November 10, 2021

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 141 | No. 10 | Nov. 10, 2021 FEATURES

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

A developing club might offer new opportunities related to aviation, such as access to a flight simulator.

The Drake women’s basketball team won their exhibition games by margins of 86-59 and 83-58.

One writer says that horror movies ought to be taken more seriously and given more recognition.

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timesdelphic.com

Boesen, Sheumaker, Mandelbaum win city council seats

CONNIE BOESEN, INDIRA SHEUMAKER AND JOSH MANDELBAUM won the At-Large, Ward I and Ward III city council seats, respectively. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EACH REPRESENTATIVE’S INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGN Madeleine Leigh Staff Writer madeleine.leigh@drake.edu

On Nov. 2, Des Moines elected three city council members: incumbent Connie Boesen was re-elected for the At-Large seat with 54 percent of the vote, Ward I elected newcomer Indira Sheumaker with 46.36 percent of the vote and Ward III re-elected incumbent Josh Mandelbaum with 66 percent of the vote.

Boesen was first elected to the Des Moines City Council in 2017. She served on the Des Moines Public Schools Board of Directors for 14 years. Boesen’s platform included revitalizing residential properties through

programs like Invest DSM, expanding mental health crisis teams for the city and strengthening the relationship between the city council and the DMPS Board of Directors.

“Thank you to everyone who turned out to vote in this election and to our volunteers who spent months talking to voters across Des Moines,” Boesen wrote in a Facebook post. “I’m honored to continue serving Des Moines and look forward to building a better future for everyone in our city.”

Jaelyn Lentz, a senior strategic political communications major at Drake University, was Boesen’s campaign manager. She said she was excited to see all their hard work come to fruition.

congress passes Luke Clausen Staff Writer luke.clausen@drake.edu

Congress passed President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill on Friday after months of negotiations and concessions between moderate and progressive Democrats.

The Build Back Better agenda includes two bills: an infrastructure bill that has the support of both Republicans and

“She’s done a lot over the last four years that has really cemented her as someone who is willing to work for other people,” Lentz said. “That is one of the things I heard from everyone. If someone came to her with a problem, she was going to work until it had been solved, no matter what it was.”

Indira Sheumaker is a community organizer who worked with the Black Liberation Movement in the summer 2020 protests. She ran on a platform of defunding the police and making the city council more representative of the people it serves. Another part of her agenda is making city council more accountable to the people through measures like preventing it from passing

controversial items through the consent agenda.

“I feel that we achieved the goals that we set out to achieve,” Sheumaker said. “At the beginning of the campaign when we were talking strategy, I wanted my campaign to do two things: I wanted to excite people and give them someone they really wanted to vote for versus someone they felt obligated to vote for. And I wanted to reach out to areas and communities that had been underrepresented; that had never had anyone knock [on] their door.”

Making the transition from activist to councilmember will involve some strain, Sheumaker said, but she remains committed to her fight for change.

“I don’t see myself becoming less of an activist. It’s very important to me not to become integrated into the institution and become part of the problem,” Sheumaker said. “I envision, or I expect, that I’m still going to be in some role of speaking up and trying to hold the council accountable while I’m in this seat. I just have more of an opportunity to do that now that I have that role.”

Josh Mandelbaum is an environmental attorney who was first elected to the Des Moines City Council in 2017. He previously worked for Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. His platform included making Des Moines more accessible for non-car forms of transportation, making the city more sustainable in the current climate crisis and bringing more economic growth to Des

Moines’ outer neighborhoods, in part by redeveloping abandoned properties.

“We feel great about the results of the election,” Mandelbaum said. “Over the course of the campaign, we knocked over 14,000 doors, we talked to a lot of folks and it showed in the result. I got things done during my first term, and so I had things to run on. We did a lot from a climate change perspective.”

During Mandelbaum’s term, the city council passed a clean energy standard that, among other things, set a goal of reaching 100 percent, 24/7 carbon-free electricity by 2035.

Now he intends to solidify that by creating a “comprehensive climate action and adaptation plan” for Des Moines that includes items like electric vehicle infrastructure.

“At the local level, you can’t duck the consequences of climate change. My first term, we essentially dealt with three different types of climaterelated events,” Mandelbaum said. “We had the flash floods of June 30, 2018, that had a massive impact on people. We had the derecho of Aug. 2020.

And just this past year, our drinking water was threatened by severe drought. So, we’re dealing with the consequences of climate change. We should be doing everything we can to prepare for it, to prevent that.”

Bill Gray, the only incumbent to lose a race, will be replaced

by Indira Sheumaker after his term expires in January 2022.

$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill

Democrats and a reconciliation bill that only Democrats support. The infrastructure bill has provisions for items such as roads, bridges and construction, whereas the reconciliation bill has items related to education, health care and climate spending.

“Infrastructure is one of the last bastions of truly bipartisan political overlap because it provides something that any political ideology can get

behind,” Drake political science professor Matthew Record said. “It is a massive return on long term investment. If you’re going to spend a single dollar in a society, spending it on long term infrastructure is almost always one of the best ways to spend that money.”

Cuts to the reconciliation bill come with a decreased impact on the average American citizen or Drake student. Free community college, climate

legislation and major health care provisions have all been nixed from the reconciliation bill in the negotiation process, according to Record.

“I think it has been held out to the point that a Drake student probably wouldn’t notice [the package] one way or the other...We’re talking about trillions of dollars, but we’re talking about trillions of dollars being spent over 10 years,” Record said. “We’re talking

about, relative to the U.S. economy, increases of spending of single digit percentage points. I think that as Drake students kind of transition into their postgraduate life, and we’re talking about families and things like that, I think things like the childcare subsidy and maternity leave and paternity leave would have especially benefited them a lot.”

You can read more of this story at timesdelphic.com.

Drake sets $10-12 million goal to “Make Every Bulldog a Changemaker” Andrew Kennard News Editor andrew.kennard@drake.edu

DJ Henson is the community liaison and volunteer coordinator for NextCourse, a Drake student organization that recovers unused food from Hubbell Dining Hall and brings it to six local community organizations.

The new “Every Bulldog a Changemaker” initiative, which has a fundraising goal of $1012 million within the $225 million goal of “The Ones” fundraising campaign, could help NextCourse expand and add new leadership.

“We want to create as much impact as possible,” Henson said. “And if we have more than one person in [my] position, that could mean we could expand even further: go beyond just Drake University, go beyond just our six community

partners, do even more with the more people that we have.”

NextCourse isn’t the only organization that might benefit from this initiative. Renee Sedlacek Lee, director of Drake’s Office of Community Engaged Learning, explained the Changemaker initiative’s main components: a Social Impact Fund, a Business Innovation Fund and a web application for tracking community involvement.

“I think a key piece that students need to hear about the Changemaker initiative [is] that it is not just nonprofit,” Sedlacek Lee said. “This is across sectors. And so this about being the change in the business world, being the change for the environment, being the change for the youth advocacy program that you really care about.”

Sedlacek Lee said that the Social Impact Fund would fund mini-grants for community impact, internships that create

social change and training and development for faculty. She said it would also fund the fouryear Changemaker Scholars program, which would replace the one-year Engaged Citizen Corps.

Similar to three other campaign initiatives, the Changemaker Scholars program would provide renewable $5,000 endowed scholarships to five students who become involved with community engaged learning, according to Drake President Marty Martin and Vice President for Advancement John Smith.

According to Sedlacek Lee, the Changemaker initiative also includes a Business Innovation Fund that will be led by the College of Business and Public Administration. This part of the initiative may include a business clinic where students can give advice to small businesses and possibly market their own products or services.

Sedlacek Lee said the initiative may include a Social Impact Business Incubator to help businesses become Certified B Corporations and a Socially Responsible Investment Fund to give Drake students experience in investing in causes and businesses that are working for social change.

“We know we’re launching a Business Innovation Fund and Social Impact Fund,” Sedlacek Lee said. “But what exactly it’s going to be able to support is going to be determined by the type and the amount of the type and the amount of the donations of investments received.”

Sedlacek Lee said the initiative will also support the use of the Collaboratory web application to highlight service projects and partnerships happening around Drake.

She said administrators could use the platform to see the connections between faculty, classes and community

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partners, as well as the number of students involved.

“Another key piece to limitations currently is we don’t have a good system for tracking and managing our data across this work, and therefore we’re limited in our ability to tell our story, and we’re also limited in our ability to network and make connections across campus and across the community,” Sedlacek Lee said.

Sedlacek Lee said this initiative has received input from the project’s faculty champions, as well as teams of faculty and staff and student focus groups.

“My involvement with [the] Community Engaged Learning Office changed my entire trajectory in my career,” said Brittany Freeman, a 2021 alumna who was consulted about the initiative. “And I think it’s invaluable work that we’re not investing enough time and energy into.”

02 | Features

Features

Nov. 10, 2021

Drake counseling center sees spike in mental health issues Courtney Jackson Staff Writer courtney.jackson@drake.edu

Mental health issues have affected people of all ages, especially college students, and Drake University has stepped into the spotlight with getting more access to mental health services.

In a study focused on undergraduate students in Northern New Jersey, by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was shown that out of 162 students there were “high levels” of those who struggled with high mental health distress and multiple academic and daily difficulties.

Some of the main struggles from these students are their own health and the health of their loved ones, irregular sleeping habits, decreased socialization, difficulty concentrating and concerns about their academic performance.

Rey Gutierrez, a firstyear studying sociology and psychology at Drake University, talked about how their mental health has been these past few months while trying to balance school on top of everything else.

“When reflecting on how my mental health has been recently these past few months at university, I can say it has

not been great,” Gutierrez said. “I have been struggling with personal issues in my life that have taken the role as most important. This has not only caused a giant amount of pressure, stress and sadness onto me but also has made my education here at Drake my second most important thing.”

Some professors have also noticed the changes in students’ mental health, with many of them taking steps to reduce stress for students.

Jill Van Wyke, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, had seen this shift in students and decided to give her students mental health days throughout the semester.

“When you’ve been teaching for a while, you can tell when students are so exhausted that they simply can’t learn,” said Van Wyke. “Over the years, as I’ve sensed that, I’ve offered a day off here or there to rest. Only in the last few years, certainly since the pandemic, have I become more intentional about calling them mental health days and explicitly addressing mental health in class.”

Drake has taken steps to help those with mental health concerns by creating new events, encouraging professors to give students mental health

days and getting students connected with people that can help them.

“Everyone really encourages students to be Drake Busy, which can be okay, but sometimes leads to very unhealthy habits and mental states.”

One of these events meant to help students happens every Wednesday from 12-12:30 p.m. in Oreon E. Scott Memorial Chapel, where the Office of Spiritual Life hosts a weekly meditation session. This event has allowed for students to take time for self-care on a regular basis, allowing themselves to relax, recalibrate and recenter.

Drake has also offered students help with the University Counseling Center on campus. The counseling center has helped students get advice on relationships, stress and anxiety, loneliness, depression and self-esteem issues. Having seen an increase in patients this fall, however, the counseling center can only do so much.

drake student to start aviation club Max Harfst Contributing Writer max.harfst@drake.edu

Unique: that’s how Jas Kakar describes the future Aviation Club at Drake. Unique: a word that could also be used to describe Kakar himself.

Kakar, a sophomore studying data analytics and artificial intelligence, recently attained his private pilot certification and is working on establishing an aviation club for like-minded students.

Although the Aviation Club has yet to become an official student organization, Kakar is taking several steps into making this a reality for himself, as well as other students who have a passion for aviation. The club is welcome to any Drake student.

Kakar is in the process of drafting a club constitution, meeting with the Registered Student Organization coordinator and attaining faculty advisors.

“The reason I wanted to start [the aviation club] is because it’s something not a lot of universities provide,” Kakar said. “It provides more diversity to Drake’s clubs.”

John Brookerson, a first-year majoring in entrepreneurship, said he’s interested.

“I would hope to gain a basic knowledge of flight,” Brookerson said.

Kakar envisions a club that offers a plethora of activities

for anyone and everyone who has any sort of aspiration to become a certified pilot. He said he hopes to gain access to a flight simulator and invite professional aviators as guest speakers.

“By using a flight simulator, students can see what it feels like to fly a plane,” Kakar said.

With enough interest, Kakar hopes the university would expand its curriculum in aviation-related courses.

But for Kakar, his initiative of the club’s establishment goes beyond his passion for aviation.

“I’m hoping to be there as guidance and support to inspire and motivate others,” Kakar said.

He hopes other students will want to join the club and attain the private pilot certification.

“Flying isn’t really that hard,” Kakar said. “It’s about getting exposure.”

He said it’s a commitment for someone who wants to get their certification.

“First off, you have to know if you are able to commit yourself.

It takes a lot of confidence,” Kakar said. “There are several parts of [the training] that test you if you want to keep going.”

According to Kakar, the first flight a student takes makes an everlasting impression with a unique feeling.

“When you first get up in the air, you need to know how it feels like,” Kakar said. “From there you can reflect on yourself and how you can improve.”

“The first solo (flight) is when people quit,” Kakar said.

Attaining the certification is a process. A process that Kakar said can be completed in as little as four months. Kakar took his time; he decided to pursue this venture four years ago and has been working on it since.

45 hours of flight time, several written/oral exams and multiple certifications are just a few required items off of the curriculum checklist Kakar mentioned. He said the length of the curriculum depends on weather related factors and instructor availability.

Kakar said that there are many factors to consider while flying a plane. Awareness and communication are the two he emphasized.

“It’s not just flying the airplane, it’s being aware of the weather and the environment,” Kakar said. “You want to make sure you’re communicating well. Lack of communication is how crashes happen.”

Prior to his certification, Kakar said his father was his biggest inspiration. Although his father is not certified, he has taken training in the past.

“My dad got me into it at first,” Kakar said.

Kakar said he is considering pursuing aviation as a career if his current career plans don’t work out.

“I think it is a really fun way to get myself to spend my time,” Kakar said. “I’m keeping it as a hobby.”

THE AVIATION CLUB is welcome to any type of student who has any sort of interest in aviation.

For more information, contact Jas Kakar at jas.kakar@drake.edu. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAS KAKAR

“There has definitely been an influx, and there are positives in that due to many students wanting to improve their mental health,” said Kayla Bell, the director at the University Counseling Center. “I think it is evident that the pandemic has had a significant impact on everyone, especially students.

Returning to college without a pandemic can already be challenging, but adjusting back in the midst of a pandemic while attempting to have a college experience can be difficult to navigate through. This can be even more difficult on top of pre-existing mental health and social/community concerns.”

Bell said the counseling center is dealing with this influx in patients by encouraging students to use walk-in times, coaching students on skills that will allow them to manage their concerns daily and assisting students with referrals in the community as needed.

Still, students say there is room for improvement.

Meghan Newman, a junior majoring in multimedia journalism and writing, said she feels that the university is working on talking about mental health, but could do so much more for students.

“I definitely think the university could do more for

mental health,” Newman said. “When I was struggling earlier this semester, I felt like my professors were very understanding and supportive, but I think the university as a whole could do more to foster a healthy environment. Everyone really encourages students to be Drake Busy, which can be okay, but sometimes leads to very unhealthy habits and mental states. If the administration could allow mental health days and offer a more laid back way for students to still engage with the campus community, I think it would be really helpful.”

That said, some students believe their professors are being attentive to mental health issues of students.

“The university has done a good amount for me during this hardship,” Gutierrez said.

“Most of my professors have been supportive of my choices during this time by allowing me extra time with assignments to allow me to focus on my mental health. However, I will say in every situation there is room to improve, and I think Drake can improve to do a better job to help students who may be struggling. However, it may just be that I do not have enough information on resources to reach out to.”

Immunization season:

the flu and COVID-19

DRAKE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER offers a multitude of services for students, including immunizations like the flu vaccine, which is free. PHOTO BY CASSANDRA SCHOENE | FEATURES EDITOR Logan Hock Staff Writer logan.hock@drake.edu

With fall in full swing, flu shots have become a priority in people’s calendars. With students and faculty getting the annual shot, the student body has given their thoughts on the flu shot during a global pandemic.

For many students, the annual flu shot is a part of fall that they prefer to get done as soon as possible so the risk of getting sick decreases dramatically during the beginning of flu season.

“I just wanted to get it out of the way as quickly as possible,” sophomore Matt Glazier said.

“I am really busy with school and other responsibilities and getting sick would just mess up my whole schedule.”

However, a busy schedule could be a problem for Drake students as some have said the main reason that they have not received the vaccine yet is a general lack of time.

“I have not gotten my flu shot yet,” senior Anna Sutterer said.

“I have just been busy and it slips my mind. However, I have never not gotten the flu shot, so I am planning on getting it because it is important [to prevent] I or anyone I know [from getting] sick in the winter months.”

While the flu shot has been a normal activity for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic and the current debate of the safety of the COVID vaccines have students sharing their thoughts on how these topics tie into the flu shot.

“Living in a world that has

been shut down due to COVID should make people want to get the flu vaccine to prevent further sickness,” Sutterer said.

“I think it is so important that everyone that is able to get both should as soon as possible.”

Some students have viewed the COVID vaccine debate as a way for people to become more skeptical about the flu shot.

“I think that now that there are large groups of people against the COVID vaccine, more people with that thought process may begin to think that the flu shot is unsafe as well,” sophomore Chloe Fox said.

However, others feel as if the flu shot is differentiated enough from the debate over the COVID vaccine to the point where people will continue to get the flu shot regardless of their opinion of COVID vaccines.

“I think people generally get the flu vaccines to make sure they don’t get sick,” senior Alex Reznicek said. “Usually, people are not as mindful of contracting or giving the flu than with COVID because the virus is still relatively new and still poses a great danger of transmission.”

Students have expressed that even though the COVID vaccine gets major attention at the moment, the flu shot should still be on the minds of people everywhere, especially with flu season approaching.

“Overall, I see the COVID vaccine as more vital to public health at this time,” senior Will Krane said. “However, I believe [people] should still get both to protect themselves and their loved ones. While I am not a doctor, I see the value [of] both vaccines for the well-being of global health.”

03 | Sports

Nov. 10, 2021

Sports

Women’s basketball looks ahead to upcoming season

THE BULLDOGS will play Creighton University after winning exhibition games against Grand View and Minnesota State. PHOTO BY PAIGE JANSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lia Reichmann Sports Editor lia.reichmann@drake.edu

Last week, Drake University’s women’s basketball team won both of their exhibition games against Grand View University and Minnesota State University with respective scores of 86-59 and 83-58.

“I think that we played well in our exhibition games, but also have so much more that we can improve on,” said firstyear guard Katie Dinnebier. “I am so excited for this upcoming season, and feel as though we have a great team with high potential.”

Dinnebier is the 2021 Gatorade Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year and got her start as a Bulldog.

The team is coming off of a 18-12 record last season and has two returning starters, graduate Maddie Petersen, a All-MVC First Team recipient, and redshirt junior Grace Berg, the 2021 MVC Newcomer of the Year.

Allison Pohlman was named the new Suzie Glazer Burt Women’s Basketball head coach last spring after being an associate coach for the past seven years. Pohlman has been a part of the basketball program since 2007.

In the 22 minutes she played, Dinnebier had two assists, two rebounds, three steals and scored 10 points “It is so amazing to finally be back on the basketball court again,” Dinnebier said. “I love it here at Drake, and the women’s basketball atmosphere is

awesome. I was beyond thankful to receive the Gatorade POY award, and want to continue to grow as a basketball player here at Drake.”

Forward Ashley Iiams is another first-year on the team that got her first points as a college athlete.

“It’s so exciting,” Iiam said.

“I’ve dreamed of playing college basketball ever since I was a kid so for that dream to really become a reality has been really special.”

In three minutes of play against Grand View Iiams was 1-1 in field goals on the stat sheet with a three pointer shot.

“It felt unreal to step into the game and hit a three but honestly that’s not what it’s about: I love seeing my teammates do well and overall just winning,” Iiams said.

The Bulldogs were predicted to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference behind Missouri State in a preseason poll, which was voted on by coaches, sports information directors and the media.

“Being second in the MVC is definitely something we pay attention to and it’s what drives us through the season,” Iiams said. “We want to win and we want to be the best. That also comes with a lot of expectation but I think that’s good for us to have that as motivation.”

Dinnebier personally didn’t pay attention to the MVC preseason poll.

“I think it’s a great starting point to see where people expect you to be, but an even better chance to prove people wrong and finish the season as number one,” Dinnebier said.

Drake’s first game of the season will be against Creighton University on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the Knapp Center.

“We are just working hard everyday taking it game by game,” Iiams said. “We are learning from our first two games and can’t wait to face the challenge of Creighton on Wednesday because they are a great team.”

Dinnebier talked about all the work the team is putting in for this new season.

“We are in the gym constantly working on our craft and connection and excited to start the regular season,” Dinnebier said. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we are hungry, and ready to show fans what we have been working so hard for in the off-season.”

Hot take: a Derrick Henry-less Titans have to adapt

TITANS STAR DERRICK HENRY broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot, known as a Jones fracture, against the Colts on Oct. 31.

Bryson Rea Staff Writer bryson.rea@drake.edu

Rushing nearly 30 times per game on average is not normal for NFL running backs. With Derrick Henry, the word normal simply does not apply.

The Tennessee Titans are facing life without Derrick Henry for the first time in multiple seasons following what may be a season-ending injury to the MVP hopeful.

Before the injury, Henry was averaging roughly 25 carries per game, 117 yards per game, and over four and a half yards per carry. These elite statistical totals led the Titans to an early 6-2 record.

Following their close win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans were extremely

concerned with the health of their all-star running back because of the amount of use he was getting.

Even during the matchup, the Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel contemplated resting Henry due to foot discomfort.

Vrabel explained after the game that he made the decision to keep Henry in the game due to Henry’s own preference to continue playing.

“I think we’ve always done what’s best for the player,” Vrabel said at a Nov. 1 press conference. “We never want to put a player in jeopardy to not be able to do his job or make anything worse.”

Vrabel understands the massive toll this injury takes on the Titans’ offensive scheme, along with the importance of being ready for life without

their top players.

“I know that he’ll be around our team as soon as he can,” Vrabel said. “I know that it’s important to him. I know that’ll be important to our team. We’ll have to move on without him in the short term and not look back.”

In response to the news of Henry being forced out of football for what will likely be several months, the Titans signed veteran running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson led eight years of smash-mouth dominance for the Vikings from 2007 to 2015, averaging well over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns per season, even breaking the 2000-yard rushing total in 2012. Peterson is also fifth in the all-time rushing yards list.

More recently, Peterson has

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

struggled to stay consistent with his final season being a 2020 stint with the Detroit Lions.

Peterson tallied 604 rushing yards on 156 carries along with seven touchdowns. After a year floating in the free agency market, Adrian Peterson looks to make a return to football with a team that has lately been dominant in rushing the football.

While it is unknown whether Peterson will be able to fill the shoes of Henry, one thing is for sure: Vrabel is confident Peterson can get the job done.

“Go as hard as you can, take care of the football, try to learn the details of the play, play with great effort and don’t do dumb stuff to hurt the team,” Vrabel said he told Peterson after signing him to the active roster at a Nov. 3 press conference.

Vrabel also recognizes the dangers in potentially laying starting running back duties on a 36-year-old running back who hasn’t played a snap in over a year.

“We’ll have to work [Peterson and newly-signed D’Onte Foreman] back into shape and put some pads on them and try to give them some contact and see if they can adjust to take care of the football,” Vrabel said.

No matter which running back on the Titans roster receives the largest workload in their upcoming matchup against the 7-1 Super Bowl favorite, the Los Angeles Rams, it is fair to say that points will not come nearly as easily for Tennessee until Derrick Henry returns.

04 | Commentary

Commentary

Nov. 10, 2021

Horror movies: more than just gratuitous gore Chris Veninga Staff Writer chris.veninga@drake.edu

“I just don’t understand why you torture yourself like that.”

I was explaining to my brother my concept of “bad horror movie nights.” The title is fairly self explanatory - I watch a (presumably) bad horror movie.

Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised that they are actually good; such as Hulu’s “Pooka!” and “Tentacles.” Other times, I’m like “well, that was indeed a waste of my time” such as Shudder’s “Superhost.” Maybe the name should be changed to just “horror movie nights.”

But anyway, my brother, who can’t really handle super intense horror movies such as my two personal favorites “Hereditary” or “Sinister,” but can handle some of the lighter ones such as Netflix’s “The Ritual,” was essentially questioning why I like movies that scare me. After all, nobody likes to be frightened; they may like the adrenaline associated with fright, but fright itself is a very unpleasant experience.

When I was younger, I was completely terrified of anything horror-related and would avoid scary stuff at all costs; I remember a commercial for James Wan’s “The Conjuring” came on the TV while I was watching football and I plugged my ears, shut my eyes and sang Jingle Bells at the top of my lungs. So what changed?

I consider myself an armchair film buff; I always enjoy watching movies, analyzing them and learning actors’ and actresses’ names and specific skills, as well as directors’ and studios’ style of movie. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that behind every horror movie is a legitimate attempt to tell a story, and once you get over that original “this is terrifying and will keep me up for ages” feeling, you can begin to appreciate the story behind the movie.

For example, take Ari Aster’s “Hereditary.” For the first hour or so of this movie, I was like “this isn’t a horror movie” and then for the last part of it, I was not only shaking but was like

THOUGH A RETINUE OF SIMPLETONS and baths of blood are hallmarks of the horror genre, one writer contends that it’s more than that. Movies such as “Hereditary” and performances such as Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise in “It” are only received with tepid praise in Hollywood. They’re works of hair-raising art, too; about time the belittlement ceases. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“this is the scariest thing I’ve ever seen.” And yes, it took me a second to shake that frightened feeling, but then afterwards I was absolutely singing its praises; I not only have that movie as my favorite horror movie, but one of my favorite movies in general. The acting is fantastic, the story is great, the scares are genuine without being gimmicky (i.e. not being cheap jumpscares)... frankly, I could go on and on.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think people who don’t like horror movies have good reasons to. Some people just can’t handle scary things, and that’s completely fine. Plus,

a lot of people, rightfully so, simply do not like them because they are badly made films. And frankly, after having many bad horror movie nights, I can totally see why they say that. But I believe that for every dozen or so bad horror movies, there’s one that is a true masterpiece of a movie that should be taken seriously.

I think that many horror movies need to be taken seriously as art. Yes, there are some where it’s just guts and gore - film companies looking to make a quick buck with some cheap scares and bad plots.

But there are some that I truly believe deserve Oscar nods, or

at the very least deserve more recognition and treated as legitimate forms of filmmaking.

“Hereditary” deserved some best picture nods. Bill Skarsgard’s performance as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 2017 “It” remake deserved at least some best actor recognition - he truly made the character terrifying. I would dare to say that his performance could be compared to the amount of dedication Heath Ledger gave the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

Fear is a legitimate human emotion - an unpleasant one, but legitimate. But we watch movies to laugh, cry, warm our hearts, and above all else, feel.

All of these other movies that run and play on these emotions go on to win Oscars, and yet horror is left in the dust when there are some movies that deserve legitimate recognition.

Only one horror movie has ever won best picture, “The Silence of the Lambs.” The directors and writers for any movie have a dream and a vision for their movie to succeed and tell a story - yes, some are written with more care and thought than others, but it’s time for horror movies to be seen as a true film genre.

November horoscope: giving thanks for good fortune Grace Hilscher Staff Writer grace.hilscher@drake.edu

Scorpio season is upon us as we transition from spooky seasons to seasons of gratitude. How will the month of November be for you?

Scorpio: Your time is now. November is the time to harness your energy and passion. Apply for that internship, try out that new hobby, treat yourself.

November holds the promise of new opportunities and the reward of your hard work.

Sagittarius: This is the next chapter of your story. November offers a new adventure. Withhold

judgement and be open to trying new things. You may find yourself on a path you did not expect. Embrace the journey.

Capricorn: Take time to get in touch with your emotions. Allow yourself to pause and breathe.

November is the time for self reflection and self compassion.

Aquarius: Put yourself out there. A new relationship will make its way into your life this November.

Whether it’s someone you know or a new connection, let yourself be open.

Pisces: Do something that scares you. In the back of your mind there is something you have been wanting to try. Take a

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884 EMMA BRUSTKERN Editor-in-Chief emma.brustkern@drake.edu JEFF INMAN, Faculty Advisor jeffrey.inman@drake.edu

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

ANDREW KENNARD, News Editor andrew.kennard@drake.edu

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

CASSANDRA SCHOENE, Features Editor cassie.schoene@drake.edu

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

LIA REICHMANN, Sports Editor lia.reichmann@drake.edu COLIN FRIER, Commentary Editor colin.frier@drake.edu LAURA WEBER, Distributor laura.weber@drake.edu

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

hard look at what is holding you back. November will offer you the chance to take a leap.

Aries: Reel in your ambition. As the to-do list grows longer, it takes time to examine what you want. Pursue your passions and narrow your focus. You do not need to say yes to everything, say yes to what you need.

Taurus: Spend time connecting with nature this November. Go for the extra walk, take a drive to look at the foliage or relax in a hammock. Enjoy the weather before it is blistering cold.

Refresh with the crisp air and ground yourself.

Gemini: Take a break from the hustle

and bustle. All of the grinding you have done has been worth it. Now treat yourself to some R&R. November will offer you new opportunities. Budget your time wisely and always include time for yourself. A break is coming soon.

Cancer: Trust your intuition this November. That gut feeling you have is not steering you in the wrong direction. Trust yourself and those around you. Tap into your voice and own your power.

Leo: Seek out entertainment this November. Whether it’s a movie, new music or a good book, try something new that piques your interest. Engaging entertainment is promised for

your November. Keep your eyes open for the fun and humor in life this next month.

Virgo: Diligent work will be rewarded. With school or work everything you have been doing will help you succeed. Keeping your head down and powering through will guarantee you something great. If you are struggling, reach out for help.

All of your hard work and effort will be rewarded soon.

Libra: If anything has felt off, do not fret; harmony will be restored soon. The search for balance in one’s life is difficult. Your work these past months will pay off as you settle into your routine.

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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