THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
THE TIMES-DELPHIC WHAT’S
INSIDE
DES MOINES, IOWA • Monday, October 5, 2009 • VOL. 128, NO. 8 • www.timesdelphic.com
LANDON PIGG
OUR TWO CENTS
CROSS COUNTRY
FOOTBALL
Q & A with the 26-yearold singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tenn.
See what TD staff members are complaining about this week.
Casey McDermott and Jeff Grassmeyer both finished in the top 10 at Loyola.
The Drake football team crushed the Crusaders of Valparaiso 34-14.
PAGE 4 FEATURES
PAGE 3 OPINIONS
PAGE 6 SPORTS
PAGE 7 SPORTS
CATCHING THE CONSERVATION BUG Drake environmental science students explore new curriculum for local high schools by ERIKA SEVINGY
Staff Writer erika.sevigny@drake.edu
Imagine spending your summer days in a prairie catching butterflies and picking wild flowers. While most college students find themselves working long hours at part-time jobs, taking summer classes and slaving away at unpaid internships, the idea of spending long days exploring nature is more of a childhood memory than a college reality. For a few Drake students, getting their hands dirty with the insects in a prairie was their work for the summer. Environmental science students Jamie Lane (AS4) and Bret Lang (AS3) spent their summers researching different animals and plants at an easement owned by the Metro Waste Authority just outside of Des Moines. Lane and Lang teamed up with two students from Southeast Polk High School under the
guidance of Keith Summerville, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to conduct a research initiative. The project’s goal was to report back to the Metro Waste Authority on species conservation. High school and college science students collaborated to explore the prairie land. “Basically, we spent the summer collecting samples of species – butterflies, dragonflies, small mammals, reptiles and plants,” Lane said. “We each had our own area we focused on. One of the high school girls focused on catching dragonflies for the summer. It was good because it gave them the opportunity for hands-on learning.” The program developed out of a working relationship between Tom Hatton, owner of the Metro Waste Authority, and Summerville. The prairie restoration process on the land was initiated by Metro Waste eight years ago. “This summer, all the pieces came together on this project – I had the support of Tom,
the time to orchestrate a project and interested undergraduate students,” Summerville said. “It’s never too early to develop awareness in field ecology, and that’s why we’ve had a keen interest in getting environmental education into local schools.” The research findings have been encouraging. A couple weeks ago, students found a state-listed endangered butterfly species, the Wild Indigo Dusky Wing Skipper. Students have identified over 30 species of dragonflies and 70 birds, while also observing the bobcats and river otters on the land. “There’s an enormous wealth of biodiversity in a postage-size piece of land,” Summerville said. “There are gigantic conservation areas nearby that you would expect this kind of variety in, but this land is relatively newly converted into prairie from farmland. As the weather grows colder, the students
SEE CONSERVATION, PAGE 2
Huntley takes the parking ban to the streets to overturn the ban. She said the petition was signed by 300 Drake students, faculty and guests on the campus.
by ERIN HOGAN News Editor tdnews@drake.edu
Students are not giving up on preserving the parking on 27th Street. Last week, the Des Moines City Council temporarily revoked the policy banning parking on the east side of the city street that runs between Jewett Residence Hall and Cartwright Law building. They deferred an official vote to approve the ban until the next meeting on Oct. 12. Drake law student Bridgette Huntley (L2) drafted a petition
“
students upset about this,” Huntley said. The law student spoke at last week’s student senate meeting,
... the ban was preemptively put in place.
”
– BRIDGETTE HUNTLEY (L2)
“After I did some investigation and found that the reasons (for the ban) were ill-founded, we wanted to make sure we weren’t the only
asking senators to draft a resolution to quash the ban on 27th Street parking. Huntley said that the Student
Bar Association, the student governing body of the law school, had already drafted its own resolution against the ban. On Sept. 22, Drake sent all students, faculty and staff an e-mail explaining that parking would no longer be permitted on the east side of 27th Street, between Carpenter Avenue and Forest Avenue. At the following week’s city council meeting, council members said that it was the first time they had seen the ban. Drake had previously submitted a request to the Traffic and Safety Committee for the ban.
SEE HUNTLEY, PAGE 2
Chinese Moon Festival brings cultures together by HOLLY WORTHY
Staff Writer holly.worthy@drake.edu
Despite a cloud-covered Clive sky, Drake students and faculty gathered at the home of the host family to students Sheng Peng (AS3) and Alvin Tam (B4) to celebrate Friday’s Chinese Moon Festival. About 30 friends and classmates of Peng and Tam, both international students studying at Drake, as well as Darcie Vandegrift – associate professor of sociology – gathered to celebrate the holiday akin to America’s Thanksgiving. The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, falls 15 days into the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. “We are celebrating the
day that the moon is largest and most complete, which is a time for us to reunite with friends and family and share time and good food with each other,” Peng said. Good food was in no shortage. Popular Chinese cuisine such as dumplings, egg drop soup and sesame chicken were served. Not to mention moon cakes, the traditional treat of the holiday, were aplenty. Like much of Chinese culture, the holiday is rich with folklore – several versions of it. According to one story explained by Tam, the Chinese king of gods sent his unfaithful wife to the moon as punishment – hence, giving us the face we see on the moon.
SEE MOON, PAGE 2
See how Drake celebrated the festival on page 4.
photo by TYLER O’NEIL |Relays Editor
SUSAN JOSTEN (RIGHT), one of Sheng Peng’s (AS3) host parents, invited four guests from other countries to share their life experiences in the spirit of the Chinese Moon Festival. Josten hosted the event at her home in Clive.
Senate addresses the student connection by ERIN HOGAN News Editor tdnews@drake.edu
Last Thursday, student senators discussed the notorious disconnect between Senate and the student body in addressing the transparency of its bylaws and the effectiveness of the Organizational Council. Vice President of Student Life Ben Cooper (AS3) introduced a resolution to instate a Student Senate Bylaw Ad Hoc Committee. The group of senators would “ensure that the rules and regulations for the Student Senate are reviewed objectively and updated to ensure that they accurately reflect the workings of our Senate,” according to the motion. “The last time Senate had an ad hoc committee was three years ago for Bulldog Parade,” Cooper said when he proposed the motion. The Bulldog Parade ad hoc committee was formed to boost school spirit, Cooper said. It was responsible for selling the decorated bulldog statues placed around campus. The committee will be composed of seven senators, with one sitting as the chair. Cooper said the committee was created internally so Senate would have the opportunity to clarify the bylaws and make them more consistent. “Our senators know our bylaws and the history behind them, which other students may not,” Cooper said after the meeting. “It can be confusing if you’re not familiar with them.” Sen. Carla Olszewski (J4), nominated by Sen. Tyler Boggess (J4), was appointed chair of the committee. “It’s important to keep bylaws relevant to our specific session, as they change from year to year,” Olszewski said. The six nominated committee members were Vice President of Student Activities Tisleen Singh (J3), Sen. Norah Carroll (J3), Sen. Samantha Haas (AS3), Sen. Eric Gudmundson (J4), Sen. Greg Larson (B2) and Sen. Ben Whitmer (B2). The resolution was drafted to create a six-person panel, but Senate voted to expand the size to accommodate all of the nominees. Olszewski proposed the amendment, and Motion SS 091001 was passed unanimously. Senators also discussed the effectiveness of the Organizational Council. Organizational Senator Brittany Miller (AS3) informally introduced a motion to change the Organizational Council attendance policy. In previous years, organization representatives were penalized for more than one absence. After gathering feedback from the council members, Miller drafted a resolution to change the policy to allow for two excused absences. Miller also said that the organizational senators had been working to gather input from council members to improve the Organizational Council. Some senators disagreed that the organizational Council was a necessary structure. “We’re wasting time trying to make people understand,” Boggess said. Singh said that students were disengaged with Senate matters. “Lots of people don’t care about what goes on here,” Singh said. “We shouldn’t shove Senate down their throat. If people really care, they will get involved.” Public Affairs Committee Chair Emily Krstulic (E3) added to the discussion. “We may be in some people’s faces, but maybe not the right people,” Krstulic said. “It’s our task to make (students) care, to
SEE SENATE, PAGE 2