The Times-Delphic Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018
Volume 138, No. 1
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SJMC internships impact career path of alumna journalist Tuma Haji Features Editor tumaorthegap.haji@drake.edu @tumahaji
lives and strengthen communities, which is the work we’ve been doing for 21 years [and is] in complete alignment with Drake’s inspiration statement,” Raecker said. Along with his dedication to Drake, part of Ray’s mission was to make an impact globally, which stemmed from his passion for the Tai Dam refugees. Individuals from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam needed help being relocated so they could take on jobs and settle in. Ray extended a helping hand. Many citizens were claiming this was a poor political move. But to Ray, it was about doing what was right ethically and not politically. At the funeral service for Ray, three eulogies were given, covering the topics of leadership, humanitarianism and family. Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn spoke about Ray’s kindness toward the refugees and how he impacted the Pope when he visited.
Internships are regarded by many educators and employees as an essential part of the college experience. Drake University offers journalism opportunities through their Internship Coordinator office headed by Carlyn Crowe as well as Drake Media Gigs. Last year, 97 percent of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) seniors reported securing at least one internship/work experience while at Drake. Katherine Bauer, a Drake alumna who graduated last year, has interned at four news stations during her college career. She accepted internship positions from three Des Moines based stations: KCCI, WHO, and IPTV as well as KGAN in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bauer credited the fliers around Crowe’s office, as well as her subscription to Drake Media Gigs. “I think from the moment that you step on campus, the J-school really pushes internships and has a lot of avenues for finding one,” Bauer said. She recalls struggling to find news-related internships among the numerous PR, magazine or advertisement internships. The Meredith Corporation, local news stations, and Drake’s Harkin Institute of Public Policy and Citizen Engagement are among the internship opportunities available. “My internships are the reasons I was able to land my dream job right after graduating,” Bauer said. “They helped me be ahead of the competition and I had a clearer vision for how I could continue improving even after I started a full-time job.”
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ALUMNUS ROBERT D. RAY as governor announcing Senior Skip Day on the steps of the Platehouse. PHOTO COURTESY OF COWLES ARCHIVES
Gov. Robert Ray Dies At 89 Addi Weakley Contributing Writer addi.weakley@drake.edu @AddiWeakley
Governor Robert D. Ray, the 11th president of Drake University, passed away on July 8 at the age of 89. Both Ray and his wife Billie have been connected to Drake for many years. As a schoolboy, Ray grew up in the Drake Neighborhood, attending what is now the First Christian Church. He married Billie, his high school sweetheart, in 1951. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, both Ray and Billie attended Drake. Ray graduated from the Drake Business School and the Drake Law School, and Billie Ray graduated from the Drake School of Education. In fact, Ray is the only person to have served Drake as both a student and an adult – he was the student body president as well as the president of the university. Ray’s passion for Drake began at a young age. From the age of six to 89, he only missed five Drake
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Relays. The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center perpetuate the legacy of the leadership Ray displayed throughout his life and the legacy Billie contiously displays.
The man who put the word refugees on the lips of a dying Pope and made the shape of Iowa a symbol of hope around the world was Governor Robert D. Ray. In 1997, Ray began to work on Character Counts in Iowa, a nonprofit organization attached to Drake as a grant institute. Scott Raecker, the executive director of the Ray Center, said the nonprofit
Class of 2022 most diverse class to-date Anna Jensen Contributing Writer anna.jensen@drake.edu @annaxjensen
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began to question how they could honor the Rays around 2013 to 2014. Part of that conversation included talking to Drake. “The vision was to take what was Character Counts in Iowa attached to Drake into Drake and the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center as a focal point of Collier Scripps Hall,” Raecker said. In the stairway down to the Ray Center on the lower level of Collier Scripps, the “Lasting Legacy” mural showcases important locations and symbols from the Ray’s lives. The proposal to name the center for the Rays was well received by all parties involved, which led to the creation of the center. “This should be a place that their legacy is perpetuated not just by name, but in action,” Raecker said. Ray was committed to the vision that civility could be improved if others could get character and ethical leadership right and make a difference in the lives of others. “Our work is to transform
In March 2018 Drake University celebrated having a record-high number of first-year applicants. In the article announcing the record, posted by Newsroom, Drake attributed the influx of applications to the addition of STEM buildings and the financial changes offered. The record high number was 6,930 applicants. Of those applicants, 4,675 students received acceptance letters. By decision day, nearly 770 students had publicly committed to Drake, which is similar to the numbers Drake has seen in the past few years. But, there are a few differences to be pointed out. “This is the most diverse class that we’ve enrolled in the institution’s history,” said Anne Kremer, dean of admissions. “17 percent of our incoming class is
coming from underrepresented backgrounds.” Additionally, admissions hired a regional representative in Dallas, Texas and have seen results, with the biggest pool of Texas-natives committing to Drake this year. Kremer said they hope to hire a Colorado representative in the near future, because these are places they see growth in graduation rates and interest. The first-year’s major affiliation is fairly identical to those of year’s past, said Marina Verlengia, director of new student and parent programs. Arts and Sciences has the most incoming first years, with 380 students; business has 180 students; pharmacy and health sciences has 140; journalism and mass communication has 60; school of education has 23. The rest of the students are entering their first semester with undeclared majors. Social media has increasingly
130 OUT OF 770 incoming Drake students are from diverse populations.
been an outlet used for incoming students to connect. The Drake University 2022 page has been active, with first-year’s posing questions, making Snapchat groups, and finding future friends in their majors and First-Year Seminars (FYS) almost daily throughout the summer. “As educators we need to understand that this is the way they engage now,” Verlengia said.
“It helps ease their anxiety about a huge transition.” First year retention is 10 percent higher for the first-years that attend orientation over the summer, which is 88 to 76 percent. By September, the admissions office is already knee deep into finding the class of 2023.