THE
LITTLE HAWK Vol. 112
Iowa City, IA
Issue II
November 2025
FEDERAL SHUTDOWN AFFECTS STUDENTS
THE SCHOOL THAT READS REAL NEWS THE LITTLE HAWK “Seek Truth and Report It” Since 1926
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VIDEO: Q&A WITH STUDENT SENATE CO-PRESIDENTS
The 2025 government shutdown is the longest in history
Student Senate co-presidents Alma Bhandary -Narayanan ‘26 and Toe Collins ‘26 on their plans for the 2025-26 school year.
STAFF EDITORIAL
BLOCKED By Little Hawk Editorial Board
Looks like this site is not allowed. That’s the message that appears on the top of a computer screen above the naughty cord-gnawing gnomes when you try to access a site that’s blocked by the ICCSD administration. Often, this makes a lot of sense. Adult content like pornography has no place in schools. But sometimes, there are blocked sites that are just inane. There are lots of holes in the way that the district blocks sites. STAFF ED PG 12
NEWS “What’s happening with SNAP is constantly changing...right now, we can’t trust what [the government is] saying, because they keep changing their story,” said Mary Peterson. GRAPHIC BY LILY RANTANEN
By Lily Rantanen
T
he 2025 government shutdown is now the longest in history. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have been cut, then ordered to be paid back again, but it’s still unclear how long it will take for payments to be fully funded. “[SNAP is] basically money allocated from the government for low income households to purchase food,” school counselor Mary Peterson said. “You qualify based on your income level, and you get an allocation of a certain amount per month, and you can just go use that to buy your groceries. So it’s just a way to make sure that people who might struggle purchasing food have a way to do so throughout the month.” At City High, 47% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. According to Peterson, these students usually also qualify for SNAP under a regularly functioning government. Ziggy Evans ‘27, one student whose family relies on SNAP benefits, has been significantly impacted by the shutdown. “[My mom and I] have been on food stamps as long as I can remember, and without that extra money for groceries, we’ve both been pretty anxious,” Evans said. “Luckily, we have a solid support system to rely on, and we’ve both been lucky enough to pick up some extra hours at our respective jobs. It’s still scary though, and the stress of it all can get hard to manage.” Usually, about seventy percent of Evans’ food is bought with food stamps. The rest is paid for out of pocket, mostly from a Social Security disability paycheck that their mother receives monthly. With food stamps, Evans and their mom are able to access fresh foods that aren’t often found in food pantries. “Not having that access anymore definitely adds on extra stress for the both of us,” Evans said. “The fear and stress that this has caused us has definitely caused my academics to suffer @instalittlehawk
because school just isn’t a top priority anymore.” Community organizations have stepped up during the shutdown to aid families who normally receive SNAP benefits. For the first week of November, Hy-Vee served free kids meals and $3 meals for everyone else. But there’s worry that it won’t be enough if the shutdown continues. Hy-vee will continue to offer free and low-cost meals until at least November 14. “If [the shutdown] continues, I think the food insecurity is going to get worse,” Peterson said. “Because right now, like the community is rallying again around it. But how long is Hy-Vee going to be willing to do $3 meals, and how much are people going to continue to donate as much food that’s needed into food pantries?” When someone suffers from food insecurity and doesn’t have enough to eat, their brain won’t function properly because they’re not getting the nutrients they need. “What happens to a person’s psyche is we’ll see them always anxious and stressed out and maybe really tired and worn down,” Peterson said. “Sometimes you’ll see behaviors of hoarding food…but I think mostly what happens for students [is that] they’re worried about food, and being in class is not what’s important anymore.” Stalled SNAP benefits are not the only worry for City High students. For some with family members who work for the government, they have gone for over a month without a source of income. “My dad is in the Air Force, so when the federal shutdown happened, my family was relying on only one paycheck, which came from my mom,” an anonymous City High student said. “[She] soon may lose her job at the VA because it is a government department, depending on the decision they make.” Even in younger kids, the effects have been noticed.
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“My mom is a teacher at Twain [Elementary School] and it’s making her really sad to see the kids she teaches be affected by this, because around half her class relies on SNAP,” another anonymous student said. Without a reliable source of income, families have to shift the way they spend money. “Maybe you have to choose between paying your heat bill versus food,” Peterson said. “It’s not an easy situation to be in because [those are both necessities].” Despite a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to fully fund November SNAP benefits, the administration has remained adamant that there is only enough money in the contingency fund to partially pay receivers. Until the government shutdown ends, many City High students remain uncertain about where their next meal or paycheck will come from. “People like to ignore issues that don’t directly impact them,” Evans said. “But it’s not hard to look outside and see people struggling. Anyone can open up their eyes and see that the shutdown is impacting the people around them, [and] they just don’t want to because it’s uncomfortable.” Johnson County Food Resources CommUnity Food Bank Coralville Community Food Pantry North Liberty Community Pantry IC Compassion St. Andrew’s Church Food Distribution St. Raphael’s Orthodox Church Pantry Iowa Ciy Catholic Worker House Agape Cafe Salvation Army Iowa City Free Lunch Program Commnunity Refrigerators Faith United Church of Christ Pantry Food Pantry at Iowa Women, Infants, Children (WIC)
This article was originally published on TheLittleHawk.Com on November 7. The Little Hawk
SCHOOL BOARD By Martha Willard
In a tight race, Jayne Finch won with 26.37 percent of the votes, and Ruthina Malone and Jennifer Horn-Frasier came in second and third with 26.34% and 20.26% respectively. Dan Stevenson came in behind at 19.67% and David Noerper earned 6.72%. Malone and Finch are both incumbents and have prior experience on the school board, while Horn-Fraiser is a newcomer. WINNERS PG 4
SPORTS
SWISH SEASON By Tessa Driscoll Head Coach Lynsey Barnard is entering her fourth season as head coach of the Little Hawk girls’ basketball team. Last year, the Little Hawks had a winning record of 16-8, falling short in the state qualifier to cross town rival Liberty. The Little Hawks lost two key players after last season, graduating seniors August Palmer and Emmy McComas. Palmer led the team in points while McComas led in rebounds. GIRLS B-BALL PG 21
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