Soil Compilation

Music
KRUI Interview: Derek Sanders of Mayday Parade

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I spoke with Derek Sanders, frontman of Mayday Parade after their gig at Vibrant Music Hall in Waukee, Iowa. A conversation spanning much more than the 20 years of the band, he told me about his latest trilogy release and all the way back to his very first autograph he signed.

Music
Interview: Andrew McMahon

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I had the chance to sit down with Andrew McMahon while at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas. We spoke about his historic gig at Red Rocks this summer, playing at Notre Dame Stadium, and how incredible of a movie “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” is.

News
Democrats Tour Campus to Connect with Youth Voters, KRUI Talks with Clara Reynen

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This month, Johnson County Democrats are conducting “listening tours” to connect with students at the University of Iowa, consisting of various extracurricular and undergraduate-based organizations and events. The listening tour works as an open forum for students to describe their needs, goals, and priorities when it comes to both elected officials and the Democratic Party. 

Sports
The “Duck” Hunt for Playoffs Falls Short

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In a rain-soaked showdown at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa’s playoff hopes slipped away as Oregon edged the Hawkeyes 18-16 on a last-second field goal. Despite a thrilling 93-yard touchdown drive led by Mark Gronowski, the Ducks’ steady ground game and clutch kicking sealed Iowa’s heartbreak.

Sports
Sports Feature

NFL Midseason Honors 2017 Edition

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IOWA CITY – Entering Week 8 of the 2017 season, the NFL never ceases to amaze its fans. Rookies have grown throughout the first 7 weeks. Some have flourished, others have stalled. The league’s elite continued their stride. The veterans’ show off their leadership as they enter decline. Thus, the cycle of the NFL moves on. This period of the season, known as the midseason, is one where teams attempt to regroup for the final push. The playoffs are on the horizon. However, if the season ended today, how would the awards shape up? While the annual NFL Honors show … Continued

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wRC+ Leaders in the Frontier League

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In terms of overall offense, weighted runs created plus, or wRC+ is a quality statistic to measure a player’s overall offensive performance. Now, a lot is to be explained with this formula, so I’d recommend reading this FanGraphs post for the best clarification. So, in this article, I will focus on the primary formula for wRC+, which goes as follows: wRC+ = (wRAA/PA + LgR/PA) + (LgR/PA – (Park Factor * LgR/PA))/(Frontier League wRC/PA excluding ptichers), where wRAA = weighted runs above average, PA = plate appearances, LgR/PA = the league average runs per plate appearance, Park Factor = the … Continued

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Cubbie Comeback Continues into Game 5

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Chicago Turns Double Play to Clinch Next Elimination Battle in Comeback Efforts The defending National Champions in the Major Baseball League manage to survive. For now. The mounting of a comeback has begun in Chicago. In a low scoring match between the Chicago Cubs and the LA Dodgers, the Cubs would top their adversaries 3-2 in Wrigley Field. This particular addition to the series would face off Jake Arrieta and Alex Wood. Unlike other faceoffs between the Dodgers and Cubs, this matchup would only allow runs scored off home runs. In similar fashion to Game 3, the Cubs would strike first on a second inning home run from Wilson Contreras. … Continued

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Iowa Basketball Media Day: Hawkeyes Prepared for Challenges of Upcoming Season

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(Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports) The 2017–18 season will mark the eighth season for Fran McCaffery as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. In his first seven seasons, he has recorded just two wins in the Big Ten Tournament and two wins in the NCAA Tournament. Despite this, there is plenty of excitement going around the Hawkeye basketball program as the season approaches – and McCaffery is welcoming it with open arms. “It’s not something that ever concerns me,” McCaffery said at Monday’s Iowa men’s basketball media day press conference concerning the outside expectations. “I think you want expectation. You want … Continued

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Sophomore QB’s Start off the 2017 Season Sizzling

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  No matter who the best prospects are in the NFL draft for a given season, it seems inevitable that at least one, if not multiple, Quarterbacks will go in the top few picks. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and every year teams are trying to find the player that is the next big thing in hopes that he will lead them to success for years to come. It takes a lot of time to fully judge a Quarterback, as they often times may need to develop a little bit, or simply don’t immediately have the pieces … Continued

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USMNT World Cup Absence is Multi-Faceted, Yet Still Inexcusable

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Christian Pulisic is tackled by Shane Sandy in the USA’s 1-2 loss to Trinidad & Tobago (Denver Post)   For the first time since 1986, the United States will not be participating in the World Cup. Coming off of a shock 2-1 defeat at Port of Spain to Trinidad & Tobago, both Panama and Honduras earned upset victories over Costa Rica and Mexico, respectively, to leapfrog the Yankees in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. While crazed emotions finally settle along with the crushed hopes of American supporters, it’s now necessary to take a step back and see just how the USMNT managed … Continued

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Recapping the Chaotic NBA Off-season

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Coming off one of the most exciting off-seasons to remember, the start of the NBA season looms around the corner. My own excitement is matched by that of many others, as it will be intriguing to see how everything that has shaped out over the summer months falls in place as teams hit the hardwood. While it seems inevitable that the Warriors and Cavaliers are going to make the NBA Finals, this season provides so much more that has been missed in years past, setting the league up for one of the best seasons in a long time.   Four … Continued

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Welcome to the Friendly Confines

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I know a place that some people only dream of seeing. A place that many have the privilege of seeing in the spring, in the summer, and if they’re lucky, the fall. A place that opens its’ deep green gates to welcome 41,268 eager people; people who feel an absence through the frigid months.   I know a place where you walk through neighborhoods of people just to glance the grand structure. Children peer up, awestruck. Adults do the same. Your age won’t matter here. Your gender doesn’t matter here. Your ethnicity doesn’t matter here.   I know a place … Continued

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Snyder Returns from Injury, Records Game-Changing Pick-6

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Five and a half months. 89 yards. No.37 returns to form IOWA CITY – Brandon Snyder’s season hung in the balance in April. A torn left ACL meant that he would likely be out for his entire junior season, a season in which he was expected to emerge as one of the leaders of the Hawkeye secondary. Setting his sights towards a full recovery, Snyder refused to acknowledge his entire season would be gone. He would miss time, there was no doubt about it. But he would be back. He knew he’d be back. “I don’t want to have the … Continued

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Hawkeyes Strong Second Half Will Them Past Illini, Pick Up First Big Ten Win

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IOWA CITY – The desperation was there for the Hawkeyes and they needed to deliver. Spoiler alert, they did. Iowa was 0-2 in Big Ten play entering Saturday and had something to prove against an Illini team that had struggled just as much, if not more than the Hawkeyes. Iowa pulled out an impressive 45-16 win thanks to a strong second half along with a good showing from the defense. The game looked to start off well for the Hawkeyes who forced a turnover on the first play of the game, but then quickly turned the ball over themselves. On … Continued

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