Drake Blue fall 2006 by Casey Gradischnig

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Fall 2006

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THE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION IS TAKING A HOST OF RECENT AWARDS AS A CHALLENGE TO RETHINK ITS APPROACH AND MAKE WHAT IS WORKING WELL, EVEN BETTER.

From the President. . . A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR AGO, on a visit to Southwest University of Politics and Law in Chongqing, China, I was invited by Southwest’s president to join him in what he termed a “conversation” with about six hundred Southwest students on the last night of our visit. After brief (especially for university presidents!) remarks from both of us, we opened the floor to questions from the audience. As you might expect, since I was the guest — and somewhat of a novelty in this far-distant corner of Southwest China — most of the questions were directed at me. I was quite impressed by the substance of the queries — by their sophistication, the knowledge and expertise that they reflected, and by the fact that most of them were conveyed in extremely good English! One question in particular struck me as quite remarkable, given the context, and given the fact that it relates directly to a challenging and complex issue playing out on America’s campuses these days: “What is the role of your university in America? What is the role of the university in a democracy?” I began my response with the obvious, and important, roles of the university: educating students for citizenship in a participatory democracy; helping them appreciate the joys of intellectual engagement and the discovery of ideas; preparing them for meaningful personal lives, successful professional careers, and service to the community; supporting the free inquiry and research that advance

the frontiers of knowledge; and providing society with an educated, appropriately-prepared workforce. But I was particularly struck by the questioner’s emphasis on democracy, and so I continued, saying that ultimately one of the most important roles of the university in a democratic society is that it is the safe haven for the expression, exploration and exchange of ideas (including disagreement and debate!). A core value of the university is its commitment to free expression without fear of reprisal or punishment (within reason —

understand the potential validity of positions that might differ from theirs. We are not engaging one another in mutually-respectful, civil and informed argument about the genuinely important issues that will determine the future of our country and our planet. This environment makes the university’s responsibility to prepare students for citizenship in a participatory democracy all the more challenging. We have a profound obligation to ensure that our students are exposed to (without prejudice), and understand with some degree of sophistication, the major intellectual, ideological, economic, and cultural currents (historical and contemporary) that have shaped — and continue to shape — the world in which we live: liberal and conservative, left and right, and all shades in between. And we have an equally profound obligation to help our students learn how to engage in a meaningful, respectful, and productive way with those with whom they disagree — an activity that is at the heart of the academic enterprise and essential to the process of moving knowledge, and our civilization, forward. We need to

A core value of the university is its

commitment to free expression without fear of reprisal or punishment. we do not condone speech that deliberately encourages or causes emotional or physical harm). This does not mean free expression without consequence, however; when I exercise my right to express myself, everyone else has an equal right — indeed an obligation — to tell me what they think of my ideas, and to engage me in argument if they disagree. But this central principle of the American university is under threat these days, because society as a whole seems to be losing the ability to engage in intelligent debate, to use healthy disagreement as a vehicle for finding even higher and better truths. Public “debate” in contemporary America is, for the most part, shrill, abusive and disrespectful name-calling seemingly designed to whip those who already believe into frenzies of alternating indignation and self-righteousness (and, of course, applause). It is rarely designed to help those who disagree better

help our students understand that those with whom they disagree are not stupid, ignorant, or evil simply by virtue of that disagreement. Sadly, thanks to what passes for public discourse in America these days, there is evidence on our campus (and everyone else’s) that it is becoming more and more difficult to fulfill our responsibility — but I can assure you that we are committed to doing everything that we can to succeed.

Dr. David E. Maxwell, president

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The Magazine of Drake University

contents

President

Features

Dr. David E. Maxwell

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

John H. Willey

Director of Alumni & Parent Programs Barbara Dietrich Boose, JO’83, GR’90

HURLER’S NEW PITCH

Softball Star Jessica Hicks Leaves Dugout for the Boardroom

Director of Marketing & Communications Brooke Benschoter

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor/Art Director Casey L. Gradischnig

STADIUM DEDICATED

Relays Weekend Brings New Events and a Rejuvenated Drake Stadium

Graphic Designers Amber Baker Courtney Hartman

Contributing Writers Daniel P. Finney, JO’97 Lisa Lacher Tim Schmitt

Blue blue blue Interns

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Jennifer Bins Aaron Jaco Zack Johnson Bryan Klopack Erin Lain Marisa Roby

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To submit news or update your alumni file, contact Drake’s Office of Alumni and Parent Programs. Call: 1-800-44-DRAKE, x3152 E-mail: recordsinfo@drake.edu Surf: www.drake.edu/alumni

Departments CAMPUS

Gifts Advance Law School • Gift Compounds Learning for CPHS Students • Bucksbaum Lecture Features Architect, Ben & Jerry • Biz Kids Meet Entrepreneurial Whizzes • Book Burnings Subject of Cowles Exhibit • Student Publications Earn Professional Marks • Drake Students: Recycle, Yes; Sweatshops, No • Law Students Earn Accolades • Half of Job Winners Drake Students • Singers Sock It To Competition

Drake Blue is published as a service to Drake alumni, parents and friends by the Drake University Office of Marketing and Communications. Views expressed in Drake Blue do not necessarily reflect opinions of the editors or the University. We welcome articles by and story ideas from and about Drake alumni. Send correspondence to Editor Casey L. Gradischnig, Drake University, 2507 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311-4505. E-mail: casey.gradischnig@drake.edu.

LIVING AND LEARNING

The Evolving Story of How Students Live, Study and Play on Campus Across 125 Years

FACULTY

Professors Named Levitt Award Winners • Three New Levitt Professors Appointed • McCord Elected to American Law Institute • Faculty Honors

SPORTS

2005-2006 Athletics in Review • Clubb Becomes New Top Bulldog

ALUMNI

Trio of Drake Grads Receives Fulbright Grant • Community Pharmacist Earns Drake’s Weaver Medal • World-Famous Group, Featuring Alumni, Performs at Drake • Humanitarian Alumna Vasquez Honored

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campus buzz

the HOT list cy students to learn the latest techniques in compounding. “This transformative gift will enable Drake to provide state-of-the-art facilities and an innovative curriculum that will help our graduates become entrepreneurs in the area of pharmaceutical compounding,” said Raylene Rospond, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Drake President David Maxwell, Dan Jacobi of Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., LW’86, Law School Dean David Walker, and Donna and Wayne, LW’72, Kern.

GIFTS ADVANCE LAW SCHOOL Gifts totaling $5.25 million will fund a pair of endowed faculty chairs and provide scholarship opportunities at the Drake Law School. A gift of $1.5 million from Wayne, LW’72, and Donna Kern will sponsor an endowed chair in honor of the Kern family, the focus of which will be determined as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the law school. A $750,000 leadership gift from Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, is earmarked for a dynamic new program in intellectual property law. The gift is intended to be part of the funding by a broad coalition of industry and alumni aimed at strengthening Drake’s intellectual property law program. The program will focus on educating regulators, judges and practicing attorneys, and will be a powerful voice for the importance of strong intellectual property rights in biotechnology on a global basis. As part of this effort, Drake Law School plans to add a full-time endowed faculty position in intellectual property law. Dwight Opperman, LW’51, gave $3 million to expand the endowment of the Opperman Scholar program. The fund awards five or more merit-

based, full-tuition scholarships for outstanding first-year students and the scholarships are renewable. In addition, the program provides an annual grant of $10,000 to each Opperman Scholar to help pay for books and living expenses while attending Drake Law School.

GIFT COMPOUNDS LEARNING FOR CPHS STUDENTS Pharmacy students are gaining a state-of-the-art compounding laboratory where they will learn how to prepare medications that are not commercially available, thanks to a $500,000 gift from Drake alumnus Larry Mayhew, PH’67, and his wife, Sandy (above). Pharmacy compounding — in which pharmacists make medications from scratch — is growing rapidly as demand for customized prescriptions increases to better meet patient needs. The new Mayhew Compounding Laboratory will greatly enhance opportunities for Drake pharma-

The Honors Program, Honors Student Council and the Office of the Provost sponsored author and exper t Frederick Lane to discuss “Lost in MySpace: Social Networking, Student Privacy and Self-Protection.” Drake Theater gave a sneak preview per formance of The Impor tance of Being Earnest to area high school students. The RaySociety hosted a series of classes examining Iowans role in World War II — and invited all veterans to attend free of charge. Cowles Library archivists recorded the oral histories of alumni during Drake Relays. The Adult Literacy Center, hosted in the School of Education, held its annual fundraising and awareness walk to suppor t volunteer tutors and their students. School of Education students donated 700 books to two elementar y schools as par t of their par ticipation in Children’s Choices, a program in which elementar y school students read and review new books for youth. The

BUCKSBAUM LECTURE FEATURES ARCHITECT, BEN & JERRY David Chipperfield, the architect behind the Figge Art Museum in Davenport and the new downtown Des Moines Central Library, delivered the spring Martin J. Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture. The British building designer discussed the Des Moines project just days before the library opened to the public as well as other projects throughout his career. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of the popular Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, are scheduled to give the fall 2006 lecture.

Physics and Astronomy Department continued its

BIZ KIDS MEET ENTREPRENEURIAL WHIZZES Des Moines entrepreneur Kyle Krause delivered the keynote address at the 2006 Drake University Entrepreneurship Conference in March. Krause, one of Iowa’s most successful businessmen, shared his insights into entrepreneurship from a variety of angles. Krause is president of more than 430 Kum & Go convenience stores in 13 states. He is owner and president of Solar Transport, the largest Iowabased refined fuel transporter. He is also majority owner of the Des Moines Menace soccer team.

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series of summer sessions at the Drake Municipal Obser vator y with an evening studying the Zodiac symbols. The Jazz I Ensemble took a 20-piece group on a summer European tour that included stops in Vienna, Austria; Montereux, Switzerland; Vienne, France and Brugge, Belgium. Drake Filmmakers, a student film-making club, hosted the first Foray Film Festival.

Krause’s talk was the capstone to a day filled with discussion of entrepreneurship and advice about how to make things happen in business. Presenters continued on page 6

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NEW DRAKE GRAD PHILLIP LONGMAN (second from the left) wore his great-grandmother’s graduation gown at commencement. The gown made its first appearance on Leonta Starzinger Morrison, who graduated from Drake in 1906. Longman stands with his grandmother, Lee Longman, left, who wore the gown in 1953, Drake historian Paul Morrison, who wore it in 1939, and Holly Dierks, Morrison’s daughter, who donned the garment in 1976.

Commencement MORE THAN 1,200 STUDENTS JOINED THE RANKS OF DRAKE ALUMNI DURING COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES THIS SPRING Academy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman (left) received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at the 125th Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in the Drake Knapp Center. Leachman, a Des Moines Roosevelt High School graduate, got her acting start at the Drake Community Theater and recalled taking the streetcar downtown to Drake for acting lessons. Amy Schoepf, winner of the Oreon E. Scott Award, Drake’s highest honor for undergraduates, also spoke at the ceremony. Marion Panyan, the Mary Collier Baker endowed professor of education, delivered

the commencement address for the graduate commencement, and Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson gave the commencement address for the Law School.

(Top left) Brooke Timmer, student bar association president, gives addresses the crowd at the Law School commencement ceremony. (Second down on left) Amy Schoepf, winner of the Oreon E. Scott Award, Drake’s highest award for undergraduate students, speaks at the 2006 commencement ceremony. Schoepf is a graduate of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

campus buzz continued from page 4 included: Joe Yamen, JO’91, who has owned a variety of different companies in his career, ranging from a computer learning center to a lost luggage delivery service. Michael Wagner, president of the consulting company The White Rabbit Group, put a unique spin on entrepreneurial ethics. BOOK BURNINGS SUBJECT OF COWLES EXHIBIT The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibit “Fighting the Fires of Hate: America and the Nazi Book Burnings” visited Drake University’s Cowles Library during the spring semester. The exhibit provided a vivid look at the first steps the Nazis took to suppress freedom of expression in the 1930s and the strong response that occurred in the United States both immediately and in the years thereafter. The exhibit focuses on how the book burnings became a potent symbol during World

War II in America’s battle against Nazism and concludes by examining their continued impact on public discourse. The James M. Collier Heritage Room also featured additional exhibits related to local Holocaust Survivors and modern-day book banning and censorship. SOUND IT OUT: DRAKE HEAD START ROCKS Reading Is Fundamental Inc., the nation’s oldest and largest children’s and family literacy nonprofit group, has selected Drake University Head Start as a recipient of RIF Program Excellence Honors 2006, an award sponsored by MetLife Foundation. Drake Head Start, which is celebrating its 30th year, was nominated for its success in developing strong parent and community involvement in promoting reading, book selection and distribution, fundraising activities and program leadership. Out of approximately 4,600 RIF programs nationwide, Drake

SCIENTIST ALBENA IVANISEVIC, AS’96, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Purdue University, returned to Drake to discuss her research that may prevent blindness and to encourage current students to embrace their opportunities in the first of the “Life After Drake” series sponsored by Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute.

Head Start was among 25 programs recognized for commitment to children’s literacy in a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June. “Drake University Head Start epitomizes all of the essential elements of a high-quality RIF program – and any successful children’s literacy program,” said Marilyn Smith, RIF vice president and director of pro-

admission update SWEET HOME DRAKE . Drake admission coun-

selors regularly enlist alumni to assist in recruitment efforts. The alumni home reception program is one way alumni around the country help Drake by making personal connections with prospective students. Held in various cities, admitted students meet with Drake graduates at their homes and discuss the Bulldog experience. Some alumni discuss their relationships with their professors. Others talk about how they met their spouses at Drake. All discuss how the University shaped their lives. “It takes Drake to them rather than their always having to come to us,” says Laura Linn, director of admission. “It’s Drake alumni sharing their experiences with future students. It’s a really unique event that’s been very successful for us.”

THE HONORABLE ROBERT, BN’52, LW’54, AND BILLIE RAY, ED’50, greet Holly Morrison Dierks, LA’76, vice president of the Drake Alumni Board, and her daughter, Abby, at a reception held at the Rays’.

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grams. “It is important not only that we recognize excellent RIF programs like Drake University Head Start, but that we also mine them for resources and tips that other literacy initiatives can learn from.” ‘TAKE A CAB’ STRAIGHT TO AWARDS Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication students earned high marks for their efforts to encourage safe drinking during Alcohol Awareness Month. The contest challenged students to develop a public service advertising campaign that includes a print, radio and Internet advertisement execution. A pair of three-person teams from Drake took the first and third prizes in the first Public Service Advertisement Student Competition sponsored by the American Advertising Federation and Heineken USA. The first-place “Reasons to Take a Cab” campaign, created by Drake seniors Matt Kappmeyer, Kristin Headrick and Ashley Sinclair, advises against individuals getting into a car with someone who has been drinking.

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Third place went to seniors Ashlee Davis, Lisa Diesing and Morgan Farl of Drake for their “Be a Parent, Not a Peer” campaign. STUDENT PUBLICATIONS EARN PROFESSIONAL MARKS School of Journalism and Mass Communication students recently earned two first-place honors in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 7 Mark of Excellence Awards for work in the 2005 calendar year. Collegiate journalists submitted more than 3,100 entries in 43 categories across SPJ’s 12 regions. The honorees were awarded certificates at the Region 7 Conference held at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. First-place regional winners will advance to the national round of judging. Drake Winners: Best Student Magazine

(published more than once a year) Third Place: Drake Magazine Best Student Magazine

(published once a year) First Place: Launch magazine Second Place: 515 magazine Magazine Nonfiction Article

First Place: Rachel DeSchepper, senior Third Place: Bridget Nelson and Sarah Schafman, both juniors DRAKE STUDENTS: RECYCLE, YES; SWEATSHOPS, NO Drake students took action this spring to raise awareness about global citizenship by presenting an Anti-Sweatshop Fashion Show and creating a recycling program at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center in downtown Des Moines. The projects stemmed from a Global Citizenship class taught by Darcie Vandegrift, assistant professor of sociology, which examines the concept of citizenship and engages students in theories of global identity.

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“These students are all working to advance themselves as global citizens as part of their final projects,” says Vandegrift, assistant professor of sociology. “I am seeing many outstanding projects come out of their efforts. This reflects a national trend among college students to engage with their community and create a better world. Our students are certainly evidence of this.” The fashion show was part of a final class project on the clothing industry’s reliance on sweatshops in the production of its products. The fashion show highlighted companies that use sweatshop labor, and those that further global citizenship by using nonsweatshop labor. In addition, the class produced a paper recycling program at the John and Mary Pappajohn Center, which houses classrooms used by the Des Moines Higher Education Collaborative and the Des Moines Public Schools at 1200 Grand Ave. LAW STUDENTS EARN ACCOLADES The Law School faculty selected two students in late spring to receive major awards for leadership and accomplishment. 200506 Student Bar Association President Brooke Timmer received the Iowa State Bar Association Award, given to the graduating senior who by service, attitude and ability is expected to be the most successful member of the class in leadership and service to the Iowa State Bar. Timmer led the Student Bar Association in a very eventful and successful year that saw the University and the Law School responding to several challenges and undertaking a number of major initiatives. In addition to serving as SBA president, she also served as

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Governor of the American Bar Association Law School Division for the 8th Circuit and in that capacity traveled widely on behalf of the ABA representing it and working with Student Bar Associations at other schools. In conferring the award, the faculty recognized strong leadership ability, team-building and consensus-building skills, and demonstrated capacity to serve the Bar and the profession. Selected to receive the 2006 ALI-ABA Scholarship & Leadership Award was Sarah Russell. Russell has been an active member of the Student Bar Association during her years at Drake, projects editor of the Drake Law Review, faculty-student representative at faculty meetings, and a leader and volunteer in many other student organizations. She graduated with high hon-

ors and has accepted a position with the Minneapolis law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. DISPLAY SHOWCASES DRAKE HISTORY The 125th anniversary celebration took to the road this spring with a historical display at the Polk County Heritage Gallery in downtown Des Moines. The display highlights the dreamers, scholars and stargazers who built Drake from a forest on the edge of Des Moines to Iowa’s largest private educational institution. The anniversary book Drake University, which showcases a University timeline and photographs by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Peterson, remains on sale for $39.99. Call 515-271-2500 for more information.

DRAKE HOSTED THE GREATER DES MOINES PARTNERSHIP’S MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION in March. The event connected people of diverse backgrounds in an effort to make them feel more at home in their new community. “It’s about being inclusive,” said Alba Perez, diversity development director for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “It’s an opportunity for new Iowans to meet people with similar cultures and backgrounds in the Des Moines area and see how truly multicultural this community is.” Drake’s multicultural student organizations were at the event with information tables and students served as hosts. The groups included were the Black Law Student Association, Coalition of Black Students, International Student Association, La Fuerza Latina, Muslim Student Association, Rainbow Union, South Asian Student Association and Women’s Awareness Coalition.

HALF OF JOB WINNERS DRAKE STUDENTS Drake students Brenna Gannon and Benton Hendrix were among the four winning candidates to hear the welcome words “You’re hired!” at the Four Hire! competition conference held in Des Moines. Gannon, a senior majoring in international business and marketing, was hired by the Principal Financial Group as an assistant communications consultant. Hendrix, a senior majoring in management and marketing, was hired as a farm underwriting trainee by Allied Insurance – A Nationwide Company. The Four Hire! Program is a new annual competition designed by the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Young Professionals Connection to retain Iowa college graduates for job opportunities in the Des Moines metro area. The four winning candidates were selected from applications and three-minute videos submitted by students from around the state. Twelve candidates began the competition by participating

DRAKE LAW SCHOOL HOSTED A BEVY OF TOP SPEAKERS AND GUEST LECTURERS during the spring semester. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (above left) spent a week at Drake as a guest lecturer. BBC journalist Justin Webb (above right) discussed why America was drifting apart from its traditional allies during the annual Supreme Court Celebration. Stephen Rapp (left) a former U.S. attorney in Iowa and a 1974 Drake Law School alumnus, detailed his pursuit and prosecution of suspects in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that left 800,000 dead.

in an interview process with each of the four companies on Jan. 13. The candidates were narrowed to eight based on their performance in the first group challenge on Feb. 10, which involved developing a market-

RENOWNED OPERA SINGER AND TEACHER SHERRILL MILNES, FA’57, GR’58, during a visit to his alma mater, offered his insights to Drake voice students in a special master class.

ing plan to attract potential residents to the Des Moines area. The candidates then faced an individual challenge on Feb. 24 when they were asked to devise plans to address the potential needs of the new Des Moines Central Library. The four hiring companies chose the four winning candidates based on each candidate’s performance completing these tasks. SINGERS SOCK IT TO COMPETITION A pair of Drake University music students recently made big splashes in local and national competitions. Timothy Bostwick, a baritone singer from Cedar Falls, IA, was selected as one of 30 semifinalists chosen to compete in the “Singer of the Year” competition sponsored by the Shreveport (LA) Opera. Bostwick, a junior, was the youngest person selected for the competition and

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competed against graduate students and beyond. Natalie Neimann, a sophomore soprano, was chosen as winner of the recent Fort Dodge, IA Symphony Young Artist Competition. Both Bostwick and Neimann study under Leanne FreemanMiller, Drake associate professor of voice. PHARMACY STUDENTS ANALYZE ‘PILLS AND BILLS’ The theme of the 2006 Pharmacy Day in the College of Pharmacy and Health Science was “Pills and Bills on Capitol Hill,” looking at issues from the changes in Medicare benefits to proposed laws governing the latest pharmaceutical research. Susan Winkler, a national officer in the American Pharmacy Association, delivered the keynote address, titled “Becoming a Pharmacist: Getting Involved or Just Getting a Paycheck?”

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In the Starting Blocks DRAKE HEAD START PROGRAM CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF OFFERING AN EDGE TO KIDS AND PARENTS

ASK KIM DEJOODE ABOUT HEAD START. But a note of

warning: Clear out a little time on the schedule. The Des Moines mother of four has a lot to say — all of it good. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me and my children,” she says. “The program gave me more confidence as a parent. It got my son ready for kindergarten in ways that I just wouldn’t have known. I can talk all day about it and still not say all the good things I have on my mind.” Head Start is a national comprehensive preschool program that helps prepare children from low-income families for school. The program also serves parents, teaching them the skills they need to make their home a good learning and growing environment as well as help families look at health, nutrition and a host of other social issues. HEAD START CELEBRATES ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY AT DRAKE THIS YEAR — one of only a handful of pro-

grams nationwide hosted at a college or university. Making a home at Drake gives Head Start access to the latest educational research, top faculty experts in the fields of early childhood development and learning as well as a host of students

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interested in one with a variety of fields that can benefit the program. “We’ve had information technology majors come in and help us put together interactive computer programs,” says Georgia Sheriff (above), director of Head Start at Drake. “We’ve had finance students help with bookkeeping issues. These are people who aren’t necessarily interested in working with children but we offer learning opportunities for more than just education students.” In fact, Head Start provides learning opportunities all around. DeJoode says she learned how to be a better mom through Head Start programs, growing in confidence enough that she’s thinking about getting a teaching degree from Drake. The kids, of course, get the full complement of learning, health and safety programs — and a little bit of recess, too. Even Sheriff and her staff learn a little something everyday. “I never walk away from an interaction with a parent or student without learning something,” she says. “That’s the beauty of this program. Everyone grows.” — Daniel Finney, JO’87

faculty focus classroom, McCord was an assistant attorney general for the state of Arizona and a member of the Wentworth & Lundin law firm in Phoenix. Leanne Freeman-Miller

Eleanor Zeff

PROFESSORS NAMED LEVITT AWARD WINNERS Leanne Freeman-Miller, GR’96, associate professor of voice, is the 2006 winner of the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year award — the highest honor awarded to teachers at Drake. An accomplished vocalist with hundreds of concerts and performances to her credit locally, regionally and nationally, Freeman-Miller drives students to succeed and consistently earns the respect and dedication of her students in her rigorous voice lessons and classes. Eleanor E. Zeff, associate professor of political science, is the 2005-2006 winner of the Madelyn M. Levitt Mentor of the Year Award — the highest honor given to mentors at Drake. Zeff serves as a faculty adviser to applicants for Fulbright Scholarships, which provide grant money to students for the pursuit of post-graduate research and teaching assistantships. Under Zeff’s guidance, three recent graduates have been offered Fulbright grants — a record for Drake.

THREE NEW LEVITT PROFESSORS APPOINTED In recognition of their superior performance, three faculty members were honored by the Drake Board of Trustees and awarded Ellis and Nelle Levitt distinguished professorships. Laurie Dore, professor of law, Jack Gerlovich, professor of education, and Lon Larson, professor of pharmacy administration, are the recent recipients of this honor. Provost Ron Troyer and a committee of at least five faculty members who currently hold special university or distinguished professorships recommended the professors for the appointments. The criteria includes teaching effectiveness, professional contributions through scholarly activity, holding leadership roles and consulting activities as well as contributions to the mission of the department, college and University.

MCCORD ELECTED TO AMERICAN LAW INSTITUTE The American Law Institute recently selected David McCord, Drake University Law School professor, to its prestigious membership. A national organization, the institute allows members by election only. The group’s 2,700 members include judges, lawyers and law teachers from all areas of the United States and some foreign countries. Members are selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in the improvement of American law. McCord is a nationally recognized expert on criminal law, evidence and the death penalty. He earned his doctor of jurisprudence cum laude from Harvard Law School and his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University. He has served as a Drake professor since 1984. Before his time in the

EDUCATION, BIOLOGY PROFESSORS EARN GRANTS Jack Gerlovich, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt professor of education, has been awarded a threeyear grant totaling $450,000 from the Iowa Department of Education for a project titled “Science Professional Development Program: A Collaborative Approach.” The project involves Drake, Central College, Graceland University and the Green Valley Iowa Area Education Agency joining forces to enhance the content knowledge and teaching skills of science teachers in participating Green Valley schools. Jerry E. Honts, associate professor of biology, has received a $28,031 grant from the National Science Foundation through the University of Northern Colorado for a research project titled “Design Principles for Effective Molecular Animations.” FACULTY HONORS Jane DeWitt, assistant professor of social and administrative sciences, received the 2005-2006 Drake Pharmacy Teacher of the Year award. June Johnson, associate professor of pharmacy practice and director of faculty and site development, received the 2005-2006 Drake Pharmacy Mentor of the Year Award. Linda Krypel, associate professor of pharmacy practice, received the 2005-2006 Drake Pharmacy Hartig Faculty Development Award in recognition of innovative patient care and scholarship. Geoff Wall, associate professor of pharmacy practice,

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received the 2005-2006 Drake Pharmacy Faculty Preceptor of the Year award. Sally Haack, assistant professor of pharmacy, received the 2005-2006 Drake Pharmacy Hartig Faculty Development Award for promoting entrepreneurial endeavors in community pharmacy practice. Art Sanders, professor of politics and chair of the Department of Politics and International Relations, received the Centennial Scholar Award in the College of Arts and Sciences for distinguished achievements as a scholar. Brian Sanders, associate professor of psychology and head of the Neuroscience Program, received the Outstanding Teacher Award in the College of Arts and Sciences. Stuart Klugman, the Principal Financial Group distinguished professor of actuarial science, received the David B. Lawrence Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in the College of Business and Public Administration. Inchul Suh, assistant professor of finance, was selected for the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award in the College of Business and Public Administration. Brad Meyer, associate professor of management, was selected for the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award in the College of Business and Public Administration. Tom Root, associate professor of finance, received the Harry I. Wolk Research Award/ Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award in the College of Business and Public Administration. Jerry Anderson, the Richard M. and Anita Calkins distinguished professor of law, received the 2006 Leland S. Forrest Award for outstanding teaching in the Drake University Law School.

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Master of His Game LAW PROFESSOR BRINGS PASSION TO HIS PASTIMES AND HIS PROFESSION

MARK KENDE COULD HAPPILY DISCUSS CHESS STRATEGY FOR HOURS. He began playing

at the age of 12 and he’s since traveled extensively to compete in national tournaments and compiled a small library of books on the subject. And, despite a 10-year stretch when he did not play competitively at all, he still qualifies as an expert — just one level below master. The game is a passion of Kende’s; it’s just not THE passion. But when the topic turns toward Constitutional Law Kende’s eyes light up and he sits a little straighter in his chair. Get Kende going on the subject and he seems more like a kid talking comic books or video games than a professor rattling on about a document that’s been a subject of study for more than 200 years. Kende, the James Madison chair, professor and director of Drake’s Constitutional Law Center, has an interest in the subject that extends beyond the parchment signed by John Hancock and company. His fervor and dedication have allowed him to acquire vast knowledge of the constitutional intricacies of several countries — making him a widely respected authority on the South African Constitution. A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. While teaching at the Montana Law School in 2000, Kende received a Fulbright Research and Lecturing Scholarship that allowed him to teach at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. This afforded him the rare opportunity to meet with several scholars who helped draft that country’s constitution just four years earlier and to interview some of the first justices to sit on the country’s high court. “Imagine the opportunity to go speak with the founding fathers of the United States and discuss with them the subtleties of the U.S. Constitution,” he says. “It’s not quite the same thing, but it was fascinating. For a Con Law nerd like me it was a great experience.” Since then Kende has published several articles on the South African Constitution, many on the topic of positive social rights, which guarantee rights such as health care to citizens. These rights are the responsibility of the government to provide and the courts to enforce — a concept completely unheard of in the United States. “South African scholars have criticized the courts for not being aggressive enough in enforcing these rights,” Kende says. “The government has mostly complied — they’re still dragging their heels, but it’s better. Being there really opened my eyes to an entirely different way of seeing things.” — Tim Schmitt

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sports sideline 2005-06 ATHLETICS IN REVIEW FOOTBALL Sophomore running back Scott Phaydavong was named a repeat selection to The Sports Network I-AA Mid-Major All-American football team for the 2005 season. Phaydavong, who rushed for 1,550 yards with eight touchdowns in just 204 carries (7.6 avg. per carry), led the Pioneer Football League in rushing for the second straight year and enjoyed eight straight 100-yard plus rushing games to close out the season. WOMEN’S SOCCER Drake’s Corbin Stone was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to their third consecutive MVC regular season championship and second consecutive undefeated MVC season at 5-0-1. Stone was honored for the third consecutive season after earning the honor in 2003 and co-coach of the year plaudits in 2004. MEN’S SOCCER Drake finished the 2005 season with a 9-9-2 record, including a 4-2-1 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference to earn its fourth consecutive post season berth. The Bulldogs earned their first postseason win since 1997 with a 2-1 comeback victory over Missouri State in the MVC Tournament quarterfinal match. WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Junior Ashley Anklam finished 54th out of 253 runners in the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Championships at Terre Haute, IN, covering the 6,000-meter race in a personal best of 20 minutes 42.9 seconds. Anklam recorded the highest finish (sixth) of any Iowa collegian in the NCAA Midwest Regional in Iowa City, IA.

CLUBB BECOMES NEW TOP BULLDOG Sandy Hatfield Clubb joined Drake Athletics in August as the University’s 16th athletic director. Hatfield Clubb, 42, was the assistant athletic director and senior women’s administrator at Arizona State University before her appointment at Drake. “Sandy Hatfield Clubb is the perfect person to build on the wonderful progress of Drake Athletics achieved during Dave Blank’s tenure,” Drake President David Maxwell said. “She has a national reputation for her great success in all facets of athletics administration at a major Division I institution and, at the same time, she has an understanding of and passion for the distinctive role of athletics at Drake University.” Hatfield Clubb is the third woman to serve as athletic director in the Missouri Valley

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Drake finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships Nov. 5 in Evansville, IN, marking the third time in the last four years the Bulldogs have finished second in the league race. The Bulldogs placed five runners in the top 20, led by senior Nick Cooper who was 11th. VOLLEYBALL Senior outside hitter Lindsey Johnson led the Missouri Valley Conference with a career-high 43 service aces (0.42 avg). She finished her career with 119 service aces, the third best tally in Drake history. Johnson also ranked 10th on the career digs list with 824 digs. Junior outside hitter Megan Veltman led Drake with 374 kills, while ranking fourth in the MVC with 3.56 kills per game. MEN’S BASKETBALL Junior guard Al Stewart, who ranked second in the MVC in assists (4.7 avg.) and fourth (61)

Conference. Hatfield Clubb will be one of 25 women athletic directors at the 334 schools playing NCAA Division I basketball and the first in Iowa. She is active in the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators, which strives to enhance college athletics and to promote the growth, leadership and success of women as athletics administrators, professional staff, coaches and student-athletes. An avid mountain climber, swimmer, cyclist and triathlete, Hatfield Clubb grew up in Bethesda, MD, and her husband, Jeffrey Clubb, is a native of Sigourney, IA. They are the parents of two children — a son, Tristan, 7, and a daughter, Skyelar, 4.

in steals, was named to the fivemember All-MVC Newcomer Team. Stewart’s 144 assists ranked third on the school single season list and were the most by a Drake player since Stephfon Butler had 147 in 1984-85. He also tied with Matt Woodley (1997-98) for seventh on the school single-season steals chart.

the UNIDome in Cedar Falls, IA, Feb. 25. She was timed in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8.43 seconds. Holly Johnson was the only previous Drake athlete to win the hurdles when she captured the 60 yard hurdles at the 1984 MVC Women’s Indoor meet.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Junior Jill Martin led Drake in scoring 15 times, while recording 14 double-doubles this season. Martin ranks fifth on the school’s career double-double chart with 25. She scored 20 or more points 10 times, including a string of four consecutive 20-plus games. Sophomore Lindsay Whorton led Drake with 54 three-point baskets.

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK Sophomore Derek Johnson became the first Drake athlete to win the men’s hurdles in 27 years when he earned the 60 hurdles crown at the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships. Johnson was clocked in 7.88 seconds. Greg Rumple won the 60 yard hurdles at the 1979 MVC Indoor meet for Drake.

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK Junior Kasey McDaniel became just the second Drake woman ever to win a hurdles title in the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships when she captured the 60 meter hurdles at

WOMEN’S TENNIS Drake, which earned the No. 5 seed for the MVC tournament, advanced to the conference semifinals for the ninth straight year, before falling to eventual champion Wichita State, 4-0.

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champions Drake freshmen Irina Kalashnikova and Sarah Plowman fell in the finals of the Nos. 2 and 6 singles flights, respectively, at the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships. MEN’S TENNIS Drake posted a school record 24-3 mark, being rated sixth in the final Fila Collegiate Tennis Central Region rankings en route to winning the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. The Bulldogs fell to host Oklahoma State, 4-1, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. WOMEN’S CREW The Bulldogs closed out the season by placing fourth in the women’s varsity eight at the 68th annual Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, PA. Drake won the third qualifying heat in the women’s heavyweight eight, covering the 2,000-meter course in 7 minutes 8.84 seconds to advance to the semifinal round where it finished fifth in its heat in 6:53.45. Drake also advanced to the semifinal round in the junior varsity heavyweight eight. SOFTBALL Senior Shanna Cook, an all-MVC pick at third base, fueled Drake’s offense in the MVC Tournament with two two-run home runs against the MVC Pitcher of the Year Cassidy Scoggins in the Bulldogs’ 4-1 win over Southern Illinois. Cook became just the second Drake player to hit two home runs in a single game, following Olympian Dani Tyler who had two against Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1994. Cook’s feat also tied five others for the MVC Tournament record with the two home runs.

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MEN’S GOLF Senior Kane Hanson competed in the NCAA Central Regional golf tournament at the Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon, OH, finishing 75th out of 141 golfers by posting a 14-over par 73-7579=227. Hanson was one of 18 atlarge golfers selected nationally to play in one of three regional tournaments. Twenty-seven teams and six individuals not on selected teams were assigned to each regional site. WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK Junior Ashley Anklam finished 13th in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Midwest Regional, clocking in with a time of 18:05.21. Junior Kasey McDaniel lowered her school record in the women’s 100 meter hurdles at the NCAA Midwest Regional Track and Field Championships, being clocked in 13.63 seconds, bettering her previous school mark of 13.64 set at the Iowa Musco Twilight Meet April 15. Senior Kelly Malarkey lowered her school record in the 3,000 steeplechase en route to a sixth-place finish at the MVC Championship. MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK Senior Matt Sanderson competed in the NCAA Midwest Regional for the third straight year in the long jump. He finished 12th with a leap of 24 feet 3.75 inches. Sophomore Marcus Gaines finished 18th with a jump of 23-10. Sanderson, a six-time All-Missouri Valley Conference performer, won the long jump for the second time in three years at the Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Wichita, KS, soaring 25 feet 4.50 inches on his second attempt to tie a school record. He also won the long jump crown at the 2004 MVC Outdoor Championships.

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Hurler’s new pitch SOFTBALL STAR JESSICA HICKS LEAVES DUGOUT FOR THE BOARDROOM WHEN DRAKE SOFTBALL PITCHER JESSICA HICKS UNLEASHES ONE OF HER MERCILESS FASTBALLS, SHE MAKES A NOISE THAT’S, WELL, A LITTLE ODD.

The sound falls somewhere between the muffled squeak of a dog’s chew toy and the high-pitched whine of an ambulance siren. “It’s not something I do on purpose,” says the senior from Colfax, IA. “I think it’s because I don’t breathe right when I pitch. The muscles are contracted in my stomach too tight and I make that weird noise.” Good breathing techniques or not, the senior public relations and marketing major finished up her Drake career this spring second all-time in strikeouts, first in appearances and one of the Bulldogs’ top hurlers in history. After she finishes a pair of marketing classes in the fall 2006 semester, Hicks will trade her glove and spikes for a new kind of pitching: that of a PR spokeswoman and marketer. “It will be different not to be playing softball because that’s something I’ve done all my life,” she says. “I’m anxious to learn and do something new. I might coach someday, but I don’t want to be 30 and have only been a softball player or coach. I want to get some new experiences.” Hicks has already notched a pair of marketing internships and spent a day shadowing a Des Moines-area media consultant. She says the mental pressure of playing in big games helped prepare her for the post-Drake professional world. “The things I’ve done in athletics give me a lot of confidence,” she says. “I feel like I can go anywhere and make a contribution. I have a lot to learn, but I’m up for the challenge.” Hicks will be in the boardroom as she was on the softball field: dominating. — Daniel P. Finney, JO’97

Relays Weekend Brings New Events, Rejuvenated Stadium Drake President David Maxwell and two dozen of the University’s closest friends — from public officials to major donors — gathered on a gray, rainy Saturday to christen the revitalized Drake Stadium The $15-million project includes a state-ofthe-art artificial surface field for football and soccer programs, an internationally certified track that allows world records to be set at the Drake Relays once again, replaced all the seating in the stadium and completely renovated the press box. Despite unpleasant weather on Relays Saturday, the reopening of the 81-year-old building proved a dramatic success. Crews gutted the stadium the day after the 2005 girls and boys state track meets in May. Thus began a race to renovate Drake Stadium just in time for the 2006 Relays. Festivities during the week also included the dedication of Drake’s newest bulldog — a 750-pound bronze sculpture — which will stand guard outside Drake Plaza, a brick walkway and arch under development at the corner of the former 28th Street and Forest Avenue, both made possible by generous gifts from Drake alumni and friends. The statue is a gift from Andy and Elaine Hanna Wright, a pair of 1969 Drake graduates, with additional support from the Class of 1997. The Wrights’ son, James Wright and his wife, Bethany (Hornblad) Wright, both graduated from Drake in 1997. Andy Wright, of Barrington Hills, IL, is a member of the Drake Board of Trustees. This year’s Relays included an opening night The plaza and archway, due for compleceremony featuring a parade of athletes, firetion this summer, are made possible by a works and a lighting of a torch signaling the $500,000 gift from Peggy Fisher, a 1970 Drake official opening of the 97th running of the alumna, and her husband, Larry Stelter, of Drake Relays. Urbandale, IA. Maxwell saved a final surprise for Saturday afternoon’s rededication ceremony. With rain pouring off an umbrella and wind tossing about his script, Maxwell grinned and looked into the faithful Relays crowd and announced that Drake and Des Moines will host the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The championship, which draws as many as 1,100 athletes, is scheduled for May 25-26, 2007. Drake is also among six schools that have been notified that they are finalists for hosting the 2008, 2009 and 2010 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. “It’s coming,” Maxwell said. “Drake and Des Moines are truly the Midwest capital of track and field.”

Some of the people who made the revitalization of Drake Stadium possible cut a ribbon to rechristen the rejuvenated building.

Rick Wanamaker, JO’70, records an oral history with Cowles library staff.

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Drake Preside Andy, BN’69,

ent David Maxwell helps Elaine, ED’69, and , Wright unleash the new bronze bulldog.

The Magazine of Drake University

Peggy Fisher, FA'70, and her husband, Larry Stelter’s gift will make the new stadium plaza soon become a reality.

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Drake Relays parade marshals Dan, PH’63, and Patricia Jorndt, LA’64, toss candy to children along the route

Living and Learning and By Daniel P. Finney, JOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;97

LIVING

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125 years of Drake History, Part 4: Living and Learning

THE NOTION OF CAMPUS LIFE MIGHT WELL HAVE BEFUDDLED EARLY DRAKE STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS. DRAKE OPENED ITS DOORS 125 YEARS AGO STUDENTS WERE By WHEN EXPECTED TO ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING, SMOKING, CAROUSING, SWEARING AND OTHER UNCOUTH ACTIVITIES. THEY WERE TO BE IN Daniel P. Finney, ON A REGULAR BASIS — AFTER ALL, DRAKE WAS AN OUTJO’97CHAPEL GROWTH OF THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND, IN ESSENCE, A PAROCHIAL SCHOOL OF HIGHER LEARNING.

n 1881 male students lived in Drake’s first building, the Students’ Home. The student body quickly outgrew the poorly constructed frame house and students boarded in homes and apartments around campus or, in the case of many women, in the homes of married faculty members. Students lived in off-campus boarding houses for about 60 cents a week.

The evolving story of how students live, study and play on campus across 125 years

GREAT RATES The first classes at Drake set their own prices for room and board in the Students’ Home. The students determined costs, furnished all supplies and paid all bills through a board of elected officers, subject to the direction of the entire body of residence in a public meeting. Yet life was not all joy in the Students’ Home. In the fall of 1882 an outbreak of typhoid fever turned the Students’ Home into a hospital. One student died there and another died after returning home. “Several lingered long upon the verge of dissolution, but rallied and went home for a long convalescence,” the 1890 annual The Ekard says. Drake razed the rickety building in 1898. The experiment in oncampus housing was considered a failure and nearly ended the notion of residence life at the University.

Living and Learning The evolving story of ho campus across 125 years

By Daniel P. Finney, JO’97

DORM DOLDRUMS Early Drake administrators generally believed that on-campus housing was a bad idea. According to the 1903-04 University catalog, “the dormitory system is now generally discarded as inimical to the health and morals of students,” according to Drake University Through 75 Years by the late Charles Ritchey, professor emeritus of history. By 1911, Drake leaders softened on the idea of residence halls. President Hill M. Bell, after whom the Bell Center recreation and exercise building adjacent to the Knapp Center is named, suggested that young women should live in on-campus housing but did not extend the same offer to male students. Even then, it was not until 1920 when the temporary Craig House — named after the University’s second chancellor, Bayard Craig — was built as a community for women did on-campus housing become a reality for Drake. Mary Carpenter Craig, daughter of Drake founder George Carpenter and widow of Bayard Craig, took charge of the women’s home. THE BOYS ARE BACK It took another two decades before Drake was comfortable letting the boys back on campus. In 1940 Jewett Student Union and men’s residence opened. The new student union was nicknamed The Kennel and its rules allowed for smoking — a first in Drake history. Drake’s founders and early leaders regarded smoking as immoral. Yet, as the years went on and campus community values changed, smoking was mostly frowned upon for its unsanitary waste and fire hazard issues. Smoking was a symbol of the subtle shift in campus culture, drifting farther away from serious parochial roots to the more independent, individual student-driven campus of today. Also in 1940 the daily meeting of students was discontinued — a tradition that dated back to the daily chapel meetings that were a part of the University from the start. Individual student organizations gained more power. GREEK RISING The University regarded social fraternities and sororities much the same as smoking. In 1901, the first attempt to organize a fraternal society was outlawed by campus leaders. At the time, Drake social activities revolved around literary societies. The Alethean Society met to discuss weighty current events. The Berean Society formed for ministerial students and others who were preparing themselves for a lifetime of Christian service. The Philomath Society competed in debates and performed serious literary criticism both on campus and in statewide competitions. Eventually, however, the literary societies lost favor with students who preferred the more informal gatherings and activities offered in the Greek system. Sigma Beta Kappa, the first social fraternity, formed in 1903. Yet it took until 1921 for the fraternity to be granted a national petition. Sigma Beta Kappa became part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, making it Drake’s first fraternity. Today, 15 social fraternities and sororities dot Greek Street — 34th Street between Forest and University avenues — and many Drake students hold memberships in a Greek organization. Sigma Alpha Epsilon remains, making it the oldest social organization at Drake. 18

BURGEONING BULLDOGS After World War II campus life at Drake took another dramatic turn. Thousands of veterans returning from the war took their G.I. Bill benefits to Drake. Enrollment swelled and with only two residence halls — Jewett and Morehouse — the University opened a trailer park in the area where the quad residence halls are today at 30th Street and University Avenue. These Drake students were often married and working full- or part-time while continuing their education. They were older, in their middle 20s through their early 30s. They had seen the world. They had a firmer sense of who they were than the first-year students of the 1940s and they knew what they wanted: an education that would advance them in their post-war lives. They were serious about school and made little time for recreation. Still, a community developed among the trailer court dwellers. “Outdoor bathhouses are the gossip centers of the trailer court,” wrote John Chuck, a G.I. Bill Drake student, in the 1950 Quax. “Friends are a real asset. In the summer my neighbor lends me my rake, in the winter I lend him his snow shovel.” SOCIAL ANXIETIES The 1960s brought about more significant changes in student culture. For much of its life, Drake was a traditional, patriarchal institution in which administration and faculty made the majority of decisions about the campus. The new generation of students, however, wanted more control over their destiny. As social unrest related to the Vietnam War grew, students became increasingly frustrated with an administration they believed was unwilling to listen to them. In 1968, more than 800 students marched on Old Main and demanded more participation in engineering their academic lives and less interference by the University in their private lives. The students held protest signs with slogans such as “Administration (to Student): Grow Up. Student: Let Me!” In response, President Paul Sharp reworked the University’s administration and hired Donald V. Adams to be Drake’s first vice president of student life. Adams served as a trusted ambassador between frustrated students and traditionalists in the faculty and administration. Unlike many other institutions, Drake avoided serious riots during the difficult time and held several memorable peace conferences in 1969 discussing race, social and gender issues. By the 1970s and ’80s, student unrest calmed. Yearbook pictures show men in their underwear holding cans of beer. Floors of residence halls were nicknamed everything from “Middle Earth” in homage to J.R. Tolkien to “Unwed Mothers of Alcatraz,” in homage to, well, it’s best not to know. In the 1990s, the Internet came to the world — and to Drake — changing the way students communicated and even attended class. Today, the student body and the faculty are more diverse — both in race and thought —than ever. And though students may not set their own rates for room and board, they set their own destinies.

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Kathleen Richardson, assistant professor of news-Internet, with student James Bridgeford.

by Tim Schmitt THE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION IS TAKING A HOST OF RECENT AWARDS AS A CHALLENGE TO RETHINK ITS APPROACH AND MAKE WHAT IS WORKING WELL, EVEN BETTER.

hen Tiger Woods won his third Masters tournament in 2002 he was virtually unbeatable and widely considered the best golfer in the world. Yet, later that year, Woods began the process of

altering the swing that brought him success and had already made him a legend. This risky endeavor left many observers scratching their heads, but Woods succinctly explained the decision: “I thought I could become better.” The result? In 2004, Woods became the only player ever to surpass the $40 million mark in career earnings and in 2005 became only the third player ever to win the Masters for a fourth time. Woods’ decision to change his approach, even while at the top of his game, made him not only the greatest player of the day, but one of the best of all time. While the achievements of Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication may not be as widely celebrated as those of Tiger Woods, the parallels remain.

In recent years, Drake SJMC students in all fields of study have surpassed their peers by sweeping state and national awards competitions and acquiring prestigious national internships at an unprecedented rate. These successes are a result of the school’s commitment to providing students with real-world experiences in the classroom and through partnerships with media entities. The approach is working.

Picture 1: Aaron Johnson behind the scenes in Drake’s production studio. Picture 2: Sarah Driever and Larry Luckett prepare for a TV broadcast. Picture 3: With a new FM tower in place, students DJs are now reaching a larger audience. Picture 4: Advertising students Ashley Sinclair, Matt Kappmeyer, Kristin Headrick present their national awardwinning campaign.

REVAMPING THE SWING Despite the awards and accolades, the SJMC believes it can do better. The school is now in the process of reevaluating its curriculum, looking for ways to add to the coursework, making better use of recent alumni feedback and incorporating new technologies into existing coursework. The swing that’s proven so successful in recent years is being revamped. Rachel DeSchepper, JO’06, could be the poster child for what is already working within the SJMC. Even while finishing the final classes of her senior year, DeSchepper was already employed full-time as an associate editor of Meredith’s Country Home magazine. The chain of events that led DeSchepper to this place began in her first semester at Drake when she served as an associate editor of Drake Magazine. She later became editor and then editor in chief. This experience and the personal guidance from professors, she explains, led to an internship at Meredith, a prestigious American Society of Magazine Editor’s internship at Travel and Leisure magazine in New York, an apprenticeship at Country Home and ultimately her first professional job before graduation. “I started writing from day one in the journalism program, and it really was a coordinated chain of events that led me here,” she says. “I really do see my professors as friends. I know what’s going on in their lives, and they know what’s happening in my life. Their doors are always open and that’s always been helpful to me.” Partnerships such as the relationship developed between the SJMC and Meredith make experiences like DeSchepper’s the norm, rather than the exception. Bridget Nelson, an incoming senior in the SJMC, recently worked as an apprentice at Meredith’s Better Homes and Gardens magazine, where she rotated through several different departments learning as many different aspects of the magazine as possible. She’s worked in the test kitchen as a recipe taster and had articles published on everything from kite festivals to artichokes. “Looking back to my editing and writing from last August compared to now, it’s remarkable how much I’ve learned,” she says. “It’s been great being in the magazine environment for 20 hours a week and learning how much more goes into the process than I ever imagined.” Like DeSchepper and a growing number of Drake journalism students, Nelson used this experience to land an ASME internship and worked this summer at Readers Digest in New York.

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A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE Though the accomplishments of these two students are impressive, they are truly not unusual in the SJMC. Students seem to be competing mainly with one another for regional and national awards that recognize their skills and accomplishments. “In all honesty, it’s hard to keep track of all the awards students have earned,” says Pat Prijatel, E.T. Meredith distinguished professor of journalism and associate dean of the SJMC. “It’s a nice problem to have.” For example: every issue of 515 magazine published by Drake seniors in the past five years has won first place in at least one national competition. In 2005 the studentrun magazines 515, Drake Magazine and Drake Online swept the Society of Professional Journalist’s national competition, earning first place Mark of Excellence awards in each of their respective categories. This year Drake advertising students placed in three of the four top spots in the national Public Service Advertisement Student Competition; journalism students won nine regional SPJ Mark of Excellence awards; Launch magazine won a Pacemaker, one of only 10 such awards presented nationally; and 515 magazine received a 2005-06 silver crown award from Columbia Scholastic Press. These successes are a result, says Prijatel, of the school’s continued focus on teaching students to create exceptional content. And though it may seem perfectly appropriate at this point to sit back and enjoy a job well done, changes on the horizon, particularly in terms of technology, are changing the entire media landscape and faculty within the SJMC are taking notice.

changes he says are vital for a teaching institution to stay abreast. “I don’t think there is anything more important than having that focus on technology,” he says. “Content is important, and Drake is great at teaching that aspect, but students now require more than students from my era did. They cannot classify themselves as only print journalists or television journalists or online journalists. They need skills that cross over from one medium to the next and I’m proud of Drake for being on top of that trend.” The plan, says Prijatel, is not to teach new technologies, but to maintain a focus on content while integrating the latest technology into the act of communication. The most notable effort in this area is the creation of Young Alumni Board –– a concept unique among Drake’s colleges and schools. The board is comprised of alumni who’ve graduated in the past five years who can share their experiences with faculty, keep them abreast of changes in the workplace, their

FOCUSED AND FLEXIBLE “We’re in a time of pretty significant upheaval right now,” says Prijatel. “Technology is changing dramatically and quickly and we’re trying to maintain a handle on the changing face of media and how we can best take advantage of these changes.” David Carlson, JO’73, president of the Society of Professional Journalists and professor in the University of Florida’s college of journalism and communication, has, since 1988, focused on the technological advances that allow for new methods of delivery of information and news to the public —

own use of technology and how best the SJMC might discuss its advantages and shortfalls with students. “We have alumni out there with a fresh education and they are seeing how technology is used,” says Prijatel. “They know what gave them the edge and can keep us informed on how to keep that edge. Tyler Marciniak, JO’05, who now works in the New York Office of public relations firm CKPR, is one of 21 members of the SJMC’s Young Alumni Board and believes young alumni are in a unique position to contribute to the school.

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“I had a great foundation in the basics of journalism at Drake,” he says. “Drake is great at producing great writers and providing internships, but there are always things that you won’t learn until you are on the job. Our goal is to minimize those things by relaying them to the school so they can be included in the program.” Marciniak sees the field of communications as one that is changing drastically, and very quickly. His company recently began using podcasts to reach customers –– a concept that didn’t even exist just a year or two ago — and he says it’s a constant challenge to make the best use of emerging technologies. “A podcast, no matter how cool a concept it is, is worthless unless you know how to produce good content,” explains Marciniak. “The SJMC is headed in the right direction, continuing to focus on great content while incorporating new technology to get this content with a wider audience. It’s a perfect match.”

Picture 1: Public Relations students Kalie McKee, Valerie Boland, Tim Tesar and William Polk. Picture 2: Bridget Nelson apprenticing at Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Picture 3: Jennifer Ripslinger working at The Des Moines Register.

TRIO OF DRAKE GRADS RECEIVE FULBRIGHT GRANTS For the first time in a single year, three recent graduates of Drake University have been offered Fulbright Grants for research and teaching assistantships in other nations during the 2006-2007 academic year. Jessica Ernst, AS’06, will travel to Thailand to teach English as a foreign language, a new Fulbright program for 2006; Linda Knoll, BN’06, will study multinational business practices in Mexico and Brittany Buchholz, AS’06, will explore Islamic principles governing reproductive health and adoption in Jordan. Fulbright scholars endure a rigorous selection process coordinated by the Institute of International Education and funded by an annual appropriation made by Congress to the Department of State and by participating governments and host institutions. The program awards more than $250 million per year to promote “cross cultural interaction and mutual understanding through engagement in the community and on a person-to-person basis in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom.” COMMUNITY PHARMACIST EARNS DRAKE’S WEAVER MEDAL Richard Hartig, PH’73, GR’81, a community pharmacist in Dubuque, IA, was awarded the Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver Medal of Honor, the College of Pharmacy and Health Science’s highest alumni honor, and presented the Weaver lecture in April. Hartig, the third generation to lead Hartig Drug Stores, has always championed the importance of community pharmacy. His company is America’s second oldest continuously operated

family drug chain, caring for customers in three states for more than 100 years. In 2002, Hartig, and his wife, Brenda, endowed the Hartig Pharmacy Fund for Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a gift of $500,000. The fund supports a distinguished professor award, faculty development and student scholarships. HUMANITARIAN ALUMNA VASQUEZ HONORED AT SUPREME COURT CELEBRATION Rose Vasquez, LW’85, executive director of the Polk County, IA, Human Services Alliance, was honored as Drake Law School’s Alumna of the Year at the recent Supreme Court Banquet. A native of Moline, IL, Vasquez earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa before attending Drake Law School. She is a member of Drake Law School’s Board of Counselors and Drake’s National Advisory Board on Diversity and is also an adjunct professor for the Drake Law School, teaching first-year law students the fundamentals of legal research and analysis. Vasquez worked with Greater Des Moines Partnership’s “Project Destiny” to transform the human services delivery system in Central Iowa, and in 2005 Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack appointed Vasquez to the Iowa Board of Regents where she serves as chair of the human resources committee. ALUMS HONORED AT PHARMACY DAY Two alumni were honored for their contributions to the profession and their communities at the College of Pharmacy and Health Science’s annual studentorganized Pharmacy Day. Honored were Jay Langford, PH’44 and Tom Rickey, PH’68. Langford is a retired community

Photos by Lisa Kohle

alumni update

WORLD-FAMOUS GROUP, FEATURING ALUMNI, PERFORMS AT DRAKE Two Drake University graduates are among the world-renowned Chanticleer men’s vocal ensemble that made a stop to perform at Drake. Justin Montigne, AS’99(above right) is an alto and in his third season with the 12-member group. Montigne went on to graduate studies at the University of Minnesota after Drake. Thomas McCargar, a tenor and 2004 alumnus, is in his first season with Chanticleer. McCargar graduated summa cum laude with a vocal performance degree. Chanticleer, based in San Francisco, is the only independent, full-time classical vocal ensemble in the United States. The group performs nearly 100 concerts per season worldwide with vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz and from gospel to venturesome new music. Praised by the New York Times for its “precise, pure and deeply felt singing,” and by the . for its “luxurious perfection,” the Grammy Award-winning group has toured the United States, Asia and Europe.

pharmacy owner in Illinois who has made civic contributions in his community, provided the college with a major gift for classroom and laboratory renovation and belongs to Drake’s President Circle. Rickey owns Respiratory Care Pharmacy in Illinois, is an active member in the Illinois Pharmacy Association, runs an annual health clinic in Haiti and is also a member of Drake’s President’s Circle. NOMINATE ALUMNI ACHIEVERS Cast a ballot for the 2007 alumni awards. The awards honor individuals for outstanding achievement in a career or profession and reflect the pride of Drake University in those achievements. Nominations can be in the following categories: Alumni Loyalty, Young Alumni

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Achievement, Young Alumni Loyalty, Alumni Achievement and the Distinguished Service award, the top honor given to Drake alumni. Contact Barb Dietrich Boose, director of alumni and parent programs, with the name of your nominee and reason for nomination by Dec. 15: barbara.boose@drake.edu NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS NAMED Drake recently welcomed three new members to its National Alumni Board. Joe Aiello, BN’80, is president of Bassik Services Inc., and resides in St. Charles, MO. He is a former member of the Drake Parents Board along with his wife Leslie Seyer Aiello, FA’79. Peter Barber, JO’81, resides in continued on page 24

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Steele’s Mettle FROM A-FLATS TO ARIAS, ACCOMPLISHED ACCOMPANIST ALUMNUS HELPS STARS SHINE

MAKE NO MISTAKE, TIM STEELE, FA’81, IS A STAR. Oh, he’s not

the “American Idol”-type, vamping for the camera. No, he’s the fellow who makes the stars in front of the audience shine. Steele is one of the nation’s most accomplished accompanists. While the word accompanist might sound to the untrained ear like “guy who plays background music,” Steele actually makes a lot of beautiful music possible. AS AN OPERA COACH, Steele helps singers prepare their arias, teaching diction, pronunciation, musical technique, stylistic approaches to music and proper presentation. “In a lot of ways, it’s like an assistant football coach or baseball coach,” Steele says from his home in Milton, MA. “You’re not actually throwing the pitches, but you’re making sure they’re thrown right and hit their targets.” Thus, Steele’s success comes not from belting out a baritone solo but from coaching a singer so that his or her rendition of an aria lives up to the quality of the material. THE INTERPRETER. Many of the greatest operas are in Italian or German. Most American opera singers are not fluent in those languages. Steele works with the singers to make sure

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they not only know how to pronounce the words but how to emphasize them and add the drama needed to make a scene work. “The singer needs to think in the language even if they don’t speak it,” says Steele, who is a vocal coach on the opera faculty at the New England Conservatory and musical director for Opera Providence. “My job is to help singers understand and feel the material so that they can ultimately perform the piece.” STEELE’S FAVORITE MOMENTS come when he’s forced to work on the fly. From time to time, opera stars get sick or injure their vocal chords. Steele must swoop in and bring an understudy up to speed — sometimes with only a few hours to spare. And though he never takes a bow before adoring fans, he nonetheless soaks up the adulation. “Some of my happiest moments in my work have been when I see an understudy hit all the right notes or land a difficult pronunciation because we worked together for six hours getting the singer ready,” he says. “I may be out of the limelight, but that’s my time to shine.” — Daniel P. Finney, JO’97

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alumni update

DRAKE’S NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CELEBRATED THE ACHIEVEMENTS of outstanding grads at the annual awards dinner held during commencement weekend. (From left) The Young Alumni Loyalty Award was presented to Kimberly E. White, BN’91, director of national accounts for FinishMaster, the nation’s leading distributor of automotive paints. Mark Ernst, BN’80, chairman of the board and CEO of H&R Block Inc., was presented the Alumni Achievement Award. The Alumni Loyalty went to James Collier, GR’70, a retired high school English teacher. The Young Alumni Achievement Award was awarded to Sara M. Taylor, BN’97, deputy assistant to the President of the United States and director of political affairs. Edmund Sease, AS’64, LW’67, was given Drake’s Distinguished Service Award.

September

November

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Edina Country Club • Twin Cities

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 Let’s DU Lunch • Des Moines Speaker: Charlie Wittmack, climber of Mount Everest

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 Let’s DU Lunch • Des Moines Speaker: Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Drake’s new athletic director

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Law Alumni Reception Washington, DC

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 – SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 Parents and Family Weekend

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Kansas City

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Drake All-Football Reunion Knapp Center

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Law Alumni Reception Kansas City

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Homecoming, dedication of Johnny Bright Field, 1981 Drake Football Team reunion

January

October

February

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 Let’s DU Lunch • Des Moines Speaker: Patty Kumbera, Founder of Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Naples WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party St. Louis

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 Law Alumni Luncheon Davenport, IA

continued from page 22 Oak Park, IL where he is the McDonalds Account Director for the DDB Chicago advertising agency. Barber is a member of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s National Advisory Board and served on a Chicago SJMC alumni panel in 2002. Barber is an annual fund donor, helps with student recruitment and served on Drake’s National Commission from 1987-88. Roger Buss, BN’78, is an engagement partner with Tatum CIO Partners in Plano, TX. Buss is a former alumni scholar and now serves as an National Alumni Scholar interviewer. COMPOSER AWARDED HONORARY DEGREE Renowned composer Alice Yost Jordan received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree at the

March MARCH 8 – 10 Drake Law School Supreme Court Weekend • Des Moines

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Washington, DC

April

Law Alumni Luncheon Milwaukee, WI Alice Yost Jordan

125th Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony. Jordan, seen here being hooded during the ceremony by John Burney, dean of the college of arts and science (above left) and Provost Ron Troyer, is a 1938 Drake grad whose music has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, told those at the ceremony, “I am deeply grateful for this honor. On a Saturday morning when I was 8 years old, my parents brought me to this campus took me to Howard Hall to help me enroll in piano lessons in the preparatory program. Since that day, Drake has been a significant part of my life.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Dallas

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party New York City Law Alumni Luncheon • Chicago WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 Drake’s 125th Birthday Party Chicago THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 Law Alumni Event • Denver

APRIL 27 – 28 Drake Relays Cluster Reunion: Classes of 1986, 1987 and 1988 Cluster Reunion: Classes of 2001, 2002 and 2003

May FRIDAY, MAY 11 – SATURDAY, MAY 12 Class of 1957 Reunion Alumni Awards Dinner Des Moines Visit www.drake.edu/alumni for details regarding alumni events and services, to update your contact information, to share news and more.

☛ For more information and a full listing of all Drake events — including athletics and fine arts events — visit: www.drake.edu/newsevents/calendar

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The Magazine of Drake University

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Covering Lives PHARMACY GRAD CREATES A BRIDGE BETWEEN PHARMACISTS AND THEIR PATIENTS

“PHARMACISTS ARE TRAINED TO BE ADVOCATES FOR PATIENT CARE, BUT OFTEN GET BOGGED DOWN WITH COUNTING PILLS AND INSURANCE PROBLEMS,” notes Patty Kumbera, a

1988 Drake pharmacy graduate and secretary of Drake’s National Alumni Association Board. “Like rediscovering the surprising scent of a scratch-and-sniff sticker long after it’s been left on a notebook, I like to reach out and ‘scratch’ pharmacists to remind them what they’re capable of.” MISSION: POSSIBLE: Even as a youngster, Kumbera found a way around barriers. “As a kid, I’d tell all my friends ‘just go ask — where’s the harm in that?’” she recalls. This spunk is what Kumbera uses as a businesswoman to press for modifications in the health care system while encouraging major drug store and health insurance executives to let their pharmacists be more involved as health care providers and medication experts. The Lake Mills, IA, native and former community pharmacist believes that by making it easier for pharmacists to consult with patients one-on-one, patients receive better results from their health care and greatly reduced costs. So in 1999 Kumbera and her partners founded Outcomes Pharmaceutical Health Care, a medication therapy management firm. TAKING THE LEAD : At a time when the importance of medication management was just starting to come to the attention of the health care industry, Kumbera and her partners were the first to develop a practical business model for advanced pharmacist services and compensation. Now thousands of pharmacists trained by the company care for more than a million insured patients, known as “covered lives” in the industry, nationwide. American Druggist honored Kumbera as one of its 50 Most Influential Pharmacists. She is also a married mother of two teens and an active Drake supporter on various boards and in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. “Since I’m COO of a major company, my mom asked if I was still a pharmacist. I told her I may not work behind the counter anymore, but I hope I’m caring for more patients now than ever before.”

— Tracey L. Kelley

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alumni update

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Picture 1: Richard Hartig, PH’73, GR’81, recipient of the 2006 Delores M. Weaver Medal of Honor, presenting the Weaver Lecture in April. Picture 2: Larry, LW’01, and Jennifer James at the Law School all-class reunion. Picture 3: David Coolidge, FA’65, Merry Coolidge, Don Wine, AS’44, Mary Wine at the Drake 125 alumni event in Naples, FL. Picture 4: Head Start and youth specialist Thomas F. Snargrass, United States Magistrate Judge Celeste Bremer, GR’02, Davis Eidahl, GR’99,’02, Dean of the School of Education Jan McMahill, FA’71, GR’76, at the School of Education alumni awards ceremony. Picture 5: Bill Wallace, JO’54, Jean Moorehead Wallace, LA’54, Brian Battaglia, LW’85, Nancy Pateras Battaglia, JO’85, at the Drake 125 alumni event in Sarasota, FL. Picture 6: Darlene and Wayne Greene, JO’56, Dixie Pinkerton Fuller, BN’56, Kirby Fuller, AS’55, at the 50-year reunion. 6

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The Magazine of Drake University

Thanks! for all of your hard work. THE DRAKE FUND had a great year. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents, faculty/staff and friends, Drake’s 2005-06 annual fund program experienced an increase of nearly 10 percent. Thanks for continuing your support in helping Drake students achieve their educational goals and career dreams.

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For more information or to make a contribution, contact Director of Annual Fund Programs Pam Pepper at 1-800-44-Drake, x4558 or go to www.drake.edu.alumni and click “Support Drake.”

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A trip down memory lane 1 2

DRAKE ALUMNI FROM ALL ERAS gathered during Relays and commencement weekends to relive their Drake experiences during the University’s annual reunions gatherings. Relays weekend reunions included: a 10-year cluster reunion for the classes of 1995, 1996 and 1997; a 40-year cluster reunion for graduates of 1965, 1966 and 1967; and Drake Law School’s cluster reunion for the classes of 1955, 1956, 1965, 1966, 1975, 1976, 1985, 1986, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2001. Grads from 1956, 1946 and 1936 celebrated their 50-year reunion during commencement weekend by joining members of Drake’s 50-Year Club.

4 Picture 1: Alumni from the 10-year cluster reunion. Picture 2: Larry Booth, PH’56, Lois Dawson, ED’54 at the 50-year reunion. Picture 3: Drake first lady Madeleine Maxwell with John and Judy, BN’66, Schneller at the 40year reunion. Picture 4: Deanna Zinno, LW’95 and Walter Pookrum, LW’75 at the law reunion.

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