THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
THE TIMES-DELPHIC DES MOINES, IOWA | THURSDAY, MAR. 3, 2011 | VOL. 129, NO. 31 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM
Larson elected student body president Hamilton to serve as VP student activities, run-off election for VP student life between candidates Van Hoeck and Laurent by Sean Walsh
Staff Writer sean.walsh@drake.edu
After what has been one of the most competitive student senate executive officer elections within recent years, winners were announced for student body president and vice president of student activities. However, the race for vice president of student life will continue into next week after none of the three candidates captured the 50 percent plus one requirement to win. The run-off election will take place Monday for all students on blueView and the results will be announced Tuesday at midnight on Pomerantz Stage. The race will be between sophomores Amanda Laurent and Matthew Van Hoeck, who were the top vote getters in the election. Laurent received 544 votes, about 45 percent of the total votes cast, while Van Hoeck received 356 votes, about 30 percent. Sophomore Stephen Slade, the third candidate in the race, received 292 votes, about 24 percent. “I feel strongly about my campaign. I am very confident moving forward,” Laurent said. Van Hoeck was also optimistic about his campaign but recognized his need to push further ahead in the next race. “With three candidates, a run-off is expected. I’m coming from the side with less votes, so I have some work to do,” Van Hoeck said. Junior Greg Larson, current vice president of student activities, handedly defeated sophomore Student Body Treasure Nate Bleadorn for the student body president position. Larson received 863 votes, roughly 72 percent of the total votes cast. Bleadorn received only 298 votes, around 25 percent. “I think everyone here ran a great campaign. I’m confident that Greg and all the candidates will do a great job,” Bleadorn said. Larson is optimistic for Senate in the upcoming year and congratulated all the candidates for running great campaigns. “I want to congratulate Nate on his efforts,” Larson said, “It’s a good feeling now that it’s over; however, now is just the beginning of the work to come.” Sophomore Jessica Hamilton won vice president of student activities, the position largely in charge of running the Student Activities Board. Hamilton received 619 votes, roughly 54 percent, while sophomore challenger Michael Riebel received 494 votes, 43 percent of the vote. “The race was close, but I am looking forward to working with all student organizations to plan activities this upcoming year.” Hamilton said.
photos by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor
STUDENT SENATE EXECUTIVE OFFICE CANDIDATES react with friends to the announcement of election results on Tuesday night. Over 1,200 Drake students voted in the elections. Greg Larson (seen on the left, photo top right) won student body president over Nathan Bleadorn with roughly 72 percent of votes cast. Jessica Hamilton (seen middle, in photo top left) was elected VP student activities over Michael Riebel (seen in center, photo bottom right). With the fewest votes of the three candidates running for the position, Stephen Slade was eliminated from the election for VP student life and a run-off election will take place Monday between Matthew Van Hoeck and Amanda Laurent (seen second from left, bottom left photo).
Is J-term too daunting of a task? Members of Faculty Senate and Student Senate met Tuesday to discuss changing the university’s academic calendar to include the additional term by Lizze Pine
SEE J-TERM PAGE 2
>> What they said: “There’s a bunch of risks and a bunch of rewards.”
Editor-in-Chief elizabeth.pine@drake.edu
- Kayleigh Koester, Fine Arts Student Senator
The possibility of a January term for Drake students hasn’t been turned down, but the details needed for Faculty-Senate to make a decision aren’t ironed out yet. In a town hall type meeting Tuesday night, student senators, faculty senators, faculty members and students all weighed in on the issue, coming to no conclusion other than the need for a detailed plan. The positives of J-term mentioned included study abroad opportunities, internships, research or experiential learning opportunities. Taking one-month classes also would allow students to lighten their loads other semesters. “A lot of us want opportunities to go abroad, and maybe in our course of study, that’s not an option,” said Samantha Haas, student body president. “Students are seeking out these opportunities … Maybe there’s an independent study project that people wanted to do.” There are many logistical issues with creating a J-term. The largest questions are what the cost will be, how to make housing options available, how it will affect financial aid, how to tweak the calendar and who gets to participate. “We like the spirit, but we want to know how it’s going to happen,” said Natalie Adkins, assistant professor of marketing. Multiple faculty members were concerned that the administration would create a plan that bound professors to responsibilities they didn’t agree to. “I personally feel like we’re being asked to sign a contract that’s being written in invisible ink,” said Amy Vaughan, assistant professor of statistics. Kayleigh Koester, fine arts student senator, brought up the idea of having faculty create a list of non-conditionals, things important to them that should be considered by the administration in the
inside
creation of any J-term plan. “Even if you can’t post-approve it, at least you can give it a direction,” she said. Adkins and Vaughan were concerned about faculty course loads and if adjunct professors would have to be hired to pick up the slack if professors had to teach a January class and give up a spring
“I think it’s very risky and very naive to think that things are just going to work out later. Make a plan. Don’t ask us to commit to details that you don’t reveal to us.”
- Amy Vaughan, Assistant Professor of Practice in Statistics
“A lot of us want opportunities to go abroad, and maybe in our course of study, that’s not an option.”
- Samantha Haas, Student Senate President
“We like the spirit, but we want to know how it’s going to happen.”
- Natalie Adkins, Assistant Professor of Marketing
“This issue of who will teach what and when, is a pretty big deal.”
- Renee Cramer, Director of Law, Politics and Society
NEWS
OPINIONS
FEATURES
SPORTS
How to be ecofriendly, even in death
From the front lines of the Wisconsin protests
Rev up your resume before applying for summer internships
Drake men’s basketball opens MVC tournament tonight
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 6