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THE TIMES-DELPHIC DES MOINES, IOWA | THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 | VOL. 131, NO. 11 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM

New position on campus serves as ‘victim advocate’ Focus on sexual violence response and healthy relationships

by Katie Kalmes

Staff Writer katherine.kalmes@drake.edu

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network website, one in five college women will be raped and one in 33 men have been victims of rape in their lifetime. Overall, 60 percent of sexual assault incidents are not reported.

This semester, the Drake administration created a new position for dealing with sexual assault on campus. On Sept. 6, Alysa Mozak was hired as the coordinator for sexual violence response and healthy relationship promotion.

“I serve as a victim advocate for students who have experienced sexual assault as well as educational programming,” Mozak said. “My job is to deal with preventative measures and intervention for victims.”

According to Dean of Students Sentwali Bakari, discussion of adding this type of position began a year ago when the administration formed a sexual assault committee.

“Along with the committee, the administration felt that it was good for Drake to have a position like this,” Bakari said. “That way we can have a person on staff that can devote most of their energy and time to doing the

best work possible, in terms of working with these students.”

Mozak hopes to become a wellknown member of the Drake community through her one-on-one interactions with students as well as her programming and work with organizations.

“October is domestic violence awareness month and I plan to hold many domestic violence awareness projects such as a ribbon campaign, a heart-art campaign where students can decorate hearts in support of non-violence, and I want to bring in speakers,” Mozak said.

Mozak received a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from Iowa State University. She said that her passion for these issues arose from her first women’s studies course during her first year of college.

“We talked about violence against women and how it’s such a silenced occurrence, but at the same time it’s such a serious issue,” Mozak said. “I think those discussions are what really fueled my passion. I think its something that needs to be in the forefront of discussions.”

Before coming to Drake, Mozak worked with young kids who had been sexually molested.

“I got burnt out working with that young population, so I decided

I wanted to work with older teens to adults who are more cognitive, and I can actually make a difference,” Mozak said.

As a result she went back to get her master’s degree from Iowa State then worked with the Young Women’s Christian Association before receiving the job at Drake.

“We’re really happy that she’s here,” Bakari said. “We think she’s going to do some good work, and I think it’s good for our campus to have her here. She’s high-energy and has so many plans for our community.”

Students can contact Mozak through email, by phone or by visiting her at her office located in the Office of Residence Life.

“I’m hoping someday I don’t have to be in this field; in my utopian world, there is no violence against women and men and that way I would be out of a job,” Mozak said. “Unfortunately right now I’m needed, and I’m glad to be here and to make a difference at Drake.”

submitted by ALYSA MOZAK

ALYSA MOZAK comes to Drake from Iowa State University. Her office is located in Lower Olmsted. One of her goals is to build strong oneon-one relationships with students.

Warmth for the winter Inspiration in the form of family Drake junior knits for the homeless, continues to expand her cause

by Katie Kalmes

Staff Writer katherine.kalmes@drake.edu

After a successful run last year, Drake-Knit for the Needy is beginning its second year of helping the Iowa Homeless Youth by providing it with homemade scarves, hats and mittens during winter.

“There’s 10,000 homeless youth in Iowa, and our goal is to provide as many as we can with clothing that they need as well as giving them homemade things so they know that someone out there cares about them,” said junior Meredith Job, founder of Drake-Knit for the Needy.

Drake-Knit for the Needy accepts both purchased and homemade winter items. The organization collected over 1,000 items last year, and this year it hopes to collect 2,000 items.

Job operates Drake-Knit for the Needy by herself with help from her parents, who collect the donations at their home in Knoxville, Iowa, and her friends, who have volunteered to drive donations to the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers.

“When I take them to the shelters, all the girls get so excited and try to pick ones that would match their coats,” Job said. “It’s making a difference, and it’s very rewarding.”

Job created Drake-Knit for the Needy after she served on the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers board during her sophomore year.

“I learned a lot about homeless youth in Iowa, and I decided I wanted to do something about it,” Job said. “I started volunteering at the different centers and interacting with

the children.”

Apart from her interaction with the children, Job received a lot of inspiration from a CNN special entitled “Heroes” that premiered during Thanksgiving of 2010.

“I was really inspired by all the everyday people who were making a big difference, and it made me feel like one person can make a difference, so I thought I would try,” Job said.

Job said she decided to learn how to knit so she could help the homeless youth she had met through the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers.

By watching a five-minute YouTube video, she had learned how to knit a scarf.

“It was actually really awesome to see Meredith start this,” said junior Jill Collins, Job’s roommate during sophomore year. “We had only become close the second semester of freshman year, and I had no idea how driven she was to help others. Once she thought of the idea, she was determined to get it started.”

Job is looking for any individual or organization that is willing to help her cause by either donating yarn or by purchasing or making winter accessories.

“It’s a really cool thing for people to do together,” Job said. “I know a lot of my friends, even without me, have been getting together to watch a movie and knit because you don’t have to think about it that much — it’s mindless.”

Poet comes for Writers and Critics

by Kensie Smith

Staff Writer mackensie.smith@drake.edu

Surrounded by the written words of writers and poets past, Sean Hill read his own works to an attentive crowd in the Cowles Library Reading Room on Monday.

Hill took the podium with a casual “hello” after a robust introduction of his many fellowships and grants. He launched into reading from his 2008 poetry book, which is called “Blood Ties and Brown Liquor.”

“This is a poem about names — labels — and the importance we place on them,” Hill said during the reading of his opening poem.

The poems are based on Hill’s hometown of Milledgeville, Ga. Inspired by his grandmother’s stories, Hill set out to lyrically tell the area’s history. Much of the book is told from the life and times of fictional character Silas Wright.

“The name just came to me,” Hill

said of the inspiration behind the character’s moniker. “The character insisted on it.”

The book reflects heavily on the perspective of being black in the south in the early to mid- 1900s.

Hill read his tales with an outwardly strong emotional background. An example was the piece “Insurance Man 1964,” which is based off the lynching of four people in Monroe, La. Hill also read some pieces about his new home in the small town of Bemidji, Minn. He was given a grant to go to a place, observe and write.

He found adventures in the North, such as tapping syrup and ice fishing, as inspiration.

“Some ideas just kind of present themselves,” Hill said. “History and everyday life and the line at the grocery store and things I overhear capture my attention.”

A book in five parts is in the works for Hill, continuing his focus on the concept of home and place.

Melisa Klimaszewski, assistant professor of English, organized Hill’s appearance. She said that she felt

strongly that Drake would benefit from his visit.

“I think the way his poetry honors connections between the past and the present is really important and true to how a lot of us experience the world,” Klimaszewski said.

Students and professors alike were seen with the colorful book cover.

“I came because I wanted to hear how he writes from a time he never was, but (he) was very aware of what went on,” Ben Hoffman, senior secondary education and writing major, said.

Hill was the first of the 2011 Writers and Critics Series. The series is sponsored by the Drake English Department and made possible by the Drake Center for the Humanities.

The 2011 spring semester welcomed Mohan Sikka and Keetje Kuipers among others.

Look to the Drake website for upcoming sessions. Those interested in poetry are invited to the upcoming Younger American Poets Reading Series at 7 p.m. next Thursday at Beaverdale Books.

Guilty plea for embezzlement from former Drake director of student accounts

by Kristen Smith

Editor-in-Chief times.delphic@drake.edu

Former Drake University director of student accounts, Robert Alex Harlan, 49, pleaded guilty on Sept.

26 to embezzling over $10,000 from the university. The embezzlement is thought to have spanned over a period of at least five years.

Polk County prosecutors decided that the original charges against Harlan, five counts of first-degree theft, would be consolidated into one charge. Harlan pleaded guilty after the prosecutors’ decision.

The Class C offense is punishable by up to 10 years in jail, a minimum fine of $1,000 or a maximum fine of $10,000, although the plea deal does not mean Harlan is guaranteed any of these as a final penalty. His sen-

tencing will be on Nov. 8.

Harlan was arrested on April 13 after Drake officials noticed discrepancies in university account records.

He was accused of embezzling more than $470,000 over a period of seven years. On April 21, Harlan turned himself into authorities.

Harlan was employed at Drake for over 20 years and was the director of student accounts for the past 10 years.

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NEWS

OPINIONS

FEATURES

SPORTS

Meet your potential king and queen for the year

The eight Drake alums everyone should know

Local pizza place is making waves around the country

Teams to keep an eye on for IM playoffs

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NEWS

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the student; he had cut his arm. Des Moines Fire Medics were called. Medics treated the student on the scene, and he did not want to go the hospital.

12:09 a.m. Sept. 25

rity checked the area but could not locate the suspect.

10:30 p.m. Sept. 20 Security responded to Meredith Hall on a report that a male Drake student had fallen through a gate and was injured. Security found

“

10:34 p.m. Sept. 20 Security was at the Kum and Go store located at 31st and University when a non-Drake affiliated male told security that his vehicle was just stolen. Security called the police and started to follow the stolen vehicle. The owner of the stolen vehicle got into a car with a friend and ran in front of the now stolen vehicle and got it stopped in the 1500 block of 30th Street.

Security was able to pull the non-Drake affiliated male suspect out of the vehicle and hold him until the police arrived. The suspect was arrested for second degree theft.

Security observed an underage-for-drinking female Drake student lying in the grass near Carpenter Avenue by the painted street. One male and one female Drake student picked up the student off the ground. Security stopped all three to speak to them. The students stated they were walking home from a party. The female that was on the ground could not stand or walk and then started to vomit. Security called Des Moines Fire Rescue at this time. Rescue arrived and transported the student to a local hospital. Residence life and the dean of students were advised.

1:00 p.m. Sept. 20 Security responded to the 1200 block of 31st Street near Goodwin Kirk Residence Hall on a report from a female Drake student that a male in his 20s had just exposed himself. Secu-

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 | PAGE 2

day

PAINT BY NUMBERS

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THE TIMES-DELPHIC

I tell new volunteers they’re making a definite impact in a person’s life

—ANNE MURR | PAGE 3

the suspect for hit and run and public intoxication.

9:34 a.m. Sept. 25 A female Drake student reported to security that her MacBook was stolen out of her unlocked dorm room at Jewett Residence Hall sometime overnight on Sept. 24.

11:05 p.m. Sept. 24 Security officers heard a crash outside the security office on 25th Street. Officers observed that a pick-up truck had just hit two vehicles outside the office on the street. The driver of the truck took off running. Security chased the suspect, caught him and held him for police. The suspect was a non-Drake affiliated male. The two victims of the vehicles that were hit came to the scene, both non-Drake affiliated. Police arrested

Former professor passes away

WANT ‘Scholar of media law’ leaves legacy TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE TIMESDELPHIC?

by Taylor Soule

Staff Writer taylor.soule@drake.edu

Snap a

photograph

The Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication mourned the loss of a legend, a warrior and a worker in the death of former professor William “Bill” Francois. He died on Sept.

16 at the Senior Suites of Urbandale nursing home. He was 87.

His 15-year career at Drake was characterized by fervent defense of the First Amendment, relentless dedication to student media and an unwavering desire to enrich the lives of his students through his specialties: media law and libel. Students and faculty alike remember the tough-asnails professor who taught his classes with passion, rigor and tirelessness, with tearyeyed students in his office just a part of Francois’ legacy.

One of those students was Kathleen Richardson, the director of Drake’s journalism program and a 1977 graduate of the school’s news/editorial sequence. She said his fierce approach to journalism radiates in her own teaching style today.

Richardson, who teaches the very class on media law and ethics that Francois taught, said she often asks herself, “what would Professor Francois do in this situation?”

“He was very tough,” Richardson said.

“He was not a pushover.”

Francois taught both introductory and upper-level journalism students at Drake as an instructor of J30, communications

in society, and J54, reporting and writing principles.

“He was known as a tough, but fair teacher,” Richardson said. “He was an internationally known scholar of media law.”

Richardson added that Francois wrote the textbook on libel that was used in media law courses at Drake for many years.

Also a paratrooper during World War II, Francois fought a different battle at Drake during his teaching career, which spanned from 1969-1984. He supported students’ First Amendment rights as an instructor and as the advisor for The TimesDelphic, and he defended their decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas.

“He was a staunch advocate for the First Amendment and a fierce defender of student media at Drake, and for that we will be forever grateful,” Richardson said.

“He would be there fighting for the rights of the student journalists.”

Richardson described Francois’ presence in the classroom as “intimidating yet passionate.” She also said he was always plugged into the local journalism community even following his retirement in 1984.

He also left the position with the prestigious title as “professor emeritus.”

John Lytle, professor of journalism electronic media, had the opportunity to work alongside the media law legend while Francois piloted the news/editorial sequence, which is now called the news/ internet sequence.

“We all considered him to be tireless,

unflagging, totally committed to hard work, to the First Amendment,” Lytle said.

Lytle added that Francois was “a task master.” He said he was notorious for often having someone crying in his office, with the tears usually resulting from the difficult, demanding nature of his media law and ethics course.

“He suffered fools not at all, very demanding of himself and of others,” Lytle said.

A man defined by his incredible work ethic, Francois lived his life in the fast lane.

Starting traditions well beyond the classroom, Francois is credited with starting a faculty golf outing that took place on Dead Day every spring semester, a ritual that continued long after his retirement.

“He played golf like he did everything else,” Lytle said. “He got mad at the ball.”

He added that Francois continued to play golf well into his later years.

“He was just such a worker,” Lytel said.

“He never had leisure time. He moved quickly. He spoke quickly. He was a newspaper man.”

As Drake faculty, former students and media ethics scholars alike remember Francois, his passion and persistence are sure to permeate the School of Journalism and Mass Communications for decades to come.

“It was his professional life as well as his passion as a former journalist that makes him a journalism icon and a Drake icon today,” Richardson said.

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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

opinions&editorials Optimism in NBC

Hope has taken quite a beating in some way or another, makes a decithe last couple of years. sion that takes him or her a little closEver since President Barack er to his or her dream, whether that Obama set forth the radical idea dream is running for public office or that “yes, we can,” simple concepts becoming the next Jay-Z. like hope and optimism have become This is what makes “Parks and politicized and polarized. It has got- Recreation” so relentlessly watchten to the point that the very act of able. In contrast to almost every believing in America’s potential is other show on television, “Parks and considered partisan.

Recreation” never fails to make you This is an unsettling and disturb- care about the characters and to ing trend, and it distorts our politics make you hope that they succeed. In in ways that are unnecessarily de- “Lil’ Sebastian,” as I watched these generative. The destructive attitude characters that I had come to love toward government espoused by tea take those leaps of faith, I realized party Republicans engenders distrust that “yes, we can” is more than just for the sake of distrust and has con- a campaign slogan. It is a statement tributed to a growing sense of cyni- of hope, a belief that when people cism in the national consciousness. come together, no dream is unreachIn the last three years, Republicans able. like John Boehner and Eric Cantor have done their very best to beat the hope out of us.

Fortunately, they will not succeed, and that is because we have “Parks and Recreation.” “Parks and Recreation” is unquestionably the best show on television, and it is the antidote to this growing American cynicism. At face value, the show is about a group of people working in municipal government in the small town of Pawnee, Ind., but on a much deeper level, the show is about hope. The show is about optimism, about placing faith in the institutions that govern our lives and the people that we share our lives with.

From Leslie’s lonely quest to turn a dangerous, abandoned pit into a beautiful neighborhood park to the season two finale in which her loveable band of misfits came together to throw a free concert for children despite a government shut-down efforts, this show has given us a more hopeful idea of what government can and should do.

However, in the last season, the idea of hope became even more deeply engrained in the life of the series. If I had to narrow down “Parks and Recreation’s” greatest strength, it would be its faithful devotion to real-character development. With every episode, the already compelling figures that populate its universe become even more fleshed out, and last year it went into overdrive.

All of this culminated in “Lil’ Sebastian,” last year’s season finale, which defied sitcom convention by CASEY ERIXON | COLUMNIST having several major characters take Erixon is a junior rhetoric and politics major can big leaps of faith. Each character, in be contacted at william.erixon@drake.edu

“

In contrast to almost every other show on television, ‘Parks and Recreation’ never fails to make you care about the characters and hope that they succeed.

”

THE TIMES-DELPHIC volleyball will be playing thebuzz Women’s Friday and Saturday at the Knapp Center at 7 p.m. These will be the team’s first conference games at home and its first time playing at home in a month.

Top 8:Who Attended Drake Homecoming is a tradition of welcoming alumni and supporters of Drake back to campus to celebrate the university. Though many may not know it, Drake is the home to many famous alumni. Take a look at eight of Drake’s most notable alum.

1

Zach Johnson. Johnson is a golfer who turned pro in 1998, the same year he graduated from Drake.

While he states that he was not the best on the team at Drake, he continually got better after graduation. He won the 2007 Masters tournament, one of the best achievements in golf.

2

John August. He attended Drake for an undergraduate journalism degree, where he worked in the admissions office and gave tours around campus. He is now a well-known screenwriter with credits in “Charlie’s Angels,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Tarzan” and “Corpse Bride.”

3

Billy Cundiff. A football player and 2001 graduate from Drake, Cundiff is known for breaking five Pioneer Football League records along with being an All-American his senior year at Drake. He currently plays kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, where he tied a record for the most touchbacks in a season. He made the NFL Pro Bowl in 2011.

4

Dr. Harley Wilhelm. He attended Drake on an athletic scholarship and took courses in math, physics and chemistry. He later had a fellowship at Drake after his 1923 graduation. He invented the process of large-scale production of uranium and thorium while at Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University. He did this for the well-known Manhattan Project.

5

Michael Emerson. Emerson graduated from Drake in 1976, where he studied theatre and art. He is best known for playing the character Ben Linus on the TV show “Lost.”

6

George Cohon. He graduated from Drake with a bachelor’s degree of science. Cohon founded McDonald’s in both Canada and Russia. Supposedly, having his business card will give you unlimited free entrees in any McDonald’s in Canada or Russia.

Emma Verona Johnston.

She was the oldest living person in America from May 2004 until she died at age 114 in Aug. 2004. She graduated from Drake in 1912, one of the few women who attended college in her time.

7

8

Charles “Chet” Culver.

Chet is the former governor of Iowa who served from 20072011. He received his masters of teaching at Drake in 1994. His first job outside of Drake was teaching government and history here in DSM. It was after a few years in the school system that he began to run for offices around Iowa.

ERYN SWAIN | COLUMNIST

Swain is a junior marketing and writing double major and can be contacted at eryn.swain@drake.edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

Our Two Cents • The TD staff heard a recent rumor that Drake has a football team. We also heard they are doing pretty well this year. To celebrate this new-found team, we’re going to the homecoming game, are you?

• Well, well, Drake students have been displaying stellar social conduct lately. Security reports have be abysmal. At the TD we aren’t sure if this is fantastic or depressing.

• Want to have fake money on your ID card and be able to spend it without feeling guilty? Convert your meals to flex dollars all this week and eat real junk food from the C-Store.

• Who knew the first-years were so angry? The TD put up a poll about the FYS Friday sessions, which we have been hearing so much about. It’s been exploding. We all hate Friday classes, get used to them.

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 | PAGE 4

don’tmissthis

Live Band Karaoke and fireworks in honor of Homecoming Friday, Sept. 30 from 8-11 p.m. at Helmick Commons

‘Nearly naked’students to run around campus

by Katie Kalmes

Staff Writer katherine.kalmes.@drake.edu

How many people can say they’ve ran a mile dressed as Batman? Or wearing only their boxers? Or dressed up as cowboys? Not many, but tonight at 9 p.m. you could say you have.

At the first Nearly Naked Mile here at Drake, participants will run a mile while supporting a good cause. The Student Alumni Association will host the event with the help of Goodwill.

“Participants can strip down to their boxers, but it’s not necessary,” said senior Nick Downey, SAA vice president of special events. “If they want to run in shorts and a T-shirt, that’s fine too. It’s really whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Each participant must donate three articles of clothing or $5 to participate in the run. All proceeds and clothing collected will go to Goodwill.

“We will be providing a truck for the collection of the clothing that students will be donating at the starting line of the event,” Mary Mendenhall said. Mendenhall is the core development director at Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with Drake.”

Downey encourages plenty of clothes for donation.

“The more clothes donated, the better; to do the most good, that’s always a huge bonus as far as helping out the community,” Downey said. “For us specifically, we would like roughly 200 people to come out and participate.”

Participants can either run by themselves or can sign up with a team. A team is a minimum of five members.

Apart from running and supporting a good cause, participants have the chance to win awards. There will be awards given for the fastest mile, the best outfit for both teams and individuals, and the most clothes donated for both teams and individuals.

“I’m graduating this year, but SAA is planning to make this an annual homecoming event,” Downey said. “So for students to be able to say they did the first one will be a huge thing, and I think it will only grow and get better from here.”

If you haven’t already signed up, you can sign up before the event during registration, which starts at 6 p.m. in Olmsted and goes until 8:20 p.m.

“I like running and volunteering,” sophomore participant Kaila Wechsler said. “It’s a really good and fun way to combine the two. And besides, who doesn’t want to give back to the community by running around naked?”

JOEY GALE | photo editor

Non-traditional ways of learning help local adults Magnetic boards and finger tapping are methods used to teach literacy

by Jessica Ott

Adult Literacy Center fast facts...

Staff writer jessica.ott@drake.edu

According to the Drake Adult Literacy Center’s official website...

“The goal of the Adult Literacy Center is to

+ improve literacy resulting in self-esteem, daily living and life long learning.”

70% of adult students are employed

+

of students are learning English as a + 15% second language

Volunteers are needed at Drake University’s Adult Literacy Center. The center helps teach adults how to read, write and even speak. Many of the adults who seek help at the center cannot learn in a traditional manner.

According to the Adult Literacy Center home page, volunteers tutor during two one-hour sessions with one student each week. Tutors can work Mondays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Anne Murr, the coordinator of the Adult Literacy Center, said that tutors need to be “people who enjoy the world of words, playing word games (and) going on tangents to help people understand and use our language.”

All tutors take a seven-hour training course where they learn multiple methods for structured teaching focused on reading and spelling. This course includes an introduction to why people fail to learn how to read, how to structure lessons and how to

develop different methods of teaching, including using magnetic boards and finger tapping.

Finger tapping is a method of breaking up words into separate sounds. This is helpful because the main reason people fail to learn how to read is because they can’t associate letters with sounds.

Murr said the program began in 1976 with a federal grant for Des Moines Area Community College and Drake.

The grant paid students to take a class on adult literacy and then participants would have the opportunity to teach adults how to read. After the grant expired, community volunteers joined students and kept the program running.

According to its mission statement, the Adult Literacy Center has helped people pass their driving tests, read to their grandchildren, help their children with elementary school homework and read their medicine instructions.

Murr described the program as “tremendously rewarding.”

“I tell new volunteers they’re making a definite impact in a person’s life,” Murr said. “This is more satisfying than reading

with children. The adults are very motivated because they want to improve their lives. As you see people gain confidence in themselves and become passionate about learning, how exciting is that?”

According to the Adult Literacy Center’s website, adults involved in this program were enrolled in school until at least 10th grade, but their reading skills are more at the pre-reading level to fourth grade. The center helps over 100 adults each year. There are currently 70 students being tutored while many others are on a waiting list.

The majority of adults involved in the program finish after two years. Other students are learning English Adult Literacy Center student Jerry Schilling said that his life has improved “quite a bit.”

“I’ve come a long way,” Schilling said.

To get involved, contact Murr, or fill out the application on the Adult Literacy Center website.

Fong-tastic pizza: DSM Asian-inspired pizzeria gains national recognition

by Katelyn Phillip

Multimedia Editor katelyn.phillip@drake.edu

Crumbs litter empty black tables, green vinyl seats and worn-down red carpet. Napkins lay crumpled next to sticky smears of honey and hot chili sauce. A single server hands a receipt to the lone customer. She brushes sweat from her damp brow. The air is humid; a white ceiling fan can’t cool the entire place.

Like the fan, co-owner Gwen Page struggles to adjust to Fong’s Pizza’s increasing popularity. This quirky restaurant has made a name for itself among locals.

An Asian-inspired pizzeria located on Fourth Street in downtown Des Moines, Fong’s has been serving up slices since 2009.

Taking over Des Moines’ oldest Chinese restaurant, King Ying Low, Fong’s had multiple customers come in throughout the first year not knowing the venue had changed. This is because the pizzeria kept most of the Asian elements from the previous restaurant. Page said Fong’s decided to incorporate Chinese flair to pay tribute to the restaurant’s history.

Page had to tear up five layers of wallpaper to paint the walls a mixture of warm reds, greens and yellows. Occupied since the early 1940s, she said she put a lot of elbow grease into sprucing up the space Low’s left behind.

With all of the renovations, it still hasn’t changed much. When a customer walks in the heavy glass doors, they see the large mural of cranes that Low’s had. The red lattice décor that once graced the walls now act as dividers between booths. Small oriental knickknacks, including cat figurines waving their paws as signs of good fortune, line shelves above the tiki bar.

Along with the Asian theme, Fong’s incorporates a bar and traditional Italian pizzeria into its design. Posters above the booths trade between rich Italian paint-

ings and more neutral Asian ones depicting pale-faced women with black hair.

Rows of colorful bumper stickers grace the shelves above the bar. A sign on the wall says, “Hippies Use Backdoor.”

“We wanted a vintage feel; fun and casual,” Page said.

Rick Web, a first-time customer, agrees with Page about the laidback environment.

He said the restaurant is like nowhere he had been to before.

Like its unique atmosphere, Fong’s offers a wide variety of pizza with an Asian twist. Customers can munch on handmade appetizers, such as egg rolls or Chinese ribs, while browsing three large pages of pizza combinations in the menu.

The most popular pie is the crab Rangoon pizza.

“We sell six times more of it than our other popular pizzas,” Page said.

Page came up with the idea with her business partner, adapting the recipe from the traditional Asian appetizer. Fong’s creates the pie by spreading cream cheese on a fresh pizza crust. Next comes a mixture of crabmeat and green onions. It’s topped with cheese, crunchy egg-roll strips and sweet chili sauce.

As word spreads about Fong’s unique take on pizza, Page received an email from editors at the Food Network Magazine.

The restaurant was featured in the magazine’s September 2011 issue and on the Cooking Channel’s segment “Pizza Outside the Box.” Since then, the crowd at Fong’s has only grown.

“We sold 7,500 slices last month,” Page said.

People now come from hours away to taste the intriguing food they’ve heard about. The staff is working harder than ever to serve from the restaurant’s small venue. The staff takes it a day at a time.

As one rush dies down, another is about to begin.

Illustration by NICOLE DYAR

FEATURES

PAGE 5 THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Foam party returns to Homecoming celebrations

by Meagan Flynn

Staff Writer meagan.flynn@drake.edu

Several feet of foam, suds and bubbles form the dance floor. The DJ is loud, fluorescent lights are flashing and some students are expecting to be so soaked that they’ve worn their swimming suits underneath their clothes.

For the first time since 2006, the Homecoming foam dance party has returned.

The dance is hosted by the Students Activities Board and will take place on Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the patio on the west side of lower Olmsted.

Though it is outside in the middle of fall, the foam does provide some warmth, according to sophomore SAB Band Chair Carly Kinzler.

Junior SAB Vice President Jessica Hamilton said there is also no need to worry about running out of foam.

“The dance will have a lot of foam,

which will continue being made throughout the night,” Hamilton said. “We actually hire a company who comes in and creates the foam setup.”

The way it works, Kinzler said, is that the foam, suds and bubbles “are being constantly dispensed from a suspended foam machine.” The foam isn’t only on the ground, but bubbles fill the air, too.

If students want to bring cameras or phones, the SAB recommends putting them in Ziploc bags. Also, open containers or sharp objects are not permitted, Kinzler said. With all the soaps and suds, the foam dance is no place for any loose belongings.

Any student attending the foam dance party is bound to leave at least partly wet.

Kinzler and Hamilton both recommend wearing clothes in which students wouldn’t mind getting soaked.

“You should choose light-weight pants or shorts and a shirt that will still be comfortable wet,” Kinzler said. “If you sit in the foam, you will get wet. But if you are there standing in the foam and dancing,

your clothes will get damp and not soaking wet. The foam is colorless and stainless, but don’t wear your best clothes.”

Since only graduate students were here at Drake in 2006 to experience the foam dance, not many are sure what to expect; however, some have an idea. After all, the phrase “dance party” speaks for itself.

“I want to go because I’ve never been to one, and I’m super excited to get soaking wet with foam and have a party with all of my friends without booze,” first-year Nicole Kasperbauer said. “I love to dance, and it’s the perfect opportunity to dance with all my new college friends.”

Taking place right after the Drake football game, the party is a Homecoming celebration.

“This is an exciting new event that all students can experience,” Hamilton said.

“Many students have not been to a foam party before, and the combination of foam, music and lights will be a worthwhile experience.”

AP photo

REVIEW

Comedian’s raunchy humor a hit

by Katie Ericson

Staff Writer katie.ericson@drake.edu

CARTER OSWOOD | staff photographer

SAB COMEDIAN PARASHANTH VENKATARMANUJAM jokes with students at Monday’s show on Pomerantz Stage. His jokes covered a variety of topics such as race, sex and even Taco Bell.

Think outside the bus...

megabus.com Safe. Convenient. Affordable.

What’s 25 letters, impossible to pronounce and hysterical? Parashanth Venkataramanujam. As a comedian, Venkataramanujam fills his show with surprisingly hysterical masturbation jokes, stereotypical jokes and classic tales about college, family and Taco Bell. He is willing to talk about anything and everything. Though he may seem like a pro, Venkataramanujam didn’t start his full-time comedy career until three months ago.

The 24-year-old Venkataramanujam is from Chicago and just graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology. However, that wasn’t what he wanted to do.

“I don’t want to die in a cubicle,” Venkataramanujam said.

So, he started doing comedy shows when he was 17. He did have a career as an IT consultant, but he won the American Comedy Festival, starred in Chappelle’s Show and now has a line of comedy shows in universities across the country.

Anyone who attends a performance can see why he’s so successful. He quickly captured the audience on Monday by talking about how his name ruined Red Robin for him and is too long to fit on caller ID. He told more jokes about his childhood throughout the show, such as his father using his middle finger to point in public and his mother claiming he was karmic punishment. He also drew on common subjects, like an experience at Taco Bell where a worker calmly told him that the restaurant’s meat hose wasn’t working. He waited for his taco anyway. Also, he said that home pregnancy tests shouldn’t be in the impulse-buy section of a dollar store.

The bulk of the show, however, was based on stereotypes, porn and masturbation. Though the audience was mainly female, Venkataramanujam still managed to make the awkwardness funny. He spoke about excuses for being caught masturbating, about why men are meant to masturbate since they don’t have T-rex arms and about how sex is the same as getting gas.

You put the nozzle in the fuel tank and then pay, he said. Also, he joked about the lack of “awesome” Indian stereotypes. For instance, he said that in black dating people get “jungle fever” while Asians get “yellow fever,” but in dating with Indians one would get “typhoid.”

Sex didn’t overpower Venkataramanujam’s creativity. One joke was about the luxury of water in America and how appalling it would be to air a Slip ‘n Slide commercial in Rwanda. He also pointed out how it was unfair that in his audition for the Cash Cab Chicago driver, Indian stereotypes worked against him.

There were even individualized jokes for Drake. He was mainly interested in the massive number of sexual assault posters placed around campus.

Venkataramanujam was a hit with the audience and is sure to continue rising in his career. He had over 1,300 people attend his show at Winona State University.

However, he still took advantage of a sign language interpreter by saying masturbation for no reason just to see her translate it in sign language. This frank humor was unexpected and slightly offensive, but it was shockingly funny. Venkataramanujam may have an impressive name, and his show has topped it.

>> CAMPUS CALENDAR >>>>>>> WHAT: “Dog Sees God” WHERE: Harmon Fine Arts Center WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 8 p.m.

free wif power o i! ut friendly lets! drivers! seatbelt s!

WHAT: Two-Minute Diabetes Consultation WHERE: Olin 206

WHAT: Homecoming fireworks

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 29, 6-8 p.m.

WHERE: Helmick Commons WHEN: Friday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.

WHAT: Live Band Karaoke WHERE: Helmick Commons WHEN: Friday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.

WHAT: Homecoming football game vs.

Campbell University WHERE: Drake Stadium

m $1 o r F l e v Tra s u B s es s n e i o M Expr s De m o r f e c i Serv go, a c i h C o t City a w o I & Omaha *plus 50¢ booking fee

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m.

WHAT: Foam Party WHERE: Olmsted Patio WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 | PAGE 6

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

DID YOU KNOW?

sports

Former Drake defensive end Dain Taylor signed a free agent contract with the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League this past Tuesday. Taylor recorded 149.5 total tackles, 27.5 sacks and four blocked kicks in his collegiate career.

MEN’S TENNIS

Bulldogs ready for All-American Qualifier High expectations after dominant Drake Fall Invitational performance

by Dominic Johnson

Staff Writer dominic.johnson@drake.edu

Four members of the Drake men’s tennis team capped off a solid weekend on Sunday on the final day of the Drake Fall Invitational. Junior Anis Ghorbel led the Bulldog charge by capturing the singles title in the ‘A’ Flight while the other three Drake players reached the semifinals or better.

Ghorbel made quick work of all his opponents throughout the weekend. The Drake junior was the only player to go undefeated in both singles and doubles in the entire tournament. Ghorbel didn’t drop a single set en route to the finals and he kept that trend alive on Sunday against

Axel Lagerof of Northern Illinois.

The young Tunisian was in control for the entire match and never let his opponent gain any momentum in the routine 6-2, 6-2 victory.

“Anis is definitely going to be one of the leaders of the team this year,” head coach Evan Austin said. “He has improved his fitness and movement on court compared to last spring.”

Ghorbel’s opponent in the final, Lagerof, was the only person standing in the way of an all-Drake final on Sunday, as the Northern Illinois opponent topped Drake senior Jonathan Hadash 7-6, 7-6. Despite the setback in the semifinal, Austin believes that it was a very promising start to Hadash’s senior season. Austin cited the Drake senior’s 6-1, 6-1 victory over Creighton’s top player, Billy Paluch,

as a high point of the weekend.

“Right now he is healthier and fitter than he was last spring,” Austin said. “This weekend was definitely the best I’ve seen him play since I got here.”

Drake’s two freshmen also finished their runs on Sunday, with Alen Salibasic falling in the semifinals of the ‘B’ Flight and Grant Tesmer coming in second place in the ‘C’ Flight.

Both of the Bulldogs ended up losing to Iowa Hawkeye players, with Salibasic dropping a 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 match to Matt Hagan.

“We were able to pick out some things for Alen to work on,” Austin said. “I’m expecting him to make a lot of strides over the next few months.”

Tesmer lost 6-1, 6-4 in the final to Garret Dunn, but despite the obvious nerves of one’s first collegiate tournament, Austin noted that the freshman’s competitive spirit was on full display over the weekend and that he would only get better with more experience and match play.

With much of the team logging matches in the past two weeks, the Bulldogs now face the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s All-American Qualifying Tournament this weekend in Tulsa, Okla. Austin is bringing juniors James McKie and Jean Erasmus as well as Ghorbel and Salibasic.

The tournament’s first rounds on Saturday are the “pre-qualifying” singles matches, in which McKie, Erasmus and Salibasic will compete to achieve a spot in the qualifying tournament. Ghorbel, who held a regional singles ranking at the end of

last season, is the only Bulldog that was awarded a spot in the qualifying tournament. No Drake players were placed in the main draw of the tournament as only the top 48 players in the nation receive that distinction.

Later on in the weekend, McKie and Erasmus will compete in the qualifying draw of the doubles tournament, battling for a spot in the main draw. Wins in the main draw, and maybe even in the later rounds of the qualifying draw, would push currently unranked players into contention for a national ranking from the ITA in either singles or doubles.

“Unlike the ITA Central Regional tournament where we just compete against guys from our region, the ITA All-American draws have every top guy in the country,” Austin said. “It’s a great opportunity for our guys this weekend.”

The four Bulldogs making the trip to Tulsa are looking forward to the tournament, hoping to improve on their already impressive results from last fall.

“This year I’m more mature and focused on the court,” Ghorbel said, “and this week I’m going to get in some extra workouts so I can be physically ready against some of the best players in college tennis.”

The Times-Delphic will follow the four Bulldogs in their battle for a main draw spot in one of the most prestigious tournaments in college tennis, starting with Saturday’s results in next Monday’s issue.

TAYLOR SOULE | staff photographer JUNIOR ANIS GHORBEL gets ready to serve at the Drake Fall Invitational.

Ghorbel won the singles ‘A’ Flight title.

>> NEXT BIG MATCH SATURDAY, OCT. 1 ALL-AMERICAN QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT Tulsa, Okla.

TAYLOR SOULE | staff photographer FRESHMAN GRANT TESMER returns a volley at the Drake Fall Invitational.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Drake throttled by ISU, loses 2-0

Impressive singles at UNI Fall Invitational

by Taylor Soule

Staff Writer taylor.soule@drake.edu

The Drake women’s soccer team boarded the bus for Illinois last weekend, as they travelled to Normal to take on Illinois State. Hopeful for a win to start Missouri Valley Conference play, the Bulldogs faced a notoriously athletic Redbird team on Sunday with a game plan in mind, aiming to best their defensively and offensively skilled rival.

The Redbirds, however, left the Bulldogs directionless in the 2-0 conference opening shutout.

“Illinois State’s overall athleticism in midfield and up top was the biggest difference between the two teams,” Drake head coach Lindsey Horner said.

The Illinois State offense proved dominant early, scoring a goal in the 24th minute. The Redbirds’ defense was also troublesome for the Bulldogs, who were limited to just five shots in the contest, compared to the Redbirds’ 32 shots. Senior forward Danielle Figliola recorded a team-high two shots for the Bulldogs.

Drake’s hopes for an offensive push fell short until the 78th minute when sophomore forward Gina Zurbey’s shot ricocheted off the goalpost.

The Illinois State offense sealed the victory during the last moments of the game when Mia Patrevito sent the ball past Drake sophomore keeper Kalena Litch on a header in the 87th minute.

“We can’t do much about our stature, but we can adjust our mentality and focus when we are defending our box,” Horner said.

Again, Drake’s attempts were impeded by the Redbird defense, and the game’s final minutes passed without a change in score and without a tally on the board for the Bulldogs.

Just the first MVC game this season, the Bulldogs are determined to learn from Sunday’s tough loss.

“We’ve done a good job of denying goals in the run of play, but we are getting punished on corner kicks and free kicks,” Horner said.

With more difficult games around the bend, Horner said the Bulldogs will work to improve both

corner kicks and free kicks as well as take advantage of Drake’s three home conference games this year.

“Every game in our conference is going to be a battle this season. Illinois State and Creighton have dangerous front-runners, and Missouri State’s backline is always hard to break down,” said Horner.

Beyond the turf, the Drake women’s soccer team has an array of leaders, underclassmen and upperclassmen alike, and Horner said their presence is critical to moving forward in the MVC this season.

“Some have experience, some lead by example and some are very vocal,” she said. “Regardless of our leaders’ approach, they are realizing that they have to be consistent to be effective, and this is what we’ll need from them during our conference season.”

Despite falling to Illinois State on Sunday, Horner is seeking nothing less than a victory for her team at the State Farm MVC Tournament in early November.

“Our focus is to improve every game,” she said.

The Bulldogs have been working to do just that in the days between Sunday’s loss and tomorrow’s contest against Indiana State, which is at Cownie Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.

Tomorrow’s game also marks Drake’s “KICK Cancer” fundraiser sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Players will sport purple jerseys, and the game-worn shirts will be auctioned off at the end of the match. The first 100 fans can look forward to free “KICK Cancer” purple T-shirts.

VOLLEYBALL

Bulldogs prepare for two-game home stand Copy Editor matthew.moran@drake.edu

After notching its first Missouri Valley Conference victory of the season, Drake hopes to ride the momentum in a crucial two-game home stand this weekend against Indiana State and Illinois State.

“These are two teams we are comparable to,” head coach Tony Sunga said. “It’s a good chance to compete, take some sets and hopefully a match.”

Sunga said both teams are squads the Bulldogs will probably be competing with at the end of the season to get into the top six of the MVC standings.

Only the top six teams play in the State Farm MVC tournament.

Staff Writer blake.miller@drake.edu

After a couple of idle weeks following the Drake Fall Invitational, the women’s tennis team was back in action in Cedar Falls for the Northern Iowa Fall Invitational last weekend. In only the second tournament of the season, Drake had an impressive showing, with singles victories from senior Amanda Aragon and freshman Nell Boyd.

“Everyone fought really hard this past weekend and was always ready to play, even though it was cold,” Boyd said. “It was awesome for only our second tournament.”

The squad netted 17 singles victories overall, finishing the weekend at 17-5.

“ FILE PHOTO

by Matt Moran

by Blake Miller

“These are teams we have to beat at home,” Sunga said. “It’s an important weekend. We have to play hard both nights. Win or lose, the second night is just as important as the first.”

Both matches are at 7 p.m. in the Knapp Center. Drake takes on the Sycamores on Friday and then the Redbirds on Saturday.

The Bulldogs picked up their first conference win at Evansville last Saturday in a five-set thriller.

Sunga was proud of the way his team bounced back from a tough loss at Southern Illinois the night before.

“We were the ones out of the gate first in the last set,” he said.

The victory was also special for Sunga, who registered his first conference win against a friend, who

is the head coach at Evansville.

“If I had to beat somebody, I’d want to beat a friend,” he said.

Drake is 5-11 on the season after back-to-back years in which it advanced to the MVC tournament. Junior Whitney Westrum leads the team in kills with 184. Senior setter Caitlin Johnson has recorded 600 assists while senior libero Erika Price leads the squad with 229 digs.

“Win or lose, we learn…especially after losses,” Sunga said. “We’re a close team. (The girls) respond well to adversity. We’ve had some pretty tough competition for a team that’s new to itself; roles are different. Hopefully we react well to the pressure of D-I volleyball.”

Being able to notice our weaknesses will only make us stronger next tournament.

”

-Nell Boyd

Boyd was victorious in the No. 3 Silver flight, and Aragon won the No. 4 Bronze draw.

The team did not have the same success on the doubles side. Senior Jessica Aguilera and sophomore Klavdija Rebol were defeated by Cassandra Dix and Stefannia Sampaio of Northern Iowa.

“Being able to notice our weaknesses will only make us stronger next tournament because we are going to work hard to fix them,” Boyd said.

The Bulldogs are back in action at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Individuals tournament from Oct. 7-9.

PAGE 7 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

sports writers SPEAK OUT

Beantown choke shakes up MLB playoff picture Good for Boston. It only makes sense that the city that has dominated sports for the past decade remembers what it feels like to choke again.

As the six-month long Major League Baseball season winds down, and with the postseason right around the corner, the Red Sox are on the verge of one of the biggest September collapses in baseball history.

It appeared that the American League playoff picture was set. The New York Yankees will represent the East division, the Detroit Tigers will represent the Central, the Texas Rangers will represent the West and Boston would win the Wild Card.

Hell, it had a nine-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 3. No team in the history of baseball has lost a playoff spot after leading by nine games in the final month of the season.

Since then the Red Sox have gone 6-19 and the Rays have stormed back

to tie the AL wild-card race heading into the final game of the season.

Thanks a lot, Boston. Now you forced me to make two scenarios in order to accurately predict the American League playoff picture.

But lo and behold, the Atlanta Braves have managed to match Boston’s choke in the National League wild-card race.

Like the American League, it appeared all four playoff spots were claimed in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies win the East division, the Milwaukee Brewers win the Central, the Arizona Diamondbacks win the West and the Braves win the Wild Card.

Atlanta led the St. Louis Cardinals by eight-and-a-half games on Sept. 5.

The Cardinals have now roared back to tie the Braves in the NL wild-card race heading into the season’s final game.

Great job, Atlanta. You have near-

>>TD World Series Prediction Philadelphia Phillies vs Detroit Tigers OUR BET: Phillies in four games

ly matched the biggest September choke of all time in the same season.

Whoever wins the AL Wild Card will play the team that finishes with a better record between Detroit and Texas. As of today, the Rangers lead Detroit by one game, so let’s give Texas the nod for the No. 2 spot in the AL. The Yankees are the top seed and will then face Detroit. While the Tigers have clinched the lowly Central division, they boast the best pitcher in baseball this season in Justin Verlander (24-5, 2.40 ERA), who is sure to get two starts in the short five-game series, if needed. I think that will be the difference. Verlander goes into Yankee Stadium in game five and pitches a gem as the Tigers upset the Yankees three games to two in the American League Division Series.

The wild-card winner will take on defending American League champion Texas in the other ALDS series.

If Boston stumbles into the playoffs, I think the Rangers take care of business with a three-game sweep. If Tampa makes it, however, then I face a dilemma. The Rangers and Rays faced off in a fantastic five-game series last postseason, in which the road team won every game. I think Tampa Bay would give Texas a tougher series, but I think the Rangers edge the Rays again in another five-game classic.

The National League playoff picture has the Phillies on top with the Brewers and Diamondbacks fighting it out for second place. Milwaukee leads by one game, so let’s assume the Brewers finish the season in second to simplify the process.

Now it gets complicated. If At-

lanta holds off St. Louis, then the Phillies will take on the third-place team in the NL, which looks like the D-backs. Milwaukee would then win the lottery, because it earns the right to face a Braves team whose bullpen has been used more than a city bus.

The Brewers would sweep the Braves in three games.

Arizona has flown under the radar all season, and the D-backs have been a gritty team that took down the defending world champion San Francisco Giants in the race for the NL West title. But Arizona does not stand a chance against the Phillies pitching staff. The Phillies feature two of the five best pitchers in the game (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee) and have another ace as their No. 3 starter (Cole Hamels). Phillies over the D-backs in four.

If St. Louis wins the NL Wild Card, then it would face Philadelphia.

While its lineup would provide more of a challenge to the Phillies’ pitchers, the City of Brotherly Love will still prevail in four. Then Arizona would face Milwaukee, which is sure to be an entertaining series. Give me the Brewers in five games.

That sets up the American League Championship Series between Texas and Detroit. I think Verlander carries the Tigers again, as Detroit knocks off the Rangers in six games.

Philadelphia is just too deep for Milwaukee to handle, even though the Brewers’ pitchers are probably best equipped to match the Phillies’ rotation. In the National League Championship Series, give me Philadelphia in five games.

That sets up a World Series fea-

turing Philadelphia and Detroit. The Phillies have won five straight division titles and have only one World Series championship to show for it; I think this year they get ring No. 2.

The team with the best record in the MLB will prevail as Verlander finally runs out of gas against a strong Philadelphia team. The Phillies sweep the Tigers in four.

MATT MORAN | COLUMNIST

Moran is a senior news-Internet journalism and math double major with a business minor, and can be contacted at matthew.moran@drake.edu

The players you need to dominate your fantasy league

>>WEEKEND SPORTING EVENTS

Here are some key players for fantasy football for this weekend’s NFL games:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

TIM HIGHTOWER (RB, WASHINGTON REDSKINS) The Washington Redskins take on the 0-3 St. Louis Rams, who have the worst running defense in the NFL. Mike Shanahan, the Redskins head coach, is an offensive genius and he will find ways for Hightower to exploit the Rams. Hightower is averaging 84 yards a game on the ground.

DANIEL THOMAS (RB, MIAMI DOLPHINS) The rookie running back out of Kansas State is averaging over 100 yards a game for the Miami Dolphins, which take on the San Diego Chargers this Sunday. The Chargers allowed over 110 yards of rushing offense in each of their first three games.

A.J. GREEN (WR, CINCINNATI BENGALS) Forget all of the hype of Julio Jones. Green is the best rookie wide receiver in the league. The Bengals take on a weak Buffalo secondary and Cincinnati has feature plays for Green, similar to when Chad Ochocinco was in Cincinnati. The Bengals will be taking on the Buffalo Bills, which have the 24h ranked pass defense.

STEELERS’ OFFENSIVE PLAYERS The Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Houston Texans this week. They have the 27th ranked pass defense and just gave up 40 points against the Saints. Wide receiver Mike Wallace has a speed advantage (4.33 40-yard dash time) that will command safety help over top. The safety help will open up short routes for Hines Ward, seam routes for Heath Miller and running lanes for Rashard Mendenhall.

down receptions), the speedster Jahvid Best and Brandon Pettigrew, who is tied for second in receptions among tight ends. Stafford, who is from Dallas, will have a homecoming game against the Cowboys.

JIMMY GRAHAM (TE, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS) Graham is averaging over 75 yards a game and has two touchdowns on this young season. The Jacksonville Jaguars defense is historically weak against the pass as they are in the same division as Matt Schaub and Peyton Manning.

The Jags are currently ranked seventh in pass defense, but that stat is not accurate because they have not faced a superstar quarterback like Drew Brees.

ED DICKSON (TE, BALTIMORE RAVENS) The Baltimore Ravens have a double tight end package similar to the New England Patriots, who have been known to gash the same Jets defense under Rex Ryan. The Ravens face the New York Jets this week. Dickson, out of Oregon, is the primary receiver in this package like the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski. Dickson’s numbers are not staggering, but he is sure to be featured in the Ravens game plan this week.

TAMPA BAY DEFENSE Unless Peyton Manning’s neck miraculously heals, the Colts will have trouble putting up points against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers defense is ranked 24th overall and is surrendering 20 points a game, but the Colts offense only averages 15 points a game.

ELI MANNING (QB, NEW YORK GIANTS) The Arizona Cardinals drafted Patrick Peterson, a cornerback out of LSU, to help their secondary, but with the absence of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie this secondary is not strong enough to ward Eli and the Giants. The 24th ranked pass defense of the Cardinals surrendered over 400 yards to a rookie quarterback in Cam Newton, and Eli has thrown at least 27 touchdowns in the past two seasons.

MATTHEW STAFFORD (QB, DETROIT LIONS) The third-year quarterback out of Georgia has too many weapons in Calvin Johnson (NFL leader in touch-

CROSS COUNTRY Grand View Invitational, 5 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL vs Indiana State, Knapp Center, 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs Indiana State, Cownie Soccer Complex, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 1 FOOTBALL vs Campbell, Drake Stadium, 1 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS All-American Qualifying @ Tulsa, Okla.

MEN’S SOCCER Ralph Gross Classic, Cownie Soccer Complex, 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL vs Illinois State, Knapp Center, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 2 MEN’S TENNIS All-American Qualifying @ Tulsa, Okla.

RODNEY SPEARS | COLUMNIST

Spears is a first-year broadcast journalism major and can be contacted at rodney.spears@drake.edu

Dream teams, perfect attendance shine as IM playoffs begin The intramurals program could not survive without you – the athlete. Whether you are a Drake senior still pining for a free T-shirt or a freshman playing on that bit of high school adrenaline still pumping, we love to watch you play. Without you, no games would be officiated and no champions would be glorified. In this essence, I would like to dedicate the core of this column to highlighting the favorite teams, the dream teams and the teams relying on “remarkable spirit.”

This past Sunday provided a notorious rivalry in a competitive flag football matchup between SigEp and FIJI. In a one-point nail-biter, SigEp was able to hold on and come away victorious. Whether it was the team’s hour-long warm-up session or its ability to bring every Drake ID to the game that gave them the win, one will never know.

In the men’s recreational flag foot-

ball division, Flutie Pebbles stands strong in the leading position as its natural gift of playing teams that don’t show up has proven to be effective. In the women’s division, most teams have been able to find enough girls for at least one game, and Mice Catchers leads in standings. Despite a fan’s rhetorical comment this weekend, “you’re a girl, why would you know football,” the girls have been showing passion for a sport never exclusively offered to women in the same dynamic as the men’s game.

In retrospect, I believe the comment was simply a product of the enraged fan section that was politely asked to move from the sideline to the end line.

The intramurals program has always loved its fans and is hoping to provide stadium seating next year to prevent any future discomfort in viewing pleasure.

The soccer league continues to thrive with well-equipped and de-

termined players. Toe Poke Express came up short in last year’s championship game, and I see them playing hard to make it just as far this season.

I present great risks in publicly stating that one fraternity is in some way greater than another, but FIJI soccer teams have always displayed skill on the field, and their pride may lead them above all the others this season. Please don’t shoot a squirt gun at me in “fall kill” or whatever. As for the women’s league, new talent is always on the rise, and despite forfeits the teams seem to be fairly balanced in the standings. Look for a few close sorority games come playoffs.

Volleyball was the first sport played in the 2011 fall season, and we have seen an overwhelming number of ambitious underclassmen teams this year. The teams have all played at least three games so far and are gearing up for the first round of the playoffs, which are underway this week

and next. As I have stated before, my default champion will always be an all-freshmen squad for this sport.

These young players are motivated and dedicated because most rookie teams do not yet utilize free time in college to take naps but rather to intensely practice and scrimmage with each other.

Final Boss, an independent team, leads the men’s competitive division with four wins and one loss, and SigEp leads the fraternities. Look for a close match between these two teams if they meet in playoffs.

In the women’s division, Helicopters is holding on to the top spot. In the final rounds of playoffs, look out for either this team or Delta Gamma – which has used a common Greek strategy to double its chances of winning by creating two different teams.

The co-recreational teams are staying aggressive and are slowly extinguishing their irritation to the rule

“each sex must touch the ball if hit more than once.” To be true to my encouragement of creative team names, I must send my best to the players in this league. Although mostly incredibly derogatory, best of luck to Sets On The Beach, Hit It N Quit It and Put It In Cider.

Until next time, please play by the rules.

HALEY BOSCO | COLUMNIST

Bosco is a senior English and secondary education double major and can be contacted at haley.bosco@drake.edu

NEWS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 2011 | PAGE 8

Meet your 2011 Drake Homecoming Court Homecoming week is upon us. In full Homecoming spirit it is time to get to know the candidates on the Homecoming Court. The candidates for king are Dan Litzenberg, Matthew Smith and Seejo Valacheril. The candidates for queen are Katelyn Harman, Erin Hogan and Paige Steffen. Voting ends tonight at 11: 58 p.m. on blueView through the Campus Life tab.

Seejo Valacheril is a marketing

and management major from Morton Grove, Ill. He is involved with Student Senate as a senator-at-large.

Valacheril is the vice president of recruitment for the American Marketing Association. He is also a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, a student ambassador and an orientation leader.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

SV: The amount of peer-to-peer interaction, and that not only does Drake want your four to six years here to be exceptional, but the rest of our lives (to be exceptional).

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming King?

SV: I want to be Homecoming King because not only will it be fun, but it would be a great honor to represent the school in a way that very few students had the chance to do.

Katelyn Harman is a pharmacy major from Germantown Hills, Ill. She is the president of Kappa Alpha Theta. Harman is a member of the Iowa Pharmacists Association and the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

KH: I love the size. The class sizes are small enough that I can get to know my professors.

I also think it’s really neat that President Maxwell and his wife take the time to get to know the students. My floor during freshman year went to dinner at their house, and they have been over to Theta several times for dinner.

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming Queen?

KH: I want to show students that it is possible to work hard towards academics and become a great leader at the same time.

Erin Hogan is a law, politics and society

major from Kansas City, Mo. She was a resident assistant for two years and is currently the assistant residence hall coordinator for Herriott Hall, a hall she considers to be the best and most commonly misspelled on campus. Hogan is also the recognition chair for the National Residence Hall Honorary chapter at Drake. She has served as vice president of advocacy for Colleges Against Cancer and was co-president of the organization last year. Hogan is in her fourth semester in Alpha Phi Omega. She has served on committees of Student Senate for the past three years, and this year Hogan is an organizational senator.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

EH: I love that in my time at Drake, I’ve met such a diversity of people who all have something to contribute to the Drake community, and I feel at home at Drake because you can’t walk to class without seeing someone you know. This university offers so many opportunities to learn, lead and develop interests or skills, and I am so lucky that I’ve been able to use these chances to grow as a person and become a part of the Drake family.

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming Queen?

EH: It would be an honor to represent this year’s senior class, which has contributed so many great things to Drake over the last three years, and we’re not done yet. But mostly I just really want to get a picture with Porterhouse, true Drake royalty.

Dan Litzenberg is in the second

year of pharmacy school and is from Hales Corners, Wis. He is the treasurer for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacists. Litzenberg is the webmaster and running club race coordinator for the Phi Delta Chi pharmacy fraternity (Psi Chapter). In Alpha Phi Omega, he is the fellowship vice president and last semester he organized more than 90 social events. He is a member of the Iowa Pharmacists Association.

During his freshman and sophomore years, he was involved in the Drake Ultimate Club.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

DL: I absolutely love the level of passion people have for their ideas and beliefs. The best example that comes to mind is the ‘abortion chalk wars’ that were all over campus just a few weeks ago.

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming King?

DL: I already think it’s an honor to have made it onto court. I want to be Homecoming King to give the pharmacy school representation on the social stage at Drake. Besides that, I want to give recognition to the majority of the campus that is not socially Greek, and that there are so many ways to be a prominent member of the Drake community.

Matthew Smith is a magazines and

Paige Steffen is a law, politics

and society and sociology major from Bloomington, Ill. She runs the 400-meter hurdles for Drake’s track and field team. Steffen is the vice president for Kappa Kappa Gamma and for the Delta Theta Phi pre-law Fraternity.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

PS: I have always felt at home at Drake. I love the small school atmosphere and the strong connection I have forged with my peers, professors and coaches. My college experience at Drake has been very fulfilling, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming Queen?

PS: I would be very honored to be named Drake University’s Homecoming Queen. Drake means so much to me and I would love to be able to represent it. compiled by Sarah Sager Staff Writer sarah.sager@drake.edu

English major from St. Paul, Minn. He is a PMAC and has been the vice president of communication for Sigma Phi Epsilon for the past two years. Smith was the executive editor of Drake Magazine during the 2010-2011 school year.

He is also a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society.

TD: What do you love most about Drake?

MS: The thing I love most about Drake is walking to class and being able to say ‘hi’ to so many different people. It’s nice to go to a school where you actually know your classmates.

TD: Why do you want to be Homecoming King?

MS: For me, being Drake’s Homecoming King would be the greatest way to show just how much Drake pride I have. When I came as a firstyear, I didn’t know anybody, and being Homecoming King would be the culmination of an amazing college experience where I’ve met so many different people who all mean the world to me.