As this is the Antelope’s last issue this semester, the editors thought it fitting to reflect on fall 2021.
Enrollment Increase
UNK saw an increase in enrollment for the first time in almost a decade. This was a positive start to the semester, and though it wasn’t substantial growth, we hope to see the number of Lopers climb in the school years to come.
COVID-19/Worker Shortage
From the start of the school year, university officials chose not to adopt a mask policy but went back on this decision in September. A temporary mask mandate was established, extended and then uplifted. Despite the shaky stance on masks, we would like to thank the university for making COVID-19 vaccines more accessible for the student body. We would also like to thank the UNK offices and Sodexo workers for managing in the midst of a worldwide worker shortage due to the pandemic.
Construction/Parking
This fall, UNK said hello to new Greek housing and goodbye to Conrad Hall, the east heating unit and Otto Olsen (sort of). Renovation started for Martin Hall this summer with plans to build sorority housing to the north of the building. Our only complaints are that plans were slow to beautify the Conrad Hall green space and demolish Otto Olsen.
Another complaint is that campus police oversold Zone C parking passes and had to cut off sales eventually. The increased enrollment and construction sites were both factors that contributed to a long waitlist. We don’t think parking will improve anytime soon, but one can hope. Students should get a headstart on purchasing parking passes for the next semester if they haven’t already.
Campus News
A few of the topics we wanted to highlight include the sexual assault protests, the all-inclusive bathrooms and the disbandment of the philosophy program. The sexual assault protests were sparked by the announcement of a sexual assault case on campus, but we’re sure the FIJI protests at UNL influenced them as well.
We’ve written an editorial about the all-inclusive bathrooms in the Nebraskan Student Union talking about their poor execution and communication. Nonetheless, students are supporting the good intentions behind the movement. We look forward to when the bathrooms are fully renovated next summer.
News about the philosophy program is more recent. Three years ago, the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education issued a warning to the philosophy program when the number of students and graduates did not meet the required standards. The petition advocating for the program has a total of 153 signatures and statements, but it’s not looking good for the program as the deadline nears for the university to make a decision.
Sports
This was the most successful fall sports season that UNK has seen in quite a while. The football team made the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They got their second-ever playoff win over Western Colorado on Nov. 20 before losing to Angelo State. This was the most exciting football season for the Lopers in a long time and their 10-3 record got lots of recognition around the state.
The UNK Volleyball team started the season slow after having high expectations, but they started living up to those expectations midway through the year when they went on a 12-game winning streak. Although they lost to Central Missouri 3-2 in the conference tournament, they still were able to make it to the NCAA Central Regional as the sixth seed. They head into the tournament with a 25-6 record as they take on Northwest Missouri State on Thursday.
The UNK cross country teams also had successful seasons with the women winning the MIAA Championship and the men placing 25th at nationals. It also will be a time of change in the women’s soccer program as the UNK athletic department is conducting a search to replace coach Chloe Roberts.
After this semester, we’ve come to the conclusion that things are looking up for UNK, despite unavoidable fallbacks. We would like to thank our readers for supporting us this fall, and we encourage campus to keep picking up our publication. We’ll see you in the spring, Lopers.
