NEWS
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
QUOTE of the
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MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010
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Everyone loves Spikes. When we get to be there and see a mascot cheering you on, it’s more fun! — BEN SABAL, SEE PAGE 2
Assault raises concern FROM ASSAULT, PAGE 1
port. Des Moines police reported that the victim was sober at the time of the assault. Dean of Students Sentwali Bakari sent an email at 2:23 p.m. Friday, warning students to be careful, especially when walking at night. According to the e-mail, Des Moines police and campus security will continue to investigate the incident. n
SECURITY TIPS photo by EMILY TOZER | Staff Photographer
SPIKE raises school spirit by pumping up the crowd of students. Aside from games, the mascot also appears at local fundraisers and other community events.
•Travel in groups •Be aware of your surroundings •Keep phone handy •Avoid poorly lit areas
Spike takes Disney Vice Provost Burney World by storm moves to Doane for new history position FROM SPIKE, PAGE 1
ber. “It feels really good to have built this program and have success in a short amount of time.” Spike showed off his talent in a short skit entitled “A Tribute to 2009.” In the performance, Spike poses as a Charlie’s Angel in honor of the late Farah Fawcett. Other showcases include Michael Jackson’s dance moves, cleaning a jersey with Oxi-Clean and reenacting the final scene of “Dirty Dancing.” Unfortunately, the enjoyment is abruptly ended by the unwelcome appearance of Michael Vick. Mascots had 90 seconds for the skit, with only a minute to set up and leave the stage. Routines were judged on use of props, level of crowd involvement and creativity. The judges were a panel of experts including a professional mascot and the Universal Cheer Association’s director of mascot programs, according
to a Drake press release. Mascot team members said they prepared the skit after viewing a sample DVD other teams had used in the past. “We wanted to do something classical, something current and something that they could have a lot of fun with,” said a mascot team member. Spike appears at many different locations throughout the course of the year, including charity runs or walks, elementary school appearances and office parties. He makes more than 50 appearances a year outside of sporting events, said a mascot team member. That number is expected to grow as the program expands. “Everyone loves Spike,” sophomore football player Ben Sabal said. “When we get to be there and see a mascot cheering you on, it’s more fun.” Lassie, you better watch it. n
FROM BURNEY, PAGE 1 professors showcased his creativity. In 2009, he collaborated with Charles Nelson, associate professor of physics and astronomy, to write and perform a song for Provost Ron Troyer’s retirement party. The song was entitled, “A Provost Named Ron,” and was sung to the tune of “A Boy Named Sue.” Nelson composed the music while Burney wrote the lyrics. One line in the song was, “Well my provost stepped down when I was VP/and he didn’t leave much for Wanda and me/Just a contingency budget and an empty Coke can…” “It was fun,” Nelson said, smiling at the memory. “He likes to perform and he likes to be lighthearted about things. I think this fits in
with his role playing that he did in his classes, and he’s very much promoting to the faculty that Drake should use that.” Provost Michael Renner said in a campus announcement how Burney has influenced the Drake community: “The faculty efforts he has coordinated to integrate curriculum and assessment will have a lasting impact at Drake that will continue far beyond his departure,” Renner said. “Although I wish he would stay at Drake, I recognize the combination of personal and professional opportunity represented by a move to Doane, and wish him every success in his new endeavor.” n
DRAKE UNIVERSITY PRESENTS
The Age of Lincoln
Thursday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m.
Cowles Library Reading Room, Drake University The lecture is free and open to the public. Call 271-3776 for more information. ORVILLE VERNON BURTON, a Civil War historian, serves as the Burroughs distinguished professor of southern history and culture at Coastal Carolina University. He is the author or editor of eight books, including “The Age of Lincoln” and “Slavery and America.” His research and teaching interests include the American South, especially race relations, family, community, politics, religion and the intersection of humanities and social sciences.
photo courtesy of SHEILA BRASSEL
CHAMBER CHOIR poses in front of Parliament, just one of the many sights of their trip.
Chamber Choir shares gift of song at historic sites in England by STEPHANIE SANYOUR
The lecture is part of Cowles Library’s Citizens Arise! initiative, which includes a national traveling exhibit about Lincoln on display at the library through Feb. 8. “Abraham Lincoln: A Man for His Time, a Man for All Times,” features the president’s written and spoken messages, enhanced by Civil War-era photographs, letters and images. The exhibit, which is open during regular library hours, was organized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York City and made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Supported by a Prairie Meadows Community Betterment Grant
For more information, visit http://citizensarise.drake.edu
SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO TDNEWS@DRAKE.EDU
Staff Writer stephanie.sanyour@drake.edu
Drake University’s Chamber Choir went international over winter break as the group traveled to England from Jan. 1 to Jan. 10 to share their music overseas. The 27 choir members who took part in the trip were conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier, director of choral studies, and accompanied by Eric Saylor, associate professor of music history. Beckmann-Collier asked Saylor to be the cultural guide because his main area of expertise is British Music. Drake choral students have toured internationally since 1992, and Drake choirs previously traveled to England in 2002 and 2006. Saylor, who also accompanied the choir to England in 2006, believes it is important for the students to understand the history of the songs and the places where they perform. “It makes them more informed musicians,” Saylor said. “It provides them not only with a sense of cultural and musical contexts of the works they sing, but also what the significance was at the time they were created and why they remain significant today.” President of Drake Chamber Choir Max Ma-
her said he felt that members not only came to sing but also to bring music to other nations. “We have a responsibility as global citizens at Drake to give back to the world, and what better way to do that than through choral music-making?” Maher said. “The power music has to transcend differences cannot be paralleled.” Saylor said England was chosen this year because of its storied musical history and culture. Some of the performance locations included St. Nicholas Parish Church in Witham, Chapel of St. John’s College at Cambridge University and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. The students wrote journals and posted pictures online between performances and sightseeing. The choir received warm welcomes and audiences were highly responsive to their music, members said. “It is extremely important to bring music to other nations because it provides common ground we can come together on,” choir member and freshman Sheila Brassel said. “Music is something we can all relate to.” n
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