Oct. 28, 2020

The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 140 | No. 9 | Oct. 28, 2020

FEATURES

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

If you think you’ve seen a ghost on campus, you’re not alone: Meet the ghosts of Drake University.

For some students, skateboarding has proved to be an ideal socially-distant sport to do with friends.

One writer discusses the new Netflix original, “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and why it’s the perfect Halloween watch.

Read more on page 3

Read more on page 6

Read more on page 7

timesdelphic.com

Drake Theatre presents Student Playwriting Showcase before,” Jaeger said.

Another show being produced is “Crossroads,” which is written and directed by Jonah Montoya. “Crossroads” is a short play about two lifelong friends who decide, after graduating high school, to become cocaine dealers.

Montoya thinks that audiences should see this show because the cast is delivering impactful performances that are centered around realistic people.

“In covering half of the face, the actors must work even harder to have perfect articulation and enunciation as well as learning to emote solely using their eyes and eyebrows as far as facial expressions go.”

THE STUDENT PLAYWRITING SHOWCASE will feature four shows, “Seawall,” “Crossroads,” “Killing Roast Beef” and “The Bling Ring.” PHOTO COURTESY OF BAILEY CORONIS Bailey Coronis Contributing Writer bailey.coronis@drake.edu

This fall, the Drake University Theatre Department is producing four student written and directed shows, which will be presented in the Student Playwriting Showcase.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these shows will be filmed in the William S.E. Coleman Studio Theatre and posted to the DrakeUTheatre YouTube channel for a two week

period, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 12.

One of the four shows “Seawall” is written and directed by Brandon Shreve.

In “Seawall,” Jack, a young poet from Louisiana, is with his parents on their annual summer trip to Galveston, Texas to visit family. The story is told with original poetry and a blues guitar.

Shreve said that writing and directing this show was one of the most creatively stimulating experiences he has ever had.

“It’s an under-represented story in the sense that often

times, queer representation in the media illustrates coming out stories as back-story vignettes or short scenes,” Shreve said.

“Different perspectives are rarely covered and oftentimes the stories are more complex than they are made out to be.”

Ben Jaeger, who plays the lead role of Jack, thinks that people will enjoy the show because the script is fresh and compelling, “It also integrates poetry and music within the play, which is something that I think most people will not have seen

“This show is different because it relies solely on the relationship of the characters,” Montoya said. “The presence in the space is a clear view into another person’s vulnerability, which allows the audience to truly connect and understand the characters.

Maria Gnoza is a senior who has written, directed and is starring in her one-woman show, “Killing Roast Beef.”

“Killing Roast Beef” revolves around Bri, a young college student, must decide whether or not she will have an abortion.

Gnoza will play 13 different characters, including inanimate

objects, that guide Bri through her decision making.

Gnoza thinks that the performance should be extremely entertaining and admitted that there are moments of improv that landed in the script, which should make it seem fresh.

“What differentiates this show from others is its structure and style; it is a onewoman show, but those are typically very narration heavy,” Gnoza said. “With ‘Killing Roast Beef,’ it’s all dialogue, which makes it feel much more like a TV episode compared to a traditional play.”

The final show being presented in this showcase is “The Bling Ring,” written by Ben Jaeger and directed by Morgan Erwin.

“The Bling Ring” is based on the real-life stories of a group of Hollywood Hills teenagers who robbed over fifty celebrity homes between 2008 and 2009. The show examines the personal connections of the five members of the ring and how their dangerous celebrity obsessions changed their lives.

Erwin was thankful that this show was pretty easy to direct in the time of COVID-19, as the characters do not interact with each other onstage.

“I will say the masks brought a new challenge for the actors,” Erwin said. “In covering half of the face, the actors must work even harder to have perfect articulation and enunciation as well as learning to emote solely using their eyes and eyebrows as far as facial expressions go.”

All four of these shows will be available to watch at http://bit.ly/ StudentPlaywritingShowcase from Oct. 29 to Nov. 12.

a q&a with biden state director and drake alum lauren dillon Madeleine Leigh Staff Writer madeleine.leigh@drake.edu

Lauren Dillon is the Iowa state director for the Biden for President campaign.

She graduated from Drake University in 2005 with a degree in politics and psychology and has a plethora of experience in the political world under her belt—everything from clerking for state senators here in Iowa’s capitol to heading the Democratic National Committee’s research team in Washington, D.C. This is her third election cycle in a row working on a Democratic campaign for president, so we sat down with her to discuss the state of the race, early voting in Iowa and why it’s important to get involved.

Madeleine Leigh: How is the presidential race going in Iowa?

Lauren Dillon: We weren’t supposed to be this close in Iowa! I mean, we lost in 2016 by 9.4 points. It’s really cool just how tight it is and all the work we’re doing to try to flip it blue, and you guys [at Drake] get to have a close kind of visual on that happening. I think that it’s really close in part because of President Trump’s failed leadership and [his] not actually upholding a lot of the promises that he made…but also his handling of the pandemic.

LAUREN DILLON, pictured on the far left, graduated from Drake in 2005 and currently serves as the Iowa state director for the Biden campaign. She previously worked on the Klobuchar, Hillary Clinton and Obama campaigns. PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN DILLON

People [are just] realizing that they need some unity and better leadership in the White House. We weren’t necessarily supposed to be in a place where the race is so close, but it is, and we have an opportunity here. I feel the excitement on the ground.

would just say that there are people that are creating laws that are going to affect all of our lives, so why wouldn’t you have a voice in that? Why won’t you try voting for people that you think will make the future brighter?

What does your vote mean to you? Why is voting important?

What advice do you have for Drake students looking to get involved like you have?

I think it’s just extremely important to use your voice. We have a political system [where] we have an opportunity to vote, and a lot of people shed blood and worked very hard to give us the opportunity to vote. I also

It’s easy and we need the help!

It’s really about democracy.

It’s about your future, you can make a huge difference in your surroundings by going out and participating. And that could be from clerking in the Iowa

legislature to going to a protest and standing by people that are fighting for racial justice. It’s also taking a step further…you can be upset about something and want to change it, but then you have to actually go change it. And that is where you need to get involved in the political process, whether you are calling your state legislator and lobbying for a change or whether you are going and doing literature drops and knocking on doors or making phone calls or texting people to go vote to make a change.

And then being involved in that system, getting to know your officials and talking to them about the things that matter to

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you. You can change things.

The Biden campaign’s Early Vote Express bus will be by Jethro’s BBQ on Oct. 28 from 9am-12pm. Drake University will host an early satellite polling location in the Knapp Center at 2601 Forest Ave on Oct. 28 from 9am to 3pm. You can register to vote at this event—just make sure to bring proof of residency in Iowa, e.g. a lease, utility bill, bank statement, etc.

To learn more, visit Drake’s election resources website at drake.edu/ community/learningservice/ studentopportunities/ electionresources.

NEWS

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 2

Election season brings slew of political advertisements

ELECTION SEASON includes a variety of political ads over television, by mail and on websites like Youtube and Facebook. GRAPHIC BY ALLYN BENKOWICH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Andrew Kennard Staff Writer andrew.kennard@drake.edu

As the presidential election has drawn closer, many individuals have had the experience of watching a political ad on YouTube, television or social media.

While some may doubt the effectiveness of political ads, it’s possible that political ads have more influence than one might think.

“Ads make a difference,” said Professor Arthur Sanders of the Drake Political Science Department. “In presidential elections, the effect is small… when you get down to [the] Senate, then House, and state elections, the effect can be much larger.”

Sanders says that people with certain characteristics are more susceptible to

political advertising.

“The influence the ads [tend] to have are on people who are genuinely undecided, but also don’t pay a lot of attention to politics,” Sanders said.

Paige Hardy, a first-year at Drake from St. Louis, Missouri, says that she hasn’t been very attentive to politics since she started at Drake.

“I’m a neuroscience and psychology major, so I haven’t been [as] focused on political stuff as I was in high school, with all of my classes and everything,” Hardy said.

Hardy says that political advertising has influenced her perceptions of state politicians in Iowa. “[Political advertising] definitely shows me who I would be inclined to vote for, so I definitely think it has an impact on what my views are

and what I would like to see for this state,” Hardy said.

“Ads make a difference. In presidential elections, the effect is small... when you get down to [the] Senate, the House, and state elections, the effect can be much larger.”

Other students feel that the effect of political advertising pales in comparison with the influence of their own research.

“I am very passionate about politics so I stay in the loop with everything,

and I don’t think that that’s the group they’re necessarily even wanting to go for,” said Maddie Haun, a sophomore at Drake. “They’re trying to vie for [the votes of] other [people] who aren’t sure who they’re voting for.”

Sanders also discussed how advertising efforts vary across different demographics. One example he cited involves efforts made by Democrats and Republicans to reach young people like Drake students.

“The Democrats have invested more time in trying to reach young people because if you look at the survey results that we have, younger voters right now are much more inclined to be Democratic than Republican, so they figure they’ve got a lot more to gain,” Sanders said.

“They want to figure out a way to reach the Drake students who are likely to vote, don’t watch television, but could use some more information about the campaign.”

According to Sanders, both positive and negative ads are components of an effective political advertising strategy.

“Negative ads do more persuading than positive ads, but people who are in the process of being persuaded by the positive ads find the positive ads reinforcing of what they’re doing,” Sanders said. “It’s an overarching strategy where you’re trying to mix the two in the right mix to maximize your support on Election Day.” Hardy appreciates the information presented in some positive ads.

“I think it’s easier for me to detect what’s negative over positive at times, but when there is a positive ad…” Hardy said. “It’s just nice to know what they stand for, so that makes me more inclined to vote for them. It’s good for them to be straightforward.”

Sanders also outlined two responses that people tend

to have when faced with a large amount of negative advertising.

“One is, you’re convinced that someone really is the lesser of two evils, right?”

Sanders said. “Okay, they’re both jerks, but one’s a little less of a jerk, so I’m going to vote for that person. The other is, to hell with both of ‘em, and I’m not going to vote!”

Sanders says that the ads build on existing frustrations that voters have with “the whole tenure of politics today.”

“The fact that the Democratic House and the Republican Senate cannot agree on another stimulus package probably contributes more to disgust with the system that the negative ads do, but the ads certainly reinforce that feeling,” Sanders said. “They’re just another example to people of how terrible our politics are right now.”

According to Sanders, politicians can evoke this response to their advantage by producing negative ads targeted at certain demographics.

“In 2016, one of the things that helped Donald Trump was lower turnout among African Americans, and the Republican campaign spent a lot of time trying to sour African Americans on Hillary Clinton,” Sanders said. “They weren’t trying to convince them to vote for Donald Trump, they were just trying to convince them not to vote.”

However, Sanders also says that a relatively high voter turnout is anticipated in the upcoming election.

“The number of people who think it’s really important that their candidate win this election is larger than the number of people who are throwing up their hands and saying, forget it,” Sanders said.

Drake SJMC ranked best journalism school in Iowa

Kayla Hartman Contributing Writer kayla.hartman@drake.edu

College Factual has ranked Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the top 10 percent of journalism and mass communication schools in the nation and the best in Iowa.

The ranking was based on graduates’ average earnings, the quality of the college overall, the school’s accreditation, how much the university focuses on the program and other factors.

“It’s nice to be recognized like this,” Kathleen Richardson, dean of the SJMC, said. “I’m not a big fan of rankings … because I don’t think that’s the best way to choose a college, but at the same time, it is a way to get our name out there a little bit more. I think to me, a better gauge of whether we’re doing a good job or not is all the awards that our student’s work wins and in recognition from their peers around the country.”

One main difference between Drake’s SJMC and other journalism and mass communication schools is that students are taking journalism classes during their first semester. “[We throw] our firstyear students right away into

some labs where they are learning and getting their hands on everything,” said SJMC professor Lee Jolliffe.

“It is very different from state schools where you usually don’t get anything but your big lecture class about intro to mass [communication] until your junior year where you’ve only got four semesters to jam everything in.”

Drake SJMC requires all first-year students to take a multimedia lab during their first semester which teaches the students a variety of basic skills.

“Taking [JMC 31, the multimedia lab] first semester I did not think was going to be that important, but I use it probably more than any other class [when] working in my internship,” SJMC student Alexia Simonton said. “Having that base in photography, video editing and audio editing right off the bat was super important.”

The student to faculty ratio at Drake is 10 to 1. The small class sizes allow students and faculty to get to know each other.

“I have seen the school from different lenses, as a student, as a faculty member and now as an administrator and to me the strengths of the school have stayed the same over time,” Richardson said. “It is the relationship between the students and their faculty, the classes are

THE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION at Drake allows for first-year students to take part in journalism classes. PHOTO BY ALLYN BENKOWICH | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

relatively small, the faculty and students get to work together and get to know each other, it is very personal.”

“It is very different from state schools where you usually don’t get anything but your big lecture class about intro to mass [communication] until your junior year where you’ve only got four semesters

Students are provided many opportunities to apply the skills they learn in the real world.

“We provide our students, not only to work on student media but also tons of internships in the community,” Richardson said. “A lot of the classes do work for outside clients or they are very hands on.”

All the faculty have previously worked for media organizations and have knowledge and connections in the field that they are teaching.

“We hire faculty who come out of the industry, they were public relations professionals, they were reporters and editors, they

worked at radio and TV stations,” Richardson said.

“They still have a very strong connection to the industry and so that helps set their students up for success.”

Drake students can make connections with potential workplaces through Drake alumni that are working at various companies.

Jolliffe has what she calls the “Bulldog Mafia” on her LinkedIn which allows current Drake students to connect with past Drake graduates.

“If you can get into my followers you can find all these recent Drake grads going back at least 10 years and find out where they are,” Jolliffe said.

FEATURES

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 3

Haunted or not?

Legends circulate about the presence of ghosts at Drake

THE OREON SCOTT CHAPEL has also been rumored to be haunted, though there are no ideas as to who the ghost could be. PHOTO BY GRACE ALTENHOFEN | FEATURES EDITOR

Grace Altenhofen Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

Lights turning on and off.

Objects moving seemingly on their own. Door locks messing up. This might sound like the beginning of a horror movie, but it was the experience of recent Drake University graduate Anne Furman during her time working in the Drake Municipal Observatory.

Like any other historic place, Drake has its fair share of legends and ghost stories.

Two of the most common are the alleged hauntings of the Drake Observatory and Herriot Residence Hall.

According to English professor Megan Brown, the legend behind the observatory traces its route back to the founder, former Drake President Daniel Morehouse.

“The ghost allegedly in residence there is the ghost of Daniel Morehouse,” Brown said. “You may recognize that name from Morehouse dorm.

He was the president of Drake from, I want to say, 1922 until he died which was in 1941.

He loved the observatory and pretty much lived there. He had a bed in the basement in his lab and his remains were cremated and his ashes are interred in the wall in the lobby area, behind a bronze plaque.”

Furman said she was first told about the rumors when she began working in the observatory her freshman year, and began having experiences shortly after.

“I first heard about the Drake Observatory ghost when I first began working there my freshman year at Drake,” Furman said. “I have had some experiences with the ghost of Dr. Daniel Morehouse; however, there was nothing life changing.

I’ve seen a few things move places, lights turning on and off and door locks acting up.”

Even before her experiences in the observatory, Furman said she

has always believed in ghosts.

“I do not think I have ever believed in the type of ghost that could hurt me or do anything harmful to me, but I have always believed in ghosts in general,” Furman said.

“There have been stories that have been passed down from when the observatory opened that have been told to me by Drake staff and professors.”

Furman does believe that it is the ghost of Morehouse who inhabits the observatory; however, she said she has always felt that he is a friendly spirit.

“I know that there have been some students in the past two decades or so that have said that the showers go on and off randomly, lights go on and off, there’s the usual cold spot kind of thing.”

“I do believe that Dr. Daniel Morehouse watches over the observatory,” Furman said.

“He was our founder and was known to love the building and astronomy very much. It has always been said that he is trying to be helpful to us and would only be haunting to those who came to the observatory with ill intent. I believe that as a staff member, he always looked over us.”

Brown agreed that the ghost of Morehouse seems to have good intentions.

“I know of the story that the ghost of Daniel Morehouse, if indeed he is in residence at the observatory, is a friendly ghost,” Brown said.

The other notable alleged ghost at Drake is one that lives in Herriot Hall, one of the first-year residence halls.

“I know that there have been some students in the past two decades or so that have said that the showers go on and off randomly, lights

go on and off, there’s the usual cold spot kind of thing,” Brown said. “Another thing is the accounts of voices, mysterious voices in the building and they seem to be very bossy apparently.”

One story Brown has heard, which posts on the Internet appear to support, is that a ghost hunting team once explored Herriot and got unusual readings on some of their equipment.

“I am not able to confirm, but apparently the Iowa Paranormal Research Team went in there over a spring break to try to do some EMF readings.

Electromagnetic fields, which would not otherwise be explained by say, plugged-in appliances, can sometimes be a sign of a ghost,” Brown said.

“Apparently they checked around some guy’s bed and they found fields using their device that they could not otherwise explain.”

One of the popular theories behind the unexplained occurrences in Herriot is that it is the ghost of a student who died by suicide in Room Two in 1999. Following his death, the wall between Room Two and the room next door was torn down to create one big room; that room is now used for facilities and maintenance.

“I think people appreciate ghost stories sometimes when something inexplicable happens; when somebody decides to kill themselves, I mean it’s a heartbreaking thing, it leaves so many open questions left behind,” Brown said. “I personally am not particularly comfortable with the notion of the ghost being of a student who committed suicide because I just worry about the sensitivity factor there, but on the other hand, I appreciate the idea that people sometimes need to invent closure when closure can’t happen.”

Brown believes that ghost stories tend to be prevalent on college campuses because of their historical nature.

“I mean, there’s so many old college campuses around the nation, so it doesn’t surprise me that ghost stories accrue in these more antique and historical places,” Brown said.

Though Brown teaches a first year seminar class about ghost stories, she said that she does not definitively believe in ghosts.

“Sometimes a lot of people are excited about ghost stories, and we see this in our most famous ghost stories.

We see a lot of the attempts to explain the unbelievable pain and sorrow that sometimes people have to go through,”

Brown said. “Let’s just say that I am certainly openminded about the idea that there are things in this world that we have yet to know how to explain, like the idea of ghosts.”

However, Brown does believe that ghost stories carry with them an important cultural significance.

“I think those stories are really important in cultures around the world,” Brown said. “Every culture has got at least one ghost story, and I think there’s a reason for that. I think a lot of people need ghost stories.”

THE GROUND FLOOR OF HERRIOT is rumored to be haunted, with former students reporting showers and lights turning on and off, as well as cold spots in rooms. PHOTO BY PAYTON SLOBODZIAN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

FEATURES

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 4

Guest speaker shares advice on using LinkedIn CJ Younger Staff Writer catherine.younger@drake.edu

In our newly-virtual world, a good online presence could be the key to landing a job after graduation. LinkedIn has become the staple of online resumes and connections, but many students make mistakes that can cause hiring managers to pass them by.

Palmer Group Account Executive Amanda Mulcahy shared her LinkedIn expertise with Drake University students on Oct. 12 as part of the journalism school’s pre-professional workshop to help them land a job straight out of college.

“This is your professional face to the world, your professional online presence,” Mulcahy said to more than 40 students attending the Zoom presentation.

Mulcahy specializes in hiring for companies and is used to assessing LinkedIn accounts from just a picture

and a headline.

“The people that have those great headlines, or something that catches my eye, I’m far more likely to take that next step,” Mulcahy said.

“When people like myself do their searches, that headline is a searchable item, so you want it to pull for the types of positions that you are interested in.”

Once she’s pulled in by a solid headline, the About section is her next stop.

“One of the biggest things I see is people that make it too long,” Mulcahy said. “I’m not going to read that, and a lot of my partners at Palmer Group won’t either. When I am out searching for candidates, it’s usually because we’re trying to fill a job right now, so I’m looking for people with a great headline and an About section that’s clear and to the point.”

One of the key parts of the About section is the call to action, but many students have trouble getting it right.

“One thing I noticed in

some of the profiles that I looked at was they said ‘reach out to me, here’s my email,’ but reach out to me for what?”

Mulcahy said. “If you’re going to use a call to action, or give your contact information whether it’s an email or a phone number, which I think is fantastic, you should say ‘reach out to me for [blank].’”

“The people that have those great headlines, or something that catches my eye, I’m far more likely to take that next step.”

Directness is a common theme in Mulcahy’s recommended approach to LinkedIn. “The more that you can reach out to people directly,

to individuals, that’s going to be hugely important and very helpful in getting you that foot in the door,” Mulcahy said.

“And always add a note. It can be as simple as ‘I’m a student at Drake, I’m very interested in your company, can you help me find information on how I can become a part of it?’”

Liz Hatch, sophomore digital media production and news major at Drake, found the talk especially helpful for her About section.

“I wanted to say so much, because I didn’t want to not say something, but she said it needs to be short, simple sentences, because if it’s long people won’t read it,” Hatch said. “Now it’s two sentences, but it’s two good ones.”

Hatch plans on designing her own banner to help her stand out.

“I’m eager to make the little banner and use my graphic design skills so it shows them things I can do before they even reach out to me,” Hatch said.

Lizzie Deal, sophomore journalism and writing major at Drake, has a plan of action for revitalizing her LinkedIn after the talk.

“I plan to go through and make sure I have the right information in my About section, update my headline and go through my skills and endorsements and make sure it’s all up to date and current and reflecting myself and my personality more than just ‘here are facts about me,’” Deal said.

Mulcahy believes now more than ever, students should reach out.

“It’s weird this year,” Mulcahy said. “We don’t see people at actual career fairs, so I’m way more likely to connect with a student because I want to help. Connect now—now is the best time to do it.”

Students interested in improving their online presence can connect with Mulcahy on LinkedIn at www. linkedin.com/in/amandamulcahy/.

SAB plans annual Halloween Spooktacular event

THE HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR is one of many annual events that have been adapted this year to meet COVID precautions. GRAPHIC DESIGN BY AMANDA O’BRIEN AND BRYNN YOSHINAGA

Grace Altenhofen Features Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

Amid all the surprises of 2020, some things remain a constant: one of these is Drake University’s annual Halloween event, Spooktacular, being held by the Student Activities Board Oct. 29.

According to SAB Spirit Co-Chair Abby Summers, the goal of the Student Activities Board this year was to adapt as many of their regular events as possible to be COVID-safe, rather than eliminating them altogether.

“Our mindset was really more on adapting our programming to COVID protocols,” Summers said.

“We had been thinking the entire time to keep it

as normal as possible, but that’s impossible to do with everything.

Really with Halloween, it’s such a tricky time because we know people are looking to do something.”

Summers said the Spooktacular event was especially important to maintain, as it provides an alternative to alcohol and parties for students looking to celebrate the holiday.

“Because we’re an alcoholalternative event, we had an expectation before COVID anyway to provide this programming for students,” Summers said. “So we wanted to make sure we had things to draw students. We knew students were going to be looking for things to do, and we wanted them to be safe about it.”

The event will include food and a variety of activities taking place in Parents Hall.

“We have an evening planned that has been OKed by our health and safety team for students to come to Olmsted and have a good time,” Summers said. “We have food options that are fallthemed, a makeshift bowling alley being set up upstairs, we’ll have an airbrush artist there who’ll be creating cool designs on fanny packs, T-shirts, stuff like that. Griff

II will be there, and we’ll have a photobooth set up.”

For students who are uncomfortable participating in in-person activities with large numbers of people, there will also be “grab and go” options provided to students.

“We’ll have makeshift togo bags that will have paint and a pumpkin in it that you can do in your dorm,” Summers said. “You don’t have to stay in Olmsted, you can do it outside, kind of wherever you’d like. We’ll also be showing Beetlejuice that night in Sussman.”

This inclusivity extends to students who are currently doing remote learning from their homes.

“To accommodate virtual and hybrid students, we will also be having a free money game show but in a virtual format, so students can play from wherever they’re at,” Summers said. “If anyone wants to participate in our Halloween costume contest, they can post a picture of them in a costume and tag SAB Halloween, and they’ll be entered to win a gift card drawing for best costume.”

First-year student Zoe Webster said she looks forward to having an inperson activity to attend.

“That sounds awesome,” Webster said. “I think I might go just because it feels like most events are online this year, so it’ll be nice to go to an in-person event. Online events just don’t feel the same.”

Webster also said that events like the Spooktacular help students socially during a time when it is easy to feel isolated.

“Events like that one are an important part of the ‘college experience’,” Webster said. “Especially with online classes, I know that I’ve had some trouble meeting people, and events like this would go a long way to helping to mitigate that issue.”

Summers agreed that planning events like these have helped her maintain a sense of normalcy during an otherwise-chaotic year.

“There’s just so much that hasn’t been normal for students,” Summers said.

“I know that for me, having this activity that I can put my energy and time into that can distract me from the fact that I’m sitting here wearing a mask and I’m not doing the things that I want to be doing, I think it just gives us a break from this idea of being kind of trapped in this pandemic.”

According to Summers, it

also highlights the resiliency and adaptability of Drake students.

“You can’t deny that [the pandemic] is still going on, so being able to work around it really highlights the resiliency that Drake students have and our willingness to overcome difficult times,” Summers said. “So when you see people turn out at these events and have a good time even under the circumstances, it gives me more motivation to keep going, seeing that everyone else can do it, so I can do it.

It’s kind of like a giant hug.”

This is only the beginning for the SAB team: Summers said they are working on planning similar events throughout the rest of the school year.

“I know that we have more virtual programming happening the rest of this year,” Summers said. “I can tell you that we do have an open mic night the first or second week of November and we’re still looking for volunteers, so if anyone is willing to come and sing or perform their talents, we’d love to have that and it would really make our event better.”

SPORTS

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 5

Track and field compete in intersquad meet

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD PARTICIPATED IN AN INTERSQUAD MEET AND ACTIVITY RECOVERY. Both men’s and women’s track have been practicing hard in the Blue Oval to prepare for their tentative schedule of events. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS

Darinka Stepan Contributing Writer darinka.stepan@drake.edu

Men’s and women’s track and field teams have been training on campus at Drake and using the facilities since September. The track and field team (both men’s and women’s) recently had an intersquad meet on Oct. 14 and there were 6 different events: the 600-meter, 300-meter, 150 meters, 6X4, 1K and a 5K. Leading up to the event, there was an activity recovery week which consisted of easier practices and less demanding workouts. The whole track team was split into two teams to compete

against one another, and the meet took place here on campus at Drake in the Blue Oval in the Knapp Center.

The teams, blue and grey, tied at the end of the match.

According to first-year Dylan DeAngleo, he had a positive time at the meet.

“I really enjoyed being on the track competing with my team and cheering them on from the sidelines as well,” DeAngelo said. “The conditions during the meet were a little challenging due to the cold weather, and preparing for each of the races was a challenge as well due to the times of races. The one downside to the race was that we were not allowed to have spectators and could not have our fellow teammates

cheering us on.”

DeAngleo raced in the 600-meter dash and the 6X4 relay.

First-year Bria Rhodes competed in the 600; however, due to the harsh conditions from the cold weather and an unrelated injury, she was unable to finish the race.

“It was great to be out on the track even though it did not go my way,” Rhodes said. “I loved the atmosphere that the whole team created as well as contributing to it while cheering on my fellow teammates when they were racing. It was cool to have the opportunity to train with distance runners since we usually do not get the chance

to.”

Another first-year, JoJo Nguyen, competed in 600.

“I was excited to have the opportunity to get out and run with everyone,” Nguyen said. “The whole experience was positive, and I am looking forward to the spring season because of it.”

First-year Ayana Brown completed the 150.

“I feel like the meet really helped the team bond and gave us a glimpse at what it is like to compete again,” Brown said. “I ran the 150 which was fun and demonstrated my abilities with the sprints and my ability to be on the team as a Drake athlete, I am looking forward to spring season to be able to compete in more

events!”

Another first-year, Mady Klebenow, competed in the 1K. “Personally, I think it went really well,” Klebenow said.

“I’m super happy to have had the opportunity! Everyone did a great job, and the energy was great, I am looking forward to more events.”

All Bulldogs that competed in the meet had a great experience and are looking forward to competing in more events like these as well as spring season. Although nothing can be predicted, they will continue to work hard and prepare for their events on the tentative schedule that they were given.

Blackhawks release statement regarding trade activity Emily Godsey Sports Editor emily.godsey@drake.edu

While the NHL season ended weeks ago, the Chicago Blackhawks have wasted no time in altering their roster and ultimately making fans upset. While letting go of veteran goalie Corey Crawford was a major component to fans’ negative reactions towards the team, the trade of Brandon Saad to the Colorado Avalanche for Nikita Zadorov put the final nail into the metaphorical coffin. Saad had previously been traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after the teams successful 2015 Stanley Cup run; an event that left fans and teammates alike stunned and outraged.

Now, after the team had reacquired the right-winger in the 2017-2018 season, it seemed highly unnecessary to trade him away again.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been working hard on building a younger team, the idea solidified by the recent drafts of left winger Lukas Reichel, goalie Drew Commesso, and center Landon Salggert, plus a plethora of later-round picks.

It can also be noted that they recently re-signed players such as Dominik Kubalik and Malcolm Subban who had already been a part of the organization.

Eventually, the uproar of negativity from the fans apparently negated the professionalism of the team; on Oct. 20, the Chicago Blackhawks released an official statement on all social media platforms. The statement began with “We recently said goodbye to a pair of popular, two-time champions and acquired some

new players via trade and free agency. We understand it was tough to see those respected veterans go and realize you may have some questions about our direction. We’d like to address that direction and share why we’re hopeful for the future of Blackhawks hockey.”

The multi-paragraph message then continued to say, “The influx of youth and their progression will provide roster flexibility and depth throughout our lineup.”

While the idea of new talent and more depth appealed to fans, they still were hesitant to give up their onslaught of disagreement against the organization.

While the team made a compelling argument for the reasoning behind their trades of veteran players, one question remained unanswered by fans; what about the rest of the core players? Defenseman Brent Seabrook is considered overpaid and - for lack of a better word - old. Players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have not been performing as expected.

However, players like them are being paid millions of dollars per year and the organization claims they are necessary for the younger players to ‘learn from.’ To fans, it seems as though the Blackhawks are making the wrong trades and attempted improvements for the team.

Eventually, the situation worsened to the point where it was necessary for retired Blackhawk John Scott to speak out in his podcast, “Dropping the Gloves.” In an article providing a summary for the episode via TheScore, it becomes apparent that there are many different emotions

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS FANS AND THE ORGANIZATION HAVE WAGED A WAR AGAINST EACH OTHER. Following the trade of Brandon Saad and the refusal to re-sign veteran goalie Corey Crawford, the organization spoke out in a recent social media post. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WEBSITE

being shared between the organization, fans, and players this offseason.

Scott spoke on the subject.

“I would be upset if I were Toews or (Patrick) Kane, I would be embarrassed if I was the organization, and if I was a fan, I’d be like, ‘Great, I complained and they answered me, so guess what?

I’m going to complain some

more and they better answer me again or else I’m going to be super upset.”

John Scott continues to call the entire statement ‘embarrassing’ and claims that posting it makes the organization seem ‘weak’ and ‘soft,’ regarding it as a complete waste of time.

The battle between the organization and Blackhawks

fans wages on, and at the moment, it is difficult to predict if this next season is going to be successful or go up in flames.

One thing is for certain, however; one side of this fight will be able to say, “I told you so,” by the end of it.

SPORTS

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 6

Skateboarding puts the “social” back in “social distancing” Kyle Keegan Contributing Writer kyle.keegan@drake.edu

First-year journalism and law major Aaron KhanGumm and his friends have found a way to put the “social” back into social distancing, and plenty of people are on board.

Multiple boards to be exact.

Khan-Gumm and his buddies are among a group of people at Drake University who have found a way to socialize through skateboarding, a popular activity found in the Des Moines area.

Khan-Gumm said he originally came up with the idea when he and his high school friends from West Des Moines used skating to keep in touch during quarantine earlier this year.

“Me and my friends noticed that we could still hang out because we could skate,” Khan-Gumm said.

“Not being super close to each other, we could social distance; we could wear our masks; we could shout at each other from across the street.”

Khan-Gumm also used skateboarding to cope with the effects the pandemic had on him and his family. His father tested positive for the coronavirus, so Khan-Gumm was sent to isolate in his basement. There, he skated to pass the time and found spots outside where he could safely roam on his board, masked and gloved.

“One of my philosophies is when I’m trying to destress and calm myself down, I think that it is very effective to change your environment from the one that you got stressed or worked up at,” Khan-Gumm said. “Skating constantly takes you to a different environment, and you are constantly moving, so it’s always helped out, especially during the pandemic.”

Fast forward months later, Khan-Gumm has moved to a different environment: Drake University. Here, he has connected with other students, including his roommate Kaiden Green, through skateboarding.

Khan-Gumm explained the vibe he shares with other skaters.

“When I see other people skating around campus, I already feel a connection just because we both skate. It will feel a lot easier for me to go up to them and say, ‘Oh you skate? I skate too. You want to skate sometime?’” KhanGumm said. “Nobody has ever said no and asked, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Everyone’s pretty cool about it.”

Once befriended, KhanGumm and his roommate Green like to help the more inexperienced skaters with their tricks and movement.

“Seeing new people skate, I think it is really cool,” KhanGumm said. “One: it gives me an opportunity to be a teacher and help someone out. Two: it just means more people are getting into skating, which means it is growing in popularity and growing a community.”

One of these new members to the skateboarding community is first-year marketing and management major Alexandria Acosta.

Hailing from the Caribbean, Acosta finally pursued her life-long interest in skating when she arrived at Drake.

Seeing skateboarding as a great way to travel around campus, Acosta said she fell in love with the activity’s aesthetic.

“I feel kind of cool doing it, you know?” Acosta said. “It’s something not a lot of people can do, and I enjoy it.”

Acosta addressed the learning curve that comes with skating.

“I’ve fallen many times.

I normally just get over it

because it is something I want to do,” Acosta said. “I get back up and try again. The falling doesn’t really hurt that much.

It’s just a few scrapes.”

Both Acosta and KhanGumm mentioned how they were looking forward to the opening of Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines.

Opening later this year, the skatepark is set to be the biggest in the United States.

Drake University’s President Marty Martin sits on the cabinet for the skatepark project. He explained why he agreed to take on the position and help the project with fundraising. “…Anything we can do to improve Des Moines and make it a more vibrant, attractive place to live is good for Drake,” Martin said.

Martin said Lauridsen’s size was not its only draw. He mentioned the skatepark’s beautiful design by renowned California Skateparks and its location near the Des Moines River, where he mentioned plans for a new riverwalk and water rapids system that would complement the venue well.

“It has a lot of different options that I bet skateboarders are going to find thrilling, as well as a beautiful piece of art, so there is just a lot to like about this,” Martin said.

What Drake University’s Director of Public Safety Scott Law will like, however, is the number of skaters, both from the Drake community and the city of Des Moines, who will go to Lauridsen to skate instead of the university’s campus. “…Especially if they are non-Drake people, they are not exactly concerned about being in the way or causing traffic issues, blocking traffic for our students, faculty and staff,” Law said.

Along with clogging traffic, Law said there is

MANY DRAKE STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN UP SKATEBOARDING AS A SOCIAL HOBBY. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, students have found it difficult to connect with those around them. With the addition of skateboarding, they have been able to be active and meet new people. PHOTO COURTESY OF VANDPSTUDIOS ON UNSPLASH

some concrete damage to be expected when skaters perform tricks, which are not allowed on campus.

Additionally, there are liability issues if a skater gets injured from performing a move.

Law made it clear that he does not hold any ill will toward those who wish to skate.

“I understand, in general, whether they are a student or a community member, they are just doing it to have fun. They don’t mean it to be malicious,” Law said. “Most of the time, our students are simply using their skateboards or using their rollerblades as a means of travel, which we don’t have a problem with.”

Community members will issue a complaint if a group of skaters are causing a lot of noise or blocking the way for people to walk

by, but both Law and KhanGumm referred to instances of skaters and public safety officers cooperating to fix the problems.

Khan-Gumm said he appreciates the overall supportive tone that Law and his team express for him and his skating friends.

“I think it is awesome that I get to skate around campus freely and comfortably,” Khan-Gumm said.

One thing nobody could disagree on: the overall safety of this social activity. KhanGumm, Acosta, Martin and Law all said they believed skateboarding was a safe activity to be participating in during the pandemic.

With only a little over a month of skating experience under her belt, Acosta might have articulated it the best: “…It’s not like you’re holding hands and skating.”

Men’s golf makes appearance at Zach Johnson Invitational

MEN’S GOLF TOOK FIRST PLACE AT THE TWO DAY ZACH JOHNSON INVITATIONAL. Led by senior Tim Lim, Drake’s golf team was able to surpass the other seven competing schools at Glen Oak’s Country Club. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS

Darinka Stepan Contributing Writer darinka.stepan@drake.edu

Men’s golf recently played in the Zach Johnson Invitational, this was a two day tournament hosted by Drake at Glen Oaks Country Club.

The country club’s course has a total of 18 holes and can be a little tricky due to their sloping hills and grass levels.

Six of the men competed in the tournament and put up some great results against

Missouri State, Indiana Hills CC, Iowa Western, Omaha, Central College, Iowa State and multiple individual players.

Men’s golf played 36 holes on the first day, and then 18 holes the second day for 54 holes total. As a team, Drake won by 5 strokes, which is the first time the men’s team has captured the title for the school. Missouri State came in second, Indian Hills CC took third, Iowa’s Western CC placed fourth, Omaha took fifth place and Central College

came last in the tournament.

Drake senior Tim Lim placed second in the tournament and said he was grateful for the opportunity.

“I’m just glad that we had the opportunity to compete this fall,” Lim said. “Although it felt a little different with COVID, we still had the same preparation and mindset for the tournament, which ultimately led to our team’s success.”

Junior Shayne Patel tied for 9th place with 14 over par, sophomore Will Ellegard tied

for 20th with 20 over par, junior Lucas Scherf tied for 22nd place with a par of 23, sophomore Nick Pittman tied for 31st place with 28 over par and senior Kyle Macdonald tied for 38th place.

Women’s golf went to the tournament to show their support for their fellow teammates. Firstyear Aayushi Sarkar was in attendance and enjoyed supporting the team.

“It was great to see the guys had the opportunity to compete again and had

some great results, it was awesome to be out supporting them,” Sarkar said. “The team and I are looking forward to competing again.”

The men on the team are ready to get back out on the course for some more action and the opportunity to have great results once again.

“I’m really excited for the next time that we get to get out and play again,” Lim said.

COMMENTARY

Oct. 28, 2020 | Page 7

Halloween: cavities, costumes and COVID-19 Colin Frier Contributing Writer colin.frier@drake.edu

Halloween is an odd holiday, since it’s not quite Christmas, but certainly better than President’s Day. Halloween is Thanksgiving without all the extra steps. See, Turkey Day is normally spent around a table with the ones you love, everyone gorging on more calories in an hour than what’s recommended for an elephant’s daily intake, while Halloween is spent, in the days that follow, mostly alone, gorging on the same amount of calories, and in this case, in the form of candy.

And with all that candy consumed, sure, you’ll be tasting the rainbow in the moment, but just you wait, you’ll be feeling that same rainbow later. Same with “fun size.”

It may be “fun” in the present, but after a twohour chow fest consisting of nothing but Snickers “fun size,” you won’t exactly be leaping for joy in the restroom.

Not to fret, though. I heard somewhere that the average viewer burns more than one hundred calories while watching a horror movie.

Enough to work off about half a Laffy Taffy, I’d say. In

fact, you commit to watch the entire Saw franchise every day, boom, no need to step foot in a gym ever again.

I guarantee my Halloween experiences were largely similar to the majority of students at this school.

Dress up according to the trend, bounce around from house to house, hitting the manors rumored to be stocked with full-size candy bars, come back to someone’s house and debrief, marveling at all the loot you managed to accumulate as if the whole night were some sort of heist.

“Grandma’s jar of hard candy has been sitting their since Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, so now’s your chance to satisfy your curiosity.”

And look, I don’t have a criminal record, but I’d be lying if I said I haven’t at least danced with the law a time or two.

Luckily, the judge dismissed me of these charges, the groundless accusations

HALLOWEEN CANDY is a necessary staple of celebrating the holiday but can leave you feeling sick after eating too much. PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR

claiming that I nabbed more than one… handful… of candy from the “take one” bucket.

Surely I can’t be the only one who’s attempted this. It’s a valiant risk to take.

But safe to say, if ever I should think about applying to grad school with this kind of resume, there’s a little reason to be worried.

Unfortunately, this year’s pandemic has put a restriction or two on what kids can dress up as, taking into account the prevalence of mask wearing.

Fortunately, this means DC’s Bane should finally get some love.

For the folks who aren’t allowed to go out trickor-treating, though, all is not lost. Grandma’s jar of hard candy has been sitting there since Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, so now’s your chance to finally satisfy your curiosity.

Nevertheless, I’d be very careful with that stuff. I’d imagine trying to chew one is like breaking a diamond with a hammer. It can be done, of course, but not without first receiving a chipped tooth like Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber.

Which, speaking of

chipped teeth…

For the general public, Halloween doesn’t even hold a candle to Christmas. But for dentists, Halloween is Christmas. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me: Five golden crowns…

And finally, if you’re not into the whole trick-ortreating thing, there’s another alternative: kick back, relax, and hand out candy with one of those reacher grabbers senior citizens use. You know, just to be safe.

The Haunting of Bly Manor review Spooky tales series beautifully written albeit confusing

Trish Richards Copy Editor patricia.richards@drake.edu

Every year, since the dawn of Netflix originals, each October has brought with it an assortment of new spooky tales for the masses to binge.

One such offering this year was “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” a much anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed 2018 Netflix original series “The Haunting of Hill House,” created by horror veteran Mike Flanagan. Caution: spoilers ahead!

“Bly Manor” follows the story of Dani Clayton (Victoria Pedretti), a young American teacher living in the UK who has been hired as a governess for two young children living on a grand estate in the English countryside called (you guessed it) Bly Manor.

After their parents’ death two years prior, the children,

Flora and Miles, came to live at Bly under the guardianship of their Uncle Henry.

Henry spends most of his time working in London, showing little interest in the children’s lives.

“The biggest issue with the series lies in its use of multiple timelines- ‘Hill House’ did this very effectively, but ‘Bly Manor’ struggles to live up to the standard set by it’s predecessor.”

Instead, the children are minded by governesses and the manor’s live-in staff: Hannah, the housekeeper,

Owen, the cook, and Jamie, the gardener.

While running from misfortune in her own life, Dani has inadvertently found herself in a place that seems to attract tragedy like flies to a corpse.

Soon after her arrival, she learns that the children’s previous governess, Miss Jessel, drowned herself in the property’s lake and was found

by Flora the next morning.

This, combined with the strangers she keeps seeing wandering the grounds, puts Dani very much on edge.

As one might expect, over the course of the series, we learn that there are more than a few ghosts haunting the people and grounds of Bly Manor. A faceless little boy, a woman who trails muddy footprints through the house every few nights and a man with brightly-glowing glasses all make appearances.

The inspiration for “Bly

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Manor” came from Henry James’ 1898 novella “The Turn of the Screw.” It follows the source material’s plot closely, drawing almost all of its main characters directly from the book.

The biggest issue with the series lies in its use of multiple timelines- “Hill House” did this very effectively, but “Bly Manor” struggles to live up to the standard set by its predecessor.

Several different timelines are happening throughout the series, which is tricky enough to follow as it is.

However, as the series progresses, we discover that characters frequently jump back and forth in time unexpectedly for two reasons: when they are dead or when a ghost is possessing them.

While these sequences are an essential part of the plot, all the back and forth is liable to give some viewers mental whiplash. If you’re the type of

viewer who likes to turn on a show to run in the background while you’re doing other tasks, “Bly Manor” is not a good fit.

Likewise, if you prefer a plot that’s straightforward and easy to follow, this is definitely not the show for you.

Nonetheless, Flanagan and his team of writers have artfully woven several realworld issues into the spooky series. Each of the eight episodes presents viewers with thoughtful commentary on love, possession, and the cycle of abuse, as well as some subtle allegories for mental illness.

While it largely does not live up to the standard set by “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Bly Manor” is still an enjoyable series to watch thanks to its well-crafted characters and overarching themes.

All eight episodes are available now, only on Netflix.

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