Times-Delphic 02/08/2010

SOCIAL

MEDIA

The everexpanding online world PAGE 4 FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

DES MOINES, IOWA • Monday, February 8, 2009 • VOL. 128, NO. 27 • www.timesdelphic.com

‘JUST LET ME GET THROUGH THIS’

$

YOUR MONEY

Trustees approve tuition increase Maxwell cites faculty salary raises for 4.9 percent tuition increase

by MATT NELSON

Staff Writer matthew.nelson@drake.edu

Haas, endorsing the motion before it went to a vote where it received unanimous support from all senators present that evening.

Senators also heard certified election rules amendments proposed

by Xian Zhang and Alex Bergman, the election commission co-chairs.

The amendments would “ensure a smoothly and fairly run elections process,” according to the motion.

Among the amendments are specifications for candidates regarding campaign posters, filing complaints against other candidates, and the creation of a “suspension” versus “disqualification” so voters would still be able to vote for write-ins.

Also included in the new amendments is a section addressing candi-

In an effort to keep pace with rising operating costs and salary increases, Drake University is raising tuition for the 2010-11 school year by 4.9 percent, which translates to $1,668, according to an e-mail issued by President David Maxwell on Thursday.

Maxwell said that the main cause of raising the tuition costs is faculty salary increases.

“All of our salary increases are merit-based,” Maxwell said.

“We have a rigorous performance evaluation system in place, so it’s not just, ‘Oh, I think he did a good job.’

It’s filling out forms, saying, TUITION ‘What are the INCREASE criteria you are basing UNDERGRAD this on?’”

He added (12-18 hrs.) that each dean and administrative to $26,400 director receives money, PHARMACY which Drake allocates as a (P1-P3) 3 percent salary increase to staff that to $29,550 meet performance goals.

M a x w e l l PHARMACY said that stu- (P4) dent evaluations taken at the end of each course to $33,240 are a factor when deans Pharmacy and adminis- tuition increases trative direc- represent a 4 percent increase, tors allocate as opposed to money. the 4.9 percent Vice Pres- increase for ident Victoria undergraduates Payseur said that additional costs influencing tuition include the cost of general goods and services.

“Our main source of revenue is tuition and fees,” Payseur said.

“Consequently, we do find it necessary to increase our tuition price to cover those ever-increasing costs and/or to make improvements in existing programs.”

On average, Drake’s tuition has risen annually by 4.3 percent, Payseur said. Last year, the cost rose by 2.99 percent.

“Last year, because the economy was in such a terrible mess, we didn’t think it was a responsible approach for families (to raise tuition by more than 4 percent),” Payseur said.

Drake is still on the lower end of tuition increases for private colleges, which is usually closer to 6 percent, she said.

“When we look at the other top 11 Midwest privates with

SEE SENATE, PAGE 2

SEE TUITION, PAGE 2

photo courtesy of AMANDA TAYLOR

AMANDA TAYLOR, seen here with Haitian children, is a 2002 Drake graduate who was in Haiti during the earthquake that crippled Haiti.

Drake alumna describes the heart-wrenching devastation of the Haiti earthquake

by LIZZIE PINE

A

Managing Editor tdeditorials@drake.edu

crack had formed on the wall of the Sacred Heart Hospital outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

On Jan. 12, moments after the earthquake, the hospital began evacuating patients to the parking lot in case the building fell during an aftershock. Many lay on mattresses, makeshift stretchers or directly on the ground, IV tubes hanging from cars and trees.

Amanda Taylor Taylor, 30, surveyed the chaos from her car window. Eight years after graduating from Drake University, she went to Haiti with her younger sister, Natasha, to visit her son-to-be, Isaac. This was her sixth time

in Haiti. Originally she traveled with her sister and parents to help at an orphanage, the Cabaret Baptist Children’s Home. She later became involved with the Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue run by Dorothy Pearce and HIS Home for Children—the place she met 21-month-old Isaac.

Parking at the hospital, Taylor stepped out of the car to see how she could help.

Security guards at the gates to the hospital tried to stop the people coming in from the streets who were pounding on the gates. The large gates rang with each aftershock of the earthquake. With the limited amount of doctors, they let in people that had a chance to be healed, but had to turn down the people that could survive without getting

SEE HAITI, PAGE 8

HAITI

2010-11

+$1,240

GOOGLE MAPS

Des Moines man arrested for Aliber Hall burglary

by MARY BESS BOLLING Sports Editor tdsports@drake.edu

and MATT VASILOGAMBROS Editor-in-Chief times.delphic@drake.edu

Police arrested a Des Moines resident for burglary on Feb. 4 after he was caught stealing a wallet from a Drake professor’s office in Aliber Hall.

Sources tell The Times-Delphic that professor Danette Kenne, assistant dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, returned to her office at 8:15 a.m. and found the suspect, 53-year-old Benjamin Emmett Hale, reportedly walking out with her wallet.

According to the security report, Kenne ran after the man, chasing him out of Aliber where she called

BENJAMIN EMMETT HALE

over nearby grounds workers and said that the man had stolen her wallet. Workers chased after the suspect as campus security and police were called.

The suspect continued south on Cottage Grove Ave. and threw the wallet on top of a garage, where it fell off and was picked up by the workers.

One of the workers continued to chase the suspect down the street and stopped him near 29th St. and Cottage Grove.

Campus security and police arrived and the suspect was advised on trespass by security officers and arrested for burglary. He is being held on $5,000 bond.

According to the security report, officers advised Hale on trespass in Carpenter Residence Hall in 2004 and he was also arrested for theft in the Harmon Fine Arts Center in 1981.

Since 1991, Hale has nearly 10 arrests for burglary-related crimes.

According to the Iowa Courts Online database, there are nearly 40 citations attributed to his name ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.

Drake Security Operations Manager Les Wheeler said that there was a theft reported in Aliber a week ago, but no suspects have been arrested.

Wheeler said he was grateful no one got shot or hurt, and that these burglaries can be prevented if staff take the necessary precautions.

“They’re just a sneak thief,” Wheeler said. “They walk into people’s offices and steal things and they wouldn’t do that if people would keep their doors locked.” n

+$1,140

+$1,280

photo illustration by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo/Design Editor

Facebook groups, campaign regulations debated at Senate

by HOLLY WORTHY

Copy Editor holly.worthy@drake.edu

Although many donned Snuggies in jest at Thursday’s meeting, student senators quickly got down to business on a lengthy agenda.

Drake InterFaith Dialogue was approved to become a university organization.

“We’ve been having monthly dialogues for a little over two semesters. We hope (becoming a recognized organization) will help spread tolerance for different religions on Drake’s campus,” said Jamie Schenker, co-president of the group and guest speaker at the meeting.

“We’ve seen through word of mouth how successful they have been as a group,” said Sen. Samantha

NEWS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

QUOTE of the

PAGETWO Senate social media activity discussed

DAY

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

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It’s true that in today’s society so obsessed with spreading information via the Internet that we have been dubbed by some as living in the “Attention Age.” There is no doubt that social media is more than a trend, but a revolution.

— CHARLIE GARMAN, SEE PAGE 4

Dodgeball tournament raises support for Haiti Relief

FROM SENATE, PAGE 1 date behavior and activity on Facebook.

“This area has historically been a problem,” Bergman said. “This year, we’re trying to put in regulations to avoid problems we’ve had in the past. It protects candidates against inadvertent error.”

Senators, however, had issues with individual aspects of the motion. The debate lasted over an hour with little progress.

“We need to trust the election commission co-chairs,” Vice President of Student Activities Tisleen Singh said. “They do a good job, debate for hours and look at every situation.

We can’t cater these rules to exactly what we want them to be. We can’t be nit-picky.”

“We, as the people around this table, should be nit-picky,” countered Sen. Carla Olszewski, “because it will determine who’s around this table next year. We should have a vested interest.”

Ultimately, six clauses—those the senators could not decide on—were removed and the motion was passed. Stricken portions include language regarding Facebook groups and the creation of a “suspension” punishment.

Bergman and Zhang, who remained present for the senators’ debate, have made revisions to the bylaws that were most controversial based on that discussion.

“The new bylaws have been sent to Senate members and will be voted upon again at next Thursday’s meeting,” Zhang said. n

photo by CONNOR MCCOURTMEY | Staff Photographer

HAITI RELIEF WEEK sponsored by the International Students Association, organized a dodgeball tournament fundraiser in the Bell Center yesterday to collect donations to send to Haiti.

2010 Relays Edition: Writers Needed All interested writers, reporters and photographers should attend an informational meeting on either Feb. 9 or Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. in Meredith 106. The Relays edition is the biggest issue the TD produces and is an excellent chance for all to get involved!

Mock Trial team places in top 10

2010-11 tuition increased to 4.9% FROM TUITION, PAGE 1

has funded the renovations of 31 classrooms over the past four years and partially funded whom we compete head on, we’re at that top the renovations of Morehouse and Jewett of that list in quality,” Maxwell said. “And halls, Maxwell said. we’re 11th in cost.”

Both Maxwell and Payseur stressed that Details of the new budget will be emerging they are committed to utilizing the money as in the next few weeks, particularly regarding expertly as possible. projects involving technology.

“The most important message for students “We don’t say, ‘We have this need, this is that we are doing everything we can to use need, this need, and they add up to $10 milthe dollars that are lion, now entrusted to us as what do we effectively, and have to inas efficiently as crease tuition possible, to be reto in order to sponsible stewards cover?’

We of their money,” don’t do that,” Maxwell said. “We Payseur said. know that students “We look at and their parents what we think and their families is a responsiwork hard to get ble increase in that money.” tuition to still Payseur agreed.

– VICTORIA PAYSEUR, vice president allow access “There is an to as many extremely strong students as sense of fiscal possible. Our stewardship at goal is to provide the highest level of quality Drake University,” she said. “The institution education that we can, but keep our price line is focused on spending dollars to benefit the as low as possible.” students and to enhance their educational exRevenue generated from tuition increases perience.” n

“

Our goal is to provide the highest level of quality education that we can, but keep our price line as low as possible.

”

photo courtesy of KYAIR BUTTS

THE MOCK TRIAL TEAM presents their fifth place win at the Loras College invitational in Dubuque last weekend. The team will be heading to sectionals on Feb. 19.

The Mock Trial team prepares for its regional competition later this month

by JACKIE WALLENTIN News Editor tdnews@drake.edu

Two Drake Mock Trial teams placed in the top 10 at their invitational last weekend at Loras College in Dubuque, which represented 68 teams from 34 different schools across the country.

The Drake A-team placed seventh in the gold division. The team consists of Nicholas Janning, a senior English and politics major; Daniel Van Sant, a senior international relations and politics major; Sarah Francis, a sophomore prepharmacy major; Greg Boal, a junior journalism major; Chris Bartak, a junior actuarial science; and economics major and Dakota Johansen, a sophomore politics and psychology major.

“This is one of the best tournaments we were able to attend during the invitational season,” said Valerie Whiting, a junior marketing major and the captain and coach of the B-team.

“There were a lot of high-caliber teams there.”

The Drake B-team placed fifth in the purple division, with team members Whiting, Anna De Vries, a sophomore politics major; John Magruder, a junior economics major; Kyair Butts, a junior psychology and journalism major; Evan Clark, a junior management major; and Amanda Thorson, a sophomore English major.

In addition, five members received individual awards for their portrayal of outstanding witnesses and attorneys, according to the judges’ approval of their performance. Janning, Van

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO TDNEWS@DRAKE.EDU

Sant and Clark received witness awards, Boal received an attorney award and Butts won an all-American attorney award.

“Drake has always had a great reputation in the mock trial world. This success gives us the confidence to continue to do well,” Whiting said. “The better we do, the better tournaments we get invited to during the season.”

The tournament consists of four rounds, each round having two teams from separate schools that try the case in front of two judges who act both as the judge and the jury. Attorneys are scored on their presentation and argumentation skills, and witnesses are scored on how well they can stay in character, Whiting said.

“The future of Drake Mock Trial is bright,” said Butts, the president of mock trial. “We have a core of individuals that work hard and are dedicated to the program and its continued success. I believe that the success we’ve had has given our members the confidence that they can compete against anyone, anytime, at any tournament and hold his or her own.”

Earlier this year the A-team placed sixth at the Harvard Invitational Tournament, and the B-team placed fourth at the Macalester College Invitational Tournament.

Both teams will be competing at regionals in Topeka, Kan. on Feb. 19. If the teams place in the top eight, they will move on to the opening round championship series tournament, which is the tournament that allows you to qualify for nationals, Butts said. n

FOR BREAKING DRAKE NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TDBREAKINGNEWS

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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

OPINIONS&EDITORIALS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

the BUZZ

Dear Iowa, Why is it snowing again? I thought we went over this awhile ago. If you could stop, that’d be grand. Thanks!

LIFE CHOICES

IMPROVING DRAKE

Second chances

Don’t play the ‘blame game’

If you could go back and change things, would you?

I

s it worth trading everything you’ve earned for At some point in everyone’s life, they say something a second chance? From corners of the South along those lines. But I’m not convinced people would to pockets in the North, people debate whether be happy. If all we know now was somehow known in their choices have led them to a life of promichildhood, it makes sense to say we’d be in different nence. All that we do premises a future event—and positions in adulthood. If I knew I was going to get that event is decided by our decisions today. into a car accident the first night I met my true love, I I’m a senior journalism student in my last semester, don’t know if I’d take that drive. Because who’s to say and this makes me think of all the decisions I’ve made we’d know all we know now. It’s documented that the ZACH POLKA in the past that have led me to this moment—one in attention span of a person in his early 20s lasts 15 minwhich I’m about to graduate from an expensive priutes. There’s no way to say we’d be able to remember COLUMNIST vate school, completely loan-free. everything.

Did I set this course in action from the time I was Since our memories tie to our attention span, reborn, or did my steps in life bring me to this outcome? membering everything is impossible, or at least imRhetorically, the answer doesn’t present itself. I’m torn when thinking probable. So, getting back to my accident, let’s say I only knew I’d get into about it. an accident on my way to Wal-Mart, where I met my love. I’d have no Did the bunny who takes a left instead of a right at Albuquerque and recollection of meeting Misty, so I’d only know I was going to get into an who ends up lost in the desert fighting a Muslim king, take that turn by accident on 14th Street going south. Knowing that, I wouldn’t turn onto chance or by fate? If he had gone left, where would he be?

14th Steet from McKinley; I’d take Army Post Road to 14th Street to get I’d like to think that all of our decisions are made with free will, al- there. With that extra time, I wouldn’t have been in the same spot, lookthough some would argue that reing at the same thing and turning gardless of the turn you take, you at the exact moment to see Misty would still end up in the desert. dropping a bar of Suave soap, the After six long years, I’ve endmoment when we started talking. ed up on the cusp of graduating, If you agree with folks that and I feel if I did take a different say we are fate, then I’d see her turn—if I didn’t go into the Army, anyway. But what if I didn’t even if I didn’t find the love of my life, go? Maybe I’d think the trip to if I didn’t have a child—I’d be pick up Lays potato chips, a sixsomewhere else with other things pack of cola and Herbal Essences happening, and I might not be shampoo wasn’t even worth the on the verge of graduating with a chance of a predestined accident, four-year degree. so I stay home. This is the debate Others say predestination can we deal with. be altered; if a person changes one thing about his or her past, it can If we are predestined to end up in the same spot, at the same time and radically change the course of the present and future. A single drop of a with the same conclusion, then is a second chance even worth the time? flower petal can turn the tides of the ocean. Is this metaphorical philoso- Where would you be if you had the ever-longed-for second chance? phy or is this actual truth?

I’m not going to debate this to decipher a yes or no. I’m merely going to say that all things are dependent on other things and this boils down to our decisions. People have yearned for a chance to start over. Have Polka is a senior news/Internet and broadcast double-major and can be contacted at you ever said, “If I knew then what I know now, would things really be zachary.polka@drake.edu. different?”

People have yearned for a chance to start over. Have you ever said, “If I knew then what I know now, would things really be different?”

LIFE: LIVING IT FROM EXPERIENCE

Hearts or hurts?

Don’t single one out, show all the loves in your life some heart this Valentine’s Day

I

t’s officially February! And no, it’s not just spepretty jewelry they will occasionally wear. Now you’re cial because it is the shortest month of the year, asking yourself, “How will I know what my significant or because this is the month where occasionally other needs?” Just listen extra carefully this week. it is not freezing cold every day like in January; People tend to drop subtle hints. For example, I it is most commonly known as the month of love, really need to go get a stupid calculator for accountalso known as Valentine’s Day. When the day comes ing class. Try and combine little valentine-y stuff like to mind people usually have one of two responses: chocolate or flowers with a practical present. Another “ewww!” or “awww!” It has become clear to me that great idea is making a Build-a-Bear at the SAB event JEN CALDER people absolutely love Valentine’s Day or hate it. this Wednesday.

There is no in between.

It’s not about how much the other person can COLUMNIST But I think Valentine’s Day is more than just a day spend on each other; it’s about how creative you can to spend with your sweetheart. It is a day for all the get. I would even recommend setting a spending limit loves in your life. Just think back to when we were in elwith your valentine. If you don’t have a valentine and ementary school. You made valentines for your whole are spending this Hallmark holiday with your friends, class or your favorite people. As special as it is to spend the day gushing it may be fun to exchange little gifts that are meant for this holiday like with your lover, don’t forget about your friends and family; especially ones sweetheart candies or a single flower. Nothing brightens up your dirty who may be having a difficult holiday or may not be feeling the love these dorm room like a flower. Or you can always go for the fallback plan and days, like a friend who has just just get a ton of junk food and recently broken up with a signifiwatch chick flicks or Sportscenter cant other or is having a difficult all day. Everyone can agree that beginning to the semester. there is nothing better than being This Valentine’s Day, try recognized or appreciated, so doavoiding clichés. Spend time with ing something small for the other your friends for part of the day by valentines in your life is a great way having lunch together or going to to show that. see an early movie. Take a step Whether you are bitter or just back and look at the big picture; it not a mushy person, still try and is just a another day, but one you give Valentine’s Day a chance even should really spend with the ones if it is just a silly holiday blown way you love, even if that means doout of proportion. And don’t let ing homework together, which I stupid cupid give you too hard of know most of us wouldn’t qualify a time. Not having the valentine as a date. The point of the day is you hoped for is not the end of spending it with someone special, the world. Have a great Valentine’s and not about what activity you do or what gift you get the other.

Day, sending hugs, kisses and hearts your way.

This leads me to my next point: as far as gifts go, aim for practicality rather than being romantic. You can always ask them if they need something or what is at the top of their want list. As college students, many of Calder is a sophomore public relations major and can be contacted at us are not rolling in the dough at our local campus jobs, so getting somejennifer.calder@drake.edu. one something they really need would be more appreciated than some

Whether you are bitter or just not a mushy person, still try and give Valentine’s Day a chance even if it is just a silly holiday blown way out of proportion. And don’t let stupid cupid give you too hard of a time.

THE TIMES-DELPHIC THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884 MATT VASILOGAMBROS, Editor-in-Chief times.delphic@drake.edu LIZZIE PINE, Managing Editor tdeditorials@drake.edu JACKIE WALLENTIN, News Editor tdnews@drake.edu

JILL VAN WYKE, Faculty Advisor jill.vanwyke@drake.edu HOLLY WORTHY, Copy Editor holly.worthy@drake.edu

KENSIE SMITH, Features Editor tdfeatures@drake.edu

MATT MORAN, Copy Editor matthew.moran@drake.edu

MARY BESS BOLLING, Sports Editor tdsports@drake.edu

KYLE GLASER, Digital Editor tdweb@drake.edu

SARAH ANDREWS, Photo/Design Editor TYLER O’NEIL, Relays Editor tdphotos@drake.edu tyler.oneil@drake.edu PHIL KREZNOR, Business Manager tdbusiness@drake.edu

CALEB BAILEY, Ads Manager tdads@drake.edu

A few simple suggestions for the new task force

AARON HARRISON COLUMNIST

O

n Jan. 31, there was another alleged sexual assault on campus.

Assuming this accusation is true, it marks the third in as many months. Provost Michael Renner is formulating a “Task Force on Sexual Assault and Coercion.” This is a step in the right direction. I am not a member of this task force, like some of my peers. If I were, however, I would bring up two key points.

The first is the “blame game.” We cannot engage in such worthless arguments. I’m specifically referring to the signs posted all over campus that say things like “the victim is never at fault.” To do so would be tacky, offensive and inept. Regardless of whether people claim such a thing, if you bring the debate to this level, then nothing will change.

The argument goes around and around.

This solves nothing. Blame is not the issue.

If you want someone to blame, you could really blame everyone involved in the situation.

If problems are truly supposed to be solved, blame cannot be part of the debate.

The attacker, the victim, the alcohol suppliers, the witnesses, the establishment the assault occurred in and many other factors which all have a share of the blame. If problems are truly supposed to be solved, blame cannot be part of the debate.

Alcohol is the second issue, which is probably the most important issue to touch on.

All of the previous assaults involved alcohol.

In fact, if you read the security reports you’ll notice that alcohol is a primary factor in the vast majority of campus incidents, especially the ones involving violence and theft. We cannot ignore alcohol’s relevance in these issues.

Alcohol will always exert negative influence over any campus community. It’s simple logic.

I would have two proposals for the new task force to consider. The first would be to ignore all considerations of blame and all rules regarding blame. It will only bog down the discussion. I would suggest focusing on causes of the problem, not how to punish those who commit assault. The second proposal would be to create new rules involving alcohol consumption on campus. I would personally suggest zero tolerance involving public intoxication and underage possession. As a relatively small private institution, it really reflects poorly on us to have so much drinking being displayed and discussed. Being lax on alcohol restrictions is behind a significant number of the crimes on campus. That needs to be addressed.

I think if we can address all these problems, we can find ourselves confronting this issue in a productive and meaningful way and the campus community will be better off.

Harrison is a senior writing major and can be contacted at aaron.harrison@drake.edu.

The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published semi-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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FEATURES

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

FEATURES

PAGE 4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

DON’T. MISS. THIS.

Drake faculty and staff karaoke auction for Haiti relief on Wednesday February 10, at 4:04 p.m. on Olmsted Pomerantz Stage

Tag, Tweet and Digg it

For better or for worse, social media has staying power “Charlie Garman is writing an article for The Times-Delphic at for commercial and political purposes to keep customers, constitu4 a.m. the morning it’s due because he is a bum.” A true statement, ents and fans up to date as well as to solicit feedback on their daily a sad introspective and… a Facebook status. encounters and activities.

NAME It’s true that in today’s society so obsessed with spreading inforWriting a weblog, or blogging, is yet another extension of the social CHARLIE GARMAN mation via the Internet, that we have been dubbed by some as livmedia universe. Users can utilize a medium such as WordPress to share any ing in the “Attention Age.” There is no doubt thoughts they may feel the need to show the world.

POSITION that social media is more than a trend, but a Blogs serve many purposes, from personal journals to online STAFF WRITER revolution. newsletters to good old-fashioned ranting. One person or a group The term “social media” applies to any of contributors can write blogs, while the content can vary from E-MAIL content that can easily be observed and shared commentary and observations to_ opinions. Blogs may include charles.garman@drake.edu using certain technologies such as Facebook, images, audio, video, links to other sites and even a search funcTwitter, Digg and so on. Each platform has tion for finding earlier entries. certain notable features, advantages and disSo are these Web sites useful, a distraction or both? Like most advantages, and the debate continues to rage vices, your answer would depend on who you ask. The average on whether these mediums are good or are nuisances. Only one thing is for social media user can tweet or facebook (yes, they’re verbs too) certain: there’s no longer anything that contains “too much information.” in moderation without experiencing any significant loss of proFacebook is an extremely popular online social networking directory that duction in other areas of life. Of course, that doesn’t mean you connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around couldn’t find anyone who spends more time telling the world what – LORI BLACHFORD, them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload unlimited numthey’re having for breakfast than they would on a midterm paper. associate professor of journalism bers of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they The assorted forms of social media certainly provide a good meet. College students make up the majority of Facebook members, using deal of advantages to the user as well. For example, if a person the site as a resource to stay in touch with friends both on campus and back wants to keep in touch with friends and relatives living half a home. According to the Drake network designation on the site, there are over 500 Facebook users world away, they’re only a click away with Facebook. A professor wishing to keep her students in the Drake 2012 graduating class alone. In short, it’s pretty hard to find a student here on camupdated on class assignments and notes outside of office hours and class sessions can simply set pus that doesn’t use this Web site. up a class blog using WordPress and post all relevant information for the students to access in the Another wildly popular method of sharing your thoughts with the world is Twitter: an online comfort of their dorms. instant messaging system that lets a person send brief messages of up to 140 characters to a list of Whether used for good or evil, social media is here to stay. So tag some pictures, jot down an followers with the click of a button. Launched in 2006, Twitter was designed as a social network impromptu haiku or just look for something to LOL at. But most importantly, don’t forget to tell a to keep friends and colleagues informed throughout the day. However, it soon became widely used friend. n

Personal Profile

“

It’s a way to reach people there’s never been a way to reach in the past.

>>Keep out!

”

Step-by-step instructions on how to keep your Facebook page away from professors, future employers and even creepers

Step 1

Step 3

Don’t panic. Changing your privacy settings on facebook is as easy to do as it is for him to see. From your home page, you can access your privacy settings in the “Account” tab in the upper right corner.

The “Profile Information” tab easily offers the largest number of customizable privacy options. Easy-to-use tabs allow you to block groups of people or individuals with just a few clicks.

Step 2

From there, you can set controls on your profile, contact information, and who can see your facebook page in a general search and block list.

Step 4

Not sure if you did it right? You can quickly preview your profile from the viewpoint of the person or persons being blocked. If that awkward photo of you and on your 21st birthday adventures is still visible, start at step one.

IF OUR DELIVERY DRIVERS Seejo Valacheril You can connect with people around the world by the click of a button, rather than back-in-the-day snail mail. My favorite site is actually LinkedIn. It’s a great way to network for job opportunities.

Sarah Francis For social media sites, I only use Facebook. I find it more of a distraction than anything and don’t find it useful for any productive networking. I never had a Myspace, because it was popular during middle school and my parents still had a lot of control over me, so I never got one.

Anna Schmitt I think Facebook is becoming necessary. I use it a lot to keep up with friends from back home and gettting to know their new friends. Here at Drake, it’s more of a distraction. It’s a better tool for long-distance relationships. than anything.

Ben Cooper The big thing in high school for me was Myspace, then it was Facebook—not so much Twitter. It’s all everchanging and there’s always something new.

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NUMBERS ON THE SIDES OF THEIR CARS.

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Lauren Smith Social media is great for keeping contact with people, but you have to make sure it doesn’t take over your life. It’s also great for companies to spread their message and people to stay in contact with friends and family. I love it.

ANKENY ~ 1802 SE DELAWARE AVE. ~ 515.965.0987

FREAKYFAST FASTDELIVERY! DELIVERY! FREAKY ©2010 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PAGE 5

FEATURES

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

The secret life of...

Professor David Wright

by CORI CLARK

Staff Writer corrinne.clark@drake.edu

If you have gone through the J30 class, you have heard about professor David Wright’s hobbies and family. Open sharing aspects of his personal life with countless semesters of budding first-year journalists, Wright is now willing to share anecdotes with the rest of Drake’s campus.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Wright’s story of how he met his wife is fit for the movies.

Wright’s wife placed a singles ad in a newspaper in Texas. In a mailbox full of responses to the profile placed by “F1190,” Wright’s letter caught her eye.

After an extended game of phone tag, they finally had their first date.

The new couple’s second date was about a four-hour drive from San Antonio to the gulf of Texas. They talked the entire drive and knew there was something real between them. The two were engaged within a week, and the rest is history. Wright and his wife, Kathi Sircy, have been happily married 23 years. The secret to a successful marriage?

“Communication is key,” Wright said. “Absolutely, listening as well as sharing, and taking the time to do that.”

Wright, who has three kids, ages 18, DAVID WRIGHT, and wife, Kathi Sircy have been 19 and 22, also said that it’s important for some of that communication to happily married for 23 years. happen just between each other. The couple is observably the ideal picture of genuine companionship. Wright and Sircy share their secrets to marital success with other couples by doing marriage prep meetings for newlyweds As newly weds themselves, the Wrights enjoyed sailing. Recently, Wright bought a twenty-two foot boat with a trailer on eBay for $1,600. You can find the Wright family sailing on the Fox River

during the summer.

“There is something so relaxing about sailing. You have to be in tuned with nature,” Wright said.

Wright and his wife have also worked at the Civic Center of Des Moines for about five years. They work the doors, collect tickets and help with seating. (And no, it is not because Drake does not pay well enough.) The two enjoy seeing the different productions the Civic Center presents. Wright saw the Lion King from ten different views.

“You get to see the magic of the theater,” he said.

Wright has been with Drake University for 22 years and has been associate dean for about seven years. As associate dean for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, he oversees everyday things that students are unphotos courtesy of DAVID WRIGHT aware of. Associate dean handles probation, schedules for every semester, open houses, alumni WRIGHT, sailing on his boat, one of his passions, on scholars, recruiting, administra- Lake Red Rock, in Iowa. tion, daily operation, curriculum, technology upgrades and handles the care of Meredith Hall.

“Have you seen the Wizard of Oz? I am kind of the man behind the scenes,” he said.

Wright’s hidden secret to his job: he signs off journalism students for graduation.

Between Wright’s hobbies, family and job one wonders if he ever sleeps.

“I go to bed early and wake up early, and do everything all on one cup of coffee.” n

ARTS. LIVING. MOVIES. MUSIC. WEEKEND.

VERDICT:

Edge of Darkness:

photo courtesy of www.celebritywonder.com

SHOWTIMES Carmike Cobblestone 9

Gibson emerges Staff Writer matthew.h.smith@drake.edu

It’s been seven years since Mel Gibson’s last starring role in a major motion picture. Once considered one of Hollywood’s most dynamic actors and directors, Gibson has been hibernating amidst a squabble of controversy including drunk driving and making anti-Semitic and homophobic remarks that have since gone public.

Most actors can’t revive their respective careers after this kind of shame. But most actors aren’t Mel Gibson. Love him or hate him, he’s the perfect actor for the film “Edge of Darkness.”

Gibson plays rough-and-tumble cop Thomas Craven, seeking revenge for the death of his only daughter. Craven’s a dark and angry character, playing off Gibson’s own persona. After his daughter is brutally shot to death outside his home, Craven is led to believe it’s because someone is out to get him. Instead, we find out his daughter is implicated in a larger conspiracy involving nuclear weapons and corrupt political bigwigs.

Of course, an average law officer wouldn’t be allowed to pursue the case of his or her daughter’s murder. Hollywood logic wins out here, apparently giving Craven the right to avenge his daughter’s death on his own terms, in his own way, with no one being the wiser.

As Craven goes after his daughter’s attackers, he’s brought closer to his metaphorical “edge of darkness”—that falling-off place where sane men know no boundaries. Gibson portrays Craven with the grittiness it requires. His acting is admittedly over-the-top, but who cares? Craven is Gibson at his best: moments of silence torn apart by spontaneous interludes of rage and butt-kicking.

>>Calling all Relays edition writers Make your mark in the epic 64-page Drake Relays edition of the Times Delphic Sign up for stories at one of the following meeting datesFebruary 9 & 10 at 9 p.m. in Meredith room 106

>>What’s going on?

campus calendar TODAY EXHIBIT

TUESDAY LECTURE

WEDNESDAY EVENT

Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki: A-Bomb Exhibit

“The Postville Story and the Demographics of Immigration”

WHERE Cowles Library Collier Heritage Room

WHERE Sheslow Auditorium

WHEN 1 p.m. - 11:55 p.m.

WHEN 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.

WHEN: 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

LECTURE

DISCUSSION American Issues open discussion sponsored

by Coalition of Black Students

Poet and Editor Deborah Ager part of Writer and Critics series

Citizens Arise Lecture on Abraham Lincoln

by Orville Vernon Burton WHERE Cowles Library Reading Room WHEN 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

8501 Hickman Road, Des Moines 4:55, 7:10, 9:50 p.m.

from the shadows

by MATTHEW H. SMITH

Make a Build-A-Bear sponsored by SAB $5 each WHERE Olmsted Breezeway

SPEAKER

WHERE Sheslow Auditorium

WHERE Cowles Library Reading Room

WHEN 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

With Martin Campbell directing (most noted for his work on the James Bond films “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale”), the film moves at an intermittent speed, mixing grisly action with sensitive drama. “Edge of Darkness” lags in its surprises, however, as each one is passed off as some huge revelation that no one saw coming. Campbell and Gibson seem to forget that audiences are smarter these days and tend to know what’s coming. Each surprise in “Edge of Darkness” is predictable, thereby stripping the movie of potential thrills.

While the trailer for “Edge of Darkness” markets the film as more of a “Taken” scenario (the 2008 hit starring Liam Neeson), Campbell’s version of the father-daughter action flick is thankfully more structured. The story is layered enough to keep audiences interested. There’s a larger political point to be made in “Edge of Darkness,” and a point that’s made well.

This isn’t just a story about a father and his daughter. This is a story about the rise of nuclear warfare, and the consequences it could have for a crooked American government. n

Carmike Wynnsong 16 5233 NW 84th Street, Des Moines 12:50, 4:10, 7:10, 9:50 p.m.

Century Des Moines Jordan Creek 20 101 Jordan Creek Parkway, West Des Moines 11 a.m., 12:30, 1:50, 3:25, 4:55, 6:20, 7:45, 9:15, 10:40 p.m.

Get your

design on

by KATHERINE HUNT

Staff Writer katherine.hunt@drake.edu

Ever been driving around with friends when you see signs that say “Welcome to (insert neighborhood name here)?” Ever wondered what it would be like to design one? Here’s your chance!

The Drake Neighborhood Association is having a contest to design the best neighborhood logo that represents Drake and the surrounding areas. Why enter when you have homework and exams to prepare for? Because the winning entry gets $750!

The purpose of the Drake neighborhood logo is to show pride for our community. The message that needs to be conveyed by entries is: “I’ve arrived in the Drake neighborhood, home to Drake University; where everyone is welcome, diversity is celebrated, history is valued and a wide range of businesses thrive,” according to the contest flyer.

If you’re interested in applying, here are a few tips and rules. Some representation of Drake and its campus is helpful. Representations can include buildings on campus. Also, the logo should illustrate the cultural diversity, rich history and proud architecture of the neighborhood. People, the sense of community and neighborhood pride are always welcome.

Obviously, it would be next to impossible to incorporate all of these into only one logo. As long as one of these elements is included, the logo will work; but it cannot include official Drake icons, such as the bulldog or lettering that the university uses. n

>>For more info Visit http://www.drakeneighborhood.org/dnacontest.pdf or call Kendall Dillon at (515) 339-9768 All entries are due on February 15 submit to DrakeNeighborContest@gmail.com

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

FOR BREAKING SPORTS NEWS WWW.TWITTER.COM/TDSPORTSNEWS

5-2

PAGE 6

STELLAR STATS The men’s tennis team won both its duels this weekend with a final score of 5-2.

MEN’S TENNIS

Bulldogs win both home openers

by DOMINIC JOHNSON Staff Writer dominic.johnson@drake.edu

The bleachers in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center were barren. A few Des Moines tennis fans meandered throughout the center; hardly a homecourt advantage. The men’s tennis squad, among the most successful teams on campus with three NCAA tournament bids in the last four years and numerous Missouri Valley Conference championships, has never brought in a big crowd. As the matches were about to begin, a steady flow of fans trickled onto the bleachers. With an arsenal of fresh faces on the court, the Bulldogs were able to bring in the largest crowd in years as they beat the Northern Illinois Huskies 5-2.

“In previous years there were maybe one-tenth the amount of students as there are here today,” said Carol Reinhard, a loyal Drake tennis fan who has been attending matches for years.

Head Coach Jimmy Borendame called Saturday’s victory merely a good start in what the Bulldogs hope to be another fantastic season.

The Bulldogs showed their improved doubles skills early on, sweeping all three matches. Sophomore Cesar Bracho had recovered from his back injury that sidelined him at the Missouri Valley Conference Individuals Championships but was sidelined due to a sprained ankle suffered in practice last week. Freshman James McKie would once again partner up with junior Mauricio Ballivian as the duo earned an 8-1 victory.

“Doubles was very solid,” McKie said. “Our returns were really good so that helped a lot.”

The rest of the doubles lineup followed suit as senior Gui Marsiglia and freshman Jean Erasmus also won 8-1, and Ryan Drake and Jonathan Hadash would come back from an early deficit to win 8-4.

Despite winning three matches, NCAA rules count all three doubles matches as only one point. With a 1-0 lead heading into singles play, Drake would not loosen their grip on the Huskies.

The Bulldogs won the first, second, fifth and sixth singles spots in convincing fashion. Coach Borendame was especially impressed by freshman Ryan Drake’s performance at No. 6 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

“I felt really prepared and really focused the entire match,” Drake said.

“They were a good team, pretty respectable.”

The Bulldogs lost at No. 3 and No. 4 despite Marsiglia and sophomore Jonathan Hadash battling to take both matches to a third set super-tiebreaker.

“With four new players and a couple of close points in the tiebreakers we could have had a sweep at singles too though,” Borendame said.

Borendame and his players are looking forward to a long road stretch to help improve their play before coming back to the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in late February.

“I think we will develop as a team the more we play together as a team,” Drake said.

The Bulldogs will take on Big Ten and in-state rival Iowa on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. n

SPORTS IN BRIEF MEN’S BASKETBALL Senior guard Josh Young scored 22 points against Illinois State on Saturday to become the all-time leading scorer in Drake history. The record was bittersweet, however, as Young missed a free throw with 0.8 seconds left that would have sent the game to overtime. Illinois State guard Osiris Eldridge corralled the rebound and sank two free throws as the Redbirds escaped with a 71-68 victory.

Young knocked down a three to give the Bulldogs a 67-65 lead with 49.1 seconds left. Illinois State responded with a long three from Lloyd Phillips to regain the lead. A Young miss on a driving layup gave the Redbirds the ball back, but Eldridge made only one of two free throws to give Drake an opportunity to tie, clinging to a 69-67 lead with 11.5 seconds remaining.

After sinking the first free throw, Illinois State called a time-out in an attempt to ice Young. He had to wait nearly three minutes, however, to shoot the second because the officiating crew took time to look at video replay in order to put more time on the clock. With the clock changed to 1.1 seconds, Young’s shot rimmed out.

Young now sits atop the Drake scoring charts with 1,665 points, surpassing the 1,657 total

by Red Murrell in 1955-58.

The Bulldogs trailed 62-56 with 3:23 remaining but used an 11-3 run to take the lead.

Senior Adam Templeton (pictured above) had 15 points for Drake. His corner three tied the game at 64 with 1:27 left.

Eldridge had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead Illinois State and Phillips added 17. The Redbirds shot 72.2 percent from the floor in the second half.

>>Drake hosts MVC leader Northern Iowa Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS The Drake women’s tennis team fell 6-1 to Iowa State Friday night at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The Bulldogs’s sole win came from freshman Manca Krizman in the No. 2 slot. Krizman defeated Iowa State’s Tessa Lang 10-7 in a third-set tiebreaker.

SINGLES MATCHES: No. 1 Erin Karonis (ISU) def. Gabriela Demos (DU), 6-2, 7-5 No. 2 Manca Krizman (DU) def. Tessa Lang (ISU), 4-6, 7-6 (6), 10-7 No. 3 Maria Macedo (ISU) def. Ali Patterson (pictured) (DU), 6-2, 6-4 No. 4 Jenna Langhorst (ISU) def. Jessica Aguilera (DU), 6-2, 6-4 No. 5 Maria-Christine Chartier (ISU) def. Jessica Labarte (DU), 6-1, 6-2 No. 6 Liza Wischer (ISU) def. Amanda Aragon (DU), 6-4, 6-4

DOUBLES MATCHES: No. 1 Karonis/Langhorst (ISU) def. Demos/Krizman (DU), 8-2 No. 2 Alyssa Palen/Wischer (ISU) def. Aragon/Labarte (DU), 8-3 No. 3 Aguilera/Patterson (DU) def. Lee/Chartier (ISU), 8-7 (5)

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO TDSPORTS@DRAKE.EDU

photo by MATT NELSON | Staff Photographer

JUNIOR MAURICIO BALLIVAN winds up for a shot Sunday against a Memphis opponent. Ballivan played in the No. 1 slot for Drake’s home opener and won both his matches this weekend.

TRACK & FIELD

Bulldogs sprint, deliver at Husker Invitational Distance runners bring home best from Nebraska

by JACK THUMSER

Staff Writer john.thumser@drake.edu

Led by strong performances in the mile by senior Jeff Grassmeyer and junior Casey McDermott, the Drake track and field teams delivered a solid showing at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational this weekend in Lincoln, Neb. The meet, hosted by the University of Nebraska, featured a strong field including schools like Nebraska and Kansas. Head Coach Natasha Brown said the meet was a big step for both teams as they progress through the indoor season.

“Today was a great day,” Brown said. “We had some major breakthrough performances.”

McDermott finished third in the women’s 1,600-meter run, clocking in at 4 minutes, 58.17 seconds. Junior Katie Coomer finished in 12th with a time of 5:16.96.

Grassmeyer’s 4:11.28 was good enough for fourth in the men’s mile. Sophomore Colin Hagan was close behind, finishing in eighth place at 4:19.42.

“Casey McDermott was third in the mile and Grassmeyer raced well with a 4:11 mile,” Brown said.

“These were the types of performances we hoped would happen.”

As is common during the indoor season, the teams had to adjust to the track.

“Nebraska’s track has banked curves, making it fast,” Brown said. “Our team was able to adjust to the curves and compete well.”

The mile was not the only event that Bulldog runners were competitive in. Junior Clarrisa LaFlora finished 11th in the women’s 600-yard run, with 1:28.42.

The Bulldogs were particularly successful in the 800-meter run. Junior Kara McCartney finished fifth in the women’s race, with a time of 2:16.02. Brown said that her time was five seconds faster than her last race.

Senior Kevin Earl and Sophomore Charlie Lapham starred for the men, finishing sixth and 10th in the 800, respectively. Earl finished at 1:55.52 and Lapham finished in 1:56.02. Brown noted that both times were improvements for the runners.

Junior Brandon Lewis finished 10th in the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:37.40.

While much of the Bulldogs’ success was in distance, there were several sprint and field performances that stood out.

Junior Tyse Samani, Drake’s top high jumper, finished fifth in the women’s high jump with a height of 5 feet, 7 inches. Samani jumped 5 feet, 5 inches last week, and Brown predicted that she would add those two inches in this weekend’s meet.

Senior Anthony Pettaway turned in Drake’s best performance in sprinting, finishing 15th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.38 seconds.

Next up for Drake is the Iowa State Classic in Ames.

FILE PHOTO

SENIOR RUNNER CAITLIN ABLE rounds the turn during last spring’s outdoor season. Track and field athletes will return to Iowa State for the third time this season Feb. 11.

The meet starts on Thursday and concludes with a full day of action on Saturday.

“It’s a pretty intense meet with great competition,” Brown said.

The indoor schedule concludes later this month with the MVC Indoor Championships in Cedar Falls. n

FOR BREAKING DRAKE SPORTS NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TDSPORTSNEWS

PAGE 7

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

SPORTS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

AROUND

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

the

Bulldogs down in Valley play VALLEY MVC competition heats up, Ill. State and MO State lead

Who’s on top: Illinois State Eight is the magic number for the Redbirds. They have won eight games in a row and lead the league in scoring margin, outscoring teams by eight points per game. Illinois State is second in all rebounding categories except offensive rebounds. The Redbirds are shooting a hot 42.9 percent—good for third in the MVC.

by TIM WEIDEMAN

Staff Writer tim.weideman@drake.edu

The race is tightening in the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball standings and a mid-season, four-game losing streak is not how the Bulldogs would have planned events down the stretch.

A tough loss to Northern Iowa; a last second defeat at the hands of Bradley; a hard-fought, losing battle against conference contender and rival Creighton; and an overtime heartbreaker against Wichita State can discourage a team.

Head coach Amy Stephens said she hopes the team can turn things around against future opponents. “Hopefully we’ll come out and compete and execute the game plan— have everyone clicking on all cylinders, putting emphasis on improving and developing,” Stephens said.

The Bulldogs have had their fair share of injuries that may have contributed to recent struggles, but Stephens said that’s expected.

“It’s like that every year,” Stephens said.

“You have times where players get hurt. We have to play the cards we’re dealt.”

Fate may have dealt the Bulldogs a fresh hand: Five of Drake’s final seven games are home. An emerging trend in the MVC shows home teams are capitalizing on home court advantages.

This season’s MVC schedule does not favor teams playing on the road. Only four of the conference’s 10 teams own a winning record when traveling from their home courts.

First place Illinois State boasts the league’s best road record at 9-1. Missouri State’s 6-3 record claims second best. It’s .500 records and worse from there.

Stephens attributed the growing parity in the league to tougher road conditions.

“Anywhere, any day, anytime—anybody can beat anybody,” Stephens said.

The road records show home teams hold a clear advantage. Drake is no different.

The Bulldogs are 6-2 while competing at the Knapp Center, yet they are only 3-7 while playing in enemy territory.

Eight of the conference’s teams own winning records on their own courts. Wichita State is strongest in its Charles Koch Arena—long believed to be one of the toughest environments in the conference—with a

Who’s hot: Missouri State Illinois State keeps winning but the Bears are quietly doing the same, guided by strong shooting. Sophomore sensation Casey Garrison’s 19.4 points per game leads the MVC. With fellow sophomore Jaleshia Roberson sixth in scoring with 14.3 points per game, Missouri State could make a statement not only this year, but the years to follow, as well.

Who’s not: Drake The Bulldogs have lost four straight games, however, their seniors are performing well.

Drake has made its living off sharp shooting and thievery.

Senior forward Monique’ Jones leads the Bulldogs in field goal percentage, sinking 51 percent of her shots (fifth in MVC). Senior Jordann Plummer leads the team in steals with 57. Her 2.9 takeaways per game is first in the conference.

In the running: Bradley photo by EMILY TOZER | Staff Photographer

FRESHMAN GUARD KAYLA PERSON powers up for a layup during an early season game. As one of four freshmen, Person has seen plenty of court time this year.

10-2 home record. home court,” Hackbarth said.

Drake sophomore Rachael Hackbarth Illinois State appears to be the only team said Wichita State’s fans “brought a lot of that prefers the road. Its 5-3 home record energy to the game” in which the Shockers doesn’t match up with their away mark. Two defeated the Bulldogs, 66-63 in overtime. of those losses, however, came from nonShe said excited fans are common in the Val- conference opponents Illinois (12-10, 4-8 Big ley.

Ten record) and DePaul (15-8, 4-5 Big East “It’s always difficult playing on someone’s Record). n

Shockers stun Bulldogs in close overtime victory

by TIM WEIDEMAN

Staff Writer tim.weideman@drake.edu

Three straight turnovers in overtime spelled a 66-63 defeat for the Drake women’s basketball team against Wichita State Saturday night at Charles Koch Arena.

The Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive loss dropped them to 11-9 and 4-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

Drake finds itself in the bottom half of the MVC standings at seventh.

“We’ve had a couple heartbreakers here in the last four games,” said Drake Head Coach Amy Stephens, who said she was partially pleased with her team’s performance. “We defended well. We got ourselves in a hole and we climbed out.”

Despite suffering from first-half scoring droughts of 6:11 and 5:06, the Bulldogs entered the locker room up 27-25 at the break.

After Wichita State scored 12 straight points to go up 16-5 with 10:58 remaining, the Bulldogs answered with a 22-9 run that lasted the rest of the first half.

Senior guard Jordann Plummer capped the drive with an 18-foot, buzzer-beating jumper. Plummer, who scored 12 points on the night, ran to the locker room after the shot, pumping her fist.

After establishing a 45-37 with nine minutes left in the second half, the tide turned against the Bulldogs.

Wichita State recorded eight points in one minute to narrow the margin to 45-44.

Shocker Sheena Johnson’s two free throws pushed Wichita State past the Bulldogs, 46-45 for the first time since the one-minute mark of the first half. Johnson finished with a game-high 22 points.

Drake sophomore Brittnye McSparron tallied nine points for the Bulldogs but left the game late in the second half after suffering a knee injury. She was unable to return.

Stephens said McSparron is day-to-day and that the Bulldogs are often rewarded by her presence on the court.

“She’s been playing better and better as she’s gotten healthier,” Stephens said. “Just getting (McSparron) back in the lineup, back on the court (has been key).”

Drake maintained the lead until going scoreless for three minutes midway through the second half. That short span was all the Shockers needed to get back in the game.

A jumper by junior Kristin Turk ended the Bulldogs’ scoreless streak with 5:33 to go in the game. By then, the Shockers had tallied 12 straight points and took a 50-47 lead with 6:20 remaining.

Bulldog sophomore Rachael Hackbarth collected her second career double-double, pacing Drake with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Hackbarth nailed a layup with 23 seconds to play in regulation and forced overtime.

The Shockers took control at that point, capitalizing on the crucial overtime turnovers.

Mistakes were an issue for the Bulldogs all game long. Wichita State converted 22 Drake turnovers into

photo by EMILY TOZER | Staff Photographer

SENIOR GUARD JORDANN PLUMMER shows off her ball skills, scoring in the double digits Sunday against Missouri State. Sophomore guard Amber Wollschlager and junior guard Kristin Turk also netted double digit baskets in Springfield.

20 points throughout the contest.

A jumper by Wichita State’s Morgan Boyd gave the Shockers a 61-59 lead with 3:04 remaining in the extra period. Wichita State would keep the lead for the remainder of the game. Boyd finished with 19 points off the bench.

Though a four-game skid is nothing to take lightly, Hackbarth said she sees improvement and keeps a positive outlook for coming games.

“We’ve had an awesome two weeks of practice and our time’s coming to get a win,” she said.

Stephens stressed there is more room for improvement.

“We have got to get better at executing and taking care of the ball,” Stephens said. “We’ve got to get shots, not turnovers. We’ve got to get good shots.”

The Bulldogs return to Des Moines Thursday to face University of Evansville. The Purple Aces are last in the MVC with a conference record of 1-9. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. n

Bradley is arguably the most physical team in the MVC. The Braves lead the league in rebounding (42.2 per game), rebounding margin (+7) and blocked shots (4.2 per game). Junior Sonya Harris is second in the MVC with 9.6 boards per game and first with 2 blocks per contest.

&A

The Times-Delphic sat down with Drake women’s basketball Head Coach Amy Stephens. Stephens is in her seventh season as head coach and led the Bulldogs to the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Stephens is from Alliance, Neb. and resides in West Des Moines. She played at the University of Nebraska and professionally in Wuppertal, Germany in 1989-90. She also had a stint with the United States National Team.

TD: What are your best coaching memories?

AS: Winning four games in four days in the Missouri Valley Tournament in 2007. We lost three starters to injury, and we were the eighth seed. Watching that team compete and overcome adversity was a joy. In a society that measures success on the scoreboard, that team had the true spirit of how to compete. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, we lost to Tennessee. Even though we lost 76-37, 15,000 people gave them a standing ovation. One of our goals that game was to not let Candace Parker dunk, and she never did. Lauren Dybing held her to 13 points.

TD: What is your opinion of this year’s team?

AS: Parts have been good, and parts have been frustrating. The last three weeks of January have been a struggle. I was happy when February came because it meant January was over. We need to take ourselves out of the Valley and into the sunshine. We want to play to our potential.

TD: Do you think the adversity in the last few weeks will help your team down the road?

AS: Absolutely. Through great adversity comes great triumph. You never know when that’s going to come; it could be next year or sometime this year.

TD: How does the future look for the team?

AS: We’re excited about next year’s recruits, but we will still go through growing pains. We will grow into a day-to-day consistent team with experience. The off-season will be huge for returning players.

TD: What is your best memory from your playing days?

AS: The first was winning the conference championship at Nebraska,

with Head Coach

Amy Stephens and a close second was making the U.S. national team. I overachieved as a player because I was not tall or very fast. I had a passion for basketball, which is why I love coaching and influencing the lives of young women.

TD: What was it like playing in college?

AS: It was a great experience and we had a good team. We were bad my freshman year, but had good sophomore and junior seasons. My senior year we were just over 0.50. I learned that climbing to the top is one thing, but staying there is another. I went through it all; my coach was fired, we went to the NCAA tournament when there were only 32 teams and I was on a talented team without very much chemistry my junior year. That’s when I learned that chemistry was important for being a successful team.

TD: What was it like playing in Germany?

AS: I loved living in a foreign country and seeing Western Europe, but it was a shift from being a college athlete to a professional athlete. As a pro, you are expected to perform and produce results more than in college.

I was in Berlin 10 days after the wall came down and in Munich for Oktoberfest. I loved the travel and I saw a lot in 10 months.

TD: What do you like about Drake?

AS: There is so much right at a school like Drake; it is not so much the “win at all costs” mentality. I love Drake because you get the total experience. Athletes go to class like everyone else and eat in the same cafeteria.

I don’t buy into the lie that athletic gifts make us more special. At Drake it is more important trying to teach how to become better people.

TD: Who was your basketball role model?

AS: Both my parents were my role models, but my dad was for basketball. He played college ball and also coached. He taught me how to shoot and develop my skills. I wanted to please him and emulate the things he showed me. He never forced me to be in the gym, but I wanted to be there.

He and my mom were both teachers, and my dad eventually became the superintendent. When I was in fifth and sixth grade, he coached the girls’ high school junior varsity team because no one else wanted to do it. He let me practice with his team. n

NEWS

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

PAGE 8

RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME

AP PHOTO

FROM HAITI, PAGE 1 attention or those too far gone.

Hordes of wounded men, women and children lay in the parking lot. Everyone and everything was covered in a layer of dust. It clung to their sweat and tears; it found its way into every wound. The injured couldn’t move and there was no bathroom—no one could escape the overwhelming stench of urine and blood.

People were moaning and screaming. Some people were crying. Many couldn’t move and could only groan in pain.

“They scream in pain differently than we do,” Taylor said. “A sound I will never forget.”

Others gathered around their loved ones, grieving over the injuries or mourning their losses.

No matter the cause, there was nothing to lessen the pain.

Walking around the lot, Taylor stepped around the Haitians. She noticed a little girl turned on her stomach near a larger woman lying on her back. Both were dead. As Taylor passed, she noticed a pool of blood going into the bushes.

On one side of the hospital, there was a sidewalk that transformed into an area where bodies were placed. At the edge of the parking lot there was another building and they started packing bodies there.

Many Haitians called out to Taylor begging for help, mistaking her for a medic because she was white. In her broken Creole she tried to tell them that she wasn’t a doctor, no matter how much she wanted to help.

But she did what she could. Taylor and her friend Dorothy took turns holding flashlights or surgical instruments for the doctors. There were discarded needles and other objects scattered because the doctors had no way to sanitize the instruments—they just had to keep running into the hospital for more.

After a while, Taylor felt weak. With the trauma, she feared she wouldn’t be able to keep the flashlight from shaking too much. Dorothy took it from her, and Taylor walked around to breathe.

“Just let me get through this,” she said in prayer. “Just let me get through this.”

Wandering, she came upon a little girl sitting alone with her hand wrapped. Most of her fingers had been cut off. Blood seeped through

the gauze and wrappings. She kept glancing at Taylor, needing someone to care for her. After a little while she reached out her uninjured hand to Taylor, who then held it for most of the night.

Growing tired, the girl eventually curled her little body around Taylor. They sat there for a long time, singing and praying, one in Creole and one in English. The girl got cold, and with her little knowledge of Creole, Taylor understood the girl wanted a blanket. Not having one, Taylor decided to take her to the car.

The girl’s uncle appeared and was glad to see his niece in Taylor’s care. He left them together and checked on her repeatedly during the night.

In the car, Taylor spent hours trying to get the girl to sleep, but she was hurting and crying. There was a baby seat in the back of the car, but the girl, around age 12, didn’t fit in it. She tossed and turned, sleeping only – in fits. Taylor tried to keep the girl’s arm elevated to lessen the blood flow to the wounded hand.

At around 1:30 a.m., the doctors finally handed out pain pills. Even with the distribution of codeine, many Haitians were unable to sleep with their extensive injuries.

All throughout the night the doctors kept working, healing those they could, but making the hard choice of deciding who was past the saving.

Taylor, Natasha and Dorothy had been driving to the hospital earlier that day to pick up Poutchino, a 7-year-old from Dorothy’s Infant Rescue orphanage, when the earthquake hit.

“It wasn’t like, ‘boom’ and it’s over,” Taylor said. “My sister and I thought we were being bombed. It was a wave of earthquakes. It was definitely like we were shaking, and I’m seeing things falling over there, but then as the earthquake got closer to us, it got more intense.”

She said the buildings fell in ripples before the tremors passed. For them, the car absorbed much of the shock.

“I just remember it kept shaking and shaking,” she said. “I always thought aftershocks were like two, three or four, but I had no idea

“

they just kept coming after that.” She learned later that there were 28 that night.

There was no food for anyone. Thankfully, Taylor and the others had some Ritz and Saltine crackers in the car—the only food they ate for three days. The little water they had they rationed, and they managed to buy orange soda from a Haitian man.

At 10:30 a.m., the women heard word that Isaac and the other children at Dorothy’s orphanage were safe. The children continued to sleep outside on mattresses for days, not trusting the building from falling.

At 3 p.m. the day after the quake, Taylor and the others were able to leave by moving bodies to get their car out. They drove to the HIS Home for Children, and Taylor checked on Isaac.

“To be honest, I really wasn’t wanting leave,” Taylor said.

AMANDA TAYLOR to But she knew Natasha, who had stayed behind to help Poutchino until the hospital opened again, Dorothy and the children didn’t need another body around to feed.

The next morning Taylor was dropped off at the airport with a carry-on bag, a dead phone and a passport. With no communication to Natasha, she was on her own. But she was definitely not by herself. There were multitudes of people there, screaming and punching, each fighting for the first flight out. The crowd was so powerful at times that she found her feet off the floor.

“Basically, the only injuries I came out of Haiti with were from fighting a mob to get into the airport,” Taylor said.

Packed like sardines, many were fainting from the lack of food and water, or from the sun and heat.

Eventually they were told that the U.S. military troops were taking over the airport and that every plane would be leaving with people in it.

“The only people we saw coming out all day long were reporters,” Taylor said. “There were barely any flights coming in. And the ones that did, nobody was leaving.”

There were only a couple flights, she said,

”

They scream in pain differently than we do—a sound I will never forget.

and they could have held over 100 people but only left with less than 40. The U.S. was very slow to react in the evacuation and providing help, Taylor said.

As the sun was about to set, she saw that a flight of around 25 would be leaving. She ran across the tarmac and a friend she had made at the airport pushed her up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Amanda Taylor and Natasha’s parents, Garry and Janice Taylor, were kept busy with worry. They had also been in Haiti, but had left on Monday. They had heard word that the girls were safe right after the initial earthquake, but hadn’t heard from them again.

“You want to believe it, but you’re not real positive how accurate they are,” Gary Taylor said. “You always have thoughts of, is this going to be it?”

Janice talked with Amanda Taylor’s best friend from Drake, Nicole Cundiff, every half hour. Nicole and Taylor met over Welcome Weekend and grew close in Alpha Phi sorority in their first year at Drake.

“I was literally glued to my computer and the TV and my phone waiting for an update from Taylor’s parents,” Cundiff said.

Taylor arrived in Miami, Fla., the evening of Jan. 14 and stayed with a friend in Fort Lauderdale for the night before returning to her home in Kansas City, Mo. “(Taylor) has such a great ability to bounce back from things and put things in perspective,” Cundiff said.

At Drake, Amanda Taylor majored in marketing and graphic design. She has done a lot of work with nonprofit groups and mission trips.

Amanda Taylor now has Isaac with her. He was granted Humanitarian Parole, meaning he can be in her care even before the adoption becomes official. The pair must stay in the U.S. in the meantime.

“I think the fact that now she has Isaac with her brings her a lot of peace, but there’s still more she wants to do,” Cundiff said. “She’ll keep working to do whatever she can do to help Haiti.”

In the future, Amanda Taylor wants to take Isaac with her in her travels and have him become familiar with Haiti. n

photos courtesy of AMANDA TAYLOR

AMANDA TAYLOR (LEFT) was in Haiti to go visit her soon-to-be adopted son when the earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead stuck. She chronicles her story above. Taylor has started her own fund, with 100 percent of the donations going to Haiti, concentrating on the orphanages with which she is involved. Check it out the fund’s Web site at: www.embracepoint.com.

Learn more about Amanda Taylor’s story by reading her blog: http://ataylor3.blogspot.com/