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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
CEDAR FALLS, IA
VOLUME 119, ISSUE 31
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023
OPINION
CAMPUS LIFE
SPORTS
OPINION PAGE 3
CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 7
Guest Columnist Doris Kelley urges Iowa to update its primary voting system.
Darta Dalecka excels on the UNI tennis team, thousands of miles from home.
A closer look at the current state of Greek life on campus after the departure of PIKE fraternity.
UNI alum gives $1 million to Dome renovation Former football player gives back as Our Tomorrow campaign nears $200 million mark MALLORY SCHMITZ News Editor
In early December, 2022, Brad Baumler found a way to give back to a place he called home not that long ago. Baumler, who graduated from UNI in 1993, donated $1 million toward renovations to the UNI-Dome. The extensive project calls for a total of $50 million in donations to make it possible. His history with UNI is what he himself calls “extensive.” Baumler was recruited to play football for the Panthers right out of high school, but the influence of his family and UNI’s degree options sealed the deal for him. “My mother was a pretty big influence on my decision to go to UNI, just because my brothers went there, and even though I had some other opportunities to play football at some of the other schools in the state, that was the one that she was influencing me toward,” he said. He certainly didn’t regret his decision. After a successful college football career, Baumler graduated from UNI
LAUREN MCGUILL Staff Writer
COURTESY/UNI FOUNDATION
The above rendering shows a possible vision for the finished product of the UNI-Dome renovations. The project will include wider concourses, a new indoor track and greater accessibility. The project, part of the Our Tomorrow campaign, has raised over $10.7 million out of its $50 million goal.
double-majoring in business and construction management. Today, he is the proud owner of his own construction business in central Iowa, Concrete Technologies, Inc. When it comes to talking about his donation, Baumler said that it truly was a case of the right time and the right circumstances.
“With the degrees I’ve earned, what I’ve learned from football and just the whole package coming out of UNI, I just thought it was the right thing to do and the timing was good,” he said. Aside from wanting to give back to his alma mater, the Dome renovation project also spoke specifically to what
Baumler wants to see for the future of UNI. “The athletic landscape has changed a lot in the last several years, and now is the time that UNI needs it. I want to see them try to be as competitive as possible,” he said. See DOME DONATION, page 4
Guest speaker Leo Lambert on keeping the heart in education BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Staff Writer
“How are you?” Leo Lambert, president of Elon University, says that this is the question that undergraduate students are hungry to
Students explore the WRC’s “Free Week”
hear from their professors. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, President Lambert sat down with faculty and staff from UNI and Wartburg to discuss the importance of building relationships and having authentic two way conversations with undergrad-
COURTESY/TWITTER
Leo Lambert is the president of Elon University in North Carolina. He joined faculty from UNI and Wartburg in discussing how to interact with students on a more personal and genuine level.
uate students in the classroom. In a study conducted by President Lambert for his book, “Relationship Rich Education,” students that have concrete relationships with their professors tend to have a higher graduation rate and tend to look back on their time in undergraduate school with fondness. President Lambert also believes that relationships with faculty proves to be one of the reasons students stay at a four year institution, as many students are “one conversation away from deciding to stay.” “High level messaging about connections should be an institutional value. A college education without these connections is overall a poorer experience.” President Lambert describes the connections that undergraduate students have as “constellations.” He encourages educators to “forget about
turnstiles” and think about how students might fit into their classroom and their syllabus, and instead learn how to be a part of a student’s constellation. Being forthright and having genuine connections strays away from the typical “transactional” model of relationships to a more “relational’”model of relationships. Instead of simply having interactions with students on a need-only basis, interacting with students about their interests and personal lives. President Lambert noted one of his peers’ tradition of bringing in a recent graduate to a freshman lecture class on the first day of class in the semester to discuss the importance of good relationships with professors. “Obviously, not every student will have that kind of relationship with every faculty member, but it shows an example of some-
This week, the Wellness and Recreation Center (WRC) is hosting its annual “Free Week” where group fitness classes are being offered for free to UNI students. Students can try out different classes throughout the week to see what types of classes they may be interested in taking. Free Week has taken place at UNI for over 25 years now, and is a great way for students to start healthy habits for the new semester. Some of the many classes available include: multiple Cycling options, Body Pump, Cardio HIIT, Fighter Body, Women on Weights and Butts and Guts. Christopher B. Denison, who is the Director of Recreation Services at the WRC, shared that there will be some new classes as well. See FREE WEEK, page 2
CORRECTION In the last issue of the Northern Iowan, a story titled “Remembering Julie Ann” reported that Julie Ann Beddow served as a librarian at Rod Library. She instead held the role of assistant librarian. thing to strive for with your educators.” “One of my colleagues, Dr. Steve Grande, the Director of Community-Service Learning at James Madison University in Virginia said this once: ‘Before I go into work I try to raise my consciousness on how my words impact my students.’” One thing that President Lambert stresses in his writing and in speaking to the faculty and staff is humility and intentionality when interacting with students. See HEART IN EDUCATION, page 2