Introduction to the UI and Iowa City image crisis
The Iowa City pedestrian mall, a staple of the local social scene for students and residents. It is host to numerous shops, restaurants and bars. ~ Photo by Robbie Lehman.
Image is everything
By Robbie Lehman
The identity of a city is often defined by the character of its citizens. People make a town what it is; without people, a town would be nothing but a geographic location.
People come together to build cities and towns all over the world. They construct them physically, yes, but also culturally, socially, and symbolically as well.
Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa, naturally branding it with the reputation as a “college town.” But that reputation has ingrained itself into the local culture more than any natives could have imagined.
Recently, the people that have made Iowa City what it is have had to deal with drama in which they caused. Controversy in three relating areas have caused somewhat of a community crisis. New bar entry laws, problems during football tailgating and a top ten party school ranking are behind the uproar. This multimedia package aims to set the scene of these recent events, as well as give perspective on the future relationship between Iowa City and the University of Iowa.
Background and timeline of events
Photo/audio slideshow – Hawkeye football tailgating
Video interview with John Rigby, UISG President
For further information on this subject, check out the package on the UI’s recent Alcohol Harm Reduction Plan put together by the Daily Iowan, the independent student newspaper for the University of Iowa. Find it here.
Iowa City Tales 
[…] For my Online Journalism class I put together a multimedia package about the ongoing “image crisis” affecting the University of Iowa and the Iowa City community. Check it out here. […]