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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
CEDAR FALLS, IA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2025
VOLUME 121, ISSUE 27
UNI AAF takes first place at districts, team advances to semi-finals
See UNI AAF, page 2 COURTESY/BELL ROGERS
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Applied Engineering students place at national competition BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
CAMPUS LIFE
News Editor Jo Brahms discusses Katie Patterson’s recent speech on campus as part of the Hearst Center of the Arts series.
SEE PAGE 7
SPORTS
Nicole Waters civers the Rory McIlroy’s recent win at the Masters.
SEE PAGE 10
Although the competition is long over, the group of students who had formed a pseudo-contracting agency still sit huddled around one of the larger tables in the Applied Engineering Building, working on miscellaneous homework or brainstorming what they could’ve done better. The eight students traveled to Las Vegas, NV to compete in the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Management Competition, where they competed against 35 different schools for a pseudo-contract. The group placed 3rd in the estimating category and 11th overall against schools like Auburn University and Clemson University. The ABC Competition challenges students to develop an estimate, project management strategy, quality and safety plans for the $70 million community college health and wellness center contract. Oasis Builders, the company formed by the UNI students for the competition, took this challenge head-on. According to the students
that made up Oasis Builders and attended the competition, the ABC Competition allowed them to acquire hands-on experience and immerse themselves in real-world situations. Dalton Motley, a senior construction management student, said that the experience was incredibly beneficial for himself and the team. “We spent a lot of time on this competition and our project, and in return we got a lot of really great real-world experience.” The eight person team is made up of Motley, Megan May, Carter Miller, Jake Doughtery, Payton Olson, Makenna Chidester, Sam Goodrich and Dylan Kiesey. The actual competition, Motley noted, was incredibly stressful. While the team was able to turn in a 178 page book filled with months of their work, at the competition, they would be challenged to amend their work – but with only four of their members calling the shots. “You’re sitting in a conference room surrounded by 34 other teams all working on the same thing you are, and for five hours, you’re sent these changes,” said Motley. “So, you could get a change, work on it, amend it, and then two
hours later you get a different change that contradicts the first change. So now, you’re going back and changing stuff you thought you already had done.” “In reality, you can’t get it all done,” Motley said. Outside of the actual student competition, ABC also hosts a professional convention, and UNI students are able to visit with different vendors, as well as build connections and network with potential future employers. Students were able to watch the trade competition, where trade workers showed off their skills. Shortly after the actual competition, placements were announced for the different judging categories. UNI placed third in the estimating category. “Well, actually, they announced that the University of Northern Ohio placed third,” Miller laughed. “Which was news to all of us, because I didn’t know there was a University of Northern Ohio.” The mix-up was corrected, and UNI was properly celebrated. May, a senior construction management student, felt especially affirmed by the placement, as she handled a majority of the estimating throughout
the project. “It felt great for our team to be recognized, but inside I was jumping up and down,” said May. “Especially because after the competition, I’m talking numbers with some other schools, and our numbers seemed way off in comparison to theirs!” The top ten overall schools were announced, and with UNI not on that list, the team gathered to head back to Iowa, without knowing their official overall competition placement. “When they announce the top ten, they don’t announce who placed higher or lower, you just know if you are or aren’t moving onto step three, and the actual placements you find out the week after,” said Motley. The week after the competition, the group found out they placed 11th overall, just a hair away from moving on in the competition. “It’s hard to judge how good we’re supposed to do, or could do, what the standard for our team is – because we’re picking up where people left off before COVID-19, four years ago,” said Chidester. The eight person team referenced the year See ENGINEERING, page 3