The Daily Iowan THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ INSIDE 1B UI student’s death believed to be weather-related Cosplay gives UI students a transformation Cosplay — costume play — is an outlet for people to show their passion for all things anime, car- toon, video game, science fiction, and fantasy. There’s a small but steady presence of UI students who find joy in the transformation cosplay provides. Third provost finalist withdraws candidacy The third finalist in the search for a new UI provost was expected to visit campus today for a public forum. The UI announced Wednes- UI police found UI student Gerald Belz day the candidate accepted another offer and withdrew from unresponsive on campus on Wednesday consideration. The fourth finalist will visit the UI on Feb. 7. morning. He later died at the hospital. BY GAGE MISKIMEN 3A [email protected] A University of Iowa student died on Wednesday after being found outside on campus by police. According to UI police, on Wednesday at approximately 2:48 a.m., officers discov- ered UI student Gerald Belz unresponsive behind Halsey Hall. Belz was transported to the hospital where he later died. The investigation is still ongoing, but the cause of death is be- Belz lieved to be weather-related. No foul play Professor earns grant to is suspected. Local weather reports stated the temperature around continue research on the the time Belz was found was minus-23 degrees with a TOP: UI police take down caution tape in the alleyway behind Halsey Hall, where UI student Gerald Belz cerebellum was found unresponsive early Wednesday morning. (Katelyn Weisbrod/The Daily Iowan) BOTTOM: Halsey Assistant Professor Krystal Parker, SEE STUDENT, 2A Hall is seen on Wednesday. (Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan) a cerebellum researcher, earned a $2.1 million grant to further research on disproving what is believed about the brain. 6A For 25 years, dancing IOWA POLITICS ‘For The Kids’ at UI University After 25 years, Dance Marathon has continued to see growth in numbers of participants as well as in donations received for the children in the hospital. presidents Iowa women’s basketball aims to keep winning streak alive Hawkeye women’s basketball is on a five-game winning streak and in pitch higher that run, it beat Michigan on Jan. 17, 75-61. The Wolverines will get their rematch today, though, and it will come in Ann Arbor. Three of Iowa’s four losses have come on the road, so the Hawkeyes will ed funding have to learn to adapt. 6A The leaders of Iowa’s public universities make the case for funding to ensure graduates are ‘future ready.’ BY EMILY WANGEN [email protected] The presidents of the state Board of Regents’ uni- Breaking down Iowa versities — Iowa State University, the University of baseball’s 2019 roster Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa — met Hawkeye baseball will head to with Iowa lawmakers at the State Capitol on Tuesday Florida in just under two weeks, to advocate for a funding boost in fiscal 2020. but the team will look different Overall, the regents have requested an $18 million from recent years. With numerous Denise Powell/The Daily Iowan increase in funding — $7 million each for the UI and producers having departed, Iowa “Dancin’ the Night Away” at Dance Marathon 2000. ISU, and $4 million for UNI — for the three public needs players to step up to reach universities to fund resident undergraduate financial the levels it aims for. aid. BY KELSEY HARRELL Marathon adviser Tracey Pritchard has seen In the last two decades, Iowa’s regent universities [email protected] the organization grow and change every have seen the revenue composition shift from being year, she said in an email to The Daily Iowan. funded by two-thirds state appropriations and one- University of Iowa students have packed The group has seen more dancers participat- third tuition to roughly one-third state funding and themselves into the IMU Main Lounge to ing, more donations, and more community one-third tuition, regents’ documents show. Tune in for LIVE updates dance their hearts out “for the kids” each year and corporate partners, she said. The changing revenue makeup and rising tuition Watch for campus and city news, for the last 25 years. The Dance Marathon leadership creates a rates has prompted students to fund their education weather, and Hawkeye sports The first Dance Marathon raised $31,000 new vision each year, allowing it to continue with student loans. According to data from the Iowa coverage every day at 8:30 a.m. to support 26 families. Last year, Dance Mar- to grow and achieve new things, Pritchard College Student Aid Commission report, referenced in at dailyiowan.com. athon 24 raised a record-breaking $3 million said. the UI’s presentation to the subcommittee, UI graduates for the kids in the UI Stead Family Children’s When she started working with Dance Mar- from the class of 2016 had an average of $27,715 in stu- Hospital. athon, Pritchard said, she didn’t expect the or- dent-loan debt. The university reports that 45 percent of In Dance Marathon’s 25-year history, the ganization to change her as much as it did. its students graduate with no student-loan debt. organization has raised $24,548,224.34. After four years of involvement, UI Dance SEE DANCE, 2A SEE EDUCATION, 2A 2A NEWS THE DAILY IOWAN | DAILYIOWAN.COM | THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019 Volume 150 TOO COLD FOR COLD CUTS The Daily Iowan Issue 91 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6030 Publisher. 335-5788 Email: [email protected] Jason Brummond Fax: 335-6297 Editor in Chief. 335-6030 CORRECTIONS Gage Miskimen Call: 335-6030 Managing Editors. 335-5855 Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for accuracy and fairness in the Katelyn Weisbrod reporting of news. If a report is Marissa Payne wrong or misleading, a request for Visual Arts Director a correction or a clarification may Lily Smith be made. News Editors PUBLISHING INFO Kayli Reese The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360) is published by Student Publications Brooklyn Draisey Inc., E131 Adler Journalism Building, Sports Editor Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2004, daily Pete Ruden except Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, legal and university holidays, and Asst. Sports Editor university vacations. Periodicals Pete Mills postage paid at the Iowa City Post Opinions Editor Office under the Act of Congress of March 2, 1879. Marina Jaimes SUBSCRIPTIONS Politics Editor Call: Juli Krause at 335-5783 Sarah Watson Email: [email protected] Arts Editor Subscription rates: Naomi Hofferber Iowa City and Coralville: $30 for one semester, $60 for two Asst. Arts Editor semesters, $5 for summer session, Joshua Balicki $60 for full year. Photo Editors Out of town: $50 for one semester, Nick Rohlman $100 for two semesters, $10 for Katina Zentz Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan summer session, $100 all year. A note announcing closure because of weather is displayed in the window of Mama’s Deli as the sun rises over Iowa City on Wednesday. Many down- Send address changes to: Copy Chief town businesses closed as air temperatures reached as low as minus-22 degrees, with wind chill temperatures below minus-50 degrees at times. The Daily Iowan, Beau Elliot 100 Adler Journalism Building, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2004 BUSINESS STAFF Production Manager Heidi Owen. 335-5789 Business Manager Advertising Manager Campus life under the vortex Debra Plath. .335-5786 Renee Manders. 335-5193 Classifieds/Circulation Manager Advertising Sales UI NiteRide and the UIHC emergency department saw more activity on Wednesday, Juli Krause. 335-5784 Bev Mrstilk. 335-5792 but campus was quiet as temperatures stayed dangerously cold throughout the day. BY KATELYN WEISBROD “[Emergency Department [email protected] employees] said that they feel that the actions that have Under a cloudless sky, the been taken, including the University of Iowa campus cancelation of classes, offer- was desolate, devoid of the ing options such as working thousands of students who from home, and suspending would normally be crossing mail delivery, have all con- the Pentacrest at any given tributed to minimizing the moment on a Wednesday af- potential impact of the ex- ternoon. tremely cold weather,” Moore Temperatures reached a said. high of minus-4 degrees and a low of minus-22 in Iowa What is the polar vortex? City on Wednesday, with night wind chills reaching The extreme cold has been around minus-50. UI classes largely attributed to the polar were canceled from Tuesday vortex, the low-pressure re- at 5 p.m. to Thursday at noon. gion of the atmosphere sur- Schools, universities, and rounded by the rotating jet businesses closed their doors stream. throughout the Midwest, and Former UI geography pro- the U.S. Postal Service sus- fessor Pete Akers described pended deliveries in several the polar vortex as “a top states, including parts of Io- spinning very quickly,” con- wa. strained over the North Pole. Back at the UI campus, Ni- But, when this vortex weak- teRide, a free night shuttle ens and the jet stream loses service for students, provid- velocity, he said, it is as if the ed 80 rides over seven hours top is slowing down, wob- on Jan. 29 through the morn- bling. When this occurs ev- Nick Rohlman/The Daily Iowan ing of Jan. 30 — four times ery few years, the vortex can A lone pedestrian braves the cold on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway on Wednesday. the number of rides given on descend into mid-latitude a typical January night.