April 07, 2021

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 140 | No. 17 | April 7, 2021

FEATURES

SPORTS

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new wave of homelessness to Des Moines, particularly impacting kids and young adults.

Read more on page 2

COMMENTARY

The Drake University women’s basketball team reflects on their historic season as it comes to a close.

Easter weekend spurs important conversation about the cultural significance of Peep candies.

Read more on page 3

Read more on page 4

HOW MANY MORE? timesdelphic.com

Students reflect on recent mass shootings in Atlanta, Boulder Maia Songer Staff Writer maia.songer@drake.edu

Students across the nation react to the recent shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, and Boulder, Colorado, analyzing the root of these tragedies and offering insight on how to address gun violence in the U.S. Abigayle Post, a Simmons University student from Golden, Colorado, who is majoring in sociology and philosophy recalled her experience when the shooting in Boulder occurred.

“I remember I was standing in the kitchen and my roommates said there was a mass shooting in Boulder,” Post said. “I watched the press conference, the first one, and while I was sitting there, I was thinking ‘What if I know one of these people?’”

Emmy Adams, a special education major at University of Northern Colorado, had a similar reaction to Post.

“It’s just crazy,” Adams said.

“It’s like maybe the grocery store was the one thing we were missing. We had everything else.

We had a movie theater, we had a high school, middle school, we had a Planned Parenthood, we have had shootings at so many different places. The grocery store was still safe but now it’s not anymore.”

Post said that gun violence has become incredibly normalized in this country, especially for states and communities who have faced a lot of it.

“Oh, another mass shooting in Colorado? That’s a Tuesday,” Post said.

These recent tragedies have brought up questions of where this issue originates, why it continues to happen, and why people continue to feel numb to it. Colin Wagner, a student majoring in strategic political communications at Drake University, offered his perspective.

“I think that the fact that

we’re becoming used to it, or at least I’m becoming used to it, points to a systemic problem,” Wagner said. “It’s a problem that needs to be talked about and it needs to be fixed.”

Wagner said he has a unique background coming from South City in St. Louis, Missouri, a community where there’s a lot of gun violence, gangs and shootings.

“One time my family and I were coming back from a vacation,” Wagner said. “Our front door was cracked open just a little bit and there was a bullet on our front porch, like a bullet with the casing and everything upright on our front porch. Nothing ever happened after it but I remember seeing my parents afraid. I was still young but I remember seeing the fear in my parents’ eyes and it was just shocking as a kid to see that.”

Adams has spent significant time advocating for an end to gun violence. She said that it’s been exactly three years since she was involved in A March for Our Lives in Denver, protesting in support of gun control legislation.

“In 2018, I helped start and organize efforts around Jeffco for gun violence,” Adams said.

“We worked on trying to pass different legislative forward, we worked on registering people to vote, just talking to people about gun violence prevention. I helped start the Jeffco Students Demand Action chapter and then I helped start the A Vote for Our Lives campaign where we had this massive rally at Clement Park in Littleton and we flew like 60 survivors from the Parkland shooting out and we had a Celebration of Life and unity of survivors coming together.”

Sophie Christensen, a Drake student majoring in strategic political communications and public relations, comes from a similar background.

“I went to the March for Our Lives in St. Paul in Minneapolis and I led a social justice

GUN CONTROL ADVOCACY GROUPS such as March for Our Lives and Moms Demand Action often stage protests and demonstrations to support their cause. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

thing in my youth group at church about gun reform and how we can be servant leaders in our community and deal with that,” Christensen said.

“We went to the national march as a group for that and then I led a walk out at my school and then sent out information about resources and how you can advocate and write letters to your representatives.”

Wagner has theories as to why change still hasn’t occurred, despite efforts of advocates like Adams and Christensen. He adheres to his initial statement of it being a systemic, cultural problem.

“Without agreement on all sides, it’s going to be such an incredibly uphill battle,” Wagner said. “I mean, you can see that right now. We’ve tried several times now to get things done, like government has tried to get things done about this, after the shootings, trying to prevent ones in the future, but then this culture comes in and brings up these same points, and there’s a disconnect and nobody’s willing to work with the other side, they’re not willing to really communicate other than just voicing their objection and moving on.”

Many people remain fearful in this country due to a lack of

regulation on firearms.

“Both of my parents served in the military, and my dad’s specialty was artillery, so I have the unique perspective working with someone who has worked with a full range of guns, including assault rifles,” Christensen said. “The one purpose of them is to kill people so that really continues my strong belief that we should not have those out for public use.”

Wagner and Post both agree.

“Currently, you can buy assault rifles,” Wagner said.

“No one’s going hunting with an assault rifle. That’s a little crazy.

You aren’t going hunting with a grenade launcher.”

Post elaborates on the danger of having regular civilians be able to access something as deadly as an AR-15.

“You don’t need an AR-15.

You don’t have a use for it,” Post said. “There’s not a tangible thing you can do with it. You can protect your home with a handgun, you can hunt with a rifle, a semiautomatic weapon isn’t doing you any good and the reality is that those weapons were made to kill. That is their design, that is their function, that is their purpose.”

In response to these concerns, some have clear cut ideas of legislative actions

which should be taken.

“What I would like to see happen is on a national scale universal background checks, red flag laws and a magazine capacity limit,” Adams said.

But, beyond that, conversation needs to be had.

“We need to have the tough conversations that connect the problem of gun violence and gun rates,” Adams said. “I think connecting the conversation and making it personal. That involves sharing the stories of the people lost and making people realize, ‘That person is just like my aunt, that person is just like my best friend.’ They need to realize it matters.”

Wagner suggests that we continue to share the stories of victims and keep the momentum going in highlighting these tragedies.

More than anything, any kind of involvement will help fight for the cause. Christensen sums up a single individual’s abilities.

“If you are interested in a subject and you want to see change, you can make a difference,” Christensen said.

“That’s one of my favorite things about politics and government is that even the smallest person can make a difference.”

Student activities board announces 2021 relays theme Andrew Kennard Staff Writer andrew.kennard@drake.edu

The Student Activities Board announced last Wednesday that the theme for the 2021 Drake Relays Week will be “Fast Forward.” They also announced a schedule of events for Relays Week, April 18 to 24.

The futuristic theme was described as “kind of fastforwarding past the pandemic and into the future at Drake” during the announcement.

“That’ll be the theme for Painted Street, so all the squares will be designed in the futuristic-like way,” Sarah Herring, one of the two Student Activities Board (SAB) co-chairs for Drake Relays, said. “When the street painting applications are submitted from the student organizations, Amber [the other Relays co-chair] and I will pick out which designs we think like best fits the futuristic “Fast Forward” theme to be put on Painted Street.”

While many traditional Relays Week events will take

place, including the Relays Carnival and the Beautiful Bulldog Contest, the schedule has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. SAB officials said student organizations must sign up for time slots to paint their assigned square on Painted Street. SAB president Reilly Atkins said the traditional Relays paint fight will not be held due to COVID-19 concerns.

“And we were thinking, we cannot have, you know, 400 people on this street altogether, even if they’re wearing masks.

That is just like, too close for comfort,” Atkins said. “So that was an automatic decision…

And then we had like a long conversation about the paint fight. And again, it’s just one of those things where we cannot ensure that people are going to have their six feet of distance, just because of the nature of the event.”

Atkins said the announcement of the 2021 Relays Concert was postponed due to logistical issues that have been complicated by COVID-19 precautions. She also said that the concert itself will take place

sometime in the weeks following Relays, and will likely use a pod system in which students can sign up to attend the concert with a few friends.

“It’s going to happen in some way or another, it’s just a matter of like, figuring out where and when and how,” Atkins said.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for several months, not only with the artists that we’re trying to book but also a bunch of different offices within Drake’s kind of system.”

Other Relays events include a glow-in-the-dark hip-hop class, outdoor movie nights, a virtual trivia night and the April 14 kickoff event, Boom Boom Bingo, according to the 2021 SAB Drake Relays packet.

There will also be a “Paint It Black” event where students will listen to members from the Drake community speak about racial inequalities, the Paint It Black movement and Drake’s social justice efforts.

Drake sophomore Connor Oetzmann said that he and his friends are excited to experience the Drake Relays for the first time this year after the

THE SAB RELAYS THEME is “fast forward” to remind students to look forward to a COVID free future. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAB

cancellation of the 2020 Relays.

“I think [the cancellation] was one of the biggest letdowns, ‘cause everyone in the fall of our first year was talking about how amazing the spring semester was, and how awesome the Drake Relays events were,” Oetzmann said. “And so it was a little bit of a letdown, not getting to experience that, but obviously due to the circumstances, it was

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understandable.”

Atkins said she is looking forward to seeing the newly painted squares on Painted Street, “and just in general, just like seeing campus kind of come together.”

For more information about Relays Week visit linktr.ee/ drakesab.

FEATURES

Features

April 7, 2021 | Page 2

Nowhere to call home

COVID-19 pandemic affects homelessness in Des Moines Grace Altenhofen Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

COVID-19 has impacted many aspects of life, but one of the most serious ones is rarely talked about: housing.

Though data has not yet been released for 2020, Columbia Professor Brendan O’Flaherty conducted an analysis which projected a 40-45% increase in homelessness from 2019 to 2020.

The analysis was based in part on unemployment numbers, which peaked at 14.8% in April 2020 and left many Americans unable to afford housing.

Though the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced a ban on the eviction of renters last September in light of pandemic-related financial struggles, that moratorium is set to expire at the end of March.

“With our youth, there’s a lot of couch surfing and a lot of being displaced from your home and that’s coming from trauma and abuse.”

IOWA HOMELESS YOUTH CENTERS have seen increased funding in the past year, but have been struggling to reach homeless youth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. LOGO COURTESY OF IOWA HOMELESS YOUTH CENTERS WEBSITE

“We saw the eviction moratorium, which prevented people from being evicted even if they hadn’t paid their rent, so people were able to stay in their units,” Program Director at New Directions Shelter in Des Moines, Kelsie Pinegar said.

“It’s more a fear of what things will look like in the future as the eviction moratorium expires and as funding kind of dries up in the community.”

For young people specifically, this could take the form of ‘couch surfing’, or bouncing from place to place, according to Blake Willadsen, development coordinator at Iowa Homeless Youth Centers.

“With our youth, there’s a lot of couch surfing and a lot of being displaced from your home and that’s coming from trauma and abuse,” Willadsen said. “From that housing aspect, having the eviction moratorium really, really saved us big. [But]

with COVID-19, it’s been a lot harder to reach the youth that we serve.”

According to Willadsen, homelessness can take many forms, from couch surfing to living on the street, and that distinction is important to recognize.

“When I look at our youth, there’s different levels of homelessness,” Willadsen said. “And that’s really where it’s going to come to a front with trying to figure out the nuance of that and where each organization like us fits into the puzzle pieces.”

Willadsen said that community efforts are vital to helping homeless people in Des Moines as shelters continue to face the impacts of the pandemic.

“Every little bit counts,” Willadsen said. “So whether it’s volunteering, hosting a donation drive, participating in

one of our events, that’s going to be just another little drop in the bucket that helps fill up our efforts here. Really basic things help build capacity so that we can focus on putting dollars towards the bigger picture.”

“Whether it’s volunteering, hosting a donation drive, participating in one of our events, that’s going to be just another little drop in the bucket that helps fill up our efforts here.”

According to Willadsen, the pandemic has not stopped Iowa

Homeless Youth Centers from focusing on the future.

“COVID-19 is just one of those things where it’s going to be really hard to measure until we’re looking back at it, I think, years from now,” Willadsen said. “But we are continuing to be really focused on the future.”

This includes projects that the organization already has in the works.

“Throughout all of this, we’re in the midst of a capital campaign for this new facility called the rooftop gardens, which is going to provide some employment opportunities for our youth, where they are literally learning how to grow herbs and leafy greens in the hydroponic farm,” Willadsen said. “We’re going to continue to be focused as we come out of this, and I think our youth will be better for it.”

Maintaining mental health a year into pandemic Students share coping mechanisms during pandemic Emily Godsey Sports Editor emily.godsey@drake.edu

COVID-19 has left a lasting impact on Drake University students, leading them to seek solace in unique places during the pandemic due to quarantine negatively impacting their mental health in the past year that the virus has been prevalent.

It has been over a year since the pandemic closed schools and forced the world into mass shutdowns and quarantines.

One year ago, the world was flipped upside down and now, as America stands on the cusp of herd vaccinations and the hope of normalcy, the desire for freedom contains underlying questions of, “what is the new normal?”

At the beginning of quarantine, there were selfimprovement posts and videos to guide people through the process of bettering themselves.

Not yet knowing that quarantine and social distancing was going to still be prevalent a year later, there was an emphasis on mental health and maintaining a positive mental state. For many Drake University students, subscribing to this idea was easier said than done.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that the pandemic and quarantine has affected my mental health, as well as my outlook on life,” Alyssa Overlin, a first-year pharmacy student said. “Personally, this pandemic has been an emotional roller coaster. In the beginning, things went downhill pretty quickly.

It felt like I had to put my life on hold, and my mental health definitely took a toll in the early pandemic months.”

Though she said she felt

BROADLAWNS COUNSELING CENTER at Drake is one resource for students struggling with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most appointments are being done virtually through Microsoft Teams. PHOTO BY KAMERON BROWN

alone in those dark days of quarantine, she was not the only person whose mental health was negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say that the pandemic and quarantine has affected my mental health, as well as my outlook on life.”

Meghan Newman, a sophomore multimedia journalism major, said that the pandemic was detrimental to her mental health.

“I’ve struggled with feeling

isolated and depressed, and I actually had to start seeing a therapist early on in quarantine,” she said. “I think I always have had mental health issues and the pandemic exaggerated them and made them a much bigger issue than they were before.”

Because of the negative emotions brought upon by COVID-19, many people attempted to find comfort in new things, while some decided to revert to younger versions of themselves and found enjoyment in things they had liked in years prior.

For Newman, she was able to find comfort through therapy.

“It’s made me feel a lot better talking to other people who have gone through similar experiences and knowing I’m not the only person struggling,”

She said.

First-year Chloe McGrath said she found that music and newly adopted self-care routines helped her through the worst of quarantine.

“I felt super alone and dejected during the pandemic and being in quarantine,” She said. “Listening to music and taking some time to work on myself were really helpful when things got particularly rough.”

In the past year, Overlin said she decided to work on her mental health by trying new things, like weightlifting.

“It’s a good way to just step away with my thoughts. I also have found it really helpful to have my friends in my corner to lean on when I’m feeling down.

Everyone has bad days, and we all need a little help from the people we love sometimes,”

Overlin said.

Though the days of masks and social distancing are still looming on the horizon, the past year has taught the world new and exciting ways to pass the time and stay connected with themselves and others.

Drake University’s community was not spared by the virus, but students have made a valiant effort to stay on their feet and persevere through event cancellations, missed opportunities and abandoned expectations.

The Counseling Center at Drake is a resource for students, and more information on scheduling appointments can be found at : https://www.drake.edu/ counselingcenter/

Sports

SPORTS

April 7, 2021 | Page 3

Drake football defeated by Valparaiso in tough upset Kyle Keegan Beat Writer kyle.keegan@drake.edu

History was made this past Saturday, but it wasn’t in the Bulldogs’ favor. Valparaiso University was able to capture their third series win against Drake’s football team, their most recent one earned since 2003.

Even though the Bulldogs now fall at 1-2 in the Pioneer Football League and eighth in the rankings, head coach Todd Stepsis said he learned to look at things differently.

“My old man always said, ‘start with something positive,’” Stepsis said. “We just have to get back to work and learn from these mistakes.”

Saturday’s game was a close contest between the two teams, with Drake and Valparaiso matching each other with solid offensive, defensive and special teams performance.

And Valparaiso did just that with a field goal conversion late in the third quarter. The Bulldogs would proceed to miss their own field goal on the next drive, adding to an overall disappointing redzone efficiency rating for the day.

Sophomore receiver Colin Howard reflected on the mistakes made offensively.

“I think we got a little conservative when we got there,” Howard said. “But with no points on the board, we needed to be aggressive.”

Coach Stepsis said to expect the Bulldogs to home in on their skills in the upcoming weeks.

“We’ll probably go a little more number one offense versus number one defense,” Stepsis said. “One thing that we need to focus more on the offensive side of the ball is doing our job but not overthinking it.”

DRAKE FOOTBALL FALLS TO A 1-2 RECORD IN THE PIONEER FOOTBALL LEAGUE AFTER LOSING TO VALPARAISO THIS WEEKEND. After facing a COVID-19 outbreak, the Bulldogs lost a series battle against the Indiana team, managing to win 1 game out of 3. PHOTO COURTESY OF KYLE KEEGAN

Defensively, Drake was able to hold their own for the majority of the game. But a few big runs early in the fourth quarter pushed Valparaiso’s lead to ten.

Senior linebacker Will Kulick aided the Bulldogs in their effort to slow down Valparaiso, with 11 solo tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and a quarterback hurry.

Kulick offered his thoughts on the defensive’s performance.

“I think we left a lot of plays on the field; we didn’t execute how we wanted,” Kulick said.

“Defensively, we played pretty well, but we let up too many points. And the score reflects.”

Drake attempted to make a late comeback in the game, as they completed one of their most impressive offensive drives to date. With the help of a 15 yard defensive pass interference call, the Bulldogs racked up a combined 51 passing yards and a rushing touchdown in under a minute, shortening the lead to

three.

Howard was a part of the 46 yard passing play that fueled the comeback drive. Recording his first three collegiate catches of his young career, the Drake receiver said it felt good to be involved in the offense.

“We were trying to get a deep shot for me the entire game pretty much,” Howard said.

“My mindset is just to give one hundred percent effort every single play whether I’m getting the ball or not.”

A defensive stop later, Drake was eyeing to bring the game back into their favor, but a sack by Valparaiso defensive lineman Austin Martins ended the Bulldogs’ opportunity.

Drake’s injuries at the guard positions came back to bite them, as the constant defensive pressure by Valparaiso caused three sacks and an interception during the game.

On top of that, this game featured the third quarterback

to start for the Bulldogs this season, with junior Hunter Wendling taking snaps under center.

Given the unconventional start, Wendling made the most of his situation by throwing for over 173 yards, helping Drake add a few layers to what has been arguably a one-dimensional rushing attack so far.

Coach Stepsis gave credit to Wendling on his first start.

“Any time you have three signal callers in three weeks, it’s tough to get into a rhythm,” Stepsis said. “I thought he threw the ball pretty well. You saw some accurate balls and some tough catches, and we haven’t had a lot of that Howard touched on the adverse situation of practicing with three different starting quarterbacks this season.

“Whether it’s Hunter, Ben or Ian these next two games,” Howard said. “I feel comfortable where we’re at. I like both of

those guys a lot, and they are all great leaders.”

It will be interesting to see where the Bulldogs go from this disappointing start to the season. With an impressive defense and an offense that’s just starting to get its feet wet in the passing game, Drake’s Kulick said the team is looking to make a statement in their next game against Butler University.

“We’re going to come forward and try to put our best foot forward,” Kulick said.

“Come out and just make some plays. Just play Drake football.”

Drake’s next game will be on the road at the Butler Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind. Kickoff is scheduled to commence at 11 a.m. The game will be streamed on the Butler Athletics YouTube account, and a radio stream will take place at 1350 ESPN Des Moines.

Women’s volleyball season ends in disappointment after impressive run

THE BULLDOGS BID FAREWELL TO THEIR HISTORIC VOLLEYBALL SEASON AS THEY TAKE HOME TITLES SUCH AS COACH OF THE YEAR, FIRST TEAM ALL MVC AND SECOND TEAM ALL MVC. Though Drake’s volleyball season is coming to an end, many of the players were able to reflect on the titles earned and the prideful moments they had together on the court. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS

Darinka Stepan Staff Writer darinka.stepan@drake.edu

Drake women’s volleyball had a successful season this year. The Bulldogs had an overall record of 13-7 and a conference record of 11-5.

Drake started their season off with a home match against University of Northern Iowa.

The Bulldogs beat UNI 3-1, this was the first time in 25 years that Drake has beaten UNI. Drake then went on to compete against Western Illinois and got another 3-1 win.

Drake had two more wins, first against South Dakota State and then once again against UNI creating a 4-match winning

streak.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs lost to Marquette but then bounced right back to beat Bradley back-to-back with 3-1 wins. Drake took on Illinois State and Valparaiso, but they lost both matches to both of those schools. Eventually, they won to both matches 3-1 against Evansville.

Drake also got two more wins against southern Illinois and got two wins against Indiana State.

Finally, Drake traveled to Chicago Ill. to play against Loyola. After losing the first match 0-3, Drake came back the next day to win the match 3-1.

Drake’s successful season did not go unnoticed. Head coach Darrin McBroom received Coach of the Year by

the Missouri Valley Conference.

Sophomore Haley Bush, outside hitter, was named Missouri Valley Conference player of the year.

“As a team, I believe we set a standard for what Drake volleyball should be like in seasons to come.”

Haley Bush and senior Emily Plock, who is an opposite hitter joined the All-MVC first team.

Senior Kylee Macke, who is a Libero for the Bulldogs was named All-MVC second team.

Bush was the first Bulldog to be given player of the year since 1984.

Heading into the MVC tournament Drake was the second seed. Being the second seed in the tournament is one of the highest seeds that Drake has ever been.

Drake faced UNI in the first round of the MVC. The Bulldogs lost 3-0. Drake lost the first set, 25-19 and lost the second set 25-21, and lost the third set 2520.

First-year Kacie Rewerts was proud of the season they had.

“Our season may have not ended the way we wanted it to, but the entire season was a historic season for Drake volleyball,” Rewerts said. “As a team I believe that we set

a standard for what Drake volleyball should be like for the seasons to come.”

Rewerts said her favorite memories from the season were when the Bulldogs were given ice cream after their coach felt that they earned it after good wins.

First-year Macy DeLeye explained how she thought the Bulldogs’ season went.

“I think we had a good season overall,” DeLeye said. “We all worked hard and pushed ourselves and we all got better.

I had a great experience this year and next year, we’ll keep working hard and get better.”

The Bulldogs are planning on continuing to work hard and they expect to come back stronger next season.

COMMENTARY

Commentary

Off the Peep end

A discussion of the classic but questionable marshmallow treat

PEEPS ARE FLUFFY MARSHMALLOWS WITH A SUGAR COATING, they are also very controversial and leave people divided. There is no between with Peeps, you either love them or want to ban the Big Peep industry. GRAPHIC BY RACHEL JAMES | EDITOR- IN - CHIEF

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 RACHEL JAMES, Editor-in-Chief rachel.james@drake.edu JEFF INMAN, Faculty Advisor jeffrey.inman@drake.edu

TARYN RIPPLE, Managing Editor taryn.ripple@drake.edu

EMMA BRUSTKERN, News Editor emma.brustkern@drake.edu

AUTUMN OSIA, Photo Editor autumn.osia@drake.edu

GRACE ALTENHOFEN, Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

MAX BROWN, Digital Editor max.brown@drake.edu

EMILY GODSEY, Sports Editor emily.godsey@drake.edu

OLIVIA HECKER, Media Manager olivia.hecker@drake.edu

COLIN FRIER, Commentary Editor colin.frier@drake.edu

TRISH RICHARDS, Copy Editor patricia.richards@drake.edu

EMILY HANNA, Business Manager emily.hanna@drake.edu

SARAH BOGAARDS, Breaking News sarah.bogaards@drake.edu

April 7, 2021 | Page 4

Taryn Ripple Managing Editor taryn.ripple@drake.edu

Rachel James Editor-in-Chief rachel.james@drake.edu @kindisgroovy

Let’s get one thing straight: Peeps are disgusting. I mean, I’ll still eat them. They’re marshmallows coated in sugar wrapped in a cloud of puffiness but still.

My mother sent me an Easter basket/general items care package last week that was absolutely bursting with goodies; some jelly beans here, a Reese’s egg there, and oh yeah, a boatload of Peeps.

Really, I don’t know where she finds this stuff.

The three Peep flavors included in my goody basket were birthday cake, Hot Tamales (yes, like the candy) and Chocolate Caramel Triple Sugar Crunch Blast (I embellished it a bit, but you get the idea).

The only one I’ve sampled so far are the Hot Tamales Peeps, and let me tell you, they’re not half bad. Again, of course, they’re fundamentally disgusting. But I do love cinnamon-flavored anything, so I made the sacrifice and consumed a few. I’ll be up front here: yes, I’ve been ridiculed for my inclination toward the cinnamon palate, and no, I do not take constructive criticism.

Anyway, come Easter morning my roommate (not naming names, but starts with an R, ends with -achel) went all out on the Double Chocolate Delight Caramel Twisty Puff Peeps and I never got to try them. Please know that I am not complaining; I think my stomach would have combusted if I’d taken even a nibble from one. That’s all well and good; as long as I have my Hot Tamales Peeps I’m loath to complain.

But alas! It would seem that not even those are safe from the clutches of a certain roommate.

For when I peered into my box, I found a fallen soldier. A halfeaten marshmallow fiend, lying broken in the carton. I knew there could be only one culprit.

No hard feelings here. I’ll reiterate my stance that Peeps are abominations to the candy industry. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find a quick snack that is most certainly not light and fluffy with undertones of cinnamon.

Hello, it is me, the roommate whose name was not named.

While I never thought I would get a platform to discuss this, now is my moment to pitch my case. Peeps are the superior candy, not just for Easter but for all occasions. Peep wedding cake? I would like to see it.

Peep funeral buffet? I would climb out of the grave for it.

Peep gender reveal? It’s a marshmallow, congratulations to the lucky parents!

I feel as if I should set the scene, I gave up candy for Lent and so I had not eaten a single Peep this season. Every time I would pass them in a store, I had to be strong and walk away.

The grand loves of my life and I was looking the other direction, real Humphrey Bogart type angst. So when I awoke to discover Peeps in my house when I could finally partake, I simply had to give it my full attention. Plus, with the new flavours offered, the depth to Peeps knows no bounds. When they start making hamburger flavoured ones, the entire food pyramid will be reshaped to its very core.

As I’m sure we all know (if you’re not closely following the Peep community and drama, what are you even doing) last year production of these little marshmallow heavens was halted due to coronavirus. So to me, these suckers are a scarcity, a rare jewel, water in the dessert (see what I did there).

To see them return better than ever was a heartwarming homecoming. It was Odysseus’ long journey home.

I want to take a moment to address the slander about the Red Hot Tamales incident. In my defense, I was on my way out the door when I took a bite, just a baby sample for the road, if you will.

People, aka Taryn (I believe in naming names) saying Peeps are an abomination need to lay off. I have no doubt that one day Peeps will come to life and if she is not careful she will not be on the right side of history.

I, on the other hand, believe I would be a great fit for press secretary in the future Peep run administration.

The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published weekly during the regular academic year and is produced by undergraduate students at Drake University. The opinions of staff editorials reflect the institutional opinion of the newspaper based on current staff opinions and the newspaper’s traditions. These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of individual employees of the paper, Drake University or members of the student body. All other opinions appearing throughout the paper are those of the author or artist named within the column or cartoon. The newsroom and business office of The Times-Delphic are located in Meredith Hall, Room 124. The Times-Delphic is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The editor-in-chief sits on the Board of Student Communications.

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The Times-Delphic’s business office is located at 2507 University Avenue, 124 Meredith Hall, Des Moines, IA 50311. The Times-Delphic is published on Wednesdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. The newspaper is distributed for free around the Drake University campus. All advertising information is to be submitted noon Sunday for the Wednesday edition. Advertisements can be designed by The Times-Delphic or submitted via e-mail. We accept cash and check. A 10 percent discount is offered for prepayment on advertisements. The business office can be contacted at 515-271-2020.