Evy Bingle

The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship on December 2.

On December 2, the University of Michigan Wolverines defeated the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship. The 26-0 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianpolis, Indiana, gave Michigan its third consecutive conference championship. 

The game set a Big Ten Championship attendance record, with 67,842 fans packed into the stadium. “[It’s] just an incredible feeling,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said about the Wolverines’ victory.

Harbaugh had rejoined his team after a three-game suspension. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) ordered the suspension after a Michigan staff member was accused of stealing play calls from other teams. 

The Wolverines will play the University of Alabama on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl. The team who wins that contest will play either the Texas Longhorns or the Washington Huskies in the National Championship.

In the game against Michigan, the Hawkeyes struggled to make big plays, despite excellent defense and punting.

At the postgame press conference, Iowa’s head coach, Kirk Ferentz, reflected on his team and career. Ferentz has served as Iowa’s head coach since 1999, the longest tenure of any current coach in the United States.

“I’ve had the privilege to work with a lot of outstanding players,” Ferentz said. “This group . . . is about as good as we’ve had.” 

Evy in the press box at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis

THE VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX

Covering the Big Ten Championship gave me a glimpse into the world of major sporting events and sports journalism. The crowd roared as the teams took the field, but the press box was nearly soundproof. Reporters typed on their keyboards, while updates were shared over the loudspeakers. Journalists from several outlets attended, including ESPN, The Associated Press (AP), and The Wall Street Journal. 

I asked Malinda Adams, a longtime ESPN field producer, how she had succeeded in her career. “My parents told me I could be anything I wanted if I worked hard enough,” Adams said. “That’s great advice. It’s really important to figure out if you like it, because this is a job you have to love and be dedicated to. Any and all experience you can get is valuable.” 

During the game, I ventured out of the press box to talk with fans. As people cheered and the marching bands played, excitement could be felt in the air. 

I asked Alessandra Darr, a fan from Indianapolis, about the best part of the night for her. “I’m excited to see all the fans,” she said. “I’ve never seen a game here before.”

After the final play, there were fireworks at Lucas Oil Stadium. But the college football season isn’t over. The highly-anticipated 2024 national championship game will take place on January 8. 

“Any and all experience you can get is valuable,” an ESPN field producer told Evy about sports journalism. 

Evy at the Suter Company in Sycamore, Illinois, where volunteers pack meals for people in need

“More than 6,200 children under the age of five die every day from starvation and hunger-related causes,” says Tim Suter, president and chief executive officer of the Suter Company. The company, which is based in Sycamore, Illinois, produces prepared foods.

Suter is also president of Make a Difference DKC (De Kalb County). The nonprofit organization provides meals to people in need around the world. Each November, Suter and Make a Difference DKC organize a meal-packing event.

“Make A Difference DKC is one of the largest mobile pack events in Illinois and one of the longest running in America,” Suter told me during my recent visit. The nonprofit is affiliated with Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), which was founded in 1987 to provide food in 99 countries.

Across four days in November, Make a Difference DKC volunteers prepared pre-packaged meals containing protein, vitamins, and grains. The mixture of ingredients was designed by scientists at U.S.-based food companies Cargill and General Mills to meet the needs of malnourished children. 

Evy talks with Tim Suter, president and CEO of the Suter Company and president of Make a Difference DKB.

SERVING OTHERS

This year, more than 4,200 volunteers packed nearly 1.2 million meals, with financial support from donors. In the past 14 years, the effort has meant the delivery of an astounding 17 million meals to people in need worldwide.

“I believe we’re at our best when we serve others,” Suter said.

During my visit, hundreds of volunteers packed meals. “I hope to help people who are less fortunate than I am, to make a difference in somebody’s life,” said Riley Reynolds, 17, from Dakota, Illinois.

As Riley and other volunteers assembled meals, music played, and an announcer encouraged them.

“This is one of the most impactful things we can do for those less fortunate,” said Frank Roberts, a vice president of First National Bank of Omaha, which is an event sponsor.

When asked his favorite part of the effort, Roberts said, “Seeing all these people work together for a wonderful cause.” 

Evy visits with Make a Difference DKB staff members. 

“MANY WAYS TO HELP”

The announcer shared milestones as volunteers cheered, packed food as quickly as possible, and danced to the music. 

When asked how kids can help people experiencing hunger, Suter said, “There are many ways to help. You can volunteer at FMSC’s permanent sites or at mobile pack events like this. In most years, there are about 300 mobile pack events throughout the U.S.” 

FMSC’s website provides information about nationwide efforts. Each meal costs 29 cents to produce, so even small donations make a big difference.

Country music star Chris Janson performs at the historic Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. 

“If you can think it, we have probably hosted it,” says Alex Nerad. 

Nerad is executive director of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois. The venue is one of the oldest and most popular arts destinations in this Midwestern city of more than 40,000 people.

I spoke with Nerad and Jeanine Holcomb, the theater’s communications and marketing director, just days before Chris Janson performed. The country music singer and songwriter, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, is known for such multi-platinum hits as “Buy Me a Boat” and “Things You Can’t Live Without.”

Evy in front of the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, which is located about 70 miles from downtown Chicago. 

INSPIRED BY KING TUT

How did DeKalb come to be the home of an Egyptian Theatre? In 1922, the tomb of King Tutankhamen was discovered. At the age of nine, Tut became the pharoah of Ancient Egypt. He ruled until his death at the age of 19.

The discovery of Tut’s tomb sparked widespread interest in the United States in Ancient Egypt and Egyptian culture. Thereafter, Holcomb explained, “more than 100 Egyptian theaters were built across the U.S. in this atmospheric Egyptian style.”

Everything about the theaters is based on Egyptian architecture, both inside and out. Many were closed or were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Today, only seven Egyptian Theatres remain. The DeKalb venue, which is run by a nonprofit organization, is the only one east of the Rocky Mountains.

The theater in DeKalb hosts 180 events and welcomes more than 42,000 visitors annually. “The Egyptian Theatre has close to $3 million in direct economic impact [for the area] each year,” Nerad said.

The historic building is also on a list compiled by the Chicago Tribune of 20 must-see architectural attractions in Illinois. Most important, Nerad and Holcomb told me, is that visitors feel welcome at the theater.

“We never want the arts to feel inaccessible to someone,” Holcomb said. 

“It’s so key to us that people feel seen, loved, heard, and welcomed here at the Egyptian Theatre,” Jeanine Holcomb told Evy. 

SPARKING JOY

Indeed, thousands of visitors were welcomed to the theater on October 20, when Janson took the stage. The three-time Country Music Association (CMA) Award nominee won the CMA Music Video of the Year in 2019 and has topped the charts several times. Fans cheered as the stage lights went on, and music filled the air. 

Nearly a century after its opening in 1929, the Egyptian Theatre remains a place that brings people together and sparks joy.

“It’s so key to us,” Holcomb said, “that people feel seen, loved, heard, and welcomed here.”

The Hawkeye Marching Band performs at halftime in an exhibition women’s basketball game between the University of Iowa and DePaul University. 

“I’m thrilled for our women to showcase their hard work and efforts,” said Lisa Bluder. “Women’s sports deserve this stage, and we’re proud to be leading the way.”

Bluder is head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Iowa. I emailed her before Iowa faced off against DePaul University in an unusual contest: a basketball game played in the end zone of a football stadium. The exhibition game took place on October 15 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. 

Iowa went on to defeat DePaul, 94-72. The event set a new NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) record for women’s basketball attendance. A total of 55,646 fans watched the action at the historic football stadium.

Dubbed “Crossover at Kinnick,” the game benefited the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The hospital received a check in the amount of $250,000 from ticket sales.  

As the game got underway, fans participated in “The Wave,” which is known among Iowa Hawkeyes as the best tradition in college sports: Coaches, players, and fans turn to the Children’s Hospital behind the stands and wave to patients and families watching the game.

Iowa point guard Caitlin Clark attempts a three-point shot in the “Crossover at Kinnick,” an outdoor exhibition game. 

A LOCAL SUPERSTAR WITH NATIONAL APPEAL

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark put on a stellar performance. She had 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. She also was recognized as the Collegiate Women’s Athlete of the Year, an award she won last June. 

“Events like the ‘Crossover at Kinnick’ are important for several reasons,” Patrick Kenny told me via email. “They create buzz and excitement to start a season [and] demonstrate the appetite fans have for women’s sports.” Kenny is communications director at the Big Ten Network, which broadcasts college games. 

In the 2022-’23 season, Louisiana State University defeated Iowa in the national finals. The championship game was the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever.

“Women’s basketball has been a growth sport for the Big Ten Network,” Kenny observed. “Last year, we experienced our most watched season ever with the No. 1 and No. 2 games in network history, the most watched Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in network history, and the highest per game average in network history.” 

The growing popularity of women’s basketball makes a big difference, according to Bluder. “This is so important,” she told me, “for boys, girls, women, and men, to see the positive impact women’s sports can have on our country as a whole.” 

The 55,646 fans in Iowa City agree.