the way we look, the way we act is all going to be so much different years from now,”

time to seal it for years.

faculty viewing the artifacts in half a century from now.

“I love the idea of writing a message for myself,” ochberger said. “I like that we get to take pictures as well to see what we look like now compared to from now.”

Third-year student Aidan Ulin also

lin said. “It’s going be cool to see what everything looked like years ago.”

The time capsule now sits in the Welcome Center of the I to collect more notes and artifacts. elson said that they are deciding between two different locations for keeping the box once it is

“We’re working with our design and construction colleagues to select the most appropriate one in terms of the building and what makes more sense in terms of accessing it,” elson said. There will be future events for celebrating the I ’s th anniversary, according to I Student ife. The Campus ctivities oard will host the I ’s th irthday ash on ov. in the International allroom and will feature a recreated bowling alley, board games, and face painting. The unch with the Chefs is another annual event that will take place on an. . The I Centennial ala will be held in ebruary as the culmination of the year anniversary celebration and will be where the time capsule wil be sealed.

“With how quick things are developing, it’s gonna be cool to see what everything looked like years ago,” lin said.

With cuts to Medicaid, addiction care could su er

resulted in a loss of benefits.

Ann Breeding remembers the moment she was told her 29-year-old son, Daniel Bailey, had died of a drug overdose.

Breeding recalled dropping to her knees in the living room — now decked with pictures and shrines paying homage to her late son — of her Bondurant home, screaming “no” over and over again.

When Bailey died, he had been drugfree for six months after nearly 12 years of addiction thanks to finally receiving treatment for his long-term substance use at Bridges of Iowa, an addiction care center in Des Moines, Breeding said.

Though getting him treatment was no easy feat. Breeding said Bailey had to jump through insurance loopholes, even though he was on Medicaid, just to get into the treatment center.

Millions like him, who access care through Medicaid, might not be able to get treatment through the public insurance program as Republican federal lawmakers enact changes to the program in their “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

The bill makes nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid spending over a decade through a series of changes restricting access to Medicaid, to pay for a trillion dollars in tax cuts.

One of the wide-ranging changes to Medicaid enacts work requirements for able-bodied adults, though a litany of exemptions were included in the bill — including an exception for those with substance use disorder. Experts worry the added paperwork and eligibility requirements will be difficult for those suffering from addiction to access care.

These changes come as Iowa sees a shortage of mental health providers and inpatient care for addiction, providers say.

At first, Breeding tried getting her son legally committed for treatment, which she said she later regretted. After a 72-hour hold, he was released. Then, when Bailey was finally ready to try treatment on his own, he struggled to navigate the system.

“It’s either they don’t have a bed, there’s a wait list, you don’t have the right insurance — we had state insurance when he did finally get into treatment — I’ll never forget that experience,” Breeding said.

She said any delay in getting longterm drug users into treatment can cause them to never seek treatment. She said barriers to care and paperwork are what can make it so some never get treatment, even if they want it.

“You can’t wait another week, you can’t say, come back in two weeks,” Breeding said. “Instant, immediate access to treatment — that’s what he needs.

Breeding said the consequences of a delay can be life or death.

“When he’s ready, he’s ready, and if you don’t help, the alternative is that he’s going to die, and people don’t understand that urgency,” she said.

According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, it is estimated that more than 1.6 million Americans who are receiving substance abuse care will lose access to their Medicaid coverage because of work requirements.

The law is expected to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and require able-bodied, or those without a disability that prevents them from working, adult beneficiaries between the ages of 19 and 64 to work for at least 80 hours per month. The law also requires certain adults, including parents with children under 18, disabled adults, and those who are medically frail, to be exempt from work requirements.

The law spells out an exemption for those suffering from substance use disorder, though health policy experts say the paperwork involved with proving exemptions is often difficult and burdensome for those suffering from addiction.

“There are concerns that individuals with substance use disorder who are currently in treatment don’t need additional stress and barriers to their coverage,” said Natasha Murphy, the health policy director at the Center for American Progress and the author of the study.

Murphy said Arkansas’ work requirements, implemented under a waiver of Medicaid rules during President Donald Trump’s first administration, give clarity on how work requirements will play out on a much larger scale, given their similarity to those implemented in the law. A case study from the Brookings Institution shows work requirements did not increase employment but rather

Murphy said the same thing played out for those with exemptions in Arkansas, and the multistep process resulted in those with disabilities and other exemptions losing coverage.

The study by the Center for American Progress estimates roughly 22,300 Iowans will lose access to Medicaid due to work requirements, out of 603,000 children and adults who are covered by Medicaid in the state. This is coupled with the more than 28,000 Iowans receiving addiction care through Medicaid.

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, who sits on the committee authoring Medicaid portions of the bill, pointed to the exemptions in the law for those with disabilities and substance use disorder.

“As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to protect care for those who need it most, including individuals in treatment for substance use disorders,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement to The Daily Iowan. “Nothing in this bill cuts or restricts that care. The work requirements apply only to able-bodied adults without dependents and explicitly exempt those with disabilities or those receiving substance abuse treatment.”

In a June 24 speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reiterated the exemptions available under the law, and that work requirements are “common sense.”

“Establishing work requirements in Medicaid for able-bodied adults, with reasonable exemptions – then from the previous precedent of welfare reform – that all makes common sense, yet today,” Grassley said during his speech. “States like Iowa are already leading the way in establishing work requirements for able-bodied adults in Medicaid.”

Murphy said losing coverage can be devastating to someone’s sobriety.

“It will put folks’ sobriety at risk if they do lose their Medicaid coverage, particularly in the manner in which it would be lost through work requirements,” Murphy said. “A lot of folks wouldn’t have an affordable, viable option for alternative coverage sources.”

With work requirements adding burdens to those seeking care, providers worry it could prevent some from seeking treatment, even though they want it.

“It’s just going to throw in more obstacles for our clients,” Dan Keller, the executive director of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services of Iowa said. “It’s going to be challenging for those clients and for our staff, who, quite frankly, are already really challenged, as the current system already exists.”

Alison Lynch, the director of the Addiction Medicine Clinic at the University of Iowa Health Care, said access to addiction care is paramount because addiction is quite treatable.

“Because treatment is often quite helpful for people, they need to be able to access it,” Lynch said. “When people can’t access it, then they continue to be in a state of having untreated health issues or things that are interfering with them from focusing on what’s really important to them in their life.”

Keller said accessing care can often be difficult on its own, so his staff will be working to educate clients on how to maintain coverage.

“Any loss in coverage for individuals is going to be really significant; it adds more barriers put in place for folks obtaining services,” Keller said.

According to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Medicaid pays for 60 percent of addiction care in the U.S. and for 56 percent of all addiction care in Iowa.

With roughly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid set to take effect in 2027, providers are looking to diversify their revenue to brave the shift.

Keller said 35 percent of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Services’ revenue comes from Medicaid for the Burlington-based nonprofit.

“We spend a huge amount of time every single day just simply trying to figure out how we’re going to get paid for the services that we provide, navigating that tangled web,” Keller said. “It’s really a mess with Medicaid — private insurance, self-pay, state block grant, any number of other sources — take up a huge chunk of our time.”

Murphy said rural providers are more likely to feel the effects of these cuts, and it could further decrease access in Iowa, though experts say there already isn’t enough access in Iowa.

Murphy said an increase in uncompensated care costs, or costs for providing care to someone without coverage and the inability to pay, could push a lot of these providers over the edge and cause many to close.

“Substance use disorder treatment centers really rely on Medicaid to reimburse them for the critical treatment support they are providing to individuals in their respective communities,” Murphy said.

“Particularly in rural areas, there’s a lot of concern that these facilities end up closing.”

This comes as Iowa already faces a shortage of access to addiction care, specifically for inpatient services.

Iowa also faces a shortage of psychiatric providers, with 73 out of 99 counties in Iowa not having any psychiatrists, according to UI Health Care.

Substance use disorders affect roughly 17 percent of all Americans, according to the 2024 survey on National Drug Use and Health by the National Institutes of Health.

Lynch said although there are many facilities throughout the state, many still struggle with accessing treatment for several reasons, namely the shortage of providers.

“Even if everybody did feel comfortable asking, and had lived nearby, had insurance and stuff — we don’t have enough treatment providers in Iowa,” Lynch said.

Though efforts at the state level are working to effect change on that front, cuts to Medicaid could devastate rural providers and make access even more scarce for addiction care.

Breeding said getting access to care was the hardest part of treatment once Bailey was ready for it. She said she continues to fight for change and to increase access to addiction care in Bailey’s memory. “I tried so hard, and that’s the part that sucks, is that I tried so freaking hard,” Breeding said through tears. “I went to Texas to bring him home when he was ready for help. As soon as I got the ‘I’m ready.’ When they’re ready to get help, they need it now, and they need it long-term so that they can heal.”

IC Downtown District unites small businesses

The district is forming new commi ees to guide downtown development.

Downtown District aim to guide decisions on economic growth, public spaces, and downtown development for the next six years. The Iowa City Downtown District launched new committees and task forces as it follows its strategic plan for 2025-31. The plan is divided into three phases — assessment, planning, and implementation — with the formation of these groups being a part of the initial phase. The additions include a Policy and Advocacy Committee, Economic Vitality Committee, Place Management Task Force, and the Organizational Infrastructure Task Force.

Each committee aligns with one of the plan’s four priorities: economic vitality, place management, policy and advocacy, and organizational infrastructure.

The Economic Vitality Committee will focus on enhancing the district’s desirability as a place to live, work, and visit, strengthening downtown’s position as Johnson County’s economic hub.

The Place Management Task Force aims to enhance walkability, safety, and the overall visitor experience. The Policy and Advocacy Committee will serve as a “trusted, influential voice advocating for downtown issues.”

The Organizational Infrastructure Task Force will focus on developing strong leadership, effective governance, and sustainable resources within the downtown district.

The district announced applications on Oct. 15 and received roughly

District of Iowa City, or SSMID.

Each of the committees had requirements for the type of people involved, Betsy Potter, executive director of the downtown district, said.

Under the Policy and Advocacy committee, Potter said the district sought experts or those interested in public policy, government relations, and law.

sion would allow her to participate in other aspects, including its executive board.

Josh Immerfall has been a business owner in downtown Iowa City for the last eight years, owning Donnelly’s Pub, Scout’s Honor, Giddy Up, and Camp. Immerfall is the president of the district’s executive board.

A part of three other downtown district committees, Immerfall said his passion for downtown Iowa City keeps him motivated to take on more responsibility.

A SSMID, according to the Iowa League of Cities, “authorizes a city to impose additional property taxes on a special district for specific purposes within that district.”

Most of the SSMIDs in Iowa are downtown areas, which pay for streetscaping or beautification pro ects.

On Nov. 18, the Iowa City City Council will consider a petition to re - establish a SSMIDt, which will expand the district’s area and, according to the hearing notice, set maximum tax rates to be imposed and levied on properties within the district.

Karen Kubby, owner of Beadology, who

Immerfall said the committees play a key role in bringing together stakeholders to help guide priorities within the district.

“They drive the decisions made by the executive board, which ultimately shape our downtown,” Immerfall said. “It’s wildly important that we make correct and prudent choices for downtown to keep it clean, keep it safe, and keep it welcoming for everyone.”

Kubby said she’s excited to see how the committees will bring different voices together.

“I love it when there’s disagreement because it means we’re going to work

“I’m incredibly passionate about downtown. I’m incredibly passionate about Iowa City, and it being the economic driver of ohnson County, specifically our downtown,” Immerfall said.

Potter said the district works to turn that vision into action through the services it provides.

“As the nonprofit that manages that funding, we strive to provide enhanced services for the Iowa City Downtown District boundaries,” Potter said.

Immerfall acknowledged the progress the district has already made and expressed appreciation for the work done in improving downtown.

“The impact already done by the downtown district is massive. We see a better downtown now than in the past. Now it’s ust continuing to shape that. We’ve done a lot of amazing work, and some of the work ahead of us now may be di cult, and that’s okay,” Immerfall said.

The district’s annual mission report for 2023-24 noted an increase to 8.9 million visits, a 5.2 percent increase.

As the committees begin meeting, Immerfall said he’s confident they’ll continue shaping a stronger, more connected downtown.

Local businesses impacted by sheri ’s sale

Several downtown Iowa City buildings will go to a sheri ’s sale on Nov. 18.

The Chauncey building will go to a sheriff’s sale on Nov. 18, a public auction held to satisfy a debt incurred by developers Marc Moen and his associates, leaving businesses inside to work through uncertainty.

The decision comes after a court issued udgment, with all money from the sale going to GreenState Credit nion, the plaintiffs on the case.

Three other buildings will also go to the sale, including Plaza Towers, Park@201, and the parking lot on the intersection of South Clinton Street and East Burlington Street. Plaza Towers on 221 E. College St. and Park@201 on 201 E. Washington St. are both mixed use buildings, housing condos and commercial space. Both also overlook the Pedestrian Mall of Iowa City.

GreenState Credit Union foreclosed on the four buildings in April after filing a suit against Moen and his associates on Feb. 4.

The lawsuit claimed the real estate developer and his associates had defaulted on roughly $28 million in payments on loans made between 2016 and 2023. According to court documents, the plaintiff lists promissory notes as evidence of the $28 million in payments outstanding from the developer. These notes were a written promise to pay a certain amount of money on an agreed upon date, which Moen and his associates were unable to meet.

In its court document, GreenState called all efforts to restructure or manage the debts “fruitless” and stated it was being forced to foreclose and file a motion for summary udgment. According to court documents, the motion was filed to “enable a party to obtain udgment promptly and without the expense of a trial where there is no fact issue to try.”

The courts granted a summary udgment in favor of GreenState on April 16,

ending the case without a trial. It also allowed the credit union to collect col lateral from businesses like Iowa City fitness center the , such as inventory, chattel paper, which includes docu ments for payment obligation, accounts, equipment, general intangibles, consumer goods, and fixtures.

The Chauncey is most recognizable for being the tallest building in Iowa City, and the other properties going to the sale are also home to several local businesses. Plaza Towers is home to the Bread Garden Market, HotelVetro, and condominiums.

The Chauncey currently houses Film Scene, Hotel Chauncey, fix! Coffee, SpareMe Bowl & Arcade, and 65 condo miniums. The foreclosure does not apply to the entire building; only units not occupied by the owner, including those found in the Chauncey. These units will go to resale, as, according to court doc uments, the units are “no longer sub ect to [GreenState’s] claim.”

Heather Soseman, who has worked as the general manager of SpareMe for almost six years, said the sheriff sale leaves the businesses uncertain about the future of the space.

“It really depends on who the new owner is. So it could not affect us at all, and nothing could change, but there is always that possibility,” she said.

Soseman also said while there have been phone calls and meetings with people “at the top” of the issue, like Moen and GreenState, no one has personally come to the SpareMe team to speak with them.

Soseman said she is personally invested in the success of the space and legally. The future owner would have to adhere to their lease but there is typically renegotiation when new owners are involved. Soseman said she doesn’t know who would show up to the sale, but is curious as it could affect the future of SpareMe.

“I’m ust kind of curious to see what money shows up at the auction,”

Soseman said, “For me, it’s about understanding who owns the space.”

Hawkeye Hotels, the company that owns SpareMe, she said, intends to keep the bowling alley in the Chauncey space.

“Hawkeye [Hotels] has the intention of staying,” she said. “They have a lease for the space. They are local and want to keep this business.”

ilmScene, a nonprofit cinema in Iowa City, posted on its social media in April after the foreclosure was announced stating it was aware of the public concerns regarding its Chauncey location and thanked residents for reaching out.

“FilmScene owns its condominium units at The Chauncey and has lease options for our Ped Mall location through October 2030,” the post said.

“This foreclosure does not involve us

directly, and we do not anticipate any immediate impact on our operations.”

The post also thanked the credit union for its “steadfast support” and wished all parties the best in resolving the matter. Other buildings included in the foreclosure will not go on sale in November, including 118 E. College St. on the Ped Mall, which houses the original Filmscene location, after the local theater purchased the property in August. The sale will be held at the Johnson County Sheriff’s O ce and is open to the public with all bidders must be 18 years or older, according to the Johnson County website. The sales can be considered high risk, as bidders are not granted access to the property before the sale.

Jack-Go-Splat

The Iowa Children’s Museum hosted its fifth annual ‘Jack Splat!’ at Chauncey Swan Park in downtown Iowa City on Nov. 1. Workers and volunteers from The Iowa Children’s Museum accepted jack-o’-lanterns donated from the public, with children’s cartoon character, Bluey, throwing the first pumpkin o the top of the parking garage.

SPORTS

Iowa’s wrestling teams look to secure hardware

The men’s team works to build on past success, while the women’s team aims to continue their dominant reign.

The formation of the Iowa women’s wrestling program has transformed Hawkeye wrestling into a powerhouse, as both the men’s and the women’s squads rank among the best in the country.

Leading the charge as head coach for the women’s squad is Clarissa Chun, the 2024 USA Wrestling Women’s Coach of the Year.

The women’s squad is coming off a season where it saw four finalists, three national champions, and a first-place finish at the CWWC ational Championships. Iowa women’s wrestling opened up its season with the All-Iowa dual in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with Central College and Cornell College making the trek to WrestleTown, USA.

Heading the men’s team is the famed twin duo Tom and Terry Brands. Entering their 19th year as head coach and associate head coach, respectively, the Brands’ brothers have high hopes for their squad this season, losing just one All-American in Stephen Buchanan. Buchanan won the individual championship a season ago at the 197-pound weight and was the only national men’s team champion.

As the 2025 wrestling season rapidly

Coming off a - dual record featuring five All-Americans, one individual champion, and a fourth-place finish at the C Tournament, the men’s team heads into the 2025 campaign with a chip on its shoulder. Iowa features a multitude of returning experience as well as some new faces. Four All-Americans are back on the mat for the Hawkeyes — Drake Ayala, Michael Caliendo, Patrick Kennedy, and Ben Kueter. Ayala, Iowa’s 133-pounder, highlighted his second straight second-place finish at the C Championships, narrowly falling to Illinois’ Lucas Byrd in tiebreakers, 3-2. Ayala recorded a 21-3 record and will be one of many Hawkeyes pursuing the top of the podium when the postseason arrives. Like Ayala, teammate Caliendo is fresh off a second-place finish at the C Championships, dropping the 165-pound final to itchell essinbrink of enn State. Caliendo finished the season with arecord, with all three of his losses coming to Messinbrink. Messinbrink’s departure opens the door for the Geneva, Illinois, native to win the national title this season. At 174 pounds is Kennedy, who tallied a fourth-place finish last season with an -

name listed at the weight. Kueter is heading into the season with something to prove as the Hawkeyes’ heavyweight. The Iowa City native racked up a 21-9 dual record a season ago, but all nine of his losses came to a fourth-year or graduate student. ow with one year of experience, Kueter seeks to build his résumé as Iowa’s big man. Redshirt first-year Angelo Ferrari is one of the most exciting names for the awkeyes. The former o. rated poundfor-pound wrestler in the country in 2024 by both FloWrestling and MatScouts, Ferrari went 11-1 last season. Ferrari’s claim to fame last year was an electric overtime win over o. ustin lott that sent Carver-Hawkeye Arena into a frenzy ultimately helping send o. Iowa past o. Oklahoma State, - . Massoma Endene is the name to watch at the 197-pound weight, taking over after Buchanan’s dominant reign. Endene completed a highly successful career at Iowa Lakes Community College and Wartburg College, earning two-time All-American status at Iowa Lakes and three Division III national championships.

The Hawkeyes were active in the transfer portal this offseason, landing former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Dean Peterson. Peterson will look to strengthen Iowa’s

Addie Deal prioritizes teamwork

The first-year guard has been waiting to play in Iowa City for over a year and doesn’t

spot at the 125-pound weight, a weight at which third-year Joey Cruz owned a This was not the only addition to the squad, as Iowa also landed two Little Rock transfers in ordan Williams and asir Bailey. Bailey and Williams are poised to make an immediate impact for Iowa this season and are listed at 141 and 157 pounds, respectively.

The Iowa women’s wrestling program is off to a blazing start, having yet to lose a dual and securing two national titles in its first two seasons of play. The Hawkeyes return two national champions from last season in Kennedy lades and ylie Welker, with both finding success on the world stage in the offseason. lades, a aris Olympics silver medalist, captured a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships and was the an merican champion at kilograms, or 150 pounds. Welker was also a Pan American champion in 2025, taking home the gold at 76 kg, or 167 pounds. She was also a member of the 2025 Senior World team and claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships.

While Blades and Welker headline the Iowa roster with stardom, there are

Heartlanders’ Jonny Sorenson elevated to alternate captain

The 26-year-old forward looks to vocalize and energize the team alongside Yuki Miura.

Jonny Sorenson grew up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and played collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota and then further north at University of Alaska Fairbanks. ow settled back in the idwest and entering his third year with Iowa Heartlanders, Sorenson saw a slight but significant change to his uniform. A knitted ‘A’ on the upper-left on the front of his jersey transforms him from a young professional learning the ropes of the ECHL to an alternate captain whose teammates look to for leadership. Sorenson’s long hockey journey featured plenty of ups and downs, but the forward aims to seize the opportunity his new role affords. The -year-old doesn’t take his responsibility lightly.

“ ow that I’m a stronger voice on the team, I want to make sure everyone feels like they’re heard,” Sorenson said. “I’ll be the one to vocalize things to the coaching staff, and I want to do a good ob of that one and off the ice.” Sorenson is not the only player in a leadership position this season. Yuki Miura, the longest tenured Heartlander, joins Sorenson as the other alternate captain for Iowa. The younger Sorenson said his goal

From sideline to spotlight

Iowa volleyball players see their redshirt seasons paying o .

While the practice is most associated with college football, redshirting expands to numerous sports, especially at a school like Iowa. In Iowa City, volleyball is one squad which employs red shirting and has experienced benefits from its redshirt additions this year.

Redshirting refers to a student-athlete’s sole or joint decision with their coaches to withdraw from collegiate competition for a season but still retain a year of eligibility for future use. Reasons for doing so include taking time to recover from in ury, build up skills, learn from older players, or a combination of motivations. or lyssa Worden, an C tear in high school led the third-year to redshirt her first season at Iowa. pon her start in the - season, the outside hitter has proven a force to be reckoned with. Worden ranks sixth on the team in points and kills this season, her kills almost twice from her total last year.

“It does help you gain some college experience because the game is a lot faster,” Worden said. “It helps to watch the people on the court and how they deal with their adversities.”

t surface level, a year on the sidelines could appear frustrating or even boring, especially for someone like Worden, a star player and two-time state champion at South Elgin High School in Illinois. Yet the outside hitter never felt any disinterest rather, she gained a sense of wisdom.

“ ou gain a different perspective while you’re on the bench, especially as a redshirt,” Worden said. “ ou gain more experience, you gain maturity, and you understand how to deal with college ball.”

Head coach Jim Barnes was involved with Worden’s decision not to play her first year at Iowa and said the year off helped her physically.

“She was coming off a really tough injury coming into college, so it gave her more time to get her body to the level where she can play,” arnes said. “We’re just now starting to see her physically be able to play at the level she’s capable of.”

Barnes also credited Worden as a great talent.

The third-year nabbed a double-double in Iowa’s - win over ichigan State on Oct. , with career-highs of kills and digs.

“She’s really starting to come along here in the second half of the season,” arnes said.

Worden is one of several Hawkeyes who have redshirted in past seasons. These athletes have already proven to be welcome additions to the program once they return to the court.

Second-year Aleksandra Stojanovic has proven to be a force at the middle, tallying over kills this season, while fellow second-year allie Steponaitis, an outside hitter, nabbed a careerhigh 11 kills in Iowa’s 3-2 loss to Michigan on Oct. 11. or third-year llison erent, the decision to redshirt came well before her days as a Big Ten contender.

Originally from ochester ills, ichigan, erent began her college career at labama, where she appeared in eight matches as a first-year. The social and mental shortcomings of the program, however, took a heavy toll on her, leading erent to redshirt her second year and subsequently enter the portal.

“I think at Iowa, there’s more care for the players,” erent said. “It’s a closely knit community and everyone cares for each other. The

Iowa Heartlanders alternate captain Yuki Miura

Do you have a goal celebration?

I just usually put my hands in the air and hug my teammates, but I don’t have one specifically for me.

Do you have any hobbies off the ice?

coaches care for your well-being before you’re even an athlete in their eyes. They put the same amount of effort into you to become the best athlete you can.” eflecting on her decision, erent said she was glad to have sat out her second year.

“I see it more as a blessing in disguise that I did,” erent said. “I didn’t play at all, I hopped in the portal, and I have an extra year at a school that I actually want to rep on my ersey.”

Barnes ultimately credited the experience of redshirting as giving an opportunity to a player who needed extra time to adjust. While team performance is still prioritized, a redshirt year grants a player the chance to focus on themselves, then return to the group with improved skills.

“It’s the only time in their life they ever really sit the bench,” arnes said. “They’ve been stars coming out of high school and club, and this gives them an opportunity to really train and focus on some developmental areas they haven’t been able to do, help them get physically stronger, and ad ust so that they can contribute the next year.”

his house in ontreal once, and that was a really great experience.

Who is your favorite artist?

I love country music like lorida eorgia ine, ac rown and, and Chris Stapleton.

The Daily Iowan: How have you seen the culture of the Heartlanders change since you first got here?

Miura: We have a lot more respect from other teams in the ECHL now after making it to the playoffs for the first time. I started out as the youngest guy, now I am the oldest guy, but I love helping my younger teammates get better.

What is your favorite memory as a Heartlander?

big one is scoring a goal in the playoffs because that was one of my dreams as a hockey player. ut every day going to the rink, playing games, practicing, is special for me.

I have a newborn baby girl, so my hobby right now is baby duty. It is the best thing to happen to my life, and I’m having fun as a dad right now.

Do you have any pregame rituals?

Usually I take a nap and eat noodles to get my energy up for the games. I also make my bed before I leave so it can be clean when I come home.

Who was your favorite hockey player growing up?

My favorite player was Tomáš Plekanec from the Montreal Canadiens. I met him when I was in the Czech epublic, and he even invited me to

Are there any upcoming games on the schedule that you’re excited for?

I always like playing against Bloomington because they have two Japanese players who are my buddies. lso this year, we will be going to lorida, and it will be my first time there, so I am excited for that.

Do you have a favorite sport besides hockey?

Golf is my new favorite sport after I started playing two years ago, and now I’m addicted. I also like to watch golf tournaments on TV because there are some great Japanese golfers out there.

What is the most demanding position in sports?

Sports reporter Trey Benson argues the quarterback position is the hardest, while fellow sports reporter Jonah Frey believes hockey goalies require the most skill.

There is no position quite like the American football quarterback. Serving as the commander of the offense, the position requires a high degree of physical and mental prowess, setting quarterbacks in a league of their own.

To be a successful quarterback, you not only have to be the cream of the crop in terms of athleticism, but you have to know the role of every offensive player while navigating through 11 angry defenders who have the sole purpose of making your life miserable. With the age of the pocket passer coming to an end, quarterbacks nowadays have to evade pressure and be a threat running the ball in addition to being able to throw the ball with elite precision. Quarterbacks are also in charge of calling audibles

on the field. ere, the quar terback will move players or change route combinations based on the way the defense is set up — taking advan tage of weaknesses in zone or man defenses. The sheer pregame prepa ration, knowledge, and improvisation the position demands would overwhelm even the most die-hard football fans. With the infamous exception of ohnny anziel, quarterbacks in the NFL spend hours upon hours sifting through film of upcoming opponents’ snaps, plays, tendencies, and any other valuable insight.

Many forget the position’s pure stress and mental workload. Quarterbacks are often the first individuals talking in front of the press, serving as a team representative. If a team loses, sports commentators and the media will likely point to poor quarterback play. On the flip side, if a team performs well offensively, the quarterback will likely be the first one to receive praise.

While different sports have their own set of respective diculties, there is no other position in sports asking more of an individual than a quarterback.

Hockey goaltenders hold the hardest job in the sporting world. With extreme physical and mental toughness required for minutes a game, there is no other position in sport that compares. Have you ever watched a game of hockey and lost track of the puck at any point? The answer is most likely yes, and that’s from the convenient birdseye view through the living room television. Imagine being on the ice, continuously having your vision blocked by your teammates and opponents, with a puck flying around the ice just waiting to be rifled straight at you. or a goalie, the puck may be hard to find one second and hurling straight at them the next with minimum time to react.

For the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, the team’s average shot speed hovers around miles per hour, with between - mph and an additional betweenmph. While shots over 100 mph

are rare, players today posses such power to reach triple digits. Filip Hronek of Vancouver registered at mph last season. ust this year, Florida’s Gustav Forsling topped out at 105 mph.

Regardless of the protective padding being worn, a hockey puck traveling at that speed is rather frightening to stand in the way of.

While one shot may seem scary enough, goalies faced an average of 30 shots on goal during the - season, according to etMGM.com — quite the mentally exhausting task.

As opposed to goaltending in other sports, a hockey goalie needs to wear ice skates just like everyone else, not to mention their extra equipment weighing down on them.

Goalies are sent onto the ice wearing a helmet, huge leg pads, a chest protector, a glove for one hand, a blocker pad for the other, and a stick, which typically weighs between 40 and 50 pounds. Carrying all that extra baggage for a game that typically lasts about three hours of real time can’t be much fun. With all of these factors adding up, the answer to the question at hand is simple: The hardest position in sport is the hockey goalie. The physical and mental exhaustion endured makes any counterargument futile.

plenty of younger wrestlers who quickly rose through the ranks last season and will likely compete for starting spots this year. One of those wrestlers is secondyear Rianne Murphy. In her inaugural season with the Hawkeyes, she boasted a 32-4 record with 20 pins. Murphy was also an NCWWC AllAmerican last season, finishing third at the national championships at 103 pounds.

Another second-year wrestler who exploded onto the scene last season was Naomi Simon. The Decorah, Iowa, native finished third at pounds at the CWWC National Championships and was named an All-American.

Simon finished the season with arecord and held a streak of 35 consecutive wins by pin or technical fall. Simon only lost one match to an opponent from another school, as the other three were to her teammate, Welker.

Another name to look for is Reese Larramendy. The redshirt third-year was behind national champion Macey Kilty at the 145-pound weight class on the depth chart last season but still posted a 30-3 record with 20 tech fall wins.

Larramendy was a national champion in - and finished third in25, earning All-American honors. She

was the runner-up at the 2024 Soldier Salute tournament and went 10-0 in dual competition. The junior won both the Eagle Madness Open at Life University in Georgia and the Grand View Open in Des Moines last season.

Headlining the incoming freshman class for the Hawkeyes is Bella Williams. The Edmond, Oklahoma, native won three state championships and went 113-0 in her high school career. Williams was also a U-17 and U-23 Pan-American champion during her high school career at 65 kg and 59 kg, or 143 pounds and 130 pounds, respectively.

Iowa was named the 91st NCAA Championship sport after last season, and the Hawkeyes are looking to make history once more as they aim for a third consecutive national title. Iowa will face a tough schedule this season, taking on premier programs such as Otterbein and North Central. The Hawkeyes will also host Colorado Mesa and the Oklahoma State club team in a dual on Dec. 7. Iowa will also compete at the National Duals in Cedar Falls on Jan. 9-10, 2026. The Hawkeyes have won the National Duals title two years in a row, defeating North Central in the finals both times. Iowa will host three duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as well as a dual tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The NCAA National Championships will also take place at Xtream Arena on March 6-7, 2026.

Feuerbach, who plays at the guard position with Deal, shared what she’s seen out of the California native.

“One thing that’s really stood out to me is her basketball IQ,” Feuerbach said. “There’s so much information that you get when you come in as a freshman, and she’s soaked it in super quickly.”

Deal arrived in Iowa City this summer after announcing her commitment to the Hawkeyes back in March 2024. The decision came following her junior year at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Deal ranked ninth nationally among the class of 2025 recruiting class. Immediately upon her arrival, Deal began building relationships with her teammates. Fellow first-year teammate Journey Houston has found her relationship with Deal helpful when it comes to settling into the new team.

“I love being with her every day,” Houston said. “We can always rely on each other if we ever have any questions.”

As Deal quickly fits in with her teammates at Iowa, her chances of finding a spot in the lineup effectively improve right away.

Women’s basketball has become a pinnacle of Iowa sports. Now two years removed from the Caitlin Clark era, expectations are high for Deal. Second-year teammate Ava Heiden, who burst onto the scene for the Hawkeyes as a first-year last season, understands what it feels like to have heavy expectations as an underclassman.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘Addie Deal is going to be the next big thing,’” Heiden said. “She’s got a lot of pressure on her, but she’s doing a great job handling it.”

Despite the outside pressure, Deal remains unfazed and excited to play for Iowa.

“Having committed my junior year I’ve been waiting quite a while for this,” Deal said. “Playing in front of a sold-out crowd every home game is going to be special.”

Landing a five-star recruit who prioritizes the team’s success over personal success is like striking gold for Iowa head coach Jan Jensen. Being a teamfirst player and one who doesn’t seem to be fazed by pressure, Addie Deal is in for a big first season with the Hawkeyes.

was to learn from his leadership partner.

“He’s just the best, and he is a world class leader,” Sorenson said. “He really cares for everyone in the room, and I’m just trying to learn from that so I can become a stronger leader.”

Miura offered similar praise for his co-captain.

“He is one of the best guys I’ve ever met, and he is a great player with a great personality,” Miura said. “He had great leadership last season, and now he is one of the most important players on the team. He does everything correctly, so I’m really happy he is an alternate captain with me this season.”

University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he played two years. As a kid, Sorenson played youth hockey in Alaska, which made him feel comfortable with making the big move.

Sorenson was a captain during his time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He said he has matured since then and is ready to take on his new leadership position at Iowa.

“Just getting older and learning how to listen to everyone in the locker room and lead by example has expanded my leadership qualities,” Sorenson said.

As new Heartlanders head coach Chuck Weber likes to say, the 72-game season is a marathon, and Sorenson understands he needs to take care of his body to stay strong for the whole season.

“Listening to your body and gauging what you’re feeling is so important,” Sorenson said. “Sometimes you need to take it lighter, and sometimes you can push a little harder. Staying energized with the guys in the locker room will definitely help us this season.”

Sorenson aims to provide energy as he and the Heartlanders look to not just make it back to the playoffs this season but make a real push for the Kelly Cup.

Sorenson spent his first three collegiate seasons at the University of Minnesota, where he recorded 15 goals, seven assists and was Big Ten champion with the Golden Gophers in 2021.

During his time at Minnesota, the team was 14-0-1 whenever Sorenson found the back of the net.

After three seasons with the Gophers, Sorenson made the move to the

BULLIED BY THE BADGERS

The No. 4 Hawkeyes fell to the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers 3-0 in a grueling Big Ten championship quarterfinal matchup at Folk Field in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Nov 1.

Fashion’s influence on raising political awareness

Throughout Iowa City, businesses rally behind causes close to them.

IC businesses talk fashion, personal initiatives

From Crowded Closet to RAYGUN, businesses promote awareness in their own way.

ashion is an outlet for expression, which is illustrated by clothing businesses in Iowa City. ll it takes is a walk down the street where businesses display stickers, signs, and shirts promoting awareness for causes important to the Iowa City community to understand the relevance of fashion as a form of free speech in the city. or Iowa business , staying true to their community holds particular emphasis. lthough they have locations throughout the idwest, most recently opening a location in adison, Wisconsin, the company personalizes each shop to the surrounding community.

Samuel enson, the store manager of the Iowa City , said because of the individualized feel of each store, each location caters to the city in order to remain community-focused.

“ ather than getting the freshest, newly built thing in the suburbs, we always go to these old brick downtown locations that are, oftentimes re uvenated, sort of spots that have ust been kind of crumbling,” enson said. stays most connected to the community by creating partnerships with university athletes and promoting them through the clothing.

nother business in the edestrian all in downtown Iowa City is Cielo, which takes pride in its Iowan and uatemalan roots. onica erguson, the founder and owner of the store, talked about standing up for one’s beliefs, especially as an Iowa Citian.

“I feel that taking a public stance as a business owner and longtime resident of the Iowa City area is important. I get a ton of backlash, but my late father taught me that integrity and courage matter,” erguson said in an email to The Daily Iowan. Cielo means “heaven” in Spanish, and erguson named the store for her mother and grandmother, honoring her uatemalan roots.

which partners with various nonprofits including Comm nity Crisis Services, a food bank in ohnson County that also offers financial assistance to their clients, and provides Crowded Closet vouchers so people who qualify for assistance can acquire clothing, sheets, kitchen supplies, etc., from the store.

In addition to aiding the local community, Crowded Closet raises money for the ennonite Central Committee, a relief-based organization that donates money to war-torn or disasterstricken countries.

Southeast of the downtown is Crowded Closet, a nonprofit thrift store in Iowa City. ounded in by five ennonite women, the store has a voucher program

One of the founders, arlene eichty, still serves as a volunteer with the organization and is someone with whom irector of Crowded Closet my ospodarsky frequently talks.

“ ou saw a lot of nonprofits formed in the s that were kind of born out of this desire to play a role in social or global change,” ospodarsky said. “In a lot of ways our mission both in assisting with

Local flower shop celebrates IC’s artistic spirit

Tamy Vorhes uses her locally owned flower shop as a symbol of care and community spirit.

ronted by a wide array of plump, bright orange pumpkins and hanging plants, locally owned creativity blooms inside - lowers lowerama Iowa City. ows of vibrant greenery and flowers flourish throughout the store, mingling with painted clay pots, intricate decorations, and shelves stocked with trinkets and gifts.

Whether she’s arranging flowers into a bouquet for customers, crafting new displays, or helping a customer find the perfect plant, owner Tamy orhes moves through the store like a fish gliding through water calm, fluid, and full of purpose.

ach display is carefully designed not ust for looks, but for the story it tells. or orhes, arranging flowers and plants isn’t ust retail, it’s an art form.

s the only co-branded franchisee with - - lowers, the Iowa City lowerama location is fully and proudly locally owned. orhes, a mother of four and grandmother of one, is also the only single mother to own a lowerama store, a point of pride fueling her passion and purpose.

“I try to create a family environment in the store, because that vibe definitely passes on to the customer,” orhes said.

This sense of family extends to her employees, who describe lowerama as a supportive, welcoming place.

“I’ve only been working here a couple

of days, but I already feel accepted, and coming to work is something I look forward to throughout the week,” new employee ara ustin said.

With orders coming in both online and in person, the shop is constantly bustling. ecause flowers are perishable, the pace is quick and nearly everything is made in-house.

“Other stores get their arrangements shipped to them, whereas we make every

single arrangement here by scratch,” ustin said.

The flowers are shipped to the store in boxes every week and are dry-packed, meaning the store rehydrates them upon delivery. lthough they require quite the workload, these beautiful arrangements are popular for a reason they make for the perfect, timeless gift.

“If you’re an Iowa student, you need to get your girlfriend some flowers here,”

Surviving as a film student

As final projects loom, here are my do's and don’ts for working on a student film.

As the end of the semester approaches, final pro ects can feel like a dark cloud looming over our heads. s a film student, these pro ects are no small heap. ven in an introductory-level course, final pro ects require writing, directing, producing, and editing a short film a terrifying endeavor for first-year students with little to no experience.

I know that’s how I felt last year when I had to create my first short film. s a screenwriting ma or, I was taking the required course, “ odes of ilm and ideo roduction” with aura ede, and as the pro ect grew closer, I was so overwhelmed at the idea of creating my own work. ut it is doable. The key is to rely on your resources and stay organized. I’m not ust

talking about equipment. The College of iberal rts and Sciences provides cinema students with all the equipment needed for a pro ect, but students can’t direct and operate the camera and sound all on their own.

Those resources helped niversity of Iowa third-year cinema student bril arcia o as work on her independent student film “The Sacrament.” It’s through the community she built in her film classes that she could staff and produce her feature.

“ dvice I’d give to students is to find community within your classes. ake friends, acquaintances, and find out what people like doing on sets and what their interests are,” arcia o as said. “ et out there, become extroverted, get to know how to network, but also so that people can find their groups and make films together ” ut working on student films is more than ust working on your own pro ects. art of building a network is lending yourself out to your friends pro ects. on’t be afraid to be the boom pole operator, gaffer, or lighting director, because any experience is good experience. Those behind-the-scenes obs might

not seem the most glamorous, but those p.m. shoots where you can’t get the take because your actors keep laughing or someone keeps getting the boom in the shot are the ones you will remember long after you graduate. nother important thing to remember is one of the oldest rules in cinema What can go wrong will go wrong. That is the message ede always imparts to her students.

Owen Schneider, a third-year niversity of Iowa student stopping by to grab something special, said. ut flowers and plants aren’t the only things blooming inside the shop. Several displays feature products from local businesses.

rtwork from local artists who struggle with disabilities that make it hard for them to succeed in their profession, find a home in their own dedicated array of shelves. The brand gives percent of profits back to the artists. nother beloved display, the “ ids Corner,” holds a special place in orhes’s heart and in the hearts of Iowa City residents.

“The whole inspiration for the ids Corner was the children’s hospital, and coming up with ways of making gift baskets for the kids so they had activities to keep them busy while they were ill and not able to run around as much,” orhes said. ecycled crayons formed in fun molds, dry clay, paper airplanes, and plush puppets represent something more than ust fun toys. The display is a symbol of community support.

Through her limitless imagination and understanding of the community, orhes turned lowerama into more than ust a flower shop, and she continuously strives for improvement every day. The shop is a celebration of Iowa City’s artistic spirit, and one that continues to grow with every floral arrangement and creativelyimagined display.

“ ou want to think through all the things you could imagine going wrong and create plans for them. ake sure you check in with your actors, check in with locations, create shot lists and shooting schedules, come up with some backup plans, and build padding into your schedule ust in case things take longer than you re expecting,” ede said.

“ ll of these things will give you flexibility and the ability to pivot when something inevitably goes wrong on set.”

While the practical production of film is what finishes the film, it s the imaginative side that creates the story. Carter outt, a I second-year cinema ma or who has made a variety of short films through the program, said creating is the first step to getting better.

“ ake things you believe in,” outt said.

“ ut full love and belief into a pro ect you want to make, and it will be good, because you en oy it, and that’s what matters.” The moral of the story is that making a student film is di cult. It s a stressful process where weeks of hard work get compressed into one final, three-minute clip, which is screened to a classroom of -year-olds

relief globally and domestically as well as investing in reducing waste and giving things a second life, it’s more relevant now or as relevant now as it was then.”

Although Crowded Closet doesn’t donate directly to these efforts, the ennonite Central Committee states they do work in more than 40 countries across Africa, Asia, the iddle ast, urope, and both orth and South America.

Closer to home, on the University of Iowa campus, o cials say that meeting the basic needs of the campus community is very important. I asic eeds Coordinator Stephanie eecher oversaw the Clothing Closet, a pro ect that has been temporarily paused due to the Iowa emorial nion enovation pro ect.

The Clothing Closet operated alongside the ood antry, intending to provide professional attire to students, but once the renovations began and they lost a storage room on the second floor, eecher had to make a choice which basic need to prioritize. The Clothing Closet was partially converted into a food storage room for bulk food items.

eecher said students would still be able to acquire basic clothing items if need be: socks, underwear, and winter coats. or three years, the program has hosted a coat drive to acquire winter wear for UI students.

thought-provoking potential. “ specially on a grander scale like red carpets, even if somebody on the red carpet gets kicked off the carpet for wearing something loud or extremely political, it’s still going to be photographed,” Wells said. “Using fashion as a way to kind of share your narrative and spread awareness, I think, is really important.”

Wells said Wright co-founded a fashion activism brand with abolitionist Jason Sole called “ umanize y oodie.” It was inspired by the deaths of lack kids due to gun violence, and how the kids had been wearing hoodies at the time of their deaths, leading to stereotypes.

“ umanize y oodie’ is meant to kind of think about the person wearing it before udging,” Wells said. or companies such as , enson said promoting awareness for issues goes hand-in-hand with their goals: to make people laugh. Some of their clothes portray short quips having to do with the city, such as a shirt reading “Iowa; great colors. easy to spell.”

Others are more pointed, such as a sweatshirt stating “Don’t tread on me” with a graphic of a national park ranger hat inspired by rian ibbs, a park ranger who was laid off earlier in the year when many other national park workers were also being terminated.

This campaign also included sweatshirts and other mediums, such as coasters and koozies that stated “ merica needs national parks,” with a portion of sales from those shirts being donated, according to ’s website, to organizations the company supports. also puts messages onto some unconventional products, from shot glasses to ornaments as enson said, the more media with a message, the better. often seeks partnerships for their politically-minded merchandise, similar to the ones they create with athletes, where they donate a portion of their profits to an organization that aligns with their views.

“We’ll still do a coat drive in con unction with us buying [clothing], because that’s, I think, our duty is providing basic needs that we have enough and we have dignified options,” eecher said.

ccording to an assessment report sent by eecher, the total combined clothing

In the case of “America needs national parks,” donations were given to the nvironmental aw and olicy Center, a idwest environmental advocacy group.

Other causes contributes to include T rights, housing pro ects for women and children, and mental

health resources.

As for business owners such as Ferguson, designing and selling merchandise aligning with her views is vital. She designs tees in support of feminism, T rights, and to benefit shelter dogs, as well as tees with graphics denouncing fascism.

“Fashion is a language. As a Latina business owner, I feel compelled to speak out about the horrific IC arrests, racism, and homophobia,” erguson said in an email. “In this way, I seek to honor my ancestors and family, and protect minority groups.”

or , being active community members, along with physicalizing the messages they hope to spread, are of the utmost importance.

On ’s website, there is a graphic

that states, “We are community members first, and businesspeople second We do this for the pro ect, not the money.”

This graphic shows that when it comes to business owners in downtown Iowa City, who take pride in their beliefs by hanging posters and signs in their windows advocating for certain causes. Similarly, enson talked about the prominence of making messages tangible rather than ust words on a screen to be read while scrolling.

“It’s nice to have something in the real world, the physical world,” enson said. “ ou can have all your messages online, but there’s an extra power to walking down the actual street wearing clothing on your body [that conveys a message]. It adds a little weight to it, a little strength to the power of the message.”

UI’s first queer literary magazine

Orlando Literary Magazine is dedicated to empowering queer voices across campus.

UI student Danny Willis said. “I wish we had something like Orlando when I was a first-year.”

When second-year University of Iowa student Nic Cazin went looking for a place to express themself on campus, they were shocked to find out of all the literary magazines on campus, no LGBTQ+ literary magazine existed. After learning this, Cazin knew they had to make a change.

“I would love a platform to share my voice and have it known as a queer publication voice,” Cazin said. “I figured a lot of people on campus could benefit from that too, even if it was just creative work.”

Now, the Orlando Literary Magazine, founded by Cazin and Riley Babel, also a second-year UI student, has become the first literary magazine devoted to promoting and empowering LGBTQ+ community members at the UI.

“Considering the enormous number of literary journals on campus, it’s shocking we’ve only just now established one specifically for queer stories,” fourth-year

While other literary magazines on campus accept queer stories, Orlando stands out as the fi rst to require queer elements within a piece to be accepted for publication.

“Our publication is so broad because of its queer stories and queer voices, which encompass so much in the LGBTQ+ community since the spectrum is so broad,” Babel said. “We wanted it to be a safe space for both our staff and our writers.”

The Orlando Literary Magazine is named after a novel of the same name by Virginia Woolf. “Orlando” is considered one of the fi rst queer novels in literary history, highlighting themes of gender, identity, and sexuality throughout three centuries.

The novel is interpreted to be about Woolf’s own lover and muse, Vita Sackville-West. The son of SackvilleWest, Nigel Nicolson, even called the novel “the longest and most charming love letter in literature.”

For the founders of the Orlando Literary Magazine, it was important to name the publication after something historically impactful.

“It just seemed really important to name this magazine after something that was foundational,” Cazin said. “It was subtly gay, and that’s kind of what we’re going for here.”

The Orlando Literary Magazine collects submissions featuring either LGBTQ+ characters or topics that are written by LGBTQ+ community members.

“Our goal is, of course, to always uplift queer voices and to protect the queer communities,” Babel said.

While other literary magazines on campus may have an emphasis on accepting submissions of one genre, the way Venus accepts romance pieces, for example, Orlando is open to an array of genres. Even though a queer element must be present, this does not mean the piece needs to be centered around a queer romance.

“I love queer romance, but I didn’t want this to be only queer romance. Like, you have queer sci-fi , where the main

character’s queer, but it’s not a romance,” said Cazin. “We saw a lot of that in our submissions, so I was super excited.”

While Orlando accepts fiction and nonfiction pieces, the literary magazine also accepts a wide variety of other queer media, such as poetry, scripts, and visual art. With the help of the UI Magid Center for Writing and their own advertisement, Orlando already has a wide outreach in the campus community and across english and creative writing circles.

“We’ve definitely been hearing a lot of people say they’ve been hearing about [Orlando], and people seem to be really excited for it,” Babel said. “I feel like it’s been a very successful start and launch so far.”

Orlando is aiming to complete its first edition before finals week, to distribute the magazine to readers in both online and print formats.

Hoping to publish an edition each semester, Orlando will be accepting submissions again next semester.

Editor’s note: Nic Cazin is a former employee of The Daily Iowan.

A sweet farewell at Iowa City’s Farmers Market

Noble Bee Honey kept spirits high as the 2025 farmers market season came to a close.

to take part in the business after watching a video about beekeeping. After acquiring the track supply and woodware, he built hive boxes and waited for bees.

This is an installment in a multi-part series.

Orange leaves fell in a graceful descent through the crisp Saturday morning air as children dressed in Halloween costumes excitedly raced from stall to stall at the final day of the 2025 Iowa City Farmers Market season. A trick-or-treatinspired format had everyone smiling from ear to ear, especially the vendors, many of whom dressed in costumes of their own and happily dropped treats into children’s baskets.

Behind a table packed with various honey jars and shiny red apples stood a bee — or, rather, a man dressed as one. Under his homemade pipe-cleaner antennae, Noble Bee Honey vendor Matthew Stewart took breaks between assisting customers to place sticks filled with sweet honey into the eagerly waiting buckets of trick-or-treaters.

Noble Bee Honey was managed by Stewart before his retirement, but now he runs the stand at the farmers market. The company was founded in 1986 and purchased in 1998 and is described on the Noble Bee website as a “family operation of keeping bees and packaging honey.” Stewart has been selling his product at the Iowa City Farmers Market for 20 years.

As a beekeeper for over 30 years, Stewart knows his way around the winged insects and their honey, although he described the process as quite the learning curve. In 1990, he was inspired

When they arrived, it wasn’t exactly what he was anticipating.

“Oh, they just stung the heck out of us. It was absolutely nothing like the video. But we learned a lot in that,” Stewart said with a good-humored smile.

Now with decades of beekeeping experience, he has become proficient in the honey-gathering process. Every three weeks, when he extracts honey from his flowers, Stewart collects a variety of different flavors, nectar, and colors. Types of honey are based on which flowers the bees have been pollinating, with a popular fall flavor being autumn gold.

“It’s always fun to get some of the smaller jars to try some of the other flavors we haven’t yet,” Iowa City customer Jessie Marks said.

Marks, a regular customer of the honey shop, immediately made her first stop on Saturday at Noble Bee Honey to stock up on her and her kids’ favorites before the market closed for the year.

Stewart said many of his regulars, similar to Marks, stop by on the last day of the market to collect enough jars of honey to last through the winter.

Although the final day is an especially busy one every year, he said a typical day for him at the market is usually bustling. He has plenty of regular customers and frequently sells to new ones eager to try his product.

It’s no secret why customers don’t fail to overlook the obvious effort he puts

into his display and the honest, organic product he sells.

other day, he was telling me he even individually polishes each apple,” Iowa City customer Sherry Pardee said.

Pardee frequently conducts bee tours to Cuba, leading her to befriend the local beekeepers at the market, including Stewart.

She remarked on the great quality of Stewart’s honey, noting the raw honey was her favorite.

Upon seeing his bee costume, children eagerly raced up to his stall to trick-ortreat. Stewart greeted each of them with a warm smile and a stick filled with sweet honey, taking the time to ask each child about their costume.

With his funky, bright bee garb and golden jars on display, Stewart’s Noble Bee Honey provided a touch of sweetness to close out the season’s final market.