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Times-Delphic
Thursday January 31, 2013
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Campus Calendar Thursday Nathan Brown presentation “Islam and Constitutionalism in Egypt” 3-4 p.m. 213 Cartwright Hall Nathan Brown “Can Egypt survive its constitution?” 7-8:30 p.m. Sussman Theater
Friday Men’s Tennis vs. UMKC 11 a.m. Roger Knapp Tennis Center Men’s Tennis vs. Graceland 4 p.m. Roger Knapp Tennis Center
Saturday Women’s Tennis vs. UMKC 10:00 a.m. Roger Knapp Tennis Center Men’s Basketball vs. Indiana State 6:35 p.m. Knapp Center Women’s Basketball vs. Creighton 3 p.m. Knapp Center Sussman Spring Leadership Conference 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Olmsted Center
Add/Drop Dates Last day to add Friday, Feb. 1
Last day to drop Friday, Feb. 8
Inside
Features Blogging takes over campus for personal and professional reasons PAGE 2
Sports Men’s tennis seals the deal at MVC individual tournaments PAGE 3
Weather Jan. 31 Chance of snow in afternoon. High of 6 degrees, wind chill near -15.
Feb. 01 Scattered snow in the afternoon. High of 19, low of 14.
Campus News
Photo of the Day
Value of AP credits
Some colleges stop recognizing scores Bailey Berg
News Editor bailey.berg@drake.edu
A new trend among prestigious colleges and universities is doing away with giving college credit for Advanced Placement exams. This change has Drake University students talking about what this could mean for its campus and future education. First-year Kelsey Pfeifer said if Drake did not allow her to transfer in the 10 credits she earned from the three AP exams she took, she would have gone to another school. “It was a huge incentive that the work I put in would be recognized in an appropriate manner,” Pfeifer said. First-year Alex Lueck, however, transferred in 18 AP credits, but would have still gone to Drake regardless if she could have transferred in the credits or not. Faculty Senate President Keith Summerville said students need not worry about Drake following in the footsteps of other institutions. “Senate has not discussed AP credit, nor am I aware of an effort to bring this issue to the attention of the Executive Committee,” Summerville said. The movement, initiated by Dartmouth College, was brought about by the belief that the AP exams weren’t as rigorous as their own classes. The Advanced Placement program offers 40 different tests, ranging from macroeconomics to English literature, composition to Japanese language, and culture to art history. According to the Drake website, “Faculty advisors will de-
termine whether acceptable AP coursework will be applied toward Drake Curriculum, major, or elective requirements.” Though a three out of five is considered passing on the AP tests, Drake requires at least a four to grant credit for the test. Thomas Delahunt, Drake’s vice president for admission and student financial planning, said that roughly a quarter of Drake students transfer in at least one AP class every year. Despite no changes in the making here at Drake, Delahunt said he could see where Dartmouth is coming from. “I talk to parents and students in high school about this all the time,” Delahunt said. “But what I think people need to do is take AP courses in high school for the sake of a more challenging curriculum.” Summerville shares the same sentiments. “In general, I don’t think AP credit should be confused as a substitute for the types of skills and experiential learning that we try to provide at Drake,” Summerville said. Delahunt said he doesn’t believe Drake will ever get rid of the AP credits because it makes it less challenging for students to either study abroad or add a major or minor. Lueck said she was able to add a certificate of competence in Spanish because she didn’t have to take as many Areas of Inquiry classes, therefore freeing up more space in her schedule. It’s instances like Lueck’s where Delahunt said he sees the true merit of AP credits. “The real advantage of AP is that it gives you more flexibility,” Delahunt said. “There is more to it than graduating early.”
Campus Events
Egypt hot topic on campus, in lecture
Emily Sadecki
Staff Writer emily.sadecki@drake.edu
Not only is Egypt all the buzz in the news lately, but also has become a presence on Drake’s campus as Arabic books have found their way into many backpacks and the student stories from their ventures to the country itself are shared. This week brings another opportunity for students to gain insight on the complex country. Nathan J. Brown teaches political science and international affairs at George Washington University, and will be the first guest of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship at Drake University Spring 2013 Speaker and Film Series. The first of the two is on Thursday at 3 p.m. in Cartwright Hall room 213 covering “Islam and Constitutionalism in Egypt’s New Constitution.” The second is in Sussman Theater from 7-8 p.m. on Friday titled “Can Egypt’s Revolution Survive its Constitution?” Mahmoud Hamad, a politics professor, has led several groups of students to Egypt in the past. “Brown is probably the foremost US and western expert on Egypt,” Hamad said. “Our focus this spring is Egypt because it is
home to some of the most important political events going on in the past two years.” “It is quite a privilege to have him (Nathan Brown) come share his views with us about Egypt at a time when Egypt is in turmoil,” said David Skidmore, director of the Center for Global Citizenship, “the main focus of Professor Brown’s talks will be on how the new constitution will structure political life in Egypt.” The emphasis on the Middle East is something Hamad thinks will continue to grow. “We have (a) growing number of students wanting to learn Arabic and traveling to the Middle East. Last year I led the largest group ever overseas to Egypt. We are also working on a partnership with Cairo University,” Hamad said. The partnership with Cairo would allow students to spend a semester or a year abroad instead of a single course. These events are the first of many this semester. “The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship sponsors roughly between 30 and 40 events per year,” Skidmore said. Future topics include everything from medication safety in China to a panel discussion on trade, globalization and development.
Luke Nankivell | photo editor
SNOWFALL ON CAMPUS accumulated Wednesday morning as over an inch of snow fell on Des Moines causing professors to cancel classes, but no campus-wide closing was issued. More information on this week’s weather is available below the fold.
State Politics
Changing policy Student Day at the Capitol hopes to gain Drake attendees Elizabeth Robinson
Relays Editor elizabeth.robinson@drake.edu
Under the current Iowa code, a person must be or have been married, have a child together or have lived with a partner within the last year in order to file a domestic abuse assault charge against his or her abuser. On Thursday, Feb. 7, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence is hosting Student Day at the Capitol building in an effort to change this section of the Iowa criminal code to protect against dating violence. High school and college students have the opportunity to advocate for H.F. 286, a bill to include dating violence and other intimate relationship abuse, in the Iowa criminal code. This bill, originally introduced to the Iowa legislature in 2011, would classify dating violence as a form of domestic abuse, thus making more penalties applicable to the crime. Repercussions of domestic abuse include no contact orders, which are automatically issued and prohibit the abuser from any contact with the victim during the case. Other consequences include a “batterer’s education program” and a mandatory jail sentence. Currently, none of these ramifications are in place for intimate relationship abuse such as dating violence. “This is really pertinent to high school and college aged students because most of you are in that circumstance where you’re not married and you’re not living together or you don’t have children with a partner, so it’s important that your voice is heard,” said Alsya Mozak, coordinator for sexual violence response at Drake Uni-
versity an organizer of the event. Beginning at 12 p.m., students and advocates in attendance will be briefed on the dating violence bill and will learn more about policy advocacy and the best way to lobby to a legislator. At 2 p.m., the group, led by Mozak and the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV), will proceed to the Capitol to speak with legislators about the significance of H.F. 286 and encourage them to support the passing of the bill. “I just thought it would be a really good way to kind of get that student activist community awareness building on our campus,” Mozak said. “To me it really fits into that whole global citizenship mission that Drake has.” Last year, two students attended the first ICADV Student Day at the Capitol. This year, Mozak is working in conjunction with Drake Law Women and Students Advocating for Gender Equality to create more of a Drake student presence. “When you have a Drake address, you don’t have to be registered to vote here, you live on our campus and you live in our state, you have the rights to that information and those laws and resources,” Mozak said. “That’s the point of going, to feel like your voice is being heard, to a part of the political process.” Student Day at the Capitol begins at noon on Thursday, Feb. 7 and all students are invited to attend. More information on the event and on the dangers and prevalence of dating violence can be found tomorrow in the Olmsted breezeway.
Snow Ordinance Parking, be in the know...
So, your car is parked on the street and it snowed. Can you stay there? What if the plow comes? Here is an explanation to help you avoid a $35 ticket from the City of Des Moines and a possible tow. Be sure to move your car by 7 a.m. too, as that is when plowing begins in the Drake Neighborhood. The plus of the new ordinance, plowing starts after two inches of snow instead of four, but now there is a new odd/even rule for parking on the street. That means, on odd numbered days, like today, you have to park on the odd side of the street, so you could park in front of 2507 University Ave., but not 2506. Tomorrow, since it’s Feb. 1, you would also be allowed to park on the odd side of the street. Once Feb. 2 hits, it’s time to switch to the even side of the road.
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THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Vol. 132 | No. 25 | Jan. 31, 2013