The Times-Delphic (02.21.18)

THE TIMES-DELPHIC Wed. Feb. 21, 2018

Volume 137, No. 17

www.timesdelphic.com

PHOTO BY JAKE BULLINGTON | DIGITAL EDITOR

CAMPUS EVENTS

Former presidential candidate pleads for clean energy Ex-Governor O’Malley talks about environmental safety during Drake visit Maddie Topliff Staff Writer maddie.topliff@drake.edu

A STUDENT asks former governor Martin O’Malley a question during his visit to Drake last Tuesday. PHOTO BY MADDIE TOPLIFF | STAFF WRITER

Martin O’Malley, former 2016 presidential election candidate, paid Drake University a visit last Tuesday to promote renewable energy in a presentation titled “Seizing America’s Renewable Energy Future.”

O’Malley began his presentation by saying renewable energy is “near and dear” to his heart, informing the audience that he had been the first presidential candidate to propose moving to a 100 percent renewable energy grid by 2050. The Democratic Party liked O’Malley’s idea so much that they adapted it for the entire party’s platform.

O’Malley went on to claim that wind and solar energy will make up at least 50 percent of electricity generation by 2030, which prompted a positive response.

“Here in Iowa, I really support

wind,” Kaplan University student Kara Ryan said, sharing that O’Malley’s presentation made her want to research the topic further.

According to O’Malley’s acquired data, wind power has the potential to drop in cost by 50 percent before 2030, making for a great investment opportunity.

“Climate change is the greatest business opportunity to come to the USA in 100 years,” O’Malley said. “It’s about a future of more.”

O’Malley’s optimistic claims do force him, however, to inquire about humans’ actual motivation to want to push toward a more renewable future in energy, a fact he shared with the crowd.

“Can we as a species make this happen quickly enough?” he asked. “And can we as Americans square ourselves for this future and seize these opportunities?”

The former governor of Maryland revealed that Hawaii has already accepted the challenge: the Aloha State is consciously aiming for 100 percent renewable power by

2045.

While O’Malley’s primary focus was on the promotion of renewable energy, he commented on the Trump administration’s lack of pursuit on the subject.

“Don’t tell me we can’t afford (renewable energy),” O’Malley said, after sharing his distaste for the recent tax cuts directed toward wealthy Americans.

President Trump has made controversial decisions in the realms of both climate change and renewable energy during his term. Most recently, he stated at the State of the Union address that his administration has “ended the war on beautiful, clean coal,” leaving some viewers scratching their heads. Trump also backed out of the Paris Agreement in his first year of office, citing coal development once again as his rationale.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

CAMPUS NEWS

Disappearing trash cans leave students divided Caitlin Clement Staff Writer caitlin.clement@drake.edu Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL) and the Leadership Education and

Development Concentration capstone (LEAD) implemented a sustainable recycling pilot program at the beginning of the semester with the Drake Facilities Management Team after noticing some inconsistency across campus.

A SIGN shows the difference waste topics. Student groups have been working to have more bins on campus. PHOTO BY CAITLIN CLEMENT | STAFF WRITER

“One of the biggest examples we brought up was Olmsted.

There was like eight garbage cans and not a single recycling bin,” DEAL member Sophia Siegel said.

Over winter break, these two groups placed new trash and recycle bins in high traffic areas all over campus. Each pair of bins came with a poster displaying a guide, easily depicting what is recyclable through identifiable pictures.

There have been mixed feelings around the sudden disappearance of these mundane little tubs from classrooms. Some are annoyed at the lack of convenience it seems to pose, but most are confused as to why it was changed at all.

Mitch Wieczorek, the custodial manager working with the two groups, said the previous setup was inefficient toward the goal to sustainability with the quantity of bags being used.

“The custodial crew, they empty a bag. They do not dig in, even if there is three things. They do not empty them. They have to bag it,” Wieczorek said. “That

kind of segued into the classroom end of things … Some classrooms you’d come in and there was only a little bit at the bottom but you have to bag it.”

The custodial staff is required to remove all trash bags, even if only a few items are in the bin, due to safety precautions. With the amount of trash cans stationed on campus, the quantity of plastic bags used adds up, 52,000 a year for small liners, Wieczorek said.

This new design cuts down on the amount of trash cans available on campus by centralizing all trash and recycle bins. DEAL, LEAD and the management team said their goal was to limit the amount of plastic garbage bags being used as well as maximizing the garbage volume in each trash and recycle bin.

“I understand the change was implemented to decrease the amount of waste people dispose of; however, it is definitely a bit less convenient,” said Abby Bukowski, a first year environmental science major. “This change is a good one though. It may encourage folks to reconsider all the things they’re

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throwing away.”

However, facilities are not the only main area of focus. All three groups are working with the residence halls, specifically Goodwin-Kirk Residence Hall (GK), and Sodexo to attain greater sustainability in recycling and compost.

In the first-year residence halls, executive councils (ECs) pick up the recycling bins placed outside the dorms every Sunday night after their meeting.

Unfortunately, this is exclusive to first-year halls.

Sophomores in GK have to walk around the building to the singular recycling bin allotted for the entirety of GK. In the trash audit done by DEAL and LEAD in November last semester, they found the yardage of recycled material was considerably low for a residence hall of that size.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

02 | news

Feb. 21, 2018

NEWS STUDENT SENATE

Senate passes funding measures, talks bylaw changes Ian Klein Staff Writer ian.klein@drake.edu In the Feb. 15 meeting, the Drake University Student Senate passed a plethora of motions allocating funds to student organizations on campus.

Organizations that requested funds from the senate included Drake Outdoor Leadership Club, Golf Club, Coalition for Black Students and Weightlifting Club.

The Student Fees Allocation Committee met with representatives of each group to review the funding requests before allowing the groups to present in front of the student senate.

The Drake Outdoor Leadership Club (DOLC) – whose mission, according to the senate motion, is to “teach people how to be engaged citizens in the natural world through activities like rock climbing, hiking, camping and conservation” – plans on taking some of its members to Moab, Utah, in March to perform handson conservation work and learn leadership skills through outdoor activities such as camping.

DOLC members explained to senate the impact this trip could have on Drake’s campus, expressing their desire to partner with other groups on campus in order to expand students’ knowledge on conservation and taking personal initiative in protecting the environment.

DOLC members said they will engage in a “Leave No Trace” seminar on the trip, which DOLC Secretary Mallory Karr said will be a focus of the group when they return to campus. Karr also said that while on the trip, DOLC members will “be working on other leadership skills with those who come on the trip and bring them back to Drake with continuing our efforts to improve the entire campus.”

DOLC requested a total of $2,421.00 for the excursion, and the cost brought dissent from some senators. College of Arts and Science Sen. Emily Anderson expressed concerns over the time of the trip – which will take place over spring break – and College

of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Sen. Alex Maciejewski noted that because the students are driving to Utah, the gas mileage reimbursement would be over $2,000 alone.

Student Services Sen. Samantha Bayne approved of the DOLC funding request, arguing that the trip would benefit all of campus.

“I’m really excited about this because of the ‘Leave No Trace’ training that I don’t think any other organization has brought back to campus or even Des Moines,” Bayne said.

The measure passed the senate by a vote of 13-7.

The Drake University Golf Club requested senate funds for the group to compete in a tournament in Bellevue, Nebraska, in March. The funds covered the costs of registration, transportation and lodging fees after the senate decided to remove a provision that would fund driving range practice fees.

The Senate passed the amended motion unanimously.

The Coalition of Black Students (CBS) will be attending the Big XII Conference in late February.

The mission of the conference, according to the senate motion, is “to uplift and empower the black community through leadership, academic excellence, spirituality and political action to enhance black legacy.” CBS requested $3,500 in additional funds and the senate unanimously passed the motion.

The final funding request of the senate meeting came from the Drake Weightlifting Club, whose members were requesting finances to cover the cost of attending the Arnold Classic event, which teaches attendees about new weightlifting and fitness methods. Members of the Weightlifting Club told the senate that members who attended the event last year brought back advice on weightlifting form, new ideas for new workouts and nutrition recommendations. The Weightlifting Club has in the past informed Drake students on methods to improve physical fitness through its “Summer Body 101” program, which the club plans to hold again later this semester.

Senators were concerned that the Weightlifting Club did not

seek outside sources for funding and moved to amend the funding request so that each member of the Weightlifting Club going to the event would provide $50 to cover the cost of attending the event. With the amended motion came the unanimous approval of the Senate.

The last significant segment of the Senate meeting was the discussion of proposed amendments to the bylaws of the Student Fees Allocation Committee (SFAC). If enacted, these bylaws would change the means by which student organizations can reallocate funds within their budgets.

Student Body Treasurer Trevor Matusik said that under these bylaw changes “(a)nybody looking to reallocate money from one line-item to create a completely different event will not be allowed to do so unless they are using unspent funds

REPRESENTATIVES of student organizations request additional funds. PHOTOS BY IAN KLEIN | STAFF WRITER

from a line-item in that budget that is passed.”

Matusik continued, “This is far more to encourage people who create their annual budgets to talk with whoever will be next school year’s leaders or executive members so that they are planning their yearly events out further in advance and are following their budgets as closely as possible.”

The Senate decided to table the SFAC motions and will continue the discussion at this week’s meeting. Student senate meets weekly on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. in Room 201 of Cowles Library.

news | 03

Feb. 21, 2018

NEWS CAMPUS NEWS

CAMPUS EVENTS

Students add trash cans on floors after shortage of bins

O’Malley expresses hope for the future of renewable energy advocacy

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “People have come either to their EC or to me or their RAs and said they wished there were recycling bins on their floors so that they could just dump it and not have to bring it down, like down all the way to the recycling bin,” Siegel said.

Since hearing these concerns, they implemented a recycle bin on every floor where there is trash.

Now the students can empty

their recycling without having to walk all the way outside, trying to effectively make convenience and sustainability complements of one another in order to create more consistency.

These groups have also been working with Sodexo by making room on the counters in Quad for an easier composting system than the previous orange bins from last semester. This consists of a simpler guide on what is compostable and what isn’t so

students don’t have to stare at the sign in order to figure out what goes where.

Wieczorek said that he guessed about 95 percent of Sodexo’s stuff like their containers, plastic wear and napkins are all compostable.

Now it’s just giving the students and staff the education on what composting is and how they can help, creating a bigger awareness on their environmental impact.

For these groups, the next step is to compile the feedback from

the pilot and do another waste audit in order to see, statistically, if it was successful enough in making a greater impact with both the consistency and sustainability around campus.

If interested in giving feedback about the pilot program, contact Mitch Wieczorek, custodial manager, DEAL or the LEAD capstone.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 One of the primary problems with coal is that it’s not a renewable natural resource, and once it’s gone, it’s not coming back, and neither are the jobs.

According to Vox, 27 coal plants closed in 2017 alone.

Heaven Chamberlain, a student at Des Moines Area Community College, asked about the very same jobs during the Q&A portion of O’Malley’s presentation, wondering where the miners are going to work after the coal is gone.

“I was very satisfied (with O’Malley’s answer) because he believes we need to offer more money to training,” Chamberlain said. “The problem is that Donald Trump is lying to these coal miners and saying we’re going to bring back coal jobs. There’s no way to bring back coal jobs.”

O’Malley’s use of the word “training” refers to providing resources for former coal miners to use to acquire the skills they need to reenter the workforce in pursuit of a different career.

Although O’Malley’s presentation expressed a lot of distaste for the current political climate, he also expressed hope.

“Darkness makes a great canvas,” O’Malley said, predicting the next president of the United States will be a champion for renewable energy. “America does, in fact, change.”

A SIGN IN QUAD advertises the differences between compost and landfill waster. PHOTO BY CAITLIN CLEMENT | STAFF WRITER

CAMPUS EVENTS

Blood Drive proves to be success Helps sustain or save 78 lives AshleyMarie Dail Contributing Writer

Trypanaphobia is the fear of needles and affects 20-25 percent of Americans, but 4.5 million people still need blood transfusions each year.

Alpha Phi Omega’s LifeServe blood drives are about challenging people to face that one-in-four fear and help save a life.

Last week, the first blood drive of the semester hosted in lower Olmsted was a success, helping to sustain or save 78 lives.

This semester APO teamed up with pharmacy fraternity Phi Delta Chi and kicked things off this semester by holding a blood drive early last week on Feb. 12 in lower Olmsted.

These events take about two months to plan and often happen twice a semester.

At the blood drive, there are many curtains and clipboards and always a friendly APO member ready to help any volunteers.

At the head of all this is Jenna Cornick, the Service Vice President in APO. She has been the Service Vice President since the spring of 2016 when she joined.

“Running the blood drive means a lot because I know with Life Serve it is going to be benefitting a lot of people in the local area and in the Midwest,” Cornick said.

LifeServe, the blood bank who works side by side with APO, is actually the sole provider of blood

and other blood products in 120 hostpials in South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska.

This blood drive featured 31 registered donors and 20 firsttime donors, which is a number that is “really good for us this year,” according to Cornick. On top of the new donors 26 units

“I donate blood because (blood) is essential for survival and I know that I am helping someone who really needs it,” Sophia Isaacson APO Member

of blood were collected that afternoon, meaning up to 78 lives will be saved or sustained.

Sophia Isaacson, a junior and member in APO, said donating blood is just the right thing to do.

“I donate blood because (blood) is essential for survival and I know that I am helping someone who really needs it,” Isaacson said.

Isaacson explained that she is a regular blood donor at the APO

blood drives.

During donations, a single person above the age of 18, 110 pounds and in good health can donate one pint of blood at a time, meaning their blood can go to at most three people. If a volunteer choses to donate, several things happen with their donation. First, it goes through testing to be sure it is safe.

Afterwards, it can either be donated as is or used for platelets, red blood cells or plasma.

Each patient is different and needs different amounts of blood. Cancer patients may need eight units a month where a person in an auto accident may need 50.

Alpha Phi Omega is already getting ready for their second blood drive on April 13 in lower Olmsted again.

Students can sign up you can register now at http://www. lifeservebloodcenter.org/ or wait until the week before and sign up with APO members tabling in the Breezeway just before the event.

FRESHER

FASTER IT’S JUST THE WAY I ROLL

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04 | opinions

Feb. 21, 2018

OPINIONS MUSIC

Black History Month: music that is political, personal and beautiful

BLACK HISTORY MONTH occurs every February in the United States. It was formally established as a nationwide event in 1971, after Kent State University held their own Black History Month the year before. PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE ARTISTS’ LABELS | GRAPHIC BY PARKER KLYN | PHOTO EDITOR and I’ve never heard a piece of music combine heavy topics like social advancement and poverty with individual struggles and weaknesses so well. From the opening rush of “I was born by the river,” we can feel that this is a powerful piece of art. This is, straight-up, among the greatest songs ever recorded; anxious yet prideful, beaten down but not lifeless. It’s timeless.

Parker Klyn

Opinions Editor parker.klyn@drake.edu @parkerklyn It’s Black History Month, which means a month-long celebration of all the contributions black people have brought to the United States, from science to culture to social justice to leadership.

But as a pop culture omnivore, my most frequent exposure to black culture in the United States has been through music. Music is always a perfect accent to a powerful movement, and Black History Month is special, because many of my favorite artists and records have come from black American minds. Here’s my Black History Month playlist.

Sam Cooke – “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

It’s been called the torch song for the Civil Rights movement, it’s Michelle Obama’s favorite single,

Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On.” The man with one of the prettiest voices of all time, Marvin Gaye was a unique figure. When his contemporaries went left, further down the experimental rabbit hole, Gaye moved right, refining his sound into beautiful soul-pop. The title track to his most well-known album, “What’s Going On” feels more like a plea than Cooke’s self-affirmations.

Nonetheless, it’s a desperate, powerful plea; you can hear the exhaustion in his voice, making his music as commercially viable as possible so as many people will hear it. “Only love can conquer hate” is a powerful first step.

Aretha Franklin – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the timeless “Respect”, but “A Natural Woman” – a Carole Kingpenned ballad performed by

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America’s greatest-ever singer – brings me such joy that I just had to include it.

It’s proof in the power of people (“Before I met you, life was so unkind”); without the love and happiness of others, why even bother?

I’d especially recommend Franklin’s show-stopping performance at the Kennedy Center Honors, which brought Barack Obama to tears.

N.W.A. – “F**k Tha Police”.

Before hip-hop, black music was appreciated, but only if it was on respectable terms. If early political singles seem generic, it’s because they had no choice – radios wouldn’t play anything rougher. So when N.W.A. (producer Dr. Dre, organizer Eazy-E, a fiery-hot 19-year-old Ice Cube) came through with the nation’s introduction to Western hip-hop, it sent shock waves.

White people didn’t know (or didn’t care) about rampant police brutality until the Rodney King riots, and this single entrenched them in the zeitgeist.

The group provoked letters from the FBI, and Tipper Gore actively fought against the distribution of their record. But it didn’t matter; this sparked hiphop’s rise into the dominant music genre of the new millennium.

Kanye West – “New Slaves”.

It’d be easy to dismiss Kanye’s

lamentations on “New Slaves” – come on, he’s really whining about shopping in Gucci and Prada? – but this song proves that it doesn’t matter how elite you are. To some, you’ll still be inferior. He outlines racism he experienced when he was middle class – “Don’t touch anything in the store” – as well as now that he’s elite – “What you want, a Bentley, fur coat, a diamond chain? All you Blacks want all the same things.” For an artist who rarely gets political, this is a cutting sentiment.

Kendrick Lamar – “The Blacker The Berry”.

A lot gets asked of black people in America.

Countless times I was in class growing up (and even in college), and the one black person in the class would be called on to talk about their thoughts, even if they didn’t volunteer.

This is especially true of black celebrities like Kendrick, whose beautiful, yet sometimes difficult stories of his life as a black man in America are among the most well-received in music history.

It gets on the core level of social justice, when people may profess ideas and solutions in public but privately act in violation of those creeds. “I’m the biggest hypocrite of 2015,” he starts every verse.

Until the final line of the song, we don’t really know why he’s a hypocrite; that seems to be

projected onto him from skeptics who would say that if a black man isn’t a rapper or athlete, they won’t succeed.

When Kendrick screams, “Why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street/ When gangbanging made me kill a n**** blacker than me?”

That question raises many more, such as people’s autonomy and the role of socioeconomic status at birth. Most of all, it proves that the experience of black people in America is not singular; it’s varied and everchanging, and I can’t think of a better microcosm for Black History Month.

Other songs on my playlist would include Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out”, D’Angelo’s “Brown Sugar”, Black Star’s “Definition”, A Tribe Called Quest’s “We The People”, Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids”, Kelela’s “Frontline”, UGK’s “International Players Anthem”, Killer Mike’s “Reagan”, and Leon Bridges’ “River”.

Of course, this is only a tiny portion of black Americans’ vast and incredible contributions to not just music, but all of culture.

The artists I’ve listed here are seminal, but even last year’s small, seemingly low-stakes releases from people and bands like Vagabond, Moses Sumney and Vince Staples are examples of varied, experimental Black music.

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opinions | 05

Feb. 21, 2018

OPINIONS POLITICS

Florida shooting: discussing the practical applications of gun control

GUNS killed over 35,000 Americans in 2017. The issue of gun control has resumed its place in the national conversation after a man killed 17 people, including 14 students, at a high school in Parkland, Florida. GRAPHIC BY IVY BECKENHOLT | GRAPHICS EDITOR

Parker Klyn

Opinions Editor parker.klyn@drake.edu @parkerklyn The United States’ latest mass shooting – it’s horrible that so much violence can be phrased like that, but that’s reality – took place last Wednesday in Parkland, Florida, where a former student murdered 17 students and faculty before being apprehended by police.

The perpetrator, according to various police and anecdotal testimony, was mentally ill and developmentally disabled: he was reported to have depression, autism and ADHD. He had also been reported for threats of violence multiple times. The shooting has, yet again, raised questions regarding gun rights in America: How did items capable of inflicting such extensive death and destruction fall into the hands of someone like him? What can be done to stop mass shootings?

Do we truly deserve the right to own firearms?

Last October, after the horrible Las Vegas massacre, I outlined the basic immorality of owning a gun. The point of that editorial was to discuss why, even outside of the highly publicized mass shootings, I still believed guns to be terrifying and dystopian.

The gist of that article was an attempt to show how ridiculous it is that items that essentially function as instant death buttons are so widespread and rapidly manufactured. It was to show that the mere existence of guns, from the unreasonably high number

of suicides to children’s exposure and occasional use of guns, is a constant threat of disaster and tragedy.

That op-ed focused on principles; here, because I (and many of the incredibly brave survivors of the attack) am exhausted and fed up with gun violence, I will examine the tangible functions of gun control, and why limiting the existence and production of guns is the best, safest option moving forward. I will also attempt to engage with dissenting opinions and beliefs with good faith, because I do genuinely think that people who are staunch gun rights defenders generally are that way because it is truly the right thing to do; unfortunately, it’s clear to me that that’s not the case.

There is literally one pro-gun argument that I believe to have a sliver of legitimacy: protection.

In a vacuum, it would seem that owning a gun (while treating it with meticulous care and teaching your children and relatives gun safety) is an effective means of diffusing difficult situations, including self-protection and defense against home intruders.

Aside from the surprising rarity of burglary while the homeowner is home (only about 3 people per 1,000 citizens reported burglaries occurring while they’re home in 2016), the reality is that this “protection” defense falls apart in practice.

I have three examples to support this. The first occurred a few weeks ago; prominent Internet stars Gavin Free and Meg Turney experienced a break-in at their home from an armed assailant. This mentally ill man had become obsessed with Turney’s modeling, and according to police, entered the home with the intent of murdering Free or both. The pair hid in the closet, and the assailant left before he could inflict any harm. When police confronted him, gunfire was exchanged, and he died at the scene. Instead of confronting the assailant with a gun, the two hid, and the same result happened:

the man ended up dead.

Another example is that of Bryce Dejean-Jones, a former Iowa State basketball player.

After a late night argument with his girlfriend, Dejean-Jones returned to her apartment to visit his daughter. Unfortunately, he got off on the wrong floor of the complex and broke into the wrong apartment. The tenant retrieved a pistol and shot Dejean-Jones once, killing him.

If that owner didn’t have a gun, Dejean-Jones would still be alive; a simple mistake ended his life and traumatized many others, due to the existence of guns.

Finally, there is the example of Chris Kyle, a decorated military hero and the subject of the film “American Sniper”. Kyle was doing some volunteer work for other veterans who experienced PTSD, and he and a friend, Chad Littlefield, took Eddie Ray Routh with them to a shooting range.

Despite the extensive list of red flags or diffusal options, including Routh having PTSD and refusing to take his psychotic medication, Kyle being as well-trained on guns as anyone, Kyle being the one to provide the guns, and a text exchange between Kyle and Littlefield that included the words “watch my six,” Routh was able to kill the two men before they even realized what was happening.

If Kyle wasn’t able to protect himself, it’s difficult to imagine the average person being able to.

No, arming teachers is not the answer. Aside from the impracticality of buying guns and gun safety classes for the hundreds of thousands of teachers in the United States, the mere existence of dozens of guns in a school is a recipe for disaster. All it takes is one teacher leaving their lockbox unlocked for a student (who might not have access to a gun otherwise) to wreak havoc.

It can be debated, at least, whether gun control would limit the number of mass shootings (although, in my view, it clearly would). Something that doesn’t seem indisputable to me,

however, is whether gun control could reduce suicide. Again, I could bombard the reader with statistics (like how 60 percent of gun deaths are actually suicides), but the point of this op-ed is to show how things work in practice.

Again, in a vacuum, it’s easy to say “If someone is suicidal, they’ll do it no matter what”, but the difference between the mere moments it would take to grab a gun and end your life versus the active actions like tying a noose or going to another location to do it is undeniably meaningful. All it takes is a message from a loved one for plans to change.

In my opinion, gun control advocates should have a main goal and a backup plan. The first goal should not simply to be banning all guns (although that is the perfect scenario, in my eyes). No, the first goal should be a simple one: ban production of guns and ammunition.

I think people underrate how difficult it would be to build new guns, as well as the ammunition that they require, on the black market. Guns are incredibly complex multi-functional machines, and they’re useless without ammunition and a firing mechanism. In addition, if production of ammunition is stopped, that means that American-produced ammunition is now finite, meaning every time someone fires a gun, there is less and less.

Create buyback programs; they worked perfectly in Australia. I literally couldn’t care less about the finances of it. It has to be done. Give people an extensive grace period and don’t immediately criminalize it to prove that gun control is not an authoritarian removal of basic rights, but instead the actions of benevolent people.

The backup plan should be smothering gun commerce in so much regulation and rigmarole that it becomes inconvenient to even begin to purchase one. Treat them like cars; make the finances require approval, create even more exhaustive background

checks, require written and practical tests, and a nationwide registry. Even more extensive measures like a database on ammunition purchases and stockpiling could save lives and prevent mass shootings.

Look at how much people dread going to the DMV; imagine if guns were processed in a similar fashion. You’d be surprised the lengths people go to not be inconvenienced.

I’d like to get away from sweeping arguments about the general identity of shooters (because most of them don’t seem to stick). I saw countless people on both sides digging deep to find proof that the perpetrator was either a MAGA gun nut or an antifa anti-cop warrior. Neither really ended up being true. If there’s one thing, identity-wise, that should be looked at it’s that 98% of mass shooters are male, and the vast majority of gun crimes, deaths, and suicides are done by men. But I’m not a sociologist – I don’t know what that means as far as gun safety, so I’m sticking to what I know.

It’s easy to view the battle for gun control as impossible. The NRA is a filthy rich, seemingly insurmountable monolith with its hands in the pockets of countless legislators and lawmakers. It’s also easy to ignore the issue if it doesn’t directly affect you; “I exercise impeccable gun safety – why should I be punished for the actions of others?”

To that, I’d say this: when you die, if your heirs don’t have interest in guns, that gun will be re-possessed. All it takes is one messed-up person to get their hands on that gun in an auction and decide to do something unimaginable with it. Maybe unimaginable isn’t the right word, as we can’t go more than a couple months without another mass shooting. But I’m not content with that, and, if you’re reading this, chances are neither are you. So we must organize, and fight, and make sure we do what’s right to keep ourselves and our children safe.

06 | opinions

Feb. 21, 2018

OPINIONS FILM REVIEW

“Black Panther” is classic superhero cinema with an eye towards the future

Natalie Larimer

Contributing Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu

Marvel’s Black Panther had one of the most successful opening weekends, grossing $370,797,000 placing it fifteenth in highest grossing worldwide openings since 2002 and fifth in biggest opening weekends in the U.S. and Canada. The movie was anticipated to be a new beginning for the marvel franchise, becoming the first superhero movie to feature a primarily black cast and a black hero.

This movie lived up to expectations. It showed us the intersectionality of superhero movies and allowed us to take a look at cultural issues through a fictional (yet somehow realistic) viewpoint. The main antagonist, Erik Stevens, played by Michael B. Jordan, successfully portrays the downfall of modern political movements, while the main character, T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, shows us

the inactive portion of social movements.

The plot revolves around the African nation of Wakanda, which rests on a land rich in a substance called vibranium. Vibranium is a metal that came to Wakanda via a meteorite that absorbs sound waves and kinetic energy, making it stronger. Wakanda is seen as one of the poorest nations in the world, but the secret is that they are actually incredibly wealthy and technologically advanced, all thanks to vibranium.

The king of Wakanda becomes the Black Panther, a superhero that protects Wakanda from attacks either by other tribes or international forces. The Black Panther’s suit is made using vibranium, which makes it able to produce a rebound wave attack after absorbing other attacks.

They also claim that all vibranium is property of the Wakondan people, which is how they come into contact with America and their illegal use of vibranium.

What I liked about this movie was the representation of many different factions of black culture.

Erik Stevens, as I mentioned earlier, grew up in the inner cities of LA where his father was murdered by the king of Wakanda, his own brother. Erik then grew up to go into the military and showed extraordinary talent, killing hundreds of people and earning the nickname” Killmonger”. He then kills Klaue, one of the Americans trying to steal vibranium and a huge enemy to the Wakandan tribes,

and brings his body to Wakanda, fighting King T’Challa and taking over the throne.

Erik plans to use his authority to ship Wakandan weapons to oppressed people all over the world so they can conquer their oppressors, a plan that was nearly executed when T’Challa’s entourage, Nakia (played by Lupita Nyong’o), Shuri (played

by Letitia Wright), and Everett Ross (played by Martin Freeman) take down his operation and successfully fight off their own friends who were backing Erik’s rule.

Throughout this movie, it became increasingly apparent to me that this was a very westernized and white look at African nations and tribes. It seemed as if the only way for us Americans to understand anything about Africa is to make it look like they’re actually rich and “civilized” in the eyes of Americans. The movie was written by two black men, Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, but Black Panther itself was created

by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, two white men. I really appreciate how there is very little whiteness in this film, not only in the cast but also the crew, but I want to see a successful movie such as this that is wholly created by a minority group. I know that is nearly impossible with today’s societal outlook, but I hope things change soon. This is a huge first step, but it is only the first. I expect many more movies and other forms of pop culture to represent various minority groups.

“BLACK PANTHER,” starring Chadwick Boseman, was released to theaters last Thursday. PHOTO TAKEN FROM MARVEL STUDIOS

POLITICS

Examining a list of proposed solutions to school shootings

Natalie Larimer

Contributing Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu

It seems as if headlines about deadly school shootings have become a societal norm as of late, something that not only scares me, but horrifies me. The fact that kids under the age of 18 are targets of gun violence and we consider it normal is a stunning look at American culture.

I do not have to tell you about how sad I am about the recent Florida shooting. I am honestly still grieving over the Sandy Hook shooting, and that happened half a decade ago. Any time an

innocent citizen is killed by one of our own, it is a national tragedy.

We need to do something, anything that can help solve this problem, and I want to talk about some ways to do that.

Now, I am not here to preach the benefits of gun control. I do believe that stricter gun control and regulations will help this epidemic of school shootings, and shootings in general, but I understand that my opinion is shared by many of my peers and I am not going to convince anyone out of a different one.

The point of my article here is to show the other options that pro-gun citizens have come up with and talk about whether or not they are realistic and would help anyone.

CNN’s Nicole Saidi posted an article titled “10 Ways to Put Brakes on Mass Shootings in Schools” and I would like to discuss some of their ideas.

First off, of course, she listed “strengthen gun laws”. That is a given.

But what interested me was that her second idea was to “keep gun regulations the same or relax them”. Now, when I

think of gun control, I think of it as synonymous with gun regulations.

Her point here is that it is unrealistic to expect people to completely give up their guns, the whole argument of “if they are willing to break the law and shoot people, then they will be willing to break the law to get a gun”. Her distinction here is that strengthened gun regulations could lead to higher tensions, causing gun-owners to act out. I think that is highly unrealistic but whatever.

The third point is “arm the schools”, and wow, what a bad idea this is.

I do not understand the idea of arming teachers in order to protect the students. Teachers are not qualified to carry a weapon, especially because being a teacher means somebody is testing your patience every two seconds.

Arming the teachers would just allow them to snap and cause another mass shooting, just with a different person behind the trigger.

Saidi’s fourth idea is to improve school security, and honestly this is the one of the two

best ones she came up with. My high school had full time security guards, identification measures (including every student wearing their ID on a lanyard, something that we were definitely not happy about), and police officers who worked closely with the school.

The only thing that came close to threatening our school was that time a graduated senior came into the lunchroom dressed as a farmer with a pitchfork, and he was removed from the school immediately.

I am not going to go through every idea and debate it, but I will list them quickly. “Cut down on violence in the media” (I and many other people play war video games, and most of us have never had the urge to shoot up a school), “Improve mental health care” (Absolutely, this could work! Mental health is a huge problem in today’s youth and addressing these problems in schools can really make a difference), “Think about the families, not the shooter” (this point is about focusing on the families of the deceased rather than discussing the shooter), “Focus on parenting” (social and

other problems can be stemming from a rough home life, so this can help getting to the student at the source, rather than after they have committed a crime), “Bolster kids’ social skills” (I suppose this could work), and “watch out for one another” (encouraging community could help a lot with these “loner” kids).

This article was a nice way of summing up what I was thinking.

Saidi was able to get people’s opinions on either side of the argument for both points, which I found refreshing.

I hope that our education system gets fixed so we do not have problems like this in the future, and I want us all to contact our legislators and get them to push these principles and ideas to prevent future civilian deaths.

features | 07

Feb. 21, 2018

FEATURES SCIENCE NEWS

PR Career

L i f t s o f f for

Student

KATRINA SLETTEN, a physics, astronomy and public relations triple -major, is one of 35 students across the country chosen to engage in the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATRINA SLETTEN. Kasey Springsteen Contributing Writer kasey.springsteen@drake.edu

Drake student Katrina Sletten, known as Rena to her friends and colleagues, recently received the honor of being accepted into

the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program.

She, along with 35 other female students from across the country, received placement in an internship with a company that works in the STEM field.

Some of the companies that provide internships include SpaceX, Amazon, Vulcan and The

Museum of Flight.

Sletten is in her final semester at Drake and has triple-majored in physics, astronomy and public relations with a minor in mathematics. She said the faculty at Drake is incredibly helpful and especially inspiring.

Sletten said an incredibly influential person in her career

has been Herbert Schwartz, an astronomical observatory lecturer. Sletten worked under him as a student assistant, helping run public nights at the observatory.

“Rena is special because she has an intensity to learn and use that to help the public,” Schwartz said. “She reminds me of a student I used to teach who is now a world-class researcher with a number of discoveries attached to her name that have made headlines. Rena will do great things.”

When asked about especially inspiring professors, she thought of Jennifer Glover-Konfrst, a member of the public relations faculty, Dr. Athanasios Petridis, her advisor in physics, and Dr. Charles Nelsen, her astronomy advisor. “(Konfrst) really helped me tie all of my programs together,” Sletten said. “She helped me figure out a career path where I can tie my love of astronomy to working with others.”

When she arrived at Drake, Sletten did not have a public relations major, but she realized she wanted to do more than work in a lab her whole career.

Her public relations background may diversify her as a candidate when applying for internships and programs in the STEM fields. Before receiving the Brooke Owens Fellowship, she had an opportunity to do research for Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI), where she studied in the astronomy department.

She was also given the opportunity this past summer to work at the Science Center of Iowa as a science camp intern.

“That was truly a great experience because I got to make science accessible for kids,” Sletten said.

The Brooke Owens Fellowship Program is only her most recent success.

The program is incredibly competitive, only accepting 36 women from across the country.

Brooke Owens, the namesake of the honor was an accomplished professional in the aerospace field, having worked for branches of NASA and the White House during her career.

Owens also was committed to service, having supported organizations such as AidChild and Mercy’s Village International.

The fellowship was founded by three of Owens’ close friends to

aid women in the STEM field who represent Owens’ same spirit.

Sletten said the application process was long and complex.

There was initially an application combined with an essay and

“I want to inspire my love of science in others.

Astronomy has been my passion since kindergarten, and now I get to share that.”

Katrina Sletten Senior

creative portion, then there were a series of phone interviews with opportunities Sletten was interested in, as well as places the foundation thought she would fit.

Sletten interviewed with three different groups, eventually having been chosen to work at the Museum of Flight in Seattle where she will work in the Digital Learning Department.

The program also pairs current fellows with another female who is successful in the STEM field as well as a previous fellow, so Sletten will have lots of mentors and networking opportunities in her field.

Sletten said this is only a step into a future career where she hopes to work in some form of non-profit science.

“I want to inspire my love of science in others. Astronomy has been my passion since kindergarten, and now I get to share that,” Sletten said.

CAMPUS EVENTS

Comedian ironically markets Drake to prospective students Lórien MacEnulty Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu

“Woah! Come to Drake.”

Comedian Matt Stofsky threw up his hands in offense at the use of profanity in his own joke.

Profanity featured heavily in Stofsky’s Sunday night act; that and an attempt at selling Drake University to a crowd primarily comprised of prospective students.

“Well if this doesn’t make you want to come to Drake, I don’t know what will. This is the ultimate sales pitch,” Stofsky said.

Drake isn’t Stofsky’s first “sales pitch,” though.

The Brooklyn-based comedian has performed at multiple universities across the country, including Augustana College and Washington State, among others.

Accordingly, one might stumble across Stofsky’s work on CollegeHumor, with sketch pieces such as “How to Enjoy Scotch in your 20s” and “God Texts His Srsly Crzy Roommate Eve.” The Student Activities Board (SAB) spent around $2,000 to invite the comedian to campus, an expenditure that covered a hotel pass and Stofsky’s dinner.

SAB Entertainment co-chair Qaima Jafri said that she and her co-chair Jenny English spent

about a month organizing the event, including booking the act and signing the contract.

“Everything was smoothsailing,” Jafri said. “His managers were constantly working with us, bringing him to campus.”

Approximately 370 students showed up at in Parents Hall at 9:00 pm on Sunday night prepared for entertainment.

Some students had to bring in

chairs from elsewhere due to the magnitude of the crowd.

Stofsky’s routine included humorous commentary on British rappers, the Olympics, allusions to consent-based sex, drinking, Canada, intimidating Texan men and his hotel room.

“I’m staying at the Holiday Inn around the corner,” Stofsky said.

“They put me in the handicap room, I’m trying not to read into

it. I think they’re trying to tell me something.”

Laughter rumbled through the crowd, though not everyone was amused. First-year students Emily Munch and Shea Malloy walked out part-way through the performance.

“I thought that the comedian was offensive,” said Munch, a musical theatre major. “I get that a lot of humor is, stand-up

MATT STOFSKY performs his comedy routine late Sunday night in Parent’s Hall for a large crowd of prospective and current students. PHOTO BY LÓRIEN MACENULTY | FEATURES EDITOR

comedy is being rude to people.

But making fun of disabilities isn’t funny. His jokes were cheap shots. I didn’t want to stay there for it.”

A fan of Ali Wong and Ellen, Malloy said that comedians don’t necessarily need to be controversial to be funny.

“Honestly, I think Ellen is a great example,” Malloy said.

“I don’t think that she needs to down-talk anyone in order to be funny.”

In choosing among the many types of performance artists Drake has hosted—everything from hypnotists to magicians to singers—SAB decided that this time, prospective students needed a way to destress.

“All of these students are prospective students,” Jafri said.

“It’s already a hard time for them; coming to a college, touring it and learning about what it’s all about.

I feel like tonight would kind of be a destresser for them, to tell you that ‘yeah, college is kind of fun too. It’s fun, you have good days.’ He’s going to be out here, he’s going to make people laugh.”

features | 07

Feb. 21, 2018

FEATURES CAMPUS EVENTS

Drake is already tackling the difficult issue of mental health Ellie Detweiler Staff Writer ellie.detweiler@drake.edu

Thursday night, Ryan Nesbit, a volunteer for the Polk County Suicide Coalition and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), explained to the Drake community signs of suicide and how bystanders or friends can approach others.

Nesbit gave 44 presentations last year on the topic of suicide prevention.

This topic is extremely personal for Nesbit., from small town Iowa, was 15 when he found his high school best friend, Roger, after he had committed suicide.

“When you are at those low points, you’re really in a tunnel… good things might be happening but…it’s hard to get out of it,” Nesbit said in his speech to the Drake community. “You have to take this seriously…if there was one simple answer to stop someone dying by suicide, we would be doing it everywhere.”

Nesbit gave this speech with Dave Andrews, a volunteer for AFSP. Andrews, wearing a pin of his son Jake who committed suicide in 2014, joined AFSP to tell his and his son’s story.

“If I can save one person, it’s worth it to tell that painful story,” Andrews said of his son, who would’ve turned 30 this week.

Drake University dedicated Feb. 11-Feb. 15 as Self-Care Week across campus, hoping to raise awareness of suicide prevention and unhealthy student habits.

Leah Berte, the student support case management coordinator in the Student Disabilities Office, had the idea for a self-care day, but as student

VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PARTNERS (VIP), represented by Rachel Klusmeyer (left) and Maddie Shipley (right) had a stand at the self-care fair at Olmsted breezeway on Wednesday. VIP offers trained support across multiple platforms for individuals who need it. PHOTO BY ELLIE DETWEILER | STAFF WRITER senate and members of LEAD joined, they turned it into a week.

On Sunday, the Cowles Library Reading Room provided snacks and brought in Griff for students to learn information on meditation, mindfulness and stress management tips.

Jennifer Drew, a clinical social worker at Broadlawns Medical Center, spoke on Monday in Cowles Library about tips for breaking the cycle of stress. Drew sees many students become too involved in college and focusing not on what is manageable and healthy but what they think could be put on a resume.

“Learning more about authenticity, following your own compass…and (knowing) what your priorities are is the most important,” Drew said. “It

seems that at Drake, which is a super competitive school, there’s competition for everything, and a lot of people suffer for that.”

Puppy Jake Foundation, located in Urbandale, held its event on Tuesday in the Olmsted Breezeway to discuss its service dog training program for veterans.

There was a self-care fair Wednesday, including a massage therapist in Parents Hall and displays in the Olmsted Breezeway for wellness, counseling, music therapy and information from Violence Intervention Partner (VIP) and LEAD. Drake’s Counseling Center hosted “Confessions with a Counselor” on Thursday, providing 15-minute, confidential visits with counselors in the Drake

Room inside Olmsted, including counselor Diane Eischeid.

“I thought it was important for students to hear a personal account of someone who has been affected by suicide and all the efforts that…are made in Polk County to help others be more aware,” Eischeid said.

Lauren Kern, enrolled in the master’s program for mental health counseling at Drake, attended Nesbit’s speech and highlighted the societal pressure on achievement.

“Especially with social media, everyone just shows the highlights of their life and no one is showing the real, raw moments,” Kern said. “If we skip self-care, we keep working ourselves until we break down.”

AFSP raises money for their

foundation and support friends and family of suicide victims through Out of the Darkness Walks. Their student fundraising series Out of the Darkness Campus Walk is designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide.

Nesbit and Andrews encouraged students to attend Iowa State University for their Campus Walk at 1 p.m. on March 24 and said a donor has agreed to match up to $50,000.

To contact Drake’s Counseling Center for more information on self-care call 515-271-3864.

To contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800273-TALK, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more information.

ALUMNI NEWS

HEALTH

Acne doesn’t magically disappear in college Successful Drake alums give students advice on careers Katherine Bauer Managing Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu

The movies say it all. Teenagers are frequently portrayed with red, bumpy dots on their face, embarrassed by the acne plaguing them. However, once they reach college or adulthood, these bothersome bumps seem to go away. Real life doesn’t always go that way, and movies and social media seem to put a lot of pressure on having clear skin.

“Teenagers see photos of college-age people and their skin looks perfect and everything about them just looks ‘right,’” junior kinesiology major Mirand Strelecki said. “I believe social media has to do a lot with it.”

Strelecki said acne can lower someone’s self-esteem because they think it’s “abnormal” even though she says most people experience it at some point in their life.

“Going back to social media, people see pictures of individuals that look amazing, and they strive to look like them and when they cannot achieve the look, they start to feel down about themselves,” she said.

Acne can cause people to stress about their appearance, and it may seem like stress causes those pesky pimples and blackheads. But according to the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, there’s something else going on.

“Dirty skin and stress do not cause acne,” a fast-fact sheet on the institute’s website reports.

“Also, chocolate and greasy foods do not cause acne in most people.”

Liz Price, a registered nurse, has an explanation for why stress may seem to cause acne. “(College student’s) are under a lot more stress, which in turn affects their hormones, and then it reveals itself in break outs,” she said.

Hormones levels and changes in hormone levels are one of the main factors when it comes to acne.

“Teenagers need to understand everyone’s DNA is different, meaning everyone’s hormones are different, which can allow for different levels of acne,” Strelecki said.

In addition, some types of medication and greasy makeup may cause acne.

Being aware of the problems can help people alleviate acne.

“Look for signs that you’re stressed,” Price said. “Make sure you’re eating properly, exercising at least three times a week, drinking 64 ounces of water, and getting enough sleep.”

The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases said people with acne should wash their face gently in the morning, evening and after heaving workouts with a mild cleanser.

“Scrubbing the skin does not stop acne,” the fact sheet said.

“It can even make the problem

worse.”

It may be tempting to pop painful pimples, but the institute said this can cause dark spots and scars.

Beyond reducing stress and taking preventative measures, Strelecki said she’s found some ways to get rid of acne.

“There are also some great over the counter medicines you can use,” she said. “They just recently made a prescribed medicine weaker in order to sell it over the counter. Also, the soap Zest can work wonders for people.”

Should all else fail, Strelecki recommends seeing a dermatologist if possible.

“They are able to tell you your skin type and recommend what to use or prescribe a medicine,” Strelecki said. “If life does not allow someone to see the dermatologist, my biggest advice would be to know your skin pick a face wash/medicine best for it.”

Kolton Knapp contributed to the reporting of this story.

Jessie Spangler Editor-in-Chief jessica.spangler@drake.edu Nine members with ties to Drake have been chosen as part of the Des Moines Business Record Forty Under 40 honorees.

The nine with Drake affiliations include Ashley Aust, Leslie Behaunek, Charlie Bottenberg, Krystle Campa, Deidre DeJear, Kristin Hurd, Sid Juwarker, Will Signs and Joey Taylor-Moon.

The Business Record started the annual Forty Under 40 list in 2000. Past award winners choose the honorees every year, who “have demonstrated impressive career achievements and unparalleled community involvement,” according to the Business Record.

“I was thrilled, it was a big surprise to me,” DeJear said.

DeJear started at Drake in 2014, and was heavily involved on campus, including Coalition of Black Students and Student Senate.

“I interned at Bankers Trust.

And so Bankers Trust would often sponsor Forty under 40. So from almost the beginning I’ve been a part of those events,” DeJear said. “And you know it was kind of cool, being in the audience and celebrating everyone else. And so, now we’ll see what that experience looks like with actually being on stage.”

DeJear started a small business while at Drake called Caleo Enterprises. She is also currently running for Iowa Secretary of State.

“I’ve also done a great deal of work as it relates to voter engagement. So I volunteered as a campus organizer in 2008 for the Obama campaign,” DeJear said.

“And I worked for the Obama campaign in 2012. So one of my passions is voter engagement,

and ensuring that people know where to vote, how to vote, when to vote.”

Being chosen as one of the Forty Under 40 is motivating DeJear to keep going with her passions.

“I’m happy that the work that I’ve done was acknowledged, it’s definitely not enough, that work.

There is still work to be done,” DeJear said.

Ashley Aust attended Drake Law School from 2007 to 2010.

She’s the Associate General Counsel at Hubbell Realty, and believes that she was nominated due to her work at the company, as well as her community service.

Aust is on the Iowa Finance Board, and was the chair for March of Dimes last year.

“So my connection to Drake has helped me in my career because I stayed local,” Aust said.

Aust works with many Drake Law School graduates, and said that her connections to Drake law have been very important to her growth and career.

Aust tells students to “go above and beyond in everything that you do. Whether it’s schoolwork, or working in either an internship or a job during college. And then once you get that first job just going above and beyond because that really introduces you to a lot of people and opens doors that you might not know are available.”

“I think more so than anything, that I’m a huge fan of finding your purpose, finding out why you are on this earth and what you are here to do. And a lot of times that’s linked to finding that passion, that thing that makes you go,” DeJear said.

The honorees will have profiles in the Business Record on March 16, and recognized at an event on March 29.

features | 09

Feb. 21, 2018

FEATURES STUDENT LIFE

NATIONAL

Students respond to social media influence in mass shootings

PHOTO BY HALLIE O’NEILL | DIGITAL EDITOR

Phong Ly Staff Writer phong.ly@drake.edu

Humans of

This week: Eden Kreighbaum Hallie O’Neill Digital Editor hallie.oneill@drake.edu Junior Eden Kreighbaum is heavily involved in the Drake community, so you may be surprised to know that Drake wasn’t Kreighbaum’s first college destination.

During her first semester at the Colorado School of Mines, she felt like something was missing.

Although she was able to fully concentrate on her academic field of choice, she missed having a well-rounded curriculum that honed skills like reading and writing.

“I really liked math in high school, so I thought engineering would be a good idea,” Kreighbaum said. “But then I went to a school where only engineers went. It’s all math and applied science. It was just not my cup of tea. I wanted to go somewhere where I’d be surrounded by lots of different people.”

“I feel really strongly about educating young girls in math and technical fields...

Everyone should feel safe about what they want to like in school.”

Eden Kreighbaum Junior

So Kreighbaum transferred to Drake for the second half of her first year, and she wasted no time immersing herself.

She is a member of the professional fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, a member of the social sorority Alpha Phi—which she joined at her first school—played volleyball on a club team for two semesters and is president of the group I Am That Girl, a nonprofit group affiliated with a national organization that supports young women through honest

conversations. She kick-started the local chapter herself.

I Am That Girl was conceived after Kreighbaum picked up the organization’s book the summer after her first year of college.

Inspired, she applied to start her own chapter on Drake’s campus, and the group has been up and running for almost two years. The meetings are discussion-based, and Kreighbaum said they plan to touch on topics like the Me Too and Time’s Up movements and what it means to be a woman on Drake’s campus.

One of her greatest interests is her major: accounting.

“You can do so much with accounting,” Kreighbaum said.

“I really like problem solving and digging into things. Also, if we’re going to be honest, I really like making sure people follow the rules. That’s basically what an auditor does.”

Kreighbaum notes that as a woman, she feels she has a certain responsibility as she enters the professional world of accounting—in particular, as she shoots for her goal of becoming a partner, which is a maledominated position. She looks to strong female role models who have impacted her throughout her life.

“I feel really strongly about educating young girls in math and technical fields,” Kreighbaum said. “My grandma was an educator and she encouraged me all throughout grade school, because most girls stop liking math when they’re in middle school because it’s not cool . . . she said I’m not allowed to do that.

Everyone should feel safe about what they want to like in school.”

Kreighbaum is from Kansas City, Missouri—specifically the Prairie Village area—where she lives with her mom, dad, little sister and two Beagles named Ruby and Chance. In her free time, she enjoys running and listening to music. Her three favorite artists are Arcade Fire, the Avett Brothers and Ben Folds.

Kreighbaum feels very much at home here at Drake. Though her college path wasn’t always so straightforward, she is grateful to have ended up here.

“I know I’m going to be the person dressing their children in Drake gear,” Kreighbaum said. “I’ve always wanted to be a fan of my college growing up, because my family doesn’t really care about sports or colleges or anything. I love Drake. I’m obsessed with Drake.”

Social media are computermediated technologies that allows users to share information, ideas, connect with people from different places. These virtual interfaces can help bridge the physical gaps and allows people to express themselves and organizations and companies to communicate with their public in a much easier way. However, these technologies are becoming more than just tools for business and personal interactions. Social media can possibly be used to help predict and prevent crime.

Valentine’s day this year was a disheartening day for a lot of people in Parkland, Florida, as a school shooting happened in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Nikolas Cruz, the shooter, took away 17 lives as he rampaged through the local high school. This tragic event is one of 17 incidents that involve guns being fired at schools or colleges in 2018, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control.

About six months before the shooting took place, the FBI received not one but two tips about the shooter for his activities online. According to an article from the New York Times, the tipster, who called an FBI hotline on Jan. 5, told the bureau that he had a “desire to kill people, erratic behavior and disturbing social media post.” The second tip was emailed to the FBI by Ben Bennight, a Youtuber, on Sept.

25, 2017. Another user, under the name of Nikolas Cruz, left a comment on one of Bennight’s videos: “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.”

Another similar event happened in MarysvillePilchuck high school, Marysville, Washington in 2014. A student

at Marysville-Pilchuck high school started posting tweets suggesting he might inflict harm upon himself and others. On Sept. 20, 2014, the same student targeted the school, killed four other students and then took his own life, according to The Daily Dot. During the attack, a lot of students were directing fellow students how to stay safe in the school through Twitter.

In the wake of the recent shooting, questions have arisen over whether the bureau should have acted upon the tips and prevented the incident. These warnings about Cruz were supposed to be passed to the local FBI field office in Miami, but those protocols were not followed and no further actions were made upon the tips, according to an FBI statement.

Autumn Evins, a laws, politics and society major at Drake University, said she thinks social media posts can be a bit of an indicator for possible criminal activities.

“You can’t always think about what someone’s next action or move is going to be,” Evins said.

“But there are triggers and signs and indications that one can be aware of.”

Evins said when the things someone say online pose as immediate threats to other people, this person should be placed on a watch list.

“It is a tense time in our nation, most people’s threats aren’t as empty as they seem and things should not be taken so lightly,” Evins said.

The FBI is receiving blame for not following up on the tips. Rick Scott, Florida Gov., said the FBI’s failure to follow up on the tips was “unacceptable” and is calling for FBI Director Christopher A. Wray’s resignation.

When asked about whether the FBI should be taking the blow for the recent school shooting, Evins was torn.

“When you have tips from

people around them when they feel threatened or endangered, it should be priority and should be taken into consideration as something might happen, and something did happen,” Evins said. “But also, there are lot of other issues in the world that the FBI aren’t even aware of through monitoring, and this may not have been their top priority.”

Branden Bienz, an international relations major at Drake, said sources on social media can be unreliable sometimes.

“There is a lot of fake news on social media,” Bienz said. “And the thing is that you can remain anonymous on social media and so it might be hard to track down the person with the radical post.”

Brandon also commented on the fact that gun laws are really lacking a good database to stop certain people with rather “fanatical” posts from obtaining guns.

“There is no way there is a decent enough database where it could stop these people from getting access to guns,” Bienz said.

Sean Young, the executive director of the University of California- Institute for Prediction Technology, said in a New York Times article that data from technologies like social media and online search can be used to predict events, including crime. There are billions of publicly available data on social media that can be used to predict crimes, like school shootings.

However, people are still asking the ethical question, of whether is it appropriate to be following these public conversations, and base on that decide if a person could become a potential criminal. Young, although previously supported this application of social media, encourages society to continue studying these ethical questions as we implement innovation.

10 | sports

Feb. 21, 2017

SPORTS ALUMNI CATCH-UP

Reed Fischer now competing with world-class athletes Bailee Cofer Staff Writer bailee.cofer@drake.edu @baileeGOAT As Reed Fischer warmed up for the USATF Cross-Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, he had a feeling it was going to be a good day.

He felt confident and ready to run hard. The field of competition held some of the best distance runners in the nation, including Olympic and World Championship athletes Galen Rupp, Leonard Korir, Evan Jager, and Stanley Kebenei.

He had nothing to lose in a race like this. With a great run, Fischer could beat some of the greatest athletes in America, maybe even stick it to Rupp for a lap. If he blew up in the race, it wouldn’t matter – there was no expectation of a victory.

“I knew I’d run super confidently, even if it meant I had nothing left to give by 8k,” Fischer said. And he did.

At the 3k mark, Fischer was leading the race. They ran four loops of a course for a total of 10,000 meters.

Fischer eventually gave up the lead but stayed stride for stride with the lead pack through 7k.

Fischer crossed the finish line in 16th place. He was the youngest athlete in the top 30 and one of few without a major sponsor.

Fischer even finished ahead of this year’s winner of the U.S. marathon championships.

“To know that I can hang with guys of that caliber for that long in a race makes me very optimistic for the things to come,” Fischer said.

Fischer contributes much of his recent success to his time running for Drake University.

When he first arrived on campus in 2013, he was a runner

who never even qualified for a high school state race.

However, over his four years as a Bulldog, his hard work and determination earned him AllAmerican Honors on the track in the 10k.

Fischer knows from experience that with a good work ethic and some confidence, a good runner can become a great runner.

“As I toe the line with guys who’ve been to World Championships and Olympic Games, sometimes I think there’s no way I’ll get anywhere close to that level,” Fischer said. “But the cool thing with running is that I can. To be on that starting line is a reminder that I’ve made it this far. Who am I to say what can and can’t happen in the next four years?”

Fischer expresses this attitude by setting big goals for himself this upcoming outdoor season, one of which is to defend his Drake Relays 5k title.

He also hopes to qualify for the USA Outdoor Championships in the 10k, which are being held at Drake Stadium this summer.

“To have my season culminate in a 10k at USA’s on the Blue Oval, in front of a home crowd, would be amazing,” Fischer said.

While he is very focused on his professional running career, Fischer won’t soon forget collegiate experience at Drake.

He’s met many top NCAA athletes from universities all over the country through professional races. From meeting these people, he’s reminded how grateful he was for his time as a Bulldog.

“There’s a lot of schools you can go to in the NCAA if you want to be a good runner,” Fischer said.

“There are very few that will make you as good a person as Drake will. I have yet to meet a person who seems as whole-heartedly happy with their experience as those from Drake are.”

CONTINUED EXCELLENCE Fischer left a tremendous mark on Drake’s running programs. Above, Fischer celebrates after breaking the men’s school record for 5000 m run at the 2017 Drake Relays. PHOTO BY JOSH COOK | SPORTS EDITOR

Most Recent Drake Track & Field Records Set for Women Name

Most Recent Drake Track & Field Records Set for Men

Event

Performance

Name

Event

Performance

1. Emma Huston

Outdoor 5000 m run

16:06.55

1. Reed Fischer

Outdoor 5000 m run

13:48.32

2. Emma Huston

Outdoor 1500 m run

04:20.82

2. Reed Fischer

Indoor 3000 m run

08:04.98

3. Emma Huston

Outdoor 10000 m run

33:55.89

3. Reed Fischer

Indoor 5000 m run

13:55.27

4. Mary Young

Outdoor 100/110 m hurdles

13.28

4. Bas Van Leersum

Indoor 400 m run

47.53

5. Emma Huston

Indoor 5000 m run

16:17.30

5. Isaac Twombly

Indoor Weight Throw

20.91 m

6. Kayla Bell

Indoor Triple Jump

12.44 m

6. Isaac Twombly

Outdoor Hammer Throw

62.56 m

7. Kayla Bell

Outdoor Triple Jump

12.39 m

7. Kevin Harp

Outdoor Javelin Throw

65.25 m

8. Beth Hamling

Indoor 200 m run

24.86

8. Jon DeGrave

Outdoor 400 m hurdles

50.59

9. Nicole Braunsdorf Indoor Mile

4:48.91

9. Marcus Gaines

Indoor Long Jump

7.70 m

10. Johanna Sprang

3.58 m

10. Matt Sanderson

Outdoor Long Jump

7.73 m

Indoor Pole Vault

sports | 11

Feb. 21, 2017

SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Can you even remember seeing an MVC loss under Barancyzk?

BUILDING A DYNASTY Head Coach Jennie Barancyzk calls out a defensive scheme after Nicole Miller scores a basket. The women’s basketball team has absolutely plowed through the conference schedule with grace this year. PHOTO BY JOSH COOK | SPORTS EDITOR

Drake Women’s Recent Games Jan. 14

Evansville W 107-66

Jan. 19

Northern Iowa W 81-64

Jan. 26

Illinois State W 65-58

Josh Cook Sports Editor joshua.cook@drake.edu @jcook_25 The Drake women’s basketball team hasn’t lost a conference game since Feb. 19, 2016.

It has been now over two entire years since this last happened.

The Bulldogs have just outprepared and outplayed the entire conference for two whole seasons, and there seems to be no end in sight.

There were some questions going into this season if Barancyzk’s team could live up to last season after losing starplayer Lizzy Wendell.

Wendell has been credited with being a major catalyst for a program that turned itself around and hit its stride all while she was at school, so the questions made

sense.

However, this year’s team has proven those questions null and void.

Barancyzk has built a welloiled machine at Drake that looks to kick out conference titles year-after-year as though it was a production line -- and let’s hope that’s the case.

Going to last year’s games was awesome. To watch Lizzy and others dominate and play the way they did was incredible.

Naturally, having an AllAmerican on the team helps a lot, and it’s valid that some people had lingering questions going into this season.

This year has been the year of team play, through and through.

The ball is getting moved better than last year, by quite a bit.

Drake will look to get another tournament invite this year and

make up for last year’s early exit.

Without star-player ability in Wendell on the team, how will they fare?

All indications are well. They should be able to compete at a very high level and get a win, at the least.

For the longevity of the program, I think this year’s tournaments (both conference and NCAA) will be incredibly important.

If the Bulldogs can get a win or make a run, it could mean an increased spotlight to recruit through and the opportunity to bring big-time talent to our women’s basketball program.

Another early exit could mean a dip in production in the next few years if it looks like the team will perennially under-perform in the post-season.

However, there is one scenario that scares me. What if they do

win or make a deep run and subsequently big schools come calling?

Barancyzk has been very outspoken about liking coaching here, but is there a price?

If a Big 10 or Big 12 school comes calling with a ginourmous offer for her to build a legacy there, can we blame if to accept?

Only time will tell, but there is one thing the community can do to help our case: go to the games, especially home ones.

There has been no indication that anyone will waste money to come see a Drake women’s home game and see a loss.

There is the potential to develop the program into one of the all-time greats if it retains players, coaches and fans.

Jan. 28

Bradley W 84-75

Feb. 2

Southern Illinois W 84-73

MVC Women’s Standings 1. Drake

14-0

2. Missouri State

12-3

3. Northern Iowa

9-5

4. Southern Illinois

9-6

5. Indiana State

7-7

MVC Women’s Scoring Leaders Name (School)

MVC Women’s Assist Leaders

Points Per Game

Name (School)

Points Per Game

Feb. 4

Missouri State W 84-65

Feb. 9

Evansville W 101-50

6. Illinois State

Feb. 11

Indiana State W 84-51

Feb. 16

Northern Iowa W 72-67

7-8

7. Bradley 6-9

1. Liza Fruendt (Missouri State)

16.2

1. Sammie Bachrodt (Drake)

3.8

2. Dani Franlin (Valpo)

15.9

2. Kennedy Kirkpatrick (UNI)

3.8

3. Sara Rhine (Drake)

15.3

3. Kerri Gasper (Evansville)

3.6

4. Becca Hitner (Drake)

15.2

4. Nicole Konieczny (Valpo)

3.4

5. Simone Goods (Illinois State)

13.6

5. Maddy Dean (Drake)

3.4

6. Hannah Noe (Evansville)

13.3

6. Maddie Monahan (Drake)

3.1

7. Kerri Gaspe (Evansville)

13.0

7. Brenni Rose (Drake)

3.0

8. Hanna Green (Illinois State)

12.8

8. Brittney Partick (Southern Illinois)

3.0

8. Valparaiso

4-10

9. Loyola

4-10

9. Meredith Hamlet (Valpo)

12.6

9. Macie Lively (Evansville)

2.8

10. Evansville

0-14

10. Nicole Martin (Southern Illinois)

12.0

10. Saylor Paige (Illinois State)

2.8

12 | sports

Feb. 21, 2017

SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL

Drake wins on Valentine’s day behind Timmer’s career game

LIGHTS OUT Reed Timmer is shooting 43 percent from three on the season, which has him second in the MVC in scoring per game by an individual. He has also become the Drake all-time leading scorer throughout this season. PHOTO BY JD PELEGRINO | STAFF WRITER Maddie Topliff Staff Writer maddie.topliff@drake.edu @TopDog_30 The Drake University men’s basketball team achieved a smashing victory against the Indiana State Sycamores last week, winning all of the hearts in the Knapp Center on Valentine’s Day. Indiana State W 90-76 The Knapp Center lost a number of attendees due to Wednesday evening’s holiday, but the loyal Bulldog enthusiasts were given quite a show.

From the get-go, Drake took charge of the game with an impressive run at the beginning of the first half (21-8.)

However, Indiana State broke up the Bulldogs’ initial momentum and managed to finesse their way into a comfortable two-point deficit spot going into halftime, the score remaining barely in Drake’s favor

at 46-44.

The start of the second half was too back and forth for comfort, with Indiana State capturing an early lead.

Timmer grabbed back the lead for the Bulldogs soon after, however, with two money threepointers.

The Sycamores attempted to find their way back, but the Bulldogs went on a relentless hot streak in the latter part of the second half to put the game away.

The game ended in Drake’s favor at home 90-76.

This was the second matchup between the Bulldogs and the Sycamores this season, with Drake only winning by a slim three points the first time around: 75-72.

“Huge win, obviously,” Coach Medved said about the match-up.

“We were able to pull away late and hold them off.”

Reed Timmer, who just became the Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer, continued to etch his name in Drake’s history books Wednesday night by scoring a career-high 39 points.

Seven of those points came the free-throw line where he converted 100% of attempts.

Timmer’s previous career high was 32 points, a total he reached twice in his career before Wednesday night.

“After the first media timeout (of the second half), I kind of had that feeling,” Timmer said.

Timmer has been a consistent perimeter presence for the Bulldog’s offense this year.

In addition to shooting 43% from three this season, he’s stacked up 13 20-point performances this year.

When he is on and spreading the floor with his shooting, the Bulldogs can score with any team in the MVC. Missouri State: W 67-63 The grind carried into the weekend when the Bulldogs trekked to Missouri State to finish what they started Jan. 20, having beat the Bears 61-58 in a nailbiter.

Drake held the lead for almost the whole game, but Missouri

State was fired up and not ready to disappoint fans two weeks in a row, having lost to Southern Illinois on Valentine’s Day. The game came down to the wire, due-in-part to a Drake cold streak in a crucial stretch of the second half, allowing MSU to pull ahead late.

However, Drake’s Graham Woodward sunk a larger-thanlife three-pointer with less than 20 seconds left to instill some last-minute hope into the Bulldogs’ attack, and Reed Timmer embodied clutch with another three in the final two seconds, solidifying the win with the adjoining free throw.

The Bulldogs continue their road trip this week to face Illinois State before finishing the regular season at home against Valparaiso on Friday, Feb. 24.

Both games will be featured on 1350 AM, Des Moines’ ESPN affiliate.

The Missouri Valley Conference tournament will commence the week following in St. Louis.

Drake Men’s Recent Games Jan. 20

Missouri State W 61-58

Jan. 24

Loyola Chicago L 57-80

Jan. 27

Evansville L 73-77

Jan. 30

Southern Illinois L 67-78

Feb. 3

MVC Men’s Stats Scoring Leaders

MVC Men’s Stats Assist Leaders

MVC Standings Men’s Basketball

Bradley W 78-68

Feb. 7 Name (School)

Points Per Game

Name (School)

Assists Per Game

1. Loyola

13-3

1. Ryan Taylor (Evansville)

21.6

1. Milik Yarbrough (Illinois State)

4.7

2. Southern Illinois

11-5

2. Reed Timmer (Drake)

19.1

2. Dru Smith (Evansville)

4.7

3. Drake

10-6

3. Jordan Barnes (Indiana State)

17.3

3. Darrell Brown (Bradley)

4. Milik Yarbrough (Illinois State)

16.8

4. Clayton Custer (Loyola)

4.1

5. Alize Johnson (Missouri State)

15.5

5. Jordan Barnes (Indiana State)

3.7

6. Phil Fayne (Illinois State)

15.5

6. Marcus Bartley (Southern Illinois)

3.6

7. Brenton Scott (Indiana State)

15.4

7. Keyshawn Evans (Illinois State)

3.4

8. Keyshawn Evans (Illinois State)

15.2

8. C.J. Rivers (Drake)

9. Clayton Custer (Loyola)

14.7

10. Tevonn Walker (Valparaiso)

14.6

4.5

Loyola Chicago L 57-72

Feb. 10

Northern Iowa W 71-64

4. Illinois State

9-7

5. Bradley

8-8

6. Missouri State

7-9

Feb. 14

7. Evansville

6-10

Indiana State W 90-76

3.2

8. Indiana State

6-10

9. Bakari Evelyn (Valparaiso)

2.9

9. Valparaiso

5-11

10. K.J. Riley (Evansville)

2.8

10. Northern Iowa

5-11

Feb. 18

Missouri State W 67-63