STUDENTS Drake University students learn more about on campus organizations and how to get involved at the Student Activities Fair on September 3rd held in Olmsted. AUSTIN CANNON | MANAGING EDITOR
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Wednesday September, 10, 2014
Campus Calendar Wednesday RaySocietyArchitecture Walk with Tom Wollen 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Thursday
Art Exhibition: “whatever returns from oblivion” by Charles Matson Lume 12-8 p.m. Anderson Gallery
Friday Drake Women’s Tennis Drake Fall Invitational All Day Roger Knapp Tennis Center
Saturday Guest Recital by Alan Huckleberru and U of I piano students 7:30-9 p.m. Sheslow Auditorium
Sunday National Council on Youth Leadership 4:30-6 p.m. Olmsted Center
Campus News
Kathleen Richardson appointed dean of SJMC Sarah Grossman
RICHARDSON, page 3
Staff Writer tim.webber@drake.edu
DR. KATHLEEN RICHARDSON newly appointed dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications JOEL VENZKE| PHOTO EDITOR
Campus Crime
Students fall victim to mugging
Sarah Grossman
News Editor sarah.grossman@drake.edu
Inside News
The Times-Delphic sits down with new SJMC dean Kathleen Richardson. PAGE 2
Opinions Read the first installment of “Dear Lucy” PAGE 6
Features Learn how to combat the “freshman 15” with healthy eating. PAGE 7
Sports Drake football beats Truman State in OT 13-17 PAGE 10
August 30, at approximately 3 a.m. students Faith Brar, senior magazine journalism and English doublt major, and Ricardo Martinez, senior public relations and marketing double major, were mugged while walking to 34th street. East of 23rd street, the students were in an area of town known for being unsafe, especially at night. Scott Law, Director of Campus Public Safety, gave his advice. “Strong recommendation from us would be students shouldn’t be walking (in) that area by themselves,” Law said. Brar and Martinez were returning from an off-campus going away party for a friend. “We left the house because we had just had a party for a friend who was leaving to go back to Spain,” Brar said. “We were pretty sad. We weren’t really thinking. We were alone, plus I felt safe because I was with a guy.” As they were walking, Martinez noticed three men following. “He was the one who noticed there were three African American men following us,” Brar said. “He suggested I call 911 and I said, ‘I’m not racial profiling. I’m not going to call 911.”’ Brar soon regretted that choice. “By the time I realized they
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Security adresses key cards
Tim Webber
News Editor sarah.grossman@drake.edu
Dr. Kathleen Richardson, formally director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication was appointed dean of the SJMC last Friday. Richardson, who has taught journalism courses at Drake University since 1997, is a prominent member of the SJMC community. Richardson, an SJMC alum, has a special place in her heart for the school. As dean, she plans to move the school forward through collaboration and innovation. Energized by students, she is heartened by this opportunity. Richardson will continue carrying out many of the same responsibilies she had as a director, but she will also focus on the developmental areas of the school and raising money for new initiatives. This is the first time the SMJC has had an independant dean.
Senate
were following me, I felt like if I whipped out my phone and called 911. They would have just done something worse,” Brar said. Law recommend that students always take safety precautions when feeling uncomfortable in these situations. “I suggest that if students do see something that makes them uncomfortable, something that doesn’t feel right, let us know,” Law said. “Worse case we get there, and it was totally a nothing.” As Brar and Martinez continued walking, the situation worsened. “The faster we walked the closer they started getting, so they started walking faster as well,” Martinez said. “At some point, I was afraid for her safety more than anything.” Brar was afraid. “They were whistling and saying inappropriate comments. I was too rigid and too scared to use my phone,” Brar said. “I just closed my eyes and kept walking really fast. For some reason, the faster I walked, the closer they seemed to get to me.” The three men following grabbed Brar’s purse and ran in the opposite direction. Nothing of value was inside the purse. Martinez was the first to recover from the incident. “My first question was if they had hurt her or touched her, and she said no,” Martinez said. “I was
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actually carrying her wallet in my hand so after that we just decided to call 911.” The police responded and after searching the area, drove Brar and Martinez home. “Both the Des Moines Police and Drake Public Safety drove around the area where the theft occurred,” Law said. “There was more security in that area for a few hours afterward.” Although Brar and Martinez wish there was more security around Drake, they admit students can help prevent these incidents. “Perhaps I do think it was also our fault. We were walking by ourselves at 3-3:30 in the morning,” Martinez said. “There are streets that aren’t safe.” “We (Drake’s Community) are not risk-free,” Law said. “I don’t think you could find a college or university across the country that could claim that.” Drake is taking additional methods to stay safe. “We’ve introduced the Rave Guardian system — like a blue light in your pocket, an app created, and we’re getting good response from the students,” Law said. He suggests all students take the time to download the app. It may prevent incidents such as this one, and keep students feeling safe and secure. “I did feel safe,” Brar said. “But now I don’t.”
Among the most notable changes to student life at Drake University for the 2014-15 school year is the addition of card scanners at the doors of nearly every building on campus. The new electronic key system hasn’t come without its fair share of problems, but students clamoring for solutions need to look no further than last Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting. Drake Director of Campus Public Safety, Scott Law, spoke to the Senate at the meeting. He highlighed several new security programs and changes, but focused on the card scanners. “We’ve had some problems with the system, as I’m sure all of you know,” Law said. “The whole team is working on this. We’ve been getting together each morning, looking at the list of problems and trying to whittle them down.” “I think you’ll see the system will run better and better each week as we go along,” Law said. Law also announced plans to increase the number of doors that will be unlocked during regular hours. In the next three to four weeks, Law’s team will be working to unlock all doors at the Olmsted Center, Cowles Library and extra doors at Aliber and Fitch Hall. In each case, only the door by the card scanner will open after hours, and students will still be required to scan their ID card. Law said that more halls will be added to this list in the spring to be completed over summer break. Because the doors are now locked and unlocked electronically, the solution is not as simple as unlocking the doors with a manual key. This is the reasoning behind the three to four week timeframe. Law also touched on technical errors with Bulldog Bucks. Drake “quickly realized” the errors and are working to fix them. The senate is also launching the “Start by Believing” campaign kickoff. “Start by Believing” is a yearlong campaign designed to educate the community on bystander intervention. Meghan Blancas, the Interim Director of Student Leadership and Involvement at Drake, spoke to the Senate about three fall leadership programs open to students.
SENATE, page 3
Drake University, Des Moines
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Vol. 134 | No. 2 | Sept. 10, 2014