Soil Compilation

Music
The Fruit Bats and Matthew Logan Vasquez Raise The Crowd

Article by Myles Ackman and Kade Grierson | Cover Photo by Cat Dooley For the first time in fifteen years, Fruit Bats returned to Iowa City on October 21 for a performance at The Englert Theatre, with support from Matthew Logan Vasquez. “Iowa City was the first place I ever traveled far to, and I thought, ‘this place resembles freedom,’” – Fruit Bats and permanent member Eric D. Johnson. The three of us—Elle, Myles, and Kade—were the youngest people in the audience by far, and sat near the front on the edge of a sea of double denim, floral shirts, … Continued

Online Content
Rob Sand and Zach Lahn Go Head-to-Head One Final Time Ahead of the Iowa Gubernatorial Election

With the midterms just one week away, Iowa Gubernatorial candidates Rob Sand (D) and Zach Lahn (R) went face-to-face in their third debate of the season. Both candidates are competing to replace Gov. Kim Reynolds, who chose not to run for reelection after nine years. As Sand and Zahn settled into their podiums ahead of the debate, both were given one minute to provide their opening remarks. Sand, who has heavily emphasized cross-partisan viewpoints through his campaign, did just that to kick off the evening debate. “There are a lot of people in leadership in both the democratic and republican … Continued

Sports
In Defense of Not Watching

To watch or not to watch? Ryan Paris recaps his experience taking in Iowa’s devastating loss from the Minnesota student section.

News
 Miller-Meeks and Bohannan Face Off in One Final Push Ahead of Iowa Elections

Former state representative Christina Bohannan (D) and U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) met at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, on October 20 for Iowa’s First Congressional District debate. Both candidates discussed issues weighing on Iowans’ minds, including agriculture, healthcare, and the economy. Once opening statements concluded, Bohannan and Miller-Meeks were questioned on what immediate actions they would take to lower the cost of living for Iowans. Miller-Meeks voted for no tax on tips or overtime back in May of 2025, when she voted in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In reference to lowering the cost of … Continued

For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of traveling west to the Martian land of Arizona to attend Spring Training for my beloved Chicago Cubs. No matter the final standings from 2012, Spring Training is a magical time for every team. Previous victories and defeats are washed away, and for a few brief weeks, each organization is hopeful about the prospect of the new season. As I prepare for another trip to Phoenix, I’m looking forward to seeing several intriguing Cactus League matchups. While lineups are never certain for preseason exhibitions, there are a variety of things worth … Continued

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We hold this truth to be self-evident, that Jeffrey Loria is the worst owner in baseball. We acknowledge that he is endowed by his money and position with certain rights, among which is the power to run the baseball team he owns any way he sees fit. However, in order to secure those rights, expectations are instituted among the Marlins’ fan base, deriving the permanence of that power to maintain control of the team from the consent of the fans. Among those are an honest attempt to put the best possible product out on the field and an atmosphere of … Continued

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By Nick Szafranski I can’t explain the feeling I have after this Chicago White Sox collapse. The feeling is not one of depression, or one of overwhelming disappointment. It’s not one of searing anger or complete bewilderment either. It should be though right? The White Sox transformation from a seemingly postseason-bound squad to irrelevance was rapid, and mostly unforeseen. On September 18th, the White Sox were on a five-game winning streak and held a three-game lead over the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. 12 days and a six-game-swing later, the White Sox found themselves eliminated from the playoffs. I … Continued

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MIke Trout or Miguel Cabrera… Who would you take for American League MVP? This is a question sportswriters, fans, and even Major League Baseball players have been debating constantly. These two players are having arguably two of the best single season performances in baseball history. This has led to one of the tightest MVP races in recent memory. All I can say is, either candidate would be more than deserving to win the prestigious award. On one side of the coin you have a twenty one year old phenom in Mike Trout who is the definition of a five tool … Continued

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