Nov. 11, 2020

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 140 | No. 11 | Nov. 11, 2020

FEATURES

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

Two virtual town halls were hosted on Nov. 9 and 10 to highlight findings from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey.

Despite having no games this fall, the Drake football team celebrated the end of their season with a team scrimmage.

Read more on page 2

Read more on page 3

Starting a small business during a global pandemic can be overwhelming but one writer breaks down the steps they took to start their dance studio.

Read more on page 4

Biden beats Trump timesdelphic.com

Students at Drake react to election results Grace Altenhofen Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

After a tumultuous election season and four days of anticipation as ballots were counted, former vice president Joe Biden is projected to have won Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes Nov. 7, pushing him over the required 270 votes to become president.

As Election Day became ‘election week’ many Drake students stayed constantly tuned in as they waited for the presidential election to be decided.

“I had a tab open on my computer since Tuesday night and I didn’t close it until the results this morning,” Drake student Jayna Lieberman said the day of the announcement.

Drake student Kathryn Pagel had also been following the election results closely, even when she was at work.

“When I wasn’t asleep, I was either watching CNN on my phone or listening to the audio,” Pagel said. “My roommates and I had it playing on our TV. Even when I was at work, my coworkers and I were checking the results every few minutes just to make sure nothing had changed.”

It was during one of these shifts at work that Pagel found out about Biden’s victory.

“I work at American Eagle, so I was cleaning out the fitting rooms before we opened, and my coworker rushed in to show me a screenshot her friend sent her showing Biden had [won],” Pagel said. “I was so shocked, I almost didn’t believe it. I took my phone out and saw a notification from my CNN app that said ‘BIDEN WINS’.”

After the shock wore off,

Pagel had a visceral reaction to the news.

“I almost immediately started crying,” Pagel said. “My coworker and I literally ran to the back room to tell our manager, and I couldn’t stop smiling...

Finally we have someone in office who at least respects the office and the American people.

I know Biden has his flaws, but I believe he’ll repair some of the damage Trump has done to the country.”

Drake student Abs Wheeler said they had a similar reaction to Pagel when they first heard the news.

“You may think the two party system is broken, many of us do, or you may hate both candidates, but you’re not voting for your spouse, don’t look for a perfect fit. You’re voting for a leader, vote for the person who most closely supports what you believe. Your voice matters.”

“I started crying because I was so relieved,” Wheeler said.

“There’s still work to be done and this is only the beginning, but fear lost when Trump lost.”

Wheeler found out about the results via social media, as did Drake student Jeremy Alport.

“I literally smiled so big and I sighed a huge sigh of relief,” Alport said. “I also put my USA flag up in my window because I was so proud of our country for voting Trump out.”

Alport said he has some things he would like to see accomplished under the Biden administration.

“I hope to see a lot of policies that move our country forward into the 21st century, such as electoral, criminal justice and drug reform,” Alport said. “I also want us to become a more respectful country. I believe Biden will follow through on his promises as well unlike Trump.”

Wheeler said they have similar ideas about what needs to be accomplished during the next four years.

“I want to see reverses on the trans discrimination that the Trump administration put in place, advances in LGBTQ+ protections, problems in the criminal justice system actually addressed and a green new deal, among other progressive policies,” Wheeler said.

One of Lieberman’s hopes for the Biden administration has already been addressed; Biden has said that the US will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on day one of his presidency.

“I would love it if we would rejoin the Paris agreement,” Lieberman said. “Also LGBT and women’s rights would be great. And maybe we could try to sweep up the systemic racism and throw it away.”

However, Pagel is more focused on the general attitude of the country, rather than specific policies.

“I just hope to see us as a country behave like people again,” Pagel said. “I hope to see us show empathy and concern for marginalized people. I hope to see us take care of each other rather than attacking each other.”

These Drake students also have a message for people who choose not to vote because they think their vote doesn’t matter:

JOE BIDEN is the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

it does.

“This election proved that every single vote counts,” Pagel said. “At one point, Biden was winning a couple states by only 2,000 votes. What if those 2,000 people didn’t vote? We could’ve had a much different outcome.”

Alport said this was part of the reason he chose to vote in his home state of Missouri.

“I want to say that your vote always matters. No matter if you live in a swing state or not, your vote always matters,” Alport said. “I voted in Missouri, a solid Trump and Republican state. I voted there instead of Iowa because even if my vote

didn’t decide the election, it narrowed it up by one vote.”

Wheeler agreed that one of the big takeaways from this election is the idea that every vote matters.

“Your vote matters,” Wheeler said. “...You may think the two party system is broken, many of us do, or you may hate both candidates, but you’re not voting for your spouse, don’t look for a perfect fit. You’re voting for a leader, vote for the person who most closely supports what you believe. Your voice matters.”

drake professor and family featured in new children’s book Trish Richards Copy Editor trish.richards@drake.edu

Families come in many different shapes, sizes and colors–this is the message of a new children’s book, “Two Dads Under the Christmas Tree” which features the family of Drake Professor Stefano Vignati, who teaches Italian and directs the Opera Theatre.

Written by Tobias Mile, the story is told through the eyes of baby Jayden, who was adopted after birth by Vignati and his husband Claudio Ferri on Christmas Eve. The twelve chapters, one for each month of Jayden’s first year, give readers a glimpse into what this young mind might have been thinking as he watched the adults in his life adjust to parenthood. From late night feedings and doctor visits to preparing for the arrival of his baby sister, Jayden’s fictionalized commentary is full of amusing anecdotes.

“The child explains his experience of the first year of life with two dads,” Vignati said. “It’s ironic and very funny because of the language of the kid. He misunderstands his situation sometimes which

makes it funny.”

The first in a series of books called Jayden’s Funny Tales, “Two Dads” has two impending follow-up installments titled “How to Survive this Spirited Sister!” and “Charcoalyn, the Coolest Princess.”

“Two Dads” is the first publication by independent imprint called True Colors Lab, which specializes in working with new authors to develop stories about equality and inclusivity.

The family met author Mile (a pen name) while traveling Italy.

“We go to Italy every year for two or three months during the summer for the International Lyric Academy, a summer program for singers and musicians,” said Vignati. “We were in Venice for this reason, and we met [Mile] and he fell in love with this story.”

After meeting Vignati’s family, Mile approached True Colors Lab with his idea.

“I wanted absolutely to create something special featuring their adorable adopted son Jayden,” Mile said. “A series of funny stories about adoption, human rights, solidarity, and respect for diversity, told by this smart child in unusual

PROFESSOR STEFANO VIGNATI and his family are the subject of a new children’s book highlighting same-sex parents and transracial adoption. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEFANO VIGNATI

language. They [True Colors Lab] immediately knew this was a story that needed to be shared to raise awareness about adoption and reach countries where same-sex couples who wish to adopt are discouraged or even denied.”

Available in multiple languages, including English, Italian and Spanish, the story told in “Two Dads” deals with

complex issues that often go unrepresented in traditional media. As a result, it creates a unique opportunity for parents to have conversations about diversity with their kids starting at an early age.

“This book puts together many, many aspects of our life. It’s not just about a relationship between two samesex parents, it’s talking about

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adoption, which is so difficult, and adoption of another race,” Vignati said. “We wanted to put this ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the back, we insisted because this is a real example about how Black lives matter. We have dedicated our lives to these kids and they are the most important thing for us.”

FEATURES

Features

Nov. 11, 2020 | Page 2

To Zoom or not to Zoom?

Students’ spring schedule choices impacted by online learning Meghan Newman Contributing Writer meghan.newman@drake.edu

Students at Drake University are preparing for another semester of both in-person and online courses amid the ongoing pandemic, a situation which has influenced some students’ choice of classes for the spring semester.

Ellen Everhart, a sophomore pre-occupational therapy major, had a mix of in-person and online classes in the fall. However, Everhart said COVID did not affect her choices for classes in the spring because she still is focused on graduating on time and is in a program with a stricter timetable than other students.

“A lot of my classes are being taught online, so COVID has impacted the classes themselves but not my decision to take them or not,” Everhart said.

Julia Dambekaln, a sophomore English and public relations major, said she sought out in-person classes for the spring semester after a lackluster semester of all online classes. Dambekaln opted to be fully online for the fall semester, but will not be in the spring.

“The only reason I’m taking [this] class at the specific time I’m taking it is that it’s in person,” Dambekaln said.

Dambekaln said being fully online made her feel isolated

SOME STUDENTS ARE PLANNING their spring semester schedules around whether or not each class is online. PHOTO BY GRACE ALTENHOFEN | FEATURES EDITOR

and affected her work ethic.

“I think I learn much better in a classroom setting than in my room with the door shut where I can go on my phone literally the whole time and not pay attention,” Dambekaln said.

Everhart said she prefers in-person classes but is appreciative of the way her professors have treated their

students.

“My professors are doing well and being understanding because it’s a tricky time for all,” Everhart said.

Although Everhart believes her professors are understanding, she thinks they are also assigning more work.

“Some classes I find that they’re like a much bigger

time commitment than they were, and they would be if it were in-person,” Everhart said.

Dambekaln agreed that she is putting more time into her classes this semester, her French class most of all. She said the subject is adding much more stress to her workload this year.

Everhart said online

classes present unique challenges different from in-person classes, which could influence which classes students choose to take in the spring.

“I think we’re just more used to in-person classes and what those need from us, unlike online classes,” Everhart said.

Drake releases results of 2019 Campus Climate Survey Emma Brustkern News Editor emma.brustkern@drake.edu

On Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, Drake University hosted two online Campus Assessment Town Halls via Zoom to discuss the results of the 2019-2020 Campus Climate Survey.

The Campus Climate Survey was conducted in November of 2019. The survey consisted of a variety of questions asking participants to explore their experiences at Drake and identify times in which they felt included or excluded. It is the second survey of its kind conducted by the university; the first took place in 2015.

The university worked alongside a research team to analyze the data and compare it to peer institutions. More than 2,400 individuals took the survey in November 2019. Of those individuals, 72 percent were students.

Dr. Bob Reason of Iowa State University presented the data at the town hall.

“Climate, as we study it, is best understood through kind of anthropomorphic terms,” Reason said. “We’ll say things like, and we do this all the time, ‘Drake University is friendly.

Drake University is warm.

Drake university is hostile.’

And those anthropomorphic terms where we’re applying kind of human characteristics to the institution is generally how people think about climate and conceptualize it.

So [the research team] often asks about the comfort that someone feels on campus.”

Every respondent

answered a question regarding how comfortable they felt on campus. 74 percent of respondents reported feeling comfortable or very comfortable with the campus climate. While this number is down from 80 percent in 2015, it is on par with peer institutions.

“Many respondents specifically cited the treatment of Turning Point USA...as part of the harassment they witnessed.

I would also say however that many respondents reported that the N-word is still used regularly on campus.”

In terms of comfort in the classroom, disparities occurred in overall levels of comfort between races. While white students reported feeling comfortable or very comfortable in the classroom at 89 percent, Black students felt the same way only 54 percent of the time. Similarly, 77 percent of faculty and staff reported feeling comfortable or very comfortable in their primary work environment, with groups such as tenuretrack faculty, LGBTQ faculty and multi-racial respondents feeling the least comfortable.

24 percent of all survey

respondents also reported experiencing exclusionary, intimidating, offensive or hostile conduct, also known as harassment, within the year prior to taking the survey. This number is up from 20 percent in 2015.

Participants perceived harassing conduct to be primarily based on political views. In fact, 71 percent of Republicans who reported harassment indicated it was based on their political affiliation. Other forms of harassment were based on position at the university, racial identity, gender/gender identity and ethnicity.

“Many respondents specifically cited the treatment of Turning Point USA...as part of the harassment they witnessed,” Reason said. “I would also say however that many respondents reported that the N-word is still used regularly on campus.”

Reason noted that issues of gender, sex, ethnicity and sexual identity are not new issues on college campuses and have endured for many years, but the increased importance of political identity is new.

“I know from working with students, the focus around political identity certainly emerged over the last several years,” Reason said.

Other data from the survey show that over one third of undergraduate students have seriously considered leaving Drake. This is seven points higher than it was in 2015. Similarly, 61 percent of faculty have considered leaving Drake.

In the years since 2015,

Drake has also seen an increase in the number of respondents reporting unwanted sexual contact, jumping from 4 percent to 10 percent. Reason said this higher percentage could be a result of higher reporting.

“The awareness brought onto unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment by the Me Too movement . . . are all reasons that could help explain this higher reporting of unwanted sexual contact,” Reason said. “It’s certainly still a troubling finding for Drake as well as the rest of the country.”

“The awareness brought onto unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment by the Me Too movement . . . are all reasons that could help explain this higher reporting of unwanted sexual contact. It’s certainly still a troubling finding for Drake as well as the rest of the country.”

Other topics covered by the survey include faculty satisfaction with their work environments and opportunities for advancement, as well as faculty’s experiences with

invisible work in terms of marginalized identities.

Following the Campus Assessment Town Halls, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion Erin Lain said small group discussions will take place over the next two weeks to discuss issues pertaining to the survey results and equity and inclusion on campus. According to Lain, the university plans to have a new “strategic plan” based on the 2019 Campus Climate Assessment by Spring 2021.

In the past, data from the Campus Climate Survey was used to implement a variety of programs at Drake, including the Bulldog Foundations class for firstyear students, a new preferred name policy, mandatory equity and inclusion training for all incoming students and the Flight program.

“Those are some wonderful things that we’ve been able to implement from the 2015 climate assessment,” Lain said. “We hope to have just as impressive and maybe even longer lists coming out of this assessment.”

Lain stressed the importance for students, faculty and staff to engage with the process in order to make campus a better place for all.

“It’s so important that we don’t just talk about issues, but that we act in order to affect change,” Lain said. “We need to hear your voice, and you can do that by signing up for one of those small groups and helping us brainstorm next action steps.”

SPORTS

Sports

Nov. 11, 2020 | Page 3

Football ends season with scrimmage Alex Lemke Contributing Writer alex.lemke@drake.edu

On Oct. 30, the Drake football team held their last practice of the fall training season. Because no games were played this fall, a team scrimmage was held in place of practice.

The scrimmage was designed as the offense playing against the defense.

The coaches subbed in players so that one set of defense would play against one set of offense, and then they would switch so each group would play each other. No score was kept during the event.

“We’re just hoping we’ll get a chance to play. A lot of this stuff is out of our control, so we’re focused on being prepared for whenever our next chance to play comes.”

Nolan Engmann, a firstyear defensive lineman, enjoyed the chance to bond with his teammate after a frustrating season.

“It was fun to actually play

football and it has been a long time for me to actually play in our Drake uniforms,” Engmann said. “There were a lot of low points with the season being canceled and us losing that valuable time, but being able to practice this fall has been huge as a team and we have had a lot of fun.”

Drake football plays in the Pioneer Football League, which canceled the fall season in August due to complications with COVID-19.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed the team to hold 15 practices this semester, with Nov. 30 being the last one.

“Overall the team looks really good,” said sophomore quarterback Ian Corwin.

“The defense has been playing really well throughout all of our practices and the offense really started clicking over these last two weeks.”

The team has been preparing throughout the fall semester in hopes there might be a spring season. No public announcements have been made by the Pioneer Football League or National Collegiate Athletic Association regarding a spring season, but the Bulldogs plan to be prepared for whatever comes their way.

“We’re just hoping we’ll get the chance to play,” Corwin said. “A lot of this stuff is out of our control, so we’re focused on being prepared for

DRAKE FOOTBALL WAS ABLE TO GET BACK ON THE FIELD FOR A SCRIMMAGE GAME ON OCT. 30. For their final practice of the season, the Bulldogs were able to play against their teammates (Photo from previous season). PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS

whenever our next chance to play comes.”

Head Coach Todd Stepsis has been leading practices and team meetings throughout the semester. One of his priorities is to help the team in any way to be able to play through the current conditions.

“It’s a pretty positive and resilient group,” Stepsis said.

“Even though they were disappointed about us not playing, they were excited

about the opportunity to get better at their sport and to mold our new team.”

Coach Stepsis is excited about the talent for the upcoming season.

“I love our running backs right now on offense,” Stepsis said. “We have some depth and experience on defense.

We’re in a good spot but the next four months are very important.”

COVID-19 guidelines

put in place by the athletic administration have been followed throughout the semester and during the scrimmage.

This included daily screenings and temperature monitoring along with masks being worn whenever appropriate.

For information and updates on the team, visit godrakebulldogs.com/ football.

Drake Rec hosts badminton tournament for students

DRAKE REC HELD A TWO-DAY BADMINTON TOURNAMENT AT THE BELL CENTER. Players were able to sign up for singles and doubles play on Friday and Saturday. Racquets, shuttlecocks, and nets were provided and sanitized. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS Emily Godsey Sports Editor emily.godsey@drake.edu

This past weekend Drake Rec held a two-day badminton event, including both a doubles and a singles tournament, on Nov. 6 and 7.

The singles tournament was the first event in the twoday series. With only a few players, the matches were short and entertaining to be a part of for the small number of people who could make it. However, the doubles tournament was widely popular. Upon arrival, it was obvious that there were many different teams ready to compete for the two first place prizes; t-shirts for the winners bracket and water bottles for the consolation bracket.

The event staff created a bracket for the many different doubles teams.

Within ten minutes, racquets and plastic shuttlecocks were being dispersed among three courts and the games were underway.

Alyssa Overlin, a first-year, was able to participate in both the singles and doubles tournament. Overlin, who played badminton with her high school for four years, enjoyed the chance to get back on the courts.

“My senior badminton season in high school was canceled [due to COVID-19], so this tournament was a nice way to get back into the game,” Overlin said. “There was a great turnout and everyone was cheering each other on. I really enjoyed playing in the

tournament and watching the other teams as well!”

“There was a great turnout and everyone was cheering each other on. I really enjoyed playing in the tournament and watching the other teams as well!”

Overlin was able to make it to the final round of the winners bracket in both singles and doubles, and she was crowned the champion of both.

Of course, the event wasn’t just popular with badminton players. There were many people that participated in the competition who had never picked up a racquet before, much less understood the rules of the game and how it actually worked.

In many instances, the separation between experienced players and new ones worked out for the best; newcomers were able to ask veteran players for help and find out more about the rules of the game–like different lines and techniques–so the matches were more satisfying to complete.

Olivia Rodriguez and her partner Teresa Tenner also participated in the doubles tournament.

“I had fun playing with

other students who were nice and some people who wanted to learn about the actual rules on how to play,” Rodriguez said.

Her partner, Tenner, was a newcomer to the sport.

“I had never played in a badminton tournament before, but my partner taught me the rules,” Tenner said.

“It was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to the next tournament!”

Rodriguez and Tenner were able to make it to the final rounds of the consolation bracket with Rodriguez’s experience and Tenner’s willingness to learn and adapt to the rules of the game.

To find out about future events hosted by Drake Rec, visit drake.edu/recservices.

Commentary

COMMENTARY

Nov. 11, 2020 | Page 4

Starting a small business

How one student danced their way to work Kay Awonaike Staff Writer kay.awonaike@drake.edu

That’s right; you should start a business as our world’s economy is falling apart.

I want to inform you that you can, in fact, be productive during this uncertain time.

I know because I’ve been forming my own small business, an online dance studio.

I love to dance. I was born with a creative gene in my body, and when I was younger, I wanted to be a professional dancer.

While my parents have never been the most supportive of this dream, dance is something I love to do and want to continue pursuing, no matter how small the contribution. There is a unique value in the arts,

with humanity falling apart.

We are living in a semidystopian society. We need to dance more than ever, so I’ve been grinding and building this platform for the past few months: Fearless Dance.

I know I’m not Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. I hate to break it to you, but unless your name starts with a D and ends in onald J. Trump, no one will give you a small loan of a million dollars to start up your venture. But I have a passion, and I have a drive.

Now I run a small business, and you can too.

Before you put your whole life savings into this business, here are a few questions to ask yourself. What are your ideas? What is your target audience? How are your finances looking? How can you manage your time between work and school? I used a vision board, which

started in my bullet journal, drawing out my first dance sequences.

I then started researching other choreographers and their styles to find something unique to bring to the table.

You don’t want to remain stagnant in your idea; keep them free-flowing.

Meanwhile, I started my first budget for equipment because if Monopoly taught me anything as a child: losing money is bad.

Calculate the materials like dance shoes, dancewear, costumes, website subscriptions and many more factors depending on your service.

For me, the costs totaled about $160 for equipment and $12.99 for the website per month. The investment rate wasn’t too high for me, and you shouldn’t start any other way. Starting small will

ensure stable growth and find what your aesthetic may be.

“You may only get four hours of sleep, but in the end, you’ll find that you’ve developed skills you wouldn’t be able to know anywhere else and make that coin too”

Once I figured out my costs, it was time to start moving, and by moving, I mean dancing. Have a test trial of your product before putting it on display. I ran the piece a couple of times so I could make adjustments as

necessary.

Now it’s time to advertise your product; in this case, judging a book by its cover does matter. I’ve been using my Instagram, but using a wide variety of social media can help boost your success.

Your social media platform should be dependent on your target audience.

Since my audience is mostly children/teenagers, I want it to be easily accessible to them on their platforms.

This will further develop your skills and add a face to the name of your brand.

Lastly, enjoy the process. It may be challenging. You may only get four hours of sleep, but in the end, you’ll find that you’ve developed skills you wouldn’t be able to know anywhere else and make that coin too.

When the dust settles Odd room condition anything but magical

Colin Frier Staff Writer colin.frier@drake.edu

Campus was covered in snow just a few weeks ago. Early voting, early snowing, I guess— everything early this year.

Students from Minnesota were indifferent to this phenomenon, of course. Just a “dusting” in their eyes. But to the rest of the student population, the sight of snowflakes drifting softly to the ground in October was cause for grumbling. I didn’t mind it as much as others, actually.

Then again, I had my own snowstorm to worry about.

From the very second I set foot in my dorm room, the place has been coated in dust.

Talk about the first snow of the year; I’ve already witnessed it. It’s as if some guy with dandruff stepped into my room, took out a hairdryer, and set it on high. Or for perhaps a more palatable example, it’s like one of those Chevy commercials aired around the holidays with the artificial snow and a car donning a big red bow. My room is covered in that artificial snow.

First world problem, yeah, I know. I should be thankful I have shoes on my feet, a bed to sleep in, and a roof over my head. There are far more

pressing issues in the world like hunger, poverty, and deciding how many shots of espresso to get in your caramel mocha.

Trust me, I’m not trying to be petty here. You rarely ever hear me complain. I’m not even a germaphobe, really. It’s not like I need every room I walk into to be up to par with hospital-level sanitation.

But when I’ve got dust balls floating around my room the size of the meatball kabobs they serve in the dining hall, I hope you can see that I’m justified in my annoyance.

“For the dust, every time you wipe a layer off, half an hour later, even more settles down. I’m Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a mountain only for it to roll back down again”

The dust is like the Hydra sea monster from Greek mythology. Cut off one head, and two more grow back. For the dust, every time you wipe

a layer off, half an hour later, even more, settles down. I’m Sisyphus, pushing a boulder up a mountain only for it to roll back down again.

At this point, I feel like I’m waging war with the Japanese Army of World War II. The pieces of dead skin just… won’t… surrender. Doubling the Clorox wipe count only makes them angrier. Like Bob Dylan said, “You can’t win with a losing hand,” and up against this beast, I stand no chance.

“It’s dust,” you say. “My local library serves it at charity dinners.”

This is no ordinary dust, my friend. Look, I’m not a snake.

It’s humanly impossible to shed the amount of skin I find taking a nap on my desk every hour of the day. Really, it’s impossible.

You’ve got your regular, household dust, which, for the sake of an example, will be compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 cyborg in The Terminator.

Or perhaps the standard eight-dollar drive-thru car wash option. Whatever is easier to picture. Then we’ve got my dust, which can be likened to Robert Patrick’s T-1000 cyborg in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, or the deluxe car wash option with all the swanky soaps. Harrison Ford would take one look at this phenomena and bark, “It

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 RACHEL JAMES, Editor-in-Chief rachel.james@drake.edu JEFF INMAN, Faculty Advisor jeffrey.inman@drake.edu

TARYN RIPPLE, Managing Editor taryn.ripple@drake.edu

EMMA BRUSTKERN, News Editor emma.brustkern@drake.edu

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

GRACE ALTENHOFEN, Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

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

KENDALL HUNT, Sports Editor kendall.hunt@drake.edu ZOE TREIBITZ, Commentary Editor zoe.treibitz@drake.edu EMILY HANNA, Business Manager emily.hanna@drake.edu

OLIVIA HECKER, Media Manager olivia.hecker@drake.edu TRISH RICHARDS, Copy Editor patricia.richards@drake.edu SARAH BOGAARDS, Breaking News sarah.bogaards@drake.edu

THE FORMIDABLE VENT that causes the dust storm over the middle of the room. PHOTO BY COLIN FRIER | STAFF WRITER

belongs in a muSEUM!” Get the idea? Completely different ballpark.

To add to that, talk about lung damage people get from second-hand smoke... I’d argue this is far worse. I wake up in the morning sounding like Wheezy the penguin from Toy Story, my eyes redder than a meth addict.

And the thing is, the source of this plague is a mystery so unsolvable it’d stump even Penn & Teller. I’ve had the lower air unit’s filter changed at least three times, and the custodial team dust my room.

Honestly, I’d say we’re closer to finding the vaccine for COVID than the source of this dust.

In fact, the HVAC guy has taken my call so often I’ve started to think of him, not unlike my barber back home.

Our typical conversation: HVAC guy enters my room.

“The usual?”

“Uh-huh.”

Ah, what would a college freshman’s first semester be like without joys like this…

So if you’re looking to experience a real-life snow globe, come on down to my dusty shack.

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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Emailed letters can be sent to rachel.james@drake.edu.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The Times-Delphic’s business office is located at 2507 University Avenue, 124 Meredith Hall, Des Moines, IA 50311. The Times-Delphic is published on Wednesdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. The newspaper is distributed for free around the Drake University campus. All advertising information is to be submitted noon Sunday for the Wednesday edition. Advertisements can be designed by The TimesDelphic or submitted via e-mail. We accept cash and check. A 10 percent discount is offered for prepayment on advertisements. The business office can be contacted at 515-271-2020.