AROUND
DSM
Winter fun at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park. PAGE 8 SPECIAL
THE TIMES-DELPHIC THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
DES MOINES, IOWA • Monday, March 1, 2010 • VOL. 128, NO. 33 • www.timesdelphic.com
Exec voting starts today
CLOSING TIME
EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS started this morning at midnight. Student body president, vice president of student life and vice president of student activities are all up for grabs. Students can access their ballots under the campus life tab in BlueView. Voting concludes at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
U.S. Census is vital, PRSSA speaker explains by NICOLE MITTELBRUN
Staff Writer nicole.mittelbrun@drake.edu
>> Feb. 25
A look into the proceedings at this week’s Student Senate meeting
The West End Lounge closed after 38-years on Drake’s east side by HOLLY WORTHY
Significant, safe and simple. “These are the three key points to remember about the census,” said Lillian Dunlap, the Public Relations Student Society of America sponsored speaker, to a crowd of about 40 people during Thursday night’s presentation on Pomerantz stage. The census comes out in mid-March every 10 years, and it’s that time again. Dunlap explained that ideally each household in America and Puerto Rico should receive a census, fill out the questions and return it by National Census Day, which is April 1. The census is significant because $400 million allocated annually by the government is based on census data. That’s $4 trillion over a 10-year span. “This year, Iowa stands to lose a seat in the House of Representatives, so every person counts,” Dunlap said. The census is safe. No information is given out to any other federal or state agency. The only thing important is a head count. In previous years, one out of every six households were given a longer questionnaire that could take up to an hour and a half to fill out. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this year, “with only 10 questions, the 2010 Census is one of the shortest questionnaires in history and takes just 10 minutes to complete.” Sophomore Jourdan Fenster went to the speech for extra credit. “I did find the speech helpful. Now that I know that it only takes less than 10 minutes, I’ll definitely participate,” Fenster said. “Especially because now I know that the census helps distribute money to the states and representation in the government.” People are recorded according to where they eat and sleep at least 50 percent of the year. Group quarters such as residence halls are head-counted by a census taker. “I learned that parents shouldn’t account for their children that live away at school,” Fenster said. After National Census Day, numerators are sent out to residences to collect information from those who did not fill out their forms. The government, for every 1 percent of completed and returned censuses, saves 80 to 90 million dollars. Iowa has a return rate of 76 percent; the highest of any state. Students can help get response rates up by
SEE CENSUS, PAGE 2
photo by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo/Design Editor
Copy Editor holly.worthy@drake.edu
Despite loyal patronage, protesting Facebook groups and a 38-year run, one of Drake’s oldest watering holes shut its doors Saturday—but not without celebration. A Drake area bar since 1961, the establishment called West End Lounge at 2309 Forest Ave. has been a Drake favorite. The bar has changed hands several times, most recently coming under the ownership of Scott Carlson and Patrick Kelly. Carlson and Kelly, both Drake alumni, bought the business in 2005 just before Drake Relays. After the bar had been closed for a
few months, Carlson said he and Kelly saw an opportunity to bring it back to life from their college days. “I used to tend (the) bar,” Carlson said. “I met my wife there.” But the five-year lease is up, and Carlson says the six-month search for buyers has proven fruitless. So last week, a Facebook event was created to alert the masses of the bar’s closure. The “West End Finale” had 454 members planning to attend as of Saturday afternoon, the day of the event. Another Facebook group, “Save West End,” has since been created and has 724
SEE WEST END, PAGE 2
photo by HEATHER BOONE | Staff Photographer
THE WEST END LOUNGE closed this week, bringing alumni into town to say goodbye.
ASA gives students a taste of African culture by CHELSEA TEACHOUT
Staff Writer chelsea.teachout@drake.edu
photo by STEPHANIE SANYOUR | Staff Photographer
AFRICAN-STYLE DANCING was among the many cultural activities available for the African Renaissance event.
by RACHEL KAUFFOLD
Staff Writer rachel.kauffold@drake.edu
Before the future Student Senate starts to take shape with the upcoming elections, it’s taking on a whole new look—digitally. President Ben Olson revealed the brand new Senate Web site at the beginning of last Thursday’s meeting. Olson stated that the new site was going to change focus after acknowledging that the previous visitor numbers were very slim, with less than
half of visitors venturing beyond the home page. The new site is going to have a blogging format that will be updated daily and all of the senators will have the freedom to post updates. Opinion polls will also be available so that Senate can provide an opportunity for the student body to give their opinions. The new site, which is still drakesenate.com, will also automatically update Facebook and Twitter feeds when anything changes, creating instant contact with over 1,000 followers between the two social net-
Last Friday night, part of Olmsted Center was transformed into an African sensory experience. Culture, food, art and fashion were represented from 53 different African countries at the African Renaissance. The air was filled with the smell of enticing cooked foods. African sculptures, jewelry and pottery were laid out. Student hosts wore brightly colored African clothing and candlelit tables were scattered throughout the audience. The sound of rhythmic music captivated the audience while dancers moved across Pomerantz Stage. Drake students, visiting family members and people from the Des Moines community attended this event sponsored by the Drake African Student Association and the Coalition for Black Students. Event planners have been preparing for the renaissance even before last semester. ASA President Maame Apenteng works. “I don’t want anyone to say that we aren’t being transparent,” Olson said. Informational interviews of Drake faculty and staff will also be provided in videos available on the site, including topics such as security and tuition increases. The other business that was brought to the table was a change in the student handbook as it applies to student organizations, fees and charity events. The proposed rule amendment
wanted people to get a grasp of what African culture is like. “People are going to understand African literature and culture,” Apenteng said. Apenteng said at least one of the music groups performing had to be booked last May. Members from ASA and CBS put in about one week’s worth of hours to make the event a success. “I just want people to experience Africa,” Apenteng said. The renaissance lasted from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and was free admission. The experience was made real with foods like fufu, a dish made by boiling and mashing potatoes—the equivalent of mashed potatoes in the United States. Apenteng wore a dress called a bubu that was handmade for her by an African seamstress. This type of dress is popular throughout western Africa. Performances included live music and dance from Hayor Bibimma, like the drum interlude “Ogbin” or
SEE AFRICA, PAGE 2 states that organizations cannot use student fees to hold an event, charge students a mandatory fee—such as entrance tickets—and then donate that revenue to charity. One clause of the proposal states that organizations should use the revenue to cover the expenses of an event and then donate the remaining proceeds to charity. “In the past, organizations have donated revenue to charity and there’s a big difference between rev-
SEE SENATE, PAGE 2