Panther Pod

Having a close relationship to our local, state, and federal legislators is crucial to supporting UNI operations. Zach Zippe does the tough job of managing those relationships, and he even makes it look easy! Zach hops on the pod to share about being NISG's Director of Governmental Relations (DoGR), our Legislative Liason Team's role in promoting student interests, and the time he helped herd goats down a mountain - you don't want to miss this episode of the Panther Pod!

Rose Perksen knows how to make NISG look good - that's why she's a stellar Director of Public Relations! Rose joins us to discuss her long and storied history with student government and her observations of how our organization has evolved over the years. We also discuss who students should really direct their anger toward when their programs are facing a lack of funding (Hint: It's NOT athletics!!!)

Nobody knows finance as well as Derek Koppes - it's one of his three majors, after all! As NISG's Director of Finance, he also knows the most about student org registration and funding procedures, and joins the podcast to talk us through some anticipated changes to that process. Hear why Derek believes these changes will greatly improve equity in the fund distribution process, his hopes for the role this position could play in the future, as well as what's been his favorite part of bein...

//TW: discussions of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and descriptions of major anxiety//In this episode we recount our experiences on the campaign trail - an infamously rough ride for both of us. We talk about all that went into building our campaign, launching it, and how we felt by the end of those three long weeks - as well as how the campaign experience affects us and our roles even now!

Kicking off the spring semester with a special guest! Speaker of the Senate Sam Caughron joins us for this episode to talk about running for senate, his path to becoming Speaker, and how he's seen NISG transform during his involvement. We also reminisce on each of our senate confirmations, and how through conscious efforts the process has become more inclusive and welcoming over time.

The creator behind the popular UNI parody Twitter account, "Nark Mook" (@presidentnook) sits down with us to discuss some of their popular tweets, their thoughts on NISG and UNI's administration, and those iconic purple and gold Adirondack chairs.

NISG elections kick off this February! Chief Justice and Election Commissioner Parker Daniels sits down with us to discuss the election process and the requirements for students to run for senate or executive positions. Hear our tips for running, our thoughts on what makes a good candidate, and listen to us weigh in on the age old debate: Piazza or Rialto?Informational sessions for those interested in NISG elections start the week of January 24th, and campaigning begins February 7th.

What is NISG? What do we do in our roles? Who's in our upper cabinet? All these questions (and more!) answered in the inaugural episode of the Panther Pod!

In this episode of the Panther Pod we discuss our "Why UNI?" What made us decide to attend the University of Northern Iowa, and more importantly -what made us stay?