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Drake football cruises past cross-town rival Grand View. >>See Page 6

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Election 2012

Thursday September 06, 2012

Student Senate

Drake alum introduces Senate tackles new campus Obama at Iowa event changes Bailey Berg and Alec Hamilton News Editor and Staff Writer bailey.berg@drake.edu alec.hamilton@drake.edu

A bevy of speakers took the podium ahead of President Barack Obama at Living History Farms on a steamy, overcast Saturday in Urbandale.

But the one who got a chance to introduce someone known around the world was Lucas Beenken, a Drake University alumnus and veteran of the war in Iraq.

“The president has shown we all need to work together to bring ourselves up as a nation and that we are better collectively rather than individually,” Beenken said in a later interview.

A raucous cheer rose from the crowd when Beenken mentioned that he had attended Drake and asked if there were a lot of Bulldogs in the crowd.

An early supporter of the President, Beenken was approached by organizers last week and asked to introduce Obama.

Beenken, who lives in Belmond, Iowa, said it wasn’t an opportunity one could say no to, and he was excited to have been given the honor to assist Obama in his bid for reelection.

“In 2008 the theme of change was so evident, but this time we need to take a hard look at where this country is going, and I believe that we’re on the right path to turn our country around,” Beenken told The Times-Delphic.

Beenken’s speech emphasized how Obama’s policy has helped support and benefited his family.

>> OBAMA, page 2

Lauren Horsch

Editor-in-Chief tdeditorinchief@gmail.com

Megan Bannister| staff photographer

Beenken, (above) a 2008 Drake alumnus introduces the president at the grassroots event.

President Obama (below) gives a speech focusing on job creation, higher education and healthcare at Living History Farms last Saturday.

Campus News

Snappy nighttime surfing

Payton Albrecht

Staff Writer payton.albrecht@drake.edu

Changes continue to occur on Drake University’s campus. One of the first places students look for this new information is on Facebook statuses, which they’re about to be able to access more quickly.

Students at Drake rely on Internet access on a daily basis. It provides them with services such as printing, e-documents and class

threads on social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook.

Sophomore pre-pharmacy student Tricia Potempa lives on campus and is completely dependent on Drake’s bandwidth.

“Good Internet is important at Drake because most classes use online sites to post instructions and give assignments,” Potempa said. “If the Internet connection is bad it will cause issues with meeting homework deadlines or

Check it out>>>

Friday

> Women’s Soccer vs. South Dakota State > Cownie Complex >7 p.m.

make it difficult to email professors with questions.”

Students have commented about being pleased that extra money is being spent on this improvement.

“I am glad they are spending on bandwidth because if my tuition is going to be increased I want it to be put towards something that is going to benefit me, and not just a small group of people taking J-term classes,” Potempa said.

Ken Kass, systems

> Faculty Recital, Christine Blanner, Soprano >Sheslow >7:30 p.m.

administrator for Drake, says the increase in bandwidth occurred so that students could have faster Internet during the evening.

Ken Kass, systems administrator for Drake, says the increase in bandwidth occurred so that students could have faster Internet during the evening.

“I can tell you that the upgrade was in

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

>> SENATE, page 2

Senate Dates

Sept. 8 — Non-mandatory meeting about First-Year Senator Sept. 14 — Open House for the new study

space in Cowles Library Sept. 16 — Study space fully operational Sept. 17 — First-Year Senator petitions available.

Sept. 30 — Broadband update completed

>> INTERNET, page 2

Saturday

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The 26th session of Student Senate gathered itself in room 201 in the library. The room called the “fishbowl” by many students because of its two-windowed walls, will become the new home for Senate this year.

Student Body President Amanda Laurent stated this was to create better transparency for the students. Its new location offers Senate more room and allows visitors more space to sit, as the Drake Room in Olmsted offered challenges if the audience grew in numbers.

The beginning conversation began with Marc Davis, special project coordinator for Cowles Library. He said the library’s 24-hour study space would have an open house on Sept. 14. Then two days later, the space would become available for use.

“Essentially we’re going from 7 a.m. Sunday morning until we close at 9 p.m. Friday,” Davis said.

He added that access to the study space would be through proximity cards.

“There will be an application... A web based form to fill out,” Davis said.

Davis said the cards would be free, but if they were not returned at the end of the year there would be a fine of some sorts. He said that students are asked to not share the cards, as they agree to terms to “keep it (the study area) a safe Drake space” and the cards would only be authorized for the students who applied for it. Any student can apply for and receive a card.

Davis said there would still be extended hours during the busy seasons for the library and a Xerox

machine would be available for use in the study area.

Vice President of Student Life David Karaz handed over the floor to Matt Van Hoeck.

Van Hoeck, chair of the Election Commission, discussed the new timeline for the FirstYear Senator position.

The EC decided to move up the process, to better acclimate the new senator to the procedures around the table. A non-mandatory meeting for prospective candidates is set for Sept. 8, and then petitions for the position will be available on Sept. 17. The election will officially begin on Oct. 1. After fall break the new senator will join the table.

Sen. Stephen Slade asked who sets the timeline for the First-Year Senator election.

“It’s the sole discretion of the election commission, there are election commission bylaws that you guys (Senate) approve for the general election, but there are no dates set for the First-Year one (election) in the bylaws,” Van Hoeck said.

Sen. Bre Thompson announced that about seven new organizations are looking to be formally recognized by Senate.

She also gave an update on Study Abroad Scholarship Initiatives.

“They’re running it again this year... unfortunately, it’s not an endowment,” Thompson said. Since the scholarship offered is not an endowment, once the funds run out, it might not be offered again.

Technology Liaison Joey Gale, discussed the use of Blackboard 8 and 9, and the broadband update on campus.

Gale said about 10-15 percent of professors are using Blackboard 9 right now.

>Football vs.

Montana State >Drake Stadium >6 p.m.

Sunday

>Faculty Recital, Rika Uchida & Mio Aoike, Piano >Sheslow >7 p.m.

> Women’s Soccer vs. Nebraska > Cownie Complex >7 p.m.

<<<Campus Calendar

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THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Vol. 133 | No. 2 |September 06, 2012

NEWS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

SEPT. 06, 2012 | Page 2

News

Obama grassroots event

>> OBAMA, page 1 Beenken’s mother is a small business owner, his father a municipal worker and volunteer firefighter, and his sister a teacher. Obama’s policies have helped Beenken’s family and him get through the recession and allowed him to attend Drake after his tour of duty in Iraq from 2007-2008.

Beenken served in the Iowa National Guard for six years and thanks to the G.I. Bill was able to go back to school and graduated from Drake in December 2008.

That same year he won his bid for election to the Wright County Board of Supervisors.

“We know someone in Obama who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk, and needs the chance to continue moving us forward,” Beenken said.

News Editor Bailey Berg@drake.edu

Lauren Horsch | Editor-in-Chief

SENATOR HARKIN (D-IA) ( below) does the “I love you” American Sign Language sign to the crowd. THE NATIONAL (above) preceeded Lucas Beenken’s introduction for the president.

Students supplement income with plasma donation Jeff Kraft’s diet has not been up to par.

The junior psychology major donates plasma on a weekly basis to Octapharma, a donation center on Hubbell Avenue in Des Moines. But lately his protein levels have been too low, and now he is on his way down I-235 to the center so he can have his blood tested.

He’s hoping he’s eaten enough protein since his last test, because if he hasn’t, he’ll be deferred for 30 days, and although he is not financially dependent on the money he makes from donating, it does constitute a good portion of his spending money.

In the waiting room there is a man in a black cutoff T-shirt with bold tattoos on his biceps, a middle-aged single mom and a welldressed 30-somethingyear-old with his nose stuck in a Harry Potterlike-length hardcover. And Kraft, of course, who is helped by a gray-headed woman with a soft smile.

The center is quiet.

Virtually no one speaks, except for the woman who directs Kraft to the next room where his blood test awaits.

In less than 10 minutes, Kraft returns from his test with a purple bandage covering where the needle pricked his arm.

“Ready to go? That was it,” Kraft says. The tattooed man takes Kraft’s place.

And that’s the whole thing at the Octapharma donation center: It’s an

Three bands, whose members primarily consist of Drake faculty and staff, will take the stage tonight to raise money for Drake University students.

Early in the summer, education professors Jerrid Kruse and Tom Buckmiller, who each play in the band.

One Hundred Mondays, approached Tim Schmitt in the marketing department and drummer for No Good Deed about doing a show together, but it was Schmitt who then suggested donating the money from the cover charge to the scholarship fund.

“Since we are not playing music for the money, we thought this would be a great idea,” Kruse said.

The Drake Marketing Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was established by Schmitt and is supported by the marketing department, is funded through personal donations and other fundraising efforts.

“It provides a scholarship to a student who demonstrates financial need and is interested in studying a field related to marketing and communications including journalism and graphic

>> BANDWIDTH, page 1

Student Life

Staff Writer megan.flynn@drake.edu

Rocking for a good reason

Bailey Berg

Megan Bannister| staff photographer

Megan Flynn

Des Moines Events

in-and-out deal. Donors of helping people in need. patiently, quietly wait. Then “They give plasma to they patiently, quietly sit in people who have immune the large, comfy chair and system problems,” let the plasma leave their bloodstream.

Then they leave.

“Not gonna lie, I And that’s why so many choose to eat a lot of carbs. do it: It’s easy. It’s It’s my first time fast. It’s money.

For a donor’s first living on my own,” plasma leak, he or Kraft said. “But she is paid $20. If the donor decides now that I realize to return a second I need to take care time in the same of my protein week, the wage is raised to $35. level, I’ve bought The easy money healthier foods.” is the primary incentive for donors.

— Jeff Kraft Though blood Drake Junior tests take much shorter, donations normally take one hour. For just two hours a week, donors Bonstrom said. “They need can make $55. That’s plasma pretty regularly so potentially $220 per month. they can fight off infection.”

But fast cash is not the Bonstrom donates at only benefit. Kraft has Biomat, a donation center on noticed he has been paying Sixth Avenue in Des Moines. more attention to what he At Octapharma, the plasma eats due to the required is not donated directly adequate levels of protein to patients, but is sent to and iron for plasma donation. research facilities in order to “I’ve kind of had a sh-- engineer life-saving drugs.

-y diet. Not gonna lie, I eat With the combination of a lot of carbs. It’s my first easy money, helping patients time living on my own,” in need, and improving Kraft said. “But now that I health, donors find very realize I need to take care few downfalls in plasma of my protein level, I’ve donation. Most are minor. bought healthier foods. It “Sometimes it’s hard helps you think about your on your immune system,” body a little more. It makes said Sarah Jones, a middleyou think about what you aged single parent who need to do to be healthy.” has donated for 10 years to For junior Mallory bring home extra spending Bonstrom, who is headed to money. “But if you take care Wales this semester to study of yourself and take a lot of abroad, another benefit is the vitamins, you should be OK.” satisfaction of giving back, Or sometimes, she

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says, you’ll get a bad stick, meaning the nurse can’t find the vein. But that’s about it.

For others, like sophomore Michael Terrell, it’s the idea of the IV stuck in the arm that deters them from donating.

“I’d like to (donate), but last time I tried to donate blood, I passed out,” Terrell said. “I’m just kind of hesitant now.”

Others physically cannot afford to donate.

Logan North, a junior soccer player, cannot afford to lose an ounce of energy that donating plasma would steal away if he has practice to attend.

Sophomore Nick Staudacher physically cannot donate because he is a hemophiliac.

“If I donated, the blood wouldn’t have all the clotting factors. So essentially, it would be bad blood. It’d do more harm than good,” Staudacher said.

Minor fatigue may occur afterward, but because the red blood cells and platelets are returned to the bloodstream after the plasma is extracted, and because saline is injected into the blood to replenish the body, donors’ energy levels are normally back up to speed just a few hours after donating.

Aside from these few exceptions, many donors have few negative things to say about their donating experience. If anything, it contributes to a healthier lifestyle. “(Donating plasma) allows you to get medically checked up every time you go,” Kraft said. “I think that’s really important.”

response to slow speed experienced by students in the evening,” Kass said. “We have one main connection everything is lumped onto that one pipe.

The increase in demand was in large part though due to an increasing in HD streaming video content, additional devices (iPads, androids, etc.), and is a problem that is being experienced everywhere.”

Dana Swanson, a sophomore secondary education major, is one of

>> SENATE, page 1 The transition to the new broadband will be finalized on Sept. 30, with 500 Wi-Fi hotspots around campus instead of 300.

“This means we will have access in places we would have never thought before,” Gale said.

Slade, the chair of Academic Affairs, said his committee was working on advising issues.

After the senators finished their reports, new business entered the floor.

The senators voted unanimously to appoint Aaron “Frank” McGown as the new student body auditor.

The previous appointee, Adam Lutz, had to step down because of a bylaw stating that the auditor cannot hold an executive position on an annually funded group.

Lutz is currently the chair of the Student Activities Board’s Band Committee.

The voting for this motion was randomized — instead of alphabetical order (which it had been in the past) — to encourage senators to vote against motions it they so choose, even if the rest of the senators are voting in favor of motions.

The next two motions

design,” Schmitt said.

Kruse is excited to have the chance to play with his colleagues.

“We’re always looking for a chance to play and since there were three bands we knew of associated with Drake we thought it would be a nice way to kick off the school year,” Kruse said.

The all-ages concert will take place downtown at Vaudeville Mews, 212 4th St., doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the first band plays at 6 p.m.

There is a $5 cover charge.

One Hundred Mondays, featuring Kruse, Buckmiller and education professor Michael Couvillon will take the stage at 6 p.m.; at 7 p.m. rock band Charlie and the Caged Birds consisting of Kirk Martin from the Chinese Cultural Exchange Program, philosophy professor Tim Knepper and Charles Nelson associate professor of physics and astronomy; and guitardriven band, No Good Deed, composed of Schmitt and Rob Reeves from the Drake IT department will wrap up the show.

“I hope students come downtown and get to check out a cool music venue,” Schmitt said. “Mainly, we’re hoping to have a good time, meet some new people and make some noise.”

the many students who rely on Drake’s Internet service as a resident.

“It’s important to have good Internet connection because it gives us the chance to view media, do homework and have fun in an expedient manner,” Swanson said. “Increasing our bandwidth is good, but my tuition dollars should be going towards my education and the activities I participate in so I can get a great job after graduation.

The Internet speed was fine before, but it will be nice for it to be a bit quicker.” appointed the Senate Judicial Committee and president pro-temp.

Sens. Zach Keller, Emily Grimm, Gale, Slade and Thompson were appointed to the Judicial committee with Keller being named the chair. Slade was named the president pro-temp.

Then Van Hoeck rejoined the conversation as a representative for “Bulldogs for Barack.” Bulldogs for Barack was seeking to be recognized as an Ad-hoc group (as it would be only active this semester). Van Hoeck said the main goal of the group was to “register students to vote in Iowa” as well as work on getting a satellite voting center in Olmsted. The organization would also work with all political groups on campus.

That motion was passed by acclimation.

At the end of the meeting, Laurent brought up the issues and discontent brought up with the Knapp Center weight room.

“It’s being addressed and we’re working on it,” she said.

Treasurer Michael Riebel said to contact director of recreational service Michael Ciegelmen with any concerns or input regarding the weight room.

“Give them feedback,” Riebel said.

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

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Page 3 | SEPT. 06, 2012

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Opinions&Editorials Column

Professors need to invest in update

Illustrations by Brianna Shawhan

Drake University’s blueView portal is a handy tool for students. Its main resources include easy-toaccess headaches and userfriendly frustration.

The site has its benefits, yes. It’s a secure way to put together the useful stuff students need. But it has a tiring layout — design majors, including myself, cringe at the sight of it — and it is difficult to navigate through. Any desirable page is buried deep within a plethora of tabs and clicks.

Blackboard 8 was considerably the biggest flop of the site, distinguished by ambiguous headings and bad organization. It was a maze, at best.

Drake did us a favor, however, and Blackboard 9 was born. It was launched with good intentions: to bring a bit of organizational light to the dark world of blueView’s homepage.

The reviews are in, and generally, students love

it. It’s clean, concise, and logical. It connects students to professors better than the dusty old 8.0 ever did.

The only drawback is that professors don’t use it.

A handful of professors have flat out refused to learn the upgrade. A surplus of excuses is circulating: it’s too difficult. Learning it will take too much time. These instructors either “promise to learn it next year” or reject it entirely, usually partnered with, “Tough luck, class; carry on with Blackboard 8.”

Blackboard 8 was problematic enough.

Professors varied where they kept their syllabi, where they uploaded assignments, and how often they required students to check the site. It was a constant juggling act, trying to remember each instructor’s particular Blackboard habits.

Now, with the release of Blackboard 9, stubborn

professors are adding yet another dimension to student’s woes, most of which would rather spend valuable time completing assignments than searching the twisted confines of the Drake Ethernet for them.

is in, check both systems starting with Blackboard 8. If you cannot find it in either, please contact your instructor to ask how to access the course materials.”

If this sounds dreadful, trust me: It is.

Kayli Kunkel Columnist

Heck, some courses from last year still show up in the course list in Blackboard 8.

When choosing between Blackboard 8 or 9 on the popup, you can click “Not sure which system to use?”

The corresponding page tells this: “Your class may be in either Blackboard system.

If you are unsure as to which system your course

I understand why several professors don’t want to make the switch. Coming from the girl who once taught her parents how to send “twitters” and close out of computer windows, believe me when I say I know that familiarizing with upgrades is tiring, especially when you’re comfortably accustomed to the old.

Still, Drake invested time

Column

College comes with hefty price tag Do me a favor. Go to your blueView. Take a look at your financial aid account.

How much debt are you in?

Have you figured out your interest rate? Can you afford to pay it every month?

Confronted with these questions recently gave me an increasing desire to wet myself and come crying home to mommy. These days, though a hard day of manual labor is rewarding in some ways, it’s extremely undervalued as far as pay goes.

Our nation’s youth has been forced to resort to molding the mind into an analytical and thoughtful machine. This of course comes at its own price, but what options do we have when even jobs in the most remedial industries require a high school education and

at least basic knowledge of how to operate computers?

In a capitalist society some people have more of an advantage than others.

Every one of us has a distinct advantage over some other people in our

plan to pay my debt off. Sure it may involve joining the Village People and showing off my rockin’ bod to afford my education but at least it’s something.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting a world class

Zachary Mecham Columnist

society just for the simple fact that we’re here. Even those of us who are putting ourselves in a substantial amount of debt are here because we can afford it.

Or maybe I’m speaking for myself but I at least have a

education here at Drake University and it’s worth every penny. I worked hard to get here, and while my other friends initially feel they’re smarter than me for taking the community college route, I think I made

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 LAUREN HORSCH, Editor-in-Chief tdeditorinchief@gmail.com JILL VAN WYKE, Faculty Advisor jill.vanwyke@drake.edu BENNETT HANSEN, Digital Editor bennett.hansen@drake.edu BAILEY BERG, News Editor tdnewsed@gmail.com

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the right decision.

Drake has welcomed me with open arms and done a great job to accommodate me. I feel like I can thrive here. I’ve already made so many friends. So many in fact, I can’t remember half of their names.

I guess if I have any words of wisdom to pass on, it’s pay your interest as soon as you can, don’t waste your opportunity at Drake and donate to my tuition.

Mecham is a first-year psychology major and can be reached at zachary.mecham@ drake.edu

(and, I assume, money) into its new Blackboard design.

They saw an issue and made moves to improve it, and bravo to that notion. If the Blackboard upgrade is a hit, between both students and teachers, what is to say they won’t take the (ahem) logical next step and renovate the blueView homepage?

The bottom line is bigger than you’d think: It’s a fast-paced world out there and we, as a university, need to adapt. Adapting to the constant stream of technological updates isn’t always enjoyable or easy. I’m sure many of us glaze over prompts to upgrade iTunes or Flash on our laptops for the millionth time — but adaptation is absolutely necessary.

Many departments at Drake strive to give students an edge in the growing realm of technology. As a university, we understand the web’s ever-growing

influence. Instructors assign students online videos to learn software, or use websites to track student progress and homework. Many of our student publications now have innovative web-based counterparts, and numerous courses require students to keep blogs. Drake University is represented by innovation.

So, dear professors, my plea to you: Give us a hand and make the switch to Blackboard 9. Sit down and take an hour (and maybe a tech-savvy friend) and learn the basics of the upgrade.

Pioneer us into the future, even in this small way. Us students will thank you.

Kunkel is a sophomore magazine journalism and graphic design double major and can be reached at kayli. kunkel@drake.edu

Interested in working for The TimesDelphic? >Photographers >Writers >Graphic Designers >Copy Editor Contact: Lauren Horsch tdeditorinchief@gmail.com

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FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

SEPT. 06, 2012 | Page 4

Features Campus Involvement

Security Reports

Tips for music auditions

I can teach you b-ball skillz

Prepare, practice, rest up

May 30, 9:24 a.m.

Security personnel had prior knowledge of a non-Drake affiliated male that has been attempting to make contact with staff and students associated with the basketball team in efforts to assist them with coaching and playing techniques. Security observed the suspect’s vehicle on campus near the Fine Arts Center. Security made contact with the non-Drake affiliated male who stated he was trying to contact staff and basketball players. DMPD was summoned to the scene and the subject was advised by DMPD that he would be arrested if he came onto campus again.

FILE PHOTO

Katie Erickson

Staff Writer katie.erickson@drake.edu

Every year brings a new set of classes, schedules, and for music students, auditions.

Whether it’s for orchestra, jazz band, or musicals, the first week of classes is stressful for those in the Fine Arts Center.

Though it’s over, students learned some tips.

1. Prepare. The best audition happens when you know your material and feel comfortable with it. Performing a piece you’ve just started or have difficulty with will make you more nervous. It’s also essential to research your material.

Sophomore Katie Fries stresses this. “By reading the shows, I get a feel for the mood and set-

ting of a show.”

2. Don’t over practice. This may sound contradictory, but it’s actually about finding the line between dedication and obsession. Everyone practices a bit differently. Just because you know someone who practices four hours a day doesn’t mean that you should. One of the worst feelings is leaving an audition knowing you should’ve done better, but were too tired.

3. Rest up. You’ll think quicker, feel stronger and perform better after a good sleep.

Also, you won’t impress anyone if you’re yawning through your audition. You’ll look uninterested and sloppy.

4. When you’re at your audition, remember that everyone there’s going through the same stress and anxiety. “Don’t be

that annoying, bubbly mess that angers everyone else,” Fries said.

Keep a professional manner and treat your fellow students with respect.

As stated earlier, this year’s auditions are over, but fair warning to those with music roommates, the tension will increase mid-September when band chairs are auditioned.

If you’re interested in these ensembles, talk to professor Aimee Beckman Collier about musicals, and professors Grady McGrannahan, Akira Mori or Robert Meunier about Drake’s bands. However, if you’re simply curious about what motivates people to work (and stress) so much, there are several performances that’ll show you the talent Drake possesses.

June 1, 10:27 a.m.

Security personnel were notified by a female Drake student that she was being harassed by a non-Drake affiliated male. She stated the male subject has been verbally harassing her and calling her several times a day. She stated she has already contacted a local police agency to report the harassment.

Case is closed for Drake Security personnel based on information later provided by the victim.

June 11, 8:51a.m.

Security personnel responded to the Drake Stadium on a report of a damaged golf cart. The reporting party stated that on June 9 at 3:30 p.m. the gold cart was parked at the north east section of the stadium. When he returned to the golf cart on June 11 at 8:15 a.m. he noticed the golf cart had been moved and there was damage to the tire and the vehicle frame.

June 24, 7:15 a.m.

Security personnel responded to parking Lot

Upcoming Events

No. 7 which is located in the 1100 block of 24th Street on a report of damaged property. Security arrived and noticed three vehicles that had been damaged.

Each vehicle had one window shattered and glass was lying on the ground next to the vehicles.

Security spoke to a local business employee who stated that Des Moines Police Department was already contacted and that the victim’s reported small items missing from their vehicles. Case was given to DMPD.

>>The Music Department’s upcoming performances September 21 – Drake Jazz Band October 7 – Drake Choir October 9 – Drake Orchestra

November 8-11 – Anything Goes November 16 – Drake Jazz Band November 30 – Drake Bands December 6 – Drake Jazz Band

Current Affairs

Student Profile

Zach Wahls speaks up for same-sex marriage

New Bulldog joins the team

Speaker at Drake sparks debate

Jared Hanel

Staff Writer jared.hanel@drake.edu

pleasure of welcoming Wahls to address the topic of samesex families to attendees.

Drake students were among the many that had the chance to hear his views.

Kat Hunt, a junior management major, regards this speech as a way the Drake community stays engaged.

Whether you live in Iowa or not, you have probably heard about the debates surrounding various samesex topics such as marriage legalization and the ability for same-sex couples to raise children.

In February 2011, a “People need young man by the name of Zach Wahls presented a opportunities such speech to the Iowa House as these to get the of Representatives in supliberal perspective on port of maintaining the rights of same-sex couples. current events.”

Wahls gave an inspira— Kat Hunt, Drake student tional testimony about how he was raised by two women, scored in the ninetyninth percentile on the ACT “I think this event was and he is an Eagle Scout, yet a great opportunity for no one could recognize indeboth fellow Drake students pendently that he is a result and regional community of same-sex parenting. This members alike,” Hunt said. testimony quickly spread “People need opportuniacross YouTube where it ties such as these to get the went viral and accumulated liberal perspective on current over 10 million hits. The events.” video has been broadcast on Jennifer Heartley, a CNN, MSNBC, Good Mornsophomore magazines major, ing America and Wahls was saw the opportunity as a way invited as a guest on the Elcampus stays balanced. len DeGeneres Show and the “Though I don’t necesLast Word with Lawrence sarily agree on the topic or O’Donnell. the views of the presenter, On Aug 27, the Drake I do like the fact that there Legal Clinic had the sincere

are opportunities of both conservative and liberal values so close to campus,” Heartley said.

Drake students were not the only ones to show up for the town hall meeting.

Rob Buell, a Wahls supporter and Des Moines resident, was also in attendance.

“It’s important for people to hear the types of things that he (Wahls) has to say,” Buell said.

“Same-sex couples do deserve the same rights as their hetero counterparts, and nobody should ever have to experience the discrimination of being a secondclass citizen based upon their personal belief system.”

Whether you agree with Wahls or not, he is a great public speaker and author for his age, and it will be interesting to watch as these issues become more prominent within society.

If you did miss your chance on Monday to see Wahls, you can stop by his website, www.zachwahls.com, to see recent blog posts and activities.

>>Have an idea for a story or a Students Speak? Email Features Editor, Kelly Tafoya at kelly.tafoya@drake.edu SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO TDFEATSOPSED@GMAIL.COM

VISIT

Lone freshmen looks to make his mark Dominic Johnson

Staff Writer dominic.johnson@drake.edu

At the end of last season, the Drake men’s tennis team lost two key players in Jonathan Hadash and Cesar Bracho.

But the Bulldogs are looking to mitigate the loss of Hadash’s singles talents and Bracho’s doubles prowess with the addition of freshman Ben Lott of Newcastle, England.

Lott will be joining Ryan Drake, Robin Goodman and Ben Mullis as the fourth player from England on this year’s roster. And like the players before him, Lott has been on the tennis court training since a young age.

“I started playing tennis when I was three or four, since I could stand up and hold a racquet,” Lott said.

Lott grew up in a family of tennis players, with his parents playing recreationally and his siblings playing competitively.

Lott’s older brother Matthew, who is now 28, was the first member of the family to take up tennis competitively.

Matthew first picked up the racquet when he saw an advertisement in the local paper, and Lott’s sister, Jessica, did the same just a few years later.

The two older Lott siblings were both top junior players in England, and Matthew even won ATP points in singles and doubles.

“Having both of them take tennis so seriously from a young age was a good motivator for me,” Lott said.

After a few years hitting against anyone who would humor him, Lott began practicing with his county team at the age of eight. England is split into counties, and most counties have their own tennis academies, and each county competes with each other in competition.

By the time he was 12, Lott

had become a member of the elite Northumberland High Performance Center. The center at Northumberland is just one of 15 high performance centers throughout Great Britain, and to further his tennis career Lott began playing international tournaments once he began training at Northumberland.

Lott traveled throughout most of Europe to play tournaments, hopping from England to countries like Turkey, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, but his biggest win came much closer to home in Dublin, Ireland. It was there that Lott won an International Tennis Federation Tournament in the summer of 2010.

As Lott came closer to finishing his high school education in England, he decided that he wanted to pursue college opportunities in the United States.

“The standard of college tennis at the moment is incredibly high,” Lott said. “I knew I could get a great standard of tennis here and a great education.”

To get his name out to college coaches in the United States, Lott used the services of Tennis Smart, a company founded by a former British No.

1 doubles player who played college tennis in the States.

Tennis Smart took Lott’s resume and got it into the hands of college coaches, with former Drake head coach Evan Austin taking notice. After Austin’s initial email, the two kept in contact for a number of months, and last November Lott committed to Drake over offers from schools like North Florida and Binghamton.

“I could tell that Drake was the right place for me,” Lott said.

“I got good feedback from a lot of the guys, Robin, James and Ben mostly, and they spoke very highly of here.”

Lott arrived on campus a week before classes began to start training with the team, and the Bulldogs’ only freshman is looking forward to using his initial fall season to become accustomed to college tennis.

Lott is hoping that he can crack the singles and doubles lineup once the spring season begins and make a lasting impact on the team.

“I’ll be using the fall to get on the same level as the rest of the guys,” Lott said. “Then I’ll just keep pushing on from there.”

courtesy of Ben Lott

FRESHMEN TENNIS PLAYER BEN LOTT joins the Drake Bulldogs this year. He comes at a pivotal time when the roster lost two main players.

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FEATURES

Page 5 | SEPT. 06, 2012

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

PageFive Fashion

Chambray worth the search

Emily Tozer

Staff Writer emily.tozer@drake.edu

What is considered a wardrobe staple of course, depends on the person you’re asking. For some it’s straight leg jeans and the free T-shirts you get at parades and sporting events.

For others it’s sundresses and braided belts in every color of the rainbow. My staples include red skinny jeans, a leopard dress, my gold watch and, more recently, a chambray shirt.

Heard of it? I’m sure you have. It’s the new black. It’s the new thing. It’s the new white tee.

Finding the perfect white tee takes dedication and practice. You know what you’re looking for — just the right amount of shape,

stretch and scoop. But finding one top that has all of that is an entirely different story. Why does it matter so much? Because of all the clothing you own, it’s the most go-with-anything, fallback, dress-down piece.

And now, the chambray shirt is right there with it.

How, you may wonder, is a denim shirt on the same level as a white tee? First off, chambray is a little different than denim. It’s a lighter weight (similar to muslin) and is usually a light blue color. Whereas I always recommend denim in dark washes — it looks nicer and is slimming — chambray looks best in shades of skyblue or blue-grey.

Before the trend first surfaced about a year ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a shirt that

resembled denim on any sort of street style blog. Now, there are just a few pieces I wouldn’t consider pairing with my beloved chambray.

There are so many ways to wear it, in fact, that I don’t doubt many people own two or three. (How many white tees are in your closet?)

My personal favorite is an oversized, loose-fitting chambray shirt because it always gives me that perfect mix of femininity and menswear.

Think of it as a step up from your white tee. Try it with a pair of bright colored jeans for class, a pleated black skirt to a nice dinner or a floral pencil skirt to work. The possibilities are endless. courtesy of Emily Tozer

Technology

Around Des Moines

Apps organize student’s closet, homework Events motivate, Kathryn Kriss

Staff Writer kathryn.kriss@drake.edu

Whatever you need in life, “there’s an app for that,” as commercials are so fond of telling us.

With the boon of smartphones and the multitude of handy applications they boast, it’s no wonder that many students have turned to technology to help them in their schoolwork.

Whether they’re checking grades, checking the weather or checking things off their to-do list, students rely on their smart phones for everyday life.

One of the most academic smartphone applications, and a favorite of junior Austin Cooke, is the iStudiez Pro app, which allows you to track classes, grades and professor emails. It stores all data long-term for any semester, as well as shows you a daily customizable calendar to keep you on top of your schedule. Cooke recommends this app for anybody who has a lot going on in their lives and needs to stay ahead of it all.

“I love that it is a uniform, simple and effective way to track all of my school work and personal events,” Cooke said.

Seniors Laura Wittren and Samantha Clewell also agree that their phones have helped them in school. Clewell, an education major student teaching in a kindergarten class, uses her and her teaching mentor’s phones to play learning games with the kids, reporting that the phones give the children the ability to hear how letter and word pronunciation sounds.

get students active

She likes the interactive aspect, and how the kids can use the apps to listen and learn on their own.

On the lighter side, junior Mikhala Stutzman is a proud user of the application Stylebook to help her sort through her closet. Stylebook is like Pinterest, but tailored to your own wardrobe, allowing you to take and upload photos of your own clothes, then helping you mix and match them together into outfits.

“What I like most about this app is that I can apply the style ideas directly to my wardrobe instead of having to seek out the newest fashion trends and buy something new all the time,” Stutzman said.

Wittren says that other than the popular dictionary/ thesaurus app, calculator app, flashcard app and blackboard app, she uses her phone for checking email. It’s nice to have a 3G backup when the Drake internet is running slow. Several times, it was a last-minute check of her phone that saved her from walking to a canceled class.

Wittren uses her phone more in college than in high school. She remembers how most of the time having a phone out would get you in trouble in high school, but now, especially in her Social Media class, utilizing a phone is encouraged. In response to the iPhone/Android debate, Wittren says “app-wise, iPhone’s the way to go for sure,” citing how Google meticulously monitors the apps produced and sold.

Katie Ericson

was cool and they enjoyed the experience,” Rookaird said.

It’s even more than a fun race. Each city selects its own One of Drake’s biggest charity to partner with the color events is Relays — especially run. Des Moines has chosen our chaotic, colorful street Variety – The Children’s Charity, painting. It’s the one day a year a program dedicated to helping where students can start out underprivileged, at-risk and clean and fresh and end it covspecial needs children. ered in paint. Or so we thought.

If interested in helping this For the first year, Des Moines charity, there’s another running will be included in a nationevent dedicated to Variety. Since wide event called The Color 2007, Hy-Vee has hosted its Run. It’s a five-kilometer run annual triathlon through here in Des Des Moines with Moines for international “There’s no time all ages. success. In There’s no limit or first place, 2008, it was time limit so speed isn’t a the final or first qualifier for concern. All that place, so the Olympic matters is getting as speed isn’t Games in colorful as possible.” a concern.

Beijing. The All that next year a — Katie Ericson, Drake student matters is Canadian getting as won the colorful as race in a possible. five-way Runners start out in a sprint to the finish. This year white shirt with their running was also a success. Held over number. As they finish each this past weekend, the event kilometer, volunteers, staff and raised $750,000 for Variety. sponsors bombard them with Unfortunately, if interested colored powder — yellow, in the Hy-Vee Triathlon you will orange, pink, or blue. The finish need to wait a bit, but the Color line’s a final frenzy of color with Run has been scheduled for Oct. the whole group spraying new 6 and is still open for registraarrivals every fifteen minutes. tion. Individuals can register for An annual race, the the race at the price of $55 or as Color Run has been a success all a team of four or more at $50 a across the country. This year it’ll person. A part of the registratake place in 50 U.S. cities and tion fee is a donation to Variety, is starting a tour in Australia. and it also buys a shirt, a bag of Sophomore Taylor Rookaird is Color, race number, sweatband trying the run this year because and “a bag of goodies.” of its success.

If interested, go to http:// “I was interested in doing thecolorrun.com/des-moines/. it because my friends had said good things about it ­— that it Staff Writer katie.ericson@drake.edu

>>Apps to find your style

courtesy of Mikhala Stutzman

Events Calendar

Check it out>>> Friday >Tony Valdez/Paige Harpin & The Boys >Cosmopolian Lounge >8-11 p.m.

Friday >Des Moines Dog Show >Iowa State Fairgrounds >8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Saturday >Des Moines Renaissance Faire >Sleepy Hallow Sports Park >10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sunday >Autumn Antique Jamboree >Historic Valley Junction >8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

<<<This week in DSM

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

SEPT. 06, 2012 | Page 6

Sports Football

Drake football passes first test of the season

Home crowd of 4,158 lifts Bulldogs over cross-town rival Grand View

Luke Nankivell | photo editor

SOPHOMORE GARY SCOTT, JR. (center) leaps over the Grand View defense in Drake’s 28-8 victory over the Vikings on Aug. 30. Scott led Drake in rushing with 107 yards on 17 carries.

Monica Worsley

Staff Writer monica.worsley@drake.edu

Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, the Drake University football team defeated Grand View University on Aug. 30, 28-8.

“That was the best that the student section has been in my five years at Drake,” said head coach Chris Creighton.

As students filled the stands for a break from their first assignments, the Bulldogs (1-0) used the game against their cross-town rivals as a test of their preseason preparations and fitness.

After falling behind 6-0 to the Vikings (1-1), Drake’s

offense managed to regroup and deliver something to cheer about for the 4,158 supporters in attendance.

“We proudly represent Drake and really appreciate them (the fans). They do impact the energy and success on the field,” Creighton said.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Mike Piatkowski connected with senior Nick Rosa to put the Bulldogs on the board and give them their first lead of the night at 7-6.

“There were two instances when we were passing where the guys got a little confused,” Creighton said.

“Grand View’s defense is built to confuse the opponent’s offense and we managed to get it figured out.”

The Bulldogs expanded

Dear Drake Student Body,

their lead throughout the remainder of the game with a consistent effort by the Bulldog defense.

Drake held Grand View to 241 total yards of offense as they collected nine sacks and 12 tackles for a loss.

Grand View was held to just its lone touchdown during the first quarter. The Vikings posted two additional points before the half after the Bulldogs failed to convert for a first down and drew a penalty prior to the punt. A miscalculated spike of the ball over the head of junior Jeremy Stein and into the end zone resulted in a safety.

Despite keeping the Vikings off the scoreboard in the second half, a Piatkowski interception and two turn-

overs on the ground proved the Bulldogs may not have been on their “A game” throughout the game.

Both players and coaching staff welcomed the win but said play will need to improve for future contests.

“It was definitely big,” Piatkowski said. “There was a lot of stuff we’ll learn from watching the films, for sure, but definitely coming away without overtime is always nice.”

Drake defeated Grand View 28-21 in overtime last season.

Reflecting on the game Creighton identified two overall team goals, winning the turnover ratio and coming out ahead in the battle of special teams, as areas the

Bulldogs would focus their energy this week in practice.

“Our special teams made a big play for sure, but they gave us far too many other big plays,” Creighton said.

Creighton expects to see improvement as the Bulldogs face Montana State University this coming Saturday.

“The great improvement for the team is usually between the first and second game,” Creighton said. “We need to improve and be excellent in those areas when we face Montana State.”

Players echoed Creighton’s fervor for future success and had some insight of their own to offer as to how the Bulldogs intend to meet the demands of their nationally ranked opponent.

“We’re going to be prepared for them and study them hard. We need to be physical on defense. We allowed six points tonight, so we need to do the same thing,” said senior Naser Hannoon. “On offense, I know the last time we played them, we had our starting quarterback, Mike Piatkowski, out. This year, we’ll have him, so we’ll be ready to go.”

The next test of the Bulldogs’ training efforts and their ability to make adjustments in practice this week will take place this Saturday at Drake Stadium. Kickoff for the Bulldogs’ game against the Bobcats is scheduled for 6 p.m.

You guys were awesome on Thursday night! Thanks so much for being there and for proudly wearing your blue Game Day shirts. Your presence fired us up and we appreciate it immensely.

This Saturday evening at 6 p.m. we host Montana State. They are ranked No. 4 in the country. It is a huge game and a huge opportunity for us. We need you there again and we need you rowdy. Come early, wear blue, bring a friend, be loud and stay late!

The team meets at the Bulldog in front of the stadium at 3:45 p.m. That will give you a few hours to tailgate and then it is game on.

See you Saturday night!

Go Bulldogs!

Coach Creighton and the Drake University Football Team

Luke Nankivell | photo editor

THE DRAKE OFFENSIVE LINE (above) wards off the Grand View defense on Aug. 30 at Drake Stadium.

Football

‘Good number’ of Drake football players under suspension Taylor Soule

Sports Editor tdsportsed@gmail.com

Members of the Drake football team are facing a two-game suspension of their 11-game season after

breaking team rules.

The two-game suspension started on Aug. 30 versus Grand View and will continue through Saturday’s game against Montana State.

An unknown number of players were sidelined after

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO TDSPORTSED@GMAIL.COM

violating team policy.

“It’s unfortunately a good number of guys,” said Drake head coach Chris Creighton.

“I mean that it’s a larger number than any of us would like it to be.”

Creighton said no players

were arrested, although one player was written up in a residence hall.

He confirmed that, other than the one player written up in the residence hall, only football team policy was violated.

“It was an in-house, inteam policy,” Creighton said.

The Bulldogs take on Montana State at Drake Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Missing players could make defeating the No. 4 Bobcats especially difficult.

“Certainly no matter who we’re playing, you’d like to have your entire team available,” said Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb. “So, it’s obviously a penalty for the entire team.”

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

SPORTS

Page 7 | SEPT. 06, 2012

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

PageSeven Volleyball

Bulldogs still searching for first win of the year Road woes continue for Drake at La Quinta Invitational Rodney Spears

Staff Writer rodney.spears@drake.edu

The Drake University volleyball team, led by head coach Tony Sunga, dropped all three of its matches this weekend at the La Quinta Invitational hosted by New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. The Bulldogs lost to the New Mexico State Aggies 3-1, with scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-22, and 25-18. The young team also lost in straight sets to the Cincinnati Bearcats

Rowing

(28-26, 25-15, 25-20) and to the Northwestern Wildcats (27-25, 25-16, 25-16).

Drake was led by seniors Bentley Mancini and Jadranka Tramosljanin throughout the weekend. Tramosljanin tallied 20 kills over the weekend.

“I’m pleased with the resiliency right now in our team and their growth and maturity,” Sunga said in a Drake athletics press release. “We are on the verge of being that team we want to be. We have to keep improving in some areas and con-

tinue to get reps and it will get better with more experience. We are learning to fight back when teams push us and not get intimidated, and we are getting great leadership from the upper classmen and the freshmen are stepping up as well. Bentley really turned it on this weekend and it shows with the impressive numbers she posted.”

Freshmen Katie Dulek and Cassie Effken came on strong for the team this past weekend playing the middle blockers.

Cross country squad takes on crew novices

“The middles continue to make progress for us,” Sunga said in a Drake athletics press release. “We are a young team especially with Cassie and Katie in the middle but they continue to get experience each match and help us.”

On Friday, the Bulldogs will travel to the University of Wisconsin for the 21st annual InnTowner Invitational.

The team is scheduled to take on Wisconsin, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and North Dakota State.

Wisconsin opened its

Cross Country

Sports Editor tdsportsed@gmail.com

DRAKE CROSS COUNTRY (top) races novice rowers this past Sunday on the Des Moines River.

DRAKE CREW (bottom) hauls a boat to the water before the race.

Meagan Flynn

Staff Writer meagan.flynn@drake.edu

On the quaintly still Des Moines River under a sunny sky, assistant rowing coach Jane Detwiler barked commands through a megaphone at two boats full of 16 try-hard women’s cross country runners — most of whom had never picked up an oar in their lives.

“Bend your knees! Lean back!” Detwiler yelled. “Follow the person in front of you—do exactly what she does!”

In an effort to promote more unity within Drake athletics, women’s cross country coach Dan Hostager brought his runners out on the water for a race against the novice freshmen rowers, who evenly matched the runners in the experience realm: slim to none.

“It’s something we talked about for a couple of years now,” Hostager said. “It’s a good team building exercise, and we certainly gained more appreciation for their sport.”

The event was also in full pursuit of embodying the Bulldog Way, a relatively new program that promotes school pride and encourages athletes to support each other.

“A big part of being a Bulldog is not only supporting teammates but other athletes as well,” said rowing captain Andrea Piekarczyk.

“We’re hoping that when our girls see the cross country runners on campus, they’ll know more about each other.”

So as the cross country runners were welcomed into the new world of rowing, they came with open minds and positive attitudes — ready to learn.

When sophomore runner Melissa Parks climbed out of the eight-rower boat and onto the dock at the conclusion of the training, she shot a thumbs-up at her friend, former University of Kansas rower, Karlie Brown, who then high-fived Parks for “not catching a crab”— a mistake new rowers often make by plunging the oar too deep. Parks had previously underestimated how difficult this new sport was.

“It was harder than I expected, just to have everyone go at the same time,” Parks said. “It takes a lot of coordination.”

As for the novice rowers, before Sunday, they had they had learned the basic rowing technique on the ergs on Thursday and had only pushed off the docks in the boats once on Friday.

“We just kind of threw them into it today, and they handled it like champs,” Piekarczyk said. “Next week they’ll be learning more technical stuff, but they’ve been doing a good job. It’s not easy.”

In the end, the cross country runners won both races. Regardless, though, the race was a constructive experience for the new novice freshmen.

“I think it was beneficial in that it gave them a sense of what it’s like to race and how to go fast,” Detwiler said after the race as a group of rowers cannon-balled off the dock into the river behind her. “It also gave the two teams a chance to get together and mingle, which I think was the biggest benefit.”

For freshman Katie Serbin, another success of the day was learning to row using her legs instead of just arms and back. Though the freshmen have not had much training in technique, today’s trip on the water provided

an extra stab at progress.

“It definitely helped me prepare better for getting the timing down,” Serbin said.

“The most difficult thing is the timing and getting everyone to row at once.”

In addition to the race, 16 rowers also volunteered at the Hy-Vee Triathlon as safety guards in kayaks that same afternoon.

“Hy-Vee is a great supporter of Drake athletics, so we were very happy to give that support back,” said head rowing coach Charlie DiSilvestro .

If any of the swimmers who were participating in the race were struggling, they could hold onto a volunteer’s kayak until they were ready to continue. Though most of the rowers had never kayaked before, according to senior captain Kristina Vann, they all learned the kayaking technique without trouble. Vann described her experience as “absolutely awesome.”

“It was inspirational because you have the elite athletes, then you have some people who would swim from kayak to kayak, and you could tell they were struggling, but they just kept going. That’s kind of like what rowing is,” Vann said.

Vann hopes the entire team can volunteer at the triathlon next year. Like the battle of the beginners in the rowing race, the crew’s involvement as volunteers is also demonstrative of the Bulldog Way, and it’s something all athletic departments hope to continue.

“The Bulldog Way is something that the department is trying to emphasize a little more,” DiSilvestro said. “We’re all a part of the Drake community. We want (the athletes) to feel like they’re part of a bigger thing, not just their team.”

dropped games to Duke, Western Michigan and Bradley, another one of Drake’s conference rivals.

Following the match-up with Wisconsin Milwaukee the team takes on North Dakota State (1-5). The Bison’s lone win came over Air Force in the Hampton Inn and Suites Northern Colorado Classic.

After the InnTowner Invitational the team will have its home opener against Wichita State on Friday, Sept.

14 at the Knapp Center.

Fifth-year seniors look to guide Drake’s MVC title quest Taylor Soule

Rachel Ward | staff photographer

season with a 5-1 record.

Their only loss came against the Bulldogs’ Missouri Valley Conference rival Creighton in the South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Fla. The Bulldogs play Creighton on Sept. 22, meaning the matchup against the Badgers will be a measuring stick for conference competition.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee comes into the tournament with a 4-3 record that includes wins over William and Mary, Fairfield, East Carolina, and Southeast Missouri State. The Panthers

Even if fifth-year senior Kirsten Lake’s Bulldog days are dwindling, she’s expecting eight talented freshmen to continue her Drake cross country legacy.

Lake won last Friday’s Bulldog Classic to open Drake’s cross country season. With four regular season meets remaining, Lake is already eyeing the Missouri Valley Conference title.

“I’m kind of excited because we have some strong freshman girls that came in, so I think we can do pretty well if we just keep up our training,” Lake said. “Hopefully, we place better at conference this year, and I think that we can really easily.”

Before the State Farm MVC Championship opens on Oct. 27, though, working together is Drake’s top priority.

“We need to get used to working together in practic-

Column

es so we do that during the races, and I think we’ll be really good if we can figure out how to do that,” Lake said.

Drake travels to Minneapolis, Minn., for the Minnesota OZ Memorial on Friday. For Lake and Drake, every mile welcomes team bonding, whether by foot, or by bus.

“One of the things I like about being on the cross country team is everybody is close because, you know, we practice every day even on the weekends,” Lake said. “We get up early on the weekends to go do our long runs, so we spend a lot of time together and travel, so everybody gets really close.”

Togetherness also motivates the Drake men’s cross country team. Fifth-year senior Charlie Lapham is optimistic about Drake’s chances this season, thanks to the team’s shared vision.

“I think even more than any time I’ve been here at Drake, we know we have a good team, and we know

that we have a really strong top couple runners,” Lapham said. “I think the goals are pretty much the same for everyone on our team. We all have similar goals, and they’re all team goals, and that’s really our motto is to just kind of keep the team first and try to do everything as a group.”

Though team goals are forefront for Lapham, he’s also looking to improve individually.

“I came back, obviously, because I felt like I still had room to improve,” Lapham said. “I had unfinished business at Drake. We want to try to win conference, and we have a good chance to do it.”

Lapham said the Bulldogs’ “similar” goals and personalities improve their MVC chances.

“We’re all really good friends,” Lapham said. “We’re all very similar, and we’re all working towards the same thing, so it’s a fun group of people to be around.”

Preseason boosts confidence New staff motivates Bulldogs What do you get when you combine 13 basketball players and five coaches with the months of August and September?

PRESEASON! What screams excitement more than the word “preseason” in all caps? There is definitely nothing more exhilarating than that, and I will gladly tell you why. Our team and our coaches are so energized for this year. Even with a handful of changes, the dream is all the same — a conference championship and the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament.

And so it begins…

There are thousands of Division I programs across the nation. Every single one of them has the same goal as we do — to win games, to win championships, to be a part of March Madness. In this sense everyone is identical. But here at Drake we bring something else to the table. We go about our goals the Bulldog Way. “We act with integrity.

We demonstrate an uncompromising commitment to excellence. We outwork and

outhustle our opponent in pursuit of championships.

We desire the best for and expect the best from each other. We maximize our potential by aspiring to greatness. We live the bulldog way.” This is something that every team at this university stands by. It’s a lot to take in, and a lot to carry out. But we, Drake women’s basketball, have a plan.

So maybe we have only been around our new coaching staff for a brief amount of time. However, the messages that have been engrained into our thinking, even this early in the year, are powerful ones. Coach Jennie Baranczyk (our head coach), along with her staff, has instilled a level of confidence in our team that I know will carry over into this season. They have gotten rid of any skepticism that may or may not have been floating around. We will talk about winning, we will practice like winners, we will act like winners, and we will do it all with great sense of pride.

Going beyond that, we fol-

Carly Grenfell Columnist

low five essential principles: respect, commit, motivation, passion and thankfulness.

On the court we emphasize an upbeat tempo, rebounding and communication. You can believe it when you see it. As much as I’d love to go into detail about these components of our program, you are probably in class reading this and need to pay attention (not to mention the word limit). Besides, I can say all of this and have it mean nothing. We have a lot to prove, and it doesn’t start when the horn sounds for our first game. It has already started.

We have new coaches and a new system, we graduated our leading scorer and, dare I say it, lost in the conference championship last year. Any of these facts are bound to spark a sense of doubt for any given person that follows our program. However, that is the least of our worries. We take it day-by-day and continue to look ahead at what we plan to accomplish.

Just to tie everything together, I will end on this note: BELIEVE OR LEAVE! Grenfell is a junior public relations and management double major and can be reached at carly.grenfell@ drake.edu

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

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SEPT. 06, 2012 | Page 8