March 30, 2022

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 141 | No. 20 | March 30, 2022 FEATURES

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

Drake theater students will perform in their first unmasked show since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

One writer gives his view of the most impactful moves of the National Football League offseason.

A writer lists great hammocking spots within 30 minutes of the Des Moines metro to visit this spring.

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timesdelphic.com

Meet the candidates for Student Body President and VPSL

Learn about the candidates for other positions in the March 31 election at timesdelphic.com

CONNOR OETZMANN is running for Student Body President. PHOTO COURTESY OF CONNOR OETZMANN

Mackenzie Swenson Staff Writer mackenzie.swenson@drake.edu

Junior Connor Oetzmann is running unopposed for Student Body President after one candidate dropped out and another decided to run for Vice President of Student Organizations.

As Student Body President, Oetzmann’s responsibilities would include acting as chair of the student senate and spokesperson of the student body. Additionally, the president selects cabinet members who sit on the President’s Council and, in coordination with the Vice President of Student Life, the senate ex-officio members. Student Body Presidents are also required to hold at least 13 office hours per week during which students can voice their concerns and comments.

Oetzmann’s platform centers on increasing the student senate’s transparency, representation and accountability. He plans to create a legislative form showing the voting records of each senator and increase

student senate attendance at and support of campus cultural organizations.

“I think there’s a lot of work that we have to do on campus in terms of supporting Black students as well as other students of color and marginalized communities, so making sure that those voices are heard around the table is really important to me,” Oetzmann said.

He also hopes to help the student body transition smoothly into the blended advising model that will be implemented next year and promote the concept of ‘Drake balance,’ in which students feel part of the Drake community but don’t overwhelm themselves.

Oetzmann previously served as a First Year Senator, then Health and Safety Senator. He currently serves as Vice President of Student Life. In addition to working closely with current President Morgan Coleman, Oetzmann’s VPSL duties include creating the Student Senate agendas and running the social media.

“I think there’s a lot of work that we have to do on campus in terms of supporting Black students as well as other students of color and marginalized communities...”

“I’ve been fortunate enough to not only gain this friend, Morgan Coleman, but also just having her influence,” Oetzmann said. “She’s always been someone that I’ve looked up to, so I feel like seeing her in her element and doing her work has really helped me prepare for the role.”

transparency and accessibility,” Egal said. “I think a lot of times, like firstyears and second-years especially, because we were like COVID kids, don’t really know what student senate is, where it’s happening, why they should be interested in student senate and the power student senate has.”

Egal also said she may create a plan for senators who miss three Elected Assembly meetings to receive a censure.

RUWAYDA EGAL is running for Vice President of Student Life. PHOTO COURTESY OF RUWAYDA EGAL

Andrew Kennard News Editor andrew.kennard@drake.edu

Second-year Ruwayda Egal is running unopposed for Vice President of Student Life after her competitor dropped out.

The VPSL is responsible for organizing all standing committees of the student senate and assisting senators and ex-officio members. Among other tasks, the VPSL is responsible for managing referendums from the student body, referring matters to the Elected Assembly for discussion and taking the president’s place if they leave office. The VPSL must hold at least 10 office hours each week.

Egal said she wants to grow relationships between student senators and between senators and students.

She wants to hold one-on-one meetings with senators at the beginning, middle and end of the year. She discussed the possibility of making a report of what’s happening in student senate available to students every month or two.

“And a third thing, I just want

“So I’ve been able to...really understand people’s working skills and understand that not everyone works like me. but [that] doesn’t mean you can’t have a great organization.”

“So maybe holding those more often and making them more of a requirement for student senators to go to,” Egal said.

“Because they are a requirement right now. But a lot of times student senators can’t go to them.”

Egal currently serves as Equity and Inclusion Senator and therefore the copresident of UNITY Roundtable. She said this has involved allocating funds to member organizations and fixing up the organizations’ houses. She was previously a Unity Representative for the African & Caribbean Student Association and a spirit co-chair for the Student Activities Board.

“So I’ve been able to... really understand people’s working skills and understand that not everyone works like me, but [that] doesn’t mean you can’t have a great organization,” Egal said.

Student senate denies Turning Point USA’s bid for full organization status Gannon Henry Student Senate Beat Writer gannon.henry@drake.edu

On Thursday, Turning Point USA’s application for Registered Student Organization (RSO) status was denied in a 17-2 vote

by Drake Student Senate.

The senate vote came after nearly one and a half hours of deliberation, with senators using a majority of the time to question the present Turning Point members.

Senators judge potential organizations on the criteria outlined in the Drake RSO handbook, including whether the organization aligns with the Drake mission statement, whether it poses a safety risk and more.

Many of the questions from senators centered around the Drake chapter’s relation to the national Turning Point organization, which has promoted false claims about COVID-19 vaccines and contributed funds to the rally that became the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, according to opensecrets.org.

“Even just scrolling through their website in the last week, you see articles posted on the national organization’s page discriminating against homeless people, citing antisemitic dog whistles like the ‘new world order,’ misgendering or disrespecting the identity of trans people, making racist statements about prominent black figures, and there have also been instances in the past of members of the national

organization making pretty blatant racist comments about black people,” said Madeleine Leigh, senator for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Multiple senators voiced similar concerns regarding how the organization’s presence could impact students’ sense of belonging, and Jared Poortinga, president of the Turning Point chapter at Drake, provided similar responses each time.

“A lot of people that post or have something to do with the national organization, they do not represent us as a chapter,” Poortinga said. “We do operate independently, and we do in our constitution lay out if there is anything that is appalling that somebody says, that is racist, anti-semetic, or that goes against anybody’s religious beliefs or views, we have a process to remove them from the group, and we are very serious about that.”

Although Poortinga attempted to distance the Drake chapter from the national organization, it was discovered after the senate meeting that a member of the audience was Jordyn Landau, a senior field representative for the national Turning Point USA organization. Landau has been actively involved with the Drake chapter since at least December of 2019, according to posts on the chapter’s Facebook page.

Later in the meeting, Vice President of Student Life Connor Oetzmann shifted the focus to the organization’s constitution, which states that members exhibiting

THE CHAPTER OF TURNING POINT USA AT DRAKE faced questions about remarks made by its president and its connection to the national organization. PHOTO BY GANNON HENRY | STAFF WRITER

discriminatory behavior will be subject to removal.

“Mr. Poortinga, you have a podcast, and in one of them referenced that people identifying as gay can simply ‘get over it,’ and ‘everyone has challenges they need to deal with,’ completely undermining the feelings and emotions of those who are or have struggled with their sexuality,” Oetzmann said. “I guess I’m seeing an inconsistency between the constitution and what you say, obviously because that doesn’t create a safe or comfortable space for anybody in the LGBTQ+ community.”

On his podcast, “The Jared Poortinga Show,” Poortinga has propagated false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, called Black Lives Matter “morally reprehensible” and said that Drake COVID-19 policies were about the administration

maintaining “power, control and money,” instead of safety.

“First, this chapter is independent from my own views and what I’ve done in the past according to my podcast,” Poortinga said. “Second, I will say that I have not made a podcast episode for a while. My podcast is no longer active, and a lot of the views and my own religious beliefs are specific to me and not to this chapter or organization, so they remain separate.”

Equity and Inclusion Senator Ruwayda Egal asked how Poortinga was allowed to remain a member of the organization despite their constitution calling for the removal of members making discriminatory statements.

Poortinga again stated that his views are “separate from the chapter,” but he did not denounce his past statements

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or clarify as to why they had not been addressed in accordance with the organization’s constitution.

Before the final vote, senators shared their thoughts on whether the Turning Point chapter should be granted full RSO status. Many cited the statements of the chapter’s leadership or the connection to the national organization as their reason for voting no.

“To the notion that we’re silencing political beliefs, I would push back and say this is not me silencing political beliefs,” Oetzmann said. “My vote is no because of the student body, but as well as I’ve not seen the actions of the leadership and members of this organization follow through with the commitments of this organization’s constitution, and until that happens, I can’t vote yes.”

02 | Features

Features

March 30, 2022

bulldog highlights: first-year paige jansen interns at the capitol Maia Songer Staff Writer maia.songer@drake.edu

Paige Jansen, a firstyear majoring in strategic political communications and multimedia journalism at Drake University, has taken her talents in photography and applied them to her internship at the Iowa State Capitol.

“Right now I am interning with the Iowa Senate Democrat Communications Team,” Jansen said. “So I am pretty much just taking a lot of photos for them, doing some video editing and helping with social media.”

Jansen said that last semester she had seen a post in the Drake Democrats group chat about a broad internship at the capitol.

When she did further research, she saw the opportunity for a communications internship.

Rusty Martin, communications director for the Senate Democratic Research Staff, said that he first met Jansen after receiving a recommendation from House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst.

“Paige was very energetic and ready to do anything,” Martin said. “If you’re talking to college freshmen or college students who want a job, they are ready to say ‘Yes, I can do anything. I am ready to do it,’ and Paige was right there with that sort of deal.”

Jansen has enjoyed her experience this semester and has learned a lot through her internship.

“Before coming in, I hadn’t really had such an interest in localized politics, but after being here and being so involved with all of it, it’s mind blowing to see

how much this stuff actually really matters to Iowa and to college students like me, “ Jansen said.

What Jansen most appreciates is that she gets to witness the interactions that occur between senators. Since she isn’t clerking for a specific senator, she gets to see the caucus as a whole and has the opportunity to see the process from different angles.

The most challenging part of Jansen’s experience has been making time around her busy schedule.

Nevertheless, Jansen is grateful for the opportunities that she has had so early in her professional career.

“I really liked capturing what politicians were doing because they’re everywhere and they affect everyone. Taking that and then doing this has really put into place that this is something I really like doing and want to do.”

When asked what motivates her to get out of bed to go intern in the mornings, she said, “Knowing how special it is to be on the senate floor, watching debate from ten feet away, and being involved with [the] caucus which only the senators and staff can do. I’m the only intern that’s in there, so even just when it gets long or boring, a lot of people don’t get to hear these sides of issues.”

FIRST-YEAR PAIGE JANSEN is putting her communications skills to use in her internship with the Iowa Senate Democrat Communications Team at the capitol. PHOTO COURTESY OF PAIGE JANSEN

This isn’t Jansen’s first professional experience with politics.

“In high school, I was the yearbook editor in chief and also did a lot of photography for our news team,” Jansen said.

“So during the Iowa caucuses last time, I got the chance to go out with the credentials and to go out to different democratic presidential candidates’ events.

I really liked capturing what politicians were doing because they’re everywhere and they affect everyone. Taking that and then doing this has really put into place that this is something I really like doing and wanna do.”

Jansen has taken a liking to politics and her passion for photography and managed to discover a career path that

aligns with both interests.

“I have always had a really strong interest in photojournalism, especially political photojournalism, so getting to do that firsthand, especially so early in college, has really helped me get a deeper understanding of communications,” Jansen said.

“Politics is something that I really like and I want to keep doing stuff like this internship in the future.”

Jansen said that she is looking forward to progressing in her college career and professional experiences.

She is eventually hoping to study in DC for a semester to apply her communications background and continue with photojournalism on a national level.

Jansen has shown promise and continues to do so as she exemplifies her expertise in her internship.

Martin said that Jansen’s greatest asset is that she shows up and is ready to roll with the punches. Martin compliments Jansen on her flexibility and professionalism.

“Any task that I’ve given her, she has worked on and focused on and made an effort,” Martin said.

Drake University prides itself on the pre-professional development that the University supplies for its students. This features series serves to highlight students at Drake who have explored pre-professional options and provide insight into what these experiences look like.

Drake theater prepares for unmasked show, ‘It Shoulda Been You’ Maddi Cave Staff Writer maddi.cave@drake.edu

The Drake University theater department will open its first unmasked show since before COVID this Thursday, March 31, with a musical titled “It Shoulda Been You.” “We are going to do the show unmasked, which is really exciting,” said Miclo Gonzalez, a sophomore who plays the character of Albert the wedding planner.

Gonzalez said that, although he thinks that masks have made Drake theater students stronger actors and performers, the entire cast is looking forward to a return to normal performing.

“We have been getting PCR tests at Olmsted every single day just to make sure we are staying safe at rehearsals,” Gonzalez said.

According to Gonzalez, he and many of the students acting in “It Shoulda Been You” are underclassmen who have never performed in a Drake show before.

One such student is Abby Rogers, a sophomore playing the musical’s lead female Rebecca.

“I am looking forward to finally being able to perform again for the first time in over two years,” Rogers said.

According to Rogers, the removal of masks and other COVID protocols has allowed the musical’s director, Adam Yankowy, to teach the students more extensive “character work.”

“I’ve been able to focus on my character in a way that I never have before,” Rogers said.

“I feel so refreshed and ready to

perform again after not being able to for so long.”

Gonzalez said his favorite part about studying character work has been building his character’s backstory.

“It lets you create this life for your character and relate them to yourself,” Gonzalez said.

The plot of “It Shoulda Been You” features the wedding of a Catholic groom and a Jewish bride, while following several other characters with strong personalities.

According to Griffin Snow, a first-year who plays the father of the groom, the characters in the musical explore many important topics including body positivity, familial relationships and self-love.

“There are a lot of funny moments in the show, but there are also a lot of impactful moments,” Snow said. “I’m happy to see how the audience reacts to them.”

Snow encouraged as many students to attend the show as possible.

“It’s a fun time, and you’ll get a chance to see a show that focuses on some very important topics,” he said.

Gonzalez shared a similar sentiment. He said he feels that everyone can relate to one of the themes explored by “It Shoulda Been You.” “This show is a lot about embracing the identities of ourselves that aren’t typically what we put on display,” he said. “Acceptance of yourself and knowing your worth, that’s a huge part of this show.”

Rogers said she thinks all who attend the musical are in for a hilarious story about acceptance, love, and family.

“Anyone who comes will surely be touched and

DRAKE THEATER will present their first unmasked show since the beginning of the pandemic, “It Shoulda Been You, “ March 31 at 7:30 p.m in the Fine Arts Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF MILES FRITZ

entertained,” she said.

The musical opens on Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Hall

in the Drake Fine Arts Center.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.

They will perform again at

7:30 p.m. on April 1 and 2, and finish the show on April 3 with a 2 p.m. performance.

03 | Sports

Sports

March 30, 2022

Grading the top moves from NFL free agency

THE RUSSELL WILSON trade to the Denver Broncos has made the AFC West one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL . PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Bryson Rea Staff Writer bryson.rea@drake.edu

As NFL teams continue to throw tens of millions of dollars more at average young stars, wasted money is becoming more of a commonality. Despite this, 2022’s free agency period has resulted in multiple historic contracts from both a contextual and monetary standpoint.

Sports analysts across the league are calling this years’ NFL free agency one of historic significance, with countless veterans and future Hall of Famers being shuffled from team to team.

The top moves of free agency include a wide variety of transactions, including everything from ditched retirements to unexpected trade deals. Given that, let’s take a look at the most impactful moves of this offseason, ranking and grading them in the process.

5. Jacksonville Empties Their Pockets (B-) The Jacksonville Jaguars went into free agency with nearly $40 million in cap space available for use, so it wasn’t a surprise that they broke the bank this offseason.

What did come as a surprise is who Jacksonville elected to break the bank on, dropping a $72 million, four-year contract at the feet of wide receiver

Christian Kirk, a receiver yet to break the thousand-yardseason barrier in his career.

Along with this, Jacksonville dropped a $24 million contract at the feet of Zay Jones, a wide receiver who hasn’t broken 652 yards in a season in his career.

While these two moves seem all well and good for supporting their second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the financial side of these moves seems illadvised.

In comparison, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to retain wide receiver Chris Godwin, the 11th best receiver from a statistical standpoint in 2021, for just $60 million over three seasons. Kirk did not break the top 25 ranking based on 2021 receptions and yards.

4. Aaron Rodgers Sticks With Packers (B) As it turns out, all Aaron Rodgers needed to convince him to stay in Green Bay was a hefty $150.8 million, three-year contract.

This development came after a season stacked to the brim with retirement and trade rumors circling the organization, as Rodgers had reportedly been unhappy with how the front office had handled putting together a Super Bowl roster for years.

Given this, it didn’t seem too outlandish to say that Rodgers might end up with a roster

equipped with all the necessary pieces to win a Superbowl outside of the quarterback position. The Denver Broncos was the most common name to pop up in these rumors, with then-quarterback Drew Lock struggling to prove his worth as a franchise quarterback.

This bodes well for Green Bay fans, but the recent losses of Davante Adams to the Raiders and Marquez-Valdes Scantling in free agency following Rodgers’ extension point in the opposite direction.

It’s clear that Rodgers desired a unique combination of a stardom paycheck coupled with a stardom supporting cast, and Green Bay only fulfilled one of those wishes.

Rodgers has now passed what will likely be his final opportunity to move to a different team in the NFL in the hopes of joining a better roster.

If Green Bay’s average-at-best offensive roster is unable to assist Rodgers in a Super Bowl victory, the age-old excuse of “not having enough weapons” will no longer be valid.

3. Tom Brady Unretires, Returns to Buccaneers (A-) Tom Brady spent just over a month in retirement before returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

His retirement came as a surprise to many, as Brady put up historical numbers in

completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns, proving that he had more than enough left in the tank to compete for an eighth Super Bowl.

With this un-retirement came a wave of crucial Buccaneers signings, with star players like running back Leonard Fournette, wide receiver Chris Godwin and offensive lineman Ryan Jenson all signing extensions after news broke of Brady’s return.

Along with this, the Buccaneers were able to sign Russel Gage Sr., a fifth-year wide receiver who will complement the likes of wide receiver Mike Evans, Godwin and Fournette in this upcoming season.

In short, it’s clear that the Buccaneers will transition to a rebuild period once Brady leaves. For as long as the alltime quarterback stays in Tampa Bay, they will be Super Bowl contenders.

2. Tyreek Hill Heads To Miami (A-) Tyreek Hill, often regarded as the fastest receiver in football, took his talents to the Miami Dolphins after contract talks with the Kansas City Chiefs hit a stalemate.

Third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now equipped with one of the fastest receiving cores seen in NFL history.

With second-year talent Jaylen Waddle working opposite of

Hill, Tagovailoa now has a perfect opportunity to excel within an offense built for the pass game.

This comes at a crucial time, as Tagovailoa had been under fire during the 2020 and 2021 seasons for failing to match his first-round talent expectations.

If Tagovailoa fails, the Dolphins will have to find a new quarterback before their roster moves elsewhere. If Tagovailoa succeeds under this revamped roster, the Dolphins may challenge the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots in AFC East dominance.

1. Russel Wilson Says Goodbye To Seattle, Heads To Denver (A+) Russell Wilson was traded to Denver by Seattle, a move that came after multiple years of trade speculation surrounding Wilson’s frustration with the Seahawks’ upper management.

The move sends Wilson to a roster poised to make a run for a Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Wilson, this also means joining arguably the most competitive division in the NFL joining the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers.

Winning the division will be as tough as it gets, but working with star receivers Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton and thirdstring receiver Tim Patrick should make the idea of a Super Bowl a bit more realistic than ever before.

Men’s tennis faces adversity trying to get an even record

THE DRAKE MEN’S TENNIS TEAM has an overall record of 7-9 and are on a two game win streak as of Wednesday, March 30. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Darinka Stepan Staff Writer darinka.stepan@drake.edu

Drake men’s tennis took on a couple of big schools while they were on their spring break. To start the trip, the Bulldogs took on Vanderbilt University on Sunday, March 13 in Nashville, Tenn.

The Bulldogs were able to win two of their doubles matches, doubles two with Matija Matic and Evan Fragistas won their set 6-3, and doubles three won their set 7-5. Drake men’s tennis also won two singles matches, redshirt sophomore Matija Matic won his match at singles two in a tough three set battle, 7-5,4-6,6-1.

Redshirt junior Evan Fragistas won his singles match at singles four in a third set as

well. Fragistas dropped a close first set 4-6, but continued to fight to win the second set 6-2 and the third 6-1.

Despite these successes the Bulldogs lost 3-4 to Vanderbilt.

The next week on Saturday, March 19 Drake picked up a 4-3 win against Samford University.

Drake men’s tennis went into the singles matches down 0-1 after losing the doubles point. Sophomore Jeremy Schifris won his singles match at number one singles.

Schifris had a close first set, but was able to win it 7-6. He was then able to win the second set 6-3.

Redshirt sophomore Oliver Johansson played in the singles three spot and got a win for the Bulldogs. Johansson won his first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 and then continued to fight to get

the second set 6-4.

“I’m happy with how the team competed today, we are going to use this win and continue to work towards getting some more wins this season” At singles four, Fragistas cruised through his match winning in straight sets, 6-2,63. First-year Olle Sonesson won his match at six singles.

Sonesson battled to get his first set in a tiebreaker and then quickly took the second set 6-2, allowing the Bulldogs to get the win.

“I’m happy with how the

team competed today, we are going to use this win and continue to work towards getting some more wins this season,” Matic said.

Drake men’s tennis then went on to play the University of Alabama the next day on Sunday, March 20.

The Bulldogs led in the team score 1-0 heading into the singles matches after getting a win at doubles two and three.

Fragistas had a close first set and was able to pull out a 7-5 win. Fragistas continued this success into the second set and was able to get a quick lead after breaking his opponent’s service game, and then proceeded to win the second set 6-1. This helped get a singles point for Drake.

“I had a close first set, but I was able to win some important

points to allow me to get a lead at 6-5 and then close out the set winning it 7-5,” Fragistas said.

“Heading into the second set I went up 3-0 which helped me have an easier second set.”

Redshirt sophomore Reid Jarvis got a singles win at singles five. Jarvis had a quick lead in the match getting the first set 6-2. The second set was a close battle between Jarvis and his opponent. Jarvis dropped the second set 5-7, but quickly got back to work to win the third set 6-3, allowing the team score to be 3-3.

The Bulldogs did not end up getting the fourth point to get the win and fell 3-4 to Alabama.

The men’s tennis team will next play Illinois State University on Friday, April 1 in Normal, Ill.

04 | Commentary

Commentary

March 30, 2022

Domestic violence? Five-yard penalty. Gambling? Suspension.

Bryson Rea Staff Writer bryson.rea@drake.edu

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley received an indefinite suspension from the NFL due to violating the league’s gambling policy, sparking discontent with how the NFL punishes various violations of their rules.

Ridley’s suspension came after it was revealed that the young receiver had placed various bets on Atlanta Falcons games in late November of 2021.

These bets were placed during a leave of absence on Ridley’s behalf, as he had been placed on the non-football illness list after playing just five games to focus on his mental wellbeing.

In response to these findings, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell notified Ridley of his indefinite suspension from the league lasting until at least the end of the 2022 season in a formal letter.

“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success -- and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league -- than upholding the integrity of the game,” wrote

Goodell.

An important takeaway from this suspension has nothing to do with Ridley, but instead has to do with how Roger Goodell and the NFL go about punishing their players.

Looking back at suspensions such as former NFL Defensive End Greg Hardy’s 2015 suspension for physical and emotional abuse towards his then ex-girlfriend that lasted just 10 games, the NFL’s priorities regarding player conduct come into question.

A more popular example comes from Ray Rice’s 2014 suspension, one that came after a video surfaced of Rice punching his wife in an Atlantic City hotel elevator. The NFL responded to the video by serving Rice a twogame suspension and a justover $500,000 fine. This came just two years after Rice signed a 35-million dollar, five-year contract with the Ravens.

In comparison, Tom Brady, a veteran NFL quarterback who formerly played with the New England Patriots, was suspended 4 games for allegedly deflating multiple footballs in a 45-7 playoff victory over the Colts. Along with this, the New

England Patriots were fined one million dollars for the scandal.

In 2015, the NFL began conducting air-pressure spot checks during the halfway point of games, collecting PSI data on several NFL matchups.

The football PSI data used in the initial accusations was consistent with the Ideal Gas Law, as was similarly found in multiple games in the 2015 data.

It was later revealed in the Mike Florio of Pro Football Talks’ book ‘Playmakers’ that NFL general counsel Jeff Pash had ordered that the data be deliberately scrapped, as it effectively proved New England and their star quarterback innocent.

While rules are rules and violations are violations, the NFL has repeatedly painted domestic violence as a lesser offense than instances such as underinflated footballs.

Whether or not the NFL deliberately punishes teams on this basis is anyone’s guess, but it certainly does not bode well for their credibility when it comes to the handling of player punishments.

DOMESTIC ABUSE IS A MERE PECCADILLO in the eyes of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Slap on the wrist, paddle to the derriere, put him back in coach, he’s ready to play, says John Fogerty. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Take the load off, Annie: spring hammocking spots Liv Klassen Assistant Photo Editor liv.klassen@drake.edu

I know it may not seem like it yet, but spring is just around the corner! Many of Drake students love to bask in the sun and warm weather swaddled up in hammocks, but if the hammock cage views are getting a little too familiar here’s a list of excellent hammocking places within 30 minutes of the Des Moines Metro: Gray’s Lake Park | 2101 Fleur Dr Gray’s Lake provides a nice little spot where urban meets outdoors, enjoy a nice view of Gray’s Lake and the beautiful architecture from almost any spot in the Park. This park is equipped with parking, restroom facilities, paved bike paths, and an open space for you and your friends to have a picnic.

Greenwood-Ashworth Park | 4500 Grand Ave Tucked between the Des Moines Art Center and the Raccoon River, GreenwoodAshworth Park offers 80 acres of lovely places to tie up your strings and take a nice break from Drake Busy. This park is equipped with restroom facilities, picnic tables, benches, tennis courts, a pond, enclosed and open shelters and a paved bike path.

Easter Lake Park | 2830 Easter Lake Dr One of Polk County’s hidden treasures, Easter lake Park spans 468 acres with a multitude of trails, waterfront activities, and trees to hammock from!

As a seasoned Hammocker, I recommend this park for the more adventurous hangers. My

ROCK ME GENTLY sings Andy Kim. Pitch a tent, lather yourself in Off! and find two non-Charlie Brown trees that can hold your weight. Think Lorax, not O’Hare. Hammocking is supposed to be cathartic; so put on some “Blue Danube,” ease into your cocoon and try to ignore the army of ticks marching up your legs to suck the life out of you. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

personal favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon is walking one of the documented trails and finding trees near the middle of the hike to relax.

This park is accompanied with a beach and swimming area (open in May to the public for free) restroom facilities, picnic areas, hiking trails and shelters.

Fort Des Moines Park | 7200 SE 5th St. Des Moines, IA 50315 This one is for the history buffs! An Old Cavalry Post now turned to a 153 acre county park, this park is breathtakingly

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 EMMA BRUSTKERN Editor-in-Chief emma.brustkern@drake.edu ANDREW KENNARD, News Editor GRACE ALTENHOFEN, Managing Editor andrew.kennard@drake.edu grace.altenhofen@drake.edu LIA REICHMANN, Sports Editor lia.reichmann@drake.edu

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

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

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

MAKAYLA CASTILLO, Business Manager makayla.castillo@drake.edu LAURA WEBER, Distributor laura.weber@drake.edu

CAT FARRELL, Media Manager cat.farrell@drake.edu ERIN DUENWALD, Copy Editor erin.duenwald@drake.edu

JEFF INMAN Faculty Advisor jeffrey.inman@drake.edu

simple. Its trails and paths are relatively easy and there’s a multitude of places for you and your hammock to enjoy being outside. Learn a little about Iowa history and relax in the sun. This park offers three different shelters, a playground (to satisfy your inner child), nature trails and geocaching.

Grandview Park | 3230 Easton Blvd, Des Moines, IA 50317 With a light forest, this little patch of heaven is perfect for an afternoon in the warm weather and sun. Plan to

bring a swimsuit because this park features a splash pad so you can cool off after hiking and hammocking all day. In addition to the splash pad, this park features restrooms, a drinking fountain, off street parking, sports courts, shelters and a nature trail.

Mindfulness when hammocking: It’s important to keep in mind your space and your effect on the earth as you hammock.

Make sure to do your research on what damage your straps could do to the trees you’re hanging

from. Inspect the area before you hammock, and if something seems off, find another area to hang. Remember to leave the area better than you found it, and to clean up after yourself before you leave. When you’re hammocking, make sure to check your equipment before jumping in, and only put your hammock at a comfortable height. Know where your closest emergency rooms are, and stay vigilant when outside and off campus.

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