PHOTO BY MOHAMAD SUHAIMI
April 24, 2017 Page 6A More Drake students are getting help for mental illness. Counselors express concern the counseling center can’t always accommodate them.
Page 2B Relays is a time most students stay on campus, but one student is heading out of the state to avoid the chaos that ensues when Relays starts.
Page 4C Video games offer more than a stress release for some students. esports is a reborn gaming club at Drake, meant for the more competitive Bulldog gamers.
Page 6D After starting for four years in the goalie box for Drake Men’s Soccer, Darrin MacLeod is now a professional keeper in the United Soccer League.
Page 2E Student Body President Thalia Anguiano shares her story of uncertainty, community and leadership throughout her time at Drake.
CAMPUS SAFETY
Human trafficking not a reality at Relays
No shown increase in human rights violation despite increased traffic
Drake Rhone Staff Writer drake.rhone@drake.edu @drakerhone
Google searching “Drake Relays, Human Trafficking” can unearth articles by new agencies that seem to continue the misconception that the Drake Relays brings sexual traffickers to Drake. The amount of people who swarm Drake University’s campus and Des Moines during Relays weekend can complicate normal activities on campus, but
Drake Public Safety (DPS) said that it has seen no evidence of human trafficking throughout the weekend. “I’ve reached out to the Des Moines Police Department, and actually I’ve even reached out to people I know who work for the Secret Service in the area,” said Scott Law, director of Public Safety at Drake University. “We are not aware of any increase or any sex trafficking around the Relays.” In the past, Teresa DowningMatibag, former executive director of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking,
said she believed there could be trafficking around the Relays but declined to comment on the current state of trafficking in Des Moines since moving to California. In a 2015 Times-Delphic article, she previously expressed concerns the Relays brought more activity to strip clubs and escort services around Des Moines. A representative from The Lumberyard, a strip club in Des Moines, said that they see an increase in business during the Relays. An employee of Minx Show Palace, another Des
Moines strip club, said that they always see more business when there are special events in Des Moines, such as the games and concerts at Wells Fargo Arena or the Drake Relays. Neither business said that they knew of any sexual trafficking in the area. While he isn’t aware of any sexual trafficking during the Drake Relays, Law said that they encourage anyone with information of such activities to contact DPS at 515-271-2222 or drake.edu/publicsafety/ contactpublicsafety. Whether the Drake Relays
brings traffickers to the area or not, the vast amount of people and events during the week can foster an environment that is less safe than an average day on campus. Law said that DPS has several practices to ensure the safety of students during the week. “During the Relays we switch to 12-hour shifts, so basically we split our staff into two groups of 12-hour shifts and we cover the whole day,” Law said. “We maximize the number of people we have here.”
SCIENCE NEWS
Students research solution for space travel to Mars Katherine Bauer News Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauer_katherine
NASA is making plans to send the first human to Mars in the 2030s, according to a January press release. At Drake, a group of physics majors hopes to solve a major hurdle to help interplanetary space travel. “One of the biggest, if not the biggest problem, of interplanetary travel is radiation that is coming from the sun,” said Dr. Athanasios Petridis, an associate professor of physics at Drake. “There have been many ideas of how to reduce the radiation, but they are all costly. So we are trying to come up with our own.”
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Petridis approached students in the physics department last fall to see if they would be interested in leading a project to design a shield to solve the radiation problem. “It’s a good opportunity, because the students like that kind of project,” Petridis said. “It’s related to space. Everybody likes space. Everybody’s excited about the trip to Mars.” This spring, more than a dozen physics major came together in a group called MISSFIT, or Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel. “It’s a little overwhelming because there’s a lot to think about,” Katie Huber, a junior in MISSFIT, said. “The student-led part is pretty unique … None of us are professional researchers. That is a challenge, and it’s going
to continue to be a challenge. I like that we’re all kind of going through it together and learning a lot.” NASA reports that radiation can cause vomiting, cataracts and damage to the central nervous system. Radiation can increase the risk of cancer and cause death. To tackle the problem, students in MISSFIT have divided into teams to research different aspects of the project. Some are researching materials, like aluminum and Demron, that could deflect and absorb radiation. Others are analyzing different ionized gases. The ionization part of the group’s name comes from those ionized gases. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
A MISSFIT participant drew a concept design of how the space shield could potentially look and work. COURTESY OF KATIE HUBERS
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April 24, 2017
CAMPUS SAFETY
Sexual assault reporting increase at Drake Dean of Students: increase not sign of increase in assault Elise Bauernfeind Contributing Writer elise.bauernfeind@drake.edu @elisej29
Title IX Coordinator Kathryn Overberg said that when someone experiences a traumatic event such as a sexual assault, it can be scary to talk to someone else about it, let alone file an official report. The survivor needs to process it on their own time, which is why Drake University might not know about a sexual assault until some time after it occurs. “People need to process (the experience) and come to their own decisions about if or when they want to report,” Overberg said. Dean of Students Jerry Parker said that he’s seen an increase in the number of sexual assaults reported in his three years at Drake, but that doesn’t mean there’s been more assaults happening. “There’s no statute of limitations regarding sexual assault when it comes under Title IX,” Parker said. Overberg said survivors are often unsure of what steps to take after an assault. “The first step would be going
Title IX Timeline
to (Drake’s Title IX website) at drake.edu/titleIX,” Overberg said. “You can find a lot of information of how to report it to me or the police and, more importantly, finding confidential help.” Drake’s Title IX website also lists other resources that
are available for help, including Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a student organization that educates groups on campus about preventing sexual assault and intervening as a bystander. Violence Intervention Partner (VIP), another student-run organization, has a 24-hour confidential hotline to help students who have experienced
an assault. Mary Traxler is a student volunteer with VIP and said the hotline is VIP’s biggest project, but they also put on educational events throughout the year. Trained volunteers rotate shifts on the line. The hotline mainly serves as a safe, confidential place survivors can talk through their experiences, even if they don’t want to file a report. Traxler said that, when someone experiences an assault, asking for help can be a challenge. “Reaching out is super scary, especially if you’re not sure what the reaction will be,” Traxler said. “VIP is an excellent place to start because we’re not here to get you involved in processes you might not want (to be involved in).” Traxler said that students can text the hotline if they feel uncomfortable talking. They can also go to a confidential meeting held in Mondays between 1 and 3 p.m. in Cowles Library. “There are a lot of ways to reach out, and hopefully that makes it easier since people can choose whatever way they’re most comfortable with,” Traxler said. After talking to VIP, if a student does wish to file an
official report, the volunteer then refers the student to Overberg or Parker, who takes over from there. Both VIP and Drake’s Title IX office host educational events to help prevent sexual assault and provide bystander intervention training so, if someone witnesses an assault, they can learn how to safely intervene. This year, Drake’s Title IX office is partnering with Polk County to put on a training session called “Raise the Bar,” which teaches local bars, mainly near college campuses, how to prevent sexual assault and intervene if they see something. Parker said one of his biggest hopes is that students trust Drake’s process. “I want people to feel comfortable coming forward,” Parker said. “My hope is that no one is hesitant to come forward and file a complaint because they don’t trust us.” Sometimes students choose not to report an assault because they are underage and were drinking when the assault occurred. Parker said he wants students to know that the assault is his top priority. “If I find out that there was alcohol involved, or narcotics … my focus is on the complaint of
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Currently
The investigation began.
Investigators on campus.
I want people to feel comfortable coming forward. My hope is that no one is hesitant to come forward and file a complaint because they don’t trust us. Jerry Parker Dean of Students
Drake is waiting to hear back from office of civil rights through department of education.
Reaching out is super scary, especially if you’re not sure what the reaction will be. There are a lot of ways to reach out, and hopefully that makes it easier since people can choose whatever way they’re most comfortable with Mary Traxler VIP
sexual assault or interpersonal misconduct, not on sending out an alcohol violation,” Parker said. Parker said that this applies to both the victim and witnesses. “Of course we don’t condone underage drinking,” Parker said. “But when it’s a case of potential sexual assault or stalking or anything like that, that’s where the priority needs to be. We want all people involved to openly share what they know or observed.”
Drake has provided everything to be evaluated for compliance with Title IX.
ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS
Committee brings together organizations to combat sexual, interpersonal misconduct Drake Rhone Staff Writer drake.rhone@drake.edu @drakerhone
For any student who went to Blitz Day, the kick-off of Drake Relays activities on April 12, there was a moment that was a bit different than the rest. Between the confetti and cookies revealing the Relays band and theme, a video was previewed that provides information about the “Define the Line, Respect the Line” campaign. “The campaign is pretty simple; it’s how we define that line of consent and when it’s okay, and how we as community respect that line that, as a community, we make,” said Russell White, the 2016-17 health and safety student senator. The video features people involved in Student Life, Student Senate and President Martin. “This video is just going to sort of be our jump-start,” White said. “One of the things we’re doing is revitalizing and having a more active push with that campaign. It’s part of our efforts to address the underlying culture of violence and making sure that we create a culture of awareness and respect and consent on campus.” The video was produced by the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Student Advisory Committee, which was formed in fall of 2016. It brought together five Drake University faculty members and 10 students. This
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group has completed several projects, alongside this video, aimed at battling sexual and interpersonal misconduct in their first two meetings. “The purpose is really just to keep groups up to date on what the others’ needs are and what we’re doing,” said Kathryn Overberg, the committee’s chair and Drake’s Title IX Coordinator. “We’re trying to keep the students updated on events, policies and procedures. Each meeting, we try to do some sort of learning so that they learn about what my office does or what another office on campus does and we try to use at least some time during the meeting to get feedback.” Overberg said that, in a typical meeting, the group will start by recapping any activities that have been going on. “If there were events that students or staff were hosting, if there are upcoming events, we’ll talk about those and how maybe we can cross promote those within our different organizations,” Overberg said. Next, Overberg or Tess Cody, Drake’s violence prevention coordinator, will update the group on what they’ve been working on. “We like to have a portion of the meeting dedicated to open engagement,” Overberg said. “The first semester, it would have been the web pages. The second semester we talked a lot about reporting and where reports go and what that looks like. We want to make sure that they have a
voice because that’s the purpose of the committee, that they have a voice and we hear them.” The web page conversation of the first semester was dedicated to getting the committee’s opinion on new Title IX and violence prevention websites. “We’re mostly trying to see ways that we can tailor and make the web page more accessible and more user-friendly for students, in regard to Title IX information as well as just general policy information on how Drake handles sexual assault,” White said. “When it came to that kind of stuff, Katie Overberg, Tess Cody and (Student Senator) Grace Rogers put in more input, but some of that discussion had passed already because myself and some of the others had helped the counseling center with their web page.” White said that his experience helped him make suggestions that would improve the framework of the page rather than its content. “I added a few more technical ideas … and (made) sure the Title IX page coordinates well with Tess’s page, so that there isn’t too much confusion,” White said. Rogers said that she felt the group’s feedback on the websites was valuable. “I like the website because we’ve already been able to see how it works,” Rogers said. “A lot of times, I get people who come up and ask me where they can find information and it’s easy to tell them drake.edu/titleix. Katie put together some one page resource guides last year;
that’s another great thing on the website. I think the website is my favorite thing that’s come from the committee.” Overberg said the website was updated with the committee’s suggestions in mind. She made sure to bring up the changes to the meeting in February so that the committee members could see the product.
We’re trying to keep the students updated on events, policies and procedures ... We try to use at least some time during the meeting to get feedback.” Katie Overberg Title IX Coordinator
With only two meetings under its belt and another coming up in May, the committee meets less often than many other organizations. Rogers said that the frequency of meetings works well for the committee’s purpose. “This committee has a lot of different people from different organizations and walks of life, so it can be kind of hard to try to meet more often than that,” Rogers said. “I feel like two to three times a semester is a good number, it gives us some time to develop concrete strategies,
but it also keeps it wide enough that we actually get to do stuff in between our meetings. It’s not like some organizations where you meet every week and you’re like ‘Well, I didn’t really do anything last week because I had no time, because it was midterms week’ or whatever. It rides that balance quite nicely.” Rogers, White and Overberg all said that they believed the committee was a success. Overberg said that it will be continuing with a combination of returning and new members in the next semester. Rogers said that she believes committees such as this one are important to improving and preserving the university’s policies on sexual and interpersonal misconduct. “I think that it’s fair to say that Drake is better than most schools in the region and a lot of schools in the country on sexual assault,” Rogers said. “Does that mean that we’re perfect? No, but having committees like this is the key to getting to that level of success that we want to see. “So, bringing people together from residence life, from Greek life, from Student Senate, from just generally campus is really important. We all have different perspectives on the issue.”
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April 24, 2017
Page 3A
CAMPUS SAFETY
Campus sees uptick in ‘hateful acts’
Lórien MacEnulty Staff Writer lorien.macenulty@drake.edu
Drake University administrators have addressed no less than three incidents of hateful actions on campus this academic year. In November, two Latina students found their dorm plastered with anti-women and anti-Hispanic rhetoric weeks before the presidential election. A Jewish student discovered an anti-Semitic slur carved on a chair in Meredith Hall in February. Most recently, someone removed, tore or covered up Pride Week posters, aimed at building awareness for Drake’s LGBT population. The Office of Student Life responded to each act. Director of Student Engagement, Equity and Inclusion Tony Tyler listed the procedure the office followed.
“One of the first things we do (is) we check on the person’s safety and their own welfare and wellness right now,” Tyler said. “If it’s any sort of unsafe situation or threatening situation, we make sure Drake Public Safety is available to support that.” Drake Public Safety (DPS) said its average response time to non-service calls is less than two minutes and 40 seconds. Even in situations where somebody isn’t immediately in danger, such as the three cases this year, Director of Public Safety at Drake Scott Law is still notified. “If the discriminatory act happens against a particular individual, then we’re going to work with that individual for a safety plan with them,” Law said. Immediately after checking on the victim’s physical wellbeing, their emotional status is looked after. Professional counselors are made available if the individual needs to talk. As the situation demands,
PRIDE WEEK posters were torn, taken down and covered by someone in Olmsted in March. PHOTO COURTESY OF RAINBOW UNION
Drake has access to the Des Moines mobile crisis unit. The service, provided by the grassroots group National Alliance on Mental Illness, has counselors at almost all times of the day. Informal discussions may be held with a residential assistant (RA) and even with Tyler, who is usually one of the first responders to an incident. “Do they need follow-up right there? Do they need to speak to someone? If it was something violent, do they need to get to the hospital?” Tyler said. “If they observed some vandalism, how are they right now? First is physical safety, but then emotional safety and psychological wellness in that moment.” Even if a singular action is over, the residual effects can extend far into the future. In response, DPS can investigate and gather information on an incident. An administrator may send out a campus-wide email notifying the school of a discriminatory act. In what Tyler called “ripples” of effect, the targeted community and then the student body are sequentially affected by a discriminatory action. As a result, the Office of Student Engagement, Equity and Inclusion initiates contact and works with the leadership of affected groups. “For example, for the recent anti-Semitic vandalism that occurred on campus, we reached out to Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus, and worked with them to make sure their students were supported and were getting as clear of information as we could give,” Tyler said. Organization leaders also work with DPS to coordinate further security at events. “We are not the police, but we are a security presence (so groups) feel like they can have
LATINA STUDENTS discovered their dorm door covered with antiwoman and anti-Hispanic signs. PHOTO COURTESY OF KENIA CALDERON
their event,” Law said. “We will then do a drive by of their location or sit in a car nearby so that they know they can be safe having their event, walking back to the campus, or walking from that event on campus back to the other area, and not necessarily feel like they have to worry about who did this hate crime.” Privacy of the victimized individual or group is respected upon request. However, the Clery Act, passed in 1990, mandates that each university file and make public crimes that occur on campus. Given the Clery statistics
assembled in Drake’s 2016 Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report, hateful acts are on the rise on campus. The calendar year of 2015 saw no hateful incidents reported, and 2014 saw only one. 2016 had one, and 2017 has at least two thus far. The four students responsible for the November instances came forward and were immediately suspended from the residence halls. Public safety has not indicated whether the person who vandalized the Meredith desk was found, and same with the Pride Week posters.
ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS
Parker makes move to permanent dean of students Katherine Bauer News Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauer_katherine
Drake University’s new dean of students will step into his new position on May 1. However, his
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name is already familiar around campus. Jerry Parker was appointed dean of students in April, but has been serving as the interim dean of students since Sentwali Bakari left in the fall of 2016. He was also the acting dean of
students during Bakari’s leave for Semester at Sea during Spring 2016. Parker arrived on Drake’s campus in December 2014 as the associate dean of students. He earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M with a B.A. and M.A. in political science from Texas State. Parker said he wanted to make the change to permanent dean because of the areas for growth he’s seen on Drake’s campus. “You have to make sure you see that there are opportunities for our division to grow, and that you have the support of senior leadership to bring forward new initiatives and to really provide a holistic environment for our students,” Parker said. “I saw that here at Drake.” As dean of students, Parker works as the focal point for several divisions and individuals at Drake. That includes student counseling, student health, residence life, student disabilities services, student inclusion and working as the prevention coordinator for sexual and interpersonal misconduct. “(The dean of students is) an individual on campus that wants to make sure that the environment here allows students to thrive academically, personally and professionally,” Parker said. “We want students to have a phenomenal cocurricular experience.”
Developing civic professionals While there are many areas he will focus on once he fully steps into the position, Parker is looking forward to one in particular. He explained that after each presidential election cycle, “different waves of opportunities, concerns and angst” arise. He said he’s hoping to bridge differences of opinion through education and conversation. “One initiative that we are going to be pushing from our area is this whole aspect of being a civic professional,” Parker said. “As a liberal arts institution with professional degrees, we want to make sure students clearly think critically, but that they’re able to communicate across difference.” He said that programs, such as the Dialogue at Drake held earlier in April, are one way to help students learn to facilitate productive conversations with those who share different viewpoints. However, he said that actually having those discussions comes down to students and their decisions. “Each student has control over themselves,” Parker said. “We present opportunities, whether it be through programs, forums, academic courses, community partnerships. But really it comes down to each of us saying, ‘How can we be more open-minded and learn about something we don’t know a lot about?’”
Throughout the academic year, various instances of vandalism and “intimidation” have occurred on campus as a result of differences of opinions. “It is always our hope that we can learn who is involved in those (incidents) so we can address the matter,” Parker said. “We are an educational institution. Sometimes that means that this isn’t the right institution for that individual.” LGBT Inclusion Another group on campus was targeted in late March, prompting another email from the provost. Someone or somebodies had torn and covered up posters hanging on campus to advertise for Pride Week, hosted by the LGBT student organization, Rainbow Union. Mattison deemed it an “act of hatred.” Despite this episode, Parker said he was proud of the strides Drake has taken in increasing accommodation for members of the LGBT community. “You’re talking about a historically marginalized group having the ability to participate and feel as though they are a part of the majority culture,” Parker said. “But yet that marginalized culture is there to help shape the culture moving forward for all of us.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
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April 24, 2017
CAMPUS NEWS
Move-in dates set for STEM buildings
THE STEM BUILDINGS are expected to be finished this summer. Collier-Scripps Hall has taken shape since August. FILE PHOTO (RIGHT) PHOTO BY ALEXIS CRUZ | PHOTOGRAPHER (LEFT) Drew Finney Contributing Writer drew.finney@drake.edu @midwest_drew
Construction for CollierScripps Hall and the Science Connector Building began almost a year ago, and there has been concern about the project being completed on time. However, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Joseph Lenz said the building will be move-in ready over the summer. “Move in for the Science Connector Building will begin July 19, and move in for CollierScripps will begin August 9,” Lenz said. “So people will be moved in before classes begin.” With construction close to completion, those connected to the project are starting to feel excited. “We’ve all been looking at the outside of the buildings and thinking about that,” said Vanessa Macro, Drake’s chief administration officer. “But now that we’re looking at the inside, that’s what is going to be exciting: how they’re going to be
used.” Plans for the buildings have been in the works for years. “This project was envisioned as part of the Distinctly Drake Campaign,” Lenz said. “We’ve been aware of the need for these buildings for a while.” The Distinctly Drake Campaign ran from 2007 to 2015, raising more than $200 million. This money was split between scholarships, endowments, professorships and the STEM project. Plans for the layout of the buildings began after the end of campaign. Deputy Provost for Enrollment Management Keith Summerville is a member of the steering committee, which is comprised of professors, deans and staff members who have provided feedback on different aspects of the buildings. “This is two years of planning, design, revision and more planning, design, revision,” Summerville said. “This didn’t just happen. This is the culmination of a lot of discussion between members of the staff and the contractor.” From the beginning of the
project, the steering committee has had input on various aspects of the buildings. “I was involved mostly on a macro scale to determine what should go where,” Summerville said. “I stayed out of the discussions where the beneficiaries of the buildings, (the) faculty who were actually going to use them, were asked what they needed.” The environmental science and policy program will not have a dedicated space in the STEM complex. However, the computer science program on floor three of Collier-Scripps will be home to mathematics and computer science. Timothy Urness, associate professor of computer science, represents his department on the steering committee. “We wanted to make sure that we had at least one classroom that could really suit the needs of computer science majors,” Urness said. In Collier-Scripps, like in the connector building, classrooms will be modular so furniture can be moved to meet the needs of individual classes.
For Urness, the most important feature of one specific classroom will be the collaboration stations on the sides of the room. “It will have displays mounted on the wall,” Urness said. “That way, a group of students can gather around while one student projects code.” Most importantly, the new computer science space will offer room for the program, which has grown from 20 students to over 100 over the past decade. If you add the data analytics majors, a recently started collaboration between the School of Business and Public Administration and the Computer Science Department, then that number jumps to nearly 200. This isn’t the only department experiencing growth. “Across the board, our science programs have been growing (between) 10 and 15 percent per program,” Summerville said. This growth translates to crowded labs and crowded buildings, especially during peak times of the day. The connector building will give the sciences room to expand. The same goes for Collier-
Scripps. It will also be the new home of the School of Education, which offers another major benefit in that it will be much closer to campus than before. “There have been different plans for a School of Education building through the years, and each one put the building more central to campus,” Macro said. “Collier-Scripps is the realization of that goal.” Once Collier-Scripps is complete, the future of the old School of Education Building remains uncertain. “For now, Head Start and the Adult Literacy Center, two organizations that Drake works closely with, will be there,” Macro said. “But whether or not we ultimately keep the building will be discussed during the next few Board of Trustees meetings.” Completing construction is only part of the future of STEM at Drake. Plans for the future include an athletic training master’s program, which will begin teaching students in fall 2019.
CAMPUS SAFETY
Delayed Bulldog Alerts explained for shooting near Ross Lórien MacEnulty Staff Writer lorien.macenulty@drake.edu
Late in February, shots were fired outside of Ross Hall late February. About two dozen concerned Drake students made phone calls into Drake Public Safety. 16 minutes later, students received a Bulldog Alert. These alerts are especially important during Drake Relays. Crowds not only make Relays a security risk, but also make communication more difficult. Director of DPS Scott Law said that the threat can originate off-campus and head towards campus or sometimes the threat originates on campus. DPS and the Des Moines Police Department officers strategically roam around campus looking for any potential threat. Law is immediately contacted
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when a potentially compromising situation arises. He and the dispatcher that reports the event make a quick decision on whether or not alerting students, faculty and anyone else signedup for the alerts is necessary.
Thankfully, that incident was something that happened and the (offenders) kept going. But if it was something that was encroaching on the campus, that’s far too long. Scott Law Director DPS
“We have to do a careful balancing act, because if we put out Bulldog Alerts all the
time for everything it becomes white noise,” Law said. “Then people are like, ‘Well, do we pay attention to this? It’s just another Bulldog Alert. It’s not important.’” It is this “boy who cried wolf” conundrum that keeps Law from sending out unnecessary or irrelevant information. As a general rule, Law said three pieces of information about the situation are enough to justify a “cry.” “We are very careful to not send out an alert if there’s not a real threat,” Law said. Fawad Baig, a third-year pharmacy student, said that he felt DPS is doing well in this regard. “I don’t feel like we get (Bulldog Alerts) too often, especially this semester,” Baig said. When the decision to send out an alert is made, time becomes a major priority. The dispatcher drafts an email relaying the
situation. Approximately 50 percent of these drafts are made from filed templates. The other 50 percent are written as the situation demands. Law says it should take three to four minutes to complete and send an alert. “There’s no national rule about how quickly we have to get it out,” Law said. “But if you think about it, if we have an emergency that’s encroaching upon campus, every minute we wait are seconds (the) risk could be closer to the campus and place students at risk.” Law said that DPS has tried to remain faithful to the time frame, minus one exception. That was in February, when DPS took 16 minutes to send out an alert after the shooting near Ross Hall. “Thankfully, that incident was something that happened and the (offenders) kept going,” Law said. “But if it was something that was encroaching on the campus, that’s far too long.”
Public Safety reevaluated and changed its procedure to make sure that this doesn’t happen again. Law now has the ability to dispatch the alert himself from wherever he is. The final Bulldog Alert consists of an email, phone call and text messages sent to all students and faculty. Taylor Eisenhauer, a senior magazine major at Drake, finds that getting an alert across all three mediums can be excessive. “My only problem with (Bulldog Alerts) is that I get called, texted and emailed,” Eisenhauer said. “I tried to go make it so that I didn’t, but I still get all of them. If I got maybe just the text, it would be fine. But it’s kind of excessive when I’m getting them all across the board.” Amidst the fun and fanfare of Drake Relays, it can be important to keep a lookout for any Bulldog Alerts from DPS.
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April 24, 2017
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The race to mars MISSFIT group explores ways to protect astronauts from radiation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“Ionized gases absorb radiation … and then transform radiation into plasma,” sophomore Terence Havlik said. The plasma would not be harmful to astronauts inside the spacecraft. Havlik said that some gases would be better suited for the job, but create new problems. “You could ionize hydrogen, theoretically, but ionized hydrogen is very explosive and would be very unsafe,” Havlik said. Havlik said that he is researching equations for how well different gases could absorb radiation to determine which are most practical and efficient. Additionally, students are researching the “magneto” part of the group’s name: magnets. “As (the radiation particles) come into this magnetic field, they will spiral around the lines of the field and kind of become centered in this one location,” Huber said. “That’s where the pseudo-atmosphere (of ionized gas) would be so that they would lose the rest of that energy.” Members of MISSFIT explained a magnetic field, theoretically, could direct the radiation to the two ends of the spacecraft. There, the ionized gas would be contained inside bubbles made from the group’s chosen material to transform the radiation into a less harmful form. “It’s a shield that has many different parts and it’s not necessarily like a wall in front of one side of the ship,” Huber said. “(There are) a lot of different shapes and ways of creating a shield. “It’s a lot of things combining the bubble, the magnetic fields, the gas (and) the atmosphere.” Petridis said that this problem is new. Scientists did not face an issue with radiation when going to the moon. The moon falls within the protection of Earth’s atmosphere, so people who have landed on the moon did not need shielding from radiation. Mars does not have such an atmosphere. Petridis said the red planet holds interest for the scientific community because it may have held life at one point. It is also a planet of interest because of the effect greenhouse gases have on the planet. “Mars is very important to us because it seems that it has become a barren place because of the greenhouse effect,” Petridis said. “So, we are on the verge of a serious greenhouse effect here. So who knows what that would mean in the end?” Students said they are excited and nervous about working on a project that could take humans to Mars.
“It’s kind of something that you hear about as a kid all the time, being an astronaut,” Havlik said. “I wouldn’t be an astronaut, but I would help with space and the exploration of space.” “It feels a little daunting and probably not quite as big as it might seem in hindsight just because we are at the very beginning and things haven’t really taken definite shape yet,” Huber said. “Looking back at this in the future, I think it will be something I was really privileged and really cool to be a part of.” Petridis said there’s a long way to go before any concrete designs take place. Huber agreed saying the project will take years. After their research has produced enough new information, Petridis said the project can move into developing a conceptual design and then a technical design that can be tested in labs. “It is a long process,” Petridis said. “I wish there was more time, but we’re not really in a hurry. It’s better to do things at a pace that people feel comfortable with and they can contribute to any level than feel the constant pressure of standard courses and grades.” All the work MISSFIT students do is outside of their coursework, but they are able to receive research credit towards their degrees. “To be able to be a part of something so current and relevant, like a problem that needs to be solved if progress is going to happen ... is pretty cool and cutting-edge,” Huber said. Petridis said the trip to Mars would take, at a minimum, one-and-a-half years to complete: six months to travel there, six months to stay and do research and another six months to return home. Whether or not Drake’s shield is used by NASA, Petridis said the project will be worth it. “If we find a solution to the problem,
great,” Petridis said. “If we do not find a solution, at least we have learned lots of things.”
Students interested in the program can get involved by contacting one of the students involved or by emailing Petridis at Athan.Petridis@drake.edu.
PHOTO FROM EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
Carbon study provides students with real-world experience When we built the sustainability resilience major, which is designed for students interested in the human side of environmental science, one of the jobs or careers they might pursue would be in sustainability management. We thought that it would be a great place to train them how to do those kinds of things. It typically sums up the entire article in once concise thought. They take up space which is good. David Courard-Hauri
Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program
The Times-Delphic
Jake Bullington Digital Editor jacob.bullington@drake.edu @JakeBullington
Taking to the parking lots to count commuters’ cars and analyzing electricity usage isn’t just complicated. It’s expensive. In past years, Drake has commissioned a carbon footprint study from consultants to the tune of around $10,000. At least one Drake professor feels like this might have been a waste anyways. “They actually messed up,” David Courard-Hauri, the director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program, said. “(The contractors) used the wrong region for figuring our electricity consumption. So, who knows…you can’t even buy good footprints anymore.” But this semester, that has all changed. Environmental science students are getting the chance to kill two birds with one stone: saving the university money while setting up a precedent for more frequent carbon footprint studies.
A class has been designed around helping pinpoint Drake’s carbon footprint. Getting an accurate measurement involves a lot of work and considering many different factors. One student in the class, senior Kathryn Thuestad, detailed what she and her peers have been looking into. “There’s different things … as far as emissions goes; how our usage of oil or natural gas or coal … or like what sort of energy system we have, like ‘Do we have to burn any fuel on campus to create the electricity?’” Thuestad said. Additionally, the ways students and faculty get to campus is a factor in the study. “One thing you need to think of is how many students are commuting on a day-to-day basis,” Thuestad said. Students headed out to the commuter lots and counted how many cars, on average, were there with commuter passes. Not only did they take into consideration how many cars there were, but they were also studying how far the average
driving distances were. “For some people, it might only be 10 minutes. But other people, especially professors, it might be an hour, and that can be a big factor,” Thuestad said. Courard-Hauri said that this study is a good way for students in the class to get experience in something they’ll likely do in the workforce. “Certainly estimating carbon outputs, carbon emissions is something that sustainability managers are generally required to do,” Courard-Hauri said. “It’s an important piece of that job. And so, when we built the sustainability resilience major, which is designed for students interested in the human side of environmental science, one of the jobs or careers they might pursue would be in sustainability management. We thought that it would be a great place to train them how to do those kinds of things.” However, the process of completing the otherwise-costly carbon footprint studies is voluntary.
“There are no requirements for the areas that we’re looking at,” Courard-Hauri said. “This is just carbon emissions, and right now carbon emissions aren’t regulated in the U.S.” The carbon footprint, along with a carbon-action plan, was part of a 2007 presidential climate initiative started by then-University President David Maxwell. Drake is one of around 640 educational institutions that are participating. Courard-Hauri said even with a new White House administration, it shouldn’t be cause for too much concern. “I’m not worried about the new administration affecting what we do here because we are a private institution,” CourardHauri said. “We have a fair amount of flexibility and whether or not the government requires these kinds of things.” Courard-Hauri and Thuestad both hope the class continues to be offered in the future at Drake, as they feel it has provided valuable, real-world experience for environmental science students.
Relays Edition
Page 6A
April 24, 2017
CAMPUS HEALTH
More students seeking help for mental illness Counseling center too short-staffed to consistently meet demand Jessie Spangler Opinion Editor jessica.spangler@drake.edu @jessiespangler3
Rachel Berggren is a senior who has gone to Drake’s counseling center several times. After the first few sessions, Berggren’s counselor couldn’t see her more than once every two weeks. Berggren said she struggled with the long breaks between sessions, but she understands that the counseling center wishes it could do more. “They will try to see as many students as they can,” Berggren said. The Drake University Counseling Center saw 504 students and around 2,400 visits last year, according to Mark Kloberdanz, director of the counseling center. “It’s a lot, but that’s not unusual,” Kloberdanz said. “Across the country, my counterparts that I talk to are saying the same thing.”
It’s Kloberdanz sixth year here, and he said that the counseling center has seen an increase in students seeking help each year. One in 12 U.S. college students makes a plan to commit suicide, according to National Data on Campus Suicide and Depression. The American College Health Association reported that two-thirds of students who are struggling with some sort of mental illness do not seek treatment. At Drake, there are five counselors on staff; two are parttime and three are full-time. Despite the high demand for counseling services, Kloberdanz said that in the years he has been working at Drake, there has never been a “substantial waiting list.” “Could we use an additional one or two people? Of course we could,” Kloberdanz said. “Every counseling center at every university in America could probably use additional help.” After a recommended 10
visits, Kloberdanz said that the counseling center usually points students in another direction, like to a therapist or counselor in the Des Moines area. It’s part of a method called short-term solution-based therapy. The counseling center tries to find out what each student needs and how they can get what they need.
It is just so prevalent in our society today. And more new students that come many of them have already been created prior to landing here. Mark Kloberdanz
Director of the Counseling Center
But the counseling center would never tell a student that they couldn’t come after the 10th visit, Kloberdanz said.
“It’s just so prevalent in our society today,” Kloberdanz said. “And more new students that come, many of them have already been treated prior to landing here.” Drake University Psychology Professor Greg Lengel agrees that there is a growing trend in mental illnesses among college students. Lengel identifies mental health stigmatization as one of the reasons why students don’t seek help for mental illnesses. Lengel said, “We don’t often fear criticism for seeking treatment for physical illnesses. However, unfortunately, many struggling with mental health issues are reluctant to seek help due to feelings of shame and embarrassment as well as concerns about judgment from others. It is important for people to know that there is no shame in struggling with mental illness and seeking psychological services.” Before teaching at Drake, Lengel worked at counseling
centers at other universities and has seen an increase in students seeking counseling there as well. Lengel said, “Especially in light of the growing demand for services, I think, overall, campuses do a great job at providing services to students in need. Counseling centers also do a great job at helping with prevention and spreading mental health awareness, by providing outreach and education on campus and in the community.” Lengel said leaving mental illnesses untreated can lead to other concerns later. Lengel said, “Untreated mental illness is associated with worsening mental and physical health, as well as many negative personal, social, and occupational life outcomes.” The counseling center offers different services such as individual counseling and group counseling. It can be reached at (515) 271-3864. Its website can be found at drake.edu/counselingcenter.
RELAYS NEWS
Changes aim to alleviate Relays parking congestion Kailee Smith Contributing Writer kailee.smith@drake.edu @therealkaismith
Every year, for one week, thousands of people visit Drake University’s campus to watch one of the highly anticipated events of the year: the Drake Relays. And, every year, it causes a parking cluster for students, faculty and fans alike. “The Drake Relays are literally my favorite time of the year,” sophomore Kennedy Frank said. “I look forward to them every year, even if it is hectic around campus and I can’t find a parking spot for my dorm.” In years past, the Drake Relays has caused much
congestion between the blocks of 31st street and 25th street. This year, the university has made some plans to alleviate some of this traffic. “We open up parking lots that are vacant throughout the year, such as the one on 28th and College Avenue, to people who attend the Drake Relays,” said Brady Randall, Drake’s facilities director. “But we do charge $10 per lot, so no matter what we do, there will always be traffic congestion and people complaining when trying to find parking.” Even though vacant lots will open for the event, the price of parking will stay the same as previous years. This price of parking could force more cars on the streets around campus,
so some students are encouraged to walk or take the bus when deciding to leave campus. “It sucks,” junior Madison Dean said. “I am constantly driving from class to basketball practice and vice versa throughout the day. I rely on driving to get anywhere on time, so not having parking reserved is actually a real hassle for me.” Like Dean, many students are aggravated by the parking fiasco. Because of this, Drake Public Safety (DPS) is going to do what they can to help pacify student frustrations. Along with adding parking to the area, DPS has said it will be monitoring the student and faculty overnight and commuter parking lots more closely over the week to find cars without proper
parking tags. They will also aim to direct fans to their designated lots. “We are going to make sure cars in all of the student lots have parking tags,” said Tricia McKinney, the assistant director of Drake Public Safety. “If they don’t, we will give a warning and the car could have the potential to be towed.” Even though DPS will be scanning student lots frequently, there’s no guarantee fans won’t park there. For the greatest chance to find a spot, DPS advises students with parking tags to park in the lots directly across from the Goodwin-Kirk and Morehouse residence halls. “We want to patrol the lots, and we will warn people in advance about the lots that
are acceptable to be used,” McKinney said. “But we also have to keep in mind that we may miss people or people may park in the student lots by confusion.” Although the focus of Relays isn’t solely on students, DPS recognizes that Drake’s campus is home to students. “We have to keep our students in mind,” DPS Special Events Coordinator Captain Mark Risvold said. “This is their home. They don’t have anywhere to escape when things get overwhelming. We have to make sure they feel as though we are looking out for their best interests and satisfying their needs.”
All Drake commuter lots will be staffed by security personnel from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in order to ensure that only Drake students, faculty, and staff with commuter permits can access the lots for work and school. At 9:30 a.m., the lots will be opened for general use.
29th Street
Relays parking restrictions Lot 18 is closed from April 26- 29 for food court and Relays events.
Meek Avenue
Meek Avenue shut down for hammer throw on April 30.
Clark Street Lot 17 is reserved from April 22 to April 30.
27th street from Forest to Clark is shut down from April 28 to April 30.
25th Street
31st Street
27th Street
Forest Avenue
Lot 1 and 2 are pay lots from April 27 to 29. No cost for faculty on Thursday and Friday until 4:30 p.m.
Olmsted Lot south half closed April 24-29
University Avenue The Times-Delphic
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 7A
Parker Journalists try to pin down fake news outlines goals for new role NATIONAL NEWS
JD Pelegrino Contributing Writer john.pelegrino@drake.edu @jddontdrop
Recently, the terms “fake news” and “alternative facts” have been given rise in the media. This has caused concerns for journalists, politicians and business professionals, among others, and raised questions about what fake news is. Eliza High, a first-year public relations major, said that if the media does not tell 100 percent of the truth, then it should be considered fake news. “I think that fake news is when the media tries to skew what information they release to us, kind of in one direction or another and when they leave out certain things,” High said. In one incident, fake news nearly landed people in court. Jay Seaton, the publisher of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel in Colorado, threatened to sue Ray Scott, a Republican in
Colorado’s State Senate, for libel after Scott called his newspaper “fact-free, fake news,” according to Franziska Kues, a writer for Poynter. Kues said that Scott had previously endorsed the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel and often cited it as a source of his information. The libel case asked how to prove something is fake news. Proving something to be fake news in a court can be very difficult. Libel refers to statements published in some medium that harms an individual and is false information. The statement or statements must be false and defamatory. It must be proven that the publisher created the story knowing that it is false. “I think (proving fake news) is a hard situation,” High said. “I would say doing your research and checking other sources is a fairly good way of (identifying fake news). There is no textbook definition of fake news. Therefore proving something to be such
would be a difficult case.” Chris Snider, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake, had his own take on the topic. “Fake news is when people are creating something that’s not true and trying to pass it off as fact,” Snider said. Snider cited The Onion, a satirical online newspaper, as a way to look at news from a comedic standpoint. Many of The Onion’s articles are inspired by real events and people, but the content is fictional. When he was in college, Snider and his friends knew not all of the information in The Onion was real, but were still interested, just as people today are in alternative facts. Snider argues that journalists face the struggle of telling stories accurately. “Obviously journalism does have a problem with fake news, whether it’s their fault or not,” Snider said. Matthew Malmberg is
a junior at Drake studying computer science, who shared his thoughts on the severity and commonality of fake news in modern journalism. “There are certain fake news stories that get blown up, but it’s not any worse than it has been,” Malmberg said. Malmberg expressed that fake news is oftentimes used as a political instrument, but people often incorrectly label things as “fake news,” regardless. “I think (fake news) is any story or publication that, either based on context or false facts, produces a not true indication of what is actually happening in the world,” Malmberg said. Writers and reporters may start out with a story based on facts, but may be taken off in another direction. In his interview with Poynter, Seaton said that he does not feel fake news is an issue in most of modern journalism, but more so that a single writer can put all journalists in a negative light by making one mistake.
CAMPUS NEWS
DBS changes Relays broadcast Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
After 27 years airing The Drake Relays, the Drake Broadcasting System (DBS), a completely student-run organization, will no longer cover the Relays events live. For the 2017 Drake Relays, RunnerSpace, a live stream track and field service, will be spearheading the coverage of the track and field events. The DBS broadcast will no longer air live on the College Channel and professionals will be announcing the events, a job that used to be done by DBS students. In the past, hundreds of students spent hours researching track events and athletes, prepping cameras for recording, making edits for packages and holding the microphone at the right height to capture the voice of the 100-meter-dash champion. NBC Sports Network is paying for broadcast TV rights for the Drake Relays, specifically for two hours on Saturday, and RunnerSpace is paying to be the exclusive streaming provider, said David Wright, the associate professor of electronic media, who oversees the Relays production. “RunnerSpace will bring expertise and visual data to this year’s Relays,” Wright added. RunnerSpace covers track and field and cross-country year-
The Times-Delphic
round, making their announcers more experienced than students. “The biggest loss is for our announcing students because it will be harder for them to get exposure because RunnerSpace is paying talent to come in and do it,” Wright said. One of last year’s announcers, sophomore Digital Media Production Olivia Decelles, agrees that future broadcast students will miss out on being involved in an exciting, largescale production. “This experience gave me the opportunity to live-broadcast on TV, which is something I had never done before,” Decelles said. “I was also able to gain real-life experience for being talent on a live production team and see firsthand all the different components that need to come together in order to create a live sports coverage.” RunnerSpace’s involvement isn’t entirely a negative for DBS, according to its president Grace Rogers. Now that DBS is no longer exclusively in control of broadcasting the Relays events in its entirety, they have time to focus on other journalistic tasks, such as creating video and audio packages. “This opportunity pushes us to get creative,” Rogers said. “We’re not going to be doing the ‘traditional broadcast’ going forward. We will probably share a lot more of our content online.” RunnerSpace will mainly be mainly covering the routine races themselves and post-event
interviews, leaving plenty of freedom for student reporters. The plan for DBS is three live shows that will air throughout the week on social media and their website. “April 21 will be our first streamed show,” said DBS Executive Producer Gerald Tetzlaff. “Next will be April 27 and we will be doing a show that takes place right before the distance carnival events, which will include packages created by DBS members that say, ‘This is what to be looking for at the races.’ The last live show will be April 28, highlighting what has happened in the Relays so far. We’ll talk over all the events DBS went out to cover, but weren’t able to live stream.”
This Relays will set the tone for the ones to come. Grace Rogers DBS President
Another major change was the decision to not air on the College Channel. The channel aired in the Des Moines area, but did not reach an audience beyond that, which has limited DBS’ options. “It’s not an efficient use of our resources any longer,” Rogers said. “Everything is moving away from cable TV and towards live stream.”
Wright echoed those statements, saying the College Channel was hardly watched anyways. The DBS team negotiated with RunnerSpace in the hopes of doing some of the live stream since their previous platform, the cable channel, is no longer viable. “The students are going to do a co-produced event for the stream that goes internationally on RunnerSpace,” Wright said. “The students will be doing all the track coverage cameras, and they will be directing it. All the coverage will be on the scoreboard and on RunnerSpace internationally … We’re working hand-in-hand with them. They are just providing the announcers.” RunnerSpace will also be airing a DBS-created 30-second commercial on a 90-minute rotation on their live stream. “We’re cramming as much about the journalism school as we can in 30 seconds into that video,” Tetzlaff said. “It’s international exposure.” Although fans will have to pay to watch RunnerSpace’s live stream, Wright thinks this platform will help spread Relays events to more track and field fans across the U.S. “This Relays will set the tone for the ones to come,” Rogers said. “These collaborations will send us in the right direction.”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Parker cited several accomplishments as a sign of these improvements. Drake recently implemented a student preferred name policy, allowing students to enter a name different from their birth name to be used on several media, from their ID to their email. This is especially helpful for students who are transgender who want to use their preferred name, rather than a given name that may not coincide with their present identity. Park said another major step was the installation of genderinclusive restrooms around campus for students. Parker said he continues to work through UNITY Roundtable to “transform the way Drake University addresses their concerns.” He said it’s important to have conversations with UNITY, then translate the conversation into action. “My hope is that students … see that we’re moving forward with a lot of these initiatives,” Parker said. Accessibility Over the coming summer, Parker said that Drake will be assessing campus buildings and infrastructure for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The assessment will highlight buildings and areas on campus that are difficult to access for people with disabilities. “We are an old campus,” Parker said. “A lot of our buildings were built 60, 70, 80 years ago. It’s not an excuse, but what it does say is there are areas we need to invest funds to make them ADA accessible.” The ADA is a piece of civil rights legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities and guarantees that those people have the same opportunity to participate in everyday life as able-bodied individuals. Since Drake receives federal funding, it needs to comply with the ADA’s requirements. “Right now, we do what we can to make sure that every student the comes to Drake has the ability and the accessibility into a building,” Parker said. The ADA was pioneered by Tom Harkin, an Iowan who served on the U.S. Senate from 1985-2015. Moving forward As his official start as dean of students approaches, Parker wanted to make one thing clear: “Students come first.” “That’s why Drake University is here,” Parker said. “That’s why it’s been here since 1881.” Parker said he also wanted to place an increased focus on graduate students and students in professional programs. “We want to make sure that they know that we’re here,” he said. “I think there are some potential ideas on how we can strengthen that relationship between our graduate students and non-traditional students.”
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CONGRATULATIONS! College of Business and Public Administration Students
2017 CBPA Significant Achievement Awards CBPA Senior StudentOf-The-Year Peter Gorski CBPA Junior StudentOf-The-Year Shayla Carey The Harper Outstanding Actuarial Science Student Trevor Carlson Kate McCoy The Outstanding Data Analytics Student Kate McCoy The Outstanding Economics Student Morgan Daves-Gehrls The Outstanding Entrepreneurial Student Michael Coltrain The Outstanding Finance Student Jamie Zaine The Outstanding Information Systems Student Caleb Potratz The Outstanding International Business Student Elena Dietz
The Outstanding Marketing Student Kaylynn Noethlich CBPA Ambassador Award For Excellence Jamie Zaine Ben Backstrom Award For Outstanding Character Dylan Brockway Emily Furlow Alpha Kappa Psi Scholarship Certificate and Key Award Erin Bruggeman Trevor Carlson McCormick Deering Connor Finholt Peter Gorski Taylor Halling Alpha Kappa Psi Undergraduate Award Priyanka Rao Alpha Kappa Psi Graduating Senior Award Jamie Zaine Accounting Honorary Society Top Underclassman Award Ryan Peterson
The Accounting Service Award Neal Ursy
Accounting Honorary Society Top Senior Award David Snow
The Mabry Miller Outstanding Management Student Hannah Ruszczyk
Phi Chi Theta Professional Excellence Award Derrick Fridley
Phi Chi Theta Community Service Excellence Award Alexis Cross
Cliffton Murove/Enactus Award for Leadership and Service Amanda Khoo
Phi Chi Theta Fraternal Socialization Excellence Award Joseph Pariseau
Iowa Society of CPA’s Outstanding Accounting Student McCormick Deering
Phi Chi Theta Engagement Excellence Award Whitney Hanson
CBPA Senior Leadership Award Kaylynn Noethlich Neal Usry
Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award Delaney Beier Erin Bruggeman Trevor Carlson McCormick Deering Connor Finholt Peter Gorski Taylor Halling
CBPA Senior Community Service Award Daniel Creese Su Khim See
Delta Sigma Pi Undergraduate Award Matthew VanHerzeele Delta Sigma Pi Graduating Senior Award Erin Bruggeman Gamma Iota Sigma Award for Outstanding Achievement Parker Grant Fang Liang Lim Entrepreneurship Student Advisory Innovation Award Nicholas Manzoni Thomas Poll
CBPA Junior Leadership Award Jonathan Caracci Benjamin Danile Emily Furlow CBPA Junior Community Service Award Lucas Austin Brittany Logan CBPA Sophomore Leadership Award Michael Meyer Macy Fuller CBPA Sophomore Community Service Award Elena Hildebrandt Taylor Ihm CBPA First-Year Leadership Award Courtney Luib John Richards
CBPA First-Year Community Service Award Kylie Hunter Solomon Marburg CBPA Award For Leadership Council Excellence Robyn Bowes Jack Brokaw Eunice Chang Noah Daniels Cody Drilling Daniel Finn Jared Freemon Zoey Glenn Whitney Hanson Cole Horton Amanda Khoo Brooke Lofgren Kate McCoy Kristina Neel Jenna Nelson Sarah Grace Nicholson Kaylynn Noethlich Erik Olson Emily Petrowski Christian Phillips Morgan Purdie Emily Spillane Kimberly Taylor Neal Usry Ava Witthauer Cumulative 4.00 GPA Delaney Beier Erin Bruggeman Trevor Carlson McCormick Deering Connor Finholt Peter Gorski Taylor Halling Ee Kean Kew Make It Matter Award Tanner Brockway
CONGRATS GRADUATING SENIORS! Mohammad Nor Abdul Rahman Muhammad FA Abdullah Hasin
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PHOTO BY CASSIE BAUER | PHOTO EDITOR
Page 2B Two students discuss the political climate at Drake. One speaks from a Republican perspective, while the other speaks from the liberal side.
Page 3B Being handicap-accessible is not one of Drake’s strong suits, writes a student. Read more about the lack of wheelchair accessible locations on campus.
Page 4B-5B Read about one student’s experience with Walk for the Horn, a long-distance charity walk that helps raise money for refugees in the horn of Africa.
Page 6B One student shares why coming to do a campus tour over Relays was impactful to her experience at Drake. After getting a tour, this sophomore was sold.
Page 8B One writer’s Drake pride has dropped as the number of lawsuits against Drake increase. Read more about the struggle of a student to find school spirit.
RELAYS
‘I Hate Drake Relays’ One student shares her less common opinion on why she is leaving the state during Relays
Haley Hodges Contributing Writer haley.hodges@drake.edu
I have an unpopular opinion. Actually, like most people, I have plenty. But at Drake University, this one’s taboo: I hate Drake Relays. I can appreciate the prospect of the Drake Relays. I know some superbly talented people working for Drake Broadcasting System, Student Activities Board and other areas who help make the week run smoothly. And, while I am neither athletically inclined nor interested in watching athletics, I can admire the hard work and talent of the athletes who participate. But let’s be real: for most students, Relays isn’t about a track and field meet. Really, I hate Relays culture. I will never understand what it is about people running around
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in circles that prompts everyone else to lose their sense of self control. Guys, it’s just track, calm down. I know, “It’s a tradition” and it’s part of Drake, but why? Who started the tradition of getting blackout drunk for a full week? Who got so into it that Peggy’s needs to open an extra tent and West End thought alcoholic breakfasts were a good idea? Admittedly, I’m not a partier. First off, I’m 20 and have no desire to get in trouble, arrested or berated by my mother. Second, I take a medication that aggressively tells me not to consume alcohol with it. Third, drinking is an expensive and unnecessary habit to get into. And finally, I’m so much of an introvert that people (especially crowds of loud, drunken, extroverted people) exhaust, intimidate and overwhelm me. I also don’t like puking, but I feel like that one’s a pretty popular opinion. Last year, I had an unpleasant experience when I was showering during the Wednesday evening of Relays and continually heard a girl violently vomiting in one of the bathroom stalls. And, because it was a dorm and my hair was full of shampoo, I had no escape. Despite waiting paralyzed, hoping it would stop, it didn’t and I finally had to collect
my things and flee the bathroom, being sure to avoid going in there the rest of the night. To me, going so hard during Relays that you’re an inconvenience to those around you is inconsiderate. Whoever was puking in my bathroom inconvenienced at least the 30 other girls on that floor and the facilities workers who had to clean up after her. Other people want to have a good time during Relays too, but if you’re passed out on their floor, need to be essentially
babysat, throwing up on their belongings or something else as a consequence of your good time, you can quickly ruin everyone else’s. People have told me there’s a way to do Relays right and a way to do Relays wrong, and I’m sure there are plenty of people doing it right and making good choices and being responsible. But the problem is, there are too many people doing it wrong and ruining it for the minority of us who don’t want to do Relays at all.
I know that Relays is fun, and it’s the big thing that Drake has on an otherwise relatively tame campus. So, if that’s your thing, go on and live your life I guess. Just make good choices and be respectful. I learned my lesson watching the rest of you have your fun last year though so I’ll be peacing out from Drake for the weekend and going up to Minnesota with my roommate to play with her bearsized dog and bask in the lack of rowdy college students and vomit.
PHOTO BY JAKE BULLINGTON | DIGITAL EDITOR
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April 24, 2017
POLITICS
Drake’s Political Climate Read about two students’ differing opinions on the political climate on campus. Do you agree with them? Tweet us your response @timesdelphic
Samantha Ohlson Contributing Writer samantha.ohlson@drake.edu @SamanthaOhlson
It is no secret that Drake is a liberal campus. President Martin made that quite clear when Drake became a sanctuary school last fall. And while there have been hate crimes against minorities on campus, the students who led the attacks are a rarity. At first thought, I think most Drake students, myself included, enjoy our liberal campus. It is nice to be able to have conversations and make political jokes with people who share your ideas and views. I like knowing that most of the people I talk to will agree with me. It feels safer, and it is definitely easier. However, upon closer examination, this can cause a lot of problems. While I am from rural Northeast Iowa and have my Facebook feed to remind me how the other side of the political spectrum is thinking, many Drake students do not. It is easy to get caught up in the comfortable political bubble of Drake’s campus and forget that the rest of the country might not be thinking the same way most of us are. The election results were even more difficult to come to terms with when I knew almost everyone I talk to regularly had been opposed to President Trump. It was shocking. The liberal bubble creates
more problems beyond surprising election results. How will we learn to have respectful and valuable dialogues with the other side of the aisle if we never get the chance to talk to them to hear their side? It is incredibly difficult to work with people you never talk to, and after graduation we are probably going to run into more people who disagree with us. These conversations can be hard, but they become easier when they can occur regularly. Being on a liberal campus does not mean we cannot hear what the other side has to say, though. Drake does an excellent job of allowing for voices from both sides of an argument to speak. Even though I do not agree with Trump’s policies, I think it is important that he was able to speak on Drake’s campus during the Iowa caucus season. If the only side we listen to is our own, then we have no room to grow and no way to work with others to make a positive change that will help everyone. College is an important time to have dialogues with those who disagree with us. There is still time to learn how to communicate with each other without being disrespectful. It would be a shame for our academic institutions to become as polarized as our country seems to have become. I like that Drake is liberal. I think many of our liberal policies, like being a sanctuary school and implementing gender-neutral restrooms, are some of the things that make us a safe place to learn and grow. However, we cannot get caught up in the liberal bubble on campus. We have to remember that not everyone shares our views and continue to work towards being able to have meaningful conversations with the other side.
THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 Jessica Lynk, Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu Jill Van Wyke, Faculty Advisor jill.vanwyke@drake.edu
Adam Rogan, Managing Editor adam.rogan@drake.edu
Katherine Bauer, News Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu
Michael Lopez, Design Editor michael.lopez@drake.edu
Matthew Gogerty, Sports Editor matthew.gogerty@drake.edu
Mia Blondin, Relays Editor maria.blondin@drake.edu
Jessie Spangler, Opinions Editor jessica.spangler@drake.edu
Cassandra Bauer, Photo Editor cassandra.bauer@drake.edu
Anna Jensen, Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu
Jake Bullington, Digital Editor jacob.bullington@drake.edu
Rachel Wermager, Copy Editor rachel.wermager@drake.edu
Ellen Converse, Media Editor ellen.converse@drake.edu
Ivy Beckenholdt, Copy Editor ivy.beckenholdt@drake.edu Evan Guest, Ads Manager timesdelphicads@gmail.com
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Alex R. Freeman Contributing Writer alex.freeman@drake.edu
Freeman is the president of College Republicans, a group on campus. On January 30, 2016, President Martin sent an email to the entire campus community. His words were discernibly defensive. “I allowed the Trump campaign to use Sheslow,” he wrote, regarding the recent event on campus, “even though Mr. Trump’s professed views on a number of issues are incompatible with the values … central to the foundation of our university.” President Martin’s email was a departure from his prior correspondence, such as his November 11, 2015 message, in which he promised to work to “foster a living/learning/ working environment where all members of our community feel welcomed and respected.” Unless, of course, by “all members” he meant everyone, save conservative Republicans, Trump supporters and anyone not affiliated with the increasingly prevalent campus political orthodoxy. By professing Trump’s campaign was “incompatible” with the bedrock principles of Drake University, President Martin, tragically, accelerated an already widening chasm between students of differing political convictions and legitimated a de facto dichotomy
in the Drake Community: the “Drake community,” and the “Republican students who happen to go here.” In his January 30 message, President Martin made it clear which camp he planned on supporting. “I was inspired by our students who … challenged Mr. Trump’s ideas and positions during the event,” Martin said, before going on to call the student-led protest in Sheslow “appropriate, relevant to the circumstances and courageous.” Let me be abundantly clear: neither President Martin nor any member of the Drake University administration is singly responsible for the rapid erosion of political civility on campus. The polarization sweeping the nation had been smoldering on our campus long before President Martin arrived. The tumultuous campaign of 2016 elevated that smolder to a blaze—President Martin’s emails only added kindling to an already raging fire. If this was the case, as most astute observers of campus political conditions would agree, then what are we experiencing now, five months post-election? And what recourse exists to improve the quality of intellectual debate and political civility on campus? Today, Drake’s campus political climate continues to recover from the lesions it suffered during the 2016 election season. This recovery has been expedited thanks to the efforts of students like Samantha Bayne, a first-year who started the “Dialogue at Drake” series that has explicitly set out to supplant corrosive, unproductive political infighting with meaningful discussion. Yet despite the efforts of students like Samantha, conservative and Republican students still feel alienated from the Drake community,
in part due to correspondence from President Martin and the administration, but even more so due to the wild, illiberal intolerance for dissent exercised by many of their left-leaning peers. Indeed, as most any Republican Drake student would agree, a plurality of the student body has developed a toxic penchant for labeling conservative religious and political convictions as bigoted, closed-minded, nefarious, or otherwise “incompatible” with their own personal notions of the truth. We must remember that Drake University’s motto is veritas, meaning truth. In the spirit of this motto, it is our obligation to prevent our institution from inching any closer towards the adoption of a full-fledged campus political orthodoxy; for such a move would spell the end of the truth-seeking that is “central to the foundation” of our University and its liberal arts mission. This is only possible if all of us in the Drake community renew our commitment to fostering the free flow of ideas without stigmatizing the students who present them. If we wish to live up to the motto and purpose of our University, we must also acknowledge the flaws and contradictions within our own ideological convictions, which will require all of us to shed our moral absolutism and intellectual hubris. Only then, when we can finally think freely, challenge opinions without fear of attacks against our reputation and character, and discuss ideas with civility across factions, can President Martin be confident he has completed the bastion of inclusivity “where all members of our community feel welcomed and respected,” that he has set out to create.
The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published weekly during the regular academic year and is produced by undergraduate students at Drake University. The opinions of staff editorials reflect the institutional opinion of the newspaper based on current staff opinions and the newspaper’s traditions. These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of individual employees of the paper, Drake University or members of the student body. All other opinions appearing throughout the paper are those of the author or artist named within the column or cartoon. The newsroom and business office of The Times-Delphic are located in Meredith Hall, Room 124. The Times-Delphic is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The editor-in-chief sits on the Board of Student Communications.
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The Times-Delphic strives to represent student views as accurately and honestly as possible. We rely on readers to provide us with criticism, comments and new ideas so that we can continue to serve the interests of the students in the fairest possible way. We encourage interested readers to submit letters to the editor. Letters must include the author’s name and phone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Deadlines for guest submissions are noon Sunday for the Wednesday edition. The Times-Delphic reserves the right to edit letters and submissions for space and in the interest of taste. Letters and submissions reflect only the opinions of the authors and should be limited to 250 words. Emailed letters can be sent to tdeditorinchief@gmail.com.
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Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
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HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY
Disabilities left behind, accessibility needs work
Haley Hodges Contributing Writer haley.hodges@drake.edu
Anyone who’s walked around campus knows there’s one element that ties most of the buildings together: stairs. Sure, outside you can find ramps or slopes or alternative entrances and most buildings have an elevator hidden somewhere, but the accessibility of Drake’s campus leaves something to be desired. I am fortunate enough to be physically able. I can get to any room in any building on campus without issue. But, looking around the past few weeks, I’ve suddenly become aware of just how inconvenient it would be if I couldn’t. Drake’s campus is, technically, accessible per Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.. Physically handicapped students still have
housing options, can find a way to access almost every space, and whatever concerns remain can be helped by Michelle Laughlin, student disability services coordinator, and Student Disabilities Services, but that doesn’t change the fact that it can still be incredibly inconvenient. Starting with residence halls, the first-year quad dorms all have elevators and are probably the most ideal living spaces because they’re the newest and most up to date, meaning that the elevators aren’t sketchy. Skip ahead a year to Goodwin Kirk, Ross or Jewett and suddenly your options are extremely limited. “For the most part, we’re able to accommodate,” Laughlin said. “We may not be able to accommodate exactly where they want … however, we can provide alternatives.” Morehouse does not have an elevator and Laughlin admitted that Ross’ elevator is odd and disadvantageous. Not to mention, the dorm is physically the furthest away from campus. In Jewett, people who are not physically able are limited to the first floor. There is no elevator, but there is one washer and dryer on the first floor and a chair lift that goes to the basement as well. Goodwin-Kirk seems the most accessible because there’s an elevator that reaches almost everywhere, except the superior
of the two laundry rooms. Exploring the first floor of GK, however, poses a challenge. There are a lot of doors, very few of which have handicap buttons and, if you prefer using a women’s restroom, you’re out of luck. Both the Goodwin and Kirk sides of the building currently only have male-specific restrooms, with one identifiable gender-neutral handicapped single restroom on the Kirk side, where you have to go through a series of at least three sets of doors without handicapped buttons before you even get to the rooms. Obviously, doors are a part of life, but the GK ones are heavy. As for academic buildings, they’re accessible through at least one door. In Aliber, Olin or FAC you have to go around to use ramps, Howard is only accessible through the back door, Medbury requires two different entrances depending on what floor you’re on and Olmsted can be accessed by stairs on the north side, or the less terrifying option of going around to the south side. These are not ideal options but, technically, they work. Especially during an Iowa winter, however, having to go around to one side of a building or exit Medbury from the second floor and circle to the ground floor just to use the restroom is
burdensome. Similarly impractical, in FAC, the only elevator is on the south end and has a nasty tendency to be out of order. In Howard, the women’s restroom doesn’t have a handicapped stall so the men’s has been sub-labeled as handicapped and therefore, gender neutral. And some classrooms, particularly lecture halls, are hardly accessible for students to get in past the door. “If a student is in a classroom that is not accessible, we move the classroom if we can,” Laughlin said. “Sometimes that’s a little more difficult due to labs or bigger classrooms. For example, Meredith 101 is not accessible. So, in those instances, we do have platforms that we can bring in for somebody in a wheelchair so they can have the capability of having the table up top and that sort of thing.” Laughlin attributed a lot of the accessibility problems to outdated and pre-ADA construction. “We do what we can with the age of the buildings,” Laughlin said. “Is it ideal? No. Does it accomplish its purpose? Yeah.” Drake students employed at the Harkin Institute have been compiling a map of the accessibility of buildings on campus. The Institute was founded at Drake by former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who
was instrumental in passing the Americans with Disabilities Act. “In continuing his legacy, we’re concerned with the accessibility of buildings and people being able to come to class here and enjoy going to programs and events here,” said Joseph Jones, the Institute’s executive director. Jones said the map will look at other factors, including what’s easily accessible for blind or deaf students, as well as considering issues like door handles and handicap accessibility in buildings. He also hopes the project can be an example for other institutes and lead to more accessibility on campuses. He said that the map will be available as a resource by the end of the semester and updated as improvements are made. “There’s a lot of things that are going to be happening to create a more inclusive campus for people with disabilities,” Jones said. Ultimately, Drake is ADA compliant. But, honestly, there are a lot of problems with it. Technically, someone with a physical disability can get just about everywhere they’d need to on campus, but some of the additional lengths they must go through are ridiculous and really ought to be remedied in the future.
CAREER
Unpaid internships devalue students’ work
Chamindi Wijesinghe Contributing Writer wachamindi.wijesinghe@drake.edu
Now, let’s scratch the surface of a debate that has been pushed to the bottom of society’s priority list: unpaid internships. In 2011, the Black Swan case highlighted the claustrophobic proximity of the question that has challenged the legality of the wage-free quasi-apprenticeships: should the era of unpaid internships come to an end? It took two years for the case to come to a close. In June 2013, a federal district court judge ruled in favor of Glatt and Footman. The pair had sued Fox Searchlight by alleging that the company was violating the benefit of an unpaid internship by having them perform mundane, menial tasks that should have been done by paid employees (as a result of the case,
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Fox now pays all its interns). The Black Swan was one of the cases that raised activism around unpaid internships and following its success, numerous lawsuits ensued where the intensity of the problem came to light. Often, interns are reluctant to invoke the legitimacy of internships due to the competition in the job market and in lieu of wages, companies bank on this ideology of ‘experience’ and entry to a glamorous work environment to not pay its interns. The question, however rebounds: are unpaid internships worth it? “I think this practice has gotten incredibly out of hand,” Eric Glatt, the lead plaintiff in the Black Swan case, said to a Politico reporter. “It’s partly the fault of Washington by normalizing the practice, and the fact that there are very few mechanisms in the place… for people to push back.” In 2010, the Obama Labour Department adopted a sixpart test developed around 1947 and applied it to unpaid interns. According to the official language publicized by the Department of Labour, “an employment relationship does not exist under the FLSA (Fair Labour Standards Act), and the Act’s minimum wage and overtime provisions do not apply to the intern” when
“the internship … is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment … experience is for the benefit of the intern, the intern … works under close supervision of existing staff, the employer … receives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern […], the intern is not entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship, the employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages.” Despite the test being in place, it is very hard to follow through as unpaid interns are a low priority for the Department of Labour. Whilst one might be appalled by this fact, it is indeed true. Some argue that the DOL is itself too understaffed to be able to implement more rigorous rules. It is even harder for activists operating in this realm to advocate at a national level, since Congress itself uses a large number of unpaid interns. According to the author of “Intern Nation,” Ross Perlin, the reason for the exponential growth in unpaid internships is due to the stress on applied learning through colleges and universities. Perlin is right; internships are a necessary bullet point on the resume. Glatt believes that whilst the practice might have started off with good intentions, the purpose has side-
tracked on a tangent that gives no advantage to students or fresh graduates who indulge in unpaid internships. There are countless articles online, backed up with tangible data, from Forbes to Huffington Post, that advocate for paid internships over unpaid… and most are right in doing so. The National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted a survey on the graduation class of 2015 and found out that students who take paid internships on average receive a higher salary at an entry position than those who have, during the time at the university, taken an unpaid internship. Surprisingly, the numbers showed that, across industry sectors, paid interns or those with no internship experience had a 3 percent higher chance of getting a job than unpaid interns. At the end of the survey, two of the biggest arguments against unpaid internships are the fact that they not only make you less employable but they can result in a lower salary, thus devaluing the labor force and eventually hurting the economy whilst feeding into the student debt crisis. On a less dramatic and individual level, a thoroughly researched unpaid internship can be somewhat helpful. If the
intern is truly gaining experience (as stated in the six-part test), networking or gaining college credit, it might just be the route to follow. Who knows? It might also ignite a hidden passion. However, simply jumping onto the bandwagon without apprehension will only hurt valuable time in a rat race for financial stability. It takes a certain amount of research, debating and critical thinking when considering this option. If a student can afford to work without compensation and is simply looking at having an experience that will be personally rewarding, unpaid internships are definitely appealing over other alternatives (paid internships, part-time work, research, contests and the likes). Even then, there needs to be a clear understanding between the employer and intern in regards to the objectives and goals so that the student (who should be aware of the rights as an unpaid intern) is the one who is mostly benefiting. However, it is important to remember that, on average, there is very little data to claim that an unpaid internship is worth more than a paid internship. The requiem for the asterisk following ‘unpaid internship’ is a must.
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April 24, 2017
Words by Daniel Luke Hammer
As a sophomore at Drake, I joined the Adams Academy program and was challenged to do 10 hours of community service. I thought about what kinds of community service create the maximum amount of “good” and thought back to Walk for the Horn. Because it is an independent event, 100 percent of the proceeds go to the cause. U.S. dollars go a long way in Ethiopia, meaning that even a small amount can generate a lot of benefits for the kids who need it a couple thousand miles away. I decided to start the event up again at Drake and advertised it to my friends. 20 people participated and five finished, raising over $1,200 that helped finance the construction of a library in the Mai Ayni refugee camp. Last year’s walk was even bigger, with 34 participants and 17 finishers. Over $2,500 was raised and went to purchasing books in the kids’ native language of Tigrinian that were placed in the library we had helped with the prior year. At this point, the walk was officially an annual event, and I started pondering ways to make it sustainable for after I graduated. This year’s walk was quite special for a multitude or reasons. A record number of 45 students participated, which, in turn, led to a record number of 25 finishers. More importantly, over $5,000 was raised by the participants with some money still to be donated. This amount, which is $2,000 over our target goal, will be used to create a soccer field in the Ade Harush refugee
45
students participated
25
students finished
camp for the 800plu s unaccompanied minors living there. Because fundraising was so successful, Walk for the Horn will also be able to partially support recreational and counseling programs for the kids, with one of the goals being to prevent them from being trafficked from the camp. I cannot thank everyone who has supported the cause and the event enough. All of the participants and the people in their lives that donate to this event make Walk for the Horn’s mission possible. And all of the organizers, drivers and others working behind the scenes are an indispensable resource that make the walk a successful event each year. Creating and leading Walk for the Horn has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in my lifetime. The event proves that, with enough passion and effort, people can make a difference no matter where they are, as exemplified by college students in Iowa leaving a direcWalk for the Horn is an extreme longdistance charity walk that raises funding and awareness for unaccompanied minors in several Eritrean refugee camps within Ethiopia. The name stems from the Horn of Africa, where both Eritrea and Ethiopia are located. The fourth annual Walk for the Horn took place on
Saturday, April 15th. Participants started out at Drake University’s Old Main building and traversed 34.2 grueling miles of sidewalks, bike paths and country roads to reach Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University. The walk started at 5:00 AM and walkers began finishing around 11 hours later. The first walk was held in Kansas City during high school. My friend and I wanted to challenge ourselves and do something that would help others. We learned about several refugee camps in Ethiopia where these Eritrean kids were living in poor conditions without much support, so we decided to try to help them in whatever small way we could. In January, we walked 28 miles through snow and ice from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to Olathe, Kansas, and were able to raise over $1,000 to purchase shoes for the kids. t impact in the lives of children living on another continent. As graduation nears and my time organizing Walk for the Horn comes to an end, I’m still excited knowing that my co-leader for the past two walks, Mitch Schank, will be leading the next generation of Drake students to continue to make a difference in the lives of others before passing the torch on. This year’s event was the most challenging and rewarding yet, but the walk is just getting started.
@OldMain
@JackTriceStadium
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Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 5B
Travel Time by Transportation 11 h 20 min 34.5 miles
3 h 22 min 38.2 miles
1 h 32 min varies on stops
according to Google
35 - 45 min 37.2 miles
Jack Trice Stadium
Old Main
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April 24, 2017
CAMPUS VISITS
Visiting Drake during Relays
Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
LYNK | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
I am one of those Chicago Bus Trip students. I still talk about it — I loved it. It was my first visit to Drake and it offered a new perspective to the average college tour. But, I thought when you stepped on a college campus you would just know if that was the one. I had been on at least six college visits before Drake and I didn’t have that feeling. I also didn’t have that feeling when I left Drake’s campus in the morning. When I was on the Bus Trip, I met with David Wright, the associate dean of the school of journalism and mass communication. He told me there were multiple opportunities to get involved digitally and journalistically on campus. He invited me back during the Drake Relays and said he would
BULLDOGS
POLITICS
CAMPUS TOURS are held during Relays. Jensen said that this helped her make her decision on where to go to college. PHOTO BY JESSICA
take me behind the scenes and I could see the broadcast students at work. If that didn’t solidify my decision, then Drake likely wasn’t the place for me. To be fair, Wright gave me this opportunity because I thought I was interested in broadcast journalism my senior year. I am now at the end of my sophomore year with two majors in the J-school, neither of them broadcast. I also don’t enjoy video too much, I prefer playing with words. Nonetheless, I came back for Relays and Wright took my mom and I into the production and broadcast booth, and I got to man a camera during one of the races on the top of the stadium. All of the journalism students I met with talked about all of the fantastic opportunities they received through the J-school and how they jumped right into their involvements their first semester of their first year. It was more than just the tour of the stadium that changed my mind about Drake’s placement on my college-ranking list. It was the traditions, the school spirit and the people. Sometimes touring a school at the height of activity can be misleading. I could have left Drake thinking paint fights happened every week, and music was always playing from Helmick commons and 40,000
people were always roaming the outskirts of campus. But, that didn’t play into my decision. I left on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and I remember the conversations I had with students and the stories they shared. I thought that one year later, I could be participating in the fun traditions at Drake during Relays week, but I could also be involved in the school paper and other clubs on campus that will further my professional aspirations. Two years to the date of that visit, I can confidently say that Drake has done both of those things for me. Last year, I helped out on the field at the Drake Relays, and this year I have helped put out the 40-page issue of The Times-Delphic. I spent the long six-hour drive back to Grayslake wondering if I had actually made up my mind. Even though I didn’t vocally declare my decision until May, I knew that day in late April that I would be furthering my education at Drake. If I didn’t tour during Relays, and see the role the J-school students played in the Relays, I may very well be at Mizzou or DePaul. Even though my journalistic abilities aren’t utilized in the Drake Relays, it was the knowledge that they could be that made Drake so alluring.
Save Wrinkles Dear Mr. President...
Thalia Anguiano Contributing Writer thalia.anguiano@drake.edu Zack Blevins Contributing Writer zachary.blevins@drake.edu
We, two concerned Drake members of this fine university, are writing to spread the message that our beloved bulldog statue, Wrinkles, went missing last year and is still missing. For those of you who may not know of the emotional attachment we had with Wrinkles, please let us lay out our relationship with Wrinkles. The story has been outlined below: Wrinkles was in need of some TLC. Being one of the original bulldog statues in the Bulldog Parade across campus, the glued images of Drake students around the outside of Wrinkles had been ripped and faded from the many years of students sitting on Wrinkles, posing for photos. Wrinkles went through a renovation at Dogtown Afterhours in 2015; however, those repairs quickly diminished. So, we set out on a mission during the J-Term of 2016 to bring new life to Wrinkles. We removed pictures, we scraped, we power-sanded, we cleaned, we painted new life into Wrinkles over a grueling 3 week process, only for him to be snatched away from Olmsted without anyone noticing. We
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may have gotten a stern talking to from Meghan Blancas (now known as Meghan Baeza) over using a power sander in Olmsted without permission, but the deed was already done. So that was our J-Term, basically. When we weren’t in class, we were running around Olmsted with a bulldog statue, a power sander and a dedication to the student body. Eventually, we realized we were running out of time to fix our bulldog statue friend and decided to pick up the project after the spring semester started. However, one day, things changed. It was around the month of April that we were informed that Wrinkles, the bulldog statue that we had built a strong relationship with over J-Term was missing. Panicked, we didn’t know what to think. We asked, “Who took Wrinkles? Why would someone do such a thing”. We yelled, “WE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO FINISH PUTTING THE NEW PICTURES ON THE BODY!” We cried. After copious amounts of email exchanges with Scott Law and other key players across campus, we could not locate Wrinkles. We are coming too close to the end here, Drake. We are graduating in less than three weeks and we want to see Wrinkles one last time before we leave. Today, we are writing to you as a plea. It has been over a year now and there is still no sign of Wrinkles. We miss him. We want him back. If you have him, please do the right thing and return him, preferably in one piece. Also, if you have any information of Wrinkles’s whereabouts, the Times Delphic is accepting anonymous tips. Help your university bring joy to others. Thank you and have a blessed Relays.
Melody DeRogatis Contributing Writer melody.derogatis@drake.edu
I start this letter with that greeting because that was the topic of this opinion story. You have done nothing to merit the respect for me to refer to you as “Mr.,” let alone president. If I were to start this letter by my own accord, it would probably start something like: “Evil Cheeto--”, but alas, society expects me to maintain a sense of professionalism. You see, respect has to be earned. Typically, it’s assumed that these things don’t have to be explained to someone over the age of 5, but don’t worry, I’ll explain how this works. You see, people respect you if you respect them. If people respected you, there probably wouldn’t be a nationwide campaign titled “Not My President”. Now, this is just an opinion, but I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch when I say that, typically, people want their leaders to be someone they can look up to. In smaller scales, elections are often a form of popularity contest. You know what makes someone popular? They’re likable. People like people who are kind, respectful, and caring. Yet, I must stand corrected, because somehow, you are the epitome of the opposite of those
things, and you’re still the leader of our country for the next four years. You, Donald Trump, are a bully. You believe in ‘treating women poorly,’ make fun of physical disabilities, calling poor people “morons”, and those are just three of uncouth examples that prove you don’t know the most basic elements of respect and human understanding. You see, I’m not even trying to discuss your more controversial political ideas, like forcing the military to commit war crimes. Nor am I trying to comment on your beliefs (or lack thereof, like global warming). Of course, I also am not accusing you of the various lies you’ve told, such as claiming Ted Cruz’s father was the assassin of John F. Kennedy.
Do you know what happens to bullies who are elected as leaders? They become dictators. There have already been numerous comparisons of you to Adolf Hitler, so I needn’t make that comparison.
No - I am merely suggesting that you don’t have the basic adult principles of respect, which is basically an unspoken rule for leadership. This isn’t complicated stuff, Cheeto. I’d say I learned treating people with basic respect as early as preschool. Do you know what happens to bullies who are elected as leaders? They become dictators.
There have already been numerous comparisons of you to Adolf Hitler, so I needn’t make that comparison. However, clearly that analogy is lost on you, so let me try to put it in terms you will understand: cartoons. On South Park, Mr. Garrison (who is rude to everyone, including his 4th grade students), makes a terrible leader because he has no idea what he’s doing. On The Powerpuff Girls, Princess (the “spoiled brat”) never gets to become a superhero because she is mean to everyone, which means she can’t look out for everyone’s best interests. And of course, on Spongebob Squarepants, Plankton never runs a successful business because he’s always too busy being evil and trying to tear down the Krusty Krab. Similarly, when Princess and Plankton take over on their own accord, they run dictatorships and hurt and kill people. Bullies do not make presidents, they make dictators. So, I’m hoping I put this in terms you could understand. Considering you don’t have basic human respect, I just assume you didn’t pass early forms of grammar school. Maybe you didn’t understand all the destruction and hurt you’ve been causing the American (and dozens of other nations) culture, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. Now that you know, you’ll fix your behavior and never do it again, right?
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 7B
BUSINESS
Brands should be expected to do the right thing
Jake Bullington Digital Editor jacob.bullington@drake.edu @JakeBullington
Apple, Lyft, Starbucks and Netflix all have taken political stances since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20. All of these companies’ customer bases are filled with young people and college students, who often tend to skew more liberal. These companies have been thrust into the spotlight for their voice, or lack thereof, on political issues that have become national news. The biggest example of this came in the form of the “total and complete shutdown” of Muslims that Trump proposed on the campaign trail and attempted to enact in the form of executive orders. Protesters and activists, including many collegeaged students across the country, called upon companies to take a stand against the unilateral action taken by Trump. Whether or not these companies’ CEOs actually oppose the law or disagree with
Trump is tough to prove. We as consumers are supposed to take their corporate verbiage in press releases at face value and reward (or protest) their products and services with our wallets. This protest has manifested itself mostly through social media backlash. #DeleteUber trended nationwide in February and resulted in a sizable dent in the ride-hailing app’s user base after the company was perceived as being too friendly with the current White House administration — 200,000 people deleted their Uber accounts in just six days, according to a New York Times report. Most recently, Pepsi took heat for going too far on the ‘woke’ scale by utilizing a mock protest likened to #BlackLivesMatter to sell carbonated sugar water. It’s risky for large companies to take a public stance, though. They run the risk of alienating at least half of their customers — and for what? It seems companies and their public relations teams are working to be morally in the right just to avoid a swift and harsh public outcry against them. Neither Pepsi or Uber want to be seen as the “racist” company nor the “sexist” company, so it becomes a matter of public optics, rather than what these companies actually believe in. In my rather pessimistic view, it’s got to be a profit-motivated effort. Procter & Gamble, also known as the company that
basically makes everything, isn’t still in existence because of the people running the show are socially liberal. The phrase “money talks” applies to this whole scenario. These huge companies would rather avoid being accused of something negative.
Remember how many advertisers and corporate sponsors pulled out of the Republican National Convention in 2016 when it became clear that Trump was going to be the official nominee? It wasn’t just consumer brands like Ford
avoiding the storm of you know who — it was big banks like Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, companies you don’t typically associate with being friendly to liberal ideologies. So, before we all applaud a big company for doing something right, maybe we shouldn’t.
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Pure Comedy’ depicts the struggles that come with humanity
Parker Klyn Music Critic parker.klyn@drake.edu @KlynParker
Josh Tillman’s breakthrough as a solo artist came in 2015 with the release of his second album as Father John Misty, titled “I Love You, Honeybear.” It was an intensely personal affair, with passionate, reverent statements of love that were equal parts hopelessly earnest and bitingly cynical. But one notable track didn’t really fit in thematically with the rest of the album: the lead single, “Bored in the USA.” The song is an examination of middle-class life in America, contemplating the meaning of wealth (“I’ve got all morning to obsessively accrue a small nation of meaningful objects”), society (“By this afternoon I’ll live in debt / By tomorrow replaced by children”) and faith (“Save me, white Jesus … Save me, President Jesus!”). Sure, it’s melodramatic, but it’s also stunningly accurate. Father John Misty’s newest album, “Pure Comedy,” is “Bored in the USA” to the hundredth power. To call it “sprawling” would be a massive understatement. At its core, “Pure Comedy” is about the human condition and all of the baggage that comes with existing. But the sheer
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amount of avenues he uses to tackle humanity – including the aforementioned wealth, faith and society, as well as the rapid development of technology, revolutions, death, capitalism, love, socially constructed conflict, love, sex and drugs – is a staggering effort. The opening title track is this year’s best song. It takes a look at how absurd and hysterical it is that we even exist in our current state. “The comedy of man starts like this / Our brains are way too big for our mother’s hips,” are the first words Tillman says, laughing at how humans are essentially helpless for the first few years of life, and how we’re at the mercy of our parents to fill us in on how the world works. Later on the song, “They build fortunes poisoning their offspring … Where did they find these goons they elected to rule them?” is more cutting. Executives at tobacco, alcohol, and nonrenewable energy corporations are objectively contributing to the deaths of millions, and yet we all applaud when someone finds a solution to our man-made problems. “It’s like something that a madman would conceive.” “Total Entertainment Forever” is a hilarious romp through the near future, where our protagonist wakes up from “Bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift.” Tillman mocks how we’re all plugged into our virtual reality machines, because real life is just too hard to deal with. “Ballad of the Dying Man” is undoubtedly self-referential, as Tillman’s signature cynicism doesn’t really have a solid, concrete point, but it could apply to any sort of critic — including
me. The titular dying man worries who will check all of the internet’s “pretentious, ignorant voices” or the “homophobes, hipsters and the one percent” once he’s gone. Tillman’s cleverness doesn’t waver once over the course of this album. “The Memo” laughs at capitalism and how deeply marketing and advertising affects us, even in music: “I’m gonna take five young dudes from white families / I’m gonna tell everybody they sing like angels with whiter teeth / Every concertgoer will pay you to believe.” I like One Direction’s music as much as the next guy, but to say they’re not immaculately designed and synthetic is to be in denial. “Pure Comedy” is hilarious and heartbreaking, engaging and oppressive and always compelling, but that wouldn’t mean much if it didn’t sound great. Luckily, Tillman’s voice is smooth and sweet, which is essential for someone who puts so much emphasis on himself and his lyrics. The music is backed with lovely instrumentation that never overstays its welcome. Most tracks have guitar and piano, and sometimes Tillman even decides to add a musical flourish, like saxophone on “Total Entertainment Forever,” strings on “Two Wildly Different Perspectives” or a gospel choir on “Ballad of the Dying Man”. Despite how pleasant the music sounds, “Pure Comedy” is not an easy listen. The 13 tracks are stretched to an hour and 15 minutes, meaning only about half the tracklist consists of concise, clearly written songs. There’s enough material here
to keep a listener occupied for weeks, considering Tillman’s meanings or experiencing muchneeded catharsis. There are two moments on Pure Comedy that are so compelling that I don’t want to spoil them: first, the 13 minute centerpiece “Leaving LA.” Second, the album’s closer, “In Twenty Years Or So.” I’m going to leave it at this: if you’re a fan of Father John Misty, you will find something mind-blowing about these songs. Josh Tillman isn’t a genius. His “Father” title is just for show. But he’s able to find beauty and humor in nearly everything, and it’s hard not to look at “Pure Comedy” as his opus. With “I Love You, Honeybear,” Tillman had established himself as a great singer-songwriter and folk musician. After Pure Comedy,
he stands alone at the top of modern folk, and shoulder to shoulder with all-time greats like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. My jaw dropped the first time I heard the piano ballad “When the God of Love Returns There’ll Be Hell to Pay.” It has a meaningful twist on a generally boring cliché: a human cursing God. This track’s narrator essentially scolds God for setting humanity up to fail with all their flaws: “This place is savage and unjust / And now you’ve got the gall to judge us?” Despite many of us maintaining faith, in God or otherwise, it can nonetheless be difficult in these trying times. “We just want light in the dark, warmth in the cold,” Tillman sings. “And to make something out of nothing sounds like someone else I know.”
“Pure Comedy” incorporates the humor and heartbreak of life, and is the “top of modern folk.” PHOTO COURTESY OF FATHERJOHNMISTY.COM
Relays Edition
Page 8B
April 24, 2017
OVER-PROGRAMMING
RELAYS
Speakers on speakers, over programing plagues campus Working
during Relays
Jessie Spangler Opinions Editor jessica.spangler@drake.edu @jessiespangler3
It’s six in the evening, and I’m exhausted. All I want to do is lie down, but then I remember that my day isn’t quite done. Classes might be over, but there’s an extra credit opportunity in an hour, an hour-long event with a speaker. But if I go to that, then I can’t go see this other speaker that I wanted to see that’s at the same time. And right after that is another event I have to cover for my reporting class. Speaking of class, I also have a project due tomorrow. After thinking about it long and hard, I end up going back to my room and going to none of these things; save the event I have to cover for my reporting class. Situations like these happen all the time to Drake students. We all know that everyone is insanely busy and achingly tired. It’s this pressure that follows us, claws itself into our shoulders and weighs us down as we run from classes to meetings. The competition to be well rounded and hold leadership positions is at an all-time high. We’re trying to do it all and forget about our own needs. Some days I’m running around so much I forget to drink water or eat a meal. One of the biggest reasons for this is that everything seems to be happening at the same time. That extra credit your professor told you about is at the same time you’re supposed to be at another sorority’s philanthropy event. Or that club you wanted to join has meetings at the same time as another organization you’re already a part of. It’s an
Cassie Bauer Photo Editor cassandra.bauer@drake.edu @avriece
endless cycle of you weighing what’s going to benefit you more. If programs are not at the same time, they’re probably stacked right after each other, so you find yourself sprinting from the library to Olmsted weekly. And the funniest thing about over-programming at Drake is that many times when you arrive at an event, one of the first things you notice is the amount of people there. Primarily, you notice the lack of people there. It’s no secret that Drake students are infamously busy. Yet, multiple events are still set
up around the same time, with the hopes that a few students with some spare time in their schedules will show up. Sometimes it feels that it’s too much to expect, especially in light of the fact that people keep planning things for the same weekends. The thing is, there aren’t enough students on campus to really draw out a large gathering, unless it’s something to do with Relays. Even then, when faced with a week full of different happenings, it can feel too overwhelming.
And when you’re overwhelmed, you’re probably more likely to head back to your room to lie in bed then go to three different things in one day. Drake needs to be more aware of other events going on at the same time when planning speakers and other events. The same goes for clubs and organizations – be wary of when you’re planning something, especially if you want a large turnout. And, to Drake students – it’s okay to have some free time or do something for yourself.
SCHOOL SPIRIT
Student uncertain of Drake pride
Haley Hodges Contributing Writer haley.hodges@drake.edu
Drake has been getting some bad press lately, but no one I talk to seems to be concerned with it. For me, between lawsuits and uncertainties, I’m left with uncertainties of my own on whether I take pride in Drake or not. For anyone who may not know, Drake University has several outstanding lawsuits filed against it for various problems. A former assistant women’s basketball coach claimed she
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was fired based on her sexual orientation, a father was ousted from the board of trustees and there are numerous sexual misconduct and assault cases each year—hello, outstanding Title IX investigation. None of these seem to be hot topics of regular debate and no one who’s ever asked where I go to school has brought them up, but seeing the occasional update pop up in Drake news, I can’t help but worry about my school. Whenever I hear the words Pennsylvania State, I think about the coach controversy a couple years back, rather than the merits of the school. Drake isn’t as big or well-known as Penn State but I don’t want it to be known as that small Iowa school with all the lawsuits. I’ve never been the type to boast about my school. In high school, I thought school spirit was stupid because we were honestly the worst at most sports, had bomb threats from students and the school once had to close because there was
asbestos in the walls. For college, it’s different because it impacts your future so much more. No potential employer is going to look at your resume and criticize a high school they’ve probably never heard of. But a university has pull to it and even something entirely unrelated to you could potentially taint their perception. I worked hard to get to a good school, I don’t want a scandal ruining that. Aside from professional goals and keeping up appearances, it’s hard to have Drake pride when you start to think about the potentially shady things that are going on here. The Title IX investigation, along with the individual cases I’ve heard from people I know or the always upsetting timely warnings issued to our email accounts, is enough to make me shutter. Sexual assault is, unfortunately, a pretty common problem on college campuses but Drake is a small school with way too much of it going on for the size of our student body,
especially knowing a lot isn’t getting reported. I’m a pretty intensely liberal person so the prospect of someone getting fired based on sexual orientation is repulsive and I really hope it’s not true. I know very little about the politics of sports but can imagine there are plenty of other reasons someone could be fired. I don’t want to discount the claim because, spoiler alert, people discriminate against other people and even more against those whose lifestyles are different from their own. Something like this is not unheard of, which is why I’ll consider the side of a woman I don’t know over the institute that I pour a lot of money into. I still haven’t made up my mind on how I feel about some of the allegations surrounding Drake. I’m uncomfortable but until a verdict is reached, I don’t have much of a right to pick sides. Drake pride is a fragile thing. It’s not that I don’t have it, it’s just that if we were generally better, I’d have more.
The worst part of Drake Relays is working for Creative Services and Drake Broadcasting System (DBS). As a creative services employee, jobs range from camera operator to graphics to producers and directors, as well as tons of other positions. For most of the year, I run the replay system for Drake games broadcasted to ESPN3, but during Relays my job changes. My first year of Relays was last spring, but it was the worst experience I’ve ever had working at Drake. I got scheduled for the earliest hours possible, usually starting at 7 a.m., an hour before any action starts. I reported to the director when I would get to work, who tells everyone to wait around until they need you. After waiting, for what felt like forever, I was finally stationed at a camera in the rain, underneath a garbage bag – my other coworkers were lucky and got rain-protective equipment for their cameras. Every day I worked until I couldn’t stand up anymore. On any other week in April, it’d be nice outside, but during Relays the weather was awful. As a camera operator, I had to stand in the cold rain for hours on end. So what did I wear to my first Relays? Layers, upon layers, upon layers. Not to mention those layers were not enough to keep me from being cold. As a camera operator, you do what you’re told and you’re not expected to talk back or ask questions. But in case something goes wrong, you have a walkietalkie to speak to the director. The whole time you’re working Relays you’re moving little to not at all. Meanwhile someone is yelling at you in your ear about how you need to stop shivering so much, it’s ruining the shot. Halfway through my first day of working Relays I was shivering so hard I was practically begging the director to have someone take over my camera for me. When you’re working in the cold in a stationary position, your legs tend to tense up to keep from shivering, which hopefully keeps the director from yelling at you. By the end of Relays, I was physically exhausted. I worked every day, even when I didn’t have the motivation to. Meanwhile, everyone else on campus seemed to be having a blast.
Relays Edition
Page 2C Students, faculty and staff, the Drake Community Press and the Des Moines Area Religious Council collaborated to create a book about religion.
Page 3C Relays brings in thousands of people. Those thousands need to eat, which results in increased business for a variety of restaurants the Des Moines.
Page 4C Drake esports looks to give students the opportunity to play video games in a club setting. This club splits from other gaming clubs at Drake.
Page 6C The School of Journalism and Mass Communication has partnered with Google News Lab to bring new skills to J-School students.
PHOTOS BY JAKE BULLINGTON | DIGITAL EDITOR
Page 7C Drake has been advancing the policy on service and assistance animals for students who need service animals and assistance animals.
INSIDE RELAYS
The process behind the squares on painted street Samantha Ohlson Contributing Writer samantha.ohlson@drake.edu @SamanthaOhlson
Street painting is a favorite Relays tradition amongst Drake students, but some students do not understand the process behind how the squares are chosen. When the Relays theme, “Like Never Before,” was announced on April 12, Blitz Day, organizations are invited to pick up an information packet with the rules about entering a design. Each organization is invited to submit a design on an 8.5-by-8.5-inch paper square. Designs must be in full color and drawn by hand. “Designs have to be submitted exactly how they’re going to draw them,” said Braeden McElmury, one of the Student Activities Board (SAB) Relays co-chairs. “It can’t be a sketch. It has to be in full color, as precise as possible.” McElmury said some of the biggest issues are when squares have not been sketched well, or even come in drawn in crayon. Designs were due at 5 p.m. the Monday April 17. McElmury emphasized that squares are not looked at until after the deadline. “Squares (are) judged based on creativity, uniqueness and incorporation of the Relays theme in the design,” McElmury said. “It’s not first-come, firstserve.” The two Relays co-chairs (this year, McElmury and junior Anna Jensen), SAB President Nick Jenderko, and SAB’s advisor, Kodee Wright, judge the square designs.
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Feedback for the designs comes the same night as the due date. Some square designs are chosen immediately, while others are asked for a revision that would be due at 5 p.m. the following night, although some designs are nixed right away. McElmury said the decision can become difficult when there are a number of similar designs, but that it is possible for some of the similar designs to be asked for revision or for the squares to be distributed in different places along the street if all the designs are picked.
We try to be as unbiased as possible when it comes to different organizations. And we really, strictly, just focus on the designs we are presented with. Nick Jenderko SAB President
“We have to get to this end goal of making the street complete,” McElmury said. Once the squares are chosen and the street has been whitewashed, it is painted in its entirety on the Friday before Relays week, barring a delay like bad weather. Organizations will be allowed to paint the background color from 9 to 11 a.m. Designs may be sketched from 2 to 4 p.m., but squares may not be painted
until 4 p.m. Street painting officially lasts until 7 p.m., but organizations have until 8:30 p.m. Friday night to complete the square. At 4 p.m., all students are allowed to come to the street for the annual paint fight that usually break outs between students. Those students do not have be involved in painting a square for an organization, but they do have to provide their own paint. If an organization fails to finish its square or breaks one of the many other rules, such as deviating from the approved design, they forfeit their square, which will be given to an alternate group. “I really like squares that surprise me or are really outside of the box, something I wouldn’t have thought about in relation to the theme,” Jenderko said. McElmury said color is especially important in square designs. “You can’t have a black and white square ... It definitely has to be colorful, and the more color, usually the better,” McElmury said. “But, it has to be just a really well thought out design.” “We try to look for a variety of designs, unique designs,” Jenderko said. “And we try to be as unbiased as possible when it comes to different organizations. And we really, strictly just focus on the designs that we are presented with.” Both McElmury and Jenderko stressed that painted street squares should not be meant as advertisements for student groups. The decision on which groups get squares is chiefly based on the design, not on the organizations
it represents. “There are no quotas for any organization and any type of organization,” Jenderko said. McElmury said the rumor that only a certain number of Greek organizations can make the street is untrue. “If all five sororities are fabulous and have designs, they will all make the street,” McElmury said.
Student Activities Board white-washed the street last Monday to get the street ready. Individual squares were painted on Friday.
Relays Edition
Page 2C
April 24, 2017
CURRICULUM
Various majors involved in creating ‘Spectrum of Faith’
THE BOOK, “A Specturm of Faith: Religions of the Wold in America’s Heartland” held a book launch on April 6 in Olmsted Center. PHOTO BY LORIEN MACENULTY | STAFF WRITER Lorien MacEnulty Staff Writer lorien.macenulty@drake.edu @lorienmacenulty
“Of the monks.” That’s the literal translation of the French title “Des Moines.” Living up to its name, there are a few monks in the city’s residence. In fact, there exists a collection of religious communities in Des Moines. Many of them are portrayed by Drake students between the folds of “A Spectrum of Faith: Religions of the World in America’s Heartland.” The book is the product of a two-year collaboration between Drake students, faculty and staff, the Drake Community Press (The Press), and the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC). “The Press is basically a unique, small-press publisher,” said Professor of English Carol Spaulding-Kruse, the founder and director of Drake Community Press. “What we do is we work with students, staff and faculty from across the university and bring in a community partner from a nonprofit organization that has a compelling story to tell. Then we say, ‘Let’s produce a volume that will help tell the story of that organization, and then we’ll raise awareness about the work that they do.’” The idea began two and a half years ago with Tim Knepper, a professor of philosophy at Drake. Knepper wrote an editorial for The Des Moines Register about a 40-foot statue of a Vietnamese Buddhist bodhisattva in Oct. 2014. The article caught the attention of freelance photographer Bob Blanchard. “(Blanchard) contacted
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me afterwards saying, could I get him into more religious communities so he could take more pictures,” Knepper said. “And we met, and I said, ‘How about this: I’ve always wanted to write a book about religion in Des Moines, but I don’t know if I have enough words to fill up the pages. Let’s write a picture book.’” What started off as a twoman band led to an influential cooperation with over onehundred students, faculty and staff across an assortment of academic disciplines. The publishing of the book cost between $26,000 and $30,000, although event and activity production brought the price to more than $50,000. “It really is a lot of moving parts, with a lot of stakeholders involved, and staying in communication,” SpauldingKruse said. Religion and Editing Knepper’s was exactly the type of project Drake Community Press was looking for. And so, in the spring semester of 2016, Spaulding-Kruse and Knepper co-taught a course integrating 15 religion capstone students and approximately 10 English editors who wanted pre-professional experience in book publishing. “The students went to spend the majority of the semester in their communities, attending as many services as they could, getting to know people in the community, going to all sorts of functions, becoming an insider, to some extent, so that they could write with the community rather than about the community,” Knepper said. The most heartbreaking phase for Knepper was deciding which communities to represent and which had to be
left out. Des Moines is home to many: Lausians, Cambodians, Thaiwanese Buddhists, Japanese Buddhists, Bosnians, Somalis, African Sub-Saharan Christians and Butanese. The establishment of these communities in Des Moines is considered a story of immigration that started in the mid-1970s. Then-governor Bob Ray responded to a request by President Gerald Ford to resettle Vietnamese refugees of war, known as Tai Dam. Ray invited 2,000 of these refugees to Des Moines, spurring a surge of immigration that’s still supported today by organizations such as the United States Committee for Refugees (USCRI) and Lutheran Services in Iowa. “I find, in general, that communities are very eager for others to know about them,” Knepper said. “In particular, with the political climate we live in now, the mosques are more eager than they were when we started making this book; to have the wider community know who they are and what they do and that they’re not terrorists and so forth.” Special bonds formed between the students and communities, according to Knepper. The religion students returned with field notes, which the editing students then translated into human interest stories. Editing and Design “There isn’t just the preprofessional idea of editing,” Spaulding-Kruse said. “It’s thinking critically about the content and about how you represent someone from another culture, and all those sorts of things that are more academically oriented, that are also part of the work. In the summer of 2016,
Spaulding-Kruse and a team of editors combed through the stories: fact-checking, rephrasing, enhancing and editing. “The beauty of editing is that, if it’s done well, the author still feels like it’s their work, that it belongs to them, and then the stuff that (the editors) did that cleaned it up isn’t visible,” Spaulding-Kruse said. The project was turned over to the graphic designers in the fall 2016 semester. In a course led by Associate Professor John Fender, design students proposed methods of visual communication to accompany and emphasize the concepts portrayed. “Another issue we had was how to arrange the chapters,” Knepper said. “We didn’t want to do it alphabetically, we didn’t want to do it by religion, so how to organize them? One of the design students noticed there were dominant colors in the pictures for different chapters, and so that’s how we organized it; in terms of the color spectrum.” The title of the book, “A Spectrum of Faith,” was derived from the chromatic order to the chapters. Public Relations and Marketing In January 2017, another course was dedicated to the project. The J-term class was cotaught by Spaulding-Kruse and the the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Carlyn Crowe. Students who took the course were not required to have an interest in religion or faith, but rather joined in for the pre-professional marketing experience. “How do you put a media kit together? How do you plan the events that are associated with
this book project?” SpauldingKruse said. “Because The Press has a strong value of community building, we don’t just produce a book, we produce curricular experiences and community experiences where people are brought together to learn.” The students split into task forces and focused on various marketing aspects, such as event planning, electronic publishing, media portrayal and grant writing. “They helped make the plans that we are now executing as we are promoting the book,” Spaulding Kruse said. A total of 2,000 books were printed, sold at $30.00 each. The revenue generated by the book sales, a maximum of $60,000, will go to the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network. “I would like this (book) to be a point of pride for the city,” Knepper said. “I would like it to spark conversations regarding the ways that immigration has worked well here, in welcoming oppressed, marginalized, and victimized people, and sharing our resources with them.” The Comparison Project intends to host a “Meet My Religious Neighbor Open House” featuring these 15 communities. There are plans for an interfaith youth camp, which may encourage younger generations of Iowans to explore and discover the array of religions represented in Des Moines. “(I hope) that we would work to build networks with diverse components that would engage each other in productive ways,” Knepper said. “And learn from one another that we would not only respect one another’s faiths, but learn from them.”
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 3C
INSIDE RELAYS
Drake Relays theme challenged logo designer Natalie Larimer Staff Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu @larimers_logic
Every year, the Drake Relays theme is kept a secret until about a week before the week begins. The theme is used to promote the Student Activities Board (SAB) and is featured on SAB members’ apparel for Relays. It also becomes a part of Painted Street, a Drake tradition that alters the scene of campus for an entire year. This year, the theme is “Like Never Before.” The logo designer this time around was sophomore graphic design major Anna Gleason. She was one of several artists to apply for the job and one of the few who got to find out the theme early. “I brought along with me five examples of work I’ve done, and then you just talk through your process and what your work typically looks like,” Gleason said. “Then, they selected the top three based on the meetings of all the applicants, who then signed contracts saying we wouldn’t release the theme or anything.” Last year’s logo designer, Jordan Lundquist, suggested Anna apply for the job. “I knew Anna would be a great candidate because she is one of the most creative people I have ever met,” Lundquist said. “I knew that, regardless of the theme, she would come up with something really unique and
beautiful. She is especially great with laying out typography, which greatly assisted her in creating such a great logo.” After Lundquist encouraged Gleason to apply, she decided that she had enough experience under her belt to feel comfortable with the job. “Last year, I considered it for a moment but really felt wholeheartedly unqualified,” Gleason said. “I really wouldn’t have applied this year if Jordan hadn’t encouraged me to do so, and I’m glad I did.” During her first year, Gleason took 18 credit hours each semester in mainly graphic design classes and those gave her the experience that she felt she needed in order to tackle this project. Gleason describes her artistic process as discovering what imagery would go best with the theme and taking it from there. “When I heard the theme I wondered, ‘How can I convey this theme in form and typography’,” Gleason said. “I did a lot of sitting on InDesign and Illustrator and playing with different tools. I think I sent in, like, 15 variations of logos that were all vaguely similar.” However, “Like Never Before” had no specific imagery that came to mind when Gleason was told what to design for. “I really wanted to make sure that the logo didn’t seem arbitrary,” Gleason said. “I wanted the logo itself and the form of it to convey the theme of
the Relays and the idea behind it. I think that my design is pretty fitting to the theme, even though it was hard to design for.” Lundquist hoped that Gleason’s design would stand
out from the previous ones, as it is something that distinguishes each year’s Relays from the rest. “I knew her logo would be really unique from logos in the past,” Lundquist said. “Past logos
have been very geometric and blocky, including mine from last year. Her logo is super intricate and looks very handmade, which is an extremely welcomed change of style.”
ANNA GLEASON designed the Student Activities Board Drake Relays logo for the theme, Like Never Before. COURTESY OF ANNA GLEASON
DES MOINES
Relays run up tab at local businesses Will Muckian Contributing Writer will.muckian@drake.edu @WMuckain
Businesses in Iowa’s capital eagerly anticipate the influx of potential customers swarming Des Moines during the Drake Relays and the monetary boost to the local economy they bring with them. “The entire impact of the Drake Relays is $7.7 million on the Des Moines economy,” said Greg Edwards, the president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. According to Edwards, Relays is among the top annual events in terms of boosting the Des Moines economy. “There are a handful of events
that (are comparable),” Edwards said. “The World Pork Expo brings in international travel like the Drake Relays do, and it has a huge impact on the community. The Iowa State Fair is probably the biggest annual impact.” The Convention and Visitors Bureau does more than just provide information for those new to the city. For the Relays especially, its responsibility is getting disoriented newcomers to walk in the door of local businesses instead of through national chains. For bars, the impact is significant. Edwards said that establishments with a social component, like bars, receive a huge boost from Drake traffic. “All of those bars and restaurants are fully aware of
when those Relays fans come in,” Edwards said. “They may run certain flyers and certain marketing.” The bars nearest to Drake — Peggy’s Tavern and West End — both see a massive increase in turnout. The “Peggy’s Tent” during Relays Week is one of the business’s most well-known events, but the impact extends beyond those two. Bordy’s Pizza, located right next to Peggy’s, also benefits from its proximity to Drake. “(Relays) is all they’re talking about here,” Adam, a Bordy’s employee, said. “People were just packing in here.” For establishments close to Drake, additional preparations have to be made. Bordy’s brings on extra help, as does the
McDonald’s on the corner of 30th and Forest Ave., which one employee described as “crazy busy” during the week. The fast food restaurant brings in workers from 12 nearby McDonald’s franchises to alleviate that pressure. Despite the sudden tourism increase, business can be finicky for shops. UpDown is an arcade bar situated right next to Wooly’s, one of the most popular music venues in the downtown area. Getting the young adult crowd in during the height of Relays would be a huge financial asset. Strangely, the bar’s numbers remained somewhat low through Relays week. “It was a pretty normal week for us in terms of sales. I don’t
remember having a lot of out-oftowners,” Ben Pierce of UpDown said. Pierce also highlighted an underrated aspect of tourism: the weather. With Relays taking place late in April, Iowans are oftentimes getting their first taste of warm weather for the year, and it shows in their shopping preferences. “Since the weather is nice around that time, people tend to hit places with patios and outdoor stuff,” Pierce said. UpDown is located underground. As Relays draws closer, many businesses plan to stock up on product and personnel in order to pull people through the door and serve them adequately. With Relays, it seems, the competition is not confined to the Blue Oval.
LOCAL BUSINESS see a spike in revenue during Relays, as the event brings in thousands to the Des Moines community. FILE PHOTOS
The Times-Delphic
Relays Edition
Page 4C
April 24, 2017
GAMING
esports Drake’s new gaming club
PHOTO BY CONNOR FINHOLT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Gamers join forces to play competitively beyond campus Molly Adamson Contributing Writer molly.adamson@drake.edu @ somecallmemally
Neil Febel wants people to understand one thing about esports: it is not just a bunch of nerds playing video games in someone’s basement. Thousands of people play video games such as Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. and Overwatch competitively. And now Drake has a new club all about esports. The student behind this new club is Joel Parado, a first-year pre-pharmacy major. Parado went to Student Senate to make the club official. He found out that it was a club last year, but that the previous president graduated without passing down the baton. Parado spent his first semester gathering interest and making sure he had all the proper
paperwork in line. Esports club became official in the spring semester. Febel, a junior health science major, is someone who was glad to see the club become official again. He plays Super Smash Brothers competitively and has made money by travelling to and succeeding in tournaments. “I’ve always been a competitive kid,” Febel said. “When I was younger it started with sports; I played basketball and football year round. As I got older I realized that, even though I’m not the smallest guy around, being competitive means having an unreal level of athleticism or being freakishly large. I changed over to video games, where I’m not limited by my body, but instead get to use my mind.” I’ve met some of my best friends through Smash,” Febel said. “I’ve had the opportunity to travel to 10 different states now, and I’ve gotten the chance to
meet all sorts of different people. I even made a name for myself.” In the past, Drake didn’t have an official outlet for students like Feber.
It allows for people who are more interested in tabletop and board games to have their own club instead of all of us trying to go under one giant club. Jonathan Resch esports Treasurer
“Drake currently has a couple gaming clubs on campus, but we wanted a club that specializes to esports, because a lot of people
might not know what they’re getting into when they sign up for an esports club,” esports Treasurer Jonathan Resch said. “It allows for people who are more interested in tabletop and board games to have their own club instead of all of us trying to go under one big giant club.” Parado and Resch explained that some esports organizations at other colleges have reached out to Drake in the past, but only got connected to the gaming clubs, which didn’t have what they wanted. Esports club hopes that they will soon be able to compete with other schools. The club is still building, continuing to seek out new members and figure out what they really want the club to be about. It’s dissimilar from a lot of other clubs, however, in part because of its meeting space and times. “We didn’t want a normal
club where you meet every week in a classroom from 5-7 because that’s now how esports work,” Parado said. “We’ll all hop on our computers and do a lobby and do our own thing rather than confine everyone to a classroom.” Decisions are made through a voting app online and almost everything is done through computers. It is where people can meet up to play against or with each other. “There’s a lot of interest around campus; people will come up to us and say ‘We want to start a Smash tournament or an Overwatch team,’” Resch said. The group already hosted a Super Smash Bros. Tournament on April 15. Both Drake students and outsiders participated.
DONATIONS
Relays prompts donations, no concrete number Ellen Koester Contributing Writer ellen.koester@drake.edu
With all the students, alumni, athletes, Iowans and more flocking to the famed blue oval, some can think the increase in national interest can lead to an increase in donations for the school. John Amato, Drake’s director of development liaison, doesn’t see specific increases in donations around the event, but believes the Relays has an effect of overall giving. “All the goodwill and excitement around Relays affects other giving to everything (at Drake),” Amato said. From the time solicitations
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start going out in January to the weeks after Relays concludes, there is an increased interest in Drake, which, according to Amato, can translate to a long period of increased donations. Those donations are important not only to the school, but to the Relays itself. It is against university policy to share financial information on costs and donations. However, with so many moving gears, it is an expensive affair. The university must cover the cost of the whole event, including everything from heightened security to track maintenance. It’s why the university established the Baton Club in 1984. A Relays-specific fund that takes a chunk out of the overall
costs of the event, the Baton Club is a way for donors to help cover the at least part of Relays’ full price tag. More than 150 individuals and associations contribute to the fund. Like the Baton Club, donors can give to other specialized athletic funds, such as the 3-Point Club, which gives to the women’s basketball program, or the Blue Oval Club, which is only for Drake Track and Field and Cross-Country. “Donors today, more so than 20 years ago, are not as restricted as they used to be,” Amato said. “Donors want to know what their gift is going to impact and want (Drake) to be held accountable.” Now, donors can work with major gift officers to tag their gifts for specific uses. Donors
have given specifically to a favorite sport or event or to bring a certain athlete to the Relays. Jarad Bernstein, the university’s director of public relations and media management, remembered being naive of what athleticsspecific donations funded. “When I was a student, not at Drake, I thought part of our tuition was going to basketball scholarships,” Bernstein said. “But that’s not the case. It’s not causing other students to pay more.” It would be a strain on the university to produce the necessary funds to attract talented student-athletes with scholarships. That, on top of the Relays, would heighten expenses.
“Unfortunately, if we only charged admission (to the university) to cover our costs, you’d be paying a lot more as a student,” Amato said. With these funds, the university is able to entice better student-athletes to participate on Drake teams, which can lead to seasons such as the recent women’s basketball’s 22 game winning streak. Relays itself may not have grown to be the internationally recognized event it is today without these contributions. “People donate because they love the Relays and they love Drake,” Amato said. “They want to see (Drake) thrive and want to see it grow.”
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
FINALS WEEK
Page 5C
TOURS
Sinfonia Relays increases admission tours Swings High attendance helps bring prospective students to campus event teaches students swing Leo McGrath Contributing Writer leo.mcgrath@drake.edu
Finals weeks is among the most stressful parts of the school year for many college students. Several organizations at Drake University are already planning ways to help students relax. Some are putting up posters around campus detailing different methods of stress relief, and others are planning events to help students de-stress. However, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia — Drake’s music fraternity — is going about it in a different way. Rather than promoting meditation activities, Sinfonia’s preferred method is dancing at their annual Sinfonia Swings. Sinfonia Swings consists of two main parts: an hour of dance class with swing instructors and then a live band of Sinfonia members, which people can dance to. The event will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on May 6 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. The proceeds, coming from $5 tickets and donations, will all be going to the music program at Des Moines Moulton Middle School. This will be the second year Drake’s chapter of Phi Mu Alpha will host Sinfonia Swings. “Last year, we decided we needed a philanthropic event and a big event that campus could really truly enjoy, so we came up with this and now we’re just pushing forward,” Sinfonia member Dustin Eubanks said. Eubanks is the main director of Sinfonia Swings. He was the one who came up with the idea, organized it and saw it through. “This is kind of my baby,” Eubanks said. “I needed to find out a way to contribute to the chapter and give the chapter something to thrive on, and this was the idea I had.” Eubanks is in charge of Sinfonia Swings, but other tasks are delegated to different committees. There are committees for publicity, decorating, food preparation, fundraising and actually performing at the event. “Since its our chapter’s philanthropic event, we make it as mandatory as possible,” Sinfonia member Bryce Lord said. The money to put on the event usually comes from businesses that get publicity from Sinfonia Swings. “Last year, we did Buffalo Wild Wings night where ... a portion of the sales goes to our cause, so we’ll try to do that again,” Sinfonia President Caleb Moats said. The fundraising committee is also in charge of donating the money after it’s over. “Last year we (donated to) Moulton as well, and they used that to buy recorders for fifth graders,” Lord said. “We were able to raise quite a bit of money for that.” The publicity committee put up posters around campus, created a Facebook event, table tents and is tabling in Helmick Commons.
The Times-Delphic
ZACH BLEVINS, who works in admissions, gives a tour during the weeks leading up to the Drake Relays. PHOTO BY JESS LYNK | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Katie O’Keefe Contributing Writer katie.okeefe@drake.edu @katieokeefe21
The Drake Relays brings thousands of fans and athletes to campus. While many are here to watch the track and field events take place on the Blue Oval, others are here as prospective students, getting a taste of what Drake University is really like. Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions Deneen Dygert credits the Drake Relays for bringing extra attention to campus. “The Drake Relays is a very special opportunity for the university,” Dygert said. “It allows the university to be seen by hundreds of Iowans in a new and exciting way.” Other members of the admissions team believe Drake Relays increases the amount of prospective student tours. Ben Mardis, sophomore student ambassador, stated how he believes there’s an increase of a tours during the week of Relays. “Shonna Floyd, our Undergraduate Campus visit coordinator, told me is that there’s an increase of prospective students and tours,” Mardis said.
“Many of the high school athletes who qualify for the Relays also schedule a tour with their family while they’re here.”
The Drake Relays is a very special opportunity for the university. It allows the university to be seen by hundreds of Iowans in a new way. Deneen Dygert Associate Director of Admissions
Floyd confirmed this remark saying over the past years there’s been an increase of tours, especially on the Friday of Relays. According to the Admissions Office, 2016 there were 20 visitors during Relays week, 2015 had 14 visitors, and 2014 had 29 visitors. “To put this in perspective, the rest of the week usually runs between 1 and 12 visitors,” Floyd said. Zach Blevins, an admissions fellow and student ambassador,
said that many college and universities have May 1 as their deadline for admission acceptances. This leaves little time after Relays for high school seniors to tour different schools. “Many schools have irregular schedules in April due to standardized tests,” Blevins explained. “For current sophomores and juniors in high school, this gives them an opportunity to come and check out Drake.” Relays is an opportunity to see campus when activity is at its peak. The atmosphere of Drake Relays in and of itself attracts prospective students. Sophomore accounting major Meghan Mulligan toured Drake during the week of Relays. She said that the atmosphere in and of itself was appealing. “School spirit is really important to me,” Mulligan said. “I wanted to visit Drake at a time when the school spirit was at its highest.” Mulligan explained how touring near the end of April helped solidify her decision and she recommends that other prospective students visit during Relays. “Relays is the best time of the year at Drake,” Mulligan said. “If students want to see the
campus alive, then they should visit at the end of April.” Although many people who are interested in the Drake Relays and the university aren’t able to be on campus during the week, the event and university still get exposure through the internet. According to Google Trends, April was the second highest month during the past year for searches of “Drake University.” The highest month of searches was October when Drake the rapper had a concert in Des Moines and made a late-night visit to campus, which spawned global attention. However, April was the highest month for searches of “Drake Relays.” Mardis explained the Admissions Office will still continue with tours during the week of Relays, but are handled a little bit differently than normal because of how many more people are on campus. For Mulligan at least, the adjustments seem to have paid off. “I fell in love with Drake during the week of Relays,” Mulligan said. “Relays is a tradition that no other school has.”
Relays Edition
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April 24, 2017
TRANSPORTATION
Lyft and Uber: not-so-friendly competition John Slaybaugh Staff Writer john.slaybaugh@drake.edu @JSlayb
The ride hailing company Lyft has had struggles breaking into not only the Des Moines market, but the student market. Convincing customers to switch from its main competitor, Uber, has been an uphill battle. With the recently added option for Drake students to pay for Uber rides with Bulldog Bucks it appears it will be even harder. The company hasn’t had much time to build up a rider or driver base in Des Moines compared to Uber. Lyft began operations in Des Moines on Feb. 24, while Uber has been offering its services in Des Moines for nearly four years. Worldwide, Uber has a considerable lead on Lyft. Uber operates in over 500 cities nationwide and has been downloaded over 100 million times on Google Play. Meanwhile, Lyft only operates in 300 cities and has been
downloaded only 10 million times on Google Play. Things are no different for Drake students. According to Director of Campus Public Safety, Scott Law, Drake is the top user of Uber in Des Moines. About 50 percent of all rides originated or ended at Drake the summer leading up to the fall of 2016, according to Law. Due to the number of students already using the app, the answer was easy when Blackboard, an education technology and services provider that works with Drake, gave Drake the opportunity to partner with Uber. “Sara Heijerman, the director of student services, and myself decided it was something we wanted to look at,” Law said. “So we looked at the cost and it was actually free for us. … So we saw it as a win-win situation, we thought it would be something good for the students since they were already largely using Uber.” Ease of use and familiarity aren’t the only reasons students are choosing Uber. A lack of drivers on Lyft has made it cost
more for riders. “I took a Lyft to Up-Down around 6 p.m. and 400 percent ‘Prime Time’ charge,” Drake student Brad Egan said. “I’m not sure if I’ve had an Uber with more than 150 percent surge pricing.”
For now, at least, I’m using Uber less. Even with a bit more inconvenience, I’d rather use Lyft just for ethical reasons. Brad Egan Junior
Uber and Lyft charge the same rates in Des Moines, but when there are less drivers on Lyft demand can cause a surge in what Lyft calls “Prime Time” pricing. Uber has a similar process called surge pricing, but
with more drivers in Des Moines it is normally lower. Even for Lyft drivers, the lack of other drivers can make things difficult. “Lyft is a little more difficult right now. There’s not quite as many drivers,” Michael Ernst who drives for both Lyft and its main competitor Uber said. “You can get a request from 20 minutes away and end up giving them a two-minute ride and lose money on gas.” Looking at the big picture, Lyft has been making up ground. The #DeleteUber campaign reportedly led to over 200,000 users to delete the app. The campaign started after accusations of Uber trying to take advantage of a taxi driver strike in the wake of President Donald Trump’s immigration ban began. A sexual assault accusation that followed added fuel to the fire. Lyft saw a seven percent increase in new riders in the following month according to 1010data, a data management company based in New York. “For now, at least I’m using Uber less,” Egan said. “Even with a bit more inconvenience
I’d rather use Lyft just for ethical reasons.” Lyft has also reported much smaller losses than the larger Uber with only $600 million in losses compared to Uber’s $3 billion. In addition, many drivers prefer Lyft over Uber due to a tipping option, better incentives, bonuses for driving and more freedom. “Right now I’d rather drive for Uber just because business is better but I get why supposedly more drivers prefer Lyft,” Ernst said. “For a while (Uber) was complaining about drivers not accepting enough trips. … They like to promote how you are your own boss but they sure like to tell you what to do.” Even with these two options some Drake students think there is something more convenient. “During Relays I’ll probably just use the Drake (Safe Ride) bus.” Egan said. “When I’m just at Peggy’s or West End there isn’t much point to get an Uber or Lyft.”
CURRICULUM
Journalism school teams up with Google News Lab
Jordan Lundquist Contributing Writer jordan.lundquist@drake.edu @lundyquist
In December 2016, Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication was announced as one of the 49 participant schools in the first cohort of new Google News Lab program. The goal of the program is to provide journalism schools of various sizes around the world with Google’s tools to improve their storytelling curriculums. The program encourages incorporation of Google tools such as advanced search options, data visualization, trust and verification tools, trends and mapping tools, according to the program’s website. The program blends inperson and online training along with support for professors and
students. A similar program has been active at news and media companies for many years, but this is Google’s first foray into the university classroom. This program will help to prepare students to use these jobs in their future communication careers. Initially, the program was pursued by Jeff Inman and Grace Provenzano, both professors in the SJMC. They initially pursued the program through professional connections in the field, and ended up combining these efforts to make the program a reality on Drake’s campus. “We partnered with Google to have access to help them develop their system of tools, and to also come up with better ways to disseminate information out into the world,” Inman said. The program is structured as a mutually beneficial exchange, where Google tests new tools in the classroom and the school
incorporates tools into innovative projects occurring in the school. This allows Google to learn more about ways to make their tools better for the field, while students have valuable handson experiences using emerging storytelling models.
The hard part will be finding all of the spots to best fit the program into our curriculum while also focusing on our ultimate goal of teaching solid reporting, writing and thinking. Jeff Inman Assistant Professor
Google hopes to learn more about students’ experiences in order to continuously improve the curriculum for future expansions. “It comes with some obligations haven’t quite come due to us yet,” Inman said. “Since we’re pretty new to this, we haven’t really had time to get deeply into it. It is TBA on both of our ends, but we will have to see what all happens.” This program will continue to set Drake’s Journalism department apart in preparing students to enter the technologyfocused future of the field. The tools will be a welcomed addition to the SJMC’s heavily forward-looking, technologyfocused curriculum of classes. It will be excit-ing to see where the lab continues to shape the academic experience in the SJMC going into the future. Inman has goals for himself to become a certified Google Tools
trainer and expert to be able to provide support to the campus as these tools begin to play larger roles in classes on campus. This semster, Inman required his advanced writing and reporting class to incorporate one of the Google news tools into their final story. “The hope is that they allow for further visualization of data in the classroom,” Inman said. “The hard part will be finding all of the spots to best fit the program into our curriculum while also focusing on our ultimate goal of teaching solid reporting, writing, and thinking. It can take a while to figure out these new technologies, but we are trying to pivot to what’s next.” The Google News Lab represents as yet another way that Drake University is emphasizing cutting-edge educational tools and professional preparation.
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Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 7C
STUDENT SERVICES
Emotional support animals help ease student disabilities
BRADLEY, an emotional support animal on campus, helps a student overcome stress. ESAs can be any animal registered by the university. PHOTO BY NATALIE LARIMER | STAFF WRITER Emily Bauer Contributing Writer emily.a.bauer@drake.edu @emj_larson
In an effort to make sure all students’ emotional needs are met, the principles of equity and inclusion have become prominent on Drake University’s campus. One of the ways Drake has tried advancing these principles is through the policy on service and assistance animals. The university divides service animals into three categories: service animals, assistance animals and pets. According to
Drake’s policy, a service animal can only be a dog, whereas an assistance animal helps alleviate symptoms of a person’s disability and can be any animal, within reason. A pet is an animal that serves no purpose other than joy. Complete definitions of these terms can be found on the official policy document, which can be accessed through Drake University’s website by searching “Disability Services.” Student Disabilities Coordinator Michelle Laughlin said that most animals residing on campus are emotional support animals (ESA), intended as a source of comfort for students with mental health concerns,
such as depression and anxiety. “If a student is requesting an ESA, they must first submit documentation to Student Disability Services verifying their diagnosis, as well as a support for having such an animal,” Laughlin said. “If they have a service animal, those trained to perform a specific task due to a person’s disability, no documentation is needed.” Once that process is completed, the student needs to file paperwork with the Office of Residence Life. It should be noted, however, that animals considered to be “pets” are not considered service or assistance animals. Pets
are not allowed inside campus buildings, besides Griff and only when he is with his owners. Zoe Hanna, a sophomore, is one student at Drake who has gone through the process of requesting an emotional support animal. As of last fall, her black cat Ripley now lives with her in her dorm room. Hanne felt that Drake was easy to work with regarding her diagnosis. According to Hanna, having Ripley around eases her anxiety and lessens some of the loneliness that comes with living in a single room. Hanna also said that Ripley gives her something to focus on when her illness tries to
take hold. Ripley has learned to actively help Hanna in turn. “It’s gotten to the point where she knows when I’m nervous and she comes to sit by me,” Hanna said. As other students have seen the benefit having a support animal can have, more have sought out getting ESAs of their own. “The number of students who request ESAs has increased over the past two years,” Laughlin said. “When I speak with students, a lot of them mention how their pets provide comfort to them.”
COMMUNITY
LEAD class works to create Free Little Pantries in Des Moines
Pantries aim to help feed the hungry, leave or take non-perishables Haley Hodges Staff Writer haley.hodges@drake.edu
As the final project for Melissa Sturm-Smith’s Leadership 100 class, half of the class took on the task of designing a program for Habitat for Humanity at Drake while the other half took a different path: creating Free Little Pantries. “It’s kind of like the Free Little Libraries that are popping up everywhere: kind of leave a book, take a book,” said Haley Guerdet, a sophomore studying digital media productions. “We’re doing leave some nonperishable food items, take some.” The Free Little Pantries look almost like a giant mailbox, but instead of being filled with mail or books like most people see, it is filled with non-perishable food items. The idea behind the project is that it will help feed the hungry, but also people can donate to it and take food if they feel like it. A goal of Sturm-Smith’s
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class is to involve students in a service-learning project, which guided the decisions to work with Habitat for Humanity and Free Little Pantries. “I work closely with the Community Engaged Learning office in my role as associate provost, and so I knew about the project when they first submitted the grant proposal last fall,” Sturm-Smith said over email. “I thought it would be a nice fit for a LEAD 100 servicelearning project because it was the appropriate scope and would require the students to work as a team and provide a tangible outcome.” The Little Pantries project started with nothing for the students who wanted to take it on, but a team of six students were up to the challenge. “I really liked the idea of doing something that’s totally new to the Drake neighborhood and that it was going to be something we could physically see the results of,” P2 Pharmacy student Nicole Drakeman said. “I think it’s a really cool idea too because it bridges the gap
between Drake students and the outside community, so I liked the idea of bringing the community together and pops the Drake bubble.” The idea for Little Pantries was inspired by the successful implementation of the pantries in Ankeny. The Ankeny project quickly took off and has received positive community responses so far. To install them in the Drake neighborhood, the students partnered with the Office of Community Engaged Learning whose director, Renee Sedlacek, applied for a grant to accomplish the project. “We proposed the idea in the fall to Wellmark (Foundation Community), received the grant in December and proposed to the class in February,” Sadlacek said. “We’re really thankful to the class, that’s for sure, because they didn’t have to pick us.” The grant allowed for 10 pantries, with plans to have a couple on Drake property and the rest throughout the surrounding area. Due to zoning restrictions and time restraints however, the
class will only be able to build and install four pantries on university-owned land before the end of the semester. Concerns that people, especially free-food-loving college students, will abuse the pantries were initially discussed, but dismissed by the team in favor of trying to help those who will need the resource. “Even students who are financially stable enough to attend this college and might have a meal plan, doesn’t mean there’s not going to be times when they’re hungry,” Drakeman said. “If you have some extra flex dollars one day and can leave some extra granola bars (in a pantry), that’s great. If you don’t have a meal plan and you don’t have a lunch for the day, that means you’re hungry and you need the pantry as well.” Drakeman said most of the pantries on university-owned property will be on the outskirts of campus. For example, some are planned to be near bus stops so community members can access them as well. Setting up the remaining
six pantries off-campus will be a project that next semester’s LEAD 100 class will take over. That class is set to work with community partners to install the rest of the pantries around the neighborhood. The hope is to find or establish a club that can take over monitoring the pantries once the classes are done. Guerdet and Drakeman are currently responsible for running a Facebook page to monitor the pantries and hope someone will post if they’re empty or in need of repair. By getting an initial donation to fill the pantries, the class hopes the community will take over from there. “People always ask me ‘Aren’t you concerned they’re not going to stay full?’” Sedlacek said. “Thankfully, this is a cause the community can easily get behind because no one wants to see people hungry, and so there’s a natural giving impulse of humanity that I think is enough to keep it going.”
Relays Edition
Page 8C
April 24, 2017
ALUMNI
STUDENT LIFE
Habitual Relays Attendees Transfer students: Unique perspectives on Drake experience FILE PHOTO
Samantha Ohlson Contributing Writer samantha.ohlson@drake.edu @SamanthaOhlson
Relays fans come back year after year Ashley Flaws Contributing Writer ashley.flaws@drake.edu @AshleyFlaws
When the first Drake Relays was held in 1900, only 100 people were in the crowd. Now, around 40,000 people fill the stands of Drake Stadium each year, on top of the hundreds of athletes, ranging from high school to Olympic level. Part of the growth and success of the Relays today stems from the continued support of Drake alumni and committed attendees of the Relays who come back year after year. Mike Jay has been attending the Relays every year since 1975 and has been the announcer for the last 13 years. “I announce about 30 meets a year, all over the country, but none are as special to me as the Relays,” Jay said in an email. “It is a time to catch up with longtime friends that I may see only during Relays Week.” Many of the alumni who return every year do so to reunite with old friends. Several events are even hosted especially for alumni, including the AllAlumni Tent party and several fraternity and sorority reunions. John Miller, a 1982 Drake graduate who is currently the president of the National Alumni Board at Drake, has come back to campus each of the last 15 years during Relays Week, along with his wife, who is also a Drake grad. Miller, who now lives in Lenexa, Kansas, said he has only ever attended the actual races twice because he spends the
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majority of his time catching up with friends at Peggy’s Tavern, a pub in the Drake neighborhood, and meeting up with other alumni. “Because the weekend is short, many times we have opted to miss the events so more time could be spent sharing old memories and making new ones with friends,” Miller said in an e-mail. “Peggy’s remains an institution and being able to spend time in the back parking lot again remains a lot of fun. In fact, 30 years ago when attending, we would comment on others (who were) my age and wonder if we would still be coming back. I’m happy to say yes, we look forward to it.”
I attended my first Drake Relays in 1966 when I was five years old... Besides being track fans, Relays Weekend has also served as a family reunion weekend for my family for many years. William Henderson Alumni
Along with meeting up with friends and other alumni, Relays Week also brings together many families. Both Miller and another 1982 Drake graduate, William Henderson, use the week to spend time with family. For Henderson, Relays has been a
family event since his childhood. “I attended my first Drake Relays in 1966 when I was five years old,” Henderson, who also now lives in Lenexa, in an e-mail. “My family has a long history with the Drake Relays. My grandfather, Barney Myers, was a Relays official and served as chairman of the relays in 1950. Besides being track fans, Relays Weekend has also served as a family reunion weekend for my family for many years.” Along with Miller and his wife, their two kids are also Drake graduates. “The four of us continue to meet each year since they graduated to share in the fun, but we all still have our friends who also attend the weekend,” Miller said. “…We just might do the same thing we have done for most of the past 37 years and hopefully the next 37.” Relays has become a tradition for people all around the country and even the world, as alumni and track and field fans alike come together to celebrate the talent of the many athletes. Besides dedication to Drake or a love for track and field, the atmosphere of the Relays plays a large part in attracting returnees each year. “The Relays are always electric,” Jay said. “It is a crown jewel for the state of Iowa, and not just for track and field fans.” This year, Relays Week will start with the Beautiful Bulldog Contest at 12:30 p.m. on April 23 at the Knapp Center and will end on April 29 with the conclusion of athletic competitions. Jay, Miller and Henderson all plan to be there, just like they have been for decades.
“Sometimes the first option isn’t the best,” said Ian Ksiazak, a first year marketing major who transferred to Drake from the University of Iowa in Spring 2017. For some Drake students, Drake was not the first option, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the best. Rachelle Setsodi, assistant director in the office of admissions, said transfer students are “any student at Drake that has college credit post high school graduation date.” Experiences for transfer students can vary greatly because of the vast array of experiences and backgrounds of transfer students. Setsodi said she has worked with students ranging in age from 18 to 86. These students come from all over the country, and can have anywhere from one college credit to an associate’s degree and beyond. Reasons for the transfer can include being too far away or too close to home, trying to be closer to or moving with family or a significant other, or a college simply not being the right match for whatever reason. Ksiazak said he transferred because the school was too large both physically and in population. “Because of the size of the school it’s really hard to develop personal connections, especially with your professors,” Ksiazak said. “Regardless of whatever school you go to, I think developing connections is a very important aspect, and I felt like I wasn’t getting that there.” Ksiazak also cited the partying aspect of the social scene as another reason for leaving. A Valley High School graduate and son of two Drake alumni, Ksiazak said he was familiar with Drake and wanted the more personal and intimate feel. Sophomore vocal performance major Sarah Ganey transferred to Drake after spending her first year at Polk State College in Florida. “I needed to get away from home, and there weren’t any opportunities in Florida for an undergrad that wanted to pursue vocal performance,” Ganey said. Nik Vasquez, a vocal music education major, earned his associate’s degree in science and engineering at the Community College of Philadelphia before transferring to Drake. The senior, who now considers himself the equivalent of a firstyear after changing majors from physics to music education, said he transferred to Drake when he and his then-boyfriend moved to the Midwest for his boyfriend’s residency after medical school. His boyfriend’s family had attended Drake Law School and had nothing but good things to say. While Ganey, Ksiazak and Vasquez all said they are happy they made the decision to transfer to Drake, the transition process is not always easy. “It’s been hard. First semester was really rough,” Ganey said.
“Transitioning academically, it wasn’t as hard as I was expecting it to be, so I had this, I had copious amounts of time that I didn’t know what to do with, and so I just sat around in my room all day and didn’t really have anyone to talk to.” Vasquez said 2016 was a hectic year in general. “I moved halfway across the country, and then after that move, I mean, I don’t have any family out here. And then on top of that things didn’t work out with that boyfriend so then I was … thousands of miles away from any family, and I had nowhere to live.” But second semester has been better for Ganey and Vasquez. “I have a good group of friends now that I’m not worried about eating alone and being alone all the time. Like I am constantly surrounded by people that are passionate about the same things that I am, and I can have actual intelligent conversations with them, so that’s nice,” Ganey said.
Honestly, it’s kind of crazy to think, like how much I’ve accomplished so far at Drake just in one semester. And I’m really happy that I went through and made the decision. Ian Ksiazzak Transfer student
Vasquez said his roommates and Drake Choir director, Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier, have especially helped him through all of the rough spots and that experiencing “Midwest nice” has been wonderful. “I think Drake is the first college I’ve been to or, like, academic institution in general where you can tell that the people cared,” Vasquez said. “People here care about how you’re doing and where you’re going to go in your future and that you’re learning.” As for Ksiazak, he said he feels a connection here on campus already that he didn’t feel at Iowa. “Honestly, it’s kind of crazy to think like, how much I’ve accomplished so far at Drake just in one semester,” Ksiazak said. “And I’m just really happy that I went through and made the decision. It wasn’t the easiest one, but it definitely was a rewarding one.” Overall, these three Drake students believe that they’ve made the right decision. “If there was any sign about whether or not I made the right quote-unquote decision, Drake feels like home,” Vasquez said. “I haven’t felt like I’ve been at home in a long time.”
Relays Edition
PHOTOS BY ADAM ROGAN | MANAGING EDITOR
Page 3D Blake Boldon returned home to Iowa to become the newest Drake Relays director. He’s been watching Relays since he was a kid, and now he helps plan it.
Page 4D What’s up with all those lawsuits and coaching changes? The Times-Delphic tried to find out by talking to players, alumni and Athletic Director Clubb.
Page 6D After defending Drake’s net for four seasons, goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod is on to the next level. Now, he’s stuck in a position battle on a pro soccer team.
Page 7D Look back at the best moments for the 2016-17 Women’s Basketball season as the Bulldogs won conference and made it back to the NCAA Tournament.
Page 8D Don’t know when your favorite athletes will compete in Drake Stadium? Check out the back page for a full schedule of every Drake Relays event this week.
ATHLETE PROFILE
Fischer looks to shatter longstanding record
Current record holder hopes Fischer is the one to break it Josh Cook Contributing Writer joshua.cook@drake.edu @jcook_25
On a warm, March night in the spring of 1978, Boyd Nansel won a tough race at a meet at Louisiana State University. In doing so, he broke the Drake University school record for the outdoor men’s 5000-meter run with a time of 14 minutes and zero seconds. “I think it was probably like 60 degrees. It was a beautiful, calm night; we had a great competition. It was a big meet, there were a bunch of SEC and Big Ten athletes – there were some very good 5000-meter runners there,” Nansel said of that night. It’s now almost 40 years later, and the record still stands. Every year that he can, Nansel comes back to the Relays to see if someone will break his record – and this may be the year he finally witnesses it. Actually, he very nearly saw it done last year at the Relays. Reed Fischer, now a senior, missed Nansel’s 5000-meter record by three one-hundredths of a second with Nansel in the stands watching. “Reed ran a fabulous race last year,” Nansel said. “I tried to get down to the track to maybe meet him but he and his teammates were pretty excited checking to see if he had broken the record so I missed him.” Fischer very nearly missed the record; though he recalls that heading into the last lap he knew
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he had a chance to break it. “When you’re going for a record like that, you just know, okay these are the exact splits I need to be hitting otherwise it’s not going to happen,” Fischer said. “That was probably the fastest last lap I’ve ran in maybe my entire life. … But that was pretty heart breaking.” Fischer hopes to improve his mark this year, as he has done time and again throughout his career. Co-Head Coach Dan Hostager says that Fischer has a level of dedication to the sport that not a lot possess, which has resulted in constant improvement throughout his career. “Reed Fischer is a great example. He wasn’t a high school standout, but he’s continued to improve every year and now he’s broken a few indoor records and is going for more outdoor now this spring,” Hostager said. The 5000-meter run is one particular race that Fischer has improved his time in over and over. At the 2015 Drake Relays, Fischer set his personal best in the event, running a 14 minute and 24 second 5000-meter. Just a year later, at the 2016 Relays, Fischer improved his time by cutting a substantial 24 seconds off his previous personal record (PR). Already this spring, Fischer broke the school’s indoor record for the 5000-meter with a time of 13 minutes and 55 seconds; cutting five seconds off an already impressive time. But Fischer is not settling for that, he wants to do more than merely break the record.
“I’m in better shape now than I was during indoor so I think I should be able to do it pretty easily,” Fischer said. “Right now I think I’m in about 13:48 shape, so give me a few weeks and the hope is to not just break the record but get it by a decent chunk.” This might seem like a rather large jump, to be cutting 10 seconds off of a PR just a year later, but there are a couple other factors that bode well for Fischer. A new track was installed in Drake Stadium during the offseason, and the athletes seem to really like it. Fischer said he has felt good training on it and added that it has a nice spring that should allow everyone to run fast. In addition to a new track made from the same material used for the Beijing and London Olympics, there is a new Relays director who comes from a distance running background. Relays Director Blake Boldon is putting a particular emphasis on the 5000-meter event this year. Both Hostager and Fischer said that Boldon is putting together an impressive field to run against Fischer in hopes of pushing him to break the record. There will be several runners with times near 13 minutes and 45 seconds in the event to pace Fischer. With great athletes running around him, Fischer’s performance will surely be elevated. There’s no doubt that Fischer has a great chance to break Nansel’s record – the second oldest single-standing men’s track record at Drake
(behind a 1970 decathlon record held by Rick Wanamaker). Nansel said he is surprised that his record has stood as long as it has, citing luck. However, he hopes that his luck runs out and Fischer breaks his record this year while he is there to watch. “I’m excited for Reed, I hope he gets it,” Nansel said. “I hope the weather cooperates. The field is good and I really hope that Reed gets a great shot to break my record.” The feeling seems to be mutual, as Fischer would like to leave another mark on the record board. “It would be huge (to break the record), I think especially getting it at Relays would be really special,” Fischer said. “I was incredibly close last year. So having that frustration build up for a year, getting it now would almost be more gratifying than getting it last year would have
been.” The race will surely draw a large and excited crowd as Fischer tries to etch his name in Drake University history. Fischer should be in the race right down to the final straightaway, and Nansel will be watching with baited breaths to see if his time atop the record-book has come to an end.
Relays Edition
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April 24, 2017
WOMEN’S TENNIS
short-staffed
strong-willed Adam Rogan Managing Editor adam.rogan@drake.edu @adam_rogan
Usually one of the hardest tasks a head coach faces is choosing who to start and who to sit for competitions. Drake Women’s Tennis head coach Mai-Ly Tran hasn’t had to worry about that this season. That’s because her team only has six players, the minimum needed to make a full NCAA tennis team. “It’s been hard this year having six girls,” junior Summer Brills said. “Everybody is playing singles and doubles for every single match. Everyone is practicing every single day.” Injuries have proven more problematic than they would’ve otherwise been if the team had reserves. If somebody sits out for a match, the team automatically
forfeits one point. One of the doubles matches would be forfeited as well, meaning that the Bulldogs would have to win both of the remaining doubles matches to keep from falling behind right out of the gate. The Bulldogs have played one woman short five times this season, but have still managed to win two of those matches. “Definitely lots of adversity we’ve had to face,” Brills said, “but going into each match we always know we have to play at the top of our game each time, no matter if we have five girls.” For now, the team is focused on staying healthy as the conference tournament encroaches. An injury now could be detrimental in the postseason. “Preparation is key: taking care of our bodies and staying on top of our tennis,” junior Tess Herder said. The Bulldogs played their last two matches over the weekend, but they started after The Times-
PHOTO BY ADAM ROGAN | MANAGING EDITOR
TESS HERDER (top) looks on as teammate Mela Jaglarz gets ready to return a serve. (Bottom) The team huddles, ready to retake the court for singles matches. PHOTOS BY ADAM ROGAN | MANAGING EDITOR
Delphic went to print. To earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs need to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Doing that will almost certainly involve an upset of the Wichita State Shockers, a team that hasn’t lost a conference match since 2008. The conference tournament offers opportunities for revenge. There’s a good chance Drake
have each played in the MVC Tournament before, it’ll be a first for the team’s newest player: firstyear Alex Kozlowski. “I’ve heard a lot about it, and (my teammates) talk about it a lot,” Kozlowski said. “I guess I’m just excited to see what that’s going to be like and to experience it.”
TRACK AND FIELD COLUMN
Bulldog successes at Jim Duncan
Bailee Cofer Columnist bailee.cofer@drake.edu
This past weekend your Drake University men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the Jim Duncan Invitational, the first of two Drake home meets for the year. This meet was the first to be hosted on the newly resurfaced Blue Oval, and Drake athletes performed extremely well in their home stadium. Drake athletes produced 11 first-place finishes and two meet records at the Jim Duncan Invitational. Sprinters Deonne Witherspoon, Demetrius Shelton, Aaron Cheir and Caulin Graves raced to first place in the men’s 4x100-meter relay and
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will play teams it has faced earlier in the season, and Brills wants to get back at the Illinois State Redbirds after losing to them on April 15. “At the conference tournament, you’re kind of starting fresh,” Brills said. “If you lost to those teams earlier in regular season, it’s payback. It’s time to beat them.” Although Brills and Herder
captured a meet record with the time of 40.97. On the women’s side, Mariah Crawford, Mary Young, Victoria Coombe and Ebele Okoye ran the 4x400-meter relay for the win and a new meet record in 3:42.63 — this time was also the second-fastest time in school history. Other Drake champions included Taryn Rolle in the women’s triple jump, Mary Young in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Rai Ahmed-Green in the women’s 400-meter dash, Mariah Crawford in both the women’s 100-meter dash and women’s 200-meter dash, Demetrius Shelton in the men’s 100-meter dash, Hudson Priebe in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, the Drake men’s 4x400-meter relay team and women’s 4x100meter relay team. The Jim Duncan Invitational produced a lot of championships, and, with those, a lot of PRs for Drake athletes. Some notable PRs were ran by freshman Kyle Cass in the 5,000-meter run (15:03), Matt Cozine in the 1500-meter run (3:58), Dominic Lombardi in the 400-meter hurdles (53.13) and Xavier Lechleitner in the men’s
1,500-meter run (3:52.45). All of this success is great to see at this point in the season. We are about one month out from the MVC Conference meet, and having PRs now is a good sign that there are even better results to come. It is always good to see hard work pay off in the form of victories and personal PRs, and it is even better to see this happen on your home track. Competing in Drake Stadium and on the Blue Oval is a privilege not to be taken lightly — some of history’s best races, jumps, vaults and throws have happened there. Being able to perform your very best in the same arena is an exhilarating experience. Many of the Drake athletes that competed this weekend look forward to competing at home once again in the Drake Relays — and we hope to see you there! We aspire to get better each meet, and after each meet we will share one athlete’s new best mark. This week’s featured PR: Xavier Lechleitner, 1,500-meter run, 3:52.45, (previous PR: 4:02.66). #GetAnotherOne
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
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RELAYS DIRECTOR
Meet Drake’s new Relays Director: Blake Boldon Anxious excitement, maintaining reputation, a lifelong dream and returning to Iowa
Elise Bauernfeind Contributing Writer elise.bauernfiend@drake.edu @elisej29
The Drake Relays has a new director for the first time since 2005. Blake Boldon took over the position in early October after the previous director, Brian Brown, resigned in August. Before taking the job, Boldon had been the executive director of the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, a race he helped take from being the 60th largest in the nation to the 20th. He thought it might be the job he would be doing for the rest of his life. He enjoyed it so much that, when his mentor asked him if he would ever leave, Boldon said there were only two opportunities that he would ever consider taking. The first opportunity would be a leadership position at the Chicago Marathon, and the
second was to be the director of the Drake Relays. Boldon remembers the exact moment he found out that the Relays Director Position was available. “I was sitting at dinner, and I got a text from my mentor that said ‘Your job is about to be open,’” Boldon said. Thinking it was a joke about his current job, Boldon responded with another joke. When his mentor replied, he told Boldon that Brown would be resigning the next morning. “I don’t think I slept that night, because I went back and unburied my resume… and wrote a cover letter…so that as soon as the press release went out, … within an hour, I’d sent my resume in,” Boldon said. “And the rest is history.” Boldon grew up in Osceola, Iowa, and said he’s been a fan of Drake Relays for as long as he can remember. He called it one of the great loves of his life. “The Drake Relays are truly
a special event to me,” Boldon said, “both personally and professionally.” He recalled watching an allday broadcast of the Relays at home as a kid. Years later, he watched his friends compete at Relays in high school. “I never qualified for the Drake Relays as a high school student, so I ran the road races,” Boldon said, “and I remember fondly sitting in the stands and cheering for my high school teammates.” In his senior year of high school, Boldon qualified for the state track meet and became a state champion in the Drake Stadium, winning the Class 3A 1600-meter race. In 2003, Boldon won the 1500-meter race in the Drake Relays as a studentathlete with Missouri State. In 2007, Boldon raced alongside Alan Webb as Webb set a new Drake Stadium record with a 3:51.71-mile time. Boldon came in second. “I don’t have the record, but
I saw it happen—I was in the race,” Boldon said. Not only has Boldon watched and run in the Drake Relays. He’s also coached athletes competing in it. He was a coach at Iowa State from 2005-2008 before becoming the head coach at the University of AlabamaBirmingham, and then the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Drake hosted the NCAA Championship meet while Boldon was coaching at University of Pennsylvania in 2011. “I was very excited to return home to the NCAA meet,” Boldon said. The University of Pennsylvania hosts the Penn Relays each year, usually around the same time as the Drake Relays, and the two events have a lot in common, according to Boldon. “(Penn Relays) is very similar to Drake on a lot of levels,” Boldon said, “but different in some really great ways that most people who haven’t been to both can’t appreciate.” After coaching at the University of Pennsylvania, Boldon switched gears and signed on at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. As a nonprofit organization, the Indianapolis Monumental partnered with charities and other nonprofit organizations to help its goals. While he was living in Indianapolis, Boldon said he felt a pull to come back to Des
Moines. “I always wanted to come to Drake and find an excuse to be back,” Boldon said. He made visits to Drake in 2013 when the university hosted the U.S. Championships and again in 2015 when the Road Runners Club of America hosted its annual convention in Des Moines alongside the Drake Road Races. “Whether it was as a high school athlete, a college athlete, a post-collegiate athlete, a college coach, as an administrator, Drake Relays was a common theme,” Boldon said, “and I always tried to stay connected to it.” As the 2017 Relays draws closer, Boldon said he’s feeling both eager and anxious to see his work pay off. Since the Drake Relays follows the World Relays Championships, Boldon is nervous that an athlete might get injured and won’t be able to compete this week. Boldon said his excitement far outweighs his fear, and he’s really excited about seeing more than 60 Olympians compete in Drake Stadium. But what Boldon says he’s most excited about is seeing it all come together. “Seeing all of the small-town kids from all across Iowa, where this is the biggest sporting event of their lives up until this point; state champions don’t remember their state titles the way they do their Drake Relays titles,” Boldon said. “… To just be a part of that in an intimate way is just really thrilling.”
DRAKE RELAYS PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLICKR USERS: FILIP BOSSUYT & ANDRÉ ZEHETBAUER
Aries Merritt 2012
Omar McLeod 2016
Ashley Spencer 2016
Olympians at the Drake Relays in 2017
Emily Lambie Contributing Writer emily.lambie@drake.edu
Each year, Olympians get the chance to go head to head in rematches from previous Olympic Games. This year is no different, and, man, is the lineup great.
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It’s only a year after the Rio Olympics and it is going to be good. I am personally most excited for the high jump rematch, and the men’s and women’s hurdle rematches. The lineup for all of the events are filled with world champion athletes and medal holders, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for this weekend’s events. In the high jump rematch, Drake Relays record holder and Rio gold medalist Derek Drouin is returning to defend his title for the fourth year in a row. He was the champion at Relays last year with a 7-10.25 record. He is set to headline a great group of competitors this spring track and field season. He will be competing with
nine other others and I am most excited to see Roderick Townsend-Roberts compete. He is a Paralympic T-47 athlete and he will be competing in this year’s high jump competition. Since the addition of the Paralympic events to the Drake Relays in 2015, they have been my favorite event to watch. I could not be more excited to see Roberts compete in this year’s high jump competition. Not only are the Paralympic events some of my favorites, but so is the high jump event. It’s a win-win. Roberts is a world record holder for a 6-11 jump when he competed in the Relays last year. The 400-meter and the 110-meter hurdles are my other favorite events in the Relays
lineup, and this year is going to be one for the books. With a stellar lineup of amazing Rio Olympic athletes, you are going to want to make it out to all of these events. In the women’s 400-meter event, Ashley Spencer, who won bronze in the Rio Olympics, will be competing. Along with Spencer, Cassandra Tate, who is ranked third, in the world will also be competing. Tate placed third at the 2016 Relays and it will be an amazing race to see who takes gold this year. In the men’s 110-meter hurdles there are also some amazing competitors. Omar McLeod from Jamaica, who won gold in the Rio Olympics, will be competing to defend his title
from the 2016 Relays. He is one of eight who will be racing in the Rio rematch. Along with McLeod is a fanfavorite and world record holder, American Aries Merritt. He placed fifth in last year’s relays, but has a gold medal under his belt from the 2012 Olympics. Watching McLeod and Merritt battle for first this year will be a top race to watch. Be sure to make it out for all of these events, along with all of the other amazing events being offered at this year’s Relays. The road races and the Pole Vault at Capital Square are also on the top of my list of events to go to. All of the fun events and races at the 2017 Drake Relays start on April 23 with the Beautiful Bulldog Contest.
Relays Edition
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April 24, 2017
DRAKE ATHLETICS
Alumni divided, lawsuits pending, AD criticized press statements, Drake did little to address the allegations. Hatfield Clubb said this was a result of Drake’s “obligation as an institution to complete privacy” with personnel issues. “What you read is one side of the story, and that’s it. That’s all you’re reading,” Hatfield Clubb said. “I can’t fill in the gaps, because that’s not appropriate for me to do that.” Both lawsuits are still in the works. But when they became public, several high-profile publications covered them. Regardless of how the cases turn out, it’s bad press for the school. Daniel Finney, a Des Moines Register columnist and 1997 Drake grad, wrote a column in December 2016 entitled “Drake needs to clean up athletics — and fast.” Travis Justice, a Des Moines sports talk show host, said that Hatfield Clubb should be fired because of how she handled the Kerr incident, and he isn’t the only one to say so. One of the most highly viewed threads on the forum website drakenation.com is titled “The Clubb Disasters.” It has more than 17,000 views and 225 posts. And there are plenty of other threads on the site expressing similar displeasure. Several letters to the editor have run in the Des Moines Register from both sides. Some defend Hatfield Clubb and the Drake Athletics, others lambast. Mark Atkinson, a 1985 Drake grad who walked on for one season with Men’s Basketball, is one of the louder naysayers. “(Hatfield Clubb) needs to go, first and foremost,” Atkinson said. Among other things, Atkinson is disappointed with students’ general indifference towards
Adam Rogan Managing Editor adam.rogan@drake.edu @adam_rogan
Drake University’s new men’s basketball head coach, Niko Medved, said “athletics is the front porch to the university” in his inaugural press conference last month. The first impression outsiders are getting at Drake’s front door, however, is burdened with conflicting reviews from the outside and near-silence from within. Many Drake University alumni are unhappy with the present state of Drake Athletics and its director, Sandy Hatfield Clubb. And they’ve become increasingly vocal about it. In the past six months, no less than three Des Moines Register columns, among other media outlets have chimed in to criticize, using lawsuits filed by former employees, poor of Men’s Basketball performance, and frequent resignations and terminations of head coaches as ammunition. Full-court bad press In August, the now-former Head Athletic Trainer Scott Kerr was fired after working in Drake Athletics for 31 years. He claims he was fired because of a medical condition and is suing the university. Soon after, another lawsuit was filed, this time by former Women’s Basketball assistant coach Courtney Graham who claims she was forced out of her position because she is a lesbian. Two of Graham’s lawyers Drake Law School grads, no less. The administration remained characteristically quiet in response. Other than a couple
athletics and the prolonged lack of success in Men’s Basketball. “I’ve had season tickets for 30 years. We’ve had no success except for one moderate year, this magical year in 2008,” Atkinson said, referring to the first and only time the Bulldogs made it to the NCAA Tournament since 1972. “When I went (to Drake), basketball was a huge deal … You had to go (to the arena) at 5 o’clock and put your coat down so you could get a seat.” Men’s Basketball is still the marquee sport at Drake. According to a U.S. Department of Education database, Drake Men’s Basketball brought in $2,286,284 in revenue during the 2015-16 school year. That’s $1.16 million more than Women’s Basketball and $1.5 million more than Football. Turnovers There have been 10 head coaching changes in Drake Athletics since 2013. There are 14 head coaching positions in total. Chuck Reed, a 1985 Drake alumni and the current Bulldog Football radio announcer, said that part of this could be because coaches who succeeded at Drake could be moving on to bigger and better things, but this positivism doesn’t necessarily hold up. Ray Giacoletti (Men’s Basketball, 2013-16) resigned on Dec. 6, 2016 and has recently moved to St. Louis and is looking to become a sports analyst, according to Hatfield Clubb. Leanne Smith’s (Women’s Golf, 2010-15) LinkedIn profile says that she is “Between Careers.” Paul Thomson (Women’s Tennis, 2010-13) now heads a Division-II program that won only two of 21 matches last season. John Hollimon (Women’s
Tennis, 2016) is in his first year of his medical residency in Birmingham, Alabama. Sadhaf Pervez unexpectedly resigned from the Women’s Tennis head coaching job in December 2015, one month before the regular season was to begin. Neither her departure nor the introduction of Hollimon as interim head coach garnered so much as a press release from Drake Athletics. Pervez is now the head men’s coach at Southern Utah University. Former Men’s Soccer head coach Sean Holmes’ departure was even stranger. Just hours before the 2015 season kicked off, a Drake Athletics press release stated that Gareth Smith would be the new head coach — a role he still occupies. The release made no mention of Holmes, who’d been the head coach for 17 years at the time. Holmes later told The Des Moines Register he’d been fired. He’s been Roosevelt High School’s Boys Soccer head coach since September 2016. The head coaches who have elevated in status after leaving Drake are in short supply. Chris Creighton (Football, 2008-2013) is now the head coach at Eastern Michigan University, a program in the highest-level of NCAA football. In 2016, he led the team to its second-ever bowl game. Less than a month before the fall 2016 semester began, former Relays Director Brian Brown and track and field head coach Natasha Brown each left for positions at their shared alma mater, the University of Missouri. Natasha Brown still hasn’t been formally replaced at Drake. Assistant coaches have stepped up as interims since her
Substitutions:
departure. Some players see frequent changes as beneficial to their development. “I think it’s made me a stronger player because I’ve gotten more points of view and more strategies, more different things thrown my way,” junior Women’s Tennis player Tess Herder said. “I’ve just absorbed it and responded. I’ve enjoyed it.” Although she agreed on the benefits, Herder’s teammate, junior Summer Brills, said that having three coaches in three years has posed an unanticipated challenge. “Coming in to a college sport, you definitely don’t expect to have that many changes in coaching,” Brills said. “...It’s made us overall stronger as players because we know how to face adversity and that says something for our mental games too ... and that’s helped us be successful here at Drake.” Men’s Basketball After the 2008 NCAA Tournament run, AP Coach of the Year Keno Davis left after only one season at Drake. Mark Phelps followed, the first Men’s Basketball head coach hire during Hatfield Clubb’s tenure. During five seasons under Phelps, the only time Phelps has been a head coach at the college level, the team posted two winning records and never finished above .500 in conference play. Giacoletti replaced him in 2013. In a little over three seasons under Giacoletti, the Bulldogs posted a cumulative record of 32-69, typified by a two-win 2015-16 conference season. In retrospect, Atkinson thinks that both Phelps and Giacoletti
Drake head coaching changes from 2013-today Men’s Basketball
Women’s Tennis
Phelps’ Tenure: April 2008-March 2013
Thomson’s Tenure: Aug. 2010-spring 2013, assistant 2005-2010
Reason for Leaving: Contract not renewed Current Position: Assistant coach for University of Arizona Men’s Basketball
Current Position: Head coach at University of Alabama in Huntsville
Replaced by: Ray Giacoletti
Replaced by: Sadhaf Pervez
Mark Phelps Football
Chris Creighton The Times-Delphic
Reason for Leaving: Unknown
Paul Thomson
Men’s Soccer
Creighton’s Tenure: Fall 2008-Dec. 2013
Holmes’ Tenure: Feb. 1998-Aug. 2013
Reason for Leaving: Left for new job
Reason for Leaving: Holmes told Des Moines Register he was fired
Current Position: Head coach at Eastern Michigan University
Current Position: Head coach at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines
Replaced by: Rick Fox
Replaced by: Gareth Smith
Sean Holmes
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 5D
were ill-advised hires. “Sandy and (Phelps) were pals together, both at North Carolina State and then Arizona State,” Atkinson said. “And then all of a sudden, Giacoletti was a nice hire, we thought. … He was from Gonzaga, a great program, but he had no ties to the Midwest.” Giacoletti had his fair share of accolades coming into the job. In 2004, he was the head coach at Eastern Washington during its first-ever NCAA Tournament Berth. The year following, Playboy named him the National Coach of the Year in 2005 when he led the University of Utah to the Sweet 16. He was gone two years later after Utah missed back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Giacoletti resigned after the Bulldogs started the 2016-17 season at 1-7. Jeff Rutter stepped up as interim head coach; he was brought on as an assistant soon after Giacoletti was hired. Rutter was loved by fans and players, but that didn’t translate into success on the court. The Bulldogs went 6-17 overall and 5-14 in conference in Rutter’s four months as head coach. The team’s final record was the same as the year before, 7-24 — the worst finishes since 1998. Medved was chosen over Rutter for the head coaching job. Despite Medved’s proven ability to turn around a losing program, Atkinson said that Drake can kiss his season tickets goodbye. He’s done with Drake
Men’s Basketball. “I know that my 800 bucks a year isn’t going to cause much, but I’ll set a precedent,” Atkinson said. “I’m just tired of it. It’s an embarrassment.” Atkinson’s final straw was how he saw Rutter being treated after the 2016-17 season ended. Atkinson said Rutter was “twisting in the wind,” waiting to hear if he would be hired back or not. Rutter was hired as an assistant coach at Miami University (Ohio) earlier this month. Not all alumni thought that Rutter was the right man for the job, however. Reed was glad to see the change. “I like Rutt, but I think he was part of the problem,” Reed said. “I think it was a good time to start from scratch, kind of tear everything down.” Reed blamed the many of the program’s problems on second-rate, Midwest-focused recruiting, leaving the team without considerable talent. The last time a Bulldog was drafted and actually played in the NBA was 1981. Drake has only won eight games in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament since 2001; the last postseason win came in 2013. “I don’t think everybody is looking for Kentucky or North Carolina-type results,” Reed said. “I think they just want to be competitive on a Thursday night. They want to finish in
the top half of the league, at least occasionally. That hasn’t happened in a long time.” More so than Men’s Basketball’s continual disappointments, the firing of former trainer Scott Kerr is what bothers Atkinson most. “The way that whole thing was handled is going to cost Drake hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars,” Atkinson said. Atkinson traces Kerr’s firing and the perceived humiliation of Men’s Basketball directly back to Hatfield Clubb. In his eyes, it’s her fault. Excluding 2008, Drake Men’s Basketball hasn’t been “good” for a long time. It’s finished above .500 just 11 times in the last 46 seasons. The struggles didn’t start when Hatfield Clubb was brought on, but she acknowledges that her first two hires were unsuccessful in turning the program around. “(Hiring Phelps and Giacoletti) didn’t produce the results we were looking for,” she said. “… The fact that it didn’t work, nobody is more upset about that than me.” Hatfield Clubb is an experience-oriented leader. She emphasizes integrity and development for Drake studentathletes and coaches, oftentimes placing those values about wins and losses. She believes that both Phelps and Giacoletti lived up to the standards expected of them; they just couldn’t bring success
Women’s Tennis
Sadhaf Pervez
on the court. Off the court, Reed questions how much the administration has supported Men’s Basketball. Not only does he think recruiting is too narrowly focused, but he also partially blames Drake for community apathy. “What’s the marketing budget for Drake basketball?” Reed wondered. “Have you seen any billboards? Are there any commercials out there? … What’s being done to bring about interest from people in the community?” Although marketing has left more to be desired for Reed at least, that isn’t to say funding has been low. The $8 million Shivers Basketball Practice Facility was completed in 2014. President Marty Martin said that the budget was increased for Medved, placing his salary among the top half of MVC head coaches and him more freedom in hiring assistants. ‘Selling hope’ Perhaps the biggest problem Drake Athletics has faced is that its successes have come largely out of the general public’s eye. Women’s Basketball has a win percentage of .724 since 2014-15. It went undefeated in conference and won the MVC Tournament Championship, which gave the program its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007. The women’s soccer team went to the conference championship
Women’s Tennis
Pervez’s Tenure: July 2013-Dec. 2015
Hollimon’s Tenure: Spring 2016 (Interim)
Reason for Leaving: Resigned
Reason for Leaving: Interim term expired
Current Position: Head coach at Eastern Michigan University
Current Position: In first year of medical residency in Birmingham, Alabama
Replaced by: John Hollimon
Replaced by: Mai-Ly Tran
Women’s Golf
John Hollimon
Track and Field
Smith’s Tenure: June 2010-June 2015, assistant 2006-2010
Brown’s Tenure: 2000-Aug. 2016 Reason for Leaving: Left for new job
Reason for Leaving: Unknown
Current Position: Associate head coach at University of Missouri
Current Position: Unknown
Leanne Smith
Replaced by: Rachel Pruett
Men’s Basketball
Natasha Brown
Rutter’s Tenure: Dec. 2016-March 2017 (Interim), assistant 2013-’16
March 2013-Dec. 2016 Reason for Leaving:
Reason for Leaving: Not rehired
Left for new job
Current Position: Assistant coach at the University of Miami (Ohio)
Current Position: Sports analyst in St. Louis
The Times-Delphic
Replaced by: Jeff Rutter (Interim)
Replaced by: LaRon Bennett and Dan Hostager (Interims)
Men’s Basketball
Giacoletti’s Tenure:
Ray Giacoletti
in 2015. Men’s Soccer qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament after winning the MVC Championship. Men’s Tennis advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and sophomore Vinny Gillespie is currently ranked among the top 100 players in the nation. But these sports aren’t particularly given much attention, even considering Drake’s reputation as an education-first, athletics-later university. No Drake sport besides football or basketball had more than 750 fans attend any game in 2016. Two of the last three MVC Academic Awards have gone to Drake, an honor bestowed on the school whose studentathletes had the highest GPA in the conference. The awarded trophies are proudly displayed outside of Hatfield Clubb’s office. Drake has plenty of brains, but that isn’t what boosters and fans necessarily care about. “There’s a lot of good things going on, but people don’t read about GPAs in the sports page,” Reed said. “They read about wins and losses.” “I think there’s a dark cloud hanging over the athletic department right now,” Reed continued. “I think Niko has brought some fresh air. I think a lot of people are excited to see what he can do. You can be losing, but if you’re selling hope, people are buying.”
Jeff Rutter
Replaced by: Niko Medved
Relays Edition
Page 6D
April 24, 2017
MEN’S SOCCER
Drake goalkeeper lands pro contract Adam Rogan Managing Editor adam.rogan@drake.edu @adam_rogan
The second Drake Men’s Soccer graduate in two years has earned himself a spot on a professional roster. Darrin MacLeod, Drake’s starting goalkeeper for the past three-plus years, signed a contract with the Swope Park Rangers in January. Swope Park is a minor league affiliate of the MLS’s Sporting Kansas City. As such, MacLeod is only one step away from America’s biggest stage for the sport. But he still has a long way to go before he plays in front of tens of thousands of fans. For now, he’s still trying to earn a spot in the Rangers’ starting 11. “At Drake, there was less doubt about whether or not I’d be starting,” MacLeod said. “… All I can do is go in every single day and work hard and try to clean up areas of my game.” Three games into the 2017 season, MacLeod is yet to see the field. He did get to play in preseason, where he got his first taste of professional soccer. “I think the biggest difference is just the speed of play. Guys are just able to move the ball quicker,” MacLeod said. “… They’re a little bit more athletic.” Even if he isn’t in a starting role, MacLeod believes he’s worthy of one. During college, MacLeod set Bulldog records in saves (308), clean sheets (19) and wins (33). In 2015, MacLeod was instrumental in the Bulldogs’ run into the second round of the NCAA Tournament; he only gave up two goals in Drake’s four postseason victories. Gareth Smith coached
MacLeod throughout his years as a Bulldog and has witnessed the 23 year old develop into the pro-caliber player he is now. Smith said that MacLeod set himself apart by devoting himself off the field between matches and during the offseason, instead of solely focusing on games. “Darrin works as hard in the spaces between training and games as he does in training and games,” Smith said. “… His
The interesting thing is, I’m still a really, really young keeper. Keepers age a little bit later in their careers. Darrin MacLeod Swope Park Rangers goalkeeper
private dedication is an indication of his public performance.” The Bulldog who signed a pro contract two years ago was Alec Bartlett. Last season, Bartlett appeared in eight games with the Charlotte Independence, a team that’s in the same league as the Rangers. His journey has paralleled MacLeod’s. Getting their skill levels to where they are now took a lot of time and effort, but securing a deal with a pro club didn’t happen overnight either. During school breaks, MacLeod had the opportunity to practice with Sporting KC thanks to a connection he had with the team’s goalkeeper coach and other people that his coach knew. These appearances helped keep him in the minds of the program that would eventually sign him.
“We make sure that we get him exposure,” Smith said, “not only through Drake, but that we create the right opportunities to get him down for training opportunities in summer.” When the contract was finally offered, MacLeod said he felt relieved. “I’ve certainly backed my ability to play professionally, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in terms of contract talks and things like that,” MacLeod said. “… I’m certainly happy with the club that I landed at. I think it’s a good organization, and it’ll give me an opportunity to develop and also give me an opportunity to prove myself.” For now, a lot of it seems like a waiting game. First-team keepers (i.e. players who are on Sporting KC’s the MLS roster) were in net for the for the first three games of the season, although MacLeod doesn’t think this will continue much longer. This means that MacLeod could be playing his first pro match any day. That’s the next step. After he gets experience on the field with the Rangers, he’d be one step closer to his ultimate ambition of playing in the big leagues, the MLS. “Of course that’s ultimately the goal,” MacLeod said. “The interesting thing is, I’m still a really, really young keeper. Keepers age a little bit later in their careers.” MacLeod didn’t get a starting job right away at Drake. He was redshirted as a freshman, but was starting for most of his sophomore season. He started more than 70 consecutive matches at Drake. MacLeod has shown that he is a tough keeper. It should only be a matter of time until he gets to prove that while wearing a Rangers uniform.
DARRIN MacLEOD boots a goal kick last fall during his final season as a Drake Bulldog. Born in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, MacLeod now plays with the Swope Park Rangers, a team in the United Soccer League, an MLS affiliate. PHOTO BY CASSANDRA BAUER | PHOTO EDITOR
SOFTBALL
Bulldogs struggle to find their momentum
Postseason chances look glum after ace pitcher undergoes Tommy John Michael Brynda Beat Writer michael.brynda@drake.edu
JUNIOR KAILEE SMITH gets the sign from the catcher. Of the 210plus innings she’s pitched in her collegiate career, more than 150 of them have come in 2017. PHOTO BY ADAM ROGAN | MANAGING EDITOR
The Times-Delphic
It has certainly been a rocky season for the Drake University softball team. And with just a few weeks to go, there is not much time to turn it around. The Bulldogs were on a five-game losing skid entering the weekend of April 22-23. Their overall record is an underwhelming 20 and 24, and they have won only three of their 17 conferences matches in 2017. Part of the reason for this season’s struggles has been the absence of star pitcher Nicole Newman, who underwent Tommy John surgery for an elbow injury this month. “Clearly, it is a loss that we don’t have her,” senior Megan Sowa said. “We are doing our best to come together as a team and work with what we have, work without her because that is really all we can do right now.” Junior Kailee Smith has taken over most of the pitching responsibilities in Newman’s absence; she threw 76 innings in March alone. She described not having Newman as available as a “huge loss,” largely because she is “a
huge leader on the field and off the field.” Newman finished last season with 22 wins, 13 losses and an earned run average of 2.96. She also broke the Drake singleseason strikeout record with 286 Ks and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year. Last season, Drake’s team ERA was 4.10. This year, it’s 0.32 higher. And the bats have been suffering as well. In 2016, the Bulldogs scored nearly five runs per game. Heading into the weekend, their average is below three-and-ahalf. “How we’ve been performing is just not how we want to be performing,” Smith said. “We all know we are better than what we are showing.” There’s area to improve, particularly in the mental game, according to Sowa. “This year really has shown that we have to work as a team to be successful,” Sowa said. She called the season both “humbling” and “hard.” It certainly has not been the season the Bulldogs were hoping for. They were 30-24 last season and earned a no. 2 seed in the MVC Tournament. Right now, the Bulldogs still need to fight to
qualify for a tournament berth. However, not all hope is lost. The top eight teams in the conference make the tournament. Drake is currently tied for ninth, two games back from a clinching seed with 10 left to play. The homestretch of the season is rapidly approaching. The Bulldogs know there is only so much time to amend what has been a subpar season thus far and make a run in May. Smith was very optimistic for the remainder of the season. “I feel it in my heart that we are going to come out this weekend and have the most intensity we have had all season,” Smith said. Although this season has not lived up to expectations, do not count out the Bulldogs yet. This team has shown flashes of brilliance this season. Drake handily beat the Big 10’s University of Iowa by a score of 11-1 on March 11 and swept conference-rival Indiana State by not giving up a single earned run over three games during the first weekend of March. The Bulldogs will be on the road until May, but will close the season at home with a threegame series against Loyola on May 6 and 7.
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 7D
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Bulldogs’ historic season in review
Wins in a row
Oct. 25 Accurate prediction
Drake picked to finish win the Missouri Valley Conference in preseason poll.
Dec. 22 The streak begins A 93-78 victory over Eastern Washington University at the Tulane Classic in New Orleans is the first of 22 in a row.
Seniors Caitlin Ingle and Lizzy Wendell were named to the preseason allconference squad. Wendell was also tabbed as the MVC Preseason Player of the Year.
March 10‑12 MVC Tourney
Drake came from behind in all three games in the tournament, capping off a 22-game win streak with an OT win in the championship game against UNI. Ingle led the way with 22 points and a fourth-quarter buzzer-beater.
March 18 End of the journey Drake’s season closed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a 67‑54 loss to Kansas State. It was the 11th time the team has made it to The Big Dance and the first since 2007. Wendell was named conference MVP and is the thirdhighest scorer in Drake history. Ingle is the MVC’s all-time assist leader. PHOTOS BY JAKE BULLINGTON | DIGITAL EDITOR, ADAM ROGAN | MANAGING EDITOR, AND CONNOR FINHOLT | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Times-Delphic
Relays Edition
Key HS = High School Competition CD = College Division UD = University Division ELITE = Elite Competition BOLD/ITALIC = 2016 Rio Olympic Games Rematch
Sunday, April 23
12:30 p.m. Beautiful Bulldog Contest Knapp Center
Tuesday, April 25
6:00 p.m. Grand Blue Mile Downtown
Wednesday, April 26
11:30 a.m. Decathlon Men, Day 1 1:30 p.m. Heptathlon Women, Day 1 5:45p.m. Vault at Capital Square 4th/Locust
Thursday, April 27 9:30 a.m. Decathlon Men, Day 2 10:30 a.m. Heptathlon Women, Day 2
Distance Carnival
6:00 p.m. 800m (Unseeded) UD/CD Women, Final 6:05 p.m. 800m (Unseeded) UD/CD Men, Final 6:10 p.m. 3000m HS Girls, Final 6:25 p.m. 3200m HS Boys, Final 6:40 p.m. 4x1600m UD/CD Women, Final 7:05 p.m. 4x1600m UD/CD Men, Final 7:30 p.m. 10,000m Open Women, Final 8:10 p.m. 10,000m Open Men, Final 8:40 p.m. 5000m Open Women, Final 9:05 p.m. 5000m Open Men, Final Field Events 4:00 p.m. Discus HS Girls, Final 4:30 p.m. High Jump HS Boys, Final 4:30 p.m. Shot Put HS Boys, Final 5:00 p.m. Long Jump HS Girls, Final
Friday, April 28
8:00 a.m. 100mH HS Girls, Prelim 8:16 a.m. 110mH HS Boys, Prelim 8:31 a.m. 100m HS Girls, Prelim 8:46 a.m. 100m HS Boys, Prelim 8:58 a.m. 4x100m CD Women, Prelim 9:17 a.m. 4x100m CD Men, Prelim 9:32 a.m. 100mH UD/CD Women, Prelim 9:45 a.m. 110mH UD/CD Men, Prelim 10:00 a.m. 4x800m CD Men, Final 10:11 a.m. 4x800m CD Women, Final 10:24 a.m. 800M Sprint Medley HS Girls, Final 10:37 a.m. 1600M Distance Medley HS Boys, Final 10:56 a.m. 800m Masters (40-and-up), Final 11:04 a.m. 100mH HS Girls, Final 11:09 a.m. 110mH HS Boys, Final 11:10 a.m. Officials Break 11:55 a.m. 4x100m UD Women, Prelim 12:05 p.m. 4x100m UD Men, Prelim 12:18 p.m. 4x200m CD Women, Final 12:30 p.m. 4x200m CD Men, Final 12:38 p.m. 4x200m HS Girls, Final 12:50 p.m. 4x200m HS Boys, Final 1:05 p.m. 400mH UD/CD Women, Final 1:18 p.m. 100m UD/CD Women, Prelim 1:33 p.m. 100m HS Girls, Final 1:39 p.m. 100m UD/CD Men, Prelim 1:51 p.m. 100m HS Boys, Final 2:00 p.m. 4x400m CD Women, Prelim 2:24 p.m. 4x400m CD Men, Prelim 2:48 p.m. 800m HS Girls, Final 2:54 p.m. 800m HS Boys, Final 2:59 p.m. 800m UD/CDWomen, Final 3:04 p.m. 4x400m UD Women, Prelim 3:28 p.m. 4x400m UDMen, Prelim Field Events 8:30 a.m. Shot Put HS Girls, Final 9:00 a.m. Discus HS Boys, Final 9:30 a.m. Long Jump (North), HS Boys, Final 9:45 a.m. High Jump HS Girls, Final 10:00 a.m. Long Jump UD/CD Women, Final 10:00 a.m. Javelin UD/CD Men, Final 11:00 a.m. Shot Put UD/CD Men, Final 12:30 p.m. Pole Vault UD/CD Men, Final 1:00 p.m. High Jump UD/CD Women, Final 1:00 p.m. Javelin UD/CD Women, Final 1:00 p.m. Discus UD/CD Women, Final 1:30 p.m. Triple Jump UD/CD Men, Final
Hy-Vee Night at the Drake Relays 5:00p.m. 240YardShuttle Elementary School Youth, Final 5:10p.m. 4x100m HS Girls, Prelims 5:40p.m. 4x100m MS Girls, Final 5:52p.m. 4x100m MS Boys, Final 6:05p.m. 4x100m HS Boys, Prelims 6:35p.m. 4x200m UD Women, Final 6:50p.m. 4x200m UDMen, Final 7:01p.m. Sprint Medley CD Women, Final 7:21p.m. Sprint Medley CD Men, Final 7:37p.m. 400m Rio Rematch Men, Final 7:45p.m. 400mH Rio Rematch Men, Final 7:49p.m. 4x800m UD Women, Final 8:04p.m. 1500m Rio Rematch Women, Final 8:19p.m. 4x800m UDMen,Final 8:30p.m. 4x400m HS Girls, Prelims 8:50p.m. 4x400m HS Boys, Prelims 9:10 p.m. Session Ends Field Events 5:45 p.m. Pole Vault Rio Rematch Women, Final 6:00 p.m. Shot Put Elite Women, Final 6:45 p.m. High Jump Elite Women, Final 7:00 p.m. Triple Jump Rio Rematch Men, Final
Saturday, April 28
7:30 a.m. Half Marathon Drake Road Races 7:45 a.m. 5K Drake Road Races 8:00 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS Girls, Prelim 8:15 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS Boys, Prelim 8:30 a.m. Distance Medley CD Women, Final 8:46 a.m. Distance Medley CD Men, Final 9:01 a.m. 4x800m HS Girls, Final 9:16 a.m. 4x800m HS Boys, Final 9:35 a.m. 3000m Steeple UD/CD Women, Final 9:50 a.m. 3000m Steeple UD/CD Men, Final 10:07 a.m. Sprint Medley UD Women, Final 10:27 a.m. Sprint Medley UD Men, Final 10:50 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD Women, Prelim 11:05 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD Men, Prelim 11:20 a.m. Officials Break 12:10 p.m. Shuttle Hurdle HSGirls, Final 12:15 p.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS Boys, Final 12:20 p.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD Women, Final 12:25 p.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD Men, Final 12:30 p.m. Distance Medley UD Men, Final 12:45 p.m. 1500m HS Girls, Final 12:52 p.m. 1600m HS Boys, Final 1:13 p.m. 400mH UD/CD Men, Final 1:25 p.m. 400mH HS Girls, Final 1:53 p.m. 800m UD/CD Men, Final 2:11 p.m. 1500m Elite Men, Final 2:25 p.m. 100m UD/CD Men, Final 2:37 p.m. 100mH Rio Rematch Women, Final 2:51 p.m. 110mH Rio Rematch Men, Final 3:06 p.m. 1500m UD/CD Men, Final 3:13 p.m. 4x100m UD Women, Final 3:18 p.m. 4x100m UD Men, Final 3:22 p.m. 4x100m CD Women, Final 3:27 p.m. 4x100m CD Men, Final 3:31 p.m. 4x100m HS Girls, Final 3:36 p.m. 4x100m HS Boys, Final 3:40 p.m. 4x400m UD Women, Final 3:50 p.m. 4x400m UD Men, Final 4:00 p.m. 4x400m CD Women, Final 4:07 p.m. 4x400m CD Men, Final 4:15 p.m. 4x400m HS Girls, Final 4:22 p.m. 4x400m HS Boys, Final Field Events 9:00 a.m. Hammer UD/CD Women, Final 9:00 a.m. Discus UD/CD Men, Final 9:30 a.m. Triple Jump UD/CD Women, Final 10:00 a.m. High Jump UD/CD Men, Final 10:00 a.m. Pole Vault UD/CD Women, Final 12:00 p.m. Long Jump UD/CD Men, Final 12:30 p.m. Shot Put UD/CD Women, Final 1:00 p.m. Hammer UD/CD Men, Final 1:45 p.m. High Jump Rio Rematch Men, Final 2:00 p.m. Pole Vault Rio Rematch Men, Final 2:45 p.m. Long Jump Rio Rematch Women, Final
PHOTOS BY MOHAMAD SUHAIMI
Page 2E Thalia Anguiano has endured a lot of challenges as student body president, but also as a student. After debating transferring, she helped start La Fuerza Latina.
Page 4E Nikita Khara believes in long boards, South Indian classical dancing and researching music. She shares her story of what campus groups mean to her.
Page 5E Colorado native shares his story of how he found comfort at Drake. After joining La Fuerza Latina, Jose Garcia-Fuerte found a home within the group.
Page 7E Haley Davis decided to join a historically black sorority after hearing the impact the sorority had on its members.
Page 8E Jade Suganuma shares how she is an activism in the community. Suganuma will be taking a massive road trip after graduation.
Emerge
Each year, we pick a theme for our Relays Edition. This year we wanted to do something different. We wanted to tell the stories of how students have grown since stepping onto Drake’s campus. Mia Blondin Relays Editor mia.blondin@drake.edu @mjblondin
The past year has been a year of growth for all students, personal, educational and as a community for Drake University. But it would also be hard to ignore that it has been a hard year for a lot of students. From presidential candidates to lawsuits to NCAA berths, from challenging and happier times alike Drake students carried on. This year the Times Delphic has highlighted the humans of Drake to feature the faces found around campus. Students are leaders, researchers, authors, feminists and sports fanatics. Drake University can set students up for success and with the many opportunities available anything is possible. This is shown by where students see themselves in the future. With hopes of becoming a journalist, minister or simply making the world a more understanding and welcoming place Drake students will certainly go on to do big things. But sometimes that success is built off of the challenges that the Drake community throws at students. Several acts of hate showed us that our university has a long way to go. But most students
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did know that these acts of hate were the tip of the iceberg. A lot of people on this campus are uneducated in regards to people who seem different from them. Some students do not know anything different from what their grew up with. This year our campus seemed more polarized then ever, but with this polarization comes the opportunity for Drake to do better. The adversity of campus allowed for more attention and more discussion surrounding these issues, helping this community to grow, learn and emerge as better people. It also allowed for people to sink back into their bubble and forget to talk to those who do not think, act or look like them. A lot of organization have done an amazing job at facilitating this conversation. Student Senate, Hillel, La Fuerza Latina, Muslim Student Association and Collation of Black Students are just a few of the organizations of campus leading important conversations on campus. Not one student at Drake has the same story. Everyone has a unique path and their own story to tell, and that is what makes this university such a wonderful place to grow. The TD started Humans of Drake as a way to bridge understanding of all students on campus. If we can read about each other and connect with
each other, it makes it harder to hate each other. We started this project as a way to open the door for conversation with everyone on campus. In no way could we tell the stories of all on campus, nor could we cover every group either. This is just the beginning. With in these pages lies the stories of 15 students. Fifteen of around 4,000 students. We hope these stories encourage you to get to know those around you. When you share stories with others, it opens up the avenue for understanding and support. We heard from 15 pretty inspirational people. Our student body president shares her struggles being a woman of color. Kayla Schween explains why she wants to be a minster. Haley Davis describes her experience with Crew Scholars. All of the students we talked to had stories of growth and tribulations. We found some tough tales and dove deep. Taking the time to get to know your fellow students is an incredible experience. No matter the issue this community always seems to join together to rise above it, learn from it, to grow, to emerge.
Relays Edition
Page 2E
April 24, 2017
PHOTO BY JESS LYNK | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Thalia Anguiano
First Latina student body president shares experiences as leader Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
On a warm Friday night, music filled Helmick Commons. People tossed Frisbees, while others sat on picnic blankets talking with friends. To Student Body President Thalia Anguiano, this was college. “I remember looking out at Helmick and saying—this is what college is supposed to feel like and look like,” Anguiano said. It was her first year at Drake University, a university she decided upon after one of her best friends told her to check out the school during college visits. But during her sophomore year, Anguiano felt insecure in her college choice. “I don’t remember exactly how it came about, but in my rhetoric class I was taking at the time, it kind of hit me that I was one of the lone Latinos on this campus at a PWI (predominantly white institution),” Anguiano said. “That kind of instilled a lot of frustration and disappointment in the decision I had made to come here and didn’t really know how to go about it.” Anguiano decided to transfer back home to DePaul University. She had the paperwork ready and everything. But during winter break her sophomore year, Drake alum Hector Arroyo asked Anguiano if she would be interested in starting a group on campus called La Fuerza Latina.
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The organization would provide a space for the Latino community. “We obviously saw a need for it on this campus to have more of that advocacy within the Latino community, which is why (La Fuerza Latina) came about,” Anguiano said. Although Anguiano can’t remember exactly what led her not to transfer, she credits La Fuerza Latina and a position on the Student Activities Board to why she is still at Drake. “Once we came back after J-Term and started working on it, then I had found that other community that was missing from my Drake experience,” Aguiano said. “The people within that organization have been a very big reason why I choose not to transfer that year.”
I had never really had to think about what it means to be a person of color or a women of color, a Latina, just because, back at home, that is all I had been surrounded by is Latinos Thalia Anguiano Student Body President
Anguiano credits this year to being one of her most challenging years at Drake. “I had never really had to think about what it means
to be a person of color or a women of color, a Latina, just because, back at home, that is all I had been surrounded by is Latinos,” Anguiano said. “I live in a very Latino-prominent neighborhood. I didn’t really know how to navigate through that and I think not knowing how to navigate through that affected a lot of the other things I was doing on campus and a lot of my school work as well and my relationships with other people. That was probably one of the biggest challenges.” After her challenging year, Anguiano ran for diversity interest senator-at-large. She won the election and then became student body president the following May. Anguiano was the first Latina president at Drake. She also was the first woman president in five year. “I was tired of seeing people run for the title,” Anguiano said. “I was tired of seeing people run to fulfill their resumes. I do not really understand why people do that, but they do. And it is crappy, but I knew I wanted to change that trend that has been going on since I got here … I wanted to run to show that there are people that actually are genuinely invested in the student body and the needs of the Drake experience and show people that I was actually willing to work and do something good for campus, instead of just going and sitting in the office and reaping all the benefits from being student body president. I wanted to change the perception of that.” But her time as student body president has come with more
THALIA AGUIANO leads the Student Senate meeting like she has most Thursdays this year. PHOTO BY JAKE BULLINGTON | DIGITAL EDITOR
challenges. Anguiano says that as a woman of color, she feels she is not always given credit for the work she does. She also says it has been hard for her to establish her presence on campus. “There are still people on this campus who don’t know I am student body president,” Anguiano said. “I have found it very difficult to deal with a lot of the microaggressions that come with being a women of color as well as a lot of the sexism that comes with just being a woman in this position period ... I don’t think it has been much of an issue for presidents in the past, just given social and power and racial and all those other dynamics that go into a leadership position.” But during her time as president, Anguiano helped begin to see what a career beyond Drake could look like. Anguiano started at Drake with the idea that she would eventually go to law school. But that idea shifted after she took an undergraduate law school class. “That was the same time I was in Adams Academy (a leadership development program) and I think Adams Academy and learning about leadership and all that stuff kind of helped me realize (that) I think
my calling was in leadership development and helping people and teams become better leaders and strengthen their skills within those groups,” Anguiano said. Anguiano said this realization came around the time she went to Barcelona, Spain, for a leadership conference. “There I learned a lot more about student identity development and how it affects college students. I said ‘Well this is cool,’” Anguiano said. “I talked to Meghan (Baeza, Director of Student Leadership) a lot about it and she said what I am doing right now, working with different organizations on campus and what I learned at the conference, is something that I can actually turn into a career.” After graduation, Anguiano will be taking the skills she learned as a sophomore, diversity interest senator-at-large and student body president to Kent State University next fall. Anguiano has an assistantship at Kent State where she will be working with students of color and other traditionally marginalized groups within the Cleveland metro area. She will be talking about the importance of higher education, something she has already done at Drake.
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 3E
Ashley Hawkins
VIP teaches senior variety of lessons Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
“My first year I had a friend who was in an abusive relationship and I didn’t know what to do,” Violence Intervention Partner advocate, Ashley Hawkins, said. “I didn’t know how to help her. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to support her. I needed to know there were resources available on campus not just for her, but also for me as her friend.” Hawkins, a senior public relations major, became a VIP advocate this school year after completing a 40-hour, in total, training sessions in August. VIP advocates become victim counselors under Iowa law, which allows them to have the privilege of confidentiality. This means they do not report the stories they hear to Drake University. According to Drake’s website, VIP is a group of certified students that support people suffering from sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. The advocates are available for support through VIP’s phone line and can walk a client through action and safety steps. “VIP doesn’t just answer a phone,” Hawkins said. “We do a lot of outreach and emotional support. It’s very rewarding to
know that something I am doing can have a direct impact on someone.” Hawkins shared that VIP is a very under-utilized resource on campus, partially because it was founded only in the last five years. Many people don’t know that they can text the VIP number as well. “It’s a lot easier to text a number than to call. It takes a lot of guts to call,” Hawkins said. “The first thing I would tell a client is that it’s a confidential resource and I am here to support and help them and often it plays out from there.”
VIP doesn’t just answer a phone. We do a lot of outreach and emotional support. It’s very rewarding to know that I am doing something I am doing can have a direct impact on someone. Ashley Hawkins
Senior
Hawkins described her feelings towards answering the phone calls as “a rush of emotions.” “You don’t know when you pick up the phone if it is going
to be someone in crisis, someone who was just raped, someone who just found out their friend was raped or someone who is seeing some red flags in their relationship,” Hawkins said. “You have to be ready for anything.” VIP advocates have 48-hours shifts during which they carry the phone with them at all times and will answer and reply to all texts within that time frame. “We talk a lot about self care (within VIP),” Hawkins said. “It’s not only important for victims or survivors or concerned friends, it’s also important for advocates. That’s why we only have 48-hour shifts, as opposed to a week at a time. It means after contact with a client, sometimes debriefing with a supervisor is necessary. They are also concerned about our personal well-being.” VIP is unique to Drake’s campus, but Hawkins hopes to continue volunteering for other violence prevention services post-graduation. “(Being involved in VIP) has taught me to believe people,” Hawkins said. “There’s a statistic that shows that the first person a victim tells can make or break their recovery. So, if the first person doesn’t believe them, their shot at recovery from a sexual assault can be very low. So believing people, no matter what they say, is something that I have learned to put into practice in all areas of my life.”
Areeb Nagamiyan
Junior sticks to morals Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Sophomore Areeb Nagamiyan has been waking up before sunrise since he was five or six years old. Nagamiyan, a practicing Muslim, gets up to pray every morning. “The first prayer is before sunrise, so you have to get up before sunrise and be prepared to actually pray,” Nagamiyan said. “A lot of it is self-involvement. You have to get up, it is not like you cannot. You have to and you just have to do it … That habit of being religious has stayed through all 13 years.” Nagamiyan was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and moved in 2008 to Peoria, Illinois. He thought he would stay
in-state for college, but visited Drake and fell in love with the community. “I loved the atmosphere and how it was just so inclusive of everyone,” Nagamiyan said. “In a state school, you might not see that. And because it is such a small school, you had benefits of almost anything. I did research last semester. I know a lot of professors on a first-name basis.” At Drake, Nagamiyan has gotten involved in Muslim Student Association. But for Nagamiyan, being a Muslim at a predominantly white institution can come with a lot of challenges. “It is quite difficult because there is native perception about Muslims,” Nagamiyan said. “It can be tough. But at the same time, I have to stick with my morals. A lot of the Islamic morals parallels what a good
human: don’t lie, always be honest, be fair. Maintaining that, you can see that even though he is Muslim, he is still a good person. Having those parallels, maintaining high ideals, having a high social standard for myself personally is one thing I try to do.” Nagamiyan said Drake has been accommodating to his faith, especially by opening up a prayer room in lower Olmsted. The room has an arrow pointing towards Mecca and a variety of religious texts. Nagamiyan wants to pursue a career in clinical pharmacy. “The pharmacy profession just clicked with my personality,” Nagamiyan said. “... In creative pharmacy, you can have the dayto-day interaction without the stress of the med school and the student loans of med school. I decided, ‘Why not?’” PHOTO BY JESS LYNK | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Times-Delphic
COURTESY OF ASHLEY HAWKINS
Michelle Lin
Passion for Pharmacy Student shares multicultural background
Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Michelle Lin likes to say she came from a pretty multicultural background. Growing up, she lived in China for three years. At home, Lin speaks Cantonese, which was her first language, and she also learned Mandarin when she was younger. In high school, she studied Spanish, which she continued at Drake with a Spanish minor. Her background lead her to participate in cultural nights at Drake. “I have really enjoyed the cultural nights that we put on here, whether it be International Night or just going to see Malaysian night, Chinese night, that type of thing,” Lin said. “Because I am from a pretty diverse town and coming to Drake, it was a little bit, of not necessarily a culture shock, but just a big difference because we are in Iowa (and) there is not too much diversity here,” Lin said. “Those (cultural nights) really exhibit the diversity that exists outside of Drake and also within the Drake community that we might normally not be exposed to if we don’t go out to look for those.” Lin has been involved in International Student Association and Chinese Scholar Student Association, which she says she has really enjoyed at Drake. Another passion of Lin’s is pharmacy. “I have always been interested in science,” Lin said. “The way that drugs interact inside the
body really interested me, and I did a couple of job shadows in high school in pharmacy and I thought that was pretty interesting.” Lin feels that with pharmacy she is able to impact the community that she will be living in. “I think one big thing for me is that I feel I am personally able to make the biggest difference and help people through this profession,” Lin said. Lin works in a retail pharmacy, which she says has given her a glimpse into the impact pharmacists have on a community. Lin studied abroad in Chile last spring, which gave her the opportunity to see pharmacy from the hospital side. “I actually had the opportunity to talk with a hospital pharmacist in Chile when we were observing at different hospitals, and she explained to me the developing role of clinical pharmacists and how she wanted to expand it,” Lin said. Lin said there was really a moment when she knew she wanted to be a pharmacist, but is secure with the decision. “Every additional interaction I get to have with pharmacists, patients and other health care professionals,” Lin said, “further confirms that I am pursuing my passion.”
Relays Edition
Page 4E
April 24, 2017
Nikita Khara
COURTESY OF NIKITA KHARA
South Asian student expresses impact of student association Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Nikita Khara said she had a quarter-life crisis after her sophomore year in college. Her solution: buy an $80 longboard. “My mom then hid it from me because I fell a lot,” Khara said. “That summer I taught myself how to go straight and to the right, but I couldn’t go left and still can’t go left.” Khara is a business management major with a minor in psychology and a concentration in human resources management. She originally wanted to go into clinical psychology, but after seeing the toll the job took on her sister, she decided to take a different path: the business route. “Organizations would hire me for six months, one year and they would tell me basically the flaws and the faults in their organization and they would tell me what their goals are. I would help them apply psychology principles and help them reach their goals,” Khara said. “It is really, really broad. So I could do anything from suggest an open workspace to facilitate communication amongst departments.” Khara decided to jump fully into the business school after joining Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi), a professional business fraternity on campus.
“I walked into Drake with a psychology major and I kind of added business on second. I didn’t really know what business was,” Khara said. “AKPsi was what really helped me stay in the business school and helped me realize that there is a lot of freedom with a business degree (and) I would be stable for the rest of my life, which is really nice.” But there is another organization on campus that holds a bit more weight than AKPsi: the Southern Asian Student Association (SASA). “SASA was my absolute rock my freshman year,” Khara said. “I am originally from Chicago, so coming from a really diverse area to Iowa was a really difficult transition for me. It felt really nice to be a part of an organization where there are people that were Indian and Pakistani, just South Asian in general, that understood what it is like to be a first-generation Indian in America. Also, as well as have the same upbringing as me and the same values and same transitions, they are just as homesick as I am.” SASA has given support to Khara. But, as an Asian student on campus, she sometimes felt left out of the diversity conversation at Drake. “As our campus has been moving towards a social justice movement on campus, it feels really hard, because I feel like Asian immigrants and firstgeneration Asians feel like they are not of color enough. It almost feels like we are left out of the
dialogue,” Khara said. “We have a lot to contribute, as well as a lot to learn. It is really hard when different organizations aren’t as inclusive of the South Asian and Asian populations on campus.” Khara said she has not experienced this throughout her four years at Drake, but more so in the past year. “I have realized (that there are) a lot of cool things happening in the Des Moines community and on Drake’s campus, and it feels like we are almost shut out,” Khara said. When Khara is not studying and hanging friends, she loves to dance and choreograph. “The type of dance I do is Bharatnatyam,” Khara said. “I have been doing it since I was five years old. I really love to choreograph, and I love to discover new styles of dance that fuse well with South Indian classical dance.” On top of dancing, Khara loves to discover new music. One of her biggest passions is reading about record labels and artists. When her dad came from India, the easiest way for him to learn English was to read about record labels and learn about Motown. Khara said rock and Motown were his two things; he likes soul music. “I grew up listening to all those things, because that is what made my dad feel comfortable being in America,” Khara said. “That is one of my favorite things that I have adapted from him.”
Sarah Mandello
Author, student shares background on book, life Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
I want to be: the president, a princess, an astronaut, an actress, an author. These are common phrases said by toddlers, who dream big. Often, with age, these dream jobs change. Junior writing and public relations major and graphic design minor, Sarah Mondello, was one of those little girls — specifically, an aspiring novelist. “I’ve known my whole life I’ve wanted to be a novelist,” Mondello said. “It’s been a lifelong dream. I was writing ever since I could hold a pencil, and reading before I knew how to read.” On June 6, 2015 her debut novella, “The Kiss of Death” was published. Often, for children, those childhood dreams are fleeting. One day they want to be an actress, the next a singer, the next a veterinarian. But for Mondello, it was always an author. And it wasn’t just a pipe dream. It was in a creative writing class her senior year of high school that Mondello began working on her novella. The assignment was to write a historical fiction short story, specifically tied to an era with a
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known historical issue. Mondello chose the 14th century plague in London. “I was really intrigued by the plague era,” Mondello said. “My teacher was very specific in what he wanted, so I was unsure if my idea would fill the criteria, but I was so thrilled when it did.” The plot follows the protagonist, a young lady named Elizabeth Chauncey, who is struggling to survive the bubonic plague outbreak in medieval England. Encompassed within the story is a bit of romance. “The plague wiped out one third of Europe’s population,” Mondello said. “Looking back, that’s really scary but also strong conflict for a book. I was intrigued by the death and destruction caused by a biological illness.” Much of Mondello’s story is rooted in history. From the clothing the characters wear, to the medical practices of medieval doctors, to the entertainment they watched, it was all researched. “During the outbreak, doctors cautioned against bathing for fear that it could spread the disease, which is totally preposterous, but really fascinating to think about,” Mondello said. Mondello started looking into publishing firms when she realized her story had potential beyond the classroom. She submitted a pitch to Kellan
Publishing, and on Christmas Eve of 2014, received a contract from them for her novella. “It was the best Christmas gift ever,” Mondello said. Since the book was published in 2015, Mondello has been traveling to bookstores and book clubs in the suburbs of Chicago to talk about her life as a novelist and read excerpts from her novella. The Q&A she partakes in with readers is her favorite part. “Now I work as my own publicist,” Mondello said. “So I am setting up my own public speaking engagements, and I’ve been going around to libraries, schools and bookstores and giving educational speeches about the process of novel writing and navigating the industry as a young author.” Many of her readers ask her questions regarding being an author at such a young age. The book was published when Mondello was 19 years old. Within the last year, Mondello’s book has been taught in elementary schools. She spent time researching common core curriculum and drafting a proposal outlining how her book fulfilled the educational requirements. “I sat down and researched common core education standards and taught myself how to correlate elements of my book
to the requirements,” Mondello said. “I created this 20-page guide that has questions for English, biology, art and history classes.” In January 2017, a teacher contacted Mondello, asking her to speak to her seventh graders. “She was basically teaching my book in class and had integrated it into part of their curriculum,” Mondello said. The book can be found under Mondello’s pen name, Sarah Natale. She was named after her great grandmother, and she wanted her pen name
to represent her Italian family history ever since she was young. “Sarah is the Hebrew word for princess, and Natale is the Italian word for Christmas, so my name literally means the ‘Princess of Christmas,’ and it makes my name special to me,” Mondello said. Mondello is currently working on a sequel to “The Kiss of Death” and hopes to one day become a full-time author and publicist, helping other young authors share their words with the world.
COURTESY OF SARAH MONDELLO
Relays Edition
April 24, 2017
Page 5E
COURTESY OF JOSE GARCIA-FUENTE
Jose Garcia-Fuerte
First-year recounts his story Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
Jose Garcia-Fuerte came to the United States as an undocumented citizen at age 3. For part of his childhood, he was sharing a two-bedroom house with three families. He was working construction with his uncles by the age of 11. He took on a fatherly role for his younger sisters. He lived in a Latino community in Denver, Colorado, where many of his classmates didn’t graduate high school with him. “When my family ended up in Denver, we found ourselves in a very low-income area,” the first-year law, politics and society major said. “My mom had to drop me off and go to her first job, then pick me up and go to her second job. It was a lot of living minimally.” Garcia-Fuerte went to public schools through high schools, which were majority Latino. Eighty-seven percent of students were on free and reduced lunch and roughly 74 percent of their families lived below the poverty line, GarciaFuerte said. “The experience made me grow up,” he said. With time, each of the families moved into their own house and found better jobs, which Garcia-Fuerte shared as “chasing the quote-unquote,
American Dream.” Much of this was attributed to the passing of Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which grants a twoyear work permit for anyone under the age of 15 who is permanently residing in the US. “It allowed me to get a driver’s license and exempted me from deportation for two years,” Garcia-Fuerte said. “There is a renewal process I have to keep on doing as long as it’s in place, but as soon as that passed, I knew things would (start to) look up. I had security to go to college and make that investment. And it wouldn’t risk my safety or my family’s.” The summer before his senior year of high school, Garcia-Fuerte participated in a summer program through Junior Achievement and one of the coordinators was a graduate of Drake. “The university name always stuck with me,” GarciaFuerte said. “When the college application process came, without doing any further research and without visiting Drake, I applied and got in. Drake offered me the most financial aid, along with support from outside scholarships, that made it the best choice.” The decision to go to college was one Garcia-Fuerte knew he wanted, but the change in environment made him secondguess at first. “The first two weeks I was
a bit homesick,” Garcia-Fuerte said. “(Coming from Denver was) a huge change. It was a bit of a culture shock, because my high school was 97 percent Latino, and Drake’s number is (closer to) 3 percent. I didn’t know how my interactions would play out here.” “I wasn’t really clicking with anybody,” Garcia-Fuerte added. “I started to wonder if a university in Iowa was the right step for me. But I started to look past that and got involved in La Fuerza Latina. I got involved in politics. I got to give the opening speech for Hillary Clinton when she came (to campus). … All of this helped me feel at home.” He attributes his comfort at Drake to finding this community. “My work as a Latino advocate must continue here,” Garcia-Fuerte said. “That’s how I found my home within Drake.” Garcia-Fuerte admitted that, although he found comfort within La Fuerza Latina, it can sometimes be difficult being one of the only male members. “I don’t want to be mansplaining or taking up too much space within the organization itself,” GarciaFuerte said. “I love to sit back and watch the way the women in this organization absolutely thrive and are able to surpass every obstacle and barrier put in front of them. They have set a precedent for each of us to follow.” Garcia-Fuerte enjoys the
culture within La Fuerza Latina. A female-dominated culture is not one he was often accustomed to. “I have found myself being a lot more open and vulnerable because I am not upheld to the patriarchal role,” Garcia-Fuerte said. The dialogue also pushes Garcia-Fuerte and all members to open up. “We have created a tight community,” Garcia-Fuerte said. “We talk about how we want to advocate for our community here at Drake, as well as the larger Latino community in Des Moines. How do we want to make sure our culture isn’t lost because we go to school that is predominantly white? As well as addressing how to do to that in a nonpartisan way.” Garcia-Fuerte was prompted by some of the other La Fuerza Latina members to run for the Equity and Inclusion this past March. He was unsure earlier this year if he wanted to, knowing how he ran his campaign for first-year senator which resulted in a loss, but he ending up winning the seat as the Equity and Inclusion senator for the 31st session. “My first-year senator campaign was the first one I had ever run,” Garcia-Fuerte said. “I don’t think I was ready to take on that responsibility quite yet, but just this past year I have grown a lot as a leader … which is eventually why I ended up
I started to wonder if a university in Iowa was the right step for me. But I started to look past that and got involved in La Fuerza Latina. I got involved in politics. I got to give the opening speech for Hillary Clinton when she came (to campus) ... All of this helped me feel at home. Jose Garcia-Fuenta First-year
running.” Many of the multicultural organizations under UNITY Roundtable came together to discuss who should take over the senator role this next year. “It wasn’t a decision versed in self-interest,” Garcia-Fuerte said. One of Garcia-Fuerte’s goals as next year’s equity and inclusion senator is for UNITY is to allow for administrative accessibility, because a lot of miscommunication has stemmed from this issue in the past. Other goals in the works are creating an equity and inclusion vice president on senate and to allocate funds efficiently with the new budget UNITY received after officially being declared a governing body this semester. Although Drake has offered Garcia-Fuerte a community and a home, safety is a continuing concern. These safety concerns move beyond Drake, and point to the larger issue facing the nation.
Kayla Schween
A class that changed the course, journey to global citizenship Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Kayla Schween planned to study abroad in Poland during the summer of 2015. But after taking Jennifer Harvey’s Religious Models of Restorative Justice class, she decided to go South Africa. “We studied the truth and reconciliation commission, which occurred in South Africa following the end of apartheid,” Schween said. “It was a journey in finding truth and reconciliation. I was reading about Desmund Tutu and South Africa and I was just like, ‘This sounds like a really amazing place.’ I took a class, read about South Africa and I was like, ‘I am going to
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go here.’ I completely changed plans, last minute decided to go.” When her parents dropped her off at the airport for her trip, Schween cried and wondered if she should go on the trip. She said she called a friend and said, “Should I do this? I don’t think I should do this. What am I doing with my life?” But Schween got on the plane anyways. Schween felt like the trip was a very formative experience in helping her figure out her identity how she fit in the world. “It was really neat to be an international student for a few months,” Schween said. Schween, a history and religion double major, has found herself thinking about being an internationally aware person a lot during her time at Drake, which she partly credits to her
world politics class. “I just remember learning so much in that class and really beginning to think in a global context,” Schween said. “Drake wants us all to be global citizens … It has really made me think about my place within a globalized world and society. I have seen that affect my other classes, like thinking globally. How does one thing in one country affect something else? And it does because we are all so interconnected.” Schween’s long-term goal is to go into seminary. She decided that after exploring her interests. “My professors have been like ‘Oh Kayla, you should go here and do religious studies for your masters and get your Ph.D. and all this other stuff,’ which is great. I love learning, but I just really like working with people
and helping them develop into better versions of themselves and helping them along that process of realization,” Schween said. “It is not something I thought I was going to do at all. I think, in my time at Drake, I have added and dropped a lot of different majors; I have always had history. I had always had education in the back of my mind because I like working with people.” Schween also found “her people,” as she describes it, in Fraternity and Sorority life. “I think that Fraternity and Sorority life definitely gave me the tools and skills to find myself and succeed in the world,” Schween said. “There is bad coverage of Fraternity and Sorority Life, but it is really a good thing. You don’t know it until you in it, which is unfortunate … The point is to be social with one another and
create lasting bonds and benefit our community.” Schween had been considering transferring early during her first year at Drake, but she quickly made friends on her floor. After going to a conference in October 2013, Schween came back to a surprise in her room. “When I came back, all my friends were waiting in the hallways in Herriott,” Schween said. “They had been there for like three hours because they weren’t sure when I was going to get back. I turned into the hallway and then I turned and I saw all of them and they, like, yelled and screamed and jumped on me and in that moment I was like, ‘Yeah there is where I belong.’ I found my friends and my family here at Drake.”
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April 24, 2017
COURTESY OF KYLEE BATEMAN
Kylee Bateman
Colorado native finds community in Iowa
Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
As a Colorado native, junior Kylee Bateman is often asked, “Why would you leave Colorado?” “I wanted a new adventure, and so I chose Iowa,” Bateman said. Most people wouldn’t consider Iowa as an adventure, but Bateman has found that in Des Moines. “I was expecting to come to Iowa, get my degree and go home,” Bateman said. “Then I got to Iowa and got invested in this community and explored Des Moines and found out that I really love this city. I love this city so much more than I ever thought. Iowa has its own beauty. I think the sky is gorgeous. You
don’t know what an Iowa sky is like until you are under it. I suppose it is the same sky, but still it is beautiful.” When Bateman committed to Drake, she decided to pursue an advertising degree. Bateman said she enjoyed the opportunity to combine writing and creative skills. “Honestly, I think I chose advertising because it started with an ‘A’ and was at the top of the list, and I was overwhelmed and so I just went with that, knowing that I could change,” Bateman said. Bateman did make a change her sophomore year after taking Professor Todd Evans’ video class. She decided to purse a digital media productions major. “My dad does that, and so it is funny,” Bateman said. “I grew up playing with iMovie, playing with his video camera, making
commercials, home movies and recording everything … It is cool to explore how design and digital storytelling can be used to positively impact people, how I can use those things in a variety of different ways to make a difference.”
To be honest, those relationships (with others from Campus Fellowship) and the way that I have grown in my faith through that ministry has been more valuable to me than any degree I could ever get. Kylee Bateman Junior
One of the ways she has
tried to make a difference on campus is by being the campus communications coordinator this past year. “I essentially was the editorin-chief of the Stall Seat Journal, which is hilarious because it is a publication that goes in bathroom stalls,” Bateman said. She said that although the publication is incredibly informal, the experience still taught her a lot. “I was able to put my design skills into that and also learned a lot about time management and organization and how to fix printers that jam,” Bateman said. One of the experiences that has had the largest impact on Bateman was joining Campus Fellowship, a Christian group on campus. “To be honest, those relationships (with others from Campus Fellowship) and the way that I have grown in my
faith through that ministry has been more valuable to me than any degree I could ever get,” Bateman said. “I think that is the main focus of my life is my faith and following my God, just being able to be at Drake and study the things that I am and build this creativity is a second benefit.” Campus Fellowship is connected to Walnut Creek Church, a church in the Des Moines area. Bateman said she feels she has gained a sense of community from this organization, which helps considering she is 10 hours from home. “Being here has increased my appreciation for Colorado,” Bateman said. “I’ll be driving and every time I see the mountains I’ll say ‘Oh those are so beautiful.’ My sister always teases me about it and keeps a tally about it every time I say that when I go home.”
Josh Cook
Baseball fanatic shares goals of broadcasting Sophomore starts baseball club after missing out on playing the game Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
His dream: the traveling broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs. “I would do that for free. They wouldn’t even need to pay me,” said sophomore news-Internet and politics major Josh Cook. “As long as they fed me and put me in hotels, I would do it.” More broadly, Cook is focused on entering the working world as a sports broadcaster, in either the realm of football or baseball. Cook played both sports at the varsity level in high school. He was recruited for both in college, and considered playing for Drake University’s football team, but ultimately decided against it due to multiple shoulder injuries he’d already suffered. Cook would have liked to
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have played baseball in college, but most of the places that recruited him didn’t have strong journalism schools. “Academics was more of a priority for me,” Cook said. “I knew that I really wanted to go into journalism and going to a school with a good journalism program was pretty much the deal breaker for not playing college ball, which I don’t regret at all.” Cook shared that his time in sports has been integral to his identity. For that reason, he and a few friends decided to create a baseball club on campus, which Cook hopes will start competing with surrounding schools in exhibition games in fall of 2017. The draw of sports comes from camaraderie and community building, said Cook. “In starting Baseball Club, I was kind of hoping that I could
find a community of people who love baseball,” Cook said. “Even if it’s people who are not particularly good at baseball, it doesn’t matter. We can just hang out, throw around, hit and talk baseball.”
I knew I really wanted to go into journalism and going to a school with a good journalism program was pretty much the deal breaker for not playing college ball, which I don’t regret at all. Josh Cook Sophomore
Beyond playing sports, Cook has spent a large part of his life watching them and
understanding them beyond surface level. “Watching the Cubs win the World Series was one of the cooler things in my life,” Cook said. “I had kind of given up in all honesty and given into the curse and accepted the fact that I would probably never see a Cubs World Series win in my life. … My parents put my first Cubs memorabilia on me before I was a year old, so I never really had a choice.” Cook’s dad made the trip to Des Moines from Chicago to watch game 7 with his son. “That was a great moment to share with him,” Cook said. “It meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot of him. From age five until 17, I probably watched 80 games a summer with that dude.” Cook believes he should chase after his passions, which end in a job with the Chicago Cubs.
“It’s a tough field to get into,” Cook said. “If announcing for a team, you have to be a calming presence on television. You have to be someone people want to listen to (when) you talk about the game they are watching, which is a very weird thing.” Cook’s life has been shaped by sports, and they have taught him larger life values, beyond just the rush of winning. “Sports (can) act as a distraction from all other real things,” Cook said. “That’s one of the things that has always drawn me to sports. Everyone kind of forgot that Donald Trump was elected (when watching the superbowl).”
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April 24, 2017
Page 7E
Haley Davis
Junior shaped by historically black sorority
Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
Haley Davis, a junior radio TV production major, joined a historically black sorority this year, Delta Sigma Theta, which is dedicated to public service. Abbreviated DST, the sorority is part of National PanHellenic Council and National Association for the advancement of Colored People. “I am one of four members between (Drake) and Iowa State,” Davis said. “My first year on campus, there were about 2 or 3 girls on campus who were members of my organization and they put it on the map for me.” Davis never really considered joining Greek Life until the girls approached her and shared their experiences. She then did research and looked up the qualifications needed to join, which change almost yearly, and then went to an informational session. A few necessary qualifications are a minimum cumulative GPA of a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, prior involvement in public services activities, and completion of at least 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours before applying. When Davis completed enough credit hours and had the time to dedicate, she applied to be in the sorority, and then went through a rush process. “The rush starts with a membership intake where you learn all about the history of the organization, whereas other rushes really involve meeting the current members,” Davis said. “But for the National Pan-Hellenic Council is all about learning the history of the organization and why the foundation of the organization is so important.” The sorority was established in 1913 and one of the first acts of public service was participating
in women’s marches. “We’ve also had members elected to Congress,” Davis said. “And being that the organization was founded on public service and leadership, it continues to be a big part of the organization today.” Davis contributes to public service by going out into the community to work with youth, and by helping feed the homeless. “Sisterhood has been a driving force for me,” Davis said. “I both needed and wanted to be around powerful women of color.” Davis joined just this past December, and has already done much more public service then she did prior to her investment in the organization. One specific community service event she participated in occurred on Martin Luther King Day. “We held an event for high schools are got to tell them about our college experience, and answer any questions they had,” Davis said. “We also helped facilitate budgeting activities and putting together things like toilet paper and tooth brushes to drop off at homeless shelters.” The organization bridges it’s foundations of public service and empowerment by putting on events that specifically help people of the African American community. The goal is to put on one public service event a month, and because the chapter in Iowa is joint between Drake and Iowa State, a lot of the events are done in Story County in Ames. Beyond her involvement in DST, Davis is also a Resident Assistant in Jewett Hall, and a Crew Scholar. Crew Scholars is an academic and professional success program for students of color and Davis started off in crew her first year. Davis explains her love for Crew stems greatly from the community she has established within it.
PHOTO BY ANNA JENSEN | FEATURES EDITOR
“You go through your time at Drake with the same cohort of students you cam in with,” Davis said. “My cohort started at 20, but two people transferred.” The group of 18 people is all incredibly different, because Crew Scholars is about finding out what works for the individual in the college experience, to which they all know isn’t the same for each member. Instead, they offer their friendship and support to one another. “We are all incredibly close,” Davis said. “There are about 7080 of us total, and we are all like
a family.” There is a mentorship program within Crew where Davis is partnered up with someone from her grade, and they have a ‘son’ and two ‘daughters’ that they help guide, which makes the family aspect even more surreal. “People in Crew are always like, ‘Hey, you should do this, you’d be really good at it,” Davis said. “They are the voice motivating me to do what I always knew I wanted to do.”
Animals and Anime
Junior finds enthusiasms throughout time at Drake If someone is looking for junior Amanda Muir this summer, she can probably be found at the Blank Park Zoo. “Being at the zoo is one of my favorite activities. I could be at the zoo every single day and not get bored,” Muir said. “(It’s) to the point where I’m working there this summer and I am essentially going to be there seven days a week.” Muir will be a retail associate, alongside doing research at the zoo.
“You see the kids’ eyes light up going ‘Oh my gosh, look at this cool animal’ and you get to tell them about that and show them your research,” Muir said. “That sharing of my love for something is what I love.” Muir, an Illinois native, started at Drake as a chemistry major. She took two months of chemistry and said she was “bored to tears.” “I was really good at chemistry in high school and I thought that would translate to college, but it really wasn’t that exciting,” Muir said. After meeting with an advisor and listing her interests of animals and the environment, she shifted to an environmental
PHOTO BY JESS LYNK | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Feminist inspired by high school teachers Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Amanda Muir
Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Natalie Chin
science major. “Being an environmental science major is a lot of fun,” Muir said. “I get to go out in the field. I really love being outside, so I get to go out in the field and do research out there.” Some of her research at the zoo involves a bird education program. She asks people about birds that they recognize. “That helps them be more aware of the animals around them,” Muir said. “… It allows them to identify animals, which is what we do in animal behavior studies. And it allows them to be engage with the exhibit rather than just walking through.” When Muir is not at the zoo, she is involved in Drake Anime Club in her free time. “I have probably put in equal if not more hours into (Drake Anime Club) than into some of my other activities, even my major at some point,” Muir said. One of the events that Muir has put the most work into is the Anime DeMoii convention. Alongside Drake Anime Club, the Japanese Society of Iowa helped the group put together the convention in Olmsted last October. The club plans the event by inviting vendors, voice actors,
panelists and a variety of other groups to come to Olmsted Center for the convention. Muir said it is one of the largest run student events on campus. The event is free to all community members and brought out around 1,200 people last fall. “We try to keep it free for the community because a lot of people don’t really have the chance to go to conventions,” Muir said. According to Muir, conventions can cost upwards of $60 to attend, without the payment of a hotel or transportation. “That is not accessible to a lot of people,” Muir said. “If you are a high-schooler, you don’t have $60 just laying around ... We want to keep it free and open to the community so that anyone can come and enjoy it, especially in Des Moines. There are lower socioeconomic areas here and we want them to be able to experience Japanese culture and experience what a small con would be.” Muir hopes the conventions may inspire people to possible go into careers revolving voice acting or anything else Anime has to offer.
Natalie Chin went to an allgirls Catholic high school, which she credits for inspiring her feminist activism in the Drake and Des Moines community. “Even the male teachers in my high school were like ‘You need to be strong women; down with the patriarchy,’” Chin said. “Maybe not in those exact words, but that was basically the jist.” Chin said this is what got her to understand feminism at a basic level. “It might have been more white feminism, which is not great, but then I came here and learned more intersectionality,” Chin said. This led Chin to become interested in Planned Parenthood. “Health class only teaches you so much especially in a Catholic school, so I would have to look things up on their (Planned Parenthood’s) website,” Chin said. “I found out how helpful and reliable they were.” Chin started volunteering with Planned Parenthood and then started an internship at the nonprofit this past January. “That is another community that is so wonderful,” Chin said. “I have not met a single mean person like at the clinics or the administrative building.” Chin said she has also found another community at Drake in Student Activist for Gender Equality (SAGE) and Phi Delta Epislon (Phi-D-E), a medical fraternity on campus. “I love the community that (Phi-D-E) has together, SAGE too,” Chin said. “I have been really lucky in that I just happened to surround myself with amazing people all the time. I have my science people in Phi-D-E and I have my super radical feminist in SAGE.” Chin has also been involved in the Vagina Monolugues, a play written about Eve Ensler, which depicts a variety of stories from a variety of women. “I did theatre all through high school and you literally get to shout about vaginas with whatever monologue you get, which is so fun,” Chin said. All of her experiences throughout high school and Drake has led Chin to realize her goal. Chin is a biochemistry cell & molecular biology (BCMB) major. She said she had an amazing biology and anatomy teacher in high school, which lead her to go down the path of BCMB to eventually become a Obstetrics and Gynaecology doctor someday. “And then I realized I wanted to become a doctor,” Chin said. “It was perfect.”
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April 24, 2017
Jade Suganuma
Student activist takes a path less traveled Jess Lynk Editor-in-Chief jessica.lynk@drake.edu @jessmlynk
Senior Jade Suganuma has not spent the past few months frantically applying for jobs and she does not have a typical after graduation plan. Instead, she is planning a summer road trip to figure out where she wants to live and what she wants to do. “I have been trying to study things that I am interested in as more of a personal development than preparing for a specific career and having a life trajectory planned out because I don’t always believe that plans work out,” Suganuma said. “I am very much (prefer to) go with the flow and whatever happens, happens.” Suganuma came to Drake from Nebraska. She did not want to go far from home and preferred a smaller, liberal arts school. Suganuma feels that she doesn’t feel like she fit in with social culture at Drake, but that feeling inspired a lot of the work
she ended up doing throughout her college career. “One of my main things is trying to establish a life outside of school and academia, because I really feel like the most direct political action is done outside of an academic setting where you can relate to people who are actually struggling under these systems of oppression,” Suganuma said. Suganuma has volunteered at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Des Moines Catholic Worker House. “Through those two avenues, I have met a lot of people who do a lot of organizing. So (I do) a lot of direct action protests, go to the capitol a lot, try to get our voices heard — with not much success,” Suganuma said. “I definitely put more effort into my outreach with the community rather than trying to build up a reputation on campus.” This has been one of Suganuma’s main struggles in college. “That has definitely been my challenge, trying to get other people at Drake to not only care about these issues, but go about addressing these issues in a
manner that benefits everybody in the community,” Suganuma said. Suganuma feels that some groups take the wrong approach when it comes to activism. “There are a lot of groups on campus that care about these issues, but the general approach that people take is very individualistic and they go into identity politics,” Suganuma said. “These kinds of things just result in a kind of call-out culture, and it is very individualistic. “The way we solve sexism issues, for example, is maybe to call out every person who says something sexist, which is good, we don’t want people to say mean things,” Suganuma said. “But at the end of the day, these larger systems that create these individual problems are not being addressed in these reactionary solutions.” This culture, Suganuma feels, makes it hard for long-term change to occur. “It is really hard to get change to happen or really see any tangible changes on campus,” Suganuma said. “That is the student side of it. But even with dealing with the administration
with my environmental group, it is just so hard to get things passed because you have to go through this whole bureaucracy and all these processes. Suganuma is also the copresident of the Environmental Action group on campus. “We have all these great ideas of sustainability efforts that we want to push on campus, but it is just hard to get any of that done,” Suganuma said. “Even when we do manage to get that done, it is just hard to sustain it because you need monetary resources and we don’t know where to get those from. It is just very hard to work within that system.” Suganuma understands why it can be difficult for people to understand the importance of issues like sustainability on campus. “The culture is highly, highly competitive in terms of making sure you join all the right organizations and have this great profile for you as an individual so that you can be successful and get the job you want,” Suganuma said. “Because that is not what I am really concerned about for me personally. It is hard for me to fit into that. People
will tie their activism into their individual profile rather than reaching outwards and seeing larger, communal things we can do together.” Although she says she feels she has a negative outlook on Drake, one of Suganuma’s majors — law, politics and society (LPS) — has helped her through her four years. “The one thing that has kept me (at Drake) has definitely been my professors, especially in the LPS department,” Suganuma said. “If I am ever having issues with this kind of thing or people are really getting to me, I know I can always go and talk to them, and they can give me good insight.” These connections helped prevent Suganuma from transferring. “I would feel bad if I left them,” Suganuma said. “I have considered transferring every year, but I decided to stay because I love the LPS program and the people in it and there are great people here. It is hard when we are not all on the same page on what we want to get out of our Drake experience.”
Ian Miller
Previous Hillel president shares stories on Drake community Anna Jensen Features Editor anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
Throughout various leadership roles within his three years on campus, junior Ian Miller has learned to find parallels with all students, even if they may be vastly different than himself. Miller served two calendar years as the President of Hillel, Drake’s Jewish organization on campus, and just ended his second term last fall. Miller described his relationship with Hillel as symbiotic. He learned how to be a leader, and how to make the
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most out of his time in Hillel, but through the process, grew as a person. Coming to Drake was a bit of a culture shock for Miller. He grew up outside of Detroit, in an area he described as, “not predominantly Jewish, but more so than your average area,” and much more than Drake. “I was glad Hillel was at Drake because it satisfied that need for community,” Miller said. “As president I wanted to make sure that everyone, regardless of religious intensity, feel comfortable and have the organization serve as another home to them.” Hillel is the largest Jewish student organization worldwide
that spans from 550 colleges and universities. Each Hillel is unique and depends on the area in which it operates. When Miller was president, he felt the organization should be pretty lax, letting each person’s experience vary depending on their individual needs. “It’s a group for those who are religious or interested in Judaism,” Miller said. “Hillel is a place where we can talk about it and practice it and it gives us someone else to relate to. There are a lot of varying levels of religiousness within the organization.” Miller describes himself as significantly less religious than some of the other members, but
is someone who grew up religious much more culturally so. “For myself, and I hope for others, I want to take the leadership and community experience I learned and utilize it in other aspects on campus,” Miller said. “Whether that is in Fraternity and Sorority Life, or admissions. I want my leadership skills to transcend to everything I am apart of.” Miller liked that Hillel was a come as you please organization, rather than a structured one. It helped him ease into Drake, take on a leadership role, keep in tune with his culture, but also involve himself in other places on campus. “I’ve been trying to see
the parallels between my involvements,” Miller said. “Going from an organization where everyone has a commonality that is core to their being to an organization that is not as black and white as religious identification is tough. But, I’m learning to find commonalities with people beyond the overtly common.” Because of his continued campus leadership and his values, Miller has come to learn that he can go anywhere and do anything and still find something in common with another person that pairs up nicely with his own core values.
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