THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
THE TIMES-DELPHIC DES MOINES, IOWA • Monday, December 7, 2009 • VOL. 128, NO. 21 • www.timesdelphic.com
WHAT’S
INSIDE
SURVIVAL GUIDE
OUR TWO CENTS
VAMPIRE DIARIES
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Find out how to make the best out of finals week—tips, places and secrets.
What’s the TD staff complaining about this week?
Reviewing the new TV show. Plus: Vampire stories that don’t suck.
Drake went one-fortwo this weekend in the Hy-Vee Classic at the Knapp Center.
PAGE 4 FEATURES
PAGE 3 OPINIONS
PAGE 5 FEATURES
PAGE 7 SPORTS
Law school coordinator appointed to Obama committee by MARIAH MARCONI
Staff Writer mariah.marconi@drake.edu photo illustration by SARAH ANDREWS |Photo Editor
Speakers on the top of Jewett Hall provide campus with bell sounds by STEPHANIE SANYOUR
Staff Writer stephanie.sanyour@drake.edu
When you picture a “traditional college,” you often think of ivy-covered bricks, a library full of engaged students and a bell tower to mark the passage of the hours in the short fouryear experience. While Drake may have several brick buildings and Cowles may be packed with students, Drake has never been known for melodic markings of the passage of time. When the Old Main tower was built, a bell system was included and the bells were played manually by pulling a rope. However, the bell sound was not projected effectively across the campus because of the trees around Old Main. Drake replaced the Old Main bells with a carillon system located on top of the Jewett residence hall. Jewett seemed to be the ideal
location because of its elevation, making it possible to broadcast the tone to the west side of campus. The carillon system is composed of speakers and an amplifier, and the bells are set to ring every hour. The speakers are visible on the west side of the roof. “They were real bells at one time, and now it’s a recording,” said Mark Chambers, the general manager of Facility Services. The carillon system was a convenient way to play the bells and to solve the amplification problem. It was installed in the Jewett years ago and was removed in the summer of 2005 for the remodeling of the roof. The bells were replaced in October of this year. The bells were installed by a joint effort between Facility Services and Drake TeleMedia. Students had mixed reactions to the new hourly ritual on campus. Many were unsure of where the sounds were coming from. “I thought they came from Old Main,” said
junior Raquel Nogueira Garcia. Some admitted they were unsure of the origin. “I don't really know where the bells are coming from,” sophomore Jessica Anderson said. Garcia said she is frustrated with the reconnected bell system. “They are annoying, at least when you are in class,” she said. “And it seems that a cell phone is ringing.” They have also caused disturbances during other times of day. “Some people say that they are disturbing and wake them up when they are sleeping, but I haven't had that happen,” Anderson said. While students may be unsure about the new bells, Chambers affirms that they are “not a seasonal thing.” n
Senate focuses on green issues by ERIN HOGAN News Editor tdnews@drake.edu
photo by SARAH ANDREWS |Photo Editor
PATRICK MCGARRITY lead a lecture called “Big Money” last Wednesday.
Speaker warns students of the almighty dollar by ANN SCHNOEBELEN
Staff Writer ann.schnoebelen@drake.edu
Ever wanted tried-and-true information about managing a credit card, handling debt and avoiding identity theft? Students who attended the Big Money event last Wednesday, sponsored by the Student Activities Board, got to hear all about it. The first thing speaker Patrick McGarrity shared was a bit of financial trivia, asking the audience whether they knew the first-ever form of human currency. The answer? Teeth. “You don’t actually have to remember that; it’s just fun,” he said. McGarrity, a Chicago native, graduated from college with $7,000 of credit card debt. He began the event by telling everyone that his goal was to help Drake students avoid a similar fate. He said to the audience of around 90 students he was on campus “to give away money, to educate you and to have fun.”
During his presentation, he introduced some financial vocabulary, defining terms like amortization, Fair Isaac scores and overdraft protection. He also showed clips of his interviews with other students and had audience members decide beforehand which interviewee would give the right answer. The people who guessed correctly got to draw money out of his sack of $5, $10 and $20 bills. Sophomore Mitch Lefebvre said he thought the presentation was helpful. “It was valuable for students because it will help them avoid unnecessary spending on late fees and interest and increase their money saved, making them happier in the long run,” he said. Lefebvre also received a $10 bill from McGarrity after taking part in one of the interactive activities. He said he’d be spending it on food or soda pop. Morgan Ottenbacher, a first-year student, attended the event as a member of the Campus Impact Committee, which was in charge of planning the event. She said she thought it was
SEE MONEY, PAGE 2
After last week’s vote to keep the student activities fee the same for the upcoming academic year, senators discussed whether or not to draft a resolution to support a “green fee” and what that motion would include. The idea of a “green fee” came out of research by the Student Senate Campus Advancement Committee and research by Senator Carla Olszewski in response to the controversial recycling motion and student feedback from Senate’s town hall meeting on sustainability. Senator Olszewski brought up the issue during “Issues” at the end of the meeting. She said the Board of Trustees will be approving tuition and fees for next year in January, before students return to campus. Olszewski said that if Senate did not draft a motion before the end of the semester, their input would not be included in the Board of Trustees’ discussions. “I think there’s ways we can support it while being responsible in the support,” Olszewski said. Other senators agreed that they wanted some input on the fee. “I think we should support it only if we’re included in discussion of the amount and how it’s spent,” Senator Brittney Miller said. Senator Jenny Koska said she was concerned that if the fee was not controlled by the appropriate party it would not be used and would go to waste. Other senators said that students should have some say over how it is spent. “We definitely need to include language that it be used by students for students,” pharmacy Senator Ben Urick said. However, Treasurer Lewandowski said he did not feel
SEE SENATE, PAGE 2
SENATE DEFINITIONS PREVIOUS NOTICE: When a senator
serves a motion as previous notice, they submit it to be included in the agenda for the meeting. However, it is only read and not debated or voted on at the meeting, but reserved to be brought up the next week or at a later meeting.
On Nov. 24, Drake Law School’s state food policy project coordinator, Matt Russell, was appointed to the Iowa Farm Services Agency Committee under the Obama administration. The Iowa FSA is tasked with improving the overall economic prosperity and stability of the state’s farming community. Although the date of the FSA’s first meeting has not yet been set, the committee will meet on a monthly basis to discuss how Iowa farm stewardship can be improved economically and agriculturally. The agency will also hear appeals from the county committees. When President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, Russell decided to apply for a position on the FSA committee. “There were only a handful of appointments in the state of Iowa, including two federal judges and a few USDA members,” Russell said. After filling out the application, Russell worked closely with Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and other state political leaders. Russell also found support through the Drake community, particularly from agricultural law professor and director, Neil Hamilton. Russell said he is eager to begin promoting Iowa’s agricultural industry through the FSA. “I am very excited for the opportunities the position provides, not only the opMATT RUSSELL portunity to support fellow farmers, but also the hands-on learning opportunity,” Russell said. Russell said the committee’s responsibilities can be divided into two distinct categories. The first is the objective to promote “economic stability and to ensure room for growth and opportunity.” The second focuses more on the environmental stewardship of Iowa farmland. Russell and his fellow committee members will work closely with Iowa farmers to address their concerns. There will also be significant governmental action to aid Iowa’s agriculture. “I believe that government is a public tool,” Russell said. “I am interested in progressive politics and am excited to be part of the process to help government work better.” Russell said he hopes he will be able to support the development of beginning farmers and the establishment of more diversified farms throughout Iowa. “The goals are to make Iowa a more productive state, to create sustainable profits and to increase the quantity of food grown in Iowa,” he said. Russell said he recognizes some potential obstacles in joining the FSA committee. He anticipates a significant learning curve upon joining the program, and expects to face many difficult decisions regarding the appeals from counties.
SEE RUSSELL, PAGE 2
FSA’S MISSION • Carry out the state agricultural conservation programs • Resolve appeals from the agriculture community • Help to keep producers informed about FSA programs
MEN’S SOCCER Drake lost to North Carolina 2-1 Friday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. PAGE 8 SPORTS