THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 139 | No. 12 | Dec. 4, 2019
FEATURES
SPORTS
OPINIONS
Fall break: is it worth it at the expense of a shorter Thanksgiving vacation?
The Drake women’s basketball team earns more wins and finishes in 5th at the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Read one viewer’s review of Doctor Sleep, the newest Stephen King movie to hit theaters.
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Rapinoe to Drake: ‘make it cool to care’
Sarah Bogaards Staff Writer sarah.bogaards@drake.edu
A big first happened for Iowa on Nov. 19. The first gold medal Olympian, two-time World Cup Champion, gay, female soccer player and activist was in Des Moines. Almost four months after Drake tweeted the announcement via Griff in a pink wig, U.S. women’s national soccer team co-captain Megan Rapinoe spoke before more than 4,500 people at the 41st Bucksbaum lecture. “I always heard it was lit in Iowa, but I didn’t know it was like this,” Rapinoe said as she was welcomed to the stage. Students, faculty and members of the public awaited Rapinoe in a blue-tinged Knapp Center. She was introduced to the crowd with a striking question from Olivia Bruce, a junior news major and member of the Drake women’s soccer team. “What if we were given the platform that she has, would we use it?” Bruce said. “Or would we be too scared about what the world had to say?” Simpson College sophomore and women’s soccer player Tatum Tremain attended the event with several teammates and wore a U.S. Women’s National Team shirt. She said Rapinoe’s visit mattered because “not often do players like this come to Iowa.” Julie Sundee and Kristina Nurre, both of Ankeny, played soccer together in school and now they both have children who play. They followed the recent World Cup closely and were excited to have Rapinoe in
Des Moines. “I’m looking forward to hearing about all the topics she’s so passionate about,” Sundee said. “It’s not just soccer, and that’s great.” The Q&A interview moderated by Drake alumna Jill Farmer evoked insight and wit, whether on topics of inequalities in soccer and society or tackling family discussions at Thanksgiving. For Rapinoe, she said she teams up with family members at Thanksgiving. “We’re like, ‘You guys ready? Ready? Let’s go,’” she joked. In seriousness, Rapinoe said there should be “a base level of respect for people’s beliefs” and proposed cooperation and conversation in response to conflict and division in society. “We just want to make [the country] better,” Rapinoe said. “So how are we going to have those conversations and sort of use those conversations as practice to then go back into the world and ultimately try to make it a better place.” Farmer said a main takeaway was that “We can all [talk], but we really have to make space for listening and make space for doing something about it and not just talking about it.” Early in the interview Rapinoe described herself as a “pretty open book,” which prefaced the candid conversation to come. She said having a platform and the accompanying attention has meant recognizing that her words “have ramifications to my family, and to my friends and to the world at large.” She also described relaxing, uneventful weekends in Seattle with her partner, Sue, and her excitement for their upcoming vacation. “It is easy for all of us to get
MEGAN RAPINOE of the US women’s soccer team delivered Drake University’s 41st Bucksbaum lecture.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES MOORE
caught up in her fame and her position on the field, but it was really cool just to see the authentic version of who Megan really is,” Bruce said following the interview. In her final message of the night, Rapinoe said, “Make it
Student voices call for freedom of speech Caleb Lillquist Staff Writer caleb.lillquist@drake.edu
On Nov. 25 the Young Americans for Freedom organization on campus held a free speech forum for all of the political groups on campus. It was hosted by Drake College Republicans and Democrats and members of Turning Point USA, along with the Drake student senate. Drake Comrades were also in attendance. Tony Tyler, Drake’s student director of equity and inclusion, gave an opening statement for students. “Tonight’s event is not about a debate, but instead all about discussion,” Tyler said in reference to the recent controversy of the student senate voting down TPUSA. “This is all about hearing other people’s side.” Katie Moon, social media chair for Turning Point, talked about the night of the senate vote. She shared her frustrations with the “closed session” decision of the
senate that prevented them a reasoning as to why their group was voted down along with the way how Drake Comrades conducted themselves. After Moon gave her remarks, Nick Johnson, President of the Student Senate, shared his side of the story. Johnson talked about his frustrations with the “false narratives” going around about Drake Senate. He had also shared his frustrations of the pulling of money, referencing Drake alumni about the vote, which he felt “pressured” students to act a certain way about an issue. “Problems only have solutions if we seek them, we have to believe in each other,” Johnson said. The hour and a half event involved students purposely getting out of their comfort zones by moving to tables with people of the opposite political view. Students voiced their concerns regarding the student senate: many said that there currently is not a way to challenge the
senate on their rulings. “There is no transparency here,” said Matt Deike, a freshman studying strategic political communications and public relations in regard to how the senate conducted themselves. Many students agreed that they had “lost faith in the members of the senate.” The Times-Delphic asked students at the event what they would have done differently in this situation. Many responded that the meeting and vote should have been open to the public. Some students asked why not balance out the groups on campus in reference to the Drake Comrades with Turning Point. Students opposed to Turning Point are mostly concerned with the past behavior of Turning Point with its stances. “What we did tonight is valuable,” Tyler said at the end of the event. “I challenge you to continue this pattern and be thoughtful in how you leave this space tonight.”
A FREE SPEECH FORUM encouraged healthy political discourse among students at Drake.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CALEB LILLQUIST
cool to care.” She encouraged each person to hold themselves accountable for creating change however they can. “You can just help someone who is in your life. And that’s very meaningful,” she said.
“Just imagine if everyone took that sort of responsibility to just do a little bit more.” Megan McDowell contributed to the reporting of this story.
Visual Arts Association exhibit showcases student artwork Rebecca Hickok Contributing Writer carley.hickok@drake.edu
The Visual Arts Association of Drake held a student art show at the Weeks Gallery from Nov. 2 to Nov. 16. The student shows planned by VAAD feature art submitted by students from a variety of majors, not only art majors. “These kinds of skills [art] develop over time with lots of ‘bad’ projects being made in the process,” said Marissa Hernandez, a senior majoring in painting. Co-president of VAAD Carlye Patterson worked with a team of students to plan, schedule and advertise the Weeks Gallery show. “This show is unique because VAAD wanted to give any student interested in the opportunity to have their artwork accepted into a show,” Patterson said. “As long as a person submitted by the deadline, their work was displayed.” All mediums were accepted as submissions for this show. Hernandez, the digital media director of VAAD, also helped organize the event. She made posters and hung them around campus, reached out to students and faculty about the event and coordinated the labeling and delivery of art with students who submitted their pieces to the show. Hernandez’s piece was titled “and to my father who believed.”
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30 years ago, Hernandez’s father migrated to the United States from Mexico. “His sacrifice drives everything I do,” Hernandez said. “My art is influenced, sometimes subconsciously, by my experiences of growing up in predominantly white spaces while being a lower middle-class woman of color.” Patterson is a senior double majoring in accounting and studio art painting. Of the pieces she submitted to this show, Patterson’s favorite is an acrylic painting titled “Patterson,” which depicts Patterson and her brother when they were young. “It captures my brother and I at a time when we were both really curious and had fun together doing simple things,” Patterson said. “This was one of my first paintings exploring portrait with aspects of drawing technique and some expressions. It helped guide me into artworks currently in progress.” VAAD plans to hold another student show next semester. All students are encouraged to submit art if they have interest in doing so. Information on events and submission dates can be found on their Instagram page: @drakevaad The Weeks Gallery is supported by the Drake Department of Art & Design. The Gallery is used for student exhibitions organized by students, faculty and outside curators.