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

Championship Game Recap – One Year Later, Tar Heels Get Their Title

IOWA CITY, Iowa – This season’s title game didn’t have the same level of excitement as last year’s, but it was good enough for the Tar Heels. After being on the losing end of Kris Jenkins’ game-winner last year, North Carolina returned to the Final Four seeking redemption. They got it. In a slow-moving game of poor shooting and questionable foul calls, the Tar Heels did just enough to outlast the Gonzaga Bulldogs to capture the sixth title in school history and the third for head coach Roy Williams. Typically in big games, there is a shot that stands out. … Continued

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – It’s almost time for March Madness, but for some teams, the madness has already begun. According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, seven Big Ten teams are currently in the field of 68 for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That is second only to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) who boasts ten as of Feb. 23. For much of the season, the Big Ten has not been given a whole lot of national respect. On Feb. 11, the NCAA Selection Committee released their first ever mid-season top-16 bracket to give fans a sneak peak of where teams … Continued

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The teams on the list will most likely shock no one, but the new sneak peak should be interesting. Today at 12:30 p.m. EST (11:30 a.m. CST), the selection committee will reveal the top 16 seeds for the upcoming NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. This will be the first time the selection committee has ever released any rankings before Selection Sunday in March. The seedings will represent where the committee believes teams stack up against one another at this point in the season. These rankings will not be final, seeing that there is still a whole month … Continued

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Since the turn of the millennium sports have taken on a whole new look. Rules have changed, superstars have become larger than ever, our favorite players are now owners and fantasy sports are nearly trumping the importance of reality. Although the landscape of professional athletics continues to evolve, one aspect has maintained familiarity; teams still win. Some much more than others. “Dynasty” is term loosely tossed around to describe successful teams after championship runs. In most modern sports, the talent pool has proven too deep to have a classic, 20th-century, dynasty such as the 50s Yankees, 60s Celtics or 90s … Continued

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Wherever there are fanatic sports fans, there is major criticism of the coaching. Although the criticism tends to be fair at times and certainly unfair at others, it is always present. The University of Iowa is no exception. The absence of professional sports teams and presence of a major Big Ten school brings intense and loyal fans. Whether these fans are current students, former students, future students or just residents of the state, they want Iowa sports to succeed just like most fans do. Often sports audiences are left feeling unsatisfied after games or seasons, and this is when the … Continued

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I want my message to be stern and direct: Retire Roy Marble Sr.’s jersey at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and do it now. As we are all unfortunately aware, one of Iowa’s greatest and most recognizable athletes in any sport is currently battling stage four cancer. We all hope for the best, but as is often the case, life can grievously be too short. With tragic news comes incredible opportunity. Let’s create a moment – a happy ending to a sad plot. Before the inevitable happens, we can give generations of audiences, an assortment of a surrounding cast, and the two main … Continued

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