NEWS
news
quote of the
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THURSDAY, NOV. 10, 2011 | PAGE 2
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More education equals a more engaged population that can afford to care about issues other than week-to-week survival.
—COURTNEY HOWELL, LETTER TO THE EDITOR | PAGE 3
dence life staff was called to look after her.
A LITTLE BIT OUT OF PLACE 9:25 a.m. Nov. 7 A non-Drake affiliated female came into the security office and started yelling at the on-duty dispatcher. She appeared to have some mental issues. Police were called, and the female was advised of trespass on the Drake campus.
10:40 a.m. Nov. 3 A male Drake student reported to security that someone stole his bike from his off-campus house at 34th and Forest sometime between 10 p.m. on Nov. 1 and 1 a.m. on Nov 2. 7:51 a.m. Nov. 4 A female Drake student reported that she found her sun-roof window broke out of her vehicle that was parked in the Drake parking lot located in the 1300 block of 31st Street. 11:25 a.m. Nov. 4 A Drake student report to security that someone stole her bike from the Ross Residence Hall bike rack.
10:55 a.m. Nov. 1 A security officer on patrol observed a vehicle accident at 31st and Forest. The drivers, both Drake students, were not injured. The damage to both vehicles was minor. The two drivers exchanged names and insurance information. 11:35 p.m. Nov.2 Security responded to 24th and University on a report that a male was assaulted. Security arrived and found a non-Drake affiliated male had sustained several blows to the face by two young males. The suspects took off running. Security checked the area for the suspects but could not locate them. Police and Des Moines Fire Medics
were called. The victim was treated at the scene for his injuries. Police filed a report for assault. The victim does not know why the kids hit him. 1:48 a.m. Nov. 3 Security observed a female and a male having an argument outside Morehouse Residence Hall. Both students went inside Morehouse. Security spoke to the male student. He stated the underage-for-drinking female friend called him for help because she was at McDonald’s and had drunk too much alcohol that night. The male arrived and found the female passed out in the restroom. He walked her back to Morehouse. The female was escorted to her room, and Resi-
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THE TIMES-DELPHIC
11:44 a.m. Nov. 4 A Drake student reported to security that someone stole his laptop computer from his unlocked Ross Residence Hall dorm room. 7 p.m. Nov. 4 A Drake student reported to security that someone stole her MacBook Pro computer from Jewett Residence Hall. A police report was filed. 1:11 a.m. Nov. 5 Security and police responded to Stalnaker Residence Hall on a report of an underage-fordrinking male Drake student that was passed
out and unresponsive. Fire medics were also called. The male had been drinking at a local bar. He was transported to a local hospital by Fire medics. Residence Life was advised. 1: 57 a.m. Nov. 5 Security on patrol observed an underage-fordrinking female Drake student sitting on a bench near Olmsted. She was not able to walk and was vomiting. Fire medics were called, and the student was transported to a local hospital. Residence Life was advised. 4:37 p.m. Nov. 5 A Drake student reported that her credit card and debit card were stolen out of her Morehouse Residence Hall dorm room. A police report was filed. 6:39 p.m. Nov. 5 Security on patrol observed a vehicle parked in the intramurals fields located in the 1600 block of 30th Street. Security approached the vehicle and could smell marijuana. The three female Drake students inside the vehicle stated they had been smoking marijuana, and a small amount was found in the glove box. Police were called and confiscated the marijuana. The dean of students’ office was advised.
Productivity break down Students talk procrastination, stresses of classes by Kelsey Johnson
Staff Writer kelsey.johnson@drake.edu
Now that the novelty of Fall Break has begun to wear off, and the unattainable illusion of Thanksgiving still lingers behind massive term papers and daunting exams, some students have begun to falter under exhaustion. “It is a bit more difficult to be as productive as I was at the beginning of the semester because the excitement of having new classes has worn off,” said Haley Bosco, a senior English and secondary education double major. “The work load also naturally increases at this point, and somehow my motivation decreases when that happens. I like to use being a senior as an excuse to take the ‘B’ and go do something fun instead. I will see how that turns out for me come gradua-
FROM RHA, PAGE 2 for our residents. “The programming board is in charge of setting the theme for RHA week and coordinating themerelated programs in their respective residence halls,” Sen said. “It also includes coordinating the timings of each event so that none conflict with another.” Sen and the programming board designated a decade to each residence hall, starting from the year Drake was founded. On Monday, Morehouse and Herriott Halls started off the festivities with a 1910 Spanish Revolution Fiesta and a 1950s Sock Hop, respectively. Goodwin Kirk (‘90s), Crawford (‘60s) and Stalnaker (2000s) hosted programs yesterday and Tuesday ranging from karaoke, tie-dye and a Drake-themed reality show. Sophomore Emily Gadient, publicity co-chair of RHA, has been helping to make sure the word gets out about these programs. “I’m in charge of publicity for RHA events as well as helping out the publicity chairs from each hall’s (executive council) to make sure they have the resources to publicize for their hall’s events,” Gadient said.
tion.” However, not only have seniors been noticing a drop in their productivity levels over the past weeks. Ashton Weis, a junior English and magazine journalism double major, has also found that completing assignments has been more strenuous that usual, “I feel like I’m suffering from senioritis and I’m not even a senior,” Weis said. “I just can’t bring myself to do anything productive lately. Every time I start doing something, I end up getting distracted.” Though many students blame their lack of motivation on anything from constant due dates to changing seasons to football season, it might just be that the midpoint of the semester is simply harder than the beginning. “I do feel like school has been more challenging lately,” said Lisa Tupy, a sophomore biology major.
“I think as the semester goes on, my work load becomes progressively harder, and I also become more and more burnt out on school work. I think it’s a combination of everything that makes it so hard to be productive.” Despite the changing seasons, and the seemingly endless stretch of time between breaks, some students still manage to keep themselves from falling to the mid-semester slump. Jennifer Konrad, a first-year actuarial science major, has actually seen her productivity levels increase as the semester progresses. “I feel like it’s easier for me to get work done than earlier in the semester,” Konrad said. “I think it’s because I have a routine now. I’m not as preoccupied with everything being new. Plus, people have begun to realize that doing homework is a necessity, so now that everyone is busy with school work, I can actually find a quiet place
“For RHA Week, we have been helping the publicity chairs with their publicity as well as creating and hanging up RHA posters about the entire week’s events.” Tonight, a 1940s War Game Night will be going on in Jewett, and a 1920s Prohibition Bar will follow in Carpenter. Ross Hall will put the cap on RHA week tomorrow with a 1980s Thrift Store Prom. Sophomore Udit Parikh, president of Ross Hall, has been putting in a lot of work to make this program a success. “There are many members on the executive council, and they were each assigned something to do,” Parikh said. “Some people will be getting decorations, and some people will help set up. Also, food will be taken care of by someone.” Gadient said she is excited for tomorrow’s event.
“The Thrift Store Prom is one of the only events I can actually attend, and it is going to be really cool because each hall is invited to wear clothes from their decade in Morehouse ballroom on Friday,” Gadient said. “My roommate and I love going shopping at the Goodwill (store), so that will make for an awesome Friday night.” So far, RHA Week’s events have been a success, and the RHA board hopes that success will continue. Parikh suspects that more people will attend than just the ones who have said they will attend on Facebook. “I hope the program will bring at least 50 people,” Parikh said. “We have been getting the word out, and there are posters on campus. We are trying to advertise as much as we can by telling people and encouraging them to attend.”
to get things done.” While some students take advantage of their classmates’ newfound tendencies to spend hours slaving away on term papers until the wee hours of the morning, others still manage to find ways to bring levels of procrastination to new heights. “I have picked up this new thing where I go out and play racquetball at really weird times, like 9 p.m.,” said Samantha Baker, a sophomore English and magazine journalism double major. “I can always find a way to procrastinate doing homework. I particularly enjoy catching up on hours worth of television shows, sleeping or weaving my friends multi-colored friendship bracelets. It’s gotten to the point where I’ll do pretty much anything to avoid homework...let’s just say I’m counting down the days until Thanksgiving.”
RESIDENTS OF GOODWIN-KIRK dance and sing to tunes during the ‘90s Karaoke night. There are events all week featuring different decades on campus as part of Residence Hall Association Week.
FROM ROTC, PAGE 2 itary who say they have never gone through a day as hard as this in their whole career,” Nielsen said. Drake’s ROTC team trained for a month and a half prior to the competition. Training included physical training most weekday mornings at 6 a.m. In addition, ROTC cadets are required to take courses on military proficiency and a hands-on lab where cadets learn how to complete military missions. “When we were done, it was a really great feeling to know all the effort we put in had paid off,” Nielsen said. “We’re better people and better leaders for having gone through it.”
FILE PHOTO
TAYLOR SOULE | staff photographer
Former employee sentenced to prison by Lauren Horsch
Managing/News Editor lauren.horsch@drake.edu
Former Drake University Director of Student Accounts Robert Harlan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday morning for embezzling over $600,000 from the university. Harlan, 49, was an employee at Drake for 20 years. He spent his last 10 years at the university as the director of student accounts. Many students remembered Harlan for the emails he sent to students alerting them their university bill was due. In April 2011, Harlan was charged with five counts of first-degree theft.
He pleaded guilty on Sept. 26 under a plea agreement to consolidate those five counts into one. First-degree theft is classified as a Class C felony, with each count carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to 10 years in prison. According to The Des Moines Register, his embezzlement lasted about seven years and netted more than $621,000. Harlan said he spent most of the money on his family and various charities. The money he embezzled was deemed as petty cash through the university and no student accounts were compromised. Vice President of business and finance, Victoria Payseur delivered a statement at his sentencing about
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how his fraud took away trust and integrity from the university. “It will take the Drake University community and its students a long time to recover from Harlan’s crime,” Payseur said according to a report in the Register. Harlan spoke briefly at his sentencing, according the Register. He asked for probation from the court. If he was granted probation, he said he “would not disappoint” the court. Harlan will soon be eligible for parole. For now, according to the Register, it appears that he will spend less than five years in prison. Employees of Drake’s Cashier’s Office first noticed the discrepancies in the financial records in March
2011. On March 28, university officials contacted the police to further the investigation into the matter. On April 14, Payseur sent out a campus-wide email stating the embezzlement had happened and an unnamed employee had been fired. Investigators then identified Harlan as a suspect, and he turned himself in to police April 21. The insurance company that covers Drake — Employers Mutual Casualty Co. — is seeking at least $616,000 from Harlan in this matter. Drake University officials were not available for comment at the time of publication.
Timeline of events March 28 — Police notified by Drake April 14 — Campus-wide email sent out
April 21 — Harlan turned himself in Sept. 26 — Pleaded guilty Nov. 8 — Sentenced to 10 years in prison
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