2026 Iowa State Daily Graduation Special

The independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890

An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890

Graduation EDITION 2026 IOWA STATE DAILY

Graduation is here, did you blink? One minute, you’re hauling boxes into a residence hall, pretending you know where your next class is. Four years later, you’re adjusting your cap, checking if your family made it to their seats, and realizing Ames somehow became home along the way. Between the late nights, early lectures, tailgates, snowstorms, group projects and the moments you’ll talk about for years, this place changed all of us a little.

While the beginning and ending of a story do not define the story itself, they serve as reminders of just how much has happened and just how far you’ve come. If your time at Iowa State taught you anything, it’s how to keep going when things get difficult, how to build something with the people around you and how to make the most of every opportunity you’re given. We all arrived here as students looking for a future. You leave as Cyclones ready to create one. That’s a pretty great place to start.

Graduate Student Voices detail objectives and timeline for unionization

BY KATHERINE KEALEY

October18,2022

Members of the steering committee for Graduate Student Voices said they hope to establish the union as soon as the spring semester, but it all depends on gaining in numbers of support.

Graduate Student Voices garnered more than 110 supporting members in the organization’s efforts to formally unionize graduate students at Iowa State University.

The Hurdles of Unionizing

Obtaining this requirement is only one step of the organization’s to-do list before officially becoming a bargaining unit. Once the organization has 400 supporting members, there must be a vote by the members of Graduate Student Voices. The union campaign must receive a simple majority in support to be formally recognized by the Iowa Board of Regents.

“We definitely don’t want to hold a campaign to vote unless we think we can win,” said Chris Morris, a member of the steering committee. “… It is going to take some work from all of us, reaching out to our fellow graduate students to put the word out about the positives of unionizing.”

During an organizing and listening session Tuesday, the organization saw the largest turnout ever, with over 55 people in attendance virtually and in person. Graduate Student Voices steering committee members said they hope to obtain statistics on the discrepancies among stipend pay for graduate and professional students, but they need more supporters to do so.

Steering committee member

Annabelle Lolinco, a graduate student in the chemistry department, said the threshold is recommended by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). The UE would provide financial and legal support to the union once the threshold is met.

Goals of Graduate Student Voices

Some objectives of Graduate Student Voices include improving healthcare benefits, workers’ compensation, obtaining a base salary and scholarships for fees.

Within the session, graduate students shared their stipends which ranged from $18,000 a year to $26,000 a year. Other students in the audience shared their concerns about the ramifications when trying to receive workers’ compensation.

Not only has Graduate Student Voices sent a letter to the editor advocating for the unionization, but there was also a response opposing their efforts.

Morris, a doctoral student studying sustainable agriculture and rural sociology, said the organization wants to open dialogue and work with the university as a partner.

“We are not against Iowa State University,” Morris told the Daily after the meeting. “I think Iowa State is an awesome organization; that being said, I think there are some problems that can be addressed, and we would hope that ISU would be a partner with us in this effort… so that we can reach an outcome that’s beneficial for all parties.”

Even though the National Labor Relations Act establishes employees’ right to form unions, Morris said he still expects to see forms of “union busting.”

In previous reporting from the Iowa State Daily, an Iowa State University communications specialist stated in an email response that the university “values all graduate students.” The emailed response also stated the university is partnered with a faculty-

led Graduate Council as well as the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) to “understand and respond to graduate student concerns.”

Morris said the statement served as another way of saying the issues brought by graduate students will be addressed by the university, making a union unnecessary.

“It’s part of the process,” Morris said. “It doesn’t mean that what we’re doing is wrong, or that it can’t work, because it absolutely can and has worked before … There’s nothing illegal about workers organizing together to work for their rights and better conditions.”

Another objective includes establishing graduate student workers as employees. According to past reporting from the Iowa State Daily, University Counsel “does not classify graduate research assistants as employees,” and the stipend workers receive is not considered compensation for the work performed.

“All of us that are working 40 to 60 hours a week on a 20-hour-a-week stipend know that we absolutely are employees,” Morris said. “We deserve to be compensated fairly for that.”

CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

Letter from the editor: Welcome to Iowa State

BY KATHERINE KEALEY August21,2022

Students, Welcome to Iowa State; on behalf of the Iowa State Daily, we are happy to have ya!

Whether you are a returning student or a freshman, there is so much possibility with the start of a new school year. It’s easy to set goals and find motivation during a new beginning.

The Iowa State Daily is here to highlight the diversity of thought that comes with a college campus. Every day the Daily Dose will be in your email filled with news and entertainment tailored to the Ames and Iowa State community. We are a student-run non-profit publication with the goal of sharing information that helps you make informed decisions.

So while you’re here expanding your knowledge in your preferred field, I encourage you to take advantage of the Iowa State Daily, as well as local news in general, to learn about events happening around you. Even though we are all majoring in specific areas of studies, college should be a time where our knowledge grows as a whole.

Come mid-semester, after many late nights, parking tickets and ramen dinners, you may find yourself questioning why you signed up for this. I always try to remind myself that education is not a sprint. It is a matter of endurance.

Aside from taking notes and going to classes, establishing relationships with my peers has always helped me push through the many steep hills that come over the course of college. There is so much learning to be done in and out of the classroom while at Iowa State. A university setting should present the beauty of differences and the opportunity to debate. Expect to interact with people who will challenge your beliefs. If you are finding holes in our content, reach out to us and join the team. Any student, no matter their experience or major, can join the Daily. We have opportunities in writing, advertisement, photography, public relations and more. Otherwise, we are always looking for tips; you can email me at katherine.kealey@ iowastatedaily.com

Welch Avenue fire station looks to arboretum for new home

BY KATHERINE KEALEY

Ames Fire Department is looking to move the fire station on Welch Avenue to a portion of the arboretum — land originally acquired for horticultural research, now used for recreation.

The department is exploring whether or not the corner of Arbor and State Street is buildable. The plot of land is currently home to the arboretum, owned by Iowa State University. The fire department hopes to have a report to the Ames City Council by the end of 2022. Some residents who live along Arbor Street expressed concerns about conserving the trees and species occupying the land.

Rich Ketcham has lived in Ames for nearly all 66 years of his life. He lives across from where the potential building will take place on Arbor Street. Ketcham attended Iowa State for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Two years ago, Ketcham said he heard the City Council had the potential project on a meeting agenda.

“In this day and age, to watch an area get plowed under for more building just seems ludicrous to me personally,” Ketcham said.

Limited Options

Ames Fire Chief Rich Higgins said safety is one of the reasons for the move. Firefighters currently have to back the apparatus into Station Number Two on Welch. There is a back door and back drive at Station Number Two, but it is the same spot for department parking, making it inoperable.

“You can imagine on a busy Thursday, Friday [or] Saturday evening how scary that can be with all the students in there,” Higgins said.

“There’s just a high pedestrian traffic area.”

Even during the weekdays, Higgins said the pedestrian traffic during the daytime hours at the intersection of Welch and Chamberlain is still present. Students travel from their apartments to campus and back, making pedestrian safety a concern for the department.

“It takes the whole crew and then sometimes even law enforcement officers on those busy Thursday, Friday [and] Saturday nights to help stop pedestrian traffic so that we can back the engine in safely without compromising the safety of people in that area,” Higgins said.

As the city grows in population, Higgins said the relocation would

allow the department to cover more of west Ames. The department has an emergency response goal to reach 85% of the community within five minutes of emergency calls. Moving the department to the arboretum would allow the department to reach the assisted living and nursing homes within that range.

The Ames Fire Department is also having conversations with people in the neighborhood. In January 2020, there was an open house at the Ames Middle School where the public in those neighborhoods saw the potential plan and asked questions. The department also held another outreach event in July of 2021, where Higgins talked with residents of the area and answered questions about the potential relocation.

Again in August, Higgins partook in a similar event with neighborhood residents. From these events, Higgins said residents aired concerns about losing nature and view due to the relocation.

“We recognize the need for fire protection, but in all honesty, they have a fire department building on Welch Avenue, and I haven’t heard a compelling case to leave it,” Ketcham said. “I can understand why they

might want to, but by the same token, I can see where there might be better places to put it that may cost some money on the part of the city.”

Residents were also concerned about noise from the sirens. Higgins said the department doesn’t always turn sirens on right as the apparatus leaves the station. Often it isn’t until they reach a busy intersection.

“On the other side, they appreciated the fact that they would have a quicker response,” Higgins said. “They understood that [there would be] an overall improvement for our response time for the entire community.”

Higgins said he understands the residents’ concerns about the loss of nature and extra noise. The department would work with Iowa State University to get a bond issue passed to ensure as many trees are saved as possible. The goal would be to build a fire station that would be a part of the area.

“We don’t want it to stick out like a sore thumb,” Higgins said. “We want it to be part of the arboretum as much as we can be, so we would preserve as many trees as we could because we want those there for that fire station as well.” Building in the arboretum

As of now, the department has a “rough footprint” of what the layout could look like. But first, the engineers working with the department must establish if the site is buildable. To purchase the land, Iowa State University would need approval from the Board of Regents.

“When you look at the corner on the arboretum at the amount of earthwork that it would require to make that suitable for building on, you just shake your head,” Ketcham said.

Once the department gets the land assessment reports back on the site, Higgins said the department would do many more events to collect feedback from Ames residents.

“Right now, our focus is really just finding out; is this even a buildable site?” Higgins said. “If so, then we need to do a lot more outreach and make sure we’re listening to our customers and understanding what kind of impact we have on that area.” Higgins said there were no parking lots or private properties that would meet the requirements of the new station. If the department had pursued CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

‘One last hurrah’: 801 day through students’ eyes and city officials

BY AMBER MOHMAND August21,2022

One last “hurrah!” of the summer, the chance for students to see all of their friends in one place again and the time to celebrate before school begins. The Saturday before classes, known to many students as 801 day, was the first to see increased fines and lower leniency on parking violations.

It’s when the prohibition on alcohol at fraternities and sororities lifted for Iowa State, and drinking began at 8:01 a.m. Saturday morning. And as 801 day continues to grow in popularity, people across the state look to share the Iowa State tradition.

But with the popularity comes consequences.

“Oh, you know, I got caught doing the wrong thing,” Nolan Harss said. “I chucked a beer on the ground. Dude caught me slipping. I was like, ‘Alright, how about rock paper scissors. I win, I don’t get a ticket; you win you give me a ticket,’ but the game rock paper scissors didn’t happen, and I still got a ticket so that’s kind of a lose lose. I lost 200 bucks today, that’s a quarter of my paycheck.”

Harss was one out of town recipient of an 801 day fine, receiving a ticket shortly after a party was broken up on Hunt Street.

“That Saturday before classes began has really gotten out of hand,” Ames Police Chief Geoff Huff told the Daily. “It’s really grown into something that

I think is kind of embarrassing, to be honest with you. And I think a lot of it is because it grew beyond an Iowa State kind of thing, to a lot of people coming in from out of town. And that’s what’s created the issues that we’re having now.”

Last year had one of the largest turnouts for 801 day, as thousands of people gathered in the streets of Campustown. Videos of people jumping off roofs and hundreds of people gathered on front lawns across Ames circulated on social media.

“So we’re not fun haters, right, we all like to have a little bit of fun,” Huff said. “And we also understand, as a young person coming to Ames, to go to Iowa State, you want to have a little

Playing for Mia: The Cyclones have found a new meaning to the season

BY PAYNE BLAZEVICH

February21,2023

AMES – After a tough home game against Baylor, Iowa State players Ashley Joens and Nyamer Diew stepped onto the podium for their postgame press conference Feb. 4.

The Cyclones had just left the court after a close loss to the Bears, but they displayed energy and emotion during the matchup.

When asked where the energy came from, Diew was quick to answer.

“We had a rough week of practice and stuff, and learning of the passing of a 13-year-old girl who was a fan,” Diew said, “So like just celebrating for her, celebrating her life and just being there.”

During the week of practice leading up to the Baylor game, the team learned that Mia Schwieso, a 13-yearold Iowa State superfan, had died Jan. 31 after suffering a brain aneurysm. She was a healthy, energetic girl that loved basketball and had developed relationships with different members of the team.

With the loss weighing heavy on their hearts, as they approached the Saturday game, the team collectively decided where to focus their energy. They decided to play for Mia.

“It just means more to us, it’s so hard to lose somebody like that,” Diew said.

Iowa State women’s basketball fandom ran in Mia’s blood. Her parents, Ann and Chris Schwieso, spent their time as students (19982002) in Hilton Coliseum, watching the women’s team flourish under head coach Bill Fennelly.

The love and fandom of Iowa State women’s basketball were passed down from Ann and Chris to their three daughters, Aubrey, Mia and Kendall, who grew up enthusiastic Cyclone fans.

“We both had student season tickets to the women’s games, while many students were watching the men’s team, I loved that my boyfriend would watch that much women’s basketball (he was destined to be a girl dad),” Ann stated in an email.

Paired with Mia’s fandom was a ferocious love of basketball. When she wasn’t getting lost in a story about recess pickup games — often detailing specific plays and matchups — she was playing for a league or summer team.

Ann described her daughter as a competitor, whether it was intensity on the court or her insistence that the girls at her school could compete with the boys, something Ann loved about Mia.

Mia’s love of basketball matured alongside her love of the Iowa State women’s team. She enjoyed watching the Cyclones, and her parents felt like the players on the team were people they wanted their daughters to emulate.

The Schwieso sisters were all members of the Jr. Cyclone Club, and their favorite day of the year was a clinic held by the women’s basketball team.

“Seeing our kids on the court, shooting at Hilton, interacting with their heroes was a highlight,” Ann stated. “Since that time we have made efforts to get our girls to ISU games.”

Mia’s time on the court helped

bit of fun, and do a little bit of partying, and that’s fine. However, 500 people at a house party is not acceptable.”

Over the summer, the Ames City Council passed an ordinance increasing the penalties over the weekend before classes, including the immediate towing of illegally parked vehicles in the area.

Fines increased from $100 to $650, a $550 increase, for first-time violations and subsequent offenses from $200 to $855, a $655 increase.

The changes also include towing for illegally parked vehicles.

The increased penalties faced criticism from the Iowa State student body.

“I think it’s sort of ridiculous,” said Jonah Hillmann, a junior in history.

“Yeah, those things are illegal. But at this point, you are just singling out one group of people who actually do a lot for the Ames community.”

Thirty thousand students contribute to the city’s population and economy, Hillmann said.

“I know without Iowa State University and the massive amount of students that they have that Ames would not be where it is,” he said.

The price of the penalty also hurts the students, Hillmann said, as tuition and the cost of living also increases.

“Most of the times when it does get out of hand, usually [it’s] not students at Iowa State and people who just come to Ames because there’s a big party here, and then they purposely try to mess things up,” Hillmann said.

“I just think it’s ridiculous.”

As 801 day began, the Iowa State Daily shadowed the Ames Police Department as they patrolled through the streets. Reporters from

the Daily also surveyed Campustown throughout the day.

The Ride Along

The Ames Police Department just finished its incident command meeting at the Ames Intermodal Facility — their main goal: avoid a riot. It’s all hands on deck: as some officers drive around the street in patrol cars, others bike riding through the neighborhood and a team walking on foot.

Among those walking on foot is a team of four officers and their sergeant. The route begins on Chamberlain Street, by the Campustown Kum & Go. They made their way to the first stop: Clocktower Place: as several students watched the officers patrol the area, drinks in hand.

Some yell at the officers while others merely observe from their balcony.

“This is considered pretty nice,” said Ames Police Officer Dilok “Dilo” Phanchantraurai. “So we have had polar opposites, all the time — all the time. So we get people spitting [at us] from the balcony, I’ve gotten ice thrown at [me] in the past.”

As people congregated on their apartment balconies, the sergeant looked to find a master key. They needed one for a couple of reasons; the main is to gain access to the building in case of emergencies. At 8:30 a.m., the officers found the master key and entered the apartment.

Empty beer cans littered the stairs. One of the officers picked one of them up — it was still cold.

They took an elevator to the top floor of the building and surveyed CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

develop her as a player. Most recently, she had her first experience with middle school ball, playing for Harlan Community Middle School in seventh grade.

She also had a chance to interact with some players and coaches of her favorite team.

As a Christmas present, Ann and Chris purchased a lesson from Lyndsey Fennelly, owner and manager of Elite 360 Training. Lyndsey Fennelly is also the wife of Iowa State assistant coach Billy Fennelly.

The family met Lyndsey Fennelly at the Sukup Basketball Complex in December 2021 and received a tour of the facility — even running into some Iowa State players during the trip. Ann was taken aback through all the clinics and lessons by how friendly and welcoming the team was to her family.

“We never felt rushed or like someone they HAD to talk to, it felt like they wanted to get to know our family,” Ann stated. “We knew we were not the only ISU women’s fans, but they certainly did a great job of making us feel welcomed.”

During the lesson with Lyndsey Fennelly, Mia picked up on some advice from the coach. According to Ann, she adjusted Mia’s approach to shooting, which helped her build some confidence.

“At that lesson, Lyndsey watched Mia and said to her ‘what are you thinking about when that ball leaves your hand? Are you thinking that it is going in?’ Mia shook her head no and hung her head a little, and Lyndsey said ‘you have to believe it is going in each time,’” Ann stated.

Mia proceeded to make her next five shots in a row, believing in herself after she saw others believe in her. Ann said it was a message that she thought Mia was interested in passing on.

“She was a great teammate not only on the basketball court, she was an encourager, and I think she felt the impact it had on her and wanted to pass that feeling on to others,” Ann stated.

Lyndsey Fennelly’s takeaway after the lesson was Mia’s coachability and attitude. She was quick to respond to feedback and carried herself like someone that was excited to play.

Even after the lesson, Lyndsey Fennelly had a chance to interact with Mia at various camps, including Lexi Donarski’s camp in the fall. It was there that Lyndsey Fennelly noted her positive demeanor.

“I’ve done this long enough to pick up on body language and things of that sort,” Lyndsey Fennelly said. “I could just tell she was really enthralled with the idea of being around one of her favorite players.”

At the camp, Donarski had a chance to interact with Mia and take a picture with her. Again, her attitude CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

How much money do Iowa State sports teams generate?

BY JAY WAAGMEESTER November30,2023

The ISU Athletic Department reported $110.12 million in income for fiscal year 2023, according to the regent universities’ comprehensive fiscal report.

The report includes income and expenses for specific sports such as football, men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling. The report also states lump sum line items, including salaries, capital projects and scholarships.

Sports by the numbers:

Of the four sports reporting specific totals for incomes and expenses, football reported the most positive ratio of income versus expenses, reporting more than three times as much income as expenses.

Football

$15.96 million in income

$4.61 million in expenses

Men’s basketball

$4.95 million in income

$2.19 million in expenses

Women’s basketball

$611,041 in income

$1.39 million in expenses

Wrestling

• $277,223 in income

• $447,386 in expenses

Other sports

• $321,111 in income

• $3.85 million in expenses

The report lists scholarships on a separate line item at a total of $8.6

million.

The report lists salaries and benefits under one line item, for a total of $37.6 million. According to the Iowa Legislature, the five highest-paid athletic department salaries were as follows:

Matt Campbell

$2.7 million

T.J. Otzelberger

$1.55 million

Jon Heacock

Bill Fennelly

Jamie Pollard

Other items

$1.03 million

$860,000

$800,000

The report shows the athletic department spent $13.7 million on capital projects in fiscal year 2023.

Debt service totaled $8.84 million, funding projects bonded through the Board of Regents. According to Chris Jorgensen, senior associate athletics director for operations, the main projects included are the Bergstrom Football Complex, Sukup End Zone Club and Stark Performance Center.

More than $40 million was reported under Big 12 Conference and NCAA income, which, according to Jorgensen, includes TV broadcast rights, money from bowl ticket sales and TV broadcasts and NCAA revenues derived from the NCAA basketball tournaments.

The department received $1.79 million from the student fee assessed by the athletic department.

Foundation support was more than $27 million through the

ISU Foundation, which comes from donations for things like parking, seating rights, donations for seats, club seats, Johnny’s at Hilton Coliseum and donations for facility projects such as the Stark Performance Center, the Bergstrom Football Complex, and the Sukup End Zone Club, according to Jorgensen.

Football income decreased from 2022 to 2023 by $1.28 million, which Jorgensen attributed to ticket sales from hosting two in-state schools, as well as a seven-game home schedule in 2022.

Administrative costs rose over $300,000 from 2022 to 2023, which Jorgensen attributed to insurance.

CYTown increase explained

In November, the Daily reported an increase in CyTown spending, which was submitted in a request to the Board of Regents, which the board approved.

The $9.2 million requested increase to the project budget increased the cost of the initial infrastructure project by 32.3% but was a result of the project being under budget, according to Jorgensen.

“The CYTown increase was not an unanticipated increase,” Jorgensen said.

The infrastructure plans were originally set to be two phases, but Jorgensen said combining the plans was a business decision and

an opportunity to take advantage of savings.

“The increase was simply an approval of completion of all phases of the project,” Jorgensen said.

“It wasn’t due to cost overruns. We actually were under budget on the first phase of the project, took the opportunity to take some of those savings and made a business decision to complete all phases of the infrastructure to have the project ready to go, as we received a lot of interest from developers and wanted all business sites ready for construction,” Jorgensen said.

CYTown does not use money from the state of Iowa or the Board of Regents; instead, it is financed by the athletic department and private giving. Jorgensen said the profits from CYTown will be reinvested in CYTown or into the assets of Iowa State Center, which includes the Scheman Building, Stephens Auditorium and Fisher Theater. Approximately two-thirds of the up-front infrastructure costs are from athletics, and the remaining third is from private fundraising. Jorgensen said with the phase approval, CYTown is “ready to go for final completion.”

‘He’s powerful and he’s special’: Sama races into the record books

BY LOGAN SHANKS

November26,2023

MANHATTAN, Kansas — Big plays throughout the game aided the Cyclones’ tit-for-tat 42-35 win against No. 19 Kansas State, where the momentum shifts came as often as Abu Sama III touchdowns.

Entering the final regular season game of the season, Iowa State was short-handed in the running back room with Eli Sanders and Cartevious Norton not making the trip to Manhattan. It would need to put their trust in true freshman Carson Hansen and Sama.

Luckily for the Cyclones, the young

duo made their case with a historical performance in the tundra that was Bill Snyder Family Stadium. From the first snap of the game, it was clear that Sama was going to play a vital role in the Iowa State offense. An explosive 71-yard run up the middle in which he showed off his breakaway put the Cyclones on the board, 18 seconds into the game. For those who believe lightning does not strike twice, allow Sama to introduce himself.

Just like he opened up the first quarter with an explosive house call, he started the second quarter the same way, only this time it was for 77

yards. The Iowa native outran multiple Wildcat defenders down the sideline to extend the Cyclone lead to eight.

After bouncing to the outside for his second touchdown of the game, Sama sat with 161 rushing yards on five carries. Prior to the game, he had rushed for 334 yards in his nine appearances in the Cyclones’ running back-by-committee style offense.

“He’s gotten better every week,” head coach Matt Campbell said. “I thought he was obviously exceptional tonight. I think the last time we were here a guy ran it on the first play for a touchdown, and yeah [Sama] is pretty special.”

That ‘other guy’ that Campbell mentioned is current New York Jet running back Breece Hall and former Cyclone, whom Sama has found himself in good company with multiple times now this season. Sama continued to get big runs at times in the second half, headlined by another authoritative 60-yard touchdown run which tied the game at 28 in the third quarter. He finished the game with 276 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, the first Cyclone since Hall in 2021 to rush for over 200.

CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

“United we bargain, divided we beg”: The 2023 Minecraft mob vote boycott explained

BY SARAH CURRIER

October9,2023

Last Friday, the official Minecraft YouTube channel uploaded a seemingly innocuous video to advertise their upcoming mob vote. This mob vote is an annual event that allows players to vote on elements to be added to the game. Within 48 hours of the video’s upload, a petition had been created, people were posting Cold War-era propaganda posters and the #boycottmobvote hashtag on TikTok had over a million views.

So, what led to this?

Background

Since 2017, Mojang, the game development studio behind Minecraft, has hosted an annual mob vote. Prior to the vote, Mojang introduces several new game entities or “mobs” – which often resemble living creatures. The mob that wins the vote is added to the game. Mojang has promised that the mobs who lose the vote are not forgotten. However, they have yet to incorporate any of the losing mobs into the game. In 2020, the vote drew criticism from much of the Minecraft community after popular Minecraft

CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

Men’s Hockey Club overcomes final obstacles to return from suspension

BY BRENNA COHOON

APRIL30,2023

Nearly one year ago, the Men’s Hockey Club at Iowa State University received news that surprised many of its members: the team was suspended from all competitions in the 20222023 academic year.

The Men’s Hockey Club was suspended in June 2022 after the Office of Student Conduct administered an investigation into hazing allegations against members of the team. The investigation found that the team organized activities involving underage drinking, alcohol abuse, personal humiliation and financial penalties that were linked to admission, continued membership or elevated status within the team, according to a press release by the university.

The Men’s Hockey Club is in the process of fulfilling the requirements that will allow them to resume their activities. They have completed some of these tasks but still have additional steps before they can compete again.

“In addition to the suspension, the men’s team was required to develop a comprehensive review and plan outlining new and continuing team

education, complete anti-hazing and alcohol and drug abuse training and restructure as a traditional, student-led sports club,” Angie Hunt, communications specialist at Iowa State, stated in an email on behalf of the university.

The Men’s Hockey Club has successfully elected club officers and formulated a club constitution and operations manual, so the group is now recognized by the university as a student organization. As a studentrun organization, they will no longer be overseen by Iowa State employees as they have in the past.

Some individuals, including Jacob Schuldt, the club’s vice president and a junior studying construction engineering, believe this restructuring could have occurred without the team’s suspension.

“We feel the administration wanted to remove risk that they held having coaching staff be employees of the school,” Schuldt said. “We were disappointed in [the suspension] because we felt that they could have come to us to restructure the team into a student-run organization without the need to go through this suspension.”

The group now awaits affiliation

with Iowa State’s Recreation Services. Additionally, the team requires a letter from the university that will allow them to rejoin the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

“What we really need from the school is a letter saying that we’re allowed to participate in the ACHA,” Schuldt said. “We have been told that that’s coming; that’s kind of taking longer than expected, and we’re doing as much as we can to fulfill the original stipulations the school put on our suspension.”

The Men’s Hockey Club hopes to return to competition during the fall 2023 semester. However, many teams in the ACHA set their schedules over a year in advance, which could make it difficult for the team to reach this goal.

“The deadline for having all this stuff done would have been, like, months ago,” said Stuart Pearson, the club’s president and a graduate student studying electrical and computer engineering. “We’ll be in a tough position where if we would like to schedule games next year and join a conference and stuff, most teams will already be booked…that will probably be a struggle for us going forward.”

BREAKING: Fire at power plant pushes ISU classes online

through 7 p.m. Thursday.

A fire occurred at a power plant that powers many important cooling systems on campus, according to an ISU Alerts email. With temperatures forecasted to hit 100 degrees this weekend, Iowa State classes will meet virtually.

The email advised that all classes shift to virtual formats for the remainder of Thursday and Friday, with the exception of veterinary medicine classes as their cooling systems are not impacted. All campus activities on Thursday, Aug. 24 are canceled.

According to the forecast by the National Weather Service, heat indexes are expected to reach 109 degrees this evening and the excessive heat warning in Story County lasts

Students living in on-campus residence halls were told to go home for the weekend if possible. The university claims to be working on plans for assisting students who are unable to find other accommodations for their students.

According to a release from the City of Ames, the fire department responded at 10:44 a.m.

When the fire department arrived, a small fire from malfunctioning equipment had already been extinguished by university staff. During the examination by the fire department, the malfunctioning equipment ignited the connected oil supply, causing a larger fire and more firefighters to be called to the scene.

Everyone evacuated the site safely according to the release. The fire was completely extinguished at 11:42 a.m.

The release came with a comment

from Ames Fire Chief Rich Higgins who had this to say:

“This fire was particularly difficult to fight because the situation changed very quickly as the equipment’s operating oil provided a large fuel source,” Higgins said. “Fighting a fire in the lower level of the facility coupled with the exceptionally hot temperatures created challenges, but Ames firefighters did an outstanding job.”

An evening update provided by Iowa State stated two of the four chillers for the cooling system have been fixed. The residence hall air conditioning has been “stabilized.”

The statement also mentions the City of Ames Electrical Department will be providing power on campus until needed repairs are made.

In addition to facing logistical challenges with reinstating the Men’s Hockey Club, team members have also had to adapt to life without the outlet of practicing and competing.

“You have a group of guys that you hang out with pretty much every day, and then the next year, you don’t have that anymore,” Schuldt said. “I’ve been skating since I was 2 years old, so this has been a way of life for me for a long time, and to have a year where it’s not something you get to look forward to every day, it kind of gets tough.”

Staying connected socially has been helpful for the club during their suspension and rebuilding.

“The relationships between guys are all still there,” Pearson said. “We still all lean on each other for certain things, but I’ve definitely observed, for a ton of people, it has made life more difficult.”

Following the club’s suspension, several members transferred universities to seek opportunities to play hockey elsewhere. Despite being a freshman last year, Bryan Kurpiewski, the club’s marketing chair and now a sophomore studying finance, made the decision to remain at Iowa State.

“I couldn’t ask for a better season

for a college experience,” Kurpiewski said. “There were three teams, but it was one family.”

As highlighted by Kurpiewski, three separate teams formerly comprised the Men’s Hockey Club. These groups practiced together but competed within different divisions of the ACHA.

Moving forward, the club will maintain union with the university to ensure they meet all expectations of a student organization.

“Rec Services and Student Engagement staff have and continue to work closely with club members to answer questions and ensure they have the support they need to complete the required restructuring,” Hunt stated.

Upon returning to competition, the Men’s Hockey Club hopes to provide opportunities for individuals to engage in the sport while also achieving a high level of success.

“As quickly as possible, we want to…continue with our national and international success that Cyclone hockey has enjoyed for the last, like, 50 years, and do good for the legacy of everyone else that’s come before,” Pearson said.

How Audi Crooks rose to become the top freshman in Iowa State history

BY BRETT TWELMEYER

AMES — In a short amount of time, Audi Crooks has climbed to the top of the record books in multiple categories as a freshman at Iowa State.

A native of Algona, Iowa, Crooks played high school basketball at Bishop Garrigan, where she was a part of championship-caliber teams all four years. Bishop Garrigan won the 1A Iowa High School Girls basketball title in 2022 and 2023 and was runnerup the two previous years.

Crooks broke the record for points scored in a state tournament game in the 2023 championship, where she scored 49 points. That record was set for all classes.

Crooks was honored as a team captain in her championship years at Bishop Garrigan. In her four years in the state tournament, Crooks was a four-time Class 1A All-Tournament Team member.

Other than basketball, Crooks played volleyball and threw the shot put in track and field in high school. Crooks won the Class 1A State

Championship for shot put in 2021 and 2023.

Her success and dominance in high school caught the eye of many colleges early, including the head coach at Iowa State, Bill Fennelly. Crooks committed to Iowa State in April of her sophomore year at Bishop Garrigan.

“When I committed [to Iowa State], so many people told me that I couldn’t play,” Crooks said. “So many people said, ‘Oh, she won’t see the court time. She won’t even see the court,’ and here I am, starting for the Iowa State Cyclones.”

Many wondered if the high school version of Crooks would transfer to the collegiate level. Crooks herself was a skeptic at times and explained what it took to get adjusted to the higher level of competition.

“A lot of hard work,” Crooks said.

“A lot of hours spent, you know. This is a lifestyle change, when you go from high school to college athletics. It’s a completely different ballgame in terms of the way you train, the way you prepare. So I kind of had to shift my mindset and my body and adjust

in a different way so that I could play to the caliber that I’m playing at now.”

Crooks was in the same situation as the other four freshmen for the 202324 season because they all wanted to find their place and role on the team. Before her freshman campaign at Iowa State began, Crooks sat down and wrote out her goals for the season.

“I wrote to earn a starting role, to play significant minutes, to be effective from field goals and to be a better teammate. Those were my goals,” Crooks said.

Crooks would earn a spot in the starting five in the fifth game of the season against Syracuse. She made the most of it and scored 23 points in her 28 minutes of court time.

Since then, Crooks has become the permanent starter in the post, plays an average of 25 minutes per game and has a 58% field goal percentage. The goals she set at the beginning of the season have been checked off increasingly with time.

“We’re still working,” Crooks said. “I’m not satisfied by any means, but I’m a lot farther than I think everybody thought I was going to be.

Social media star Phill the water buffalo comes to Iowa State for veterinary care

BY CHRIS AUKES

On Saturday morning, a water buffalo escaped from the custody of his owner and began gallivanting around Pleasant Hill in Des Moines. Now, social media has fallen in love with the animal, lovingly naming him “Phill” after the city.

That morning, Phill’s caretaker was attempting to load the animal into a trailer to be euthanized. Apparently, Phill had other plans and managed to escape the grasp of his caretaker before exploring the city of Des Moines.

During his exploration, many Des Moines residents captured photos and videos of Phill through their doorbell cameras and out of their front windows. These videos caught popularity on social media, even resulting in poems and songs written about the animal.

Pleasant Hill resident Faithyna Leonard woke to Phill roaming her backyard Saturday morning. She went outside to see what was going on, only to find three police cars on her property doing their best to apprehend the animal. Eventually,

police left the scene, leaving Leonard alone with the animal.

“It didn’t seem aggressive, he just seemed dazed and confused,” Leonard said. “It just walked right past us and walked down the road.”

Leonard said by the time police had left the scene, Phill had been nonlethally shot in an attempt to sedate the animal enough to apprehend him.

After walking away from Leonard, Phill wandered into her neighbor’s garage, prompting the police to show up on the scene for the second time.

Through the effort of the Blank Park Zoo, the Animal Rescue League and the Des Moines Police department, Phill was finally tranquilized and captured Tuesday.

After being apprehended, he was transferred to the care of the Iowa State Lloyd Medical Center and Large Animal Hospital.

Shawn Camp, executive director and founder of the Iowa Farm Sanctuary, has been working closely with the Large Animal Hospital regarding Phill’s care.

“Luckily the bullet did not penetrate his lungs or his abdominal wall, which

was the best case scenario considering where he was shot,” Camp said. “That meant that the entrance wound was the biggest concern.”

Upon admittance to the Large Animal Hospital, veterinarians found that the entrance wound was already infected and some tissue around the wound was dead, also known as necrosis.

“It was very infected and already become necrotic,” Camp said. “So they started the process of [cleaning] the wound, removing the necrotic skin, and treating with antibiotics.”

After he settles in a little more, the veterinary staff plans to perform x-rays to determine the location of the bullet within Phill’s body.

As of Wednesday, the Iowa Farm Sanctuary has full ownership of Phill and plans to provide him a safe and comfortable home when he is returned to full health.

For more information, visit the Iowa Farm Sanctuary’s website.

Including myself.”

Soon after she became a starter, Crooks became the focal point of the Cyclones with her ability to score and defend inside. Before long, the first Big 12 Freshman of the Week honor went her way.

Crooks added more awards to her tally, with more Freshman of the Week honors and a couple of Big 12 Player of the Week awards. Not only did she get the attention of the conference, she inched closer to records held by former Iowa State players.

In February, Crooks passed two long-standing Iowa State records. She broke the record for most field goals made by an Iowa State freshman (previously 163) and most points scored by an Iowa State freshman (previously 460).

“I didn’t expect anything,” Crooks said. “I definitely didn’t expect to be breaking records my first year, let alone starting, playing and contributing in a significant way. So it’s gone a lot better than I would have anticipated.”

After all of the success in her first year at Iowa State, Crooks said the

mental aspects were the most difficult parts of the transition to college. She added that there are higher expectations for college athletes than there were in high school.

Crooks’ teammates spoke highly of the type of impact she has had on the team this season.

“Huge impact,” freshman Arianna Jackson said. “If [Crooks’] stats haven’t shown what they have so far, I don’t know what could.”

“She’s been great,” freshman Kelsey Joens said. “You can always count on her inside. She’s really good around the basket, and then also defensively, she matches up great with other post players.”

“[Crooks] wants to learn,” senior Nyamer Diew said. “She is a great person off the court. She brings energy and excitement. It’s fun to be around her and fun to be her teammate.”

Cyclone fans have embraced that energy every night Crooks plays at Hilton Coliseum.

Her personality shines through off the court wherever she goes. In the CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

Ames Haunted Forest closes after 26 years of scaring Iowans

BY CHRIS AUKES

September25,2024

The beloved Ames Haunted Forest has been in the family business of scaring Iowans for the last 26 years, but this year, it decided to permanently close. Brothers Lee and Lynn Ballard opened the forest with the help of their father in 1997 and have since operated the forest with the help of their wives, children and other family members.

The Ballard brothers’ father was originally a magician with a knack for entertaining guests. On a family trip to Texas, they encountered a man setting up a haunted attraction, and their business got started from there.

“We went up and talked to the guy,” Lee Ballard, co-owner of the Ames Haunted Forest, said. “We proceeded to tell him about our land, that we had timber, parking, electricity and we were right next to the college. [The man] said, ‘You know you’re sitting on a gold mine?’”

From that moment on, the dream of the Haunted Forest was alive. The Ballard brothers were able to purchase haunting equipment from an old haunted forest in Cedar Rapids, and with the help of their family, they had

an attraction.

“The first year, we made money,” Lee said. “It was that big of a success. The whole key to it, though, is the college kids, the actors. We can build all we want in the woods, but if those actors aren’t good, well, trust me, they were all good.”

The Haunted Forest provided many Iowa State students with job opportunities for the duration of each fall season. Lee Ballard said the greatest part of working with the students was getting the chance to see them come out of their shells.

“They really are amazing kids,” Lee said.

The Haunted Forest attraction brought in around 250,000 guests throughout its 26-year duration.

“We enjoyed them as much as they enjoyed us,” Lee said. “My brother and I would always be out front. That’s kind of our gig, just out with the people. We thank them for coming, ask them how they liked it and ask them what we can improve on.”

Though the beloved attraction is permanently closed, the owners have a plan for the land.

The parking lot for the Haunted Forest has been used for football tailgate parking for many years. Now, every

game is sold out for parking at the Haunted Forest. The Ballard brothers have plans to remove some of the trees in the area to make way for more parking space for game-day celebrations.

“All good things must come to an end,” Debbie Ballard, wife of Lynn Ballard, said. “I’ve grown up here for the past 24 years. […] We all worked together and took pride in entertaining everyone.”

Debbie Ballard shared her remorse regarding the closure of the Haunted Forest. She said the Haunted Forest has taken up the majority of the fall seasons for the Ballard family, and though she is very sad to see it go, she is looking forward to spending time cheering on the Cyclones and enjoying her fall.

The Haunted Forest brought joy to guests from all over Iowa. Lee even recalled watching couples get together, marriage proposals and other sweet gestures during his time spent haunting the Forest.

All in all, though the attraction is gone, the memory of it is not. Debbie urges guests to hold onto those memories to keep the Forest alive.

More information about the Haunted Forest’s football parking can be found on their website.

A landmark of sacrifice: Fifty years of Jack Trice Stadium and the battle for the name

notable than its title.

AMES – The legend of Jack Trice has been told time and time again around Iowa State University and Ames, Iowa. The late Hiram, Ohio, native played just two games at Iowa State, but is forever etched into the place that bears his name: Jack Trice Stadium.

However, it wasn’t always that way.

Trice was the first Black athlete at Iowa State and was ultimately killed after injuries sustained in a game on Oct. 6, 1923, against the University of Minnesota. The night before, he wrote a note about what he would do and what would happen to him in that game.

For three decades, the story and sacrifice Trice gave was nearly lost. The Jack Trice story resurfaced in 1957 when a plaque was discovered about him by students at State Gym. An article was subsequently written about Trice and his tragic tale.

The discussion of Trice’s story again

came to prominence in the 1970s. At the same time, a new football stadium was in the works, which broke ground in 1973 and was completed in 1975. However, it was missing one thing: a name.

Then, Jill Wagner, student body president at Iowa State from 197576, found the article from 1957 and thought it would be a fantastic idea to name the new stadium after Trice.

“It just sort of happened,” Wagner said. “We heard about Jack Trice, there’s a new stadium coming, this makes sense.”

Other organizations, including the Black Student Organization, played a pivotal role in the push to name the stadium after Trice.

“They were very helpful,” Wagner said. “But, we were also trying to make the point that this is not just a Black issue. This is a universal issue and is fairness of all.”

The stadium has gone through many changes during its 50-year history, however nothing is more

“There were students that had no clue who Jack Trice was,” Wagner said. “That’s also where the whole idea came about.”

At first, the stadium—which cost 7.5 million dollars to build—wasn’t owned by the university, but rather by the ISU Foundation. When the first game at the stadium happened, there was no name.

Around two months later, a vote was taken between faculty and students on what to name the stadium. There were two choices: Jack Trice Stadium and Cyclone Stadium.

“Lots of the dorms and the towers, they all signed referendums,” Wagner said. “We had referendums of pages of signatures saying ‘This is what the students want’ and some of the faculty too. I remember there were these three gals and they were dedicated to getting all of these signatures.”

Cyclone Stadium won 11-3. The three losing votes were the only students. The rest were staff.

Wagner’s fight did not stop there, however.

“Within an hour, there were eight of us in a station wagon headed down to the Board of Regents meeting, and it was in Council Bluffs,” Wagner said.

During that trip, Wagner showed them all of the signatures from all of the students who wanted the stadium name changed.

A compromise was reached in 1984, when Cyclone Stadium remained, but was joined by Jack Trice Field after more backlash and pressure to change the name. Eventually, Cyclone Stadium was renamed Jack Trice Stadium in 1997, 74 years after Trice’s death.

“I was there. There were tears,” Wagner said. “Where it says Jack Trice Stadium [on the side of the stadium], there was a blanket or curtain over the whole thing. Then they announced the name was changed and [the curtain] dropped. The student section just roared.”

In the 50 years the stadium has

stood, 27 have been with Jack Trice’s name at the helm. His story has held true for over a century now, and will never be forgotten.

In recent years, Iowa State added the five-stripe logo as a patch to the football uniforms in 2020 and remembered the 100th anniversary of Trice’s death with the Jack Trice Legacy game in 2023 against TCU, which featured throwback uniforms similar to the ones Trice wore.

The final letter Trice wrote included the words ‘I will!’ which are featured on the back of the football helmets, the inside collar of the jerseys and the plaque that greets fans who enter the stadium on the East side.

“The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake,” Trice wrote. “Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will!”

Humans of Iowa State: Steve Butler

BY CHRIS AUKES AND JACOB RICE

February12,2025

In this episode of Humans of Iowa State, Steve Butler, a mathematics Morrill Professor, discussed his status as a campus celebrity and his motivation to pursue mathematics, as well as his connections to his students and wife.

“I came to Iowa State in 2011,” Butler said. “I was post-doctoral and I was looking for jobs. I interviewed at several places. As I tell people, ‘Iowa State had that one special quality: they were willing to pay me.’”

Butler began his episode with his Iowa State story. He originally came to campus because it was a well-

paying job at a respectable university. Little did he know, he would soon fall in love with the campus culture and the reform of the calculus program.

“[The University] said we want people to really focus in on undergraduates,” Butler said. “That was my job.”

Butler discussed his motivation to pursue mathematics. In high school, Butler struggled with his math grades until he realized it was all one big puzzle. From then on, math was the only class he wanted to take.

“How do people know me?” Butler said. “A lot of people say, ‘Steve, that’s the guy in charge of the math department.’ No, I’m not. Or they’ll say, ‘That’s the guy in charge of the calculus program.’ Not anymore.

In some sense, I have very little responsibility.”

Students at Iowa State have come to love Butler for his calculus review videos. These videos consist of course material review as well as conveniently placed jokes to keep his students entertained. Now, Butler has more subscribers than Iowa State’s very own athletics YouTube channel.

“What I am known for is calculus, and mostly because I have some videos,” Butler said. “This started many years ago. Back in 2016, I thought, ‘Maybe I can record and post my lectures online.’”

Ready for CyTown? Scope, timeline and what’s next

BY MICHAEL FOLSOM

February23,2025

A progress update and visual preview of CyTown and its future amenities was unveiled in a video presented by Jamie Pollard, the athletics director, on Thursday. The video detailed what to expect within CyTown–including a hotel, amphitheater and clinic–as well as an expected timeline for development.

According to the athletics department website, CyTown is a “unique, year-round destination to be built in the heart of the Iowa State Center–between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum–that will enrich Central Iowa for generations to come.”

The announcement follows a Jan. 15 approval by the Board of Regents allowing the CyTown project to move forward. The recent regents’ decision also approved bringing on Goldenrod Companies as the master developer for the project, according to Pollard.

In a statement to the Daily, University President Wendy Wintersteen gave her appreciation to all of those involved.

“The updated plans for CyTown provide an exciting look at how we will reinvigorate the Iowa State

Center, expand the ISU Research Park’s footprint and create new amenities and attractions to enhance our campus and community,” the statement said. “I appreciate Jamie Pollard’s leadership, the work of our partner, Goldenrod, and the support of donors who are helping bring our vision to life.”

CyTown will feature eight new buildings on the 94-acre site in addition to the five existing buildings that make up the Iowa State Center complex. The buildings are expected to house 575,000 square feet of space, Pollard said.

Within the master plan is a sevenstory, 200-room hotel to be named “The Cardinal,” which will be attached to the Scheman Building and Hilton Coliseum via skywalk.

The Cardinal will feature a rooftop bar and patio and will be branded an Iowa State property. However, it will be managed by Marriott, according to Pollard.

Serving as the “gateway” into CyTown will be a 15,000-squarefoot food and beverage building that plans to host “diverse eating options, from casual eateries to fine dining,” according to the video presentation. The plan also includes two resident

suite buildings, each housing 30 units, for donors and alumni to lease from the university. These will be sold over the “next six months to fans and donors,” Pollard said.

“They’ll be two to three bedroom units roughly around 1,600 square feet,” Pollard said. “We look at these as really unique opportunities for our alums, our constituents, to have a place on campus when they come back for football games, basketball games, alumni events.”

Roughly 70,000 square feet of retail space and 90,000 square feet of office space will also be constructed. This will come in the form of two buildings, each housing three office levels above retail space on the ground level.

“What we have to be able to do, to make CyTown really viable, is bring other people throughout the day, 24/7, 365 days a year,” Pollard said. “It can’t just be football games and basketball games and events at Iowa State Center.”

Pollard described the 2800-seat outdoor amphitheater, branded the “Sukup Cylo,” as the “crown jewel” of CyTown and cited it as a major attraction to bring visitors to the CyTown space.

“The Cylo will sit just south of Center Drive,” Pollard said. “It’ll face back toward Jack Trice Stadium and will be an incredible opportunity for us to host concerts, pep rallies–any kind of outdoor event.”

Pollard noted that the spaces between the aforementioned buildings are “just as important as the buildings themselves.”

The outdoor space has been divided into several programmatic areas to delineate spatial functions.

“Goldenrod has done an amazing job laying this out in a way that connects each of the areas through what they call ‘Celebrate,’ ‘Play,’ ‘Shop,’ ‘Gather’ and, ultimately, ‘Perform,’” Pollard said.

The “Celebrate” area will house McFarland Clinic, the food and beverage building and a large plaza, according to Pollard.

“As you get into CyTown, you’re going to come upon spaces that allow people to gather, shop, play,” Pollard said. “One of the ideas that [Goldenrod] have is a very large, oversized playground for children to gather throughout the day.”

The playground, dubbed “Cy’s House,” is to be fashioned after birdhouses and branded in Iowa State

colors, aiming to be a “destination for families throughout the work week,” Pollard said.

The area outside the retail spaces will feature artwork currently envisioned as a sculptural cyclone. Between the offices and suites will be places to “Gather.”

“A really unique idea–that we’ve copied from the Dallas Cowboys–will be a replica Jack Trice Stadium Field that fans can gather on,” Pollard said. “It’ll be an opportunity for kids throughout the day to throw a ball around or just for people to gather.”

These areas will funnel visitors toward the Sukup Cylo as the final function of the outdoor programming, “Perform.”

McFarland Clinic is CyTown’s first “anchor tenant”

According to Andrew Perry, CEO of McFarland Clinic, the new clinic will be a 78,000 square foot facility housing family medicine, pediatrics, sports medicine, occupational medicine, pain management, urgent care and physical therapy. The clinic will also feature supporting laboratories with imaging CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

Students hold ‘funeral’ to mourn loss of The Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success

BY CLAIRE COSIER

A crowd of students, Iowa State alumni, professors and community members gathered to hold a “funeral” for The Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success.

The Center has been a space on campus since 1992, originally named the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender Student Services (LGBTSS). According to the website, “Since 2010, the goal of The Center is to be a welcoming space for all students as they work toward their academic goals.”

Senate File 2435 and the Regents’ reinforcement of the removal of all diversity, equity and inclusion caused the “reformatting” of The Center. According to previous reporting from the Daily, “The Center will be reallocated as a study and computer lab space for all students on campus, with its two staff members’ roles broadened and job profiles updated for more general student support.”

On Wednesday morning, a group carried a coffin painted with the LGBTQ+ flag, representing The

Center, from the Memorial Union to the designated free speech zone.

The nearly 50 demonstrators gathered to share their experiences with The Center and give speeches and eulogies. Edwin Cepeda, a firstyear in computer science, was among the many speakers.

“It’s heartbreaking, as someone who wanted to start visiting The Center more, that I and so many other queer young adults will not get the opportunity to see The Center again,” Cepeda said. “It’s easy to point the blame at ISU’s administration.

It is, but we mustn’t get bogged down chasing our shadow. We must remember that this order was given because of demands made by the Board of Regents, who were, in turn, influenced by our conservative legislature and governor.”

As the crowd grew, Cepeda encouraged the community to continue the fight.

“Though they have taken our dedicated space away from us, don’t let that stop you from gathering,” Cepeda said. “Though they are trying to cut us out, don’t let that stop you from being involved. Though they are

trying to take away our voice, don’t let them stop you from being heard. But above all else, don’t let them stop you from being kind, collected and wellmannered because if we succumb to our despair and become as bitter as they are, nothing will change.”

Another speaker was the Rev. Kelli Clement, senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames.

“When you find your people, it is a holy moment, and the loss of this center does not mean that your people go away,” Clement said.

Clement sang a song, with the crowd joining in. The lyrics, “We resist, we refuse to let hatred in. We rise up, we won’t back down, we’re in this ‘til the end.”

Terry Miles, a community member who has worked with the student since November and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, participated in the funeral as well.

“We are here,” Miles said. “We are staying. We are bold. We are strong against any opposition you can throw at us. If you think these students are scared, they might show it a little bit, but I promise you deep down inside,

they have more strength than they realize, and it’s becoming more and more evident every day.”

Miles also shared speeches from students who could not attend the protest about their personal experiences with The Center and how its closing has impacted them.

“It still takes up space on the fourth floor of the MU, for now, but stripped of all purpose, all autonomy, just a space that means something, a room that sticks around until the university puts something else in its place,” Miles said.

Iowa State Sen. Herman Quirmbach was present and shared a speech.

“Each and every one of us is part of this rainbow on this coffin,” Quirmbach, a previous professor at the university, said. “The university has a moral responsibility to provide equal educational opportunities to all of the students, wherever they may be on this campus. Part of that responsibility is in providing a supportive and encouraging environment to each and every student, regardless of their background. This university is failing in its moral responsibility. The

members of the board of regents are failing in their moral responsibility, and the legislature, don’t get me started.”

Quirmbach emphasized that the community is still present and must keep fighting.

“Our community comes off away from this stronger than ever before,” Quirmbach said. “The fight is not over, and In the end, we will win.”

Silvera Dudenhoefer, a junior studying animal science, said the most challenging part is knowing “staff and administration of this university are not going to fight for us.”

“Above all, [The Center] was a clear mark that LGBTQ students matter to this school,” Dudenhoefer said. “That despite the opinion of others, our presence would be acknowledged and respected. In taking the LGBTQ out of the LGBTQ Center, the Board of Regents and ISU administration has shown us exactly who they’re willing to push to the side in an effort to comply.”

Man arrested for graduation threat charged federally, firearms located

BY CLEO WESTIN

April24,2025

A Story County man who threatened to use an AR-15 during Iowa State’s upcoming commencement is now being charged federally with stalking. The federal criminal affidavit stated that Tanner Bandy, 28, of Nevada, Iowa, was in possession of multiple guns and had details of the commencement ceremony taped to his bathroom mirror with May 16 written below in a “large size.” Bandy will remain in federal custody pending court proceedings, according to a press release Wednesday by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.

On April 16, Bandy attempted to renew his permit to purchase a

firearm at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Nevada Police Department, according to previous reporting by the Daily.

The affidavit stated that on the same day, ISUPD received a report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about a person shooting at a printed picture of an individual in Iowa City.

The vehicle and gun described at the shooting range are “similar to” Bandy’s vehicle and gun. License plate readers in Iowa City also captured Bandy’s vehicle driving “on or around” the time of the incident.

“I know from my training and experience that during the preparation phase of attack planning, individuals will often practice with the weapons they intend to utilize to conduct an attack,” the FBI agent stated in the sworn affidavit.

After Bandy was arrested on April 17, law enforcement searched Bandy’s car and home. They found a loaded Glock pistol in his car and

a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun in his home.

Law enforcement also found 38 rounds of 5.56 ammunition and “additional” 12-gauge shotgun ammunition.

On Monday, the State of Iowa moved to dismiss the case without prejudice to allow the State to pursue charges after the federal government. Previously, Bandy was charged with one count of stalking, a class C felony, and five counts of first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Bandy’s preliminary and detention hearing is scheduled for May 1 at the U.S. District Courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa.

‘Martyred, not murdered’: Hundreds gather to commemorate Charlie Kirk’s life

BY OLIVIA MOODY September19,2025

Hundreds gathered on Friday to honor the life of Charlie Kirk, a political activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was killed Sept. 10.

“Charlie wasn’t murdered. He was martyred,” Trahyger Carey, a sophomore majoring in industrial engineering and president of the Iowa State Turning Point USA Chapter, said.

“And when a martyr falls, it doesn’t end with a movement,” Carey said. “It just multiplies. So what do we do now? We recognize this ripple effect that Charlie Kirk had, and we aspire to keep it going. We cannot let this visual just be a memory. This is the turning point, the movement, the moment when we can turn our grief into strength.”

Ian Thompson, a student at Iowa Central Community College and faith leader for Turning Point USA, along with the Iowa State Chapter of the organization, joined forces to plan the vigil, which was held in front of Parks Library on campus.

“All of Wednesday evening, and all of Thursday, I was struggling, being like, I need to do something,” Thompson said. “Something needs to happen from this. Stuff has gone too far. I took a step of faith and I decided to reach out to different contacts I had around ISU and I made the flyer that a lot of people have seen and I sent it out in faith, thinking that it’s going to be a smaller thing… Then it blew up,

I didn’t realize it would be an ember in a dry forest.”

While Thompson initially expected 50 people or fewer, another representative noted that their post about the vigil reached around 500,000 people, with the crowd ranging from students to families and residents from the Ames area.

During the program, Thompson led the group in song and prayer with an additional message from a Lifepointe Church and Chi Alpha leader, Alex Rosinger.

Those that attended held flashlights, phone lights, taper candles and scented candles throughout the messages and song celebrating Kirk’s life.

“My hope for it was that it was going to be a time for the community to come together to mourn the loss of a beloved figure who was not a political figure or anything, he was just a member of the community that was just sharing his free speech,” Thompson said. “And I was hoping that they could come to mourn for that, pray for his family and to see the community that they have around central Iowa.”

During his life, Kirk often intertwined political activism with his religious beliefs. Reflecting that approach, event leaders offered group prayers and encouraged moments of silent prayer throughout the gathering.

Many attendees could be seen holding Bibles, taking off their hats

CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

David Cook is named 17th president of Iowa State University

BY MALLORY PRESCOTT

The Iowa Board of Regents named David Cook the 17th president of Iowa State University on Tuesday, marking a homecoming for the Ames native and Iowa State alumnus who once walked the same campus he will soon lead.

Cook currently serves as president of North Dakota State University and will succeed President Wendy Wintersteen, who is retiring after

nine years at the helm of Iowa State.

He will officially assume his duties

March 1, 2026.

“This is coming home,” Cook said during remarks following his appointment in the Memorial Union.

“I was born here, went to school here and have family deeply rooted here.

This institution means so much to my wife and me.”

Cook’s appointment follows a fourmonth national search conducted by the Iowa Board of Regents with assistance from Washington, D.C.based AGB Search.

His contract spans five years with an annual salary of $700,000 and an additional deferred-compensation plan of $100,000 per year beginning in March 2026, according to the Board of Regents.

A 1990 graduate of Iowa State, Cook earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication before obtaining his master’s and doctorate in organizational communication from the University of Kansas. Before his current role, he served in multiple leadership positions at the University

of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Since becoming president of North Dakota State in 2022, Cook has prioritized student success, innovation and community partnerships. He led the launch of a data-driven strategic plan that reversed a decade of enrollment declines, increased graduation rates and boosted research funding to record levels.

Cook said he plans to bring those same priorities to Iowa State, emphasizing the university’s landgrant mission, research leadership and

student-centered approach.

“Iowa is the education state,” Cook said. “Especially what Iowa State does with its land-grant extension mission — it’s in my DNA. I have a deep love for that kind of work.”

Cook also expressed gratitude toward the Board of Regents, the search committee and his predecessor Wintersteen, who he said “left the place better than she found it.”

“I’m very fortunate to follow in her shoes — and they’re big shoes.” CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

The heart of Section C: A 50year Cyclone tradition

BY LINDSAY BEYER

November15,2025

For 50 years, Jack Trice Stadium has been a place of excitement, football (sometimes good, sometimes not) and unforgettable memories.

For Kay Boisen, it’s been bringing friends together from the very beginning.

It all started much earlier than 1975. In the fall of 1968, a pair of friends from Independence were placed in a dorm room with a man from the opposite corner of the state. The next year, they added a fourth. From there, a lifelong friendship was formed.

After graduating, Pete Crawford, Steve Myers, Jim Ryan and Lee Boisen all had season passes, but never sat together. When the new stadium was announced, an opportunity arose. Bringing in some siblings and spouses, the four men had an idea.

The original group consisted of 10 people, each with two tickets: brothers John, Russell, Dan, Pete, Kenny and Terry Crawford, Steve Myers, Jim Ryan and brothers Lee and Norm Boisen. All recent Iowa State graduates, all longtime football fans.

“Immediately when we heard that the stadium was being built, someone in the group suggested sending all of their ticket forms in together and asking if we could sit together,” Kay Boisen said. “So, we put them in a big brown envelope and took it in.”

And so it began. Northwest side of the stadium, Section C., Rows 5, 6, 7,

8 and 9; today, almost 30 seats in total.

“After about 15 years or so, we actually asked if we could move closer [to the 50-yard line], but they wouldn’t move our whole group all together,” Kay Boisen said. “So, we decided we’d rather stay together and stay where we are.”

And that’s where they’ve been. What started as a group of college buddies has grown to 28 ticket holders; spouses, siblings, relatives, friends and kids. They are now on their fourth generation of ticketholders; grandkids are filling in for the original members, keeping the group and the tradition alive.

The kids start young. Almost all of the new ticket holders and grandchildren were brought to games from the start, swaddled up and close to their mothers. When they’re old enough, they get a hillside pass to go and exert all their energy while watching the game, still within an eye’s distance of the rest of the group.

“It was such a nice addition to bring our kids, to be able to put them on the hillside with a blanket, and keep an eye on them with a pair of binoculars,”

Kay Boisen said.

As for the rest of the group, people come and go, holding tickets for years on end. But the seats and families stay together, still in Section C, Rows 5-9.

The fun starts well before the game, as the group all tailgates together before heading in. For the first 30 years, you could find friends in Section B5 in the parking lot, catching up and waiting for all members to arrive before entering the game.

They dubbed their section with a slogan, printed on Koozies still in use today: “Meet at B5 B4 the game.”

Since then, they have bounced around tailgating spots, going from B3 to A5 to A4. Regardless of the location, they always end up inside the stadium, in their seats, right in time for kickoff.

“As soon as you get inside, you just start running into people you know,” Kay Boisen said. “It’s all about catching up, saying hi and how are you, recounting how long it’s been since the last game.”

Kay Boisen and her husband recount the many atmospheres they have witnessed through the years, including blizzards, blinding rain, a wind gust that knocked the football off the kicking tee and even a tornado warning that forced all attendees into Hilton Coliseum to shelter.

Truly, they have seen it all.

Myers had a simple, perfect description for the lifelong fans: “Loyal sons, forever true.”

Some come for the football, some come for the friends.

“I don’t know myself that I always enjoy the bad weather,” Kay Boisen said. “We have sat through some games where they play terribly, or the weather is bad. If I weren’t surrounded by such good friends, I don’t always know if I would stick around.”

The group serves as a perfect embodiment of what Iowa State football is all about: bringing people together for memories and entertainment that can span generations.

“Well, of course, I like the winning,”

Kay Boisen said. “But it truly is the camaraderie. It’s the friendships we’ve made, the people you see even when distance separates us more than it used to.”

In the early days, the group headed to The Sportsman Lounge after the game to hash out plays and scores. Now, they eagerly anticipate the next home game, when all members travel from across the state and beyond to witness the next Cyclone game.

“There are some that we probably would never see or hear from, if it weren’t for [Iowa State football],” Lee Boisen said.

Some drive across state borders from Byron, Minnesota. Others come from all corners of Iowa, from Independence (in northeast Iowa), or Red Oak, Exira, Denison or Coon Rapids (all in western Iowa). Some drive almost three hours, yet they all still arrive in Ames on time every Saturday in the fall.

“We’ve just become such good

BREAKING: Jimmy Rogers to be next head coach at Iowa State

BY FORD GRIFFITH

It was announced shortly after the

heading to Penn State broke.

“Jimmy Rogers is a rising star in college athletics who has very strong ties to the Midwest both as a player and as a coach,” Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said. “He has

been on my short-list ever since the first time I met him. He immediately impressed me with his interest in Iowa State University and told me during our first visit several years ago that he wanted to be the next head coach at Iowa State.” Rogers will be the 34th head coach in Iowa State history and will take over a program that went 11-3 in 2024 and 8-4 this season.

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said. “Iowa State

has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.” Rogers is 38 years old and Iowa State will be his third head coaching gig and second at the FBS level. Rogers only spent one season as head coach at Washington State, where he led the Cougars to a bowl eligible 6-6 record.

Prior to Washington State, Rogers

led South Dakota State to an FCS national championship in 2023, and a loss in the National Semifinals in 2024. With no losing records as a head coach, Pollard believes Rogers will be a good fit and replacement for Campbell.

“Since our initial meeting, I have stayed in close contact with him and have been very impressed with his work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be successful at Iowa State,” Pollard said. “He is a proven winner who has demonstrated throughout his career that he will fit our culture.”

friends,” Kay Boisen said. “Most of us don’t see each other until the fall, and then you get to be together almost every Saturday for a couple of months.”

Most memorable game? 1981, the first time hosting the Iowa Hawkeyes in the new stadium. Pete Crawford recounted the day in impressive detail, all the way down to the victorious touchdown 44 years ago.

“The atmosphere has and always will be amazing,” Kay Boisen said. “From seeing people you know and have met over the years, to meeting different fans that tailgate beside you from year to year.”

To her, visits from Cy never get old; the band and halftime performances deliver year after year, but nothing tops a good, old-fashioned Cyclone win.

Will the seats stay together? Of course. Truly, no amount of miles or hours between can stop the power of a Saturday in Ames for some good college football.

An Olive Garden is opening in Ames

BY STACIA DREY

April26,2025

Olive Garden recently announced their move to open an Ames location. The restaurant’s news has social media abuzz, although there has been no timeline given for when they will be up and running. The Ames restaurant is planned to be the eleventh location to open in Iowa. The others are in Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Waterloo, Dubuque, Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Des Moines and West Des Moines.

The 35 minute drive down to the nearest Olive Garden in Ankeny will no longer be necessary. The new Ames location is planned to be built on the northwest corner of Highway 30 and Dayton Avenue.

The new location hopes to bring about 150 jobs to Ames. According to the company’s website, they employ over 100,000 people and have over 900 locations.

The restaurant is famous for their meal deals. Some of their most popular ones include six dollar take home entrees or unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks for a low price. Their menu can be found based on location and linked here.

The Ames Regional Economic Alliance also promoted the announcement of the new Olive Garden on their Facebook page.

To learn more about Olive Garden or to stay updated on the progress of the new location, go to their website.

Wintersteen reflects on Iowa State presidency and legacy

BY MALLORY PRESCOTT

December7,2025

After eight years leading Iowa State University, President Wendy Wintersteen is preparing to step down in January, leaving behind a legacy defined by service, innovation and a deep commitment to students.

Wintersteen, the university’s first female president, has spent 46 years at Iowa State, beginning her journey in 1979 with the Iowa State University Extension Service, according to her

biography.

Reflecting on her tenure, Wintersteen said her greatest pride comes from the students she has served.

“I am really proud of the big number of students that graduated while I served as president… over 57,000 students,” Wintersteen said.

“We know from different metrics that our students have strong job placement and starting salaries. I am thankful that Iowa State plays a role in their lives.”

Wintersteen has watched the university grow and evolve during her decades-long career.

“Campus has grown… our curriculum has advanced to meet workforce needs, and our commitment to students remains at the heart of everything we do,” Wintersteen said.

She highlighted how alumni support has shaped the campus, citing the development of the new industrial engineering building and updates to the College of Health and

Human Sciences.

“These changes reflect the ways our alums care about us, because they had extraordinary experiences here as students,” Wintersteen said.

Her leadership journey began with the extension service, where she learned the value of listening and two-way communication.

“I found a family in my first years,” Wintersteen said. “I learned how to bring knowledge from the fieldCONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

Cook reflects on beginning his presidency at Iowa State

both of our lives, it was just the kind of opportunity that we could not pass up.”

David Cook, the 17th president of Iowa State University, officially stepped into the role March 1 following his appointment by the Iowa Board of Regents in November, marking a homecoming for the Ames native and Iowa State alumnus.

Cook succeeds former President Wendy Wintersteen after a national search and brings prior experience as president of North Dakota State University, along with a focus on student success, innovation and community engagement.

As he begins his presidency, Cook said the opportunity to return to Iowa State is deeply personal.

“It’s a real privilege,” Cook said. “We’re very blessed to be coming home. My wife and I were born at Mary Greeley and went to Ames High, and are graduates of Iowa State, and so when the opportunity came up to come home to our alma mater and an institution that really, I think, changed

Cook begins his presidency with what he describes as a “100day” listening phase, prioritizing conversations with students, faculty and staff across campus.

“I’m going to take my first 100 days and listen and learn, and getting out and hearing from everybody on campus is something I’m really looking forward to,” Cook said. “I’ve already started that process.”

Rather than immediately implementing sweeping changes, Cook emphasized building on the university’s existing strengths.

“There’s a great foundation,” Cook said. “President Wintersteen did an amazing job. It’s a great university and there’s so many things that are going well. I don’t want to come in and reinvent the wheel, but figure out how to build on it. That foundation will be a big part of what will ultimately set the stage for that vision.”

A key part of Cook’s early approach has been visibility and engagement

with students; simply being present is one of his top priorities.

“Well, a big priority, and hopefully, you guys are already seeing it, is that, you know, I for sure, but my wife and I, when it can be both of us, is just getting out and meeting with students, engaging with them,” Cook said. “We’ll be at every dining hall, you can guarantee it, just to be around and be present, be approachable.”

Beyond campus, Cook pointed to Iowa State’s land-grant mission as central to its role in addressing broader challenges such as workforce development and sustainability.

“We have to have a critical role thinking about access to education first and foremost, but then thinking about how that education informs what our state needs,” Cook said.

Cook plans to spend time travelling across Iowa to better understand those needs firsthand.

“I’m really looking forward to the summer, getting out across the state, attending all the field days and seeing what’s happening with manufacturing

BREAKING: Iowa State Cancels Gymnastics Season

BY HENRY ANNEN February8,2026

Iowa State Athletics announced Sunday that it has canceled the remainder of the 2026 gymnastics season.

Student-athlete safety was cited as the primary reason for the cancellation, as the team’s competition at No. 18 Denver served as its final meet of the season.

“After a careful and thoughtful review of the program over the last week, it became apparent that we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely compete and thus have made the painful decision to cancel the remainder of our gymnastics season,” Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student Services Shamaree Brown said. The decision comes just days after the school announced the cancellation of its “Love Island”-themed meet against West Virginia on Feb. 6. Scheduled meets against Western Michigan (Feb. 13), Arizona State (Feb. 22), Arizona (Feb. 27), BYU (March 6) and Iowa (March 13) in addition to the March 21 Big 12 Gymnastics Championship will not be competed in by the Cyclones.

“The health, safety and overall welfare of our student-athletes is paramount, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they are able to safely train and compete at the highest level,” Brown said.

The Iowa State Athletics ticket office will contact fans in the next week who purchased tickets to discuss the refund process.

How ISUPD uncovered a Neo-Nazi sexual predator ring

BY ALEXANDRA BYLUND March31,2026

Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual exploitation, abuse and self-harm.

The bravery of one student coming forward to the police led to a multi-state, international investigation into a sexual predator ring run by Neo-Nazis working to build a satanic following.

and rural Iowa,” Cook said.

As he begins shaping a long-term vision for the university, Cook said he is focused less on personal legacy and more on daily decision-making.

“You know, honestly, I don’t think a whole lot about what they’re going to think about me, what my legacy will be someday,” Cook said. “What I really want to do is wake up every day and think deeply about what this university needs and do what’s best.”

Cook also highlighted the importance of balancing Iowa State’s traditions with continued innovation.

“For an institution as old as ours and its history, we really have to treasure it,” Cook said. “But you also have to keep an eye on the future and how the world is changing and innovating.”

As his presidency begins, Cook encourages students to engage directly with him and his family.

“If we are on campus, we hope that you’ll come and say hello,” Cook said. “Invite us to come to your events. We’re really excited to hear from you.”

From November 2020 to January 2025, the Iowa State University Police Department uncovered the ring through the leadership and tenacity of Chief Michael Newton and Officer Kami Feld.

In November 2020, a freshman student reported to the ISUPD that beginning at age 16, she met an individual online who sexually exploited her. She grew concerned about the virtual relationship and disconnected from the perpetrator initially.

“Fast forward to November of 2020, when she’s a freshman arriving at Iowa State and all of a sudden is being victimized again by this individual, threatening to share photos and other things,” Newton said.

The patrol officer began investigative work, including interviewing the victim on several occasions and issuing subpoenas. The ISUPD subpoenaed electronic service providers, for example, Google, PayPal, Venmo, Instagram and Facebook. After receiving the results of the subpoena, CONTINUED AT iowastatedaily.com

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