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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
UNI ranked No. 1 in the Midwest for the first time WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
CEDAR FALLS, IA
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Courtesy Photo/University of Northern Iowa UNI is the smallest of the three public universities in Iowa with a current enrollment of 9,366 students.
By Lily Munnik
Executive Editor
As the University of Northern Iowa wraps up the yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary this fall, another celebratory occasion made the news on Tuesday, Sept. 22, with the release of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges. UNI has been ranked as the No. 1 public regional university in the Midwest for the first time, making this recognition one for the history books. This comes after 29 years of falling second to Truman State. “The University of Northern Iowa is honored to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report for our ongoing dedication to student success, our outstanding graduation rates and the exceptional value we offer to families across the Midwest,” said Pete Moris, UNI Director of University Relations, in UNI’s news release. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings have been
published each year since 1983, using several factors to measure over 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities. The most important criteria for measuring rankings are graduation rates and graduation rate performance, with UNI’s four-year graduation rate sitting at more than 25 percentage points above the national average. The average student debt of UNI’s graduates is also below state and national averages. “As a graduate, volunteer and donor, I know the power of education from UNI,” said Nicholas Linde, UNI alum and current vice president at the University of Nebraska Foundation, on LinkedIn. “The ranking is no shock to anybody who attended UNI. What this signals, however, is that you don’t need to be flashy to be great.” UNI was also ranked No. 6 among Midwest universities for the value it provides to in-state students
and No. 4 among the Midwest for its support of veterans and active-duty service members. “This recognition reflects the incredible quality and commitment of our faculty, staff, and students, and the student-first mindset at the heart of UNI,” said Alicia Rosburg, UNI department head of economics, on LinkedIn. After hitting an enrollment high for the first time in six years, along with the drastic increases in student enrollment from neighboring states, Panthers all over campus are feeling proud — even hinting that this recognition was long overdue. “Those of us here [on campus] have believed this for a long time,” said Mike Murray, general manager at Learfield. “Now it’s being recognized.”
150 years of preparing students to make a difference By Ulyana Karplyuk
Assistant News Editor
On Friday, Sept. 18, students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate three things crucial to UNI: the university’s 150th anniversary, the 100th anniversary of the Campanile and the launch of the new Chuck and Barbara Grassley Center. “These milestones tell a story of an institution grounded in service, strengthened by community and
committed to preparing future generations for lives of purpose,” said UNI President Mark Nook. The Campanile is one of the most recognizable landmarks of UNI. From hearing its bells ring to going Campaniling, it leaves a mark on everyone here on campus. Its 100th anniversary is especially important to the community, as
it marked a century of “connecting Panthers across generations,” Nook said. Gabriel Salazar, president of Northern Iowa Student Government, shared what the Campanile means to him as a student. “Whenever I look at the Campanile, I see the opportunity and the sacrifice built on the dreams of
those who came before me,” he said. Built by past generations, to this day, the tower “represents the dreams of everyone who is here to further their education, and like the Campanile, those dreams stand tall for every UNI student who passes by.” See CELEBRATION, page 2
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NEWS SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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LILY MUNNIK Executive Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
CELEBRATION
continued from page 1
Ulyana Karplyuk/Northern Iowan UNI President Mark Nook spoke at the 150th Celebration on Friday, Sept. 18.
People from the community within and beyond campus recognized UNI’s impact on education and betterment of the Cedar Valley. Ana Kogl, professor of political science, talked about how the university prepares students not just to enter the workforce, but also helps them grow as individuals and members of a society. Cedar Falls mayor Danny Laudick, a UNI alum, emphasized the importance of funding public education. “When we are able to invest in this university… it helps us retain people. Students want to choose this place as their home.” UNI’s commitment to providing students with more diverse learning opportunities is significant, and the establishment of the Chuck and Barbara Grassley Center is the direct result of that. The center “is a non-partisan way that’s getting students engaged, loving civics and loving the challenge of getting along in a contentious world,” said Robert Cramer, president of the Iowa Board of Regents. It will hold Sen. Grassley’s
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extensive collection of archives related to his public service in the United States House and Senate, as well as the Iowa General Assembly. Students will be able to access materials to broaden their understanding of civic engagement, public leadership and service. The BOR approved the establishment at its meeting Thursday, Sept.17. According to Nook, the project has been in the works for nine years. It will cap off Sen. Grassley’s 67-year tenure as a public servant, beginning with his election to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1958. The renderings of the Commons build where the center will be located were showcased in the Maucker Union ballroom during the event. Nook said there are talks of creating an interactive floor layout featuring the senator’s annual 99-country tour route. Sen. Grassley and his wife Barbara were also present at the event. With decade-old ties to the university and as UNI alums, the couple was pleased to be back on campus and join the celebration. “I’ve lived my entire life about
Managing Editor westejac@uni.edu 515.776.0176
10 miles from campus,” said Sen. Grassley. “I’m always happy when I can come [back].” By recognizing its contribution in the past 150 years, UNI is enter-
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ing a new chapter: continuing its mission to make positive change in students and the local community.
Ulyana Karplyuk/Northern Iowan Renderings of the Commons renovation plan were showcased during the 150th Celebration.
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Ulyana Karplyuk/Northern Iowan Sen. Chuck Grassley and his wife Barbara Grassley were also in attendance at the celebration for the approval and announcement of the Chuck and Barbara Grassley Center.
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The Northern Iowan is published weekly on Wednesday during the academic year, except for holidays and examination periods, by the Northern Iowan under the auspices of the Board of Directors of the Northern Iowan. Advertising errors that are the fault of the Northern Iowan will be corrected at no cost to the advertiser only if the Northern Iowan office is notified within seven days of the original publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time. The Northern Iowan is funded in part with student activity fees. All material is © 2026 by the Northern Iowan and may not be used without permission.
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NEWS
FAITH VANDENBERG News Editor
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Advocating for what matters
Could we all use a little more ModelUN in our lives? By Kate Booras Staff Writer
You’ve probably heard of ModelUN within the Northern Iowa campus, but you may be wondering what exactly they do and what sort of impact they leave. ModelUN stands for the Model United Nations Competition Team (Also known as MUNC). It serves as an organizational club at the University of Northern Iowa and is dedicated to uniting people who like to learn and take a physical stand on real-world scenarios, while simultaneously acting as a delegate member for the United Nations. As the Director of Public Relations, Cassidy Bowen said that its goal is “to incorporate and bring people together who like history, learning, public speaking and
taking a stance on political issues.” Furthermore, ModelUN aims to help spread awareness of the problems countries are in the midst of facing, e.g., climate change, sovereignty crisis, and much more. The club will inform its members on said issues and how to approach them within a court setting, in hopes of finding a form of resolution. ModelUN meetings are recurring, taking place every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Sabin 025. These meetings can differ from time to time, as some days will be heavier in workload than others. However, they are usually pretty laid back, but don’t let that fool you about the dedication you’ll have to put in.
Kate Booras/Northern Iowan Students Participating in a ModelUN activity.
“For some people it’s a club and for others a class. Overall, the team does it for the love of the game,” said Secretary Jack McIrvin. The club meetings are often spent on research, geography, writing, speaking and simulations. “You shouldn’t walk in with a certain headspace or hold certain expectations because the team will surely surpass them,” said Bowen. When you hear the word “competition,” there may be an internal panic; however, do not fret. ModelUN teaches and prepares you for every case scenario in order to be successful not only in what you are researching but also in what you are responsible for discussing when it comes time. For example, a big factor within these conferences is whether or not your resolution paper gets passed, and this is what you spend most of your time preparing for pre-competition. Generally speaking, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes down to your argumentation as long as you prepare and support your claim with evidence. In addition to competing, another fun benefit is the reward of free travel: you get to go to Chicago and St. Louis as long as you attend
Kate Booras/Northern Iowan Exec Team from left to right: Cassidy Bowen, Maia Maxwell, Dee Dee Benton and Jack McIrvin. Not pictured: Levi Hodge.
a minimum of three meetings and keep up-to-date on your subject. There is also an opportunity to travel internationally if you’ve racked up enough points within the club and have displayed enough dedication to the craft. These travels do give you some time to explore and walk around where you desire to visit. “The club kind of checks off all the boxes; you meet people all around the world, approach new scenarios and hopefully win some awards in the process,” said Levi Hodge, vice president of ModelUN.
At the end of the day, ModelUN is a great place to represent a stance you believe in for the greater good while having fun with your peers. The team is excited for interested individuals to potentially join, become more involved and form connections. While simultaneously seeing what people may gain out of the experience(s). “Anyone can join, and you don’t need prior knowledge to be a part of the group because you’ll end up learning more than you thought along the way,” said Treasurer Maia Maxwell.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian explores Jefferson’s legacy By Delaney Von Ahsen Staff Writer
Delaney Von Ahsen/Northern Iowan Professor Annette Gordon-Reed is an American-historian and law professor at Harvard University.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard University Professor Annette GordonReed highlighted the legacy of Thomas Jefferson in a lecture at UNI as part of the Constitution Day celebration on Sept.17. One of the nation’s foremost scholars of early American history, she authored several books exploring the complexities of American history. Her book “The Hemingses of Monticello” won her the Pulitzer Prize. When asked what made her interested in focusing on Jefferson and his influence on history, Gordon-Reed said her interest dates back to third grade. “I was reading biographies in the back of our classroom. It was a series of Dolly Madison, George Washington Carver, George Washington, Abigail
Adams and Thomas Jefferson. I found it interesting because it was supposedly written by a fictional enslaved boy who was supposed to be a friend of Jefferson’s,” Gordon-Reed said. “So it kind of presented to my mind the American Story, in a way.” On honor of Constitution Day, Gordon-Reed gave a lecture in Russell Hall to a group of about 35 people at UNI exploring the legacy of Jefferson’s presidency, its continuing influence on American government and its relevance to the present day. To illustrate Jefferson’s policies, Gordon-Reed told the story of how Jefferson first went into his presidency with a great deal of enthusiasm. He saw it as an opportunity to put his thoughts regarding the
Revolution of 1800 into practice and bring back the spirit of ‘76. In order to achieve this, Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark out West on an expedition. Their goal was to find the Northwest Passage and find water connecting the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean. The journey led them into the Rocky Mountains and shut down the notion that water connects the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean. Reed mentioned these examples, and how it became clear he had been facing constitutional issues very early on in his career. He headed the American Philosophical Society, was very politically active with his dinner parties and did the work of a lobbyist all while he was
the president, vice president and after retirement. He chose Lewis and Clark so they could send information from the expedition back to him, some of which were copies of Native American artifacts that can be found today in Monticello, Virginia, on Thomas Jefferson’s estate, The Entrance Hall. But his journey was not without hardships, scandal and enemies. Gordon-Reed then went on to explain how James Callender, a Scottish journalist, had a complicated relationship with Jefferson. In the beginning, he was a great admirer of Jefferson and wrote some very tough criticism about Jefferson’s opponents, namely, Adams. READ MORE ONLINE AT: northerniowan.com
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N.I. EN ESPAÑOL
N.I. EN ESPAÑOL SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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JENNA WESTENDORF Managing Editor
ZACH MINEART Spanish Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
«Se ven fenomenales»
Las cifras de matrícula de la UNI alcanzan su nivel más alto desde 2020
Escrito por Lily Munnik Zach Mineart, Editor de Español
La Universidad del Norte de Iowa está viendo sus números de inscripción más fuertes en los últimos años, con una inscripción total de 9.366 estudiantes este otoño, lo que la convierte en la inscripción total más alta de la UNI desde 2020. La aumentación viene mientras que la UNI también informa que su clase de estudiantes de primer año es la más grande desde 2017. La inscripción de estudiantes nuevos de la universidad también ha alcanzado su nivel más alto desde 2017, con 3.426 estudiantes nuevos inscritos en la UNI este año académico. El total de estudiantes de grado ha alcanzado los 7.390, el más alto desde 2021. El crecimiento de la inscripción se da durante un año en el que la inscripción en los otros universitarios públicos de Iowa ha disminuido entre los estudiantes de primer año. La Universidad de Iowa y la Universidad del Estado de Iowa han informado que las inscripciones de estudiantes de primer año han disminuido un 5% desde el otoño pasado. En la UNI, la inscripción de todos los estudiantes ha alcanzado un 1,7% desde hace un año. La inscripción de los estudiantes transferidos también ha aumentado un 5,6%. “Estaba buscando una mejor oportunidad”, dijo Ian Smikle, un estudiante reciente transferido y jugador del equipo de baloncesto de la UNI. “La UNI tiene un programa ganador y una historia ganadora y el entrenador Kyle Green es un hombre genial”. Para estudiantes que empiezan sus carreras en la universidad este otoño, la decisión de asistir a la UNI puede ser atribuida a una variedad de razones, incluyendo las académicas, el tamaño del campus, la ubicación y el costo. “Escogía la UNI
Courtesy Photo/University of Northern Iowa El gráfico de barras muestra un ligero aumento en la inscripción para el año académico de 2026, siendo 2022 el más bajo en los últimos seis años.
porque estaba cerca y no estaba lista para despedirse de la casa todavía. También la matrícula es básicamente pagada para mí”, dijo el nativo de Waterloo Sanai Scott. La universidad incluso ha aumentado el acceso a sus precios de la matrícula estatal. La UNI ofrece el precio de la matrícula estatal a los nuevos estudiantes de primer año y a los estudiantes transferidos nuevos de los estados vecinos de Iowa, una política que los oficiales universitarios dicen que ha contribuido al crecimiento de la inscripción de este año. “Nuestra Política de Estado Vecino convierte la UNI en un destino más atractivo para familias en toda nuestra área”, dijo el presidente de la UNI, Mark Nook, en un artículo de InsideUNI. Nook se da cuenta de los números de inscripción durante el Discurso de la
Universidad de 2026, donde él dijo que el crecimiento de la inscripción de la universidad destaca en comparación con los otros institutos. “Generalmente, cuando doy esta presentación, no puedo hablar sobre nuestros números del censo y dónde está la inscripción, pero me da mucho gusto que ahora pueda porque los números han aumentado”, dijo Nook. “Parecen fenomenales. De hecho, nuestra inscripción total ha aumentado un 1,76%. Y sí, daré tres números”. Nook dijo que la aumentación incluye un crecimiento entre los estudiantes de Iowa y los estudiantes de los estados vecinos. Es increíble ver el aumento cuando las otras universidades están disminuyendo o no cambian”, dijo Nook. “Esta aumentación es en términos de los estudiantes de Iowa, donde vimos un crecimiento de un 3% en los estudiantes de Iowa, y es en
los estudiantes de los estados vecinos donde vimos un crecimiento de más del 100% en nuevos estudiantes. Algunos estudiantes que se deciden entre varias universidades en Iowa visitan el campus de la UNI y lo conquistan de inmediato. “Estaba decidiendo entre la Universidad del Estado de Iowa y la UNI y visité el campus y me gustó la sensación”, dijo la nueva estudiante de primer año Elaine Lund. “Era más pequeño y ni siquiera acabé visitando la Universidad del Estado de Iowa porque solo me encantó la sensación en el campus”. El aumento en la inscripción también viene de esfuerzos de la facultad y del personal de admisiones para atraer y retener estudiantes. “Enhorabuena a todos los que trabajaban en eso”, dijo Nook. “Sé que la oficina de admisiones toma el cargo de
estar ahí afuera luchando para que esos estudiantes se metan, pero muchos de nuestros jefes de departamento, facultad y personal han tenido un gran impacto en eso”. En un tiempo donde las tasas de graduación están proyectadas para disminuir un 4% en Iowa y un 32% en Illinois de 2023 a 2041, según The Gazette, el aumento de la inscripción de la UNI ofrece una señal positiva para el futuro de la enseñanza superior en la región. El aumento sugiere que los estudiantes continúan para perseguir la educación superior a pesar de descensos más amplios en el número de graduados del instituto. “No pienso que pueda asistir en otro sitio”, dijo la estudiante de primer año Addie Smith, quien juega en el equipo de golf femenino. “Me encanta aquí; es genial”.
LILY MUNNIK
PAGE 5
OPINION
Executive Editor
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
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VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Buddy: Unicorns, bunnies and the horrors of the entertainment industry By Theo Trimble Staff Writer
Horror takes on many different forms. Slashers, ghosts and monsters have plagued our screens for decades. But some of the most terrifying stories aren’t fiction; they’re walking around us every day. Recent horror has started to show us this part of the world that we tend to ignore, rather than shying away and focusing on fictional creatures. New films like Obsession and Send Help have touched on the idea, with commentary touching on power dynamics and bodily control. “Buddy” (2026) reminds us that even the Courtesy Photo/IMDb people we love can be dangerous and ill-inten- Keegan-Michael Key and Sergey Zhuravsky in Buddy (2026). tioned. dynamics and the need for control. Throughout “Buddy,” Following the structure of the fictional kids’ show “It’s Buddy”, Buddy the Unicorn (voiced by we see the title character perform acts of violence on Keegan-Michael Key) teaches kids life lessons while children, adults and even talking furniture in order to reminding them to always keep a smile on their face. keep his grasp on his regularly scheduled programming. “Buddy” immediately throws us into the colorful However, things take a turn for the actors when their world of the show “It’s Buddy,” introducing us to the friends keep “moving” to the mysterious “Diamond cast of human and felted characters, including Buddy the City”... or at least that’s what Buddy says. Unicorn, Nurse Nancy, Freddie, Wade, and Josh. Other Supporting actors include Cristin Milioti, Delaney minor characters include Betty Bunny, Strappie, Hannah, Quinn, Caleb Williams and Patton Oswalt. and Wade. Director Casper Kelly, known for his written work With a terrifying off-screen attack setting the stakes on “Too Many Cooks” and “V/H/S Halloween”, took for the characters. something most would see as feel-good and turned it into The younger characters are realistic, thanks to the something unsettling and uncomfortable. talented child actors on set, who were kept safe, unlike Kelly’s style is immediately recognizable in the their movie counterparts. Kelly discussed how he balshow’s nostalgic feeling, along with the transition back anced their understanding of the material and their into the real world. protection. In an interview with The Black List, Kelly discussed “A lot of it came down to just being pretty honest how he wanted to replicate that low-budget ‘90s feeling with them, especially in moments like “Here’s the part without hitting too hard into the nostalgia. where [Buddy’s] going to do this horrible thing.” These “I 100% believe that you have to participate in the kids are all very interested in acting, and a lot of their culture where it is now. You cannot become one of those parents weren’t classic stage parents.” people that only listens to songs that were out when you Kelly continued, “We had a lot more folks in the were in high school — I think that’s a form of death. “Well, I’m a scientist and I work from home and I would Nostalgia has its place, but let’s keep imbibing more have assumed they would be into sports or whatever, but modern culture of where we are now too,” Kelly said. they love acting, and I want to support them, so here I The film has a heavy focus on child abuse, power
am.” The kids were really driving it.” Like all movies, “Buddy” comes with its own set of flaws. Pacing was not very consistent, with the emotional beats feeling too long and the horror elements feeling too short. The movie also loses momentum when the fun and violent kids show is replaced with a more drama-like vibe. “The first 20 minutes were side-splittingly funny and bitingly observed... Then a more ambitious story involving parents in the outside world, and the movie struggles to match its rocket-fuel kickoff,” says Johnny Oleksinski, a critic for the New York Post. Although Kelly gives brilliant visuals and a unique presentation of his ideas, you can’t help but feel like he didn’t do enough with the premise. There’s so much you can do with a killer children’s mascot, with hundreds of examples out there to reference. If Kelly wasn’t condensed to an hour and thirty minutes, maybe we could’ve seen more meat in the story. With a budget of $3 million, the movie grossed $5.46 million during its opening weekend, and earned $5.8 million at the box office during its second weekend. A fun, bloody, and somewhat heartwarming film, “Buddy” is a movie I would recommend to horror fans, stoners and groups of friends looking for a movie to laugh at.
A dual-review of ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ By Jocelyn Loveless & Brendon Schnathorst Staff Writer
Art is subjective, even amongst friends. A few weeks ago, we saw Jane Schoenbrun’s new film, ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’, an experience that divided us. The film follows director Kris (Hannah Einbinder), hired to remake an infamous slasher franchise. After meeting the reclusive star of the original film, Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the pair embark on an existential odyssey of fear and discovery. Our relationship to horror? Brendon: Horror is my favorite genre. While there are plenty of terrible ones, I love how horror
movies can mix fun and intensity. Often, I would watch these movies with my mom, cracking jokes and startling each other as we watched. While I adore dumb slashers and gore fests, I also love horror movies that offer an introspective look at human nature and terror. Jocelyn: I grew up around the genre. My mom and older brother were constantly watching horror films and I would always sneak a peek to feed my morbid curiosity. As I grew up, I found comfort and excitement in the genre. I love how horror compresses serious topics into more abstract, interesting, and sometimes fun pills to swallow.
What’s our experience with Jane Schoenbrun? Brendon: Schoenbrun is one of my favorite working filmmakers. Since their debut feature, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” and their sophomore film, “I Saw the TV Glow,” they have gift-wrapped beautifully deep movies about media and gender in a poignant fashion, especially for somebody beyond the gender binary, such as myself. Jocelyn: This was my first movie of theirs that I’ve watched. READ MORE ONLINE AT: northerniowan.com
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LILY MUNNIK
OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
Executive Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Sydney Sweeney’s newest ad
The real scoreboard of feminism
Courtesy Photo/Novig Ad Sydney Sweeney is an American actress known for her roles in “Euphoria,” “The Housemaid” and “Christy.”
Editor’s Note: Opinions written by staff do not reflect the entirety of the Northern Iowan - only the writer who shares their opinion. All opinions are welcome in the Northern Iowan as long as they do not promote hate or discrimination. By Avery Moomey Staff Writer
Sydney Sweeney has never hidden what she’s willing to put in front of a camera. From “Euphoria” to her American Eagle jeans campaign to her new, mostly nude ad for the sports trading platform Novig, which was very bold and body-forward. Her work has pretty much become part of her brand. She’s 29, and she’s a big part of Gen Z life. She made a choice. People don’t have to love the ad, but that choice belongs to her. Still, the backlash has been loud. British sprinter Amy Hunt told BBC Sport, “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” after running her season’s best at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus was just as blunt, saying, “I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this.” Sweeney hasn’t directly talked about the situation, but in her statement on Novig’s website, she said the goal was to “cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports.” She also posted many ESPN Body Issue covers to her Instagram story, a quiet stab at the long list of athletes who have posed nude on their own terms and conditions before her ad was published. This is the part that is getting lost. Over the past week, the internet on every social platform has turned on Sweeney, and too much of the criticism has been vulgar, personal, and aimed at shaming her. Calling a woman trashy or shameful for how she uses her own body isn’t feminism. It’s the same po-
licing of women’s bodies that feminists have spent generations fighting, just coming from a different direction. Feminism was never supposed to come with a dress code. It’s about women having the freedom to decide for themselves, whether that means a jersey, a gown, a baggy T-shirt and sweats, or nothing but a football. To be fair, the concerns raised by female athletes are real. Gymnast Gracie Kramer had posted a video on her Instagram of her competing with the caption, “I don’t know what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.” That fight matters, and it deserves to be heard. But it doesn’t require tearing down other women, like Sweeney. One ad does not dim the light on any woman who trains for hours on end every day. The real problem isn’t the fact that Sweeney is on our screens. It’s the fact that female athletes still don’t get enough of that spotlight. The answer is more visibility for them, not less respect for Sweeney. Women’s sports are in the middle of a breakout stretch, with packed arenas across the country, record WNBA viewers, Iowa sanctioning women’s wrestling in January of 2022, and growing TV audiences — and that momentum was earned in the gym, on the track, and on the court. Sweeney has let her actions speak instead of directly engaging with critics. According to CNN, when a reporter pressed her on whether she wanted
to set the record straight about her intentions, she offered a now very viral, more avoidant answer: “I think that when I have an issue I want to speak about, people will hear.” Different media have read into that silence. More athletes have dived deeper into this uproar. Olympic boxer Skye Nicolson argued that there’s a “big difference” between “looking sexy while competing” and “using sex to sell sport,” which is really what this whole debate comes down to. Forbes had a deeper view, going back to the half-naked women used to sell products mostly to men, a tradition many major companies have dropped, as female athletes still fight to be judged and looked at for their skills rather than just looks. Athletes have made that choice for themselves, and the sports world has never treated it as a betrayal of the game. The line that matters isn’t how much a woman is wearing; it’s whether she chose it or not. There is no shortage of women worth celebrating. Caitlin Clark has brought record crowds and viewers to women’s basketball. Since leaving Iowa as Division 1’s all-time leading scorer. Her 2024 national title game against South Carolina pulled in around 19 million viewers, the most ever for a women’s college basketball game, and she followed it by winning WNBA Rookie of the Year with her team, the Indiana Fever. Simone Biles is the best-known gymnast in history and is still rede-
fining the sport to make it more wellknown. Including three golds at the Paris Olympics, that made her career jump to 11 Olympic medals. Coco Gauff is a Grand Slam champion who is still in her twenties, with titles at both the U.S. Open and the French Open. She carried the flag at the Paris opening ceremony. Sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden swept the 100 and 200 at the 2025 World Championships and just ran a 21.4 to win at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. These women got where they are through talent, blood, sweat, and tears, and never-ending work. A 60-second commercial doesn’t undo any of it. Women are allowed to be more than one thing. Sweeney can pose for a provocative ad, and Biles can stick a landing that stuns the whole world. Clark can absolutely drain a logo three that gets the crowd roaring, and Gauff can hold up a trophy. On the court, in the gym, and on the track, the results speak for themselves. Novig’s whole pitch is “just sports,” and if that’s the message, the best way to honor it is to actually show up. Fill the seats at women’s games and tune into the broadcasts. Follow these women athletes all season, not just when they are a trend. Supporting one doesn’t mean betraying the other. If we’re truly feminists, we lift up all of them, the athletes chasing records and the actress choosing her own image — leave the shaming at the door.
LILY MUNNIK
PAGE 7
ARTS
Executive Editor
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
TheatreUNI presents ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
An experience of humor, magic and moonbeams By Alexa Farrell Staff Writer
As the first production in TheatreUNI’s Wonderings and Wanderings season, this 90-minute, fast-paced cut of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is full of dramatic characters and complex perspectives on authority and progress. What the classic tale is all about Shakespeare’s original “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” begins with young lovers Hermia and Lysander wondering about social expectations and wandering into the forest to be together free of them. Hermia’s childhood friend, Helena, is also in love, though her beloved Demetrius appears to be infatuated with Hermia instead. The story follows the characters as they explore desire within a world of social hierarchy, all while navigating mischief inflicted by fairies in the forest. Simultaneously, a group of mechanicals — the lower class of Shakespearean society — hilariously prepare to put on a production for the Duke and his company as they are also interrupted by more mischief and love gone wrong. Third-year accounting major Kolton Messer plays Lysander, who loves Hermia until he believes he is in love with her friend Helena after a love potion incident courtesy of the fairies. “There are some extenuating circumstances that happen that really flip him 180 in how he presents to the people that he loves or used to love,” Messer said. “He goes through a transformation that is really shocking.” While being quick-witted and “dynamic,” as Messer described it, Shakespeare’s work confronts order against chaos. Erin Epperson, who plays the fairy, Peaseblossom, appreciates the production’s vibes and depth. “I love the magic, I love the aesthetic of the enchanted forest and the fairies, but I also love that it’s very practical in some ways,” Epperson, a senior vocal education major, said. “It explores themes of love and power and self-autonomy.” Kendra Kahl, the production’s director, said that all of the language is unabridged, original Shakespearean, with
Courtesy Photo/TheatreUNI Kendra Kahl is the director of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
I love the magic, I love the aesthetic of the enchanted forest and the fairies, but I also love that it’s very practical in some ways.” Erin Epperson Senior vocal education student the 90-minute cut chosen based upon the most action-based or “streamlined” lines, making it more intriguing and applicable for all generations. With performances on Oct. 2, 3 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 4 and 10 at 2 p.m., the 21-member cast and the rest of the team will be performing for middle and high school classes during the day as well, allowing students to experience theatre and Shakespeare in a humorous and thought-provoking way. Kahl reflected on the importance of theatre as an opportunity for students in the community and overall. “In our current age of AI, where we have lots of questions about what is human and what is a shared human experience, I think theatre reminds us in a space where we’re all together watching the same thing, laughing together and also interpreting it in different ways. It offers us a place in which we are returned to our humanity.” What direction UNI chose to display Shakespeare’s classic Nature and art deco collide with TheatreUNI’s take on the show set in 1920s New York. Kahl said this choice was made for the era’s progressiveness and to aid with visuals that make Shakespeare relevant and accessible. The time period permeates every as-
pect of the production’s preparation, such as music choices, costumes and more. Recent UNI alum and current costume designer Hannah Pratt remembered being thrilled by the choice of era. “When I heard that this one was going to be set in the 1920s, my mind immediately went a billion different places,” Pratt said. “I felt so inspired, and being able to do my research and start putting the pencil to paper and creating the designs — everything just felt very natural.” Pratt said she began brainstorming and working on costumes as early as March, with renderings complete by May. Much of the costume choices were made based on the 1920s era, with Hermia and Helena in classic flapper-style outfits and men of the time in straight, rectangle-shaped suits. As for the fairies, Pratt chose to theme them off of bugs or flowers one might see in the city, leaning into the production’s design element that nature prevails and overgrows in what humans leave unattended. Themes such as order versus disruption also presented a baseline for the production’s lighting design. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is Thomas White’s second show as Lighting Designer, and he has drawn his inspiration from design points presented by Director Kendra Kahl and through collaboration
Courtesy Photo/TheatreUNI Kolton Messer plays Lysander in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Courtesy Photo/TheatreUNI Erin Epperson plays the fairy Peaseblossom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
with others. White said that his primary goal through the lighting design for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is to ensure all the action can be seen, or as he said to “remove obstacles to understanding.” Next, he said he is leaning into the differences between the orderly, geometrical nature presented by the city setting and the more impulsive, asymmetrical nature of the forest setting, using follow spots and GoBos to add texture and clarity. “We can communicate we’re in the city by having a big skyline, and I can help communicate setting when we’re in the forest by having a small skyline to say we have moved away from the city,” White said. Audio is also valuable to any production. While preexisting tracks from the 1920s were chosen for the parts of the show taking place in the city, the music in which the characters are in the forest was completely composed by post-grad composition student Trey Blaser. Blaser said he drew inspiration from the composition of movies set in whimsical forest environments, asking himself questions like “what does a love potion sound like?” It took him about four months of work to compose the sounds of the forest, assigning instruments to characters as he noted film scorers often do. “They really mesh well together, but they each have their own characteristics about them,” Blaser explained, referring to both the four season-centered fairies and the woodwind instruments he chose to represent them. In a task that was uncharted territory for him, Blaser also created the lullaby sequence sung by the four fairies, including senior student Epperson. She said that she has wanted to perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” since it was the first play that she read for fun. She reflected on how valuable theatre is to her. “Getting back into theatre has been hard for me,” she said. “Because it’s like, ‘is this worth all of the trouble that I’m going to be a part of it?’ And every time I do it, the answer is yes.”
Courtesy Photo/TheatreUNI Hannah Pratt is the custome designer for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
PAGE 8
MICHAEL SPAHN
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
Sports Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
‘I gave myself a chance’ Perry reaches new heights in breakout season
By Giada Grimes Staff Writer Joey Perry entered the NCAA National Track and Field Championships seeded 20th out of 24 participants. Seven grueling events later, she found her way to first-team All-American honors, placing eighth with a school record under her belt. Perry began her junior season with hopes to win another Missouri Valley Conference title in the heptathlon, but her sights quickly switched when she realized what just might be in store for her. “First indoor meet was a multi at Iowa. The first one is normally kind of a water tester, like, we can dip our toes in, we try our best, but normally it doesn’t go very good. But for me, I PR’d by like a lot. I scored almost 4000 points,” Perry said. After a stellar indoor season, Perry got a massive personal record in the heptathlon and a Drake Relays title to go with it. Along with the multi, she also had an abundance of success in individual events. Perry was able to break the school record in the 400-meter hurdles and beat her previous personal records in long jump and high jump. “I think throughout the whole outdoor season, I was able to PR in individual events.” Perry said. “So when it came to the multi-time, it added confidence to be able to do it all on the same day.” Perry ended her regular outdoor season at the MVC Championships, with an array of topthree finishes and a couple of gold medals. However, the season was far from over for Perry; she had qualified for the national championship meet in the heptathlon. “I was hoping for it.” Perry said, “But coming into last season, I didn’t think that I was gonna go to nationals. It was surreal.” Despite all of the success throughout the season, entering the biggest meet of the year was bound to bring some nerves, and it certainly brought some for Perry. The first race of the heptathlon is intimidating: the 100-meter hurdles. While it is a quick one, a single misstep can leave an athlete tumbling to the ground, essentially forfeiting their chance
Photo Courtesy/Keith Webber
Perry celebrates after a successful throw during the javelin event at the NCAA Track and Field National Championships.
to place. Perry specifically could feel the pressure, having had a long history with the race. “I’m talking to Boone (Joey’s athletic trainer), I was like, I just don’t want to take last. Do I play a little bit safe? Because I have a long history with hurdles. I’ve fallen multiple times; I’ve had highs, had lows.” Perry said. “I just didn’t want to take last. And then I played a little safe, and ran a not a good time for me.” A start like that in the hep-
tathlon is less than ideal. Nonetheless, Perry didn’t let the race overcome her and was able to quickly recover; she knew what was on the line if she didn’t. “In the multi, when one event doesn’t go good, you think the next one has to go better,” Perry said. “I think I PR’d then, for the next six events.” Five events later, it was the final race of the heptathlon: the 800-meter run. Perry entered the event in 10th, a couple of places off of scoring territory.
“Coov (Joey’s coach) came up to me, and he was like, don’t look at times. Don’t look at what you have to run to move up; just run as fast as you can,” Perry said. “So I come up to the line; I’m shaking in my boots. Truly, I’m like, oh, Lord. Oh, Lord, help me.” Perry put her all out on the track, running a massive two-second PR in the 800. Exhausted, she was lying on the ground, searching for the result on the scoreboard.
“I looked up, I ran 2:12, and I was like, all right, I gave myself a chance,” Perry said. “I just remember thinking in my head, I gave myself a chance.” The overall heptathlon standings began to move on the board, and Perry saw her name jump up to eighth. She was overcome with emotion. “I just started crying because, like I said, I was just trying not to get last throughout the whole meet, and then things went my way,” Perry said. “A lot can happen in the span of two days and seven events. So the fact that all came together in that dramatic fashion, the emotions just overcame.” Following her outstanding performance at NCAA nationals, Perry was able to qualify and compete at the USA national championships. While the results didn’t end exactly how Perry had imagined, it was an accomplished end to a long, successful season. Going into this next year, Perry has set high, yet modest goals for herself. Following up such a standout season can be intimidating, and Perry deeply understands the difficulty that it may bring. “I feel like it’s gonna be kind of hard to know what to expect from yourself going into this next season. Because of course, I want to go back to nationals. I want to hopefully get better, but it’s hard to set that level for yourself,” Perry said. “So it’s like a little internal battle where I feel like I should be able to do it and I want to do it, but I don’t want to expect too much of myself.” However, with a newly granted fifth year, Perry still has her ambitions set high over the next two years. “The reason I’m taking my fifth year is I’m trying to go to the trials for 2028. That’s why I’m taking my fifth, so I can still compete in uniform and train with the team all the way up to trials,” Perry said. Perry has the next two years to be able to execute a heptathlon score that would qualify for the Olympic Trials, and she is within arm’s reach. She has had a remarkable track and field career thus far, but her journey as a panther is far from over. “It’s possible, and it’s there,” Perry said. “It’s there. Just gotta execute.”
MICHAEL SPAHN
PAGE 9
SPORTS
Sports Editor
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Stepsis: Won’t let one moment define team By Michael Spahn Sports Editor The third game of the season for the UNI football team ended in a tough 55-0 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, Sept. 19. “We were embarrassed today,” UNI head coach Todd Stepsis stated in his postgame press conference. The Hawkeyes accumulated 640 yards to overwhelm UNI’s defense, as the Panthers fell to 1-18 all-time versus Iowa and 1-2 on the season. The Hawkeyes accumulated 640 yards to overwhelm UNI’s defense, as the Panthers fell to 1-18 all-time versus Iowa and 1-2 on the season. The Hawkeyes found their bread and butter running the football, accumulating 422 rushing yards, the second highest total in a game during head coach Kirk Ferentz’s 27-year tenure at Iowa. Iowa’s Nathan McNeil and Xavier Williams scored the Hawkeyes first two rushing touchdowns, with Williams breaking a 46 yard touchdown to put the Hawkeyes up 21-0. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown went a perfect 12-12
passing with 153 yards and two touchdown passes: a 24-yard touchdown to Braeden Jackson and a 14-yard score to Addison Ostrenga. When playing the caliber of an opponent like the Iowa Hawkeyes, Stepsis wanted to see his team rise to the occasion and avoid playing scared. “It felt like on defense we were just catching, and playing not to make a mistake as opposed to just letting it rip, “ said Stepsis. “It goes back to coaching. How do we coach the fear of failure out of these guys? Because all the games are big and all the moments are big.” UNI quarterback Jaxon Dailey finished the contest with 91 yards, completing 11 passes on 27 attempts. Dailey converted on two big completions, one to receiver Aydan Price for 28 yards, along with a 18-yard completion to tight end Brady McCullough. Caleb Kamara led the Panthers in rushing yards with 24 on the day. Calvin Jaworski led the UNI defense with 10 tackles in the contest. Kolben Miller acquired the Panthers lone sack in the sec-
Photo Courtesy/Gabby Dress/The Daily Iowan
Iowa linebacker Cam Buffington tackles University of Northern Iowa quarterback Jaxon Dailey during a football game between the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes and the University of Northern Iowa Panthers at Kinnick Stadium.
ond quarter, getting to Hawkeyes quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski for a loss of 11 yards. On special teams, UNI was able to block one extra-point attempt from Hawkeyes kicker Caden Buhr. Despite the loss, Stepsis was encouraged that better days are ahead for this program
“Our team has been very resilient. They’re not going to let one moment define them,” Stepsis said. “This result is where we are at this moment in time. It doesn’t define who we are. It doesn’t define what our future’s going to be. The only thing we can do is respond the next day in
a positive way and look to learn the lessons that we need to.” Northern Iowa will welcome Illinois State, the FCS runner-up from a season ago, into the UNI-Dome on Saturday Sept. 26. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. with coverage available on ESPN+.
UNI volleyball zaps Shockers in home opener By Elaine Lund Sports Writer This past weekend, the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team had two matches against Wichita State. UNI won both matches, sweeping the first 3-0 on Friday night and winning the second 3-1 Saturday afternoon. Friday’s game consisted of 49 kills from UNI. Saturday’s game had 56 kills and 13 aces, six of them by Jadyn Petersen. Despite lighting up the stat chart on the offensive side of things, head coach Bobbi Petersen was incredibly satisfied with how her defensive unit played in both games against the Shockers. “I thought our defense was the most consistent part of our game,” said Petersen in her weekly coaches press conference. “The block touches we were getting, the scrappiness in the backcourt, just being super disciplined… and I think we just continued to find ways to find scoring opportunities out of those touches.” In the first set of Friday’s match, UNI took a 4-0 lead before an attack error made it 4-1. UNI then pulled ahead 9-3 with a kill from Cassidy Hartman and a Shockers attack error. The Panthers continued to lead the set when the Shockers closed the gap with two kills and an attack error to make it 13-12. UNI
Photo Courtesy/UNI Athletics
Reese Booth (6) and Isabelle Elliot (11) celebrate after securing a point in a matchup against Wichita State in the McLeod Center.
quickly pulled ahead, racking up four back-to-back points with a kill from Lilly Dykstra, an ace from Hartman and another kill from Dykstra. Maryn Bixby and Dykstra then secured point 20 with a beautiful block after an intense rally. Wichita State didn’t hold back, closing the gap again with four kills and a block to make it 20-19. With the game tied 21-21, Dykstra scored a kill to pull ahead, but the Shockers answered right back again to tie the set 22-22. The Panthers pulled ahead and reached set point with kills from Isabelle Elliott and Hartman. In the end, the Panthers won set one 25-23
with a kill from Elliott. Wichita State started the second set with a kill to earn the first point. UNI hammered down, scoring seven points in a row, with kills from Dykstra, Elliott, and Hartman, two blocks from Grace Hannam and Elliott and two attack errors by the Shockers. With the score 18-14, the Panthers pushed for another big lead with three kills by Dykstra and an attack error by the Shockers, making it 22-14. The Panthers reached set point on a kill by Hannam and secured the set win 25-18 with a kill by Dykstra. UNI shut the Shockers down in the third set. Pulling ahead 5-2, the Panthers rallied with four straight points: a kill
from Hartman, a block by Hartman and Bixby and service and attack errors by the Shockers. UNI pushed even harder on Wichita State’s defense, widening the gap to 15-6. It wasn’t long before the Panthers went on another scoring spree, extending their lead to 19-7. Trying to catch up, Wichita State scored three in a row to make it 22-12. UNI reached match point with a kill by Claire Munch, who eventually secured the 25-15 set win with another kill, shutting the Shockers down in a sweep. On Saturday, UNI started the first set with another 4-0 lead. A kill from Dykstra, a Shockers attack error and an ace by Petersen put the Panthers up 11-4. The Panthers stayed determined and extended their lead with a kill from Reese Booth and two back-to-back aces from Petersen to make it 21-11. With the Panthers at set point, the Shockers attempted to close the gap by scoring three in a row, but it wasn’t enough as UNI took the set 2516 with a kill from Hartman. The Panthers took an early lead in the second set. However, the Shockers quickly tied the set 4-4. The Panthers then took the lead, scoring four points to make it 9-5. UNI held the lead for most of the set until Wichita State scored six straight to take the lead, 14-17. UNI closed the gap with a kill by Hartman and a
block by Bixby and Calia Clubb, but Wichita State still led 19-18. Shortly after, UNI scored three straight off a kill by Dykstra and an ace from Petersen. The Panthers and Shockers traded blows, each reaching set point. In an intense battle for the set, the Shockers took it 26-28 with back-to-back kills. The third set was close for over half the game; no team led by more than five points. Later, the Panthers scored two points off Wichita State service and attack errors, then Petersen added an ace to take the lead 21-15. Soon the Panthers reached set point, but the Shockers weren’t done fighting and scored four points to close the gap to 24-22. However, the Shockers’ efforts weren’t enough, and the Panthers took the set with a kill by Hartman. The final set went back and forth. The Panthers then took a five-point lead with two kills by Dykstra, one by Hartman and a block by Clubb and Bixby. With the Panthers now leading 19-14, they went on another run, scoring six points in a row to end the set. UNI captured the set 25-14 and won the match. UNI improved its record to 6-5 and is on a two-match win streak. Dykstra led both games with 17 kills in the first and 19 in the second. Hartman was close behind with 15 and 14.
PAGE 10
MICHAEL SPAHN
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
Sports Editor
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Three storylines ahead of the WNBA Playoffs
Reuters/Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) controls the ball against the Toronto Tempo during the second quarter of a WNBA basketball game at Michelob Ultra Arena.
By Carter Lust Assistant Sports Editor After a three-week break from regular-season action for the FIBA World Cup, the WNBA returned to play on Thursday, Sept. 17, just 10 days before the playoffs begin. With the bracket nearly set before Sunday’s tipoff on Sept. 27, here are three things to watch for during the league’s 30th postseason. The new kid on the block The Minnesota Lynx are no strangers to October basketball, being tied for the most championships in WNBA history (four) and having just made the finals last season. However, the storied franchise now has a new leader at the helm: rookie point guard Olivia Miles. In the absence of star forward Napheesa Collier for more than half the summer, Miles led the Lynx to another top finish in the league, yet remains on the back end of WNBA household names. Regarding the WNBA’s lack of media coverage of actual basketball performance and its players, sportswriter and critic Bill Simmons proclaimed the league needs to do a better job promoting and celebrating its stars, especially its next generation.
“Olivia Miles – like, if this was the NBA, this would be all anyone talked about,” he said on his show, “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “Like, have you seen Olivia Miles? She’s on tonight… oh, I saw the commercial.” And rightfully so. Miles is averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game, a statistical line strikingly similar to NBA star Kyrie Irving’s rookie season, to which Simmons has compared Miles’ game. “She has that Kyrie move when he sticks his right arm all the way out and kind of holds it ahead of the defender and is able to put the layup off the glass,” Simmons reiterated on another episode of his podcast. “She just has it.” Miles is not only the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but the 2026 No. 2 overall pick is also second in MVP odds. Should she claim both awards, it would be the first time an individual has done so since Candace Parker in 2008. Nevertheless, even with her emphatic opening campaign, one woman still appears impossible to dethrone from the league’s most valuable seat. Are A’ja and the Aces still queens? A’ja Wilson is not only
quickly cementing her status as the greatest WNBA player of all time, but she is also bolstering her legacy as one of the most dominant professional athletes ever. Wilson is the consensus favorite for this year’s MVP award, which would mark her fifth time winning the honor. She already holds the WNBA record for most MVPs (four), all of which have come this decade (2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025). The 6-foot-4 center is putting up a league-high 26 points per game, shooting 52.6% from the field and 40.4% from behind the arc. Although Wilson is a perennial offensive force, her impact on the defensive end of the floor may be even greater. As a threetime Defensive Player of the Year (2022, 2023 and 2025), her potent rim protection and on-ball defense are becoming almost second nature to WNBA fans. Candace Pedraza of WNBA. com illustrates how “Wilson’s defensive rebounding helps keep opponents’ second-chance point opportunities lower… which, coupled with her league-leading blocks average, creates a huge advantage against almost every other center in the league.” Wilson used this advantage to lead the Las Vegas Aces to championships in 2022, 2023
and 2025, and looks to guide her squad to another back-to-back title this fall. Fellow veterans Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray also still provide consistent guard play for the Aces and continue to help make up one of the league’s top backcourts. However, another duo out East is piling up points and assists from the logo, wanting to ride their offensive prowess all the way to the WNBA Championship Trophy. Is this the Fever’s year? Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are spearheading an Indiana Fever team averaging a WNBA-record 97 points per contest, and are doing so at a breakneck pace. Each time Clark receives an outlet pass, her eyes are up, searching for the rim runner. Likewise, every time Mitchell gets the ball in open space, she attacks downhill or stops on a dime for a pull-up jumper. The Fever’s blistering style of play creates more possessions and opportunities for their guards to shine. In a league long dominated by bigs, Indiana is helping usher in a new era of perimeter spacing and dynamic guard play. Clark is averaging a WNBA-high 8.4 assists per game alongside 22.5 points. She is also shooting 37.3% from 3-point
range, the most efficient clip of her career. Mitchell only seems to be getting better with age, as the 30-year-old veteran is averaging a career-high 25.0 points per game and nailing 45.5% of her long-range tries, a leaguehigh percentage. “It’s been fun to kind of watch [Mitchell’s] journey and evolution,” Clark told reporters at the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend. “Even when I showed up three years ago… she’s only gotten better and better and better.” “Here she is playing the best basketball of her career in year nine,” Clark said. “I get a frontrow seat to watching her do it every single night, so I just feel really lucky that she’s my teammate.” The duo hopes to maintain their offensive overload heading into the postseason, when play becomes more physical and defensively oriented. Should the Fever continue to outrun and outscore their opponents, it could be the franchise’s first championship since 2012. Where to watch Opening-round coverage of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs begins Sunday, Sept. 27, on ABC, USA Network, and Prime Video.
PAGE 11
MICHAEL SPAHN
SPORTS
Sports Editor
SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
NORTHERNIOWAN.COM
|
VOLUME 123, ISSUE 5
Upsets, statement wins define NFL Week 2 By Tyler Wood Sports Writer Week two of the NFL season was yet another entertaining week of football. There were upsets, blowouts, injuries to star players, and some really good prime-time games. Here are some takeaways from each game and what teams should look forward to or need to get better at. Bills beat Lions 41-31 This game was a good start to the week. The Bills have shown us that firing former head coach Sean McDermott and hiring Joe Brady to coach has paid off. Their offense looks dangerous so far, as they easily handled a dangerous Lions defense. Josh Allen looks to be the favorite at MVP. He currently has almost 600 yards passing and five touchdowns, with zero interceptions. Not to mention the offensive line looks better this year for Buffalo, which makes this team unstoppable. The Lions played good football, but this game’s score doesn’t show how one-sided this affair was. Quarterback Jared Goff has still shown that he is an elite quarterback, posting 500 yards and six touchdown passes so far this season. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is still one of the most efficient running backs, and is a bright spot for the Lions. They currently sit at 1-1 on the season, but this game showed us that they have some work to do on the de-
fensive side of the ball. Injuries to this Lions’ secondary are also something to pay attention to as this season continues, as starting safeties’ Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are still on the physically unable to perform list. Bengals beat Texans 20-6 Do the Bengals have an elite defense, or do the Texans need to worry about quarterback CJ Stroud and the offense? I think it’s a little bit of both. The Bengals have improved their defense this offseason, adding star players on the D-line and secondary. They are 2-0 on the season, but they need to prove they have what it takes to win the AFC this year. The Texans struggled in this game offensively, as one of their main weapons in Nico Collins was dealing with a hamstring strain. It’s not quite time to hit the panic button on the Texans, but an 0-2 start to the season is not how they wanted their season to start.
Photo Courtesy/Reuters/Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks on prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles earned a comeback victory over the Titans last Sunday by a score of 24-20.
future. Saints beat Ravens 24-17 The Saints were right about quarterback Tyler Shough. Many critics didn’t enjoy New Orleans picking him in the second-round, but he’s proved he can run the Saints offense with high proficiency. The offense has many young contributors and provides a lot of upside. Packers beat Jets 20-17 The Ravens struggled The Jets finally have a good against a mediocre Saints deteam. Although they lost this fense, which was surprising to close affair, it’s safe to say that most. If they have any chance of they look better so far this sea- winning the AFC, they need to son. They can move the ball of- win close games like this one. fensively, and their defense looks impressive. Eagles beat Titans 24-20 After an embarrassing week The Titans have something one loss, the Packers bounced to look forward to during their back and fought their way to a rebuild after a close loss to the close victory. Injuries on their Eagles. Their defense really offense is something to pay at- stepped up with two interceptention to this season, as it could tions on Jalen Hurts, and rookie derail their performance in the Anthony Hill leading the team in
tackling once again. We are still waiting for Cameron Ward to break out, but he played much better in week two. The Eagles barely beat a team that’s still rebuilding, and they may have lost star running-back Saquon Barkley for a good amount of time after he left with an apparent arm injury. Even though they won, these factors make it feel like a loss for the Eagles. Vikings beat Bears 9-3 This was a painful watch for Bears fans. Not only did the Bears offense only put up three points at home, but they might have lost star quarterback Caleb Williams for a good amount of time. The good news is their defense looked a lot better against Minnesota and Williams’ injury wasn’t anything season ending. The Vikings showed us their de-
fense is legit. The big question is how will their offense get better when Kyler Murray returns from injury. 19
Browns beat Buccaneers 23-
The biggest upset of the day was the Browns beating the Buccaneers in Tampa. Deshaun Watson surprised many as he had an efficient day against a struggling Buccaneers defense. This young Cleveland receiving core is exciting for Brown’s fans and is something to pay attention to moving forward. As for Tampa, it’s back to the drawing board after losing to arguably the worst team in the NFL. They start the season 0-2, and have a challenging schedule ahead. Read the full story on our website.
Injuries derail NFL star players as season starts By Mason Kalkbrenner Sports Writer Just two weeks into the NFL season, many players have already gone down with injuries. Whether short-term or longterm, it’s becoming a trend season after season. More and more superstar players’ seasons are ending abruptly due to injuries suffered in games or practices. Football is one of the most physical, hard-hitting sports, so getting hurt is part of the program. Even with new player safety protocols in place, plenty of questions and concerns remain. Since the first whistle on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in Seattle for the first game of the year, the injury bug had already begun to make its mark. Just five snaps in, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold went down with
a glute injury and was out for the rest of the game. The Super Bowl champions will be without their franchise quarterback until possibly week four of the season on Oct. 4. Even the rookie class has already been affected by injuries. San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling went down with an ankle injury in his debut. The second-round pick suffered a deltoid sprain/ rupture in the 49ers’ opener against the Rams in Australia. Stribling underwent ankle surgery on Sept. 16, sending him to the injured reserve for 10 weeks. While he is expected to return in week 12 against the Seahawks, losing a receiver for that long with such a thin receiver room can be dangerous. On Sunday, the Chicago Bears suffered a loss not only on the scoreboard but also on the
roster. In the fourth quarter, instead of throwing the ball, quarterback Caleb Williams kept it and ran it. At the end of the run, he suffered a noncontact right hamstring injury. The 2024 No.1 overall pick had to be carted to the locker room through a silent Soldier Field. While details about the injury are limited so far, it’s clear this is a severe blow to the Bears as a whole. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is expected to take the helm until Williams returns. Nevertheless, this is a prime example of how losing one player can change the entire landscape of a team’s future. These players and many more have continued to drop like flies across all games. According to the NFL’s injury reports, well over 100 players have suffered some type of injury within the season’s first two weeks. Injuries
are an unfortunate, inevitable outcome in the NFL, but to see so many this early in the season is bizarre. The NFL has put in place new protocols to ensure player safety and decrease injury rates. At the end of the 2025 season, the NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement regarding their plan to keep players safe. “The goal is simple: make the game safer by focusing discipline on the techniques most likely to result in player injury rather than players who make isolated mistakes during competition,” the organizations said. While the NFL can continue to take precautions, injuries will always happen in football. However, it is reassuring to know that the league is doing everything in its own power to protect its players. While injuries are a natural occurrence in the NFL, they have
the ability to completely alter the landscape of not only one team but the entire league as well. If a team loses one of its star players, that could end the season before it even gets a chance to finish. For example, in 2025, the Indianapolis Colts went 8-2 with quarterback Daniel Jones. Then, he tore his Achilles against the Jaguars in week 14. The Colts finished 0-7 down the stretch and missed the playoffs entirely. Based on how much early-season success the team was having, the Colts made a major move at the trade deadline. The Colts sent two first-round picks and receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. And a mere month later, Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury. Read the full story on our website.
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ETC. SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 |
CROSSWORD BY NEW YORK TIMES
Across
1) Makes a sullen face 6) Beetle amulet in ancient Egypt 12) Sudden and unexpected 14) Was overprotective, in a way 16) ___ algebra 17) Still in its packaging 19) 50/52-Across musician 21) #1 hit from 50/52-Across ("You can feel it all over") 24) Like a scratchy voice 25) Best possible 26) Billionaires' boats 30) Resident of Africa's fourth-largest country 32) Secrecy contracts, in brief 33) Name that's a body part backward 36) Obligation 37) #1 hit from 50/52-Across ("Why did those days ever have to go?") 39) Greek "I" 40) Perched 41) Fraudulent offer 42) Not sinking 44) Like pagodas and some cakes 46) "Clemency" star Woodard 47) ___ point (center) 50) With 52-Across, double album released on September 28, 1976, that spent 13 straight weeks at #1 52) See 50-Across 56) Spy's identifier 57) Bloc party? 61) Whistlers in the kitchen 62) ___ Kreme 63) Doughnut quantities 64) Work ___
Down
1) Buddy 2) ___-Wan Kenobi
3) Vase with a base 4) Popular times for tacos 5) Pancake-flipping tool 6) Feng ___ 7) Scoop holder 8) Declare definitively 9) Segments of news shows 10) Venues for concerts and competitions 11) Road curves 13) "Star ___ II: The Wrath of Khan" 15) Profound 18) Like some humor and runs 20) "Oy ___!" 21) Grain storage structures 22) Broadway star Menzel 23) Argue against 27) "Demon Slayer" or "Attack on Titan" 28) Contents of plastic sleeves or jewel cases, informally 29) "lol" 31) "Love it!" 33) They might be thatched 34) Pioneer in arcade games 35) Devoured 38) "This means ___!" 39) Cry in response to a doorbell 41) Feature of "rendezvous" and "laissez-faire" 43) Celebratory hoopla 44) Start liking 45) Broadband connection type, in brief 47) Government agcy. founded to enforce antitrust laws 48) "I see" 49) Formally yielded 51) Pig's cry 53) Ivy League school in New Haven 54) Sign of things to come 55) ___ up (come clean) 58) "... or thereabouts" 59) Nail polish brand 60) It has M.S.G. in it
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