THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University
Vol. 136 | No. 7 | Wed. Oct. 12, 2016 timesdelphic.com
FEATURES
OPINIONS Abi Grimminger has “a lot of stories to tell” after spending a semester abroad in Sevilla, Spain. The Spanish-speaker chose the location specifically to challenge herself. Read more on page 6.
SPORTS
A nonpartisan organization, the Healthiest State Initiative, is looking to reduce obesity and make Iowa the healthiest state in America. Students and faculty participated in a walk to create awareness of this initiative on campus . Read more on page 7.
Drake Football got back to .500 on the season with a 35‑21 win on over Valparaiso University, the Bulldogs’ first road win in nearly two years. Conley Wilkins led the Bulldogs offense by tying a career-high with 205 rushing yards. Read more on page 10.
CAMPUS EVENT
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Panel discusses movement, promotes understanding Drake Rhone Contributing Writer Drake.Rhone@drake.edu @bauerkatherine Over a hundred people crowded into Cowles Library’s reading room Thursday night to hear a diverse panel discuss whether or not Black Lives Matter is a hate group and other issues related to the movement. Professors William Garriott and Carol Spalding-Kruse mediated the panel titled “Black Lives Matter, Hate Group or Nah?” The event drew a crowd of a variety of diverse backgrounds to listen to four panelists, which included Brenda Vasquez (Latina), Joe Weinrich (a Trump supporter), Kevin Price (a black man with both liberal and conservative views) and Kayla Schween ( a devout Christian). The professors asked the panelists a series of questions written by the Coalition of Black Students (CBS). In the second part of the event, audience members stood up and asked questions themselves. Anthony Pawnell, the president of the CBS, hosted the panel with the help of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. “On Drake’s campus we talk a lot about diversity and inclusion,” Pawnell said. “We say it so much
that there are hardly ever any situations where we really truly embody that. I think the event was necessary to show what that looks like. I think when you take raw concepts like diversity and inclusion, it can sometimes be hard to find an intangible way to manifest that.” Staying true to his message, Pawnell reminded the audience and panel of his ideal for the event. “We are not here to have a shouting match, we are not here to have a debate,” said Pawnell at the start of the panel. “Our goal is understanding.” While the discussion never escalated to a shouting match, several of Weinrich’s conservative views were met with backlash from the crowd, who groaned and laughed at several of his answers to the questions. “When I wear a Trump hat,” Weinrich said. “I get looks, people call me names. I feel like a second-class citizen.” Later, Weinrich amended his statement. “The difference is that I can put my hat away,” Weinrich said. “I can hide, I can disappear, but there are a lot of people out there that can’t do that.” The panel discussed several topics, including the statements “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter,” popular retorts in response to Black Lives Matter activists.
“All Lives Matter negates what Black Lives Matter is doing,” Vasquez said. “I laughed when I saw Blue Lives Matter. I did. I thought it was funny.” Weinrich said that for him, the reason people are offended by “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” is for the same reason that the “Black Lives Matter” phrase started an international movement. “The statement creates a duality between the Black Lives Matter fight and who they are fighting against,” Weinrich said. “It’s obnoxious. It’s in your face.” The titular question of the event, whether or not Black Lives Matter is a hate group, received the same answer from all panelists: no. “I would classify Black Lives Matter as a love group, if I could,” Schween said. A couple of the panelists did acknowledge problems in the movement. “Do I think that Black Lives Matter always goes about protests the right way? No,” Price said. “But there are always certain people who have to ruin it for all of us.” The panelists spent time discussing the role of white “allies” in the Black Lives Matter movement, including here at Drake University, where almost 80 percent of students are white. “White people who are supporting Black Lives Matter
are using their privilege to do so,” Vasquez said. “As a woman, we’ve been talking about our issues for years. Black people have been talking about Black Lives Matter
for years, but they listen to the white man.” For a more in-depth look at this issue, CBS posted a full video of the panel on its Facebook page,
A PANEL agreed that the “Black Lives Matter” movement should not be considered to be a hate group, but still discussed differing views of the group. PHOTOS BY DRAKE RHONE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS
New Prevention coordinator already familiar with Drake Katherine Bauer News Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauer_katherine
After several months of applications, interviews and surveys, Drake University has chosen its new Prevention Coordinator for Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct. Tess Cody will step into her new role on Oct. 17. “I’m appreciative that it got fast tracked to this point,” search committee member Grace Rogers said. “We have a lot of new firstyears on campus. It’s really important to get this information in their heads.” Cody will be responsible
for many of the sexual assault prevention programs on campus. Students said that from their interviews with her, she has some goals and programs in mind, but wants to get to know Drake’s environment before pursuing them. “She’s well aware she’s not walking into a barren field,” said Russell White, a search committee member. “We are doing things.” The new coordinator will likely spend the first few weeks, if not months, getting to know campus, Mentors in Violence Prevention and meeting students and staff. However, Cody is no stranger to Drake’s campus. Most recently, she worked at Crisis Intervention Services and supervised VIP. “(Tess) is incredible because
she’s already worked a lot with people and students on campus and in other Des Moines schools,” White said. “She’s very used to working with students in regards to sexual assault and also prevention measures. So it was a very natural fit for her.” Cody has extensive training in the field of sexual and domestic violence. She worked at the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and organized many training and educational programs on sexual assault and domestic violence. “She talked about a lot of the programming that has worked at other colleges and ideas on how to bring that to Drake,” Rogers said. “She’s had success with that in other places, and I
think that track record is really encouraging.” The Luther College grad’s experience was a key determining factor in her hire, White said. “Whenever we’re dealing with things like sexual assault and interpersonal misconduct, you have to have some kind of familiarity with how to handle those situations,” White said. “It’s a very sensitive topic, and it’s not something that any random Joe can walk in and do. They need to have the knowledge; they need to have the passion. They need to have some kind of experience.” Beyond her professional and educational experience, students agreed Cody has the personality and demeanor for the job. “She has one of those
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personalities that when you sit down and talk with her, ” White said. “She’s very comfortable and she reaches out to you. She opens up a sense of vulnerability, which makes you feel comfortable to kind of open up as well.” Cody’s office will be located in the Student Inclusion, Involvement and Leadership suite in Olmsted Center. Due to the nature of her position, Cody will be a mandatory reporter, legally obligated to report any instances of abuse or suspected abuse she comes across. Students are reminded that there are confidential services at the counseling center and the health center. Members of VIP are also confidential advocates.