September 15, 2021

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The weekly student newspaper of Drake University Vol. 141 | No. 3 | Sept.15, 2021 FEATURES

SPORTS

COMMENTARY

Drake’s fraternities and sororities just went through recuitment season, with all its ups and downs, joyful moments and anxieties.

A groundbreaking NCAA rule change is allowing Drake athletes to make money off of their name, image, and likeness.

Should private colleges that accept government funding be required to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests?

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Read more on page 8

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20 years since 9/11: looking back on a day that changed the world Meghan Holloran Contributing Writer meghan.holloran@drake.edu

On Sept. 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes to cause mass destruction.

The hijackers flew two of the planes into the Twin Towers in New York City, toppling them.

The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 Americans that day.

In response, America started the Afghanistan War against terrorists in Afghanistan. 20 years later, the last American troops have left Afghanistan, ending the war as the nation remembers all the lives lost on 9/11.

Drake senior Jordan Roubion served in the U.S. Army for five years, and she remembers watching the 9/11 attacks unfold from her fourth grade classroom. “[My teacher] got a call, and we could tell something was wrong. She turned on the TV, and we all saw the footage,” Roubion said.

While Jordan didn’t quite know what had just happened, she said that she understood it wasn’t normal and something big was happening.

“I remember my mom asking me, do you understand what’s happening? And I said, ‘Yes,’ in that I understood we’re going to war,” Roubion said.

“But obviously, I was too young to understand what the true ramifications of that were.”

Drake University professor David Skidmore said he was teaching at Drake on 9/11.

“We watched a little bit of coverage in the classroom.

We talked a bit about it, and then I just dismissed classes,” Skidmore said. “Students went back to their dorms—basically, classes were canceled for the rest of the day.”

Skidmore studies American foreign policy and international relations theory. He recalled that there was a shift in Americans’ view of Islam after 9/11 and leading up to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. He

said the U.S. government began actively looking for terrorist threats, even when none existed.

“To his credit, President George W. Bush, actually, quite clearly tried to say this is not a war against Islam. Islam is a venerable religion all-around, you know, there’s a billion and a half practitioners who find value in the religion,” Skidmore said. “This is not about Islam, it’s about terrorists and terrorist groups that use violence to try to intimidate and gain [their] objectives. Despite that, there was an uptick in violence and harassment of Muslims in the United States.”

First-year Drake law student and Marine Corps Reservist Matt Braun served in Afghanistan during the first half of 2019, and while he didn’t see combat action, he lost friends overseas. He said he is saddened that Afghanistan fell so quickly after the U.S. military occupied the country for more than 20 years.

“One of the guys who I was over there with committed suicide because he just didn’t know how to handle life when he was going to go home,” Braun said. “All those sacrifices, all that bloodshed, and just, you know, seeing the whole country collapsing on itself, over the course of like two weeks is super disheartening.”

As a female veteran who served and trained in Morocco, Roubion worries about the women and children left in Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban.

“So first, and foremost, my concern was for the women and children,” Roubion said. “I have PTSD due to military sexual trauma, so I understand on at least that level what they’re going through.”

While Skidmore said the Taliban are facing demands from their followers to impose “‘traditional roles’” upon women, he also said the Taliban are under pressure from abroad to improve the situation of

THE DRAKE VETERANS ASSOCIATION planted flags on Helmick Commons on Sept. 10 to honor the 2,977 victims of the 9/11 attacks. The larger flags each represent 100 people who died in the attacks, and the smaller flags represent individuals. PHOTO BY ANDREW KENNARD | NEWS EDITOR

Afghan women so they can gain access to foreign aid and Afghan money held in U.S. banks.

“The difference between now and 20 years ago, is that we’ve had 20 years of women getting educated, taking jobs, establishing positions of influence in society,” Skidmore said. “They’re not going to just quietly go [to] their homes, and just sit there and wait for their man to tell them what to do.”

Skidmore remembers how the Drake community came together 20 years ago to remember the lives lost and educate the community about

Islam.

“There was a candlelight vigil on campus that night,” Skidmore said. “University President David Frank as well as [the] student body president [spoke]. One of the messages was [that] we should take steps to try to reassure our Muslim students that they were valued members of the Drake community and that we would stand up to the efforts to blame people who had nothing to do with what happened.”

Skidmore said that a few days after the 9/11 attacks, 300 people attended an open house

that was held by a local mosque to educate the community about the principles of Islam.

“So I was kind of proud that that’s at least a fair number of people in the community, [and] their reaction was, we need to learn more, rather than just accepting casting blame and jumping to the worst conclusions about the religion or people practicing,” Skidmore said.

To learn more the effects of 9/11, visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s online exhibitions.

Outside report helps Drake predict spread of COVID-19 on campus Nate Eisenmann Contributing Writer nate.eisenmann@drake.edu

Throughout the summer of 2021, Drake University received a series of forecasts predicting how COVID-19 would spread on campus over the following four months. Epistemix, a company that produces models for the spread of infectious diseases, provided Drake with a report that helped the university decide which COVID-19 protocols it should implement to slow the spread of the virus.

The projection was based on multiple factors, such as Drake’s mask mandate, the vaccination rate for the student population and the conditions of the surrounding community, according to Drake Chief of Staff Nate Reagen. Reagen said the model included a wide range for case numbers but so far, Drake has maintained relatively low positivity rates and is at the lower end of the range that was given by Epistemix.

“Given our vaccination levels and mask policy, Epistemix is forecasting a moderate peak for Drake in mid-September,”

Reagen said, although he added that the purpose of the report is “more about trying to inform decision making than it is about being a predictor of the future.”

According to its website, Epistemix was founded in 2017 by three men who wanted to build a business that helped large corporations and lawmakers make decisions about the spread of diseases.

Reagen said Drake’s COVID-19 protocols are also informed by the CDC and “very frequent” meetings with the Polk County Health Department and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

“Based on [Epistemix’s] analysis, it definitely informed our decision to keep with our mask policy but remove our social distancing restrictions we had in the spring,” Reagen said, adding that the report from Epistemix stated that social distancing had “no material impact” on case numbers.

Although Reagen said the COVID-19 spread simulation provided a forecast for the following four months, he also said the university won’t be relying on the latest report

in the future or releasing it to the public. “[The report is] informed by data and science, but now that it’s a month old, we’re not planning to leverage that,” Reagen said.

If the student vaccination rate reaches at least 80 percent

by Sept. 24, Drake has said it plans to give out 20 onetime scholarships of $2,500 to vaccinated students. Reagen said the Epistemix report helped Drake set this goal.

Another change from last year is that Drake no longer requires surveillance testing for COVID-19. During the last academic year, students were periodically required to be tested for the virus.

“We tried everything to encourage participation: student senate outreach, prizes, incentives, text messaging, [et cetera]— with very little student participation [in the spring semester],” Reagen said.

Drake President Marty Martin wrote in a campus-wide email on March 15 that the low participation in testing reduced Drake’s ability to monitor cases.

“A lack of participation undermines the validity of the

surveillance testing results, which raises the risk that the virus will spread undetected across our community,” Martin said.

This year, free COVID-19 tests are available at the Student Health Center for students exhibiting symptoms, and Reagen said these tests are sent to the Broadlawns Medical Center lab located in Des Moines for evaluation. Reagen said testing at Broadlawns began on Aug. 30. Before then, COVID-19 samples were processed by Corteva Agriscience, which has since stopped evaluating COVID-19 tests.

Because of the very low rates of positive tests last spring and Drake’s “relatively high” vaccination rate, Reagen said, the university made the decision not to require surveillance testing at this time. Students who are not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but wish to get tested need to go to an offcampus location such as Hy-Vee or Walgreens or contact their personal healthcare provider.

According to Drake’s Sept.

10 COVID-19 update, 75% of students taking at least one in-

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person class were vaccinated.

Research conducted by the CDC shows that the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. are effective in preventing infection and even more effective in reducing the severity of infection.

Drake has averaged three to four confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the last three weeks, according to the university’s COVID-19 updates.

According to Reagen, as of Sept. 13, positive cases have increased to 23 over the past week, including six students on campus.

“Drake students [need] to remain diligent about wearing masks, watching for symptoms, and getting vaccinated if they have not already,” Reagen said. “We cannot stress enough that every Drake community member that gets vaccinated helps adjust that projection downward by protecting themselves and everyone around them.”

Epistemix could not respond in time to a request for comment.

02 | News

Sept. 15. 2021

News

Drake fraternities respond to alleged sexual assault by University of Iowa FIJI member

DRAKE SOPHOMORE KEZIAH MUSOBA stands in front of the fraternity house of Drake’s chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. PHOTO BY OLIVIA KLASSEN Grace Altenhofen Managing Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

Last week, a student-led protest at the University of Iowa became the latest in a series of protests against sexual assaults committed by fraternity members.

Students organized the protest after learning of an alleged sexual assault by a Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) member last year. Organizers told KCCI that the university knew about the alleged assault and chose not to act.

FIJI — and the University of Iowa — are not alone. Several studies conducted during the past two decades have found that men involved with fraternities are more likely to commit sexual assault. These studies include a 2019 study from Sage Publications and a 2007 study that concluded that fraternity members are three times more likely to commit rape than other college-aged men.

“Peer pressure and frat culture breed that type of person,” said a graduated member of the Drake FIJI chapter who chose to remain anonymous. “A culture that surrounds itself with alcohol and doing the most crazy shit

night after night gets to a point where someone takes it past the point of harmless fun. It’s honestly a very destructive culture inside, one where aggression is often resorted to.”

Ace Tipton, president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Drake, said that cases like the University of Iowa protest can serve as a lesson to other fraternities.

“I have seen all the news about the protests at U of I, and we have discussed this as a chapter because we know that this has been an issue at different colleges as well and have used it as a teaching point that all members are always wearing letters and always representing the fraternity,” Tipton said.

“From the knowledge I have on the specific case at University of Iowa, it looks like they have not implemented any sort of way as a chapter to correct their previous offenses, which would be an issue with the culture of the fraternity which warrants the chapter being removed from campus.”

Saylor Schwab, president of the Drake chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity, agreed that fraternities that tolerate sexual assault should not be allowed to continue operating on a college campus.

“Sexual assault is disgusting,

and I believe anyone guilty should be properly punished,” Schwab said. “It is also good to remember that an entire chapter of men is not guilty of the crimes of a few. However, any chapter that tolerates sexual harassment or assault should not be allowed to continue operating.”

Schwab said it is imperative to address the issue of sexual assault within fraternities and implement programming to make it clear to fraternity members that it is not tolerated.

“Peer pressure and frat culture breed that type of person. A culture that surrounds itself with alcohol and doing the most crazy shit night after night gets to a point where someone takes it past the point of harmless fun.”

“Unfortunately, many fraternities across the country are not properly educating their members how to be respectful in relationships,” Schwab said.

“Sexual assault is not tolerated at SAE, and there is no room

here for anyone who does not uphold the highest standards of respect. Educating our members and holding them to the standards of respectful relationships with mandatory consent is a priority at SAE.” Tipton said Drake also helps educate students, including fraternity members, about sexual assault awareness and prevention.

“I think the reason there is such a prevalence of rape and sexual assault in fraternities is since there is not much education around the issue,” Tipton said. “Fortunately, I feel as though our wonderful staff in FSL at Drake through HIRO programming, as well as the Bulldogs Foundations course, which I believe was a required course for all first-years starting my first year on campus, has done a great job of giving an extensive curriculum.”

However, according to the anonymous FIJI graduate, these trainings are not always effective within the environment of a fraternity.

“There was indeed a mandatory sexual assault meeting we had to go to every year coupled with a few others like diversity and alcoholism,” he said. “However, it should be noted that many of the guys in the house did not take these

| STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

seriously.”

Tipton said that since Phi Delta Theta is a relatively new fraternity chapter at Drake, it is important to make sure members take the conversations seriously.

“We also are not afraid to have conversations about current issues such as the multiple FIJI chapters being accused of rape and sexual assault, which I appreciate that our members can do,” Tipton said. “In our young history as a new chapter on campus, we have not had this issue, but therefore we lean so heavily into educating our members about this topic.”

For Tipton, who joined Phi Delta Theta despite never thinking he would join a fraternity, it is important to break the stereotypes of fraternities rather than accept them as fate.

“I was very aware of sexual assault and rape being an issue amongst fraternity life as a firstyear student on campus,” Tipton said. “Part of forming a new fraternity was we had a good chance to establish a culture as an “anti-frat” fraternity, in the sense that we could be a place where we would not do the things that people always see in the news out of fraternities across the nation.”

department of justice sues to block texas’s unprecedented abortion ban of [an] abortion” to be sued.

This could include the patient’s driver, doctor, or anyone that provides financial assistance for the patient.

“If somebody can be prosecuted even if they drive somebody to an abortion facility for an abortion to be performed, it is a strong deterrent.”

ABORTION PROVIDERS in Texas are restricted from performing abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy under the state’s new abortion law. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Gannon Henry Contributing Writer gannon.henry@drake.edu

On Sept. 9, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas over the state’s new abortion law, saying it is “in open defiance of the Constitution.”

“It is settled constitutional law that ‘A State may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before viability,’ ” says the Planned Parenthood of Se. Pa. v. Casey lawsuit. “But Texas has done just that.”

The Texas Heartbeat Act prohibits physicians from

performing an abortion on a pregnant person after a fetus’s heart begins to beat, which typically occurs after about six weeks of pregnancy. The act applies to all pregnancies, with no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

“Anyone who is aiding with someone getting an abortion is just trying to look out for that person’s best interest.”

The act states that no state authority is allowed to enforce the law and instead allows for “private civil actions.” The lawsuit says Texas chose this approach in order “to insulate the State from responsibility.”

Through this method of enforcement, ordinary citizens can report abortions that break the new law to receive a reward of a minimum of $10,000 from the state.

Reporting doesn’t directly target pregnant people undergoing abortions, but it allows for anyone that “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement

“I really do think that the strong punishments against the physicians is good, and along with that I think the citizen enforcement is really good,” said Jared Poortinga, a member of the Drake College Republicans. “If somebody can be prosecuted even if they drive somebody to an abortion facility for an abortion to be performed, it is a strong deterrent.”

Others, such as Drake junior Laura Guck, have voiced concerns about the new bill’s impact.

“Frankly, it’s kind of heartbreaking, because the services that abortion clinics are trying to provide is so important, and they’re just trying to do their jobs and help people,” Guck said. “Anyone who is aiding with someone

getting an abortion is just trying to look out for that person’s best interest.”

Some states, including Florida and South Dakota, have stated that they are working to draft legislation similar to the Texas bill. Other states, such as Iowa, already have anti-abortion legislation in the legislative pipeline. The Iowa legislation, which proposes an amendment to the state constitution, could be used to ban abortions and more.

“The amendment could put any protection for abortion at risk. If a court case came to the Iowa Supreme Court and says, ‘We do allow abortion if it’s to save the life of the mother,’ the Supreme Court could look at Iowa’s Constitution with this amendment and say ‘no you don’t,’ ” said Iowa House Minority Leader and Drake professor Jennifer Konfrst. “It could require women to put IVF embryos that are not used for implantation up for adoption. It could ban some forms of birth control. There are many, many things that could go before the Iowa Supreme Court and put common sense things that Iowans support at risk.”

The Iowa legislation has passed the 89th General Assembly, but it must also pass the 90th General Assembly and be voted on by the general public before it can go into effect.

03 | Features

Sept. 15, 2021

Features

Drake students give advice to first-years

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS, along with their upperclassmen counterparts, are going on their third week of classes Xmiena Rogers-Stamps Contributing Writer xmiena.rogers-stamps@drake.edu Cassandra Schoene Features Editor cassie.schoene@drake.edu

As the school year begins, students reflect on their first year at Drake University and offer advice for current firstyears.

Junior Hunter Hildebrand said that friendships are “aspects that you can fall back on during tough times.”

“I felt that I had found my place on campus once I began to develop deep connections with peers as well as getting involved on campus,” Hildebrand said.

“A connection to friends around you keeps you in balance.”

Hildebrand said he faced multiple challenges his first year, and friends are what helped him get through it.

“In my first semester, I got mono and was having a tough time doing much of anything,”

Hildebrand said. “If it weren’t for the friends I had developed early on, I don’t think I would still be at Drake.”

Besides creating friendships, Hildebrand said that getting involved in the Drake community is beneficial.

“Additionally, I enjoy creating an impact on my community,” Hildebrand said.

“Getting involved allowed me to grow as an individual as well as feel like I was changing campus for better. Once I identified these two aspects in my life, I felt that I belonged at Drake.”

Many students are involved at Drake, whether it’s clubs, sports or other opportunities.

Sophomore Halle Depenning said “saying yes” to these opportunities were helpful to her, and she recommended that first-years do the same.

“Saying yes to everything and showing a genuine interest [can help first-years settle in],” Depenning said. “Being a firstyear, everyone is more than willing to help you. You’ll get

plenty of opportunities where Bulldogs are asking you to do things.”

Hildebrand also agreed in the importance of showing a genuine interest.

“I felt that I had found my place on campus once I began to develop deep connections with peers as well as getting involved on campus.”

“If you know you want something, showing a genuine interest will greatly benefit you,” Hildebrand said. “I did this with a few business organizations and it allowed me to get elected to leadership positions early on.”

While she believes getting involved is important, Depenning also said to be aware of limits.

“I would say yes to

PHOTO BY OF CASSANDRA SCHOENE | FEATURES EDITOR

everything until I became aware of my limits and what I was capable of,” Depenning said.

“Regardless, some of the best involvements I had came from saying yes on a whim.”

Depenning said she wished she had known to take time for her mental health.

“I wish someone would have told me not to stress myself out so much,” Depenning said. “I thought school was everything, so I would spend every last minute on school. I didn’t take time for mental health at all.”

Hildebrand said he wished someone had told him that it was okay to leave his comfort zone.

“I wish someone would’ve told me to not be afraid to get uncomfortable since it provides plenty of growing opportunities,” Hildebrand said. “Getting out of your comfort zone is where growth takes place. Hence, you can become a better individual when you seek out uncomfortable experiences.”

He said this gets easier with practice.

“I wish someone would’ve told me this because embracing these opportunities can be awkward,” Hildebrand said.

“The more you practice though, the more comfortable you get getting out of your comfort zone.”

The biggest piece of advice Hildebrand has for first-years is to do what makes you happy, not just what everyone else is doing.

“When starting a new stage in your life, everyone just wants to fit in,” Hildebrand said. “However, I have found that doing your own thing is extremely rewarding and gives more self-fulfillment than trying to fit in.”

Depenning said to understand that plans will change.

“I would tell myself to not decide my major right away,” Depenning said. “I had what felt like everything planned out. So much has changed.”

drake discusses vaccine hesitancy in the u.s.

Celia Buell Contributing Writer celia.buell@drake.edu

Last Thursday, Sept. 9, President Joe Biden announced that the White House will be mandating vaccines for all workplaces with over 100 employees. While university students are not considered “employees,” Drake is doing what they can to encourage higher vaccine rates among students and staff, including the use of incentives and the urging of students to get the vaccine in weekly COVID update emails.

Drake Biology Co-Lab Coordinator Eric Swafford believes this is the right approach from the university.

“Drake’s been great,” Swafford said. “[They’re saying]

‘Yes, we encourage you to get it. We’re doing all these clinics, pharmacy students are getting shots,’ it’s great, it’s kind of a natural thing for Drake, but they haven’t really been like, hey get it or else. I’ve got nothing but good things to say.”

Swafford said the biggest reasons for being unvaccinated are religion, previous adverse reactions from the flu shot and distrust of the speed at which the vaccine has moved through approval stages.

There are other reasons for why people are hesitant to receive the vaccine, though.

Pharmacy student Ashley Grady, who has been working with the Hy-Vee vaccination clinics in the greater Des Moines area, said the biggest reason she hears from students who choose

to remain unvaccinated is that they are young and healthy, so they do not feel that they need the vaccine.

Grady said that this is false because COVID-19 is not a disease that the human body or population has had a chance to build immunity to, as it is a new virus. She said that it is important to get the vaccine so “your body can produce antibodies that will protect you against the virus.”

Grady also said that “other [people] are misinformed about the contents of the vaccine or are worried about potential sideeffects, short-term and longterm,” which is further holding individuals and populations back from receiving the vaccine.

Swafford and Grady agreed that the 2020 election changed

DRAKE ENCOURAGES ALL students and faculty members to get the vaccine, but has not currently mandated it. As of the morning of Sept. 10, 70 percent of all registered Drake students and 78.9 percent of Drake faculty members are fully vaccinated. PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

the public’s point of view on the vaccine.

“When Trump was president and he started saying that we have to start having the FDA move faster on drugs, and less regulation … Everybody in the scientific community was like, ‘Whoa, that’s not a good idea at all,’” Swafford said. “You don’t want to do that because there’s a reason that that’s in place right there and you got to go, you got to these drug companies have to… jump through all these hoops to make sure [new medications are] safe and effective.”

But Swafford said this changed when a President Trump was replaced by current President Joe Biden “And then the election happened, and the person in office, the letter behind their name changed, and then everybody else was suddenly okay with [the vaccine],” Swafford said. “And all of a sudden it became okay to do that, it’s like yes, you have to get this vaccination.”

Grady also believes that the pandemic and the vaccine have been affected by politics.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic and vaccines have been politicized so much that people use their political identification as a reason to not get the vaccine,” Grady said.

Grady and Swafford have different views of the future regarding the virus.

“Besides working at a community pharmacy, I also work at a hospital, and sometimes I have to go on the designated COVID floor to deliver medications,” Grady said. “It is a very sad sight to see, at first elderly, but now younger patients being intubated. The floor does not

allow any visitors either, so your family and friends would not be there to comfort you as you struggle against this virus that you could have been better protected from. I would hate to see any of my college friends in that situation.”

“When Trump was president and he started saying that we have to start having the FDA move faster on drugs, and less regulation … Everybody in the scientific community was like, ‘Whoa, that’s not a good idea at all.’

Swafford predicts COVID is likely to be a yearly virus, much like the flu.

“It’s just gonna do what viruses do; they want to survive too,” Swafford said. “And so they’re like, oh I can’t survive this. So, do survive it and then mutate, and you get different versions. What I see is this becoming very much like what happened with H1 and all the other variants that they’re going to have.”

Swafford said that the public is treating a “flu-like virus with an ebola virus response,” when it doesn’t need to be.

“We’ve got this vaccine for it this year… And you may still get it. It’s just like the flu,” Swafford said. “I think it will be the same way eventually with COVID, like five years down the road.

Another winter virus.”

04 | Features

Features

Sept. 15, 2021

Members of Drake FSL prepare for recruitment week Gabby Sihakom Contributing Writer gabby.sihakom@drake.edu

If you ever walk through Drake University’s campus, you are bound to meet at least one student who says they are a part of fraternity and sorority life (FSL). Around the second week in September, many of Drake’s students who were already a part of FSL and those planning to join for the first time have been preparing for the long two week course of Interfraternity and Panhellenic recruitment.

Vince Merfeld, a sophomore studying Business Management and Digital Media Productions, is currently a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and is now in his second year of recruitment. Last spring semester when COVID-19 restrictions were still active, Merfeld was awarded the opportunity to take over as the recruitment chair for Sigma Chi. Now, he has been helping out with many of the in-person events for his fraternity.

“Prepping for recruitment this year has been a lot of work between getting all of the events ready and making the house look nice,” Merfeld said. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but totally worth it.”

Merfeld described what the process of preparing for recruitment is like for his fraternity.

“The recruitment process is a series of events this year.

It’s from Friday [Sept. 10th] to Monday [Sept. 13th] and it depends on the house,” said Merfeld. “[Sigma Chi’s] recruitment days consist of house tours, food and getting to know each one of the brothers better.”

Merfeld said there is personal pressure and demanding work

to be a part of recruitment for Sigma Chi. “There is always pressure on recruiting to get new members,” Merfeld said. “It is how you sustain your house to be there years after you graduate. There is always a pressure to recruit members that will help your fraternity still be here in the future.”

Despite the pressure, Merfeld said he likes hanging out with potential new members during the event days.

“My favorite part of recruitment is actually just the event days, getting to talk to new people and promoting a brotherhood that I am very proud of,” Merfeld said.

As fraternities go through the trials of Interfraternity recruitment, many of Drake’s sororities are also working to recruit new members.

Chloe McGrath, a sophomore with a major in management, is in her second year of sorority life and is now a recruitment officer for her sorority, Delta Gamma.

“Prepping for recruitment has been a one-of-a-kind experience, but it has also been very draining since it is my first time,” McGrath said. “We had one week to prepare for recruitment. In that week, we had to learn traditional songs and had undergone many, many practices for actual recruitment.

The recruitment process is particular to my chapter, so I can’t disclose our process.”

McGrath said the Panhellenic recruitment process has affected her college life as well.

“One of my least favorite parts about recruitment is how late it goes. I am usually in bed by 10 p.m., and with prep week and actual recruitment, there have been many instances where it went way later,” McGrath

said. “As a result, I have been significantly depleted, and I worry that it will affect my academic performance. I do remind myself that it is not forever, and I will be okay.”

Even though there are many challenges that come with FSL recruitment, there are plenty of parts of the process McGrath loves.

“My favorite part about recruitment is talking and getting to know all the different potential new members that go

through recruitment,” Merfeld said. “I’m a very social person, and so this has been very enjoyable.”

Both McGrath and Merfeld said their own first-year recruitment experiences reminded them of why they still enjoy the recruitment process.

“I decided to join Greek life because I wanted to be involved with the community and on campus as well as I wanted to be a part of a brotherhood and I wanted a good leadership

opportunity,” Merfeld said.

As for McGrath, she said she has no regrets about joining the FSL community. “[Joining FSL] was something that I wanted to do for myself,” said McGrath.

“I decided to join Greek life because I wanted to make lasting connections with girls who support and keep me accountable. I have not had one regret, and I’ve met some incredible, genuine people.”

DRAKE SORORITY Delta Gamma has prepared for recruitment week for over two weeks. They followed a series of rules, including what they were allowed to say to people outside of their sorority, especially to potential new members. PHOTO COURTESY OF DELTA GAMMA SORORITY

drake students share feelings about first week of in-person school

ADJUSTING TO IN-PERSON LEARNING after more than a year of navigating virtual classrooms is a transition for many students. Many have mixed opinions about being back in-person. Some are happy with the change, while some students find the change to be overwhelming. PHOTO BY OLIVIA KLASSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Chloe McGrath with my peers on campus.”

Emily Elmer said. “I’m feeling week. The main challenge being people while staying safe, but Contributing Writer Sophomore Keziah Musoba great at the moment.” back to in-person class for me is not having the restrictions we chloe.mcgrath@drake.edu Cassandra Schoene Features Editor cassie.schoene@drake.edu

With the first week of classes underway, students at Drake University are getting adjusted to being back on campus and attending in-person classes.

Some students love the transition; others are not so excited to be back in person.

Tina Tran, a senior, has been remote for most of her undergraduate degree at Drake.

“Being on campus and inperson has been joyful,” Tran said, “I’ve been trying to balance my personal and professional life by rewarding myself with frequent breaks and coffee chats

found last year difficult.

“I’m really excited to be back on campus,” Musoba said. “Last year was difficult because of online classes and limited social activities. This semester feels different, the campus almost feels crowded.”

Sophomore Kate Schaecter was fully online last year and said that coming back in person was “abrupt.”

“The jump back in person was really abrupt,” said Schaecter, “I feel very fortunate to have had people on-campus looking out for me.”

But some Drake students are happy to be back on campus.

“Classes are going well, I’m meeting new people, and getting more active with walking to classes,” sophomore

Senior Cindy Ojeda is happy with the change as well.

“I learn much more, and better, in this fashion.

Lots of reconnecting and smiling has happened this week.”

“All of my classes are inperson, which is great,” Ojeda said. “I love being back on campus for my senior year.”

Senior Leigh Carlson said she finds being on-campus and in-person “refreshing.”

“I learn much more, and better, in this fashion,” Carlson said. “Lots of reconnecting and smiling has happened this

getting out of bed and to class on time.”

Sophomore Grace Brunner also said that the learning environment is better inperson.

“The adjustment from virtual classes to mostly in-person classes has been great,” Brunner said. “I learn so much better when I can talk to professors and classmates in person. It’s scary with COVID still being present in Iowa, but I love being able to interact with people on campus.”

Sophomore Deeqa Ali likes the adjustment as well, for her academic and social life.

“I enjoy being able to connect with classmates and professors,” Ali said. “It’s also nice being able to meet new

had last year.”

But some students have started to feel overwhelmed from in-person classes.

“At first it was really overwhelming,” sophomore Ayana Brown said. “But what really helped me was my planner. I was also able to meet more people and make study groups for my classes.”

Senior Grace Emerson hopes that Drake can stay in-person if people keep doing their part to prevent COVID outbreaks.

“I studied abroad the second half of my sophomore year, so the last time I was on campus was sophomore year,” Emerson said. “I hope that we can stay that way as long as people keep wearing their masks and getting vaccinated.”

05 | Sports

Sept. 15, 2021

Sports

Drake athletes make money with new NCAA NIL policy

DRAKE ATHLETICS partnered with NOCAP Sports to help student-athletes market themselves to under the new NIL policy Lia Reichmann Sports Editor lia.reichmann@drake.edu

On July 1, 2021 the college sports world was forever transformed when the National Collegiate Athletic Association, after years of debate, finally allowed college athletes, in any division, to profit off of their own name, image or likeness (NIL).

The NCAA changed the policy in the face of numerous states allowing college athletes to market themselves and a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that raised questions on whether the NCAA was breaking antitrust laws.

In the past, the NCAA prohibited any college athlete from receiving any sort of endorsement or outside money in order to uphold amateurism, the belief that student-athletes are not professional athletes and thus shouldn’t be compensated like pros.

If an athlete was found to have broken these rules they could be suspended, lose eligibility or be forced to give up awards like in the infamous case of Reggie Bush, who had to give up the Heisman Trophy.

Drake athletes have to notify the athletic department before entering any sponsorship or agreement. Conor Enright, a first-year on the men’s basketball team is currently sponsored by Slocheofficial, Divine Hoops and Barstool Sports.

“Being a Barstool Athlete is really awesome to me just because it was the first NIL deal I was a part of. The title in itself is never something I thought I would be able to say,” Enright said. “Most of my promotional stuff is posting on Instagram about certain accounts and what they offer. As well as using their website links and discount codes in my bio on social media and stories.”

Enright said he felt “ecstatic” when he heard about the NCAA

changing their NIL policy because it gives athletes “so many opportunities”. He thinks it should have happened earlier with many former college athletes missing out on this opportunity.

Enright also said he doesn’t believe there are many downsides to the new policy change.

“I haven’t experienced it yet at all, but I do believe that there are companies or people out there who don’t have the athletes’ best interest at heart,” Enright said. “Gladly, all my brands have been great.”

Drake’s athletic department partnered with NOCAP Sports, along with a partnership with INFLCR, a software company, secured via the Missouri Valley Conference to help studentathletes market their NIL. “We have relationships with NOCAP Sports and INFLCR to help with the monitoring and promotion of our studentathletes. We knew early on that one of the largest threats the

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

new NIL landscape presented was going to be in monitoring the activities of our studentathletes. Both NOCAP Sports and INFLCR help us in those efforts,” said Brian Hardin, Drake’s athletic director. “From the student-athlete perspective, both NOCAP Sports and INFLCR have platforms that help connect studentathletes with businesses and individuals.”

Hardin credits Catherine Walker, the assistant athletic director, for establishing a relationship with NOCAP Sports as she was familiar with the company.

“The athletic department had Catherine Walker, who is a part of compliance, come in and explain everything to us.

They were trying to help us understand what NIL really meant for us,” Enright said.

“They encouraged us to reach out and talk to people, but just showing how to do it the right way. All of the endorsements I have, was just by me reaching

Men’s soccer program on break because of COVID-19

out myself.”

On whether or not the new NIL policies could change recruitment as Drake competes in Division 1 Hardin said that they are not able to use NIL to persuade potential studentathletes to choose Drake.

“However, over time and different NIL examples emerge with our student-athletes, we could legally point out the success stories we have from our student-athletes attending a school in a market such as Des Moines,” Hardin said.

Enright said that “bigger schools” may appeal to some athletes as they may allow for more NIL opportunities, but that it had no influence on his decision to play for Drake.

“Well, actually, I committed to Drake before I even played my junior year of basketball,” Enright said. “At that time I wasn’t really thinking or hearing much about the impact of NIL. I just loved the coaches and culture and those are what really influenced my decision.”

Sports Results Women’s Soccer Sept. 12 vs #15 Memphis Drake wins 2-0 Sept. 9 at South Dakota Drake loses 1-4

Women’s Tennis Sept. 12 at Drake Invite Singles Final Millie Haagensen (Drake) loses to Samantha Alicea (Nebraska), 6-7(7) 6-1 [12-10 Doubles Final Haagensen/Stepan (Drake) lose to Kongara/Gener (Creighton), 8-6

Football DRAKE MEN’S SOCCER last played a game on September 6, a 1-0 win against St. Thomas. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS JD Snover team.

Ty Patton said that two matches next challenge.

Contributing Writer “I’m from Omaha and we have been canceled, and that the “We had two great games jd.snover@drake.edu have a transfer from Omaha, non-conference portion of the lined up, which we felt confident

In spring of 2021, the Drake men’s soccer team put together their first winning season since 2015. In the first four games of this new season, senior defender Loren Altman said the Bulldogs have looked to be on their way to another winning season.

“As a team, we were patient putting the pieces together,” Altman said. “Once we did it’s been smooth sailing since.”

The wins in these first few weeks of the season featured multiple highlights, including a 2021 NCAA tournament qualifier win against Omaha.

Senior midfielder Erik Fahner said this was a big win for the

so it was a personal game for a few of us,” Fahner said. “We outplayed a good team so it was a confidence boost that has us excited to keep the win streak alive.”

“We are remaining positive and controlling the controllables, focusing on Bradley coming up next.”

In the past week, however, the program has hit a bump in the road, shutting down due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Assistant athletic director

season is over for the Bulldogs.

“We outplayed a good team so it was a confidence boost that has us excited to keep the win streak alive.”

“The Drake men’s soccer team matches against Creighton and Kansas City were canceled due to COVID-19 protocols following positive breakthrough cases on the team,” Patton said.

Senior goalkeeper Jared Brown said that even through the pause in play, he believes the team is ready to take on the

we could win,” Brown said. “The pause giving us time away from the sport has made us all more motivated and grateful to get back out there. When we get out of this pause you can expect to see a refreshed and motivated Drake men’s soccer team.”

The team will come back in time for their first Missouri Valley Conference match up when they host Bradley on Sept. 18.

Fahner said it is important to look ahead and focus on the next match.

“We are remaining positive and controlling the controllables, focusing on Bradley coming up next,” Fahner said.

Sept. 11 at #11 Montana Drake loses 7-45

Women’s Volleyball Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 at North Dakota Tournament Drake wins 3-1 vs Green Bay Drake wins 3-0 vs North Dakota Drake loses 2-3 vs Montana

Women’s Golf Sept. 5 and 6 at Redbird Invitational Drake places sixth out of 16

06 | Sports

Sept. 15, 2021

Sports

Drake women’s soccer 2021 season off to inconsistent start

A 2-0 DEFEAT OF N0. 15 MEMPHIS has given women’s soccer team a boost of confidence as they get closer to MVC play. PHOTO BY LIA REICHMANN | SPORTS EDITOR Bryson Rea This win not only showcased These games shined a light up three goals in the first half women’s team lacked any real Contributing Writer brilliance from Drake’s on Drake’s increasing offensive alone. This loss gave Drake yet history with Memphis, causing bryson.rea@drake.edu goalkeeper, fifth-year Kelsie ability, along with their another chance to show their preparation to be just that much

After finishing the 2020 season 2-4-2, it’s safe to say that the Drake women’s soccer team was hoping for a strong start to the 2021 season.

This hope stood far from reality as the team finished 0-2-1 through the first three games of the season. The team’s primary struggles seemed to be on the offensive side of the ball as they failed to score a single goal through their opening stretch. Defensively, the team let up a single goal on average up to that point.

Things were looking bleak up to that point to say the least.

Drake, however, showed an ability to face adversity and bounced back with a 2-1 win against Big 12 school Iowa State.

Stone, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in saves at this point in the season, but it also gave head coach Lindesey Horner confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back from their rough start.

“From the beginning of the season we were overlooked. We weren’t satisfied with our spring season and knew we needed to make adjustments,” said senior midfielder Libby Helverson.

“We have to continue to go into every game with the mindset of being the underdogs and use that to our advantage.”

The winning streak continued into the following weeks as Drake secured two more consecutive home wins against SIUE and Saint Thomas, both games ending 1-0.

consistently high performing defense. Drake’s defense held an average of 0.66 points against opponents through the first six games of the season.

“We prepare well for every team. The only difference this week is mentally preparing for a tough game and being ready to compete at our best.”

This streak of defensive dominance took a hit in game seven, as Drake suffered a 1-4 loss to South Dakota, giving

resilience to adversity as they prepared to face off against an undefeated, No. 15 nationally ranked Memphis team on Sept. 12. Memphis had a goal differential of 19-2 through their first seven games of the season.

Despite this, Drake pulled off a massive 2-0 upset, shutting out No. 15 ranked Memphis.

While defeating Memphis was no easy task for Drake, doing so has been instrumental in their preparation for MVC play later this fall.

A win this past Sunday was far from the expected outcome, but Drake took the golden opportunity to right the ship as MVC play looms closer with each game that passes. To add to the excitement, the Drake

more difficult.

“We prepare well for every team. The only difference this week is mentally preparing for a tough game and being ready to compete at our best,” Stone said.

It’s fair to say that Drake was running out of time when it came to falling into a consistent rhythm with only three games left before MVC play before Sunday, but this win gives reason to believe in great things to come.

While this team has had its fair number of rough moments up to this point in the season, the crucial defeat of Memphis gives newfound confidence in the team’s ability to compete at an elite level from this point on.

women’s tennis team welcomes two new bulldogs into the fray

DRAKE’S WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM opened up their season with the Drake Invite on Sept. 10 at the Roger Knapp Center.

Darinka Stepan Contributing Writer darinka.stepan@drake.edu

Yana Gaskell, a first-year, is the newest member of the Drake women’s tennis team.

Gaskell is very familiar with the area since she grew up in Iowa about two hours from Drake in Fairfield. Gaskell had a very successful career in high school with two state championship titles and two runner-up finishes. She won the state title in 2019 after being ranked the No. 1 tennis player in Iowa, and she was ranked 222nd in the country by the Tennis Recruiting Network.

Gaskell decided that she

wanted to play D1 tennis because of the competitive aspect as well as the team atmosphere.

“There were so many things that drew me to Drake. First, academics was something that really stood out to me. The athletics also seemed to be a great fit for me as well,” Gaskell said. “I also chose Drake because I liked how it was close to home. I took a visit my junior year of high school and those really stood out to me.”

Gaskell is ready to start this season and make academic connections as a Bulldog after not being able to play as much last year due to COVID-19.

“I am really excited to compete with the team and get

some wins,” Gaskell said. “I am looking forward to connecting with the professors here at Drake and the small class atmosphere.”

Another new member of the women’s tennis team is junior Rebecca Ehn, a native of Sweden, who is a transfer student from the University of Hawaii. Ehn played in both the doubles and singles matches at Hawaii.

“I chose Drake because I felt like the tennis program would be a good fit for me. I am a transfer from a big school in Hawaii and so I was also looking for a smaller school,” Ehn said.

“Also, Drake has weather more similar to my home country

PHOTO BY PAIGE JANSEN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

which is an easy adjustment.”

Ehn had a very successful career prior to college tennis; since the age of 13 she has been ranked inside the top 10 in her age group in Sweden. Ehn won the Swedish Championship in doubles at the age of 14.

Ehn has also competed in six finals of the Swedish Senior National Tour (Sommartout) and has qualified for the Swedish Senior Championships for two consecutive years. Ehn has also played in multiple 15k ITFs and made it to the quarterfinals in several of them in both singles and doubles.

At Drake, Ehn is majoring in marketing and does not currently have a minor but is

looking into either international business or management. Ehn is ready to start competing and to get into the classroom here at Drake.

“I am looking forward to hopefully being injury free for my last two years in college and being able to compete at my highest level. I am hoping that our team can repeat what they did last season and once again become conference champions,” Ehn said. “I am also looking forward to finishing my degree at Drake and hopefully leaving with a 4.0 GPA.” These Bulldogs along with the rest of the women’s tennis team will start their fall season at the Drake Invite on Sept. 10.

07 | Commentary

Commentary

Sept. 15, 2021

Greg Abbott and the unborn kid: Texas abortion law belabored with criticism

ONE PEEVED TEXAN illuminates their fellow Drake students on the Southern perspective of the Texas abortion bill. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Mylo Bissell Contributing Writer mylo.bissell@drake.edu

Texas is an enigma.

That was my first lesson in moving to the Midwest. Being Texan is like being a foreigner.

Even small things were cultural differences. I say howdy when I greet people. Y’all is my favorite word and despite the reputation Texas and Texans often get, I walk around with a great deal of pride to be from The Lone Star State. Until Wednesday, Sept.

1st, when the Supreme Court and Texas legislators alike showed their true colors and once again proved: republicans don’t want the government in citizen’s business unless it’s the business of any minority group.

The Texas abortion law is

a near total ban that passed before the end of last session with embarrassingly low opposition.

It was a hot button issue for interest groups who dedicate almost all their time for prochoice advocacy but squished between Gov. Abbott’s lackluster COVID response, a hectic and, at times, scary presidential election and a voting rights law that would later thrust Texas onto the national stage for months on end, the ban seemed almost like small potatoes-until we landed here.

The wild overarching ban is abhorrent for two main reasons: the time period in which it is allowed is minuscule and it doesn’t add protections for victims.

For anyone fortunate enough

to have never experienced a period, it is not something you set your clock to. If you received any kind of education on reproductive anatomy you were likely told something like “every 28 days” or “every month” which to be fair is the standard length of a menstrual cycle but for many people, it does not happen that way.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, up to 14 percent of female bodied people have irregular periods. Up to 14 percent wouldn’t think twice about a missed period, regardless of sexual activity.

Let’s say for argument’s sake though that 100 percent of menstruating people have an actually monthly period, the six-week cut off assumes

within the week of your missed period you can, find abortion provider, get time off from work, find someone to go to the appointment with you if necessary, schedule the first ultrasound and schedule you actual abortion all within that two week period.

So now that we’ve talked about access, we’ll add the aspect of being a victim of an assault. The Texas Legislator has decided your time for emotional processing to experience the breadth of this tragedy and tune back into your body is a month.

But rest assured because Good Ol’ Greg has promised to “eliminate rape” so hopefully victims won’t even exist anymore. This language and idea creates a continued standard that rape will always

have more consequences for the victim.

People suffering from abuse who will now be trapped into relationships as abusers hold a pregnancy they couldn’t end over their head. Physically dangerous pregnancies that could not be ended despite the medical necessity will send our already surprising maternal mortality rate skyrocketing.

Texas will never be something that’s easy to understand for outsiders. We like our gas stations to have mascots, our hot sauces to have festivals and our liberties to remain uninfringed. Until it doesn’t benefit the cishet white men who have, since it’s indoctrination into the United States, ensured that church and state were never separate.

mama maska! pfizer on the roof and the phantom of the outbreak Chris Veninga Contributing Writer chris.veninga@drake.edu

“I don’t know if I’ll audition.”

I said this to my mom as we were sitting outside having lunch. We were talking about Drake Theater auditions, which were quickly coming up.

“Why’s that?” my mom asked me, with a quizzical expression on her face.

“I love theater and I love the people I meet through performances,” I said, “But I don’t know if I want to do masked productions.”

And it’s true; I love theater.

Acting has been my passion for the last five years or so and I wouldn’t trade my theatrical experiences for the world.

However, theatrical acting is not all in the voice - the face plays a key role in delivering emotions and furthering the plot. Often, the greatest actors win their Oscars not with words, but with their faces.

Though I am certainly not anti-mask and believe that the Drake mask policy is in place for a good reason, masks do not exactly enhance the theatrical experience. They muffle the voice, restrict your ability to deliver a good performance and limit the degree to which nonverbal cues convey a message.

Now don’t get me wrong, if I am cast in an upcoming Drake production, I will absolutely mask up and give the production 100%. My main point with this article is not to complain about masking up. It certainly isn’t optimal but these measures must be taken in times like these. My main point is not actually my point at all; it’s my mom’s.

“Chris,” she said. “I know how hard it is to get the motivation to do things you love in a pandemic when they are so restricted. But unfortunately, these are the cards that you and millions of other kids your age were dealt. And you have to play your best game with that hand.”

“Yeah,” I said. “But once something’s taken away, it’s really hard to accept the substitute.”

“I know it’s hard. But I don’t want your college career to pass you by because you were riding the bench waiting for normalcy.”

Let’s be real for a second; who knows when this awful disease that has ruined, taken, and negatively changed lives is going to end. We have had some glimmers of hope; a few lights at the end of the tunnel, but we do not have an exact time and date as to when, or even if, the “all clear” will be given. It could be a matter of months or even years.

Pandemics are unpredictable.

So here I am, starting my second year of college and yearning for normalcy to come back so I can enjoy the college experience so many before me have loved. And though this year has so far been significantly better than last year, it’s still difficult for me to deal with the reality that things are not as they “should be” or how I pictured them.

But we get to choose. We have to still do things; we have to keep going. Go sign up for that club. Audition for that show - like I ended up doing.

Try out for the team. Whatever.

Yes, it is going to be different and odds are those differences are going to make the activity not like it once was.

“Or perhaps,” my mom

HE NOT BUSY BEING BORN IS BUSY DYING... One writer proffers sage advice on how to maximize the limitations of this “new normal” world and carpe diem. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

said, “Try something new. Try something you haven’t done before. That way, you won’t have a pre-pandemic standard to compare it to.” For example, I’m writing articles for the Times-Delphic, something I didn’t think I’d do in my life.

I say to everybody reading this; we may not have a normal

college experience, and it sucks.

But we have to play with the cards we are dealt. Otherwise, COVID wins because we decided to just sit back and wait instead of at least trying to do what we would regularly do. Normalcy may not be here for a while, and if we ride on the bench waiting for it, we may miss out on a lot

more than we think.

That doesn’t make it easy.

Everybody knows dealing with the substitute is a hard pill to swallow. But if we at least find anything that brings us joy, even a small amount, the pandemic gets a little easier.

It does not get to define our college experience - we do.

08 | Commentary

Commentary

Sept. 15, 2021

Arena ambivalence and COVID concerts Chris Veninga Contributing Writer chris.veninga@drake.edu

“Get off your phones! We’ve been stuck inside and on our phones for a year and a half!

Now, we finally get a chance to be together!”

It was Aug. 23, and I was at a packed Target Field in Minneapolis attending the “Hella Mega Tour” - featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer as the headliners.

Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day, reminded the audience of 30,000+ to live in the moment and enjoy the music, not just record the concert and save the videos for later so they can “relive it.”

When I went to this concert, originally scheduled for August in 2020, I had mixed feelings about everything going on.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a tremendous concert and was absolutely a blast to rock out with my brother and 30,000 people in a sold out stadium and I have zero regret of going.

But as I looked at all the people in the seats, both next to me and all the way in the nosebleeds, I couldn’t help but think: “Wait…

COVID is still raging on.”

We are at a weird point in this

pandemic, going on for a year and a half now, where we kind of have normalcy and do not at the same time. Small venues to giant stadiums are opening their doors to packed houses of fans to attend concerts or sporting events.

And hear me, I’m not complaining at all. I absolutely love to see people replacing the dreary and lifeless cardboard cutouts that once filled seats at games. At Virginia Tech, the Hokies have a tradition to play “Enter Sandman,” the classic Metal anthem by Metallica, over the loudspeakers as the team rushes onto the field, getting the whole stadium on their feet and jumping, ready for a game of football. It was a thing of beauty to see all those fans, united in support for their team, jumping around and having the type of fun that we have not seen since March of 2020.

But to me, I thought seeing these packed stadiums again meant the pandemic would be over. And it’s not. For about a month and a half, back in May, I thought we were in the clear, but the Delta variant has made COVID come back with a vengeance. We still have to wear masks. Hundreds of thousands are getting infected every day,

RECORDING THE ENTIRE CONCERT FOR YOUR SNAPCHAT STORY... ah, how good it is to be back in black. Or is it? One writer wrestles with the idea of sardine-packed stadiums and spewed spittle splashing on your susceptible spine. PHOTO BY MAX PIXEL COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

and people are still dying at tragic and terrifying rates.

I don’t say this to be all doom and gloom; I personally believe we are slowly but surely getting our lives back. I suppose I had the wrong expectation about how COVID was going to “go

away.”

Looking back on it, all those activities we love coming back at the snap of a finger like Tony Stark bringing everybody back in “Avengers: Endgame” might have been a wishful thinking approach to the pandemic.

But seeing these stadiums, filled with people having a blast, is perhaps a good sign of things to come. We may not feel 100% safe for a while now, but at the very least, we are slowly but surely getting back together.

foia: private universities exempt?

TRIPLE FIGURES PLUS GRIFF II ROYALTIES... Jerry Parker’s salary is pure conjecture, of course. One writer wants the sum plastered all over Drake, from Hubbell to the Stallseat Journal. Unfortunately, that endeavor will remain a white whale, thanks to regulations regarding private universities. PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR Grace Altenhofen Managing Editor grace.altenhofen@drake.edu

Before I begin, I have to preface this anecdote with this: I was a nerd in high school. I know, probably not surprising to anyone who’s met me. But I was the worst kind of nerd — a journalism nerd.

While everyone else was attending football games and vying for the hot history teacher’s attention, I was sifting through public records and attending Board of Education meetings. Anyway…

I grew up in the public school system, and that came with pros and cons. Yes, the lunchroom food tasted like cardboard, but because it was a public school

district, it was subject to the Freedom of Information Act. And for a journalism nerd such as myself, FOIA is a glorious thing.

When I wanted information about the salaries of top administrators in the district and the chief communications officer dug in his heels, I simply filled out and mailed a FOIA request — and legally, they couldn’t say no. I learned about their salaries, and many more seeminglyinaccessible pieces of information about the district, through the miracle of FOIA. You can imagine, then, that going to a private university for college was a bit of a wake-up call.

Because Drake is not governmentoperated and relies largely on tuition dollars for operation, it is considered a private

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

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

university. Private universities are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act, and therefore, much of the information I would have been able to access in high school journalism through FOIA is now inaccessible to me as I pursue collegiate journalism.

At this point, you may be thinking: so what? Doesn’t a private university have the right to withhold any information they want?

To that I say: yes, but is it really a “private” college if it accepts government funding?

Out of the approximately 1,700 nonprofit private colleges in the US, less than 20 do not accept any form of federal funding. To that handful of colleges: congratulations, you can do whatever you want and no one

has the right to question it. Drake is not one of those schools.

The rest of those “private” institutions of higher education accept federal funding, such as federal student loans, government grants (which provide things like the Presidential Scholarship at Drake) and tax exemptions.

In fact, many of them receive as much, if not more, federal funding as public colleges.

If the mark of a ‘private’ university is separation from the federal government, only the handful of colleges that refuse federal funding are truly private.

The rest are just as intertwined with the government as public universities.

The only difference: public colleges are subject to FOIA, while ‘private’ colleges are not.

This means that private colleges have no obligation to provide records, information and data to the public. They operate heavily on the government dime, as do public universities, but have none of the same accountability.

If private colleges choose to accept federal funding, that’s their prerogative: but they should face the same level of accountability and transparency under federal statute that public colleges do. College may not be free, but information should be.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why private universities can’t just pinky promise to be transparent and let the public access information? Believe me, we’ve fought that battle and died on that hill. It will never happen.

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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