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Women’s bball struggles with 2 home losses

PAGE 6 | SPORTS

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

THE TIMES-DELPHIC DES MOINES, IOWA | MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 | VOL. 129, NO. 23 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM

Celebrate Drake inspires sequel

by Elizabeth Robinson

Staff Writer elizabeth.robinson@drake.edu

After the extreme success of the Celebrate Drake event put on by the Student Life Office last October, Drake student organizations will be bringing a similar event called Dogtown After Hours to campus this April.

The original Celebrate Drake was a hit on campus, bringing in around 700 students to participate in the night’s festivities. The unique aspect of this event was that the majority of it was organized and carried out completely by students.

“Administration recognized that students

wanted to do something for themselves and didn’t hold them back from accomplishing the event,” Student Senate Vice President of Student Activities Greg Larson said.

Dogtown After Hours is an event with the overall goal to involve students and student organizations, but the approach is quite different this time around. All on-campus organizations have the opportunity to participate in a contest where they will plan some sort of alcohol-free event for all Drake students in a format somewhat similar to Celebrate Drake.

“

With the amount of money that’s available, the possibilities are pretty limitless.

”

– Vice President of Student Life Byron Spears

SEE DOGTOWN, PAGE 2

by Sean Walsh

New website receives positive feedback

Staff Writer sean.walsh@drake.edu

by Jackie Wallentin

Staff Writer jaclyn.wallentin@drake.edu

While the majority of students used winter break to relax and detach themselves from studies, some members of the Drake community spent the time completing an intensive project.

January visitors to the Drake University website caught a first glimpse.

The Office of Marketing and Communications unveiled the revamped website before the start of the new semester.

The Office of Marketing and Communications completed the planning, researching and programming of the project solely within its department. The digital media and public relations teams aided in the re-envisioning process. Also, student, faculty and staff interviews and discussions identified additional needs and usage patterns of the website.

“Many of the ideas that came out of those brainstorming meetings have turned into new initiatives we

SEE WEBSITE, PAGE 2

Senate backs new paper certification process

by Ann Schnoebelen

News Editor news@timesdelphic.com

cantly impact this fragile ecosystem.”

With a unanimous resolution now attached to their proposal and petition, Koska and Landis say their upcoming moves will include talking to Faculty Senate and working out more details with members of the administration. If adopted, the switch would probably take place in fall of 2011, although the pair say, with some more legwork on their part, they hope to see results within the next couple months.

“We’re still trying to figure out what our next steps will be,” Landis said. “But [the]next steps will definitely be taken.”

The resolution passed by Student Senate during the first meeting of the semester put Senate’s stamp of approval on Drake Environmental Action League’s latest aspiration to positively impact the ecosystem.

If the proposal is ultimately adopted by Drake University, it would mean all paper used by the school would be made up of at least 50 percent recycled materials and be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

According to the five-page document prepared by DEAL, “The FSC is an international nonprofit organization, created by the loggers, foresters, environmentalists and sociologists in 1993, dedicated to the protection and sustainable management of the world’s forests.”

In its report, DEAL contrasts the FSC’s certification process with that of the Sustainable Forest Initiative. The comparisons illustrate the differences between the two organizations in terms of the allowable amount of forest cut at a time, the use of genetically modified organisms and the assessment of social impact of deforestation, among other categories.

DEAL has also compiled data dealing with the financial impact of a switch to what it refers to as 50 percent PCW (post-consumer waste, meaning recycled materials) FSC-certified paper. According to their research, “Switching from 30 percent PCW SFI paper to 50percent PCW FSC paper would result in a $1.44 increase per student per semester.

Switching to 30 percent FSC would increase $0.62 per student.”

While the group says that 30 percent is an admirable standard, Drake should go even further to support an environmentally conscious campus and adopt the 50 percent PCW model.

During their 20-minute long presentation to Senate, DEAL President Jennifer Koska and Treasurer Robb Landis also emphasized to senators that the slight cost also has a “high chance” of being absorbed by the university.

“That’s why we love this so much,” Koska said to the senators. “It makes such a big difference, but it’s such a little change that we have to make.” photo by ANN SCHNOEBELEN | news editor Their report also makes several references to Drake’s mission statement saying that, “A significant role of a responsible global citizen is JENNY KOSKA AND ROBB LANDIS spoke to Student Senate Thursday on behalf stewardship of both our natural and cultural heritage. While Drake may on DEAL. Their presentation recommended Drake use a new paper certification not be geographically near any old growth forests, our actions signifi- process and DEAL’s resolution passed unanimously.

inside

Student Senate returns to a full agenda Senate’s first meeting of the new semester included a handful of funding requests to various student organizations and a resolution proposed by the Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL) to raise the minimum standards of post-consumer waste (recycled materials) found in paper bought by the university.

Drake currently does not have a uniform requirement for paper purchases on campus, leaving it up to each college to decide which paper it uses. Representatives from DEAL presented on the importance of having a uniform purchase of paper on campus that is made with at least 50 percent PCW. This would be a raise from the current 30 percent. This action, they said, would only cause a $1.44 increase per student every semester to cover the cost, which would be internalized into tuition raises for the next academic year.

“This is why we love this so much, it makes such a big difference but it’s such a little change that we have to make,” DEAL President Jennifer Koska said.

The motion was approved unanimously by Senate, and members of DEAL will use the motion to show student body support when they propose it to the Drake director of purchasing in the upcoming weeks.

Senate also voted unanimously to pass five funding allocations. The largest was $2,643 to Habitat for Humanity to fund their Alternative Spring Break Trip to Beaufort, S.C. DEAL also received $1,051 to help fund their Earth Jam event on March 25, and Rainbow Union received $2,105.75 to cover costs to send 11 members to attend the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference in Ann Arbor, Mich. in February.

In addition, the International Student Association received $800 to secure Sheslow Auditorium for their International Night program that took place on Saturday night, and Drake Women’s Ultimate Club received $1,143 to cover costs associated with the Midwest Throwdown Ultimate Tournament in St. Louis, Mo. in March.

After all of the funding requests, senators

SEE SENATE, PAGE 2

>>MEETING IN BRIEF • $1,051 – DEAL was allocated $1,051 to help fund Earth Jam event on March 25

• $1,105.75 – Rainbow Unionwill send 11 members to the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., in February

• $800 – The International Student

Association secured Sheslow Auditorium for its International Night event that took place Jan. 29

• $1,143 – The Drake Women’s Ultimate Club will go to the Midwest Throwdown Ultimate Tournament in St. Louis, Mo., in March

• $2,643 – Habitat for Humanity will send

10 members to Beaufort, S.C., in March for an Alternative Spring Break

NEWS

OPINIONS

FEATURES

SPORTS

Career Fair will feature new breakout sessions

Is verbicide killing the English language?

Snack recipes for your 2011 Super Bowl party

Track star Curtis earns another title

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PAGES 5

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NEWS

quote of the

news

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THE TIMES-DELPHIC

MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 | PAGE 2

We’ve had some setbacks obviously, but we played our best game Tuesday night and we just came up a little short against the best team in the league.

day Marketing and Communications Career Fair gives all students a unveiled site’s new look in January chance to network FROM WEBSITE, PAGE 1 are currently working on for alumni and development, as well as social media,” Director of Web Communications Jeremy Sievers said.

Sievers said discussion about the website redesign began last summer and then developed into a formal project this fall. The department took two months to do initial planning and research and an additional month to finalize programming and development.

The department developed the redesign to address specific aspects of the previous website that hindered efficiency. Sievers said the university home page grew over the last four years with ‘band-aid fixes’ instead of actual solutions.

“The university home page acts as a launching pad, getting users to various content and services,” Sievers said. “Our primary goals were to get more relevant content to users in less time, and to re-envision how we displayed university news.”

Sievers said the department’s most complicated task involved discovering a new way to feature news. Google Analytics sorted through data to reveal that the home page received the most hits. The most effective solution fixed both problems: use the home page to distribute messaging.

The department knew that users do not commonly take more than a few seconds to look at a home page before leaving to click on a different site or page. Sievers said this leaves one chance for a message to get out and leave an impression.

“We took an ambitious approach to have a single feature story that changes weekly, rather than the standard rotating four or five banners most other sites have,” Sievers said. “We opted

to spend more time on finding and photographing that one great story than watering down the effort.”

To save users even more time, the website search feature underwent a makeover. In the previous website design, a user needed to click a separate page to begin a search. Sievers said the department added a text entry ‘search’ space that displays on the home page as well as internal pages, with a live campus directory search.

Other additional new features include a drop down constituent navigation, creation of two new news sections for faculty and staff recognition and for Drake news in other media and university social media links located at the top right of the home page.

“Traffic in social media has been overwhelmingly positive. While the chatter has slowed down, common posts focused on the design and applauded the clean, uncluttered look,” Sievers said.

Sievers said the department has seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of people viewing the main feature stories on the home page.

Previously, most articles saw 150-250 page views, while the new features are averaging 620 page views.

“One story had over 1,600 page views while class wasn’t even in session,” Sievers said.

A feedback survey specifically for the home page was included in the redesign, located in the left of the footer, to gain more substantive comments, said Sievers. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit their comments.

“The Drake community takes a great deal of pride in its public presence, and left a good deal of constructive comments, many of which we have already taken action on,” Sievers said.

—BRYAN WEDEL, 5TH-YEAR SENIOR BASKETBALL PLAYER | PAGE 7

by Jessica Lang

Staff Writer jessica.c.lang@drake.edu

The Professional and Career Development Services department will host a university wide career fair Thursday, Feb. 3.

The Drake University Career Fair will be held in Olmsted Center from 3-6 p.m. Despite some possible misconceptions, all students are welcome to attend. However, seniors will be given preference from 3-3:30 p.m.

“It’s a great way for students to network.

They can get their feet wet and know what employers expect,” said Kelli Pitts, a member of the Professional and Career Development Services.

The fair will help jumpstart students’ career and internship searches, and it will also be a learning experience for success in the work world. Some companies will be conducting next-day interviews for students who are interested.

New for this year are breakout sessions.

These mini-seminars will focus on a specific topic. Each will be presented by recruiters from their respective companies. Students will have the opportunity to learn new skills and ask any questions that they may have.

Professional attire is required for the event and it is recommended that each student bring between 10 and 12 copies of their resumes to hand to employers. Students are also welcome to bring business cards.

Although it takes time and plenty of marketing to recruit companies to attend, many of them contact Drake to come to campus for career events.

“The quality of Drake students is our best billboard for recruiting companies,” said Annette Watson, another member of the Professional and Career Development Services.

Student turnout at career events also plays a factor in whether or not a company will return or if new ones will be interested in attending the next fair.

A list of companies attending this year’s fair is available in Career Blueprint off the student services tab of blueView.

Students are strongly encouraged to attend the Drake University Career Fair as it is the only one for spring semester.

For undergraduates who are interested in attending graduate school, Drake University Graduate and Professional School Fair will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 3:30-6 p.m. in Olmsted Center.

Breakout Sessions 3:30-4:00 3:45-4:15 4:15-4:45 4:30-5:00 5:00-5:30 5:15-5:45

Interview Tips by Integrative Counseling Services Professionalism in the Workplace by AEGON Networking Tips by MassMutual Social Networking by Strategic America Entrepreneurial Career Path by American National Insurance Leadership Skills from Campus to Career by Target

First meeting of the semester includes vote to back DEAL paper proposal, funding allocations to five student orgs FROM SENATE, PAGE 1 discussed the process the Student Fees Allocation Committee uses to fund organization affiliation fees during the issues portion of the agenda. Sen. Kayleigh Koester opened discussion among senators as to what affiliation fees could be covered by Senate.

“I think it might be something worth talking about and deciding in what direction we want to go with that in the future or would like to recommend SFAC does in the future,” Koester said.

Treasurer Nate Bleadorn, who chairs SFAC, acknowledged that this topic is something that his committee will look into in the coming weeks.

By a vote of acclamation, Senate also approved a motion to approve allocating $5,922.50 from

a Quasi-Endowment Fund, which was put in place by the 20th session of Student Senate four years ago, toward “Drake Dogtown After Hours.” The event, hosted by various organizations on campus, will be held on April 8 and will be similar to the Celebrate Drake event held last October.

Vice President of Student Activities Greg Larson said that the main difference between Drake Dogtown After Hours and Celebrate Drake is that it’s going to be a competition between student organizations.

“We’re asking organizations to apply to pitch their idea of what they would envision the event to be,” Larson said.

Senators also discussed the possibility of a three-week January academic term. Sen. Ben Cooper said that the idea had been brought up at Faculty Senate but put aside until next month’s meeting.

Dogtown After Hours event will be a competition FROM DOGTOWN, PAGE 1 Groups have a theoretical budget of $10,000 to work with and the winning group will receive $1,000 to put toward an event for their own organization.

Dogtown After Hours is different than most other student sponsored programs because it allows students on campus to choose what they would like to see in such a huge campus event.

Rather than just one organization selecting what it feels would be popular simply based on its own opinions, Dogtown After Hours encourages Drake students to be creative and brainstorm what the majority of campus would participate in.

Celebrate Drake was originally meant to serve as an anti-alcohol program, but as the plans continued, it, along with Dogtown After

Hours, developed into much more.

“Initially it was an alcohol alternative,” Larson said. “But all the parties involved hoped it could morph into something to encourage and build-up school spirit and community.”

The goal for Dogtown After Hours is to encompass all of these factors. The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 8, the day after Blitz Day for the 2011 Drake Relays.

“We thought it would be neat to kick off Relays, which is more of a partying time, in a more responsible and communal way,” Larson said.

With the event being held in a competitiontype format, one of the many goals is to increase attendance and participation due to the talk and hype about the event so far in advance. Student Senate Vice President of Student Life Byron Spears said that he would like to see somewhere around 1,000 people.

“If we could get about a third of undergrad students to attend then we’re doing something big on campus,” Spears said.

“And if that’s the case, then we know we’re doing something right,” Larson added.

Larson and Spears said that there are no specific criteria for what is expected from organizations entering the contest, but that with such a large amount of money available, there are several possibilities. Contributions have been made to the project from various groups, including specific money allotted for the event by Student Senate, donations from GuideOne Insurance in West Des Moines, contributions from major on-campus organizations such as the Residence Hall Association, the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council and the Student Activities Board, as well as funding from the office of University President David Maxwell.

“With the amount of money that’s available, the possibilities are pretty limitless,” Spears said.

“There’s no real blueprint for success, we’re just looking for something that you don’t traditionally get.”

Applications from organizations wishing to participate in the Dogtown After Hours contest are due Friday, Feb. 11, instead of Feb. 9 as previously advertised. Interviews and presentations will be held the following Friday with the final decision made somewhere around Feb. 20, if not before.

To sum up the overall reason for the event, Larson said, “It seems like negative publicity clouds airwaves too often and to have an event like this with such a positive mission and potentially a positive effect on people could really go a long way.”

Calling all prospective editors It is now time to apply for next year’s editorships of these student publications:

The Times-Delphic Editor-in-Chief DUiN Editor-in-Chief Drake Magazine Editor-in-Chief Periphery Editor-in-Chief Drake Broadcast System President Applications are available in SLC and are due March 21. If you have questions, please contact Carol Spaulding-Kruse at carol.spaulding@drake.edu.

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO NEWS@TIMESDELPHIC.COM

FOR BREAKING DRAKE NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TIMESDELPHIC

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

PAGE 3 | MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011

opinions&editorials

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

thebuzz

Oscar nominations are out, and ‘The King’s Speech’ is leading the pack with 12 nominations. This front-runner is now playing at the Varsity Theatre.

Verbicide Language Vocabulary Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Change Verbicide Vo Verbicide Language Verbicide Verbicide Change Verbicide Verbicide Word Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide V bicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Language Verbicide Verbicide Change Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Words Language Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Change Language Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Language Verbicide W Change Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Vocabulary Language Vocabulary Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide W bicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Change Ver Verbicide Verbicide Language Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Chang Verbicide Verbicide Language Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Change Verbicide Change Verb Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Words Verbicide Language Words Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Change Verbicide W Language Verbicide Change Verbicide Change Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Verbicide Language Verbicide Change Verb Verbicide Verbicide Language Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Language Verbicide Verbicide Vocabulary L Words Verbicide Verbicide Language Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Vocabulary Verb Verbicide Verbicide Vocabulary Verbicide Words Verbicide Change Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbi Words Verbicide Verbicide Language Words Verbicide Vocabulary Words Verbicide Language Verbicide Change Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Vocabulary Vocabulary Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Language Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide cide Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Words Language Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbicide Verbicide Verbicide Words Verbic Verbicide Vocabulary Change

Distortion of a sense of a word

The death of words is on the rise, killing Webster one page at a time

A

s classes started, there were a lot of new concepts thrown at students by eager professors. One such concept was brought up recently in my history class. My professor was discussing why she felt that having a “word of the week” was important. She threw out a term that I was not familiar with: verbicide.

Verbicide by definition deals with the distortion of words in some context. Though, the connotation of the word lends itself to the death of a word. Now, my professor discussed with us how languages change, and why we thought that verbicide was present in today’s society (or for some people, why they thought it was not visible).

Thinking back on my education before coming to Drake, I always had to learn vocabulary words in some class. Sure, some of the words overlapped, but there was always an effort to teach a stronger vocabulary. Some words were superfluous and made very little sense, but learning the words helped. I had teachers that challenged me to use new words in my writings

and in daily language just to test my skill.

My professor cited a statistic that said that the average student entering college now has a 10,000-word vocabulary instead of 25,000 of previous generations.

“

With a changing language, does that mean we have to lose our grasp on words that once graced literature and everyday conversation?

”

So, in a world of 140-character Twitter up-

Outspoken

dates and being confined to 160-characters in a text message, are we losing our vocabulary?

With additions being made in the dictionary every year, one could argue that no, we’re not losing our vocabulary, but rather changing it.

Our 21st century vernacular is vastly different than that of our grandparents’ or even of our parents’. The days of rotary phones have transitioned to smart phones; the days of owning a rolodex have morphed into a simple contact list on your phone. With these simple changes, the language has to change, too.

But does that mean we have to lose our grasp on words that once graced literature and everyday conversation?

Of course not.

American linguist, Benjamin Lee Whorf, once said: “Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” In my mind, Whorf is very correct with this notion.

Language has to change when the world around us changes. The eloquence of language doesn’t change, but rather becomes a hidden trait under a daily routine of spurting out singular words

LAUREN HORSCH | COLUMNIST

Horsch is a first-year news/Internet major and can be contacted at lauren.horsch@drake.edu

How have the new Olmsted hours affected you?

Chelsea Jacobson “They haven’t really. I don’t go there that much.”

Courtney Rudd “I didn’t know Olmsted had hours.”

Natasha Hedker “Not too much. My executive board meets in Lower Olmsted, and we haven’t had any issues.”

Spencer Russell “It’s actually my first [time] studying in here, but I remembered it was a nice place to study. It hasn’t affected me.”

New Olmsted Hours: Sunday 11 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

THE TIMES-DELPHIC THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884 LIZZIE PINE, Editor-in-Chief editor@timesdelphic.com JESSICA MATTES, Managing Editor features@timesdelphic.com MATT MORAN, Sports Editor sports@timesdelphic.com

JILL VAN WYKE, Faculty Advisor jill.vanwyke@drake.edu ANN SCHNOEBELEN, News Editor news@timesdelphic.com KATIE MINNICK, Sports Design Editor katie.minnick@timesdelphic.com

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KAILA SWAIN, Digital Editor digital@timesdelphic.com

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that can describe anything at the moment.

Just think about how many times in a day you say ‘cool’ or even ‘like.’ You might be astounded at the number of times those words have slipped from your lips by the end of the day. Verbicide, whether real or perceived, will cause issues down the road for everyone. Instead of being able to communicate in a fluid manner, speech will become uniformly bland. Personally, I’m still on the fence about whether verbicide is happening, but I’m going to be sure to examine the things I say and see if there is any way I could alter my words to get my point across more clearly.

My challenge to you, though, is to just think about a word you’ve read and thought was unique or interesting. Now use that word throughout the week or day or, heck, even month to see if it stays in your workable vocabulary. By no means am I suggesting reading a dictionary to further your knowledge, but just try it once.

And just in case you were wondering, my word of the week is ‘cacophony.’

Playing the ‘God card’ Lately, there have been a large number of stories covered by the media regarding people defending offensive and hateful actions with religion. These people commonly say phrases such as “It’s my religion,” or “I’m defending my faith.” Many times this is referred to as playing the “God card.”

One of the most well-known and recent examples in the media of using the God card was when the Rev. Terry Jones from Florida planned to burn Qurans on the anniversary of Sept. 11.

Jones claimed that “enough is enough” and that people needed to stand up against Islam.

Although Jones later did cancel the burnings, he was presented numerous times throughout the media as a man using his faith to attack and hurt Muslims.

In a similar story, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell from Michigan publicly attacked the University of Michigan’s student body president who is openly gay. The president, Chris Armstrong, was elected this past spring and is the campus’ first openly gay student body president. Shirvell, a Michigan alumnus, started a blog called the Chris Armstrong Watch, saying he is concerned with Armstrong’s “radical, homosexual agenda.” He also protested outside of Armstrong’s home. Shirvell defends his actions by saying he’s “a Christian citizen exercising my First Amendment rights.”

These stories cause many to generalize all Christians as ruthless and heartless. Not only are these people giving all Christians a bad rap, but they are also complete hypocrites. Jesus Christ did not teach to tear other people down, but to love them, right or wrong.

These self-proclaiming Christians aren’t the only ones playing the God card either. Another story making the rounds is that of the Times Square bomber, who was recently sentenced to life in prison after an attempted bombing in one of the nation’s busiest areas. Faisal Shahzad, a

U.S. citizen who emigrated from Pakistan, is a Muslim. During his trial, he excused his actions: “We are only trying to defend our religion, our people, our honor and our land. The Quran gives us the right to defend, and that’s what I’m doing.”

These people are radical in their religions, differentiating them from the majority of their fellow believers. However, their actions cause bad light to be shed on all members of that faith.

Others practicing these religions are taking a stand, attempting to defend their true beliefs.

The Vatican, along with numerous other religious leaders, condemned Jones’ plans to burn Qurans, saying his actions were dividing people, rather than bringing them together. Muslims also have come together to condemn the actions of extremists who tarnish the image of their religion. From websites to groups and protests, people of all faiths are taking a stand against extremism.

I was taught to treat others with kindness.

Hiding behind the excuse of a religion is pathetic and cowardly. What takes real courage and strength is turning the other cheek and loving people in all circumstances, no matter their actions.

KATIE MINNICK | DESIGN EDITOR

Minnick is a sophomore graphic design and magazine major and can be contacted at katherine.minnick@drake.edu

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FEATURES

features

MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 | PAGE 4

don’tmissthis

Cooking for a super Super Bowl party

Samosa Social, hosted by SASA, is tonight in Upper Olmsted from 6-7 p.m.

Recipes & Instructions Chorizo and Parmesan Baked Wings Equipment Needed: bowl, baking dish, oven Ingredients:

by Laura Wittren

Staff Writer laura.wittren@drake.edu

The Super Bowl is almost here, and students are starting to think about what types of food they’ll need for their parties. Students who live in residence halls are very limited for cooking in either a microwave or the small kitchens in the halls. Preparing appetizers for the Super Bowl in the residence halls may seem impossible, but Chef Jordan showed students how they could easily prepare appetizers.

The Drake Student Activities Board sponsored the Super Bowl Cooking Show Thursday night. There were several tables to sit at with lemonade and water pitchers for students to enjoy during the show. Chef Jordan had a long table in the front with cameras getting the closeup action of everything he was cooking.

The show itself only lasted 15 to 20 minutes, and in that time, Chef Jordan prepared five dishes: turkey chili cheese fries, Rueben sloppy joes, chorizo and parmesan baked wings, spicy queso dip and sausage and sage cream cheese dip. The cameras followed Chef Jordan from dish to dish as he added ingredients and talked about the recipes. Each recipe only required four to five ingredients.

Chef Jordan didn’t spend much more than five minutes on each recipe, and his directions were given much faster than most of the students could write. No recipes were handed out

either, making it difficult for students to be able to remember how to make each recipe. He also worked on multiple dishes at the same time, which made it even harder to follow what was what. Afterward, he left nearly right away, making it impossible for students to discuss dishes with him or ask more questions.

None of the dishes Chef Jordan used required more than one pan. Although he didn’t provide specific measurements of ingredients or specific cooking times, most of the recipes didn’t require complicated ingredients or instructions.

These recipes could easily be prepared in the simple kitchens found in the residence halls.

Some of them could even be prepared in a microwave.

After all the dishes were finished, the students were able to pile up their plates with all the appetizers. The food tasted as good as it looked while Chef Jordan was making it, and students were excited to finally get to eat it.

During the show, SAB members quizzed the audience with Super Bowl trivia. The first student who answered correctly was allowed to pick a prize. Students were also able to sign up for a beanbag toss tournament. After the show, the teams began the competition.

Delicious appetizers are a necessity for any Super Bowl party. Don’t spend a lot of money on pre-prepared food. Instead, use some of these easy recipes for a fun, tasty Super Bowl party.

Ground Chorizo (a type of sausage) Parmesan breadcrumbs Buttermilk Chicken wings

Directions:

-Marinate the chicken wings in the juice from the chorizo and buttermilk.

-Cover the wings with the breadcrumbs and chorizo.

-Bake until the meat of the chicken is white.

Spicy Queso Dip Equipment Needed: saucepan, stove Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of heavy cream A few slices of whatever cheese you want (Chef Jordan used American) Premade salsa Freshly diced jalapeños (optional)

Directions:

-Melt the cheese in the heavy cream.

-Mix in the salsa.

-Add the jalapeños (optional).

Turkey Chili Cheese Fries Equipment Needed: saucepan, stove Ingredients:

Ground turkey Can of chili beans Chili powder Shredded cheddar cheese French fries (frozen ones are fine)

Directions:

-Cook the turkey in the saucepan.

-Cook the fries according to package instructions, set aside.

-Add the chili beans.

-Add a tablespoon or so of chili powder.

-Pour over fries.

-Add shredded cheese to the top.

CHEF JORDAN prepares chilly cheese fries and other enjoyable Super Bowl snacks at Thursday night’s cooking show hosted by SAB.

TURKEY CHILI CHEESE FRIES prepared by Sodexo’s Chef Jordan.

photos by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor

International Night a success

Students gathered in Sheslow Auditorium to enjoy every culture represented at Drake University

by Lillian Schrock

Staff Writer lillian.schrock@drake.edu

photo by HEATHER BOONE | staff photographer

The 2011 International Night was an evening of upbeat music, dramatic dancing, theatrics and even some romance. The theme for International Night, which took place on Saturday, Jan. 29, in Sheslow Auditorium, was “Memoirs of the World” and centered around a skit about a man named Chuck Lee who suffers from amnesia after a car accident.

As Chuck is recovering from the incident, he dreams about memories from his childhood and slowly gains his memory back. These “dreams” are performances put on by international students which depict a part of their culture.

“I hope that people will appreciate our cultures more,” said International Student Association President Earl Lee. “Our performances are examples of how we are raised at home.”

International Night is an annual event organized by the International Student Association.

The night was opened by Ian Wong playing “Falling Slowly” on the piano.

“I didn’t practice at all before the event because I was asked to perform last minute. I didn’t decide till I got on stage that I wanted to play ‘Falling Slowly,’” said Wong.

The night continued with two traditional Chinese dances, the second being the Lion Dance, in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume. This performance portrayed Chuck’s childhood memory of attending the Chinese New Year festival in Shanghai City, China.

Following the Lion Dance was a tango, an illustration of Chuck’s high school memory in which he won Prom King .

A Korean pop song followed the tango. The program then continued with Sam Hoonsuwan playing the ‘khim’ a Thai musical instrument, accompanied by Shayaparan Raman playing the piano. Together, they play renditions of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are.”

“I’ve never performed a Lady Gaga song before,” said Raman. “I loved it.”

After Hoonsuwan and Raman finished, there was a classical Indian and a Bollywood dance, in which the students were dressed in vibrant traditional costumes. This depicted Chuck’s adult memory of visiting India and meeting Raj, his close friend and also the doctor who saved his life, for the first time.

Next was an African dance, portraying Chuck’s memory of the 2010 World Cup Final, where he met Sarah, his fiancé, whom he doesn’t remember.

Following the World Cup was a Jamaican dance, which portrayed Chuck’s memory of going on vacation in Jamaica, where his car accident occured. The student performances were concluded with salsa dancing and opera singing.

“The purpose of International Night is to showcase cultures represented at Drake and encourage individuals to appreciate the diverse background of our students, faculty and staff,” said Lee. As the skit about Chuck Lee ends, he remembers Sarah and rushes to Milan where she is managing a fashion show. After all the international students put on a fashion show depicting the traditional garments of several countries, Chuck runs on stage and proposes to Sarah.

After observing songs and dances representing the countries of the international students, those who attended the event traveled to Parents Hall in Upper Olmsted to enjoy a reception featuring ethnic dishes. The menu included sushi, biryani, indomie goring, coconut chicken, beef fricassee, tamales and much more. Much of the food was cooked by Drake international students, while other dishes were catered from local restaurants.

“There are so many different nationalities at Drake and we can all find ways to represent our countries,” said performer Ye-Ji Hwang, still dressed from the fashion show in a hanbok, the national costume of Korea.

PAGE 5 | MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011

FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Colorado band dazed students Friday

by Samantha Baker

Staff Writer samantha.baker@drake.edu

This past Friday at 8 p.m., the Student Activities Board hosted a concert on Pomerantz Stage featuring The Heyday. For the next hour, upper Olmsted was filled with the pop/rock songs of this up-and-coming band.

Hailing from Denver, The Heyday has been making music together for five years. Their sound can be described as pop/rock with a bit of a down-home feel. Fans of popular musicians such as The Fray, John Mayer, Plain White T’s and Kings of Leon would enjoy The Heyday.

Part of the reason SAB Bands co-chairs Jen Calder and Michael Riebel chose The Heyday was because of the band’s sound.

“Their sound is upbeat, we thought a large amount of students would enjoy it,” Calder said.

When it comes to choosing bands to play at Drake, Calder and Riebel have the process down to a science.

“When looking for performers we contact different agencies, we will see who is going to be in the area,” Riebel said.

Since it is primarily Drake students who will be coming to see the band or performers, Calder and Riebel always keep them in mind.

“We see what students would like to listen to, and try to bring in a variety of acts,” Riebel said.

Choosing The Heyday to perform at the first SAB-hosted concert of the new semester seemed to be an excellent choice. The students who attended enjoyed the band’s upbeat vibe, and were dancing to the beat. The Heyday kept the audience’s energy up, joking with the crowd between songs and encouraging them to clap, or

even sing along to each song.

The Heyday took time to slow things down with their song “Lost With You.” A silence fell among the crowd as it became enraptured with the love song. Looking around at the students, it was obvious that they had all fallen under a daze; they simply could not take their eyes off the band.

While all of The Heyday’s original music was quite catchy, their cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ hit “Free Fallin’” was just as impressive. The entire audience was singing and rocking along.

When it came time for The Heyday to finally end their set, they closed out with singing The Beatles’ classic hit, “Hey Jude.” This brought the audience to its feet, as they clapped in appreciation for the band’s terrific performance that night.

“I liked them, they were fun to listen to,” said Brian Kalina, a music and actuarial science major. “I’ve been to other SAB concerts and they’ve always been fun. I try to come to as many as I can.”

With The Heyday’s successful and wellreceived performance, SAB continues to show that they know what the students want. In the upcoming weeks, SAB has quite a lot planned, especially for the week of Valentine’s Day. “We are going to have around four events and some giveaways,” Calder said. “There will be something for everyone.”

SAB is also putting together Dogtown After Hours, a competition to see which student can create the best idea for an event that will occur on Friday, April 8. Students who are interested in Dogtown After Hours can find information in the Student Life Center. photos by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor

April’s Belize Dance Marathon underway Belize Week Schedule Tuesday: Watch for walking, dancing, singing, mobbing….

Wednesday: Live music and mocktails on Pomerantz Stage Thursday: Peggy’s Tavern specials Friday: Specialty school sign-ups Saturday: Sponsored Drake Basketball game. Maybe a surprise will happen…

by Kensie Smith

Staff Writer mackensie.smith@drake.edu

The girl releases a wide smile as she lets loose. Swaying, dancing, moving to the sound of the beat. In Belize, the national dance is the Punta dance. It’s loud, joyful and catchy.

Many in Belize don’t get to dance though.

Living in squalor and having virtually nothing, children are too busy trying to find the money to pay for uniforms and books to go to high school.

Most can’t. However, Drake Professor of Law James Albert and hundreds of Drake students are determined to change that.

The Belize Dance Marathon will be a 12hour non-stop party of Drake students celebrating, jumping and moving to the beat. It’s dancing to make a difference. The money Drake students earn in pledges for dancing will change thousands of lives.

The April 16 dance party will feature a variety of bands, DJs, games and tons of food to keep the energy up. However, that is months away.

This week, look for a week full of activities to kick off the marathon. Student organizers have coined it “Belize Week.” See the schedule (left) for details.

“This week should be great and has taken a whole crew of passionate students to get it off the ground,” Belize Week organizer, junior Eric Sloss said.

Belize is the only country in Central America whose official language is English, with thousands living in small Mayan villages. According to the James Arthur Albert Foundation website (http://www.helpingbelizekids.org/), the average Mayan family has six to eight children on a yearly income equivalent to $375. Children are forced to sleep on dirt floors and the cost of schooling prevents children from obtaining any education. Anyone that signs up will know that they are making a difference in the lives of many children.

According to Albert, high school costs $200 per year for each child in Belize. Sixty percent of high school age children in that country do

not attend high school because they do not have $200. Drake’s Belize Dance Marathon will raise money to send hundreds of children in Belize to high school, build grade schools in villages where none exist and keep the doors open of the Night High School for Girls in the town of Punta Gorda.

Albert and Delta Theta Phi alumni traveled to Belize three weeks ago to meet with the 30 Belizean high school students who Drakes students put in school this year, to deliver $8,000 in science and biology equipment to the Night High School for Girls and to conduct soccer camps in nine Mayan villages.

“Meeting all of the 30 students who we put in high school and being able to provide them with tuition books and uniforms was incredibly powerful,” Albert said. Video of the ceremony and the students will be available for viewing at the April 16 event.

One student in particular is a standout athlete as the captain of the boys’ volleyball team, at the poorest school in the nation. Four months ago, he could have only dreamt of going to high school. Drake students changed that.

“It was wonderful to personally meet the children who had written to us, dreaming for an education,” Albert said. “They were all so thankful and grateful to the Drake students for making their dreams come true.”

Alpha Phi, FIJI and Sigma Chi have started the charge with over 200 dancers!

“This is not only a great cause, it’s a women’s cause,” Molly Bassford, president of Alpha Phi said. “I believe that the women of Drake University should unite and demonstrate the bonds of global sisterhood. I cannot wait to shake my booty for all of those children in Belize!”

Learn more about the often forgotten nation of Belize and click to http://helpingbelizekids. com. Register, donate and do a little dance today!

MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 | PAGE 6

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

sports

WELCOME TO

DES MOINES

The Drake football team named Brian Ward as the team’s new defensive coordinator on Saturday.

Ward served as the defensive backs coach at North Dakota State last season, helping the Bison advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. North Dakota State’s defense ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense and eighth in interceptions. Ward was named the 2009 College Fans Sports Network NAIA Coach of the Year at McPherson College in Kansas, his alma mater.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Second-half nightmare spells doom for Drake Bulldogs drop two games last week, fall to seventh in Valley

by Blake Miller

Staff Writer blake.miller@drake.edu

The Drake women’s basketball team tried to make a comeback after a lackluster first half against Wichita State but ended up with a 6657 loss last Thursday. The Bulldogs suffered through a horrible second half in another hard loss against Missouri State (90-61) last Saturday.

“Just recently, the story of our team has been: Can we put two good halves together?” senior guard Kristin Turk said. “We were able to put a good second half together against Wichita State and a good first half against Missouri State. Our team has hit a wall and now it’s just whether or not we can break through that wall soon.”

With the two recent losses, the Bulldogs fell to 3-6 in Missouri Valley play and 9-11 overall.

On Saturday against Missouri State, both teams played a very similar game in the first half, starting slow and eventually picking up their play until the half ended with Drake in the lead, 36-35. After carrying momentum into halftime, the Bulldogs did not make a secondhalf field goal until there were fewer than 17 minutes remaining in the game, trailing 47-38 at that point.

After Missouri State got out to a fast start in the second half and Drake’s offense wasn’t able to do much of anything, there was no looking back. Missouri State was able to easily ride out the remainder of the game, following the lead of guard Casey Garrison, who finished the game with 36 points.

“I don’t think any team in this league is 30 points better than us,” Turk said. “It’s on us. We need to pick our heads up and take responsibility and start playing as a team.”

Junior Rachael Hackbarth added that the team’s attitude needs to be changed when other teams make runs.

“I think if we see the game going well for us, that builds our confidence,” Hackbarth said.

“But then if we come out in the second half and the other team makes a run, then we get hesitant. We need to be more resilient.”

Hackbarth had a game-high 17 points in the first half, but followed the lead of many of her teammates and had a much quieter second half, only scoring four points. She finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, her seventh career double-double and fourth of the season.

“I know they changed their defense around in the second half,” Hackbarth said. “Our offense also had an easier time in the first half because their post players were getting into foul trouble and were on the bench.”

Drake head coach Amy Stephens was unhappy with the lack of resiliency after getting down early in the second half.

“I’m just disappointed in our lack of effort,” Stephens said. “If we compete and play hard and play as a team, the positives become a byproduct of how we play.”

The team will have a chance to put two good halves together this Thursday at the Knapp Center when it takes on Evansville at 7:05 p.m.

photo by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor

SOPHOMORE KAYLA PERSON bounces the ball into the post during the Bulldogs’ loss to Missouri State last Saturday. After leading 36-35 at halftime, Drake was outscored 55-25 after the break.

TRACK & FIELD

Curtis continues hot streak, adds another title Women collect three victories at Jayhawk Classic

by David Johnson

Staff Writer david.e.johnson@drake.edu

The men’s and women’s track and field teams had impressive finishes at the Jayhawk Classic last Friday.

Senior Ari Curtis continued her hot start to the 2011 track and field season with a victory in the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3,638 points. The pentathlon consists of the high jump, long jump, shot put, 60-meter hurdles and an 800-meter run. Curtis finished in the top five of all the events and won the long jump with a jump of 18 feet, 4.25 inches and the 800-meter with a time of 2 minutes, 21.27 seconds, winning by over 20 seconds.

Sophomore Marissa Smith’s time of 8.84 seconds was good enough to take home the title in the women’s 60-meter hurdles.

Senior Tyse Samani beat the competition by over an inch in the high jump with a final leap of 5 feet, 7 inches.

Senior Casey McDermott finished in a close second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:15.44. McDermott was followed across the finish line by senior Katie Coomer, who ran a time of 2:18.21 and senior Kara McCartney who finished in 2:18.35.

Sophomore Whitney Westrum ditched her volleyball knee pads and put on a pair of track spikes for the first time in her collegiate career. Westrum finished 10th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.40. “(Westrum) was a little flat in the 60-meter dash, most likely due to her nerves,” head coach Natasha Brown said in a Drake athletics press release. “But her time in the 200 was good, as she

won her heat by a lot.”

Senior Beth Hamling finished second in the 200-meter with a time of 25.41.

The men’s track and field team also had a solid performance in Lawrence, Kan., on Friday.

Junior Jon DeGrave opened his 400-meter indoor season with a second-place finish with a time of 49.15.

“Jon opened up strong with his first 400-meter race of the season,” Brown said. “He proved he is on the edge of running a great race.”

The Bulldogs distance medley team came in third after running a time of 10:28.30. The team was made up of freshmen Doug Brady and Max Johnson, senior Brandon Lewis and junior Matt Jurysta.

In their individual races, Brady and Johnson finished third and fifth, respectively, in the 1,000-meter.

Sophomore Isaac Twombly wasn’t able to repeat his recordsetting throw of 56 feet in the weighted toss, but still finished 11th after a toss of 50 feet, 4 inches. Freshman Andy Curtis had a toss of 43 feet, 3.75 inches, which puts him third in the school record books.

Brown was satisfied with both teams’ performances on Friday.

“This is the time of the season when we start racing our true events,” Brown said. “We have been competing in shorter or longer races to prepare for our main events.”

Both teams will be traveling to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend to compete in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. Action will get underway this Friday.

RNs/LPNs RN &LPN Medical Chart Review HEDIS Project

Seeking experienced RN/LPNs for project starting end of February 2011 for 11 weeks reviewing medical charts for HEDIS project.

Must have: • medical record review • data collection • chart abstraction experience • a home computer with Microsoft Product compatibility including Internet Explorer

Must be willing to dedicate a minimum of 20 hours a week and travel locally to provider offices in the Des Moines region. Virtual abstractors and over readers are also needed.

Interested applicants please email resume to: service@unival-med.com or fax to 800-382-8611.

>>top

PERFORMANCES WOMEN Ari Curtis: pentathlon, first (3,638 points) *Won the long jump and the 800-meter sections Tyse Samani: high jump, first (5 feet, 7 inches) Marissa Smith: 60-meter high hurdles, first (8.84 seconds) Casey McDermott: 800-meter run, second (2:15.44) Beth Hamling: 200-meter dash, second (25.41 seconds) Celia Venezia: 1000-meter, second (3:16.19) MEN Jon DeGrave: 400-meter, second (49.15 seconds) Doug Brady: 1000-meter, third (2:35.52) Brandon Lewis: 800-meter, eighth (1:59.33) Doug Brady, Max Johnson, Brandon Lewis, Matt Jurysta: distance medley relay, third (10:28.30) compiled by Matt Moran Sports Editor sports@timesdelphic.com

SPORTS

PAGE 7 | MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Bulldogs prepare for SIU, host UNI Drake hopes to boost confidence heading into MVC tourney

by Eduardo Zamarripa

Staff Writer eduardo.tamezzamarripa@drake.edu

It’s been a season full of ups and downs for the young Bulldog basketball squad. But with only about a month left on its conference schedule, all Drake is trying to do is gain some momentum heading into the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

With a pair of important conference matches coming up, the Bulldogs will try to better their conference record in order to earn a higher seed in the MVC tournament.

“We’re trying to finish out conference play right now,” sophomore Aaron Hawley said.

“Hopefully we can win a few games, get on a roll and then go to the tournament feeling confident.”

On Wednesday, Drake will go on the road to take on Southern Illinois. And while the Bulldogs are only 1-6 on the road, they have had success against Southern Illinois in the last couple of years. Drake has gone 4-0 in the last two seasons against the Salukis.

“We do a good job focusing against them,” Hawley said. “It’s not that they are a bad team, we play well against them. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday.”

In the first meeting of the season, the Bulldogs defeated Southern Illinois 69-55. Freshman Rayvonte Rice and fifth-year senior Ryan Wedel led the way with 16 points each.

Southern Illinois played without sophomore Gene Teague, the team’s starting center, who was injured the first time around. Teague is second on the team in rebounding and third in scoring.

“They didn’t have their big men; that’s going to be a factor this time around,” Hawley said.

“We just have to watch film and see what they do.”

Drake will also square-off against Northern Iowa this Saturday. The Panthers have won the last two conference titles and even if they have lost some seniors, they are still third in the conference.

“We were a little shocked of their defense,” Wedel said of the last time the team faced Northern Iowa, a 69-49 setback on Jan. 22.

“They’re one of the better defensive teams in the league. We didn’t execute well, this time around we’ll be settled in.”

The first meeting between the two teams did not go very well for the Bulldogs from the start.

Northern Iowa stifled Drake into 19 turnovers as the Bulldogs could not figure out the Panthers’ staunch defense.

“They’re a really good team; they don’t make many mistakes,” Hawley said. “We have to realize that we have to take care of the ball. Just focus and buckle down and take care of the ball.”

Right now, the Bulldogs are 3-7 in conference play and 8-13 overall for the year. And while Drake might not be quite ready to challenge for the MVC title, they certainly have shown improvement throughout the year.

Just last Tuesday, the Bulldogs almost took down conference leader Missouri State, a win that certainly would have caused a splash in the standings.

“We’ve had some setbacks obviously, but we played our best game Tuesday night and we just came up a little short against the best team in the league,” Wedel said.

And with fewer than 10 games remaining on the schedule for Drake, as long as it keeps improving, the team might just get to the MVC tournament with some momentum.

“We improve every day. We can continue to improve and get on a roll here,” Hawley said.

photo by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor

FRESHMAN RAYVONTE RICE rises up for a jump shot in last week’s near upset over Missouri State. Rice has been one of Drake’s most consistent players this season, leading the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game.

>>AROUND THE VALLEY With about a month left in the regular season for men’s basketball, let’s take a quick look at some of the top contenders in the Missouri Valley Conference: 1. MISSOURI STATE (9-1 in MVC, 17-4 overall)

The Bears have been surprisingly steady this season after finishing seventh in the Valley last year. Its young squad has taken the next step into a contender this season on the back of junior Kyle Weems, who is averaging 16.5 points per game and 6.9 rebounds, which rank second and fifth in the league, respectively. Weems is a strong contender to win MVC player of the year honors. Drake nearly knocked off Missouri State at the Knapp Center on Jan. 25, dropping a 73-70 decision. The Bears’ only loss came against Indiana State on the road.

History is also on Missouri State’s side, as all 28 teams who have led at the half-way point of the conference season has reached postseason play, and 23 went on to play in the NCAA tournament.

2. WICHITA STATE (9-2 in MVC, 18-4 overall)

The Shockers were the hot pick to win the Valley before the season, based on its second-place finish last year and returning loads of talent. Wichita State has lived up to the hype for the most part, but this group will not be satisfied without a conference title and an NCAA tournament bid. Wichita State has a balanced squad, with senior J.T. Durley leading the team in scoring with 11.9 points per game. The Shockers splashed onto the national radar in the Maui Invitational tournament earlier this season, almost defeating Connecticut, which was ranked among the top 10 teams in the country last week.

3. NORTHERN IOWA (7-3 in MVC, 16-6 overall)

Last year’s Cinderella story during March Madness and two-time defending MVC regular-season and tournament champions have had a more difficult path to travel this season, but the Panthers are still one of the league’s most dangerous teams.

Northern Iowa plays stifling defense, is one of the smartest teams in the country, and takes care of the ball. The team relies on veteran leadership, turning to seniors Kwadzo Ahelegbe (sixth in Valley at 13.4 points per game) and Lucas O’Rear (12th with 5.5 rebounds per game). compiled by Matt Moran Sports Editor sports@timesdelphic.com

MEN’S TENNIS

Drake dominates first dual match of season Ballivian suffers rare setback, but teammates pick him up in 6-1 win over UMKC

by Dominic Johnson

Staff Writer dominic.johnson@drake.edu

photo by DOMINIC JOHNSON | staff writer

SOPHOMORE ANIS GHORBEL slams a serve in Drake’s 6-1 dualmatch victory over UMKC last Saturday. Ghorbel won easily in straight sets (6-0, 6-2) in his match in No. 4 singles.

The Drake men’s tennis team started its 2011 spring dualmatch season this past Saturday by dismantling the University of Missouri-Kansas City by a score of 6-1.

The Bulldogs started the match with a bang, capturing all three doubles matches to seal the lone doubles point in their favor. Last weekend’s No. 1 doubles champions at the State Farm MVC Individuals Tournament, senior Mauricio Ballivian and sophomore Anis Ghorbel, once again teamed up for the Bulldogs at the first doubles slot. In the tightest doubles match of the day, the Drake duo took out UMKC’s Nino Hasandedic and Grant Fleming, 8-6.

At the second slot, head coach Evan Austin changed the lineup by pairing sophomore James McKie with freshman Robin Goodman. The two underclassmen rushed out to a quick 8-2 victory over UMKC’s Gustavo Guerin and Abdul Al-Awadhi.

“In doubles we played better than last weekend,” McKie said.

“We were louder and had a lot more presence on the court, too.”

In another doubles team change, sophomores Ryan Drake and Jean Erasmus teamed up to clinch the doubles point with an 8-5 victory over Serge Ristivojevic and David Heckler.

“I like playing with Jean because I feel comfortable on the court with him,” Drake said. “He can get me calmed down and he can get me pumped up out there.”

Austin believes his doubles pairs did better this weekend than last, but said that he might not be done changing the lineup for the spring season.

“Ryan and Jean are a good indoor team because they both serve pretty big,” Austin said. “We have good doubles players on the team, it is just a matter of seeing who works best with who.”

The Bulldogs won five of their six singles matches, with all five victories coming in routine straight sets. The only loss came in a third set super-tiebreaker between Ballivian and UMKC’s Hasandedic. Ballivian started the match with the momentum, taking the first set 7-5, but he dropped the second by a score of 4-6. As the two entered the third set, the Bulldogs had already clinched the victory, so the coaches decided to determine the match with a third set super-tiebreaker (first to 10 points, win by two). Ballivian was up 8-5 at one point, but Hasandedic rattled off five straight points to take the set 10-8, and the match.

Four Bulldogs made routine work of the Kangaroos, with McKie continuing his strong play from last weekend with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over UMKC’s Fleming.

At the fourth singles slot, Ghorbel had the most lopsided victory by beating Guerin 6-0, 6-2. Goodman played at the fifth singles position and broke Al-Awadhi’s serve numerous times to take a 6-2, 6-4 win.

Junior Jonathan Hadash played his first match of the 2011 season after returning from a finger injury, and he looked as good as ever en route to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Heckler.

Erasmus had to battle to remain undefeated for the season, though. Ristivojevic of UMKC took the Bulldog to a tiebreaker each set, but Erasmus was able to raise his play when it mattered to finish the match 7-6, 7-6.

“They were a good team to play at the start of the season, I think,” Austin said. “We were pushed in some spots because the guys at the top of their lineup are pretty good.”

The Times-Delphic will have the results from the Bulldogs’ Sunday match against Nebraska-Kearney in Thursday’s issue.

The Bulldogs play Central Florida next on Feb. 12, and they return home on Feb. 20 to take on the University of Illinois at Chicago at 10 a.m. in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

FEATURES

MONDAY, JAN. 31, 2011 | PAGE 8

Under construction Around a dozen residents and Resident Assistants showed up to take part in Ross Hall’s First Annual Ross Snow Fortress event. The students spent a two hours outside building their snowy projects. photos by Connor McCourtney Photo Editor photos@timesdelphic.com

OUR FRIEND, FROSTY (top left) Junior Abby Koehler and P2 student Andrew Hale build a snowman.

END PRODUCT (top right) Fort construction went on until late in the afternoon.

HEAVY LIFTING Sophomore Jeremy Hild (left) and senior Nolan Scott (right) carry snowballs to add to their projects.

PIECING IT ALL TOGETHER (middle left) Junior Erin Hogan adds to one of the fort’s walls.

TEAM BUILDING (middle right) Everyone works together to construct a base for the structure that would arise throughout the afternoon.

A STRONG FOUNDATION (left) Junior Abbey Koehler and sophomore Adam Dean each pack more snow onto their project.