The Times-Delphic (12.3.14)

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Times-Delphic

Wednesday December 3, 2014

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Campus Calendar

Campus News

Pi Kappa Alpha under investigation

Wednesday Faculty Senate Meeting 3:30-5 p.m.

Cowles Library, Room 201 Drake Symphony Orchestra Concert 7:30-9 p.m.

Sheslow Auditorium

Thursday Art Exhibition, Everyday Abstraction: Contemporary Abstract Painting 12-8 p.m.

Anderson Gallery

Friday Dog Days of Finals 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pomerantz Stage D+ Improv performance 4:30 p.m.

Pomerantz Stage Drake Bands Presents 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Performing Arts Hall, Harmon Fine Arts Center

Saturday Men’s Basketball vs.

North Dakota 2:05 p.m.

Knapp Center Christmas Madrigal Dinner 7-10 p.m.

Olmsted Center, Parents Hall Drake University Honor Band Festival Concert 5-7 p.m.

Harmon Fine Arts Center, Performing Arts Hall

Sunday Art Exhibition: Everyday Abstraction: Comtemporary Abstract Painting 12-4 p.m.

Anderson Gallery

Inside News

Calendar change for next year shortens winter break PAGE 2

Opinions Learn the proper roomate etiquette for sexiling PAGE 4

Features From Florida to Iowa, Marina Verlengia joins Student Life staff PAGE 6

Sports Women’s Basketball picks up three wins at the UTSA classic PAGE 7

PI KAPPA ALPHA’S Delta Omicron chapter is currently under investigation for a themed party held before Thanksgiving break. JOEL VENZKE | PHOTO EDITOR Sarah Grossman

way. It was an open option to dress up if you wanted to.”

However, there is speculation that an insinuated theme of Pilgrims and Indians existed and that women were encouraged to wear risqué costumes.

Hannah Bruneman, a junior magazines major, believes the incident was out of PIKE’s hands, unless they had encouraged students to act in such a way.

“I don’t think it’s the fraternity’s fault,” Bruneman said. “I think they just threw a party. That is, unless the fraternity said come dressed as a slutty Indian.”

The fraternity is currently under investigation, which will wrap up before the end of fall semester. Due to this, Kerry Jordan, director of Greek life, declined an interview, but released the following statement via email.

“Because this event is still being investigated by the University it is not appropriate for me to comment on this situation,” Jordan said. “As a

News Editor sarah.grossman@drake.edu

On the weekend of Nov. 21 ­ Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) held a Thanksgiving themed party that created controversy around campus.

Last Tuesday Drake President David Maxwell sent an email explaining that Drake holds firm to the University’s “Statement of Principles.”

This reaffirmation came after Maxwell received notice regarding PIKE’s party. This party had a theme that was open to interpretation said PIKE’s president, Clint Cowan.

“Our party theme was Thanksgiving and from there, some members in the house dressed up and others did not,” Cowan said.

“I was actually sober at the event, and from what I saw, two females showed up in Native American outfits, and we did not by any means condone this or tell anyone to show up dressed in a certain

Campus Events

community we respect all people and do not condone any situation that would make any person feel offended or disrespected in any way.”

Todd Evans, a electronic media professor, also heard about the controversially themed party.

“The term I heard was ‘sexy American Indian,’” Evans said. “And that’s what caused me to kind of go, ‘Hmm, what is going here? I thought we had gotten past that.’”

The controversial nature of the event caused Drake students, staff and faculty to question what actually occurred.

“You know, did this really happen, because that is what I’m hearing,” Evans said. “It doesn’t seem very progressive.”

Other students agree on the importance of being culturally aware.

“I think we need to be more sensitive about what we are wearing,” Bruneman said. “That topic comes up a lot especially

around Halloween,” Bruneman said. “They need to be more sensitive and conscious about picking an outfit. It’s something as a Drake community we need to become more aware of.”

Adam Graves, vice president of health and safety for the Gamma Tau chapter of Theta Chi, understands this issue as fraternities face challenges with their party themes.

“I wouldn’t blame the holder of the event,” Graves said. “But they have some responsibility of the theme. I would be more conscious of your event and its theme.”

Cowan said PIKE holds firm that its actions did not directly impact the costume decisions of the individuals.

“In no way was this party meant to hurt anybody,” Cowan said. “It never had any malicious intent. It was a misunderstanding of what the theme was, Thanksgiving, and the costume choices were up to the individuals.”

Students respond to turmoil in Ferguson decision Grace Rogers

Staff Writer grace.rogers@drake.edu

On Aug. 9, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson. Differing accounts of what occurred that night circulated, and a grand jury was called to decide whether or not to indict Wilson for the shooting.

On Nov. 24, the grand jury decided there would be no indictment.

There has been unrest throughout the country following the announcement, and Drake students have expressed their concern.

“I don’t think anybody that has been following the situation in Ferguson is terribly surprised,” said Josh Mascharka, a junior rhetoric and the study of culture and society double major. “It sort of just exemplifies how we have a failed legal system. You have dozens of witnesses that watch a cop shoot an unarmed black kid, and the legal system refuses to even indict, when actually getting an indictment happens in almost every single case.”

Mascharka’s disbelief continued over the lack of indictment.

“You have to have barely any evidence to indict somebody,” Mascharka said. “It’s just, ‘is there enough evidence to take this to trial?’ Considering the amount of evidence there was, there’s no way that they don’t have enough evidence to go to trial. It’s sort of absurd.”

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Other people wish to continue the conversation around Drake.

“I’ve had lots of conversations with students about what’s going on in Ferguson, mostly with students who are multi-racial or black,” said Tony Tyler, Director of Olmsted Center Operations. “We talked about what’s going on and justice in America and its interaction with people of color. I think everyone — whether white, black, Latino, multiracial, whatever — can be thinking of issues of race in America and justice, and how far we have and haven’t progressed.”

Mascharka traveled to Ferguson to protest, he was arrested in Ferguson for disturbing the peace by the Saint Louis County Police Department.

Mascharka also started a march on Drake’s campus

after the announcement.

“That night, we got together about 15 people and marched through Drake’s campus and down University (Ave.) through the street to about 24 street and then we came back,” Mascharka said. “But other than that, Drake hasn’t done anything. The purpose of the march was mostly to get out frustration, but also to stand in solidarity with other communities that were having marches that same night.”

To Mascharka, it is important that Drake illustrates its involvement. “(We marched) to show that there’s at least a small contingent at Drake that stands against systemic abuse of power,” Mascharka said.

Becca Cohen is a sophomore marketing and finance double major. She is from St. Louis, which

is the county Ferguson is located in.

“Ferguson has definitely affected just the atmosphere of St. Louis,” Cohen said. “I think it’s definitely bringing light to the issues of race and how racial issues still exist today. I think it’s bringing light to the amount of power police officers have and providing different sides to the argument.”

Mascharka encourages students to express concern and take action.

“I think that becoming more involved doesn’t necessarily mean that you go to Ferguson or anything like that,” Mascharka said.

“It means that you start a similar thing in your own city that stands against police violence and stands against systemic abuse of power and racism.”

PROTESTORS marching in Ferguson after Darren Wilson was not indicted. PHOTO COURTESTY OF JOSH MASCHARKA

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THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Vol. 134 | No. 12 | Dec. 03, 2014

NEWS

DEC. 3, 2014 | Page 2

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

News

Politics

Obama acts on immigration unilaterally Kate Havens

Staff Writer kate.havens@drake.edu

Washington D.C. is heating up with President Barack Obama’s announcement of his executive action on illegal immigration. On Nov. 20, Obama outlined his plan to deal with the U.S.’s problematic immigration system.

According to boston.com Obama plans to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants via executive orders who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years, formally register, pass a background check and are willing to pay taxes.

This list of qualifications will enable roughly five million immigrants to stay in the U.S. It is believed that there are about 11 million undocumented immigrants here today.

Obama’s executive action also expands protection from deportation to those who came immigrated as children. This shifts

Campus Life

the priority to the deportation of criminals first by adding judges to the border region, so immigrant cases are handled quickly.

Nothing about this action allows for the permission of citizenship, just the promise of not being deported.

Republicans are the biggest critics of this plan.

Some feel Obama has overstepped his authority.

However, past presidents’ actions might suggest otherwise.

Visiting assistant professor of politics Gayle Alberda sheds light on different presidents’ executive action history.

“Obama has issued fewer executive orders than most presidents,” Alberda said. “Obama utilizes this power less than his predecessors. Obama is not the only president to issue an executive order on immigration.

Reagan and Bush Senior both issued them as well, and, in doing so, deferred the deportation of roughly 1.6 million undocumented

immigrations collectively.”

Recently, the Republicans have withheld from voting on immigration reform. In reaction Republicans have a pair of options.

Come up with an alternative immigration system, or punish the president for overstepping his boundaries.

This could involve another government shutdown or impeachment threats. Democrats, on the other hand, are looking forward to future elections hoping there will now be a stronger bond between the Hispanic population and the Democratic Party.

Aside from Obama crossing lines Republicans believe he shouldn’t have, there may be several flaws within his plan itself. Immigrants who meet the qualifications and are granted a work permit only get that guarantee for three years.

“The deferrals are, in theory ,renewable, but the executive order does not establish a pathway to citizenship,” said associate

professor of sociology Michael Haedicke.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Vice President of Government Affairs Geoff Burr told the Washing Times, “An abrupt temporary executive action ultimately does more harm than good in fixing our broken immigration system.”

It appears the president may know this already. Obama called for Congress to step up and work on some legislation.

“Pass a bill,” Obama said in his speech. “I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution.”

“Congress failed to act,” Alberda said. “He is going to act. If Congress opts to act, then that will be the policy.”

This latest D.C. situation could have an effect on Drake students.

Associate Provost and Professor of Politics Arthur Sanders and Haedicke gave some insight.

“The executive order also

expands the deferral program for young people who arrived in the U.S. as children,” Haedicke said. “This expansion will directly affect some students by providing protection from deportation. Students whose parents are living in the country without documentation will also experience greater family security as a result of the President’s action, provided that their parents meet the eligibility criteria.”

Still, in comparison to the U.S.’s population the percentage of people who fit that bill is small.

However, college institutions may be affected by this plan.

“This order also might make it easier for some college-age immigrants to apply to college, but it is not likely that very many would end up at Drake,” Sanders said.

Calendar

Dead day brings improv and puppies Winter break shortens

Clare VaneChaute

Staff Writer clare.vanechaute@drake.edu

Laughter and puppies will be the key to de-stressing on this year’s dead day.

Both the Dog Days of Finals, sponsored by Drake Student Senate and the Puppy Jake Foundation and an improv show, performed by Drake’s D+ Improv Team, will provide a break from the strain of the approaching finals week.

Dead day is this Friday, where no mandatory meetings, classes or labs take place to allow students to have a full day devoted to preparation for finals’ week.

“We really want to be that stress-reliever,” said Jasen Emamian, president of the D+ Improv team.

D+ became an official organization through Student Senate last year. As a result, performances have increased from a total of four last year to an estimated 10 by the end of this year.

“In the past, it’s been just theater students involved and in the audience, but it’s now expanding,” Emamian said. “We had four non-major participants last year, and we have four again this year.”

In preparation for their anticipated dead day performance,

Emamian said the team has doubled its rehearsals, created promo videos, which he released periodically throughout this week on Facebook and designed posters and flyers to hang around campus.

“We are hopeful for a very successful show,” Emamian said.

“We really just want to make people laugh.”

The D+ improv performance will be Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Pomerantz Stage in the Olmsted Center. Entrance fee is $2.

Another anticipated event for dead day is the Dog Days of Finals.

Ben Verhasselt, Senate’s services committee chair, is responsible for planning this year’s furry event.

“With this event, you can get your canine fix,” Verhasselt said.

The Dog Days of Finals was created by former Sen. Josh Schoenblatt two years ago after seeing research from similar programs at other universities.

Results indicated a decrease in stress among students.

Schoenblatt is proud of this event and its reception campuswide.

“Students love it,” Schoenblatt said. “Everyone looks forward to it.”

The borrowed dogs for the program come from the Puppy Jake Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to raising and training service dogs for

veterans.

“We have five dogs confirmed from the Puppy Jake Foundation,” Verhasselt said. “I think there will also be two puppies coming to campus.”

Verhasselt believes this program is beneficial to both the students and the puppies.

“The puppies need proper socialization and to get used to a lot of people and a lot of chaos,” Verhasselt said. “So students who are handling their own chaos can come relax and play with some puppies.”

The Dog Days of Finals is free with the only stipulation being to sign a waiver.

“It’s just to make sure you don’t steal the dogs or have allergies or anything like that,” Verhasselt said.

Students can play with the puppies with no designated time limit, but Verhasselt trusts students to stick to an honor system.

“Students need to respect the puppies and the other students and not spend the whole three hours with one dog.”

This event will also take place at Pomerantz Stage from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Adam Rogan

Staff Writer adam.rogan@drake.edu

Next year’s school calendar will start one week later. The fall term will begin on Aug. 31 opposed to this year’s Aug. 25. This adds six days to summer break, but those six days will be taken from winter break, shortening the six week break to five weeks.

Nancy Geiger is the student records analyst at Drake University. She is also the secretary to the Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate constructs the academic calendar for the university every year. It is Geiger’s job to apply the calendar construction guidelines to the calendar for each semester.

“Basically, the calendar construction guidelines set out when the fall (semester) starts and its length and then from there,” Greiger said. “It’s more or less a function of the (yearly) calendar.”

This means the change in break is not so much an executive decision, as Drake’s schedule is defined by how the yearly calendar is laid out.

Students have had mixed reactions to these changes. “(The longer summer break) won’t really effect me in any way, shape or form,” said biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major Connor McCarthy.

“I’m not too happy actually,”

McCarthy said. “I did not know that. That six week winter break really gives you enough of a break so you have a big breather in-between … You can fit J-term within five weeks, but having six weeks is nicer than five weeks.”

Molly Silverstein, a first-year, had the opposite view.

“I don’t think (shortening winter break) is a big issue since I am, right now, not really looking at J-term,” Silverstein said. “It’s also nice in the summer, because I work nine weeks so an extra week off would be actually good for me.”

Many first-years find the change from the high school to the college calendar strange, with finals falling before winter break in particular.

“Moving to six or five weeks is a really big difference,” Silverstein said “It’s really nice.”

However, next year’s calendar is not actually so atypical.

“2016 and 2014 are unique calendar years,” Geiger said.

This would mean that 2015 will be more of a normal schedule, while this school year was abnormal with its earlier start and later Thanksgiving, creating such a short gap between Thanksgiving and winter break.

“The cycle of how (the calendar) feels,” Geiger said. “I think it affects students differently than it affects faculty and staff.”

ke more than 31,000 donors three new buildings $36 million 2014-2015 2015-2016 Fall Term begins Fall Term begins d financial aid 110-plus new scholarship funds new interdisciAug. 25 Aug. 31 ers $34 million for new/renovated spaces $185 million raised An anonymous donor recently made more than 31,000 distinctlyDrake w endowed professorships Fall Break Fall Break Oct. 13-14 Oct. 19-20 $36 gift million toward financial aid 110-plus ee new buildings the largest to thegiven distinctlyDrake interdisciplinary centers ship funds new campaign.

The $5 million gift included$34 million for new/ Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break paces $185 million raised to-date new endowed professorships $1.25 million for endowed scholarship Nov. 25 Nov. 24 31,000 buildings $36 million ke more than support, $1.5donors million tothree create new a Winter Break begins Winter Break begins d financial aid 110-plusfornew scholarship scholarship women pursuing funds new interdisciDec. 12 Dec. 18 for new/renovated spaces $185 million raised ers $34 million M.B.A.s, and $2.25 million to create J-Term J-Term distinctlyDrake w endowed professorships an Excellence in Science, Technology, more than 31,000 Jan. 5 - 23 Jan. 4 - 22 $36 million given toward financial aid 110-plus ee new buildings Math, and Business Scholarship. ship funds new interdisciplinary centers $34 million for new/ Spring Term begins Spring Term begins Jan. 26 TBA paces $185 million raised to-date new endowed professorships ke more than 31,000 donors three new buildings $36 million Spring Break Spring Break d financial aid 110-plus new scholarship funds new interdisciMar. 16-20 TBA ers $34 million for new/renovated spaces $185 million raised Spring Term ends Spring Term ends w endowed professorships distinctlyDrake more than 31,000 May 15 May 13 ee new buildings $36 million given toward financial aid 110-plus SEND funds YOUR STORY IDEAS SARAH.GROSSMAN@DRAKE.COM ship newTO interdisciplinary centers $34 million for DRAKE new/ FOR BREAKING NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TIMESDELPHIC

OPINIONS

Page 3| DEC. 3, 2014

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Opinions Column

Column

Friendly folks at Iron Heart Absence of cell phone opens eyes For students interested in expanding their horizons in terms of body decoration (we know the youth today are notorious for that), Iron Heart Tattoo certainly delivers great service, affordable prices and an overall chill experience.

(While I, unfortunately, cannot speak on the tattoo portion of Iron Heart, I would assume the experience would be similar to that of receiving a piercing there.)

My freshman year rebellion came in the form of a belly button piercing I got at Iron Heart last September. Being my first piercing since my ear lobes, which I received at an age too young to remember what it was like, I was a nervous wreck the entire car ride there. I questioned why I would put myself through such agony for a little jewel in my stomach. But I digress.

Simply walking into Iron Heart began to put me at ease. While some tattoo and piercing parlors have a shady aura or look as intimidatingly sterile as the inside of a doctor’s office, Iron Heart meets in the middle with a sort of rustic atmosphere, making it very approachable. Picture frames of its various body artwork line the wooden walls, and a comfy couch resides in the lobby area.

In the next room, the workers are very relaxed. They chat with each other and customers, drawing on someone’s skin with ink and needle seem like the most casual thing in the world.

While I was definitely still nervous being led into a small room right beyond the lobby area for my piercing, the piercer was so calm it was difficult to not relax as well. He was super knowledgeable, personable and funny. The process was quick and painless (well, minus the pinch of the needle) and I walked out with a bedazzled belly button for $40 flat, and to this day I haven’t had any issues with it.

This school year I returned to Iron Heart for triple ear lobe and cartilage piercings.

Once again, they delivered with awesome service. While cartilage piercings are typically $30 and ear lobes $40, the piercer gave me $10 off for getting all three.

In addition, he realized the original two piercings on one of my ears were not even with that of the other. So before piercing my triples and cartilage, he re-did my first piercing to even out the earrings for no extra cost.

It was an insanely nice gesture that serves as an example for its great customer service.

Based on my experiences, I definitely recommend Iron Heart to students looking for new piercings, as its prices are much more affordable than most places.

The inside is clean and non-intimidating, and the staff is so genuine it makes the experience relaxing and enjoyable. It is easy to see they enjoy what they are doing and care a lot about customer satisfaction.

Iron Heart Tattoo is a five to ten minute drive from campus at 2815 Beaver Ave. They can be reached at 515-270-1500.

Giuliana LaMantia Columnist LaMantia is a sophomore magazines major and can be reached at giuliana.lamantia@drake.edu

What’s your Damage?

Older generations are always harping on us to get off our phones and join the real world. They accuse us of not knowing how to connect with others in person because all we do is interact online or via smartphone.

As a self proclaimed Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter addict, I generally reply to these accusations with a hearty eye roll and then get back to whatever urgent message has popped up on my screen.

I have always denied that our generation has a problem, especially since coming to college — sending a Snapchat or a text to a friend from home makes it much easier to communicate than if we had to send snail mail back-and-forth.

I’ve seen constant contact and connection as strictly a positive thing. Until a few weeks ago.

Halloweekend got the better of my iPhone, and with the way my plan and upgrade are set, I could either buy a new phone or wait just a few weeks.

Part of my addict’s mind seriously considered forking over the cash just to maintain my habits, but, in the end, I survived for a whole two weeks with no phone.

The first day was absolute agony. I lost count of the number of times I reached for my phone to take a Snapchat, send a text or get on Twitter simply because I had 28 seconds to spare, and why should I have to be bored for half a minute if I can entertain myself by reading a few tweets?

By the third or fourth day I was getting used to not having my phone in my hand every second of the day, but I was green with envy at the people around me happily Snapchatting away and reading new GroupMe notifications.

These symptoms were most likely just withdrawal from what I now realize was (and, in all honesty, still is) an extreme addiction.

I began to notice things in my life I had

Oh my gosh, look at her butt!

“Oh my God! Kim Kardashian?

NAKED? Impossible!” — Words I heard uttered by no one these past few weeks.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably seen Kardashian’s newest nude photos on the cover of Paper Magazine, the headline reading “Break the Internet.” Honestly, the only thing I think Kardashian broke with that cover was her assistant’s hand squeezing multiple different oil bottles onto her ass.

Not to slut-shame Kardashian but, honestly, her taking off her clothing in front of millions of people is not all that shocking.

Hell, her family practically made an entire empire off of Kardashian taking off her clothes for the camera.

In 2007, Kardashian’s sex tape with sort-of hip-hop star Ray-J leaked, which eventually led to her and her family’s reality show, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which led to multiple spinoffs, fragrances, clothing lines and even an app which is dominating the smartphone market. And this is not the only time she’s posed naked either. Along with the sex tape in 2007, she also posed naked for Playboy in 2008.

It’s not a new thing for Kardashian to pose nude, so I’m

not exactly sure how this new supposed grandiose gesture is supposed to “break the Internet.”

Kardashian’s naked body isn’t in high demand because it has been supplied multiple times.

It’s a publicity stunt featuring Kardashian going back to her

Jeff Hersheway Columnist

successful rappers in the game.

What more is she trying to do with this magazine spread?

I’m not going to sit here and pretend Kardashian isn’t a beautiful woman. But she needs to do more with her fame than repeat history with these photo spreads.

She could emphasize different cultures, dedicate her time to philanthropy or at least dedicate a foundation for scholarships or body positivity.

Instead, she is proclaiming how beautiful she is for, ultimately, no higher purpose other than making money. Her photos didn’t “break the Internet,” but instead just made everyone on the Internet collectively shrug and go back to whatever they were doing.

Kardashian’s greasy butt is old news. We’ve all seen it before because she constantly calls attention to it.

I have no hate for Kardashian.

It’s a smart business strategy, objectifying her body to add to her family’s multi-million dollar empire. I just wish there was more proof that she was in on this objectification.

business roots — selling the image of her body. Perhaps there is more to Kardashian than she exposes in these pictures and video, but she sure seems to want to cover up a more serious side of her.

Kudos to the woman who owns her sexuality and uses it as a business strategy, but it’s not Hersheway is a sophomore necessary anymore. Her family creative advertising and writing is already overexposed, her body double major and can be reached at has been seen by thousands and jeffrey.hersheway@drake.edu she’s married to one of the most

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been missing before, just because the latest Yik Yak was too interesting or because picking an Instagram filter really can take 20 minutes, and yes there is a “right” filter for every photo, thank you very much.

As the second week began, I started to notice myself engaging in more basic human contact.

I smiled at my peers on the way to class instead of staring at my phone, and when my friend went to the restroom at a party, I introduced myself to someone I didn’t know instead of scrolling through the latest newsfeed while I waited.

As I anxiously await the arrival of my new phone, I am both excited to have Instagram filters to choose from again, but nervous that I will stop being annoyed that everyone at the dinner table is on their phones, because I will be too.

Our generation has certainly benefited from new technologies in hundreds of ways, but I fear we may also be losing more than we realize in the process.

Emily VanSchmus Copy Editor VanSchmus is a sophomore magazines major and can be reached at emily.vanschmus@drake.edu

Letter to the Editor

DEAL pursuing solutions As a graduate of Drake University (JO ’92) and former member of the Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL), I would really like to read more news about DEAL’s activities and especially their “divestment from fossil fuels”campaign. Could you please assign a reporter to cover their meetings and write a roundup of DEAL’s efforts and successes? I believe they are pursuing an extremely important long-term objective right there on Drake’s campus — improving the chances for long term survival of human civilization.

The science is in. Ninety-eight percent of expert scientists in the field believe the man-made climate change is accelerating at a pace which will cause the conditions on this planet to vary well outside the range of climate which has allowed human civilization to develop over the past 10,000 years. Surely you’ve heard of this issue. If not, please read up. I would be glad (as I’m sure DEAL members would) to provide sources of background information to aid in your reporting.

The science is in. The time is now to turn away from 19th century energy technology and embrace a space age energy system which will allow our progeny to thrive for the next

10,000 years. Burning fossil fuels is incompatible with this goal.

Drake University’s $120 million endowment is currently (partially) invested in the companies that are a large part of this problem. Everyone associated with Drake University should be urging Drake’s leadership to remedy this selfdestructive behavior. Divesting from fossil fuels would be a good first step. Transitioning the roofs of every campus building to photovoltaic power platforms would be another important step.

Drake’s image is at stake.

Drake will be judged by the actions it takes to lead the way, or fall behind due to inaction.

Drake will surely be negatively financially impacted if they retain their investments in fossil fuel companies as the world transitions to less harmful power sources, and the value of those investments plummet.

There will be many great stories from many angles to tell along the way and I would love to read about them in The Times-Delphic. Please help the greater Drake community follow the people and events as this transition takes place. Thank you for your attention.

Perry Thomas 812-227-1936

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The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published weekly during the regular academic year and is produced by undergraduate students at Drake University. The opinions of staff editorials reflect the institutional opinion of the newspaper based on current staff opinions and the newspaper’s traditions. These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of individual employees of the paper, Drake University or members of the student body. All other opinions appearing throughout the paper are those of the author or artist named within the column or cartoon. The newsroom and business office of The Times-Delphic are located in Meredith Hall, Room 124. The Times-Delphic is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The editor-in-chief sits on the Board of Student Communications.

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OPINIONS

Page 4 | DEC. 3, 2014

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Opinions From the Fishbowl

He said, She said

Let’s talk about sex(iling) The final countdown: HE SAID it.

Well, you got me talking about

Sexiling, by my definition, is really just a miscommunication between one bitter roommate and another roommate. It’s a miscommunication in two senses because it’s a phrase that is thrown around ironically when there is a legitimate reason to be using it.

I never realized what it meant to be exiled because I had never experienced the idea of being exiled. The idea of being exiled means someone is being forcibly removed from a room against their will.

Granted, this is not the working definition of what it means to be exiled, but think about it: One roommate lets another know that they’re going to be needing the room for an hour or so, and lets the roommate know ahead of time (maybe an hour or two).

If the relationship between these two roommates is healthy, there should be no problem with one letting the other to use the room. This is not sexiling.

SHE SAID

The sock on the door handle, the odd phrase on the whiteboard, and even the Post-It note saying “DON’T COME IN” have all been seen in the dorms here at Drake.

Everyone knows about sexiling and most roommates have a system to let the others know if something is happening.

It’s totally fine to do this, because I’m guessing your roommate(s) wouldn’t get much studying or sleeping done with some animal planet-esque scene happening in their living space.

But some people tend to take it just a bit too far…

The Weekender – Every weekend you know there is at least one night that you are getting kicked out, or texted while you’re at the library that your room is a no-go until like 3 a.m. It’s fine if they study biology, you need to study for your finals anyway.

The Surprise – One bathroom break and BAM. You come back to find your dorm is now the scene for the no pants dance. Good luck being productive when all of your stuff is behind that door…

The One Timer – The roommate that notifies one month, then two weeks, then one week, and every day after about someone

Sexiling is when the roommate kicks in the door, half in the bag with someone in tow, and ask the roommate to leave before things get weird.

Sexiling is when it’s 1:30 a.m., one roommate is asleep and the

Nik Wasik Columnist other comes in, loudly announces his need for the room and gives the other roommate about 30 seconds to get his crap together before he’s locked out.

Sexiling is when there is no communication between the two roommates. When someone has coming over. This is especially common with long distance relationships. You have time to plan and set accommodations to not interrupt/be around, because when they finally come over, you’ll understand why you were warned so much.

No matter when or for how long you’re kicked out, being a sexugee is a rough time. You can either be prepared or be caught last-

Sarah Beth Coleman Columnist minute and not know what to do.

So where do you go? You can try the Olmsted Center, the library, pretty much any public university space if it’s early enough. But for most, hanging out in lobbies or in other people’s rooms work best.

to leave his or her room and find somewhere else to sleep without being warned ahead of time, that is sexiling.

Talking and voicing complaints when they come up is the most important part of a relationship.

In this case, the easiest way to avoid hurt feelings and an annoyed roommate is communication If the relationship between the two roommates is healthy, and the favor is repaid, then the idea of leaving the room for an hour should not be coined with something as vicious as sexiling.

Sexiling should be reserved for the victims who have to leave their rooms on short notice, and who have to spend their night crashing on someone else’s futon without an idea of when they are allowed to get back into their room.

Wasik is a sophomore writing and public relations double major and can be reached at nicholas.wasik@drake. edu Someone can loan you a phone charger so you can still answer emails, someone might let you use her bed to sleep if they’ll be out.

(Bonus points if that person is the reason you’re sexiled.)

The biggest thing with this is understanding that this is an adult making his or her own decision, and if problems arise over it, you need to discuss it like adults. Sex is a big kid topic, and when you skirt the issue with passive aggressiveness or with judgmental attitudes, nothing is accomplished and the chance for feelings being hurt goes up.

If you are sexiled, put on your big kid pants and respond appropriately. Don’t throw a hissy fit, don’t judge, just play it cool and talk about it as soon as possible with your roommate. If this doesn’t accomplish anything, then involve your RA and get down to the bottom of the issue.

So put that scrunchie on the door, change the sign from open to closed, send that text message to your roomies and don’t be afraid of making an adult decision about yourself, your body and your living space.

Coleman is a sophomore radio/ TV production and music double major and can be reached at sarah. coleman@drake.edu

Column

Stay focused for finals It is that time of year again where everything seems so hectic.

As students, our academics are piling up, the workload seems insurmountable and we begin to hyperventilate a little knowing what the next two weeks have in store.

Know that it is going to be okay, and now more than ever it is time to realize a very important statement: You can do this.

No student is exempt from the stresses of finals and pre-finals weeks, but it is so incredibly important to focus through the pressure associated with the end of the semester.

I can safely say, on behalf of the Student Senate, that we are right there with you and will do everything we can do to show you support.

That starts with the little things, like where people study and providing you the resources to make it a little better.

That’s why during finals week Senate has purchased coffee for an “all-night coffee shop” of sorts for the Cowles Library café area.

Much of next week is staying up late and pushing ourselves to the limits, so hopefully this helps make it a little better.

It will be available most of the week, along with extended hours in the various coffee shop areas, so students have the resources they need to keep chugging along.

This part is especially for the first-years that will experience the first finals exam period.

Remember to use your time wisely, but my best advice for you is to ask questions to those around you, especially your professors.

They are resources to help you succeed, and your professors truthfully know the exam’s material and course content the best.

If you ask them, you are bound to succeed.

Also, remember this time is hard and very different than high school, but relax, and give your school work the time it needs to be the best it can be.

Like in Senate, we are preparing for finals in the library and there will be no meeting during finals week.

This meeting cancellation is so we can focus on why we are all here — to receive the great education Drake has to offer.

Push through, and if you need anything, please do not hesitate

to reach out to others, myself included.

Last, but certainly not least, remember that you must stay healthy over the next two weeks.

Signs point to you pushing your body to the limit by studying, but try to eat right, drink lots of water, and sleep whenever possible or your workload permits.

If you aren’t healthy, you will struggle more, perform worse and it’ll make the holiday season a lot less enjoyable.

We are so close to the end of the semester and soon everything will be new — new classes, new peers, even new professors — but we can do this.

Remember what is at the finish line — the holiday season filled with lights, a lit fireplace, more rest and even more food than we need and a new year.

2015 is so close, and finals week remains the last obstacle to rest and relaxation.

It doesn’t have to be terrible though, and hopefully, with a little help, caffeine and some quick tips, it’ll make the coming week all the more tolerable.

So stay focused on the finish line, breathe through the stress and the pressure, and know that we will make it through.

Happy finals week! Stay strong! And from me and the entire Student Senate, have happy holidays and a fantastic winter break!

Josh Duden Columnist

Duden is a junior law, politics, and society, politics and international relations triple major and can be reached at joshua.duden@drake.edu

Editor reflects on his time at The Times-Delphic

Experience produces great relationships, personal growth

My first visit to Drake University was an overnight stay my senior year on the Chicago Bus Trip. So, naturally, I was excited to see campus and the dorms, eat in the dining halls and see the surrounding neighborhood.

Afterward, if you were to ask me what my favorite part of the trip was, it would be none of those.

Meeting the then Editor-in-Chief of The Times-Delphic, Lauren Horsch, trumps all of those, even making the friends that I did (sorry, guys).

You see, I was a self-proclaimed Jerd (journalism nerd) in high school. Late-night editing over pizza and sending the paper to press around 11 p.m. became the norm for my four years of high school, so it was interesting, to say the least, to find someone who possessed the same level of enthusiasm for the paper as I did.

We talked a lot about the paper, and it made me even more excited for the newspaper opportunities that lied ahead. I expected a similar four years.

Of course, you know what they say, “college changes people.” After delving into an array of clubs my

first year, I came to realize what I was and was not passionate for.

I switched my major from news/ Internet to public relations after realizing reporting just wasn’t for me anymore.

Even though I voluntarily chose to leave The Times-Delphic a semester early to pursue other endeavors, I still had an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

The lessons I learned from the late nights spent in the TD Office editing my pages taught me a lot about myself and working in a professional setting with a team.

Despite all the nights I spent stressing over creating budgets and the incessant phone calls and emails I sent when my writers missed deadline, I still helped produce a quality publication each week with some amazing people.

The people you work with, I think, is the biggest factor of whether you like or hate your job.

And the people I collaborated with on staff made the job worth it. They were part of the reason why I didn’t entirely hate having to be up at 8:30 a.m. every Sunday to start layout.

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO THOMAS.SCEARCE@DRAKE.EDU

WARNING: This column might start to get a little sappy. I apologize.

First, there’s my amazing designer Paityn. I’m in awe each week of what she is able to design in such a short amount of time. I’m still an InDesign novice (I’m lucky I can open a page), so I’m glad she was able to put up with me and my constant questions. I enjoyed our weekly brainstorming sessions, followed by us venting about our classes.

The desk immediately to my right is that of our news editor, Sarah. She’s a hoot and a half. Even when she’s upset, she’s funny. I could always count on her to cheer me up when I’m stressed. Even though no one else in the office appreciated our constant playing of “Never Gonna Wake You Up” (go look it up if you haven’t heard of it), I still love it.

Sarah’s designer Greta is also a gem. When our amazing headline writing skills came together, we were a force to be reckoned with (That is the furthest thing from the truth). But with who else could I jam out to “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” and feel no shame?

The news team and features team laughed way too much these past few months, but I feel that that was the key to get through the stress: laughter.

Speaking of laughter, our managing editor, Austin, always has the best one liners. I also have to give him special props for putting up with my awful headline writing. I’ll miss him when he goes abroad next semester.

Our photo editor, Joel, is always reliable. When I’m waiting on stories, he’ll always have photos ready. He also talks a lot about physics, and I usually just nod my head and reminisce to my C in my high school physics class.

Our sports editor, Colton, is often quiet, but when he does talk, it’s usually pretty funny. Or about sports. And I often tend to tune out if it’s the latter.

And then there’s our editor-inchief, Courtney. She’s been a great leader and is always helpful in giving me story ideas and design ideas. She also has a deep passion for reporting that will make her a great journalist.

We’ve been through a lot of rough patches as a staff, but we

pulled through.

I may not have the same goals I did when I came on that bus trip almost two years ago, but I’m still thankful for the experiences.

So, this is my sappy good-bye to the staff.

I’ll miss our quote boardworthy quotes and our late-night shenanigans.

Tom Scearce Features/Op-Ed Editor

Scearce is a sophomore public relations major and can be reached at thomas.scearce@drake.edu

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

FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Page 5 | DEC. 3, 2014

Features Academics

Course encourages open discussion on death Sociology class offers cultural insight on personal topic Beth LeValley

Staff Writer beth.levalley@drake.edu

Driving down the interstate, the electronic sign above warns you to drive safe.

“280 traffic deaths in Iowa this year,” it states.

The thought hovers above your head as you reduce your speed.

The thought is if the Iowa Department of Transportation can make drivers aware of rising number of deaths per year, it can scare people into making the highway a safer place.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2,515,418 deaths in the United States alone in 2010.

“Worldometers” keeps an ongoing count of the deaths throughout

Student Life

the world, which is currently at 52,734,121 and counting. For such a common occurrence, our culture has a tendency to avoid the topic.

Professor Nancy Berns is attempting to change that.

“Death and Society,” a sociology course, was created three years ago to create a discussion about the cultural and social issues that death and dying create.

“We go over topics including types of funerals, burials, cremation and grief,” Berns said.

“We also cover the economic cost of traditional funerals and the effects laws have on death.”

Berns said the class is valuable on a personal and professional level to those who are both majors and non-majors in sociology.

“Everyone dies, and it’s an important part of life,” Berns said.

“Many students are appreciative of the course because they don’t get to talk about it often enough.

They also frequently say they didn’t know there were so many

“We go over topics including types of funerals, burials, cremation and grief.”

—Nancy Berns, Drake professor

different burial options.”

Between papers, writing and research assignments, students study not only death itself but all of the attachments to it.

“We live in a culture where people don’t want to talk about death, and this course is usually the first time students openly talk about the issue,” Berns said.

Virginia Fawcett, a senior sociology major, has not taken the course but signed up for next semester.

Fawcett said she registered for it because it sounded interesting, and most professors don’t talk about death, even in a classroom setting. She also knew someone that had already taken the course.

“I heard the professor who teaches the course is really good, and I’m curious as to what other people think about different subjects,” Fawcett said.

Fawcett is worried about where the border lies between sharing too much information, or

if there is a border, but expects the class to include deep discussions.

“Plain and simple: I want to think more about people in general because everyone has a story, everyone dies and everyone has to come to terms with it,” Fawcett said.

Hannah Bovard, a sophomore Sociology major, took another course with Berns and would like to take this one in the future.

“I think the course subject is really interesting, and I really like the professor who teaches it,” Bovard said. “Students can get an outlook of how all of society deals with death and dying versus a more personal view of grief as you would in psychology.”

One is the loneliest number: Students prefer eating in groups Anna Zavell

Staff Writer giovanna.zavell@drake.edu

One person is sitting at a table for six in the dining hall. This person could be seen as friendless or pathetic, which could lead to them feeling uncomfortable.

An article on Huffington Post article called “For College Kids: How to Eat Alone in a Dining Hall”

by Meg Schneider talks about how these feelings are nothing to worry about. And, there is no reason to skip a meal completely.

It’s a common fear for college students to worry about eating alone. Sometimes, class schedules may not match up with your friends’ schedules, which doesn’t allow for the same free time to grab something to eat. Or maybe your friends just don’t want to eat at all, but you do.

“I think it’s weird eating alone because I’m so used to always eating with other people,” said first-year Madison Schwarz. “At home, I’d be with my family, and in high school I would always eat with the same friends each day.”

In the article, Schneider says

Campus Life

that these thoughts of how others perceive you are only in your head, and only your thoughts, not other’s.

To Schneider, it’s best to walk in looking happy, keep your head up and occasionally glance around and smile at anyone you

“I would never consider skipping a meal. A dude has to eat. Sometimes it becomes necessary to eat alone.”

—Nicholas Bianchina, Drake sophomore

may make eye contact with.

Some other suggestions Schneider offers for making eating alone less stressful are to bring a magazine, your computer or if you’re really ambitious, homework and study materials to keep focused and occupied instead of thinking about what others think of you.

“While it’s nice to eat with other people, sometimes eating alone is nice too,” sophomore Nick Bianchina said. “Having a

MEPPA visits Boston Kelly Marble

Staff Writer kelly.marble@drake.edu

Ali Jandal, a junior PalestinianAmerican spends Tuesday nights with seven other Drake University students at a meeting for the Middle East Peace and Prosperity Alliance (MEPPA), discussing a variety of issues related to the Middle East.

Over the weekend of Oct. 2426, Jandal and four other Drake students from MEPPA attended the National Students for Justice in Palestine conference at Tufts University in Boston about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

“A lot of people in our group are passionate about the PalestinianIsraeli conflict, and we thought it would be a good idea to send people there just to learn about what we can do as a campus to help the Palestinian cause and bring back educational tips and organizing strategies,” said Janet Eckles, a senior radio/TV production major. “(MEPPA) wants to educate students and the Des Moines Community about issues that are going on in the Middle East, and getting people to care about those issues,” Eckles said.

The conference gave the students the opportunity to network and learn from similar student organizations.

“Students have way more power and influence on the university than they think,” Eckles said.

MEPPA is a new organization,

at Drake that works closely with the American Friends Service Committee in Des Moines. A Drake intern at the organization recommended it send members to the conference.

“You kind of forget other people are there trying to support you, and believe in the cause you are trying to bring to light. You kind of feel like the only one,” Jandal said. “Hearing from these SJPs (Students for Justice in Palestine) that are 100 members large and do all this cool stuff. It makes you know that it’s worth it … that you are working for something that’s possible.”

MEPPA secured the funds to attend the conference from the one-time funding option through student senate. The opportunity to attend the conference gave sophomore international relations major Kate Kemper a deeper insight on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and also connected the Middle Eastern issue to the United States.

“There were people from Detroit, there were people from Ferguson there,” Kemper said. “It was all kind of encompassing, and realizing that if we are going to solve one problem, we have to look at all of them, especially issues in our own country, with injustice and human rights as well.”

MEPPA meets on the second floor of Meredith at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. The organization is currently working on developing a Know Your Rights Workshop, and hopes to work with the Coalition of Black Students to create the event on campus.

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO THOMAS.SCEARCE@DRAKE.EDU

roommate and all, it’s hard to find any alone time.”

An article by Lyan Wong titled “Students Skipping Meals Can Lead to Fatigue” stated that the most commonly skipped meals are breakfast and lunch.

“I rarely skip a meal, if I can’t find anyone to eat with, I instead get food from Quad and bring it back to my room,” Schwarz said.

“I’d rather eat by myself in my room than not eat at all.”

Wong writes how skipping a meal will eventually lead to a drop in blood glucose levels, which leads to fatigue, making a student constantly feeling tired.

This feeling of tiredness results in a student depending upon energy enhancing drinks or food. After some time, a student’s learning ability may decrease.

“I would never consider skipping a meal. A dude has to eat,” Bianchina said. “Sometimes you have so much studying to do it becomes necessary to eat alone.

I typically do this when I eat alone to maximize my work time.”

STUDENTS eat at Quad Creek Cafe for lunch. Some students prefer getting their meal to-go to avoid eating alone. JOEL VENZKE | PHOTO EDITOR

Student Speak

What stood out to you on your first tour at Drake University?

Shannon Lyons

Sophomore| Accounting and Information Systems “The dorms because they were so clean and nice, and, also, they had air conditioning which is also a huge plus.”

Zach Vasseur

Senior | Management “I got to meet Dean (Randall) Blum and he was pretty cool. I liked that he seemed to really care about me and wanted to make sure I found the right college for me, whether that was Drake or not.”

Daniel Creese

Sophomore| Finance

Meg Rush

“I was surpsied with how beautiful it was. It was different from a lot of colleges in Boston where it’s very industrialized. You also feel very welcomed right as you step foot on campus.”

Teni Lamina

First-year | Radio/TV “The friendliness of the people. I also really liked that my tour guide knew a lot of people and said ‘hi’ to them as we did the tour.”

Mari Moroz

Sophomore| BCMB

Sophomore | Public Relations

“The campus. It was very pretty, and the green of campus was very nice in the summer. It felt like its own little world.”

“I was on my first tour here, and they were taking photos during the tour, and then a few months after I was accepted, I get a pamphlet in the mail and there was a photo of my family. So I was kind of famous.”

Have any good ideas for Student Speak? Email them to Features and Opinions Editor, Tom Scearce at thomas.scearce.drake.edu.

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FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

DEC. 3, 2014 | Page 6

PageSix Campus Profile

Transitioning from Disney to Des Moines

Verlengia excited to work with students in her new role Giuliana LaMantia

Staff Writer giuliana.lamantia@drake.edu

After living her whole life in Florida, Marina Verlengia is settling into the Midwest with her new role as director of campus programming at Drake University and she’s enjoying every moment of it.

This is Verlengia’s first time living somewhere new. She lived in south Florida through high school and attended University of Central Florida, where she received her undergraduate degree in marketing, her master’s degree in sports management and her MBA. Before coming to Drake, Verlengia worked as a manager at Disney World with its ESPN sports complex, coordinating event management and programming.

Looking to start something new, the job at Drake seemed ideal as Verlengia wanted to work in a school setting, and her husband’s family is from the Des Moines area.

As director of campus programming, Verlengia advises the Student Activities Board (SAB), works with the multicultural groups and also assists with summer and spring orientation, working with and developing orientation leaders.

It was working with student interns during her job at Disney World that really sparked her interest in working at a university.

“While I was (at Disney) I did work with our student intern program, and so I worked very closely with the students there and helped develop them and get them through the whole process,” Verlengia said. “I very much enjoyed working with the students, which is what really pushed me to want to be in a university setting, so it’s kind of what I wanted to be doing full

Dining

time.”

Students have enjoyed working with and getting to know Verlengia, as well as appreciate her leadership style.

“She’s very passionate about what she does, and she’s one of those leaders who likes to take a step back and observe and then give her view point,” SAB President Adam Graves said. “I can tell she’s really trying to grasp the full understanding of SAB right away, and not just come in and completely do what she thinks it is. She’s just seeing where it’s been and how it’s progressed.”

Drake Relays co-chair sophomore Erin Griffin feels Verlengia’s questions and willingness to learn provides a new perspective and helps push students in terms of ideas and teamwork.

“She asks so many questions and brings new ideas to the table,” Griffin said. “Her questions also get you thinking about your event, and she provides a new perspective to the table.”

Through getting to know the students, Verlengia admires their passion and deep involvement at Drake, making it one of her favorite aspects of her job.

“It’s fun to be around students.

I’ve noticed here students are very involved and passionate and high-energy, and it’s neat to see students who really care about what it is that they’re doing,” Verlengia said.

Verlengia has loved her time at Drake so far and has enjoyed bringing her expertise from her previous job to provide new ideas on campus.

“I think it’s been neat to bring my experience, coming from a big company, planning huge events and small events, to bring it over here and brainstorm with them on things that we can try and getting them to think of things

MARINA VERLENGIA is the new director of campus programming. She left her job at Disney World for something new, and she is excited about her student life position and working with students. JOEL VENZKE | PHOTO EDITOR differently,” Verlengia said. “I’m open to anything, and I bring different ideas as well, so it’s been really neat. It’s been a fun learning experience, and I’m still learning things every day.”

Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Kerry Jordan, who works with Verlengia on the

student life staff, sees her as a down to earth and authentic leader.

“I really enjoy that she brings a fresh perspective and realistic ideas,” Jordan said. “She has seamlessly fit in with our student life team and student leaders she works with on a daily basis.”

Verlengia is always looks forward to meeting new people and appreciates how welcoming the Drake community has been.

“Her door is always open, and she’s excited and ready to meet anyone,” Graves said. “If students haven’t met her yet, they should.”

Academics

Nextcourse feeds hungry Students challenge limits for class

Kelly Marble

Staff Writer kelly.marble@drake.edu

Eight hundred pounds of food.

The leftovers from the endless buffet in Hubbell Dining Hall.

The uneaten entrees and appetizers at catered Drake University events. The preprepared food at sporting events and Relays.

Through Nextcourse Food Recovery Network, this holiday season students and faculty are working to combat the problem of food insecurity by recovering and donating food that would be wasted to shelters in the Drake area.

Food insecurity is the idea of not knowing where your next meal will come from, and it is estimated to affect around 50 million Americans.

“Food recovery is really pretty immediate,” said Ellen Yee, Nextcourse founder. “It’s food that’s prepared right now that needs to be delivered quickly, and it needs to be used relatively quickly.”

NextCourse Service Learning Ambassador Laura Leben thinks this opportunity could be beneficial to students.

“I think it’s important for every campus to have food recovery because not only does it reduce food waste … It also allows students to get involved with the local community,” Leben said.

First-year Gabrielle Miller grew up with food insecurity and agrees with Leben.

“We’re already a Drake community, but you can still help that community and build an outreach to the greater Des Moines community as well,” Miller said.

Yee first had the idea for Nextcourse after a lawyer

luncheon.

“It just occurred to me that everything that was left over at the end of the dinner was probably going to be tossed,” Yee said. “I realized that I work at a large institution, and … I thought about what is my responsibility at this institution.”

The name for Nextcourse was developed out of the meaning of course, and what Yee sees as the variety of ways food recovery impacts Drake.

A course is “a part of a meal, an opportunity to learn and a path forward.” ”I’m hoping that this project is one step that leads us forward in making changes in our society to address the problems of food insecurity,” Yee said.

This fall, Drake became an official chapter of the national Food Recovery Network, which is made up of 96 chapters from across the country. All the college students involved in FRNs across the country have recovered and donated 523,809 pounds of food since 2011.

“It’s a really impactful organization because it’s not only important to reduce food waste here at Drake because then that food can be used for people that are hungry elsewhere, but it’s also tying in the community,” said Sara Hillring, a first-year neuroscience major.

In the future, Leben and the students hope to expand the program beyond Drake’s campus to taking donations from the local coffee shops, restaurants and Greek chapters.

“We’re consistently looking for ways in which students can become involved in the larger picture of food insecurity and waste,” Yee said.

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO THOMAS.SCEARCE@DRAKE.EDU

Mari Moroz

Staff Writer marianna.moroz@drake.edu

Senior Erin Menardi spent eight straight hours one evening cuddling with a 50-year-old man she didn’t know.

Menardi is not a professional cuddler, and this is not something she would usually do. She is just a Drake student completing an assignment.

Students in the JMC 120: Magazine Freelance Writing class were given an assignment to step out of their comfort zone and write about an unusual experience of theirs in an article.

“I call it the personal experience essay,” said Jeff Inman, professor of the course. “Journalism has always had a personal element and I wanted them to put themselves in the middle of a story and experience it firsthand.”

The students were assigned to prepare five potential ideas of experiences they could engage in for the assignment. They would then pitch the ideas to the class and their peers choose the best idea for them.

Senior Selchia Cain was given her first choice on the assignment, which involved wearing a burka on campus for a few days.

“It was my boyfriend’s idea, actually. He said ‘Why don’t you wear a holy dress for a week?’ and overall I was thrilled that the class was on board with me moving forward with the project,” Cain said via email.

Menardi went through Snuggle Buddies, an organization that pairs paid professionals with clients who are interested in cuddling and are in need of human touch for therapeutic purposes.

“I didn’t really get any training or any background checks from clients from the organization

before doing it, so I was really sketched out about my safety,” Menardi said.

The different experiences this year ranged from going to a shooting range to eating every meal at a soup kitchen for a week to a student doing things for the first time since her father passed away two years ago.

Junior Lauren Kassien used a kit that simulated what dementia was like for the assignment, using gloves that mimicked arthritis, headphones playing static voices

“I call it the personal experience essay.

Journalism has always had a personal element and I wanted them to put themselves in the middle of a story and experience it firsthand.”

— Jeff Inman, Drake professor

and glasses that displayed living with glaucoma.

“Both my grandmas had Alzheimer’s disease and one used to live with my family,” Kassien said. “My mother and I really got frustrated with her and thought that she could do so much more than she was, but now I understand she was just as frustrated with herself as we were with her.”

Each student’s experience in this assignment shaped and changed them in a different way.

Menardi explained that if writers are willing to try something new and uncomfortable, they can write

truly great pieces.

“This assignment shows students that you can approach journalism in different ways and that you can be a vehicle for the audience to vicariously live through that they can’t do themselves,” Inman said.

Challenges arose for each student as their essays developed and they became more vulnerable in the assignment.

“The biggest challenge overall was stepping on to campus the first day because I was ignored by individuals that I know and see on a daily basis, yet they saw me completely different based on what I was wearing,” Cain said.

Cain began to see herself differently because of the assignment, but in a positive and life-changing light.

“It was in wearing a few feet of black fabric that I had found beauty in a burka, confidence in being completely covered and feminine liberation in extreme forms of modesty,” Cain said.

Students are not just submitting themselves to peer ridicule and shame, being mistaken for a prostitute or unable to fold their own laundry due to induced slippery hands for the fun of it.

They do it for the article.

Inman believes this assignment shapes a good part of their education and experience here at Drake.

“This is the storythat students remember from this class and from their whole experience at Drake,” Inman said.

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

SPORTS

Page 7 | DEC. 3, 2014

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

PageSeven Women’s Basketball

Drake extends win streak to three at UTSA Clark lost for season, but Bulldogs still battle for two wins

Mike Wendlandt

Staff Writer michael.wendlandt@drake.edu

The Drake women’s basketball team put together a short winning streak over the holiday weekend, winning two games in San Antonio to take home the 2014 UTSA Thanksgiving Classic title.

Just before their first game of the tournament, the Bulldogs learned that last year’s Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and team captain, Kyndal Clark, would miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

Still, though, Drake found a way to take down its two opponents, starting with the host University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on Friday and the Fordham Rams on Sunday.

On Friday, Drake looked to capitalize on the momentum coming off its win against Wisconsin last week.

Against the Roadrunners, it was all sophomore forward Lizzy Wendell, who poured in a game-high 27 points to open her tournament MVP performance.

Maddy Dean continued her hot stretch as well, scoring 13 points off the bench to help the Bulldogs win the game, 69-61.

Wendell, who was named

the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week before the tournament, scored 61 points between the UTSA and Wisconsin games, and continues to lead the conference in scoring with 22.5 points per game.

Drake only trailed when it was 5-2 early on in the first half. Solid shooting from the free throw line pushed Drake to a win, hitting 11 free throws down the stretch.

Shooting 72 percent from the line, the Bulldogs thwarted any comeback attempt from the Roadrunners in the second half and cruised to their third victory of the season.

“If you would’ve told me that we would hit as few threes as we did, I wouldn’t have though we’d score close to 70 points, let alone win the game,” said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk in a Drake athletics press release. “It’s a testament to the team’s fight and effort that we did just that.”

Sunday against Fordham was a different story entirely, as Drake was forced to come back late in the second half after leading most of the back-and-forth battle.

In a game featuring 14 lead changes and seven ties, the Bulldogs somehow found a way to close out the 62-56 victory over the Rams.

It was a game that was decided by clutch baskets from veterans Wendell, Caitlin Ingle, and tough rebounding from Carly Grenfell that opened up second-chance opportunities for the Bulldogs.

Becca Jonas continued her growth early in her freshman campaign, putting up her first double-double of her career by pulling down 10 rebounds and adding 13 points.

Wendell had a season-low 14 points, but hit two clutch 3-pointers late in the game to give the Bulldogs the lead.

Drake saw three players score in double figures, paced by Wendell and Jonas.

Ingle also registered 13 points to go along with eight rebounds on the day.

“These games will prepare us well for the conference season.

There are a lot of learning moments, and we can take each of them and be a better team,” Baranczyk said.

Drake returns home tonight and looks to extend its winning streak against Colorado State at the Knapp Center. Tip-off is scheduled for at 7:05 p.m.

SOPHOMORE FORWARD LIZZY WENDELL drives to the hoop during Drake’s game against South Dakota on Nov. 14. Wendell was named the UTSA Thanksgiving Classic MVP last weekend. JOEL VENZKE | PHOTO EDITOR

Women’s Basketball Calendar NOV. 28 @ UTSA W, 69-61

NOV. 30 vs. Fordham W, 62-56

TODAY

DEC. 6 vs. Colorado St. @ Idaho St. 7:05 p.m.

3 p.m.

DEC. 14 @ Creighton 2:05 p.m

DEC. 18 Northwestern College

11:05 a.m.

Men’s Basketball

Bulldogs’ struggles continue at Challenge in Music City

SENIOR FORWARD CHRIS CAIRD handles the ball in Drake’s loss to Bowling Green on Nov. 15. Caird scored 16 points for the Bulldogs on Sunday against Murray State. JOEL VENZKE | PHOTO EDITOR Mike Wendlandt

Staff Writer michael.wendlandt@drake.edu

Thanksgiving was not all that Drake hoped for as it fell in all three games of the Challenge in Music City over the holiday weekend in Nashville, Tennessee.

Despite a strong effort from senior guard Gary Ricks Jr., who was named to the all-tournament team, Drake was unable to prevail, falling to 1-6 on the young season.

“Gary’s done a good job being efficient in the offense while staying strong in the little things,” said Drake head coach Ray Giacoletti.

Drake’s draw was a tough one as far as the tournament went, playing the top two teams on backto-back days. The Bulldogs hung with both teams, though, before a dry stretch allowed the opponents to pull away all three contests.

In the first game on Friday, it was Valparaiso that handed Drake the loss. Despite an ice-cold Crusader start due to some tight Bulldog defense, shooting 1-11

from three-point range in the first half, Valpo was able to take a 2921 lead into the dressing room at half.

Senior Jordan Daniels led both teams with 10 points in the first 20 minutes.

In the second half, it was all Valpo, who started off with an 18-5 run and effectively ended Drake’s hopes for victory. The Bulldogs eventually fell, 66-46.

Daniels finished with 18 points, while Ricks added eight of his own.

“Valparaiso is a very good team,” Giacoletti said. “They’re doing things that NBA teams do and very few college teams are capable of. You’ll hear great things about them all year from other teams.”

The next night, it was Portland who took the floor with Drake in Nashville. While Ricks had an exceptional game, scoring 23 points, it was too little too late for the Bulldogs as Drake couldn’t recover from an early first-half deficit.

The 71-59 final score was closer than play indicated, as Drake actually outscored Portland in the second half. But it was a couple of early runs that hurt the Bulldogs in the first half.

Ricks’ 23 points were a season high, as well as his career-high five three-pointers paced the team. Daniels poured in 12 points of his own.

It was a team struggle in rebounding, only grabbing 20 boards in the game, compared to 32 for Portland.

“They punched us in the face early, and while we came back in the second half, the damage was done,” Giacoletti said. “We just haven’t been able to sustain a game for 40 full minutes yet.”

The final game for the Bulldogs was a roller coaster affair against Murray State on Sunday. The lead changed 19 different times before the Racers pulled away late to win, 68-59.

Ricks paced Drake again with 17 points, giving him an average of 16 per game on the weekend.

Senior forward Chris Caird also contributed 16 points on sixof-nine shooting on the afternoon.

Drake was solid on the offensive end against the Racers, shooting an even 50 percent from the field for the game, while holding Murray State to only 42 percent.

However, like the night before against Portland, it was rebounding effort that hurt the Bulldogs. Twelve offensive rebounds gave the Racers a significant advantage in secondchance opportunities.

Turnovers plagued Drake as well, as a stretch of three consecutive empty possessions led to Murray State taking an 11-point lead late in the game.

“We did some pretty good things, but you can’t give up a lot of offensive rebounds or turn the ball over. It’s amazing that we were able to stay in it despite those things,” Giacoletti said.

Don’t Miss It DEC. 6 vs. North Dakota 2:05 p.m.

DEC. 13 @ Green Bay 4 p.m.

DEC. 15 vs. Jackson State 7:05 p.m.

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

DEC. 3, 2014 | Page 8

Football

Bulldogs honored with 16 All-PFL selections

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN MACK MARRIN (91), MATT ACREE (94) AND BRETT PARK (9) converge on Butler’s quarterback during Drake’s win on Oct. 25 at home. Acree and Park were named to the All-PFL First Team, while Marrin was named the PFL Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Senior linebacker John Huginin (right) looks to the sideline during Drake’s loss to San Diego on Nov. 1. Huginin was named to the All-PFL Second Team. All four players headed a Bulldog defense that ranked 18th nationally this season. PHOTOS BY COLTON WARREN (LEFT) AND JOEL VENZKE (RIGHT) Austin Cannon

Managing Editor austin.cannon@drake.edu

One game was the difference.

The Drake football team finished the 2014 season with a 7-4 record overall, and a 6-2 mark in the Pioneer Football League (PFL), one game behind league champion San Diego.

The Toreros beat the Bulldogs 17-14 on Nov. 1, but Drake was able to recover to win its final two games over Dayton and Stetson.

“I couldn’t be more proud of how our guys responded the last two games, coming off of a tough loss like that,” said head coach Rick Fox. “That, to me, is what this team’s going to be remembered for more than anything else is how they finished especially after that tough loss.”

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter of the Dayton game, the Bulldogs “turned a switch,” impressing their coach in the process.

“We certainly played our best football, and I’m just so proud of

Volleyball

how they responded as a team after that San Diego loss and finished this year out right,” Fox said.

While Drake came up short in its quest for the PFL title, 16 Bulldogs earned postseason honors.

A trio of fifth-year seniors led the way. Defensive linemen Matt Acree and Brett Park earned AllPFL first team honors along with offensive lineman Troy Whitmer.

Acree was the lone unanimous selection by the league’s coaches.

He led the league with 8.5 sacks. Acree also accounted for 29 tackles total and even blocked a pair of field goals.

More of Drake’s offensive line made the second team.

Juniors Aaron Melton and John McMahon each earned AllPFL honors for the first time.

The PFL’s No. 1 defense was also represented on the second team.

Senior linebacker John Hugunin was also voted on along with defensive back Brad Duwe.

Nine Drake players earned honorable-mention honors:

quarterback Andy Rice, running back Conley Wilkins, tight end Eric Saubert, wide receiver Michael Hudson, offensive lineman Jack Beck, linebacker Taylor Coleman, defensive backs Bob Quilico and Drew Ormseth and defensive lineman Mack Marrin.

Marrin was also announced as the PFL Freshman Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

“That did not surprise me at all.

About halfway through the season I was getting a feeling of how good a player Mack was becoming,” Fox said.

Chief among offseason concerns will be replacing the graduating Acree and Park, who together accounted for 14 sacks, 20 tackles for a loss and 69 total stops.

Running back T.J James, who shared backfield duty with Wilkins and Gary Scott Jr., is also graduating. James ran for 482 yards and caught 14 passes for 153 yards.

“You’re not a good football team if you’re not missing guys when the season ends, who are

graduating, and we have our share of guys who we’re going to miss,” Fox said.

Drake has plenty of talent returning, though.

On defense, both Coleman and Hugunin who accounted for 95 and 89 tackles, respectively, return, as does the entire defensive backfield.

“We return the entire secondary, and so we’re real excited about that and then a great core of linebackers and some really young guys adding to that mix,” Fox said.

An established core also returns on offense. Rice, leadingrusher Wilkins and Saubert will all be back for 2015, along with most of the offensive line.

Saubert struggled through injuries in the second half, but Fox foresees big things come next fall.

“We expect him to be a dominant player,” Fox said.

Scott was limited by injury and a crowded backfield this season, but he will have another opportunity in 2015. “(He) really played well against

Stetson and started to show the things we saw from him back in 2012 when he was fully healthy,” Fox said.

While a sizable core of key players will return, Fox said the team still needs to bond together to be successful.

“That’s a process you can never take for granted,” Fox said. “We did that this year, but it’s a whole new process that starts again in the offseason and with new leadership amongst our players.”

Personally, Fox is glad he’ll no longer have the “rookie head coach” tag hanging around his neck.

“It was more reacting to things, whereas now, coming around for the second season, I hope I can do a better job to put our guys in better positions to win because I can be a little bit more proactive anticipating things,” Fox said.

While he might have a year under his belt, Fox will still count on his players to foster a “team” atmosphere.

“We do that,” Fox said, “We’ll be right in the hunt again next year.”

Eleven wins most for Bulldogs since 2010 campaign

Ashley Beall

Staff Writer ashley.beall@drake.edu

The Drake volleyball team closed its season by tallying the most wins in a season for the Bulldogs since 2010.

Its 11 wins this season were more for Drake than the last two seasons combined.

Head coach Darrin McBroom, in his second season at the helm for the Drake, was pleased with his team’s improvement.

“I’m really proud of our team this season,” McBroom said in a Drake athletics press release.

“They accomplished many things and elevated this program and moved it forward. We were young and inexperienced, so we had that

one step forward, two steps back performance at times.”

Going into next season, the Bulldogs will return four juniors, six sophomores and five freshmen from this year’s squad. The Bulldogs will add two incoming recruits, as well.

“I’m excited for this young team to get to next season,” McBroom said. “They were able to have some tremendous success this year when it was not always expected. Now, we need to take that hunger and channel that to next year to achieve more success and continue this momentum in the direction we want to have with this program.”

Drake featured just three seniors – Amanda Platte, Meredith Moore and Halli Meyer – on the

2014 roster.

Drake started off the season strong, winning the Omaha Classic and Akron Invitational before knocking out host UT- Martin in the opening round of the Skyhawk Invitational on Sept. 12.

The Bulldogs started strong in Missouri Valley Conference play with a 3-1 win over the Bradley Braves at the Knapp Center.

Their hot start was quickly cooled, though, as the Bulldogs headed into a slump that they could not fight their way out of.

The Bulldogs struggled most with consistency in conference play and being able to stay strong for the duration of the entire matchup.

Throughout the season, Drake had moments in each game where

it seemed like the Bulldogs would pull out with a win, but too often they were unable to close it out.

Drake’s lack of ability to finish matches was apparent on Oct. 18 when Drake took on eventual MVC champion Illinois State in Normal, Illinois.

After controlling and winning the first two sets of the match, the Bulldogs seemed on the way to handing ISU its first loss of the conference season.

However, the Bulldogs squandered their lead, surrendering the final three sets to the Redbirds to register their eighth straight loss.

That losing streak would stretch all the way to 11 before Drake picked up its second win in the MVC on Nov. 7 with a three-set

win at Evansville.

The Bulldogs won their third conference match on Nov. 15 with another convincing sweep, this time over Indiana State at the Knapp Center.

It would be the Bulldogs final win of the campaign.

The Bulldogs came close in two matches against Loyola this season, dropping both heartbreakers, 3-2.

The first, on Sept. 20 at the Knapp Center, was the start of their long winless streak that stretched until Nov. 7. The second came on Nov. 21 in Chicago.

A day later, the Bulldogs ended their 2014 campaign with a 3-1 loss to Bradley in Peoria to cap an 11-18 overall record.

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