The Times-Delphic, Relays Edition (4.23.18)

Monday, April 23, 2018

Volume 137, No. 23

www.timesdelphic.com

THE TIMESDELPHIC

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TRAFFICKED IN PLAIN SIGHT

Homeless youth face many problems, but one thing frequently happens to them that often goes under the radar: human trafficking.

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BULLDOGS ARE BEAUTIFUL

The Beautiful Bulldog Contest is a cute event that occurs each year. Read about student excitement for the event, and also advice the owners last year’s winner, Prudence, gave to bulldogs this year before the contest.

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D r a k e Stadium still has some ways to go before being more handicap friendly, according to some students.

CAMPUS NEWS

Anonymous students seek justice against Drake professor Jessie Spangler Editor-in-Chief Katherine Bauer Managing Editor Nickey Jafari’s initial reaction to the Twitter account Drake Students for Justice was happiness.

“I love this!” Jafari said as she scrolled through the anonymous Twitter account’s feed for the first time during a phone interview.

In a Facebook post in November, Jafari accused political science professor

Mahmoud Hamad of sexually harassing her while she was a student at Drake. Since her public accusation, Drake has not communicated publicly about the investigation and accusations regarding Hamad.

In response to this silence, Drake Students for Justice was born.

It first tweeted on April 9, asking the administration to do more, such as releasing a statement about Hamad’s current status at Drake and increasing resources for sexual assault survivors. It also asked

for support and guidance for students whose academic plans were disrupted and for recurring mandatory sexual misconduct prevention trainings for faculty and staff members.

Jafari also expressed her disappointment with how Drake administration has handled things, with the exception of Katie Overberg, who she said she has a good relationship with.

“I’ve felt kind of alone, and I also feel, as a survivor, personally, I feel pretty unsupported by Drake’s administration, outside of Kathryn Overberg and the Title

IX office specifically,” Jafari said.

“I would’ve expected Drake to be in better contact with me and far more apologetic that I had this experience at their institution.”

Jafari said that Drake making a statement wouldn’t hurt anyone except for Hamad himself and that releasing a statement would only help Drake’s reputation.

“Without a statement from Drake, the possibility that this man could attain another position at another academic institution is increased,” Jafari said.

Drake Students for Justice said in a tweet that if Drake

administration would not release an official statement about the investigation into Hamad by April 16, then it would “continue to directly address faculty and staff regarding our concerns.”

At midnight on April 16, Drake Students for Justice started tweeting its email correspondences with Drake Provost Sue Mattison. As of April 19, Drake has yet to release a statement.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Applicants to Drake for 2018-19 school year sets record Ashley Flaws Staff Writer ashley.flaws@drake.edu Drake has had a record number of applicants this year with more than 6,700 prospective students applying as of April 3, a 23.6 percent increase from the number of applicants at the same time in 2017. Drake University communications and admission staff members have been working hand-in-hand on marketing and recruitment tools to reach the prospective student audience and attract them to Drake.

Dave Remund, the executive director of communications at Drake, said that the University hired an outside firm to conduct research on the perception of Drake to an outside audience, including prospective students and their parents. This research was conducted so that the university could be more intentional with how it shapes itself as a brand, according to

Remund.

“One of the good things that came from the research is that it in many ways affirmed what we already know about Drake and what we thought people thought of Drake, which is that we have a good academic reputation, we have small class sizes and we help prepare students for meaningful careers,” Remund said.

Another important factor the research discovered was that people perceive Drake as an expensive institution. With this knowledge, Remund said the communications and admission offices have better been able to explain to prospective students about financial aid opportunities at Drake and the return on investment that make a Drake education worth the cost.

Along with the increased knowledge of how to promote their brand to prospective students, Remund said that several other factors could be contributors to Drake’s spike in applications. In the past year,

Drake has been doing more digital marketing in an effort to reach more prospective students. Drake has also been encouraging more campus visits for prospective students to be able to engage with the campus themselves.

Furthermore, Remund attributed President Marty Martin’s leadership over the past couple of years for bringing an energy to campus that is attractive to prospective students.

Remund stressed the importance of Drake’s word-ofmouth reputation, as well.

“One thing I know about Drake is that it has a great reputation, and it always has,” Remund said. “I think over the decades, that word-of-mouth and that reputation served us really well, and we maybe didn’t have to work quite so hard to tell our story and to attract students.”

Remund said Drake’s increase of applicants also reflects the general trend that students everywhere are applying to more schools. To attract students to

Drake, Anne Kremer, dean of admission, said that the Office of Admission has had one-on-one visits with prospective students and has traveled around the nation to host group events. The office has also spread the word to high school counselors to get Drake on students’ radars.

The Drake Tuition Guarantee is another tool used to attract future students to Drake.

Despite Drake’s increase in applicants this year, Kremer said enrollment for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year can still not be predicted.

“There’s no way to tell what this means for enrollment by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it does say that there’s a nice buzz about Drake and that more students are looking at Drake in their set pool, but it doesn’t mean anything in terms of enrollment at this point,” Kremer said.

Both Kremer and Remund are optimistic about the future.

“There’s certainly a bright future ahead,” Kremer said.

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“There’s a lot of opportunity for us to capture on some of this momentum. The Drake’s women’s basketball team has done so fabulous, we’ve got some new marketing materials, we have a brand new website. There’s just been some things that have really helped get Drake’s name out there and put it in a really great light.”

Along with the communications and admission offices’ efforts toward recruitment, Remund said that it takes everyone on campus to make Drake a welcoming environment to prospective students.

“When we have a prospective student to come on campus, (we need) to not try to sell them on the experience but to be friendly and to be the kind of Drake that we know … We’re all in this together. If we want to have a vibrant campus, all of us have the responsibility to help with that,” Remund said.

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April 23, 2018

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

The ones who are trafficked in plain sight...

Katherine Bauer Managing Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauer_katherine The winter months are hopefully coming to an end in the Hawkeye State. Many people, in a spirit of generosity, gathered up canned foods and blankets to donate to local homeless shelters throughout the winter months. But officials with Youth and Shelter Services (YSS) say homeless people, especially homeless youth, are vulnerable to more than just the elements.

Mike Ferjak, executive consultant for human trafficking at YSS, said one in three young people are approached for commercial sexual activity, or approached by human traffickers, within 72 hours of becoming homeless. It takes even less time during the brutal winter months.

“These traffickers are very good at picking out people with vulnerabilities,” Ferjak said.

“Vulnerabilities aren’t always obvious, but how hard is it to pick-up on this kid who’s walking around with a sweater, jacket and a coat, everything they have they’re wearing because they can’t carry it? They’re hanging out under the bridge. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out these kids are without support.”

Young people who become victims of human trafficking find themselves in extremely difficult situations. The Iowa Office of the Attorney General defines it as a “modern-day form of slavery.” Victims are forced into prostitution and/ or forced to work for little to no pay. Human trafficking is a felony under Iowa law, and minors who are prostituted or trafficked are considered victims in Iowa.

“The experience is one of being broken down to your lowest point,” said Ferjak, who used to combat human trafficking with the attorney general’s office.

“Everything will be taken from you. Your dignity will be taken from you.”

of reasons. “(People tell young people that) only ‘those’ people go in shelters,” he explained. “They hear about the nightmares, the sexual assault that happens in shelters, the terrible conditions in shelters. It’s not going to be their first stop. To a more educated, mature person, that would be our first stop. But the world looks very different when you’re a young person who’s had everything taken away from them.”

Ferjak said human traffickers will sometimes pose as shelter workers to get victims to come with them.

“It’s a common ploy. You see it a lot,” he said, “from saying they work for places like YSS to (saying), ‘I’m a police officer.’ The kid is really not in a place to be asking a lot of questions because they’re cold, it’s freezing, it’s the middle of winter and you’re on the street. And what you’re being offered is a warm place and something to eat. But what they don’t tell you is, once you get there, is you’re going to have to have sex with someone so they can make some money.”

Patten said if they don’t head to a shelter or a bed isn’t available, homeless youth are left to the streets.

“If they don’t feel comfortable at the shelter and they don’t want to camp, they walk the street at night,” Patten said. “That leaves them vulnerable to a lot of different people or crimes since they’re more likely to get robbed or assaulted. They get different crimes for trespassing or loitering.

And of course, human trafficking.

That is a reality. If you’re on the streets, you’re vulnerable to that as well.”

Traffickers offer security, money and shelter to get someone to come with them.

“The people who are trafficking are really good at making you feel like you can trust them,” Patten said. “They’re very manipulative.

They might be very charming.

They might compliment you … reel you in slowly.”

Becoming Homeless

Imprisoned without chains

Elizabeth Patten, the youth opportunity center program coordinator with YSS in Des Moines, said young people can become homeless for a number of reasons.

“Each youth has their very unique story,” Patten said. “A lot of it starts from family dynamics.”

Patten said young people may choose to leave an unhealthy home life, one with drugs, alcoholism and/or abuse, and have nowhere to turn. Other times, they are kicked out for their behavior or because someone in the household simply doesn’t want them there anymore.

Sometimes a family cannot afford for a young person to stay with them anymore, and once he or she turns 18, they have to leave.

Sometimes the whole family is actually homeless, leaving young children vulnerable.

“They just have that lack of social support system to keep them from being on the street,” Patten said. “It’s definitely not the stereotypical, homeless runaway youth sort of a thing, who are just angsty, they just want to leave, they want their own rules. That’s not these youth. It’s very hard to live this life, so it’s not by choice for sure.”

The Institute for Community Alliances conducts an annual point-in-time count, where the Des Moines non-profit counts the number of homeless people on a given night. In January 2017, the organization found almost 40 homeless youth in Des Moines.

Some had found shelter for the night in transitional housing, safe havens or emergency shelters while others were still vulnerable on the streets.

Ferjak said homeless youth might avoid shelters for a number

Ferjak said once someone is trafficked, it becomes increasingly difficult to leave. Traffickers use multiple tactics besides physical restraint to force victims to stay and obey.

“You don’t have to keep them chained to a wall,” Ferjak said.

“You don’t have to keep them tied up. They’re too scared to go and do anything on their own because you’ve proven you’re a person of your word. If they break a rule, they get beaten.”

An emotional bond can form between victims and their traffickers: a trauma bond. Traffickers create an environment where the victim is completely dependent on them for everything. When a family is trafficking someone, a victim won’t want to turn on the family members taking care of them. “(The victim is) not going to tell anyone because they love this person,” Ferjak said, “and they don’t see the fact that they’re being turned out and sexually assaulted. (They don’t) register it the same way it would with other people.”

Patten said people who are trafficked feel they have to find a way to cope in order to survive.

“Sometimes you have to tell yourself that it’s not that bad, just as a protective measure,” she said.

“It’s giving them maybe financial stability they maybe wouldn’t have. It’s giving them a place to stay. They might feel valued because people are spending time with them even if it is in a negative way. It could be fear.”

Patten said she’s met several young people in her work who have been or are currently being trafficked.

“When they’re put in these

places where they are so vulnerable, they do have to decide if they’re going to exchange sex for a place to stay,” Patten said.

“We just really try to do our best to be understanding and nonjudgmental in connecting them to resources.

“We’ve had people, of course, who, they’ll tell us what’s happening but they don’t want assistance. Some people want more hands-on, so connecting them with mental health resources or helping them with finding stable jobs, housing.”

Trafficked in Plain Sight Ferjak explained that often times people don’t realize someone is being trafficked because they haven’t gone missing. He said this occurs most commonly with family controlled trafficking, where a family sells the services of a young person.

Sometimes the family is related to the victim but not always.

“We have seen a significant amount of (family-controlled human trafficking) in Iowa,” Ferjak said. “It’s one of the reasons people don’t believe it’s here because nobody’s missing…

‘Are they in school?’ Yeah, they’re in school. ‘Are they visible?’ Yeah, they’re visible. So, nobody’s missing. But nonetheless they’re being trafficked.”

And the signs that someone is being trafficked are not obvious if not non-existent. Ferjak explained that victims of human trafficking can be depressed because of their situation, but not everyone will realize the cause of the depression. He also said victims are taught to answer questions about where they’re staying or where they get their income to avoid being caught.

“It would (be) great if they did have a barcode on their foreheads because that would make it easier,” Ferjak said. “But visible, outward signs? No.”

Intervention Prevention

and

That’s why groups like Teens Against Human Trafficking are vital. The program is in several Iowa high schools, and teens are taught about human trafficking and how to talk to other high school and middle school students about the crime. From October 2016 to June 2017, the program has helped 185 exploited children and teens come forward after listening to presenters.

“We’ve had that happen when those teens have gone into those schools,” Ferjak said. “They’re what I call miracles because you’re there at the right time, with the right person, with the right message. It hits, it clicks and they disclose.”

Patten said affordable housing could help prevent and end the human trafficking of homeless youth. With more options, shelters would be able to more quickly move people out of the shelters into stable housing, then new people could come in and take their place.

“We don’t want people to sit in emergency shelters,” Patten said. “It’s not set up that way.

That’s why we’re not getting the movement in the emergency shelter because there’s a lack of places for them to move to. It’s a really hard cycle to end when you don’t have affordable housing options.”

There are a number of resources in the Des Moines area for homeless youth and survivors of human trafficking.

YSS has nine emergency beds for homeless youth to sleep in. They also have a drop-in center where young people can shower, do homework and use the internet.

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April 23, 2018

NEWS IOWA POLITICS

‘Heartbeat’ abortion bill in Congress brings diverse opinions Phong Ly Staff Writer phong.ly@drake.edu This article is current as of April 19.

The Iowa Senate approved legislation on Feb. 28 that would prevent physicians from performing abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The measure was approved 30-20 and then headed to the House of Representatives, where it faces an uncertain future.

On March 15, there was a hearing centered on the proposed bill at the Iowa Capitol. The hearing came at the request of

Democrats on the House Human Resources Committee.

The committee voted 12-9 for the “fetal heartbeat” amendment.

Paige McCaslin, a biology major at Drake, hopes this bill doesn’t become law because she thinks it will be taking away a lot of women’s rights.

“Abortion is something that I believe women should have the choice to have,” McCaslin said.

“If they make it illegal, a lot of people will then resolve to unsafe abortion, which could cost them their lives.”

According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the sponsor of this bill, Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, said this bill gets at the very heart and soul of what it means to be an

American and what it means to be a person.

The legislation says that, except in cases of medical emergency, a physician cannot perform an abortion in Iowa unless a pregnant woman has been tested to determine if a fetal heartbeat can be detected. A heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

“This bill makes it almost impossible for people to get an abortion because a lot of the time a heartbeat can start very early, and a lot of the time that is before a woman even knows that (she is) pregnant,” McCaslin said.

A doctor who performs an abortion after a fetal heartbeat has been detected and without

a medical emergency could be charged with a Class D felony and punished with up to five years of imprisonment and a $7,500 fine.

There would be no penalty for the woman.

Michael Cooper, an actuarial science major at Drake, said abortion is just a way for people to not have to deal with the consequences of their bad choices.

“People ought to learn from their life decisions, the baby should not be killed just because of the lack of discipline of the person that now is bearing them,” Cooper said. “Two wrongs do not make a right.”

Cooper called himself a “miracle child.” He said that he

IOWA LAWMAKERS in the state senate recently passed a bill that would ban all abortions after five weeks. The bill will eventually be voted on by the Iowa House of Representatives, which holds a Republican majority at 59-41. PHOTO COURTESY OF CBURNETT

was projected to be diagnosed with autism during his mother’s pregnancy and that his birth could be fatal to both himself and his mom.

“My parents wanted me regardless of me having autism or not,” Cooper said. “I was their child and their responsibility because I had my own heartbeat. I am alive today, and I have blessed this world tremendously with talents, love and compassion.”

He said it is no one’s prerogative to declare there is no hope for a child in entering the world.

“Where there is a beating heart, there is life, and where there is life, there is always hope,” Cooper said.

On the other hand, first-year Azal Ashfaq is not in favor of the proposed bill. She said the bill is implying that women are not smart or educated enough to know what’s good for themselves.

“Taking away a woman’s right to make a valid decision when it comes to her body is unethical,” Ashfaq said. “Imagine the woman who gets a cancer diagnosis and must decide between continuing the pregnancy or life-saving chemotherapy.”

Ashfaq said abortion can be life-saving and that it must be accessible when needed.

Junior Oliver Glance thinks that the bill will be passed because the House is a majority Republican.

“I think there are unique scenarios where to save the mother’s life, abortion should be considered, but I do believe it’s murder,” Glance said.

Rep. Sinclair said the bill isn’t a war on women, but not passing this bill would be the true war on women.

According to the Des Moines Register, Iowa Democrats publicly denounced this legislation, saying it is “unconstitutional,” “extreme” and “dangerous.”. The vote sends it to the Iowa House, where Republicans hold a 5941 majority and have a similar measure moving through the process.

CAMPUS NEWS

Students vow to remain vocal until there’s a statement from the university CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mattison said in an email to the Times-Delphic, “Professor Hamad has resigned from Drake effective June 1. As you noted in the TD article last fall, he has no teaching assignments. He remains on a leave of absence through May.” Jafari said she is aware of the closing details of the investigation.

Because Drake is a private university, Mattison said she is unable to discuss whether or not Hamad remains on the Drake payroll.

Mattison has reached out to Drake Students for Justice through email to set up a meeting in person. Those running the account refused to meet in person.

“I have offered multiple times to meet with the ‘Drake Students for Justice’ to address concerns, but the individual(s) responsible for the request refused to meet with me,” Mattison told the Times-Delphic in an email. “The individual(s) running the Twitter account have not indicated any substantiated reason for not meeting with me. Title IX cases are bound by law to protect the confidentiality of the student who comes forward with a complaint, and not to share confidential and personal information to anonymous student demands.”

A student representing the Twitter account told the TimesDelphic that those running the account wish to stay anonymous because they want to not only

focus on this issue, but to continue to exist and keep holding the administration accountable.

Besides a statement, the Drake Students for Justice Twitter account requested “resources for students whose safety and wellbeing have been compromised in result of their interactions with Professor Mahmoud Hamad.”

“Mental health resources and other support services are commonly extended to any student who is experiencing challenges, including students who file complaints against a Drake employee or a fellow student,” Mattison said.

The Twitter account also asked for “support and guidance for students whose academic plans have been disrupted by the absence of a qualified instructor.”

The Middle Eastern regional studies path within the international relations major was noted as an affected area of study.

“I have not heard concerns from students about an impact on their academic careers,” Mattison responded in another email to the Times-Delphic. “If any student is having academic issues of any kind, they can talk with their advisor or the associate dean of the college, who are committed to serving all students and helping them get through their programs of study.”

The final demand made by the Drake Students for Justice Twitter account is “recurring mandatory sexual misconduct prevention trainings for faculty and staff using up-to-date and accurate resources.” Mattison

responded by saying faculty and staff receive online prevention training when they’re hired and that the Title IX Coordinator and Violence Prevention Coordinator provide education throughout the year.

Jafari said the demands made by this account are reasonable.

“I would actually support this thread (by) adding a fifth demand, that if a professor found in violation of the sexual misconduct policy, that counseling is not an acceptable minimum punishment, and that that will be consistent with a university that values the rights of its students, and protecting what is in the student body’s best interests,” Jafari said.

Hannah Shell, another alumna, attended meetings with Jafari when she had to go see Hamad, who was Jafari’s advisor at the time.

“They (the administration) definitely need to apologize about how they handled it, because they have been unsupportive, unresponsive,” she said.

“Certainly the way they’ve handled it would discourage other students that might be in similar situations, so I think they need to make a statement about how they’re going to take things in the future.”

Other students have expressed similar concerns about how the administration has communicated with students since the accusations against Hamad were made public.

“It kind of just creates a little trepidation,” said Emily

Bauer, co-president of Student Activists for Gender Equality.

“As a woman or as somebody who is more likely to be subjected to this kind of situation, seeing the way that things are kind of handled under-wraps and without complete openness can make you kind of less trusting of people in power. I’ve heard a little bit of that sentiment going around and wishing for honesty and openness.”

Dissatisfaction with how administration has responded in this situation has motivated two students to coordinate a demonstration on campus this week. Sophomore Ren Culliney and junior Isabelle Barrett created the Facebook event “It Could Be Any of Us.” “We want to show the administration how their lack of a statement regarding sexual predators on campus leaves students feeling unsafe, and as if anyone can be a victim of violence on this campus by someone in a position of authority,” the Facebook event says.

Those who want to get involved can message either Culliney or Barrett on Facebook to receive a black armband with “It Could Be Any of Us” printed on it. The organizers are asking participants to wear their armbands on April 28.

“I’m hoping it’s an open conversation and that administration will see that sexual assaults on campus are not isolated incidents,” Culliney said. “They’re a symptom of a larger culture that allows that to

happen. And we need to address that …

“We definitely considered Relays in it in terms of it being a really big, energetic time and I think it’s a time where we can make a really big impact if people notice this.”

Many students expressed surprise when they learned that Hamad had resigned, effective June 1, in the emails between Mattison and the Twitter account that were posted online.

“I was surprised because nothing had been said,” Bauer said. “We get so many emails from the university a day, you’d think that maybe they could’ve addressed his status as a professor in some kind of capacity. So I was surprised when I read that.”

Culliney said that some students feel they can’t trust the administration. “(The administration says), ‘Well you can come talk to us if you’re concerned.’ It’s like, ‘Well we’re concerned because we feel like we can’t talk to you.’ So it’s a vicious sort of cycle,” she said.

Culliney and Bauer said they understand that certain details cannot be disclosed to campus for legal reasons, but that’s not what students are asking for.

“Ultimately, I don’t want all of the little details,” Culliney said.

“I just think it would be nice for the administration to say, ‘This situation happened. We’re aware.

We’re discussing it internally.’

Because we don’t even get that, and that concerns me.”

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April 23, 2018

NEWS

CAMPUS EVENTS

Bulldogs prove their cuteness in Drake competition

PRUDENCE THE BULLDOG sits her throne during last year’s contest. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

Caitlin Clement Staff Writer caitlin.clement@drake.edu Drake University students showed their passion and enthusiasm for Drake’s proud mascot, the bulldog, through their excitement in the days leading up to the annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest held Sunday to kick off Relay’s week.

They prepared for all the slobber, wrinkles and bulldog love a person could handle because this year’s 39th annual contest had its highest number of bulldogs entered into the lottery with 135 bulldogs. From that, 40 contestants and 10 alternatives were chosen to participate in the pageant.

Students already had the opportunity to get to know these wrinkled faces on the contest’s Facebook page showcasing all the bulldogs in the competition. They were told to like their favorites and some contestants already had their own fan base.

Erin O’Boyle, a sophomore public relations major, expressed her love for all things bulldogs.

“Ever since I got to Drake and met Griff, I fell in love with bulldogs. When I heard that there was a contest with 40 bulldogs in one room, well let’s just say there were a few tears shed,” O’Boyle said.

She referred to it as one of the best days of her life. She even claims to have a sixth Grifftracking sense, knowing just where to find Griff whenever he’s on campus.

O’Boyle is abroad this semester and wasn’t be able to attend the event in person, but planned on live streaming the event from Spain.

O’Boyle isn’t the only Drake student who has grown to love bulldogs during her time at Drake.

Abby Mertz, another sophomore public relations major, was converted into a bulldog lover since coming to Drake. She sees the contest as a great way to get the bulldog community together.

“I think it’s awesome that students, faculty and community members get together to celebrate our love for not only bulldogs, but also during Drake Relays,” Mertz said. “It really gives a sense of community to Drake and

makes you feel like your a part of something special!”

The pageant isn’t normal in regards to judging based on beauty, despite its name. The

contest judges each bulldog based on how they best represent Drake’s costumed mascot, the bulldog.

Last year’s winners, Tom

and Angela Miller and their bulldog, Prudence, shared how their experience was in the competition.

Angela said when she entered

Prudence into the event, it was a fun way to get together with fellow bulldog lovers and didn’t go into it expecting to win anything.

When I heard there “was a contest with 40 bulldogs in a room there were a few tears shed

”

“Never in a million years did we even think for a minute, ‘Well what if we win.’ We just said, ‘Oh well this will be fun,’” she said.

During the awards of the other categories, Angela said she even began to give Prudence her own consolation talk, saying “All bulldogs are beautiful,” and that they would go to Snookie’s and get her an ice cream cone after the event.

But Prudence had already won the hearts of the judges and

THE BULLDOGS were put into costumes that judge their cuteness throughout the contest throughout the years. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

of the Drake community. With her signature wave, she took her place upon her throne as the Relay’s mascot of 2017.

Miller also gave a piece of advice to the contestants. She said to remember that it’s not about the costumes but about showing the judges what makes their bulldog’s personality so special.

“Let them see your dog’s personality, and let them see how you and your dog kind of interact

together. That’s really what it’s all about,” Miller said.

The Millers, in addition to their advice, gave a special thanks to the Drake community for creating an “amazing” experience this past year after winning the competition.

“We have really just appreciated how they’ve embraced us and ... made us feel a part of the Drake family,” Miller said.

At this year’s contest, judges had time prior to the contest to meet with each bulldog and talk to their owners. The pageant itself started at 1 p.m., and each contestant provided a bio for the emcee to read aloud. The bulldogs walked across the stage and could wear any costumes and do any tricks they wanted to show off.

There were nine categories awarded at the event. They include Family Theme, Drake Spirit, Best Dressed, Congeniality, Rescue Dog Recognition, Porterhouse People’s Choice Award, second runner up, runner-up and Most Beautiful Bulldog.

A BULLDOG CONTESTANT grins for the camera during the contest last year. This year there were so many contestants that a lottery for bulldogs had to be used. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

A6 | news

April 23, 2018

NEWS CAMPUS NEWS

Facilities still give problems to students with disabilities Natalie Larimer Staff Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu Drake is famous for Relays, and it’s no question why. The whole city of Des Moines gets excited for these events and campus seems to come to a standstill throughout the week.

However, there is a significant demographic on Drake campus who find Relays to be very difficult for them. Drake has a population of disabled students and staff, and Relays events, along with just everyday life at Drake, has proven to be difficult for them.

Courtney Nelson, president of Disability Action Awareness Community (DAAC) has noticed many disadvantages that the Drake Stadium, as well as other Drake buildings, have created for her.

“Well, in general, stadiums tend to suck in the accessibility department,” Nelson said. “Steps are often steep and there are always many. I have only been in Drake Stadium once, and that was welcome weekend, and due to my physical limitations (I am a little person with achondroplasia) they just had me stand on the sidelines of the field rather than having me scale up into the stands with the rest of my peers.”

Though Drake Stadium does have accessible seating, it is inconvenient to get to. Michelle Laughlin, Drake’s student disability services coordinator, noticed that the accessible seating is few and far between.

“There is accessible seating up top,” she said. “Great views, but the elevator was a bit slow to get to the top so it took a while to get out of there.”

Nelson talks about other daily inconveniences she runs into on campus. “Take Hubbell for example,” she said. “When I am standing I am close to the height of someone in a wheelchair, and most of the stations of Hubbell reach either at armpit level or

above which makes getting food very difficult.”

Nelson said a way to address this issue is to have somebody come evaluate Drake and see if it is up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) standards.

Drake is not just difficult for people in wheelchairs.

“I have been told by many people that most of the Braille around campus is either not there, or worse, is wrong,” Nelson

said. “That is horrifying to me. I can only imagine how horrible that must be for the people that rely on it to get around.”

There are ways of fixing these problems. Drake has an organization dedicated to increasing campus-wide awareness of disabled people, which can lead to increased accessibility.

“DAAC is an organization here on campus that strives to create an environment where people of

all abilities can come together in a safe space and be who we are without prejudice,” Nelson said.

“We do social events as well as educational events where we work to inform the Drake campus about disabilities. We also do panels for staff members on how to better create inclusive learning environments.”

Laughlin said, though, that Drake has been making strides to help improve their accessibility.

“Campus itself has made

great strides in improving their accessibility,” Laughlin said.

“There are always improvements, but I think that Drake has been quick to address them.”

Laughlin also provides some advice for disabled people planning to attend Relays events.

“Plan ahead,” she said. “Do your research so you know where the best places to park and sit are located. Get there early.”

DRAKE STADIUM is a facility that has been around since the 1920s. While there are accessible seats in the stadium, there are a few problems getting into the stadium for those with disabilities, according to some on campus. PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMES WOODS

CAMPUS NEWS

CAMPUS EVENTS

myDrake to replace blueView Drake graduate, filmmaker visits campus Jessie Spangler Editor-in-Chief jessica.spangler@drake.edu @jessiespangler3 It’s time to say goodbye to a Drake staple – blueView. This fall, a new launch page called myDrake will be taking its place and will have a new look and feel to it.

According to Carla Herling, Drake’s IT communications manager, this project has been in the works for a long time.

Ellucian is the software that runs Banner, the system behind myDUSIS. The current version of Ellucian used for blueView is no longer being supported, which means that IT has little choice but to create a new launch page to replace blueView.

Another reason for getting rid of blueView? It’s getting cluttered, according to Herling.

“It’s just like any time anyone moves into a house and at first, you’re like, okay everything’s neat,” Herling said. “Then you get more stuff, and you get more stuff, and then suddenly you’re like oh dear, I need to clean.”

Herling also cites changing technology as another reason for making the switch.

“What met the needs of students then doesn’t necessarily meet the needs of students now,” Herling said.

A beta group, which is a testing group, is slated to start playing around on the myDrake launch page around mid-May. “We are getting close enough with the initial layout of the different pages that we can start

having a small group of people, and we’re going to have faculty, staff and students who are going to be testing it,” Herling said.

The new page is supposed to be running in parallel with blueView in the fall. MyDrake is only replacing blueView, not myDUSIS, so registering for classes and other functions will be the same.

“We’re going to keep everything up at the same time.

The hope is that after the tenth day in the semester we can shut off blueView in the fall,” Herling said.

Giada Moressi, the facilities and technology senator, is the student representative on the myDrake team.

“A lot of times there’s a disconnect between the adults who work at Drake and the students at Drake, just because we do things differently, we see things differently, and we utilize Drake resources differently,” Moressi said.

Moressi has her own committee that has been looking at a mock-up of the site and bringing back feedback. Moressi also helped create the frequently asked questions page on Drake’s website about myDrake, which can be found at http://www. drake.edu/its/pm/ourprojects/ mydrakefaqs/.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty smooth transition,” Moressi said.

Student senators will be taught how to use the new page, and there will be sessions taught

by IT on how to navigate the new page next semester.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Holly Santman Contributing Writer holly.santman@drake.edu Journalistic storytelling can become a method of activism and advocacy, according to Jon Bowermaster, a National Geographic journalist and 1978 Drake University alum.

Bowermaster opened his presentation on April 11 with some advice for current students.

“When I was at Drake I didn’t really have a minor. I’m sure I was encouraged, I just didn’t do it ….

Become an expert at something.

Study something that helps you going forward and that makes you an expert or a novel person,” Bowermaster said.

Bowermaster has worked for National Geographic as a reporter since 1989, focusing primarily on different environmental issues around the world, and is a sixtime grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council, according to Oceans 8 Films’ website.

“My introduction to National Geographic was through Antarctica. In 1989, I was included as the writer for a project that involved dog sledding across Antarctica,” Bowermaster said.

In the presentation, Bowermaster showed pictures of people, places and animals to help describe the countries he had traveled to, including Gabon, Africa, Chile, French Polynesia and northern Vietnam.

He said all the stories and adventures were his ideas.

“I would basically pitch them to National Geographic,”

Bowermaster said in a phone interview. “I was looking for a place that was under-explored or under-reported-on.”

These pitches resulted in multiple magazine stories, films and books about the environment.

Kathleen Richardson, dean of Drake’s journalism school and former classmate of Bowermaster, said, “His resume from the last 40 years is sort of like a trajectory of the history of the changes in journalism and the media over that time.”

Bowermaster classified his work with National Geographic in the 1980s and 1990s as journalism, and talked about his transition to advocacy through work with his foundation, OCEANS 8, which started in 1999. He said the inspiration behind OCEANS 8 was partly due to his discovery of sea kayaking.

“I feel like I’ve morphed a little bit into as much an activist and an advocate as a journalist, which is a fine line,” Bowermaster said.

He said he believes journalists can be both objective storytellers and advocates as long as they do good, thorough reporting. He said that as long as journalists talk to a lot of people and get every side of a story, becoming an advocate for something could even make them a better journalist.

Bowermaster and OCEANS 8 have made 15 films since 2010, including “Dear Governor Cuomo,” “After the Spill” and “SoLa: Louisiana Water Stories.”

The OCEANS 8 foundation includes stories from all seven oceans plus Oceania, with the goal behind each story to promote a different environmental issue.

“Dear Governor Cuomo,” released in 2012, was made in response to a potential bill in the New York legislature that would make fracking, a method for extracting natural gas from the earth, possible in New York state.

“We’ve done a lot of work— and when I say ‘we’ it’s because making films is not an individual chore, you do it with teams— we’ve made a lot of films about fracking and our fossil fuel and energy future here in the United States based on an experience in New York,” he said.

Bowermaster said the goal of his stories and films was to use “adventure to lure you into the story but then really (club) you over the head about the environmental issues.”

AshleyMarie Dail, a magazine journalism major who attended the lecture, said she hopes other students gain inspiration from Bowermaster’s work and career.

“Here’s this guy, he said he grew up in the Midwest, he went to Drake … but he went out and he did some stuff. And he wasn’t editor of the Times-Delphic and he wasn’t editor of all these things,” Dail said. “Maybe you aren’t the stereotypical topof-your-class J-school kid, but you can still do something with your life, and you can still do something really powerful.”

Currently, Bowermaster is still working with OCEANS 8 and is helping produce an international documentary about fishing slaves in South Asia, titled “The Ghost Fleet,” due out in June 2018. He is also continuing to direct and produce films within the project, “Hudson River Stories.”

news | A7

April 23, 2018

NEWS CAMPUS EVENTS

Blitz Day brings treats, announcement of Relays Concert

MEMBERS OF SAB show the announcement of AJR and Marc E. Bassy as the dual Relays concert performers. The Relays hosts and theme were also announced. PHOTO BY KATHRYN GAITO | STAFF WRITER Kathryn Gaito Staff Writer kathryn.gaito@drake.edu Drake Relays is a five day long event in which members from the community gather to see worldclass athletes participate in track and field events. However, Blitz Day marks the official beginning of Relays events for the student body at Drake University.

The weeks leading up to Relays are filled with different activities, and each year there is a different theme for the Relays events. Part of Blitz Day is announcing who will be performing on the Friday of Relays and what the theme for the year will be.

Lauren Kennon, a sophomore biology major, said Blitz Day is all about finding out who the performer is for this year.

“I thought that they (SAB) did a really good job of building suspense while keeping us entertained,” Kennon said. “It was fun to watch people overanalyze everything that happened when it came to guessing who the performer was.”

Ashley Blazek and Zoe Zuidema hosted the Blitz Day

activities.

The day included a performance from D+ Improve.

There were multiple Minute to Win it themed games, and attendees played the online game Kahoot it, where they did Drake Relays related history. A video about the Title IX policy on Drake’s campus was also shown titled “Define the Line, Respect the Line.”

Another aspect of Relays is the Relays host and hostess. They are a senior male and female nominated by the student body and then chosen by the Student Activities Board. This year, Trevor Matusik and Annelise Escher were announced as the hosts at Blitz Day. Matusik said he didn’t expect to be chosen and has respect for everyone else that was up on the stage.

“It seems like a lot of participation compared to other years,” Matusik said. “With the attendance, it may show the interest that the students have for the rest of Relays.”

Escher expressed her appreciation at being chosen.

“I am really excited to be really involved in Relays this year and

to encourage as many people as possible to get involved this year,” Escher said.

Zoe Kedrowski, one of the SAB Blitz Day co-chairs, said she believed that there was a good turnout for the event and everyone enjoyed the activities that were done.

“The Relays theme is a fun idea, and I think people are really excited about it,” Kedrowski said.

“The band I am really excited for, and it is something different than what has been done in the past.”

This year is the first time Drake will be having two different performers for the Friday night concert: AJR and Marc E. Bassy.

Also, a new addition to the Relays performance this year is that it will take over Forest Avenue instead of just being in the stadium parking lot like previous years.

Meghan Mulligan played another role in planning Relays and Blitz Day through her position as the SAB Relays cochair.

“This year Blitz Day was in a different location. We (SAB) decided to move it to Parents Hall instead of Pomerantz) Stage and we think that it had a good turn

out,” Mulligan said. “I think it is really cool that there is two this year because it will bring a larger

variety of people who are happy with the performer.”

GRIFF, Drake’s live mascot, poses during the festivities of Blitz Day. Student Activities Board hosted the event. PHOTO BY KATHRYN GAITO | STAFF WRITER

CAMPUS NEWS

Spanish class puts spotlight on groundbreaking Latinas Aileen Acosta Contributing Writer aileen.acosta@drake.edu The Latin American women of influence course at Drake University, Spanish 152, focuses on the struggles and achievements that women in Latin America had to undergo, as well as acknowledging their efforts.

For the first time at Drake, the course is available to students in the spring 2018 semester, taught

by Professor Inbal Mazar.

Mazar has been teaching Spanish courses that deal with grammar, speaking and culture at Drake since 2015. Mazar decided to teach the course for the first time because of the interest she received from her students and the lack of acknowledgement she had seen for women’s hard work.

“We tend to not acknowledge the work that women have done, even though they had to overcome

big obstacles to get there,” Mazar said. “This then means we do not have role models that are women, so women do not think they could be president, and men do not realize that there are women that are doing this work.”

Sophomore Josephine Martin enrolled in the class because of the requisites for her Spanish minor. She felt this class would broaden her horizons because of the lack of teaching on women in her past years. “(This class) lets you gain a lot of the vocabulary and cultural understanding, but it also allows you to see feminism in another culture, which is important to see because women also need to support and equalize treatment with women, not just men,” Martin said. “This is an inspiring class because it has been a good reminder to me that gender does not define me, and it allows me to fight for what is right. It also inspires me in my field because there is not a lot of women

doctors.

“This class is a reminder that women are super powerful, and we can do what we need to do.”

Martin is not a native Spanish speaker, and this class has become more difficult than her previous classes. What would take her 10 minutes to read in English takes her an hour and half in Spanish.

“I end up spending a lot of time on the course, but it is worth it and I am learning a lot,” Martin said.

Karla Salgado, a first-year native Spanish speaker at Drake, finds herself in a comfortable environment to speak Spanish with her classmates. Although she fumbles with her words, she feels content to know that everyone else is learning too, even if they are not native Spanish speakers and that they are educating themselves on the accomplishments achieved by women of color.

“I know there is a lot of people on Drake’s campus that feel like there is not enough

classes speaking out on people of color, let alone women of color,” Salgado said. “This class really puts a pin on that. I do not think that a class would target that nor women’s influences like this one, plus it is great for improving your Spanish.”

As one of the two men in the class, first-year Jose Guzman assures that this class is a comfortable environment for everyone and hopes more men become more aware of women’s acknowledgments.

“I am learning a lot more about women I never heard of, and I am happy that I am finally able to speak Spanish in a class with other people,” Guzman said.

“I do not really think much about being the only guy in the class because it is such a comfortable environment. I am only reminded when my professors ask me to give a guy perspective, which I am comfortable with.”

There are two class sections of 20 and 21 students that take place

on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The class requires students to speak, read and write in Spanish at an advanced level. Students also had to previously complete Spanish 140 which is the practical Spanish speaking level class at Drake.

Latin American women of influence counts for the Spanish minor, Latin American minor and concentration in women and gender studies. This class includes a variety of non-native and native Spanish speakers.

Mazar will not be offering this course next semester so that she can give students an opportunity to take other Spanish courses.

She hopes to teach the course again in the future.

A8 | news

April 23, 2018

NEWS DES MOINES NEWS

Fitness studio embraces pole dancing as wholesome exercise West Des Moines studio seeks to run against stereotypes of pole dancing Shannon Rabotski Staff Writer shannon.rabotski@drake.edu Nestled between Skeffington’s Formal Wear and K Renee in West Des Moines’ Governor Square is Club B-Fit, a fitness studio that would look like any other if it weren’t for the poles and hammocks coming from the ceiling.

Every day, students aged 14 to 70 fill the studio as the lights go out and the stilettos come on.

Club B-Fit is one of Des Moines’ two pole and aerial fitness studios, along with TGR fitness.

Aerial fitness is another form of dance and can be done with long curtain-like silks or hammocks that hang from the ceiling.

“It’s just basically getting off the ground and dancing in the air,” said Lisa Crabbs, a student and aerial instructor at TGR Fitness in Des Moines.

Pole and aerial fitness require not only high levels of strength, but also a lot of coordination and balance, as they are full-body workouts that often involves holding one’s entire body off of

the ground while also performing a dance sequence.

On top of providing a hard workout, pole fitness is a good alternative to regular gym trips because it provides its own motivation.

“It’s more like playing, I feel like going to the gym sometimes or running can get a little monotonous,” Crabbs said. “With aerial, I love it because it’s like playing, dancing around. You’re always learning something new.

Despite pole dancing’s ability to provide a full body workout and health benefits, it is often associated with strippers and being overtly sexual.

The stigma surrounding the sexual nature of pole dancing is a hurdle for many women and men interested in trying the sport.

Crabbs was hesitant to get into pole and aerial fitness because she was scared of what her friends and coworkers might have thought, but realized after starting that pole dancing is much more than just strippers swinging around a pole.

“You can make it as sexy as you want or you can make it as sweet and innocent as you want,”

Crabbs said.

Both Club B-Fit and TGR Fitness offer a variety of classes, ranging from sexual exotic style classes to stretching and yoga classes, all offering a unique fitness-centered twist on typically stereotyped pole dancing.

“

Sarah Molenburg, a pole and flexibility instructor at TGR Fitness, started pole at 28 and was initially hesitant about what her parents would think. After starting, Molenburg realized that the stereotypes surrounding the sport do not define the sport or

I think our life is a performance, and we should all just be on that fitness dance floor every day enjoying it.

”

“I’m just here to teach a good ole’ fitness class and it happens to be with a bunch of hair whips and a lot of attitude,” Jen Bramble, owner of Club B-Fit said.

those who participate in it.

“I’ve kind of given up on challenging that stereotype,” Molenburg said. “I’ve come across so many different types of

people from all different walks of life doing this… There are doctors who pole dance, and there are strippers who pole dance, and there are lawyers and there’s nurses, and teachers.”

Today, Molenburg teaches pole as well as travels the country to compete in pole competitions, no longer worried of what others may think of her hobby.

“On this side of the gym door, nobody cares anymore,” Molenburg said. “But I realize that the outside world still has their hang-ups and I used to try to battle that and I’ve come to realize that it really is not my problem, it’s their problem.”

At Club B-Fit, students learn not only about fitness routines but also embracing their sexuality and empowering themselves through their dance moves, and Bramble hopes to see this trend continue to grow in Iowa.

“I just want people to feel good every day and not necessarily feel like fitness has to be a competitive option,” Bramble said. “… I think our life is a performance, and we should all just be on that fitness dance floor every day enjoying it.”

CAMPUS NEWS

Relays security planning to add additional campus safety Drake administration cautions students to look out for each other for Relays Katie Carlton Contributing Writer katie.carlton@drake.edu For the first time in Drake Relays history, Forest Ave. will be blocked off with concrete barricades between 27th and 29th streets starting Thursday at 2 p.m. and lasting until Saturday night at 5 p.m., said director of public safety Scott Law. Law said that the biggest safety concern during Relays is the amount of students crossing back and forth between the campus and the stadium. By blocking off Forest Ave., it greatly reduces the chance of there being pedestrian traffic or an accident.

Law also said that there is a traditional concern every year that there will be lots of people who aren’t familiar with campus, so there will be an increased presence of Drake Public Safety and Des Moines police officers.

CSC, an outside security firm, will also be hired for additional help.

“Relays is the cornerstone of the year for Drake students but also a major draw for the city of Des Moines for visitors and world class athletes. Everyone wants the event to go off safely without a hitch and not interfere with people’s enjoyment,” Law said.

Law said that nearby off campus areas will also have Public Safety patrolling an additional

three-mile radius, plus the Drake bus will have extended hours. The bus will run until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday nights.

The assistant dean of students and director of residence life, Lorissa Lieurance, said that the rules in place for residence life for this year’s Relays are the same as last year. The rules have been developed over the years based on experience and feedback from students and staff. The goals of the rules are to maintain the safety and security of the students in the residence halls.

In a memo sent out by Residence Life to students, the rules for residence halls includeall exterior doors in the residence

halls remaining locked starting at 4 p.m. on April 26 and ending at 12 p.m. on Apr. 29 and no open containers in the residence hall public areas during Relays.

Students will be asked to throw away open containers before entering a resident hall, and guests will be required to check in at the front desk and leave a photo ID, just like any other time of the semester.

“When students and guests follow University rules and expectations, we do not experience any problems.

However, when violations do occur, it is our responsibility to address them,” Lieurance said over an email.

At the Pre-Lays Safety event, Joe Campos, the associate dean of students, said that the safety of students is prioritized by Public Safety during Relays with the possibility of students drinking.

Campos said that just like any time during the semester, medical amnesty is available for students.

If a student calls Public Safety for help for themself or for a friend, they can ask for medical amnesty, so they can prioritize getting help over getting themselves, or a friend, in trouble.

“Look out for each other. Look out for yourself. Look out for your friends,” Campos said.

CAMPUS NEWS

MyDrake changes variety of online functions for students, including sign-ins CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 “We’re basically just putting together a communication plan on how to unroll and communicate myDrake to campus,” said Ashton Hockman, assistant director of campus relations. “And just making sure that they’re aware that the new portal is coming. We’re also trying to equip our IT team with tools on how to present the new portal to campus, how to train people on the implementation of it.”

MyDrake will also have a single sign-on feature, and will let students launch to their Drake email, Blackboard and any other functions that’s on blueView now.

The page will also be customized for students and faculty, so that users aren’t seeing things they don’t need to.

“The biggest difference will be visually, it has a new look and feel,” Hockman said. “More of a modern look to it. Functionality wise, I think it will be more efficient and easier for users to use. “ MyDrake sessions will be held on May 2 from 11 to 11:30 a.m., May from 4 to 4:30 p.m. and May 4 from 8:30 to 9 a.m. All sessions will be held in Cowles 201 and are open to all of campus.

opinions | B1

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS

PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

B2

GET IN. GET OUT. GET A JOB. One senior explains how his mentality has shifted greatly since he began his college journey four year ago. Another writer encourages students to take changing Drake’s culture into their own hands.

B4

B8

RELAYS CONCERT The Relays band has been picked and is ready to perform. Read what one writer thinks of the acts.

YEAR OF THE WOMAN Women discuss the challenges they face when it comes to reproductive issues, social media usage and even fashion.

They explore assumptions and stereotypes about women in their positions.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Relays issue is a marathon, not a sprint

Jessie Spangler

Editor-in-Chief jessica.spangler@drake.edu @jessiespangler3 Since I usually think of things in comparison to running, and it’s Relays, here it goes. Every week, the TD staff and I work together to create a 12-page issue. You could say that’s like your standard, three-mile cross-country race.

Sometimes, we do an issue with only eight pages, which is more like running the mile during a track event.

And then you have the Relays issue, which is 40 pages and in full color. That’s basically a marathon.

This means many late nights this past week, lots of stress (I’ve probably dreamed about the TD every night the past week) and being so tired that I almost put sour cream on my bagel instead of cream cheese.

But I still love it. I love coming to the TD office, especially when it’s filled with staff members working on pages and talking with each other. This is the third Relays issue I have worked on during my time at Drake, and you know what they say - third time’s the charm.

The TD, for me, is a lot like running in many ways. It exhausts me but exhilarates me at the same time. Sometimes the wind pushes

you forward, and a lot of times the wind is pushing you back, making it hard to keep the same pace.

Sometimes the trail leads you uphill, and the terrain gets rough.

Other times, you’re catching your second wind or heading downhill, making everything seem nearly effortless.

Not many people understand the deep love and enthusiasm I have when it comes to the TD (or running, for that matter). Every Wednesday when a new issue comes out, I feel just as excited as I did that first Wednesday in August, when I felt that being editor-in-chief might just be a dream, and that I was soon to wake up from it and realize I had imagined the whole thing.

Of course, nothing is possible without having a team, so I guess this is as good of a time as any to thank everyone who has helped me kept my sanity so far.

First up is my brilliant and hard-working managing editor, Katherine, who does a great job of helping me think of unforeseen possibilities. She’s also a much better reporter than I am, and has helped me an incredible amount, not to mention our Monday night life chats and our intense mutual love for corgis.

Next are the section editors, who have all impressed me so much this year, and have helped make my life easier. You have Lórien, who is one of the most efficient people I’ve ever met, and has kept me on my toes with our interesting conversations. She will be a great editor-in-chief of this paper next year.

There’s Josh, who keeps me smiling and reminds me, in ways he probably didn’t realize, that it’s okay if other people don’t like me, and I’m sure you’ll see him on T.V. sometime in the future. There’s also Parker, who never failed to

make me laugh, and encouraged me to think about issues in a different way. And, finally, Jacob, with his subtle witty remarks and unchanging good nature, who I’m sure will write a bestselling novel someday.

Thanks to Samantha, who pretty much always came to our weekly meetings, which I appreciate more than you know, and Ivy, who wowed me all year with her graphic design talent.

Thanks to Evan, for still getting us ads even after saying he wanted to quit (you still can’t, sorry), and Kimberly, for keeping track of writers and taking some things off my plate.

And, of course, thank you to Hallie, for always having a smile when I saw her, and for dealing with the website all year, as well as making it easier on me when

editing, since her Humans of Drake stories were pretty much always flawless. Thanks to Juna also, for dealing with angry people on Twitter, and for never minding when I hounded her about ideas for social media.

And to our wonderfully consistent writers, thank you, and please keep being involved with the TD, whether it’s writing, editing or leading.

The biggest thank you of all has to go to Van Wyke, our amazing advisor/coach who has done so much for the TD, who reminds me to keep the faith and is always reliable. We would all be lost without you.

Seriously, the people on staff don’t get enough credit for the work they do every week. You have no idea how happy it makes us when we have a ton of enthusiastic

writers taking stories, or when we hear good things about a story in the TD. This is our job, and our learning experience, and we take it very seriously. Leading this staff for the past year has been a joy, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with the TD these past three years.

So please enjoy the product of hours of hard work, worry and squinting at a computer screen.

This issue was no easy task.

The race is almost done, but there’s no hills left, just blue skies and a cool breeze. We’re breathless but plan on finishing strong. Our eyes to the sky.

PHOTO BY KATHERINE BAUER | MANAGING EDITOR

B2 | opinions

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS

DEFINE

DRAKE

DRAKE EXPERIENCE

I got more than a job out of this

Jake Bullington

Contributing Writer jake.bullington@drake.edu @JakeBullington Get in. Get out. Get a job.

That’s the mentality I came to Drake with. My mindset wasn’t solely based on being a workaholic (although that factor’s definitely in play here), but getting paid is a justifiable motivation. My family and I have spent a pretty penny for the piece of paper I’ll get when I walk across the stage in a few weeks. While getting a job ASAP

has remained the primary reason for my attendance, the past few years have meant more to me than professional growth. I’m sure I’m not alone that when I close my eyes at night, I think how crazy it is that I’ll be graduating in a few weeks.

And as nuts as that is, the craziest bit is when I think back to 2014 when I became a Bulldog — it’s unreal to think that that kid is me. This is the oldest cliché in the soon-to-be-graduate book, but Drake did change me.

The community -- more than the institution -- did its job in instilling values into me as an adult entering the real world.

So much of my Drake experience was defined by mentors I found in both professors and classmates.

Learning by example from people that are brighter than I empowered me to have the confidence to say ‘screw it’ and apply for that long shot dream job or run for student government -- and being OK with not always

getting the result I’d hoped for.

Looking back, it’s difficult to process how much time has passed in what feels like what

I’ve written -Lists of all the places on the sidewalks that I’ve wiped out in the winter time.

What you’ll get “out of Drake is

dependent on what you’re willing to put into it.

”

was merely a flash in the pan. So, here’s a list of lists of the things that I can point to when asked to look back at my undergraduate days: -Lists of my favorite professors -Lists of my favorite stories

-Lists of great moments … and times where I’ve wanted to give up on grades, move to the mountains and raise a pack of goats -Lists of times and places I’ve shown up on DU promotional materials and Admissions panels

Side note: I still think I should get some sort of tuition discount for that one, but I guess we’ll have discuss this later when phone-athon calls me up.

Now, as any good opinion piece should do, here’s what I think should be your moral takeaway from investing the three minutes you will have spent reading this.

Find a way to take your involvement on this campus -faculty or student -- to a higher plane, whether that’s getting more involved in the broader neighborhood our university is settled in or presenting solutions to the problems we all complain about.

Finally, what you’ll get out of Drake is dependent on what you’re willing to put into it.

Whether that’s still the case in the ‘real world,’ I’ll be sure to report back.

Oh, and President Martin, please use your best fountain pen when you sign my diploma!

CULTURE

You can be the force to finally change Drake’s culture

Jacob Reynolds

News Editor jacob.reynolds@drake.edu @jreyredsox96 Some days, when I’m waiting on articles or pictures while working on the news section of the TD, I get pretty bored. Instead of straining my eyes and looking

at the random internet sites or Facebook/Twitter/(insert social media here), I look at the old archives of the TD that are within the office. This led me to see the oldest iteration of the TD we have in the archive, which is the 199293 edition. While looking through these articles and opinions from 25 years ago, I was pretty intrigued at what I found.

No, it wasn’t that there were two editions of the TD per week that surprised me the most (through I would probably die of a heart attack by the end of this year if that were the case today).

It also wasn’t reading about the tragic shooting at the Drake Diner that occurred the December of that school year either, as I had heard of that before. No, it was actually how little the culture of the school has changed over the

THE TIMES-DELPHIC The student newspaper for Drake University since 1884

JESSIE SPANGLER, Editor-in-Chief jessica.spangler@drake.edu JILL VAN WYKE, Faculty Advisor jill.vanwyke@drake.edu

KATHERINE BAUER, Managing Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu

JACOB REYNOLDS, News Editor jacob.reynolds@drake.edu

IVY BECKENHOLDT, Design Editor ivy.beckenholdt@drake.edu

LÓRIEN MACENULTY, Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu JOSH COOK, Sports Editor joshua.cook@drake.edu SAMANTHA OHLSON, Copy Editor samantha.ohlson@drake.edu LEO MCGRATH, Copy Editor leo.mcgrath@drake.edu TUMA HAJI, Relays Editor tumaorthegap.haji@drake.edu

HALLIE O’NEILL, Digital Editor hallie.oneill@drake.edu JUNA SCHMITT, Media Editor arjuna.taykowski-schmitt@drake.edu KIMBERLY MESSMER, Business Manager kimberly.messmer@drake.edu EVAN GUEST, Ads Manager timesdelphicads@gmail.com MADDIE TOPLIFF, Assistant Relays Editor maddie.topliff@drake.edu

last quarter century.

From what I could glean from the articles, the STEM focus has increased quite a bit (yes, I’m including education as the “E” here), which is definitely a result in the two new buildings on campus that opened this year.

There is also more of an interest in women’s sports for the school, particularly women’s basketball, which is a good thing. However, besides academic focus, more attention on women’s sports and the obvious increase in the use of technology, student life has changed little.

Very few students got involved in attending football games, food at Drake was respected little among the student body (I’m not talking about myself, mind you…), people were overly stressed with rigorous schedules, homecoming

is given little attention, especially in comparison to Relays, and the Drake Relays was known as a party culture. In fact, there were a few opinions in the ’93 Relays issue that have the exact same joking vein about this week as a few articles you’ll see in this opinions section.

Now what does this mean?

Obviously, old traditions at DU die hard over the years. However, for the students reading this, especially the underclassmen, I want you to read this piece and get an idea about the culture that we are creating over the years.

Do you want to continue these specific attributes of the Drake culture over the years, such as the little student attendance at the football games? Or the party culture around Relays? Or stressing yourself out of your

mind throughout the semester? It is up to you and the (presumably) larger classes that come after you to continue these specific rituals.

Don’t let old fogeys (or graduates, which I will be in a few years) tell you otherwise.

However, I also think that it is important to bring up new traditions as well. What is something you want to do that carries on for the next 25 years at Drake? It could be something simple, such as working each Earth Day to get a tree planted on campus or even creating something new that changes the whole culture on the Drake campus. We can make the change now, and hopefully in 25 years the future generations that go to Drake will thank us for the changes we make as undergraduates.

The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published 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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opinions | B3

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS DEFINE DRAKE

Should have realized Drake was too good to be true

Shannon McIntee Position first.last@drake.edu @twitterhandle

When I first came to Drake during an admitted students day, I naively believed all the lines thrown my way. I believed all the cliches, giving me a false sense of what I could come to expect from this “Harvard” of the midwest.

I believed that this University would be able to offer me one of the best educations I could ever receive, in both academia and life, while promoting the growth of my ideals and views while simultaneously respecting them and me as a person. Here my life as an intellectual and independent adult was to begin.

Looking back at it now, I should have realized that if it seems to good to be true, then it probably is.

The main problem Drake University runs into when it comes to achieving all that it promises is its inaccessibility its inability to listen to what the students want and need.

Much like a senator or state representative, this administration of Drake University is supposed to fight for the wants and needs of its constituents, yet because we are still young adults without a degree or a successful career, we are vastly unrespected and ignored by this administration.

At a rate that seems almost weekly, Drake sends out surveys upon surveys in order to hear student’s opinions about their desires for change on Drake’s campus, yet no real change has been seen. For most of us, the surveys are our only way to communicate the changes we wish to be seen on this campus, as many don’t know who to even talk to when a problem arises.

So despite all the mail, phone calls and visits that gave me a

lot of important information about the benefits of going to Drake University, what this “elite” college failed to inform me about, however, is how drastically different my expectations would be from the stark reality I would experience at this university.

Drake is an institution in which you will sell your soul and sanity. On this campus I am just one of many suffering from mental illness.

Coming into college I was not prepared to deal with everything that Drake has to offer. Between balancing school, work, establishing a social life and my mental health my freshman year, I was drowning.

I needed help, so I used what resources were available to me. I went to the Drake health services and counseling center - or as it was known on my freshman floor, death services.

This was probably the second biggest mistake in my collegiate career. This proved not only to be a huge waste of time, but my counselors had also confirmed one of my biggest fears - that even mental health professionals think “I’m too messed up to help.” I’m also not the only student that has been told this, though, from what I’ve heard.

Even if Drake counseling services thought I or others could be helped, seldom will only 10 sessions, the maximum allowed per semester, resolve any problem. Acting under the guise of a place of help and healing, this stop gap is little more than a resource center.

Sure, they occasionally make exceptions to the 10 session limit, and I understand that it would be impossible to see every student on Drake’s campus more than that, but because of their limited resources, their sole goal should be to help students immediately find a long term solution off campus.

Better yet, instead of focusing on wearing students out during welcome weekend, the counseling center should be teaching coping skills that are taught in dialectical behavior therapy or mindfulness to help combat the binge drinking problem on campus.

Despite what Jerry Parker seems to believe, binge drinking is not only a fraternity and sorority life problem, nor does it just occur at fraternity houses.

It is a Drake University problem.

Now I can’t speak for all

students when I say this, but based off of what I have heard from many students and seen on Drake’s campus, drinking is the solution to the exorbitant amounts of stress we experience from being “Drake busy.” It’s more than campus involvement and schoolwork, it’s managing our time, going to class and balancing our over demanding introductory or one credit courses. While most of the professors are wonderful and definitely care about how their students’ mental health is handled, this campus’s handling of students’ mental health and lack of help and resources is abysmal.

Along with the lack of mental health help, it can be difficult to take care of one’s mental health if their physical health is deteriorating. Like many students at Drake, I am paying for my education out of my own pocket, and, as a result, racking up a considerable amount of debt. But despite how much I pay, I am frequently spending significantly more money than I can afford on

might be ending their contract with Sodexo and can only say one thing to that if they are - finally.

While the food may be overpriced and slightly better than your local gas station, it is nothing compared to the serious gaping holes in Drake’s ability to provide a safe environment for its students to learn.

Now when I say I feel unsafe on Drake’s campus, it’s not because of the surrounding community or because I am inside the “Drake bubble,” I say I feel unsafe because of the lack of protection from harm. From a lack of training of university staff, to accessibility to information, to even who is receiving the information, Drake is still operating in the time when it was safe to leave your doors unlocked at night.

In the past school year alone there have been several instances of gun violence near campus, yet when the whole university goes on a lockdown, as it did this last March, plenty of students and professors alike did not know we were on a lockdown, much less

We are vastly “unrespected and ignored by this administration.

food off campus. Going beyond the fact that I am a picky eater, I have observed a few things in regards to Drake’s dining services, especially as a freshman.

At Drake, students either gain the freshman 15 from eating high carb and sugar foods, due to the lack of the variety of good-tasting and healthy food in the C-Store, Quad Creek Cafe or Hubbell, or they lose 15 pounds from not eating, again due to the low variety of food.

For the price that I am paying to go to school and live on campus, I should not be eating food one step up from prison food, especially when I know other schools that also have Sodexo have significantly better food that students pay far less for. For years I have been hearing that Drake

”

what to even do in the event of a lockdown. Even scarier is the fact that Drake gives no formal training to our residence assistants beyond that of following the “round robin” between residence halls to alert of a lockdown. Even if University employees received the notification we were on lockdown and knew what to do, the only really safe building on campus is Aliber Hall, due to the door jams available in each classroom, unlike Meredith, where none of the doors can be locked entirely from the inside or without keys.

While Drake has had several safety forums, it needs to take so many steps beyond that.

During my time at Drake, I understand, as a student who lived on and off campus, that this University as a private institution

is profit driven. Despite its desire to earn and turn a profit, it doesn’t care for the actual protection of those providing the profit. It is my experience that the issues at Drake university go far beyond just the few I described - they are further ingrained into the everyday culture of the campus.

One of the many things Drake prides itself on is its commitment to diversity and inclusion of all racial, religious and political backgrounds. Acting as a guide for how we should treat minority groups on campus, the Drake administration seems to believe that they don’t need to commit to diversity and inclusion themselves.

When it comes to the treatment of various groups on campus like religious groups, conservative groups or other minority groups, the Drake administration has shown that they believe it’s okay to preach religious hate rhetoric against select groups.

They also seem to believe it’s also okay to sponsor events at which said hate speech and rhetoric is preached. It’s not okay for us to publicly shame our conservative peers because they don’t have the same beliefs as many students on this campus, and if I’m being entirely honest, I’ve done it myself from time to time. Instead of setting an example and bringing us together, Drake pushes to further the divide between various groups.

To decrease the divide, Drake administrators should sit down with the organizations and asking them what they need from the University and what the University can do for them.

Despite the numerous chances for growth, Drake just pushes the problem under the rug to keep it “in house,” like so many other problems. All the problems are met with dissatisfactory “solutions”. I came to Drake because I loved that this place could help me reach for the stars and excel in every way possible.

What I have experienced is far different. It’s time that we all demand a better Drake, the Drake that we deserve and that it promised to be.

DEFINE DRAKE

Student press is essential for letting students’ voices be heard

Jessie Spangler

Editor-in-Chief jessica.spangler@drake.edu @jessiespangler3 It’s pretty obvious to anyone that knows me that I love journalism. I may complain here and there, but deep down, I always love it. Coming to Drake in 2015 to begin my journey toward a journalism career was exciting and also nerve-wracking at the same time. It had this feeling of being on a roller coaster, the exhilaration combined with a weird sense of fear, the inevitable rushing toward you as you tip up and down toward a blurry future.

There was a sense of finality about it too. By declaring a news major, it felt as though I had a

solid plan, at least for the next couple of years. It was also a relief, because for a while before that I was planning on being a veterinarian, and being a journalism major meant way less math.

The plan, ever since I decided to come to Drake, was to work on the Times-Delphic. At first, it was a way to get experience, and a way to meet new people. Now as a junior and editor-in-chief, I realize the Times-Delphic is way more than a learning experience.

The Times-Delphic isn’t just important to us journalism students, but it’s important to the whole student body. Without it, who would be reporting on what’s going on with administration and faculty? Who would be reporting on important things happening on campus every week?

The TD is an independent newspaper. Our funding comes from student activity fees, not funds raised by the university.

Yes, you, as a student are paying for the TD already, along with all of the other amazing, student-run publications that are produced every year.

All college newspapers should be independent of their university, because no money from the

university means the university basically can’t control anything we do. It means freedom.

The administration should expect to be criticized. They should expect to hear from students, whether it be an opinion article in the paper, an email or a post on social media. They need to be held accountable. College administrators hold more power than you might realize, especially at private universities. If you think there are no problems in college administrations, think again.

First off, for universities, it’s all about money. Students, as I’m sure we all know, pay ridiculous amounts of money every year for a college education. The reputation plays a huge part in raking in tuition dollars from students, and universities, including Drake, try extremely hard to keep a squeaky clean reputation. Which, of course makes sense. No one wants a bad reputation, but it’s also important for students to keep in mind that higher education is big business disguised as non-profits.

But there’s an issue when the administration doesn’t realize there’s a problem on their own campus, when students are scared to speak up or put a name next to their opinion article, when

students make an anonymous Twitter account because that’s the only way they feel like Drake administrators will pay attention to them.

Your students are telling you something, administrators. You need to show them that you are listening.

We need an independent press to address issues like these, and to provide a dialogue. The TD will continue to take a hard look into the administration’s actions by reporting, and will continue to use our opinions section as a platform for student voices, regardless if the administration likes it or not.

The higher ups at Drake need to stop ignoring the concerns of students, and should take a hard, long look at why students may feel the need to voice their concerns about Drake’s administration. It’s not a productive use of my, or any of my other staff members’ time to talk to us about an opinion you didn’t agree with, especially one that wasn’t written by any staff members.

There are many important matters the administration needs to deal with, but have been acting agonizingly slow on. For example, the lack of diversity on this campus. It’s time to hire

more diverse professors and make Drake less of an elitist school. Offer more scholarships for students to make Drake more affordable.

Don’t hike up housing fees when you’re closing a residence hall, and have a residence hall that desperately needs to be torn down and replaced (Ross is a lawsuit waiting to happen, honestly).

Provide more counselors on campus, because last time I checked, we only have four, which is definitely not enough for a few thousand students. There are so many things Drake could begin to address. Even something as simple as extending the Drake bus hours on weekdays.

The First Amendment and transparency are exceedingly important to good journalists, and I came to Drake to learn how to be a good journalist. To not only be faced with oppression from the administration, but to be scolded by the president of this university over an opinion piece that students wrote about something they’re concerned about, and to be told that in his three years at Drake, that he never had to have a meeting like that with TD leadership, must mean we’re doing something right.

opinions | B4

opinions | B5

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS POLITICS

DEFINE DRAKE

Women should be allowed to decide what’s best for them

I dread one thing about my job after graduation: sexism

Natalie Larimer

Contributing Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu @nat_larimer Recently, Iowa’s legislature has been working on a so-called “heartbeat bill” that basically makes any abortions illegal after the baby’s heartbeat can be heard.

I really disagree with this bill, not only because I am pro-choice, but because it does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

Let’s break this down so I can argue all aspects of it. First off, babies’ heartbeats can be heard as soon as six weeks after conception. Most women do not realize that they are pregnant until five or six weeks after conception, so this leaves them a week or less

to get an abortion. The process of that can take between one and three weeks, and that is in a state where abortions are legal and you are able to schedule them quickly.

So unless you are incredibly lucky and somehow manage to get an abortion before the heartbeat can be heard, you are stuck with a baby that you do not want, for whatever reason.

I am going to take this moment and put a little disclaimer about my beliefs since some people get confused by the pro-choice movement. We are not pro-abortion. I do not think abortion is a great thing, and in my personal opinion I think it should only be taken as a lastresort option, which it generally is. I think women should get to decide for themselves (and maybe with their partner, if applicable) what to do in this situation. No lawmaker should be able to deny a woman the right to choose what she wants to do in this situation.

Most likely, she has had a rough time anyway and does not need any more cards stacked against her.

The fact of the matter is that trying to prevent women from getting an abortion carried out by a professional doctor who knows what they are doing is only going

to cause a lot of illegal and unsafe abortions, which endangers the woman’s life as well. Abortions are not going anywhere, so trying to make them illegal will force women to take it into their own hands and do something really

dangerous.

There is also a stigma that abortions are some shady operation done in the back of a soup kitchen or something. No. They are medical procedures done in a medical facility by a licensed doctor.

There is a ton of paperwork to

go through, counseling provided if needed, and a supportive staff of nurses and doctors there to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

The bill states that a doctor who performs an illegal abortion

(after the heartbeat is heard) then the doctor can be punished with up to five years in prison.

This is absolutely crazy. You are punishing a doctor for making sure a medical procedure is carried out safely and effectively.

This literally forces women who need or want an abortion to do it

unsafely and illegally. The thought that people do not see how that is wrong just astounds me.

Now, I do not think that abortions should be carried out until the pregnancy is at full term. Lately we have seen a lot of rhetoric from our current administration about how there are so-called “third trimester abortions” being given, and that is just completely untrue.

Third trimester abortions are life threatening for both the baby and the mother. Doctors will not do these procedures.

My argument is generally that if the baby can survive on its own outside the womb, then we should not allow an abortion. Until then, whatever the mother wants, she should be allowed to do.

Fetuses at six weeks, when the heartbeat shows up, are not able to survive on their own, as you may be able to guess.

The idea of life beginning at conception is just not true, and I suggest you take that argument out of the legislature.

DEFINE DRAKE

How my identity manifests in the fabric I choose to don

Lórien MacEnulty

Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu @LorienMacenulty Once upon a time, this physicist/journalist-in-training wanted to be a fashion designer.

Don’t go away. This isn’t what you think it is; a nostalgic story about the spirited, fantastical dreams of a child, ridden with castles and dragons in the sky, that gradually recognized the existence of gravity as a reality and

fell violently from their clouds, down to Earth where the adults live with their dirty laundry and taxes.

No, that story features a cowgirl with frilly red chaps and a painfully inexplicable passion for horses.

What is significant about my appropriation of fashion design as a career choice, or more specifically fashion writing, is that I was not a child when I pursued it; I was in high school, and very aggressive in its pursuit.

The Fashionable Era

You see, at one time, I liked clothes. I liked the manipulation of fabric as a means of expression.

Starting sophomore year and ending at senior prom, I designed a line of haute couture à la mode Lórien. My first major piece? A 1760s tea gown satisfying the requirements for the Personal Project in the International

Baccalaureate Middle Years Program. According to my process journal, which I bemusedly reread in support of this article, my grandmother and I devoted over 46.5 hours and $300 to the completion of the gown.

I dispensed approximately 30 hours per subsequent project in the following years, including two prom gowns and over ten more ensembles in my visual arts class. I read Vogue every month (hello, journalism), plastered inspirational designs over my doors, coordinated my outfits every morning in concurrence with modern style (which was two years late in Colorado), wrote about fashion in the school newspaper (hello again, journalism), applied and was accepted to the top design schools in America.

But alas, fashion design was not in my cards. In the words of Dr. Athanasios Petridis: “Some people become artists. Some people take the wrong turn and

become physicists.”

Looks like I took a wrong turn.

So what happened?

Similar to the nature of the large majority of my decisions, this one was not made on a whim.

It was a gradual adoption of certain identities that coaxed me to the dark side (or towards the dark matter). I was always good at math. It took the advocation of Mr. Jeremy Joiner, my high school math teacher, and Dr. Karen Hirsch, my IB Standard Level physics teacher, to surface that quality in me, and amplify my confidence in the subject.

Ultimately, what acted as the wormhole between fashion and physics was writing. At the end of my high school career, I was working for and leading the endeavors of The Lever, the Palmer High School newspaper.

Once I figured out that I could easily communicate in general,

PHOTO BY KATHERINE BAUER

little impeded my curiosity in communicating a multitude of other topics. I didn’t just have to write about fashion. I could write about math. I could write about physics.

Thus, the question you should request of me is no longer “how did I get from fashion writing to physics writing?” That leap is easily justifiable. Rather, the question is “how did I get from fashion design to fashion writing?”

That, my dear reader, is where I find, in retrospect, that my autism swayed my path.

Overstimulation in children’s clothing

You see, the fashion phase of my life is sandwiched between two considerably more default stages of development: my childhood and my early adulthood. While I never received an official diagnosis of autism, the obsessively repetitive behavior manifested itself in different facets of these two eras of my life.

Clothing, I find, is often underrated in its contribution to our daily lives. After all, clothing ousts even food and water as basic necessities in terms of temporal affectation. Humans are almost always swaddled in fabric, but only periodically eating food and rehydrating.

The way I see it, an average day holds 1,440 minutes. On an average day, I wear at least one article of clothing for 1,425 of those minutes, given that 15 minutes are spent in the shower. No other physiological essential in my routine can flaunt a temporal influence of 98.95 percent.

It makes sense, therefore, that what we wear defines what we do and how we do it.

According to my mother, getting dressed in the morning required an immense amount of investment on my part. I wouldn’t wear something to school if it didn’t feel right on my body.

If the piece didn’t feel right, and I wore it to school anyway, I risked rapid overstimulation.

For example, if I wore a shirt whose sleeves were slightly too short on my arms, I would persistently feel the flapping of the fabric just underneath my shoulder. In compensation, I would obsessively pull the sleeves

Katherine Bauer

Managing Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauer_katherine In less than a month, I will be embarking on a new journey into the real world. That’s right. I’ve got an adult job now, working at a local news station. I’m looking forward to so many aspects of my new gig as a reporter: building a relationship with the community, telling untold stories about incredible people and shining light on important issues.

However, there is one, glaring thing I am not looking forward to.

I’ve followed female journalists’ professional social media pages for years now. One unsettling trend I see on nearly all of their pages are the sexist

downwards to stretch their reach, a half an inch was all it needed.

Even after I’d compensate for it, the idea of it inching back upwards would incite mild panic, and so I’d end up holding my shoulders to cover up the skin that by nature felt uncomfortably exposed. Eventually, the excess stimulation would distract me from my studies, which in turn set off a chain reaction of negative reinforcement inflicted upon myself. I’d return home with a freshly developed negative association with the short sleeved shirt, and never wear it again.

I kept a subconscious catalog of shirts that fell under gravity’s influence just enough in just the right places to feel heavy on my shoulders or tight against my torso. Ensembles were trichromatic; two variable yet congruous colors on the RGB spectrum and one base (white, black, or grey). All colors had to be compatible, and most were pastel and faded as opposed to bright and flashy. Again, the overstimulation factor.

Hence, the seemingly random process of choosing an outfit in the morning was actually a very strategic endeavor. Ultimately, if I was exhausted enough or didn’t care enough, I defaulted to a select handful of clothes that I knew resulted in less stimulated mentalities. My immediate family quickly learned never to buy me clothes for my birthday or Christmas; chances are, it would join the ranks of many a rejected article.

Over time, I developed a relatively low percentage of clothes that I would wear compared to the amount of clothes that I owned. I remember with fondness a forest green t-shirt that I would wear day after day after day in the fourth grade, sporting it even as it developed holes. I can recall with startling accuracy the exact pairs of jeans I developed attachments to throughout the years, and I grieve their gradual decay and inevitable passing.

In defense of my wardrobe

In this way, shopping was, and remains to this day, a nightmare. It’s not that I refuse to go shopping; I recognize in my routine a perpetual lack of things to wear. But commercial centrals are by nature are overstimulating.

Every sign begs your attention, bright colors and blinding lights highlight every detail of every object. It’s emetic.

Not only that, but the clothes

comments. “You look so beautiful today!” “Please tell me you are single!” “What time should I pick you up?” Yes, these are real comments.

For those who may not see the problem with these comments, the point of professional social media profiles are just that: professional.

Reporters are simply trying to share their work, engage with the community and spread information. They are not looking for compliments on their appearance, a boyfriend or a date.

They would much rather have a meaningful discussion about their story or would appreciate a comment such as, “Wonderful job reporting!” or “Good luck!”

I have come to the realization that I need to mentally prepare for such possible comments on my own social pages. I need to think critically about how to reply. I’ve seen reporters reply, as I’ll put it, rather kindly. “You’re so sweet.” “Unfortunately, I’m taken.” Others I’ve seen confront the issue head on. “Please tell me how my relationship status is relevant to this important conversation I’m having about safety in our community?” one reporter responded to a comment on her Facebook live interview with a local police chief.

Women in television news are already subjected to gender-roles and stereotypes. We have to think much more about our appearance than our male counterparts. I believe many other women feel this pressure in any setting.

When your appearance is part of your brand, it becomes amplified.

One reporter explained to me how a co-worker had to straighten her naturally curly hair just to curl it with a curling wand.

We’re told to wear bright colored clothing even though men can get away with wearing the same navy and black suits every night.

I understand that I will be beginning a rather public career, open to these scrutinies. It comes with the job (and I won’t deny that I enjoy a new dress or experimenting with makeup). However, at the end of the day, my job isn’t about how I look.

It’s about the stories I’m telling.

encountered at stores endure a rigorous selection process.

My mother defined a concept called, “the dance.” That is, if I like a piece of clothing, but it does not feel right, I will move it around, move around in it, gauge my appearance from different angles. The moment I exhibit these questioning behaviors, the moment I know the article would never develop into a default item.

Shoe shopping is particularly abhorrent. The base of my right pinky toe protrudes angularly outwards, and as such most shoes inflict acute pain if worn over long periods of time. I invest anywhere from hours to days scouring the racks for a pair that will fit, much less accompany my wardrobe. I maybe will succeed in buying a satisfactory pair, only to find myself repeatedly wincing in anguish a week later as the confining canvas walls pinch my mutant foot. Far am I from the label of shopaholic, but you wouldn’t be able to tell given how many times I visited the same stores.

By consequence, I avoid shoe shopping as much as possible, which in turn reduces the quantity of shoes I have available in my closet, by extent increasing my dependence on a select few if not one pair of shoes, which must be sturdy enough to weather all types of work, environments, and accompany all styles.

Thus, I wear boots. And only boots.

Or, as my mother calls them, hobo boots. They are typically light tan, canvas or pseudoleather, lace-up, cut off, $40.00 to $60.00, water-resistant, flatsoled with no heel. For four years, now, I have worn this type of boot every day.

Moving upwards from the feet, I wear pants. I say pants with intention, as there is little deviation. Rare is the day when my legs see sunlight, for shorts are too stimulating. I have the same three pairs of athletic shorts I bought in seventh grade for running, now employed thrice a week for tennis. I have one skirt.

I wore it last at Christmas of 2016.

Pants are either black or denim. All are skinny jeans, although a few pairs may err on the side of “boyfriend,” as they are loose around the pelvis and knees.

Sizes vary drastically, falling in the range of 2-8 depending on the location acquired. Some pants require the use of a belt naturally, and most all of them require a belt during a period of relatively low weight maintenance.

As of the last time I counted, I have precisely 18 pairs of

underwear. Hence, I do my laundry every 17 days. Underwear is one of the predominant culprits in the overstimulation I described earlier. For a six word autobiography task in ninth grade, a classmate of mine well articulated the delicate instability of the relationship between underwear and quality of day: “Life’s full of poor underwear choices.”

Women’s underwear is small.

Unnecessarily so. I recently discovered boxer briefs for women. I understand now why males have their underwear peeking through their jeans.

Boxer briefs cover every potentially compromising part of human anatomy to the highest degree of security. Why wouldn’t you want your underwear to be seen? Bending over? No problem!

Boxer briefs have you covered.

While undergarments take center stage, we might as well address bras. I wear sports bras, probably as a result of an athletic history coupled with a tendentiously masculine style. It helps that my breasts are small, anyway; going on year eight as a strong 32A. I keep it simple: flat chest, flat bra.

By far, the most variable aspect of my wardrobe is the shirt. The large majority of my tops subsist of geeky/nerdy expressions; Star Wars, NASA, Wonder Woman, Guinness, Magners, Twenty One Pilots, Le Petit Prince, the Breakfast Club, to name a few. As you may anticipate, the sleeves are of strictly appropriate length, descending approximately six inches past the shoulder seam or else maintaining no sleeves at all. These t-shirts are often accompanied by one of four blazers, either white, black, gray, or Prince of Wales Check. Some t-shirts I bought in the kids section of Old Navy.

I have, in the past two years, evolved an adoration for bow ties. My affinity for the decoration was inspired in part by another fellow ninth grader at Palmer High School named Connor. I flaunt a comparatively modest collection of nine, one of which is accompanied by a matching set of suspenders. Connor had over twenty, all self-tied, all of which he carried with him in his backpack and exchanged throughout the day.

My favorite bow tie is dark blue with mathematical equations. It is a self-tie, but most of the others are not.

I have an excuse for this lapse in culture and personal dignity.

My neck is small, too small to shop for bow ties in the men’s

There is much for me to consider when determining how to respond to inappropriate comments on social media. By confronting such inappropriate comments, I could risk greater harassment from commenters.

I have to consider what lengths these people will go to if I confront them in a setting as public as Facebook or Twitter. However, if I don’t confront this inexcusable behavior, what example am I setting for others? What am I condoning by playing along or staying silent?

I also have to think about my role five or 10 years from now. Will there be young, aspiring, female journalists following my social media accounts? Will they be looking at how I respond to this conduct just as I am doing now?

I wish I had the answer to these questions. But like most social issues, the solutions and answers aren’t simple and easy. I also know that real change comes when many people start making conscious decisions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LÓRIEN MACENULTY section of Dillard’s or Rutledge’s.

Since women’s bow ties are slow in the making, I must concede to the garnering of bow ties in sizes for children, who by nature are not expected to know how to tie their bow ties and thus are donned in pre-tied tomfoolery.

To clarify, I say this mostly in jest, and partially to address the cultural expectation that burdens bow tie enthusiasts. I like bow ties, regardless of how they are tied.

I try not to overindulge myself, however. So I’ve recently enforced a restriction on the bow tie-ridden days per week to four.

I enforce a similar restriction on my current favorite pair of jeans, which threaten to rip any day now due to overuse.

As for hair, jewelry, and makeup? I do nothing. I gave up on reigning over that erinaceous bushel on top of my head my junior year of high school, decidedly dying the mousy brown locks to a dark auburn and never wavering. I take a shower right before bed and let my hair air

dry as I sleep. The result as I wake is unevenly distributed yet slightly kinked beach waves of all different layers.

I have my ears pierced, but I strain to remember the last time metal threaded through those particle-sized lobe tunnels. If my self-confidence drops to a relative minimum, I might fill in my eyebrows with a brown pencil to augment my emitted intimidation factor. If I am astute enough to recall before business casual events that I have a watch, I might slap it on my left wrist.

Who knew wardrobes demanded so much description?

I’ll admit, I’m verifiably impressed if you made it this far. Next time I see you, drop me a hint to suggest your fidelity to my article; slyly introduce a subtle catchphrase, like “what a stimulating underwear day.”

Believe me, I’ll wear your devotion with pride.

B6 | opinions

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS

RELAYS

Student walks through a typical Relays week

Phong Ly

Staff Writer phong.ly@drake.edu

Whether on the Blue Oval or off the chain, Relays Week is the time Bulldogs celebrate themselves, hard. So hard that over the years Drake students begin to forget what the Drake Relays is actually about.

I bet if you just stop a random Drake kid and ask them what Relays is, there is a 70 percent chance they would go “I actually have no idea,” a 10 percent chance of “Street Painting?” and a

5 percent chance of just straight up “partyyyy yeahh!!.” The week of Drake Relays, which is deemed as America’s Athletic Classic (by Wikipedia lol), is supposed to be a whole week of Track & Field folks competing for the medals.

Apparently in 2009, there were 43 Olympians competed at Drake Relays that year.

However, since Drake University is such a diverse campus, with only more than 78 percent of undergraduate students who are white, they really aim towards creating a variety of events to satisfy people from different backgrounds and with different taste.

So, don’t think just because track & field isn’t your thing that you can’t enjoy Relays, because there are so many more things you can do.

Relays week starts off with Street Painting. Painted Street is only the second most mentioned feature at Drake, right after Griff.

It is sort of a Drake thing and we love it so much, even when spring comes and it just looks so gross.

That’s the reason why we have

different clubs and organizations on campus repaint that street every Relays.

Each organization who sign up would receive a square and they would paint the design, which should both go with the theme that year and also represent their organization.

There is also a paint fight that will be happening at the same time and the same place. You would most likely get paint on you whether you like it or not.

So I suggest steering clear of the area between Cowles library and Jewett Residence Hall if you think the whole idea would just be just a “paint” in the butt (pun intended).

Personally, I’m only looking forward to the Beautiful Bulldog Contest. I don’t usually say this out loud but I. LOVE. DOGS, and I honestly think anyone who doesn’t love dogs just probably have never seen one in their lives. If you are a dog fanatic like I am then The Beautiful Bulldog Contest is going to feel like heaven for you.

This year’s contest promises

to be the fiercest competition in history. More than 135 English bulldogs from 18 states registered to compete in this world-famous contest for bulldogs only. You’ll get to see cute bulldogs do cute bulldogs stuff, and if you say that doesn’t make your heart melt then you should just stop lying.

But really though, The Relays Concert is the one thing everyone talks about every year. It is sort of the one occasion when Drake becomes relevant again, after the Iowa Caucus of course.

The Student Activities Board (SAB) really put in a lot of effort into this by trying bring relevantish artists/bands to come and perform. My first Relays concert was last year, and they had Lil Yachty as the artist performing.

For you younger kids, this is back when he was super relevant with “Broccoli” and “iSpy”, so it’s perfectly understandable how I lost my collective minds. The concert wasn’t what I expected, as people were just a “lil” too crazy for Lil Yachty, but I still enjoy bragging about it with my friends back home, who till this day, still

question why I chose to come to Iowa.

I’m excited about the bands this year, because I actually know both Marc E. Bassy and AJR. I know the bragging right isn’t as strong as last year since they are not as relevant as Lil Yachty was, I think I could enjoy this year concert with a more chill mindset.

And of course, there will most likely be fraternity parties on campus you could go to during Relays, especially after the concert. There will be a few going on throughout the week but pick and choose because believe me when I say you physically cannot go to all of them, not without your grades suffering.

Also, Peggy’s has a big tent out during Relays, but only go if you are of age. But really try to go to at least one actual Relays competition so at least you know what Relays is about.

Remember to bring a poncho or a rain jacket because it’s most definitely is going to rain and you don’t want to be cold and wet.

RELAYS

Relays band committee member disappointed by performers

Maddie Topliff

Assistant Relays Editor maddie.topliff@drake.edu @top_dog30 I have been a dedicated theatre kid since the latter half of middle school. I have acted in obscure plays like “Caucasian Chalk Circle”, timeless musicals like “The Music Man” and competed in speech events. I was there for it all. I even served on the state thespian officer board for the state of Iowa.

However, my theatre education proved to be fruitless when I was asked to project excitement at Blitz Day for the announcement

of AJR and Marc E. Bassy as our Relays performers.

I’m a Student Activities Board (SAB) Bands committee member, so it’s my job to be extra excited about our featured events. I felt I let my co-chairs down because I was not in the mood to pretend like I knew who either artist was.

I would definitely describe my initial reaction as disappointed because I wanted my first Drake Relays to feature artists that I was familiar with.

Way back in the fall semester, I had done my best to brainstorm artists that were moderately wellknown but still within the bands committee’s budget.

Some of my suggestions included Allen Stone – a soulful funk rock master, Saint Motel – a modern pop-rock band with a retro twist and Charlie Puth – the love of my life, who was way too expensive and was suggested only to please my selfish ways.

Part of the problem too was that I was over-convinced that the artist was going to be Khalid, which is absolutely ridiculous because I knew over two weeks in advance that two artists would be announced and that there was

no way that our committee could afford both Khalid and another act. I had surpassed seeing the glass half full tenfold.

I have friends who were excited for AJR, so I couldn’t stay angsty

announcement received stone cold silence and confused eyebrows, he has done extremely well at captivating my attention thus far in our intimate relationship. His sound is like a sexy, perfectly-

Their name alone “can’t draw large

crowds yet, but perhaps they will make me a fan with their live show...

”

for long. And to Bassy’s credit, he’s been featured on a G-Eazy record, which puts him in the same company as Charlie Puth. I can’t be mad at that.

Although Bassy’s

baked pie of R&B, which happens to be my favorite genre of music.

Thank you, SAB, for this future bop fest.

Unfortunately, upon first examination, AJR just isn’t my

type. They are artists in one of my least favorite genres: indie pop. I find the overall sound of the genre really annoying. It’s dominated almost solely masses of white boys who sound like they are holding out to be the indie version Jonas Brothers, in my opinion.

However, I will not give up on them. I wasn’t the hugest Ed Sheeran fan until I saw him live for the first time, his guitar technique having won my heart until further notice. Bands of smaller caliber always have a tangible hunger behind their performance; they have something to prove and have to give the audience a reason to care. Their name alone can’t draw large crowds yet, but perhaps they will make me a fan with their live show and become a Drake University favorite.

opinions | B7

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS POLITICS PHOTO BY SANTERI VIINAMÄKI

Voter ID Law

IS UN-AMERICAN

Natalie Larimer

Contributing Writer natalie.larimer@drake.edu @nat_larimer There has long been a debate about whether or not we should enforce voter ID laws to prevent voter fraud during elections. The idea is that if someone is unable to produce a photo ID to prove that they are who they say they are, then they cannot vote. This is a really bad idea for several reasons, which I will explain in this article.

People think voter ID is not

a big deal because everybody already has a photo ID, so why not show it when you go to vote?

Well, a lot of people actually do not have photo ID. The Project Vote Research Memo states that 13 percent of black people, 10 percent of Hispanic people, and 5 percent of white people in America lack photo ID. There is also a trend for lower-income citizens and young adults to not have photo ID as well.

This is a huge problem when you think about how these people are already underrepresented in American politics. Taking away their fundamental right to vote will disenfranchise them all, making the politicians we elect even richer and whiter.

The reason some people think these laws are a good idea is that it prevents voter fraud.

However, there is only like a dozen cases of voter fraud that could be prevented by photo ID. If we want to tackle the voter fraud problem, maybe we should follow the advice of one Washington Post article written

by Max Ehrenfreund. He suggests to have same-day registration, where people register to vote at the polling location. This would prevent falsified registrations.

Another way is to coordinate among states (because some people send in absentee ballots

Basically, the idea of voter ID fixes a miniscule problem but creates a huge one in its place. Yeah, we would not have imposters coming in and pretending to be someone else at the ballot box, but we would have a ton of people who are unable

the idea “ofBasically, voter ID fixes a

miniscule problem but creates a huge one in its place.

”

from states they no longer live in) to ensure that we know who lives in which state and make sure they are not voting twice.

to vote causing the results to be skewed. Let’s face it, the people who would not be able to vote are generally going to be Democrats,

meaning the disenfranchisement and removal of their right to vote is a part of the Republican agenda.

Now, I am not trying to start a party fight here, but that is what is happening and I do not want it to continue.

The argument against what I have said is always “Well, why don’t they just get a photo ID?” Well, first off, you need an address for that. People who do not have a permanent address would not be able to register, meaning you are denying thousands of Americans their right to vote.

Secondly, a lot of people are unable to get a driver’s license for many reasons, or they have an out of date one that they cannot use or do not want to renew.

This applies to disabled citizens and the elderly. These are huge demographics that would not be able to use their voice and choose who we elect to govern them.

Voter ID is not only unnecessary, but incredibly problematic and un-American.

B8 | opinions

April 23, 2018

OPINIONS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

THE LIBRARY NACHOS have been voted best in Des Moines.

The Library makes for a good place to get dinner during Relays

Hema Rengasamy

Contributing Writer hemapraba.rengasamy@drake.edu

A bar by a college is not only lucrative but it is a distinct type of business. The University Library Café is one of those businesses.

Although it is located by a university and is named in line with that theme, the bar welcomes patrons of all walks of life. “The University Library Café welcomes

blue collar, white collar, no collar (college students!) and families,” the bar claims in their website and the diversity among their customers is very apparent at any time.

The popularity of this bar is not solely based on their choices of alcoholic beverages but also in the variety of food that they offer. The nachos are voted to be best in Des Moines by City View, Central Iowa’s Independent Newsmagazine.

College students are attracted to The University Library Café because of the affordable prices for big servings of food. The price range of the food in this bar is proven because it was one of the locations chosen in the Cheap Eats program by the Cooking Channel.

In addition to having affordable prices the food at the University Library Café is wholesome and very appealing according to Ali Khan, the host of the Cheap Eats show.

The food menu at the library is extensive. Ranging from breakfast options to appetizers that pair well with a beer. Poutine, a Canadian comfort food is also listed on the menu. The University Library Café offers this dish and has added a signature style to the dish, the cheese curds are breaded and fried prior to being added. Thick cut fries are crisp and soft on the inside. The topping is a rich beef gravy that is accompanied with tender pieces of roast beef.

During my visit to the bar I chose poutine because it would pair well with the Peace Tree Blonde Fatale, a Belgian style beer that I had chosen. The waitstaff were accommodating and friendly and willing to answer questions about the large number of beers on the menu.

Both the choices I made that day were good. The poutine was bursting with flavor and although the fried cheese curds seemed strange at first, the

texture it provided was welcomed, especially with the fries turning soggy in the gravy.

Although, they are known for the nachos served the poutine certainly deserves some recognition. These dishes are excellent choices for a laid-back night out. You also would find other items on the menu that is typical of a bar, like wings, onion rings and fried pickles.

“Honestly it is the kind of bar where you feel comfortable enough to cry there,” Maria Socha a Drake University Junior said.

The University Library Café has cozy setting of an old school bar and the cordial staff offer an easy sense of comfort Socha says as she describes the bar.

“When you’re lucky enough to get a booth it’s a nice spot to hangout and catchup with friends after a long week,” Sophia Isaacson a fellow Drake University Junior said. The music plays at soft volume that allows

for conversation to flow among patrons. The bar balances a sports bar ambience with the showing of various sporting events at any given moment. It ranges from soccer to baseball. The University Library Café also sports a Chelsea Football Club flag.

The bar has undergone a metamorphosis over the years the institution has grown and evolved in many ways. “It was a dump, but a fun one,” John Kragie a former Drake Student said. He also said that the bar was a real college bar, a hole in the wall in the 1990s.

The University Library Café was originally established in 1922, but 90 years later it was taken over by the Full Court Press and reopened.

Other locations specializing in craft beer like El Bait Shop and the Iowa Taproom also are owned by the same parent company.

PERSPECTIVE

Why you should reform your views on time and space

Lórien MacEnulty

Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu @LorienMacenulty Fear not. I am not about to launch a politically correct offensive against your views of space and time. I will not be the one to tell you that, like gender and race, space and time are social constructs—mere manifestations of confirmation bias projected on our universe to make us pubescent humans feel better about our negligible influence on the vastness of eternity.

Nonetheless, there exists certain inconsistencies in our layman views of space and time, inconsistencies that one must sort out before even attempting to apprehend the complexities of motion and mass.

It is easy to think of space as a three-dimensional grid, marked evenly along the x, y and z axes to indicate units. Each line that comprises the grid is perfectly straight and perpendicular to all other lines it intersects. Mass and motion find themselves inside of this grid, but they do not influence its structure. In this view, space

is impermeable, independent of time, mass and motion.

What is time to the layman?

Time is unfathomable as a concept. It is and it marches forward because we have defined it as such. Time afflicts all mass ubiquitously and isotropically.

These views of space and time offer an ease of mind and measurement. They insinuate that time and space are universal and independent on one another; three seconds for me is the same as three seconds for you. If I measure a stick to be one meter, then the stick is one-meter long.

Period.

These views, however, neglect to incorporate relative movement and mass. For example, imagine you are driving on a highway.

A stationary police officer notes your speed to be 80 mph. In your frame of reference, you are not moving — that is, your speed is 0 mph according to you. Instead the road and the landscape and the police officer are moving past you in the opposite direction at a speed of negative 80 mph. Both you and the police officer disagree on who is moving, your speed and thereby space itself.

The previously established view of space, however, demands that there exists one correct measurement of space: a privileged view called “absolute space,’ which is a reference frame by which all other movement is gauged. Who, in this scenario, encompasses most this privileged view — you or the police officer?

Both frames of reference are equally valid.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine which is most true.

In this regard, it is necessary to reform our earlier view of space.

Space is not universal, and all frames of reference are equal.

Time is not universal either.

Physicists studying particles called muons find that the average lifetime of a muon in the laboratory is shorter than that of a muon traveling at a speed comparable to that of light. As a result, traveling at a higher speed changes what one perceives as time and space.

Furthermore, we must address the segregation of space and time in our mentality. Consider the diagrams on the right, and entertain the idea that the twodimensional map of Drake University is space. This map represents the set of all points in space at once instance in time; a time slice.

Notice that this time slice is more a comment on the state of space than it is on the state of time. Similarly, if one were to track the changes over time of one point in space, the resulting set would be more reflective of the state of time than of space.

Both time and space are, by nature, reliant on one another.

Thus, for convenience in thought, we refer to this entity as spacetime.

This “spacetime,” as a concept and a mentality, aids an observer in thinking four-dimensionally.

Moreover, spacetime is an ideal coordinate system with which one might reexamine gravity. For what is perhaps more difficult to wrap one’s head around—pun intended—is the idea that mass warps spacetime.

Gravity, alongside the weak, electromagnetic and strong,

for that matter, were initially considered forces.

As the name suggests, forces alter the preexisting trajectory of a body of mass, which by default would continue along in a straight line or at rest in eternal resistance to change unless alternatively acted upon. Gravitational attraction is one of these forces. It occurs as a result of the exchange of massless particles called gravitons, whereupon the mass experiencing the attraction would find itself displaced from its inertial disposition—or so it was theorized before Albert Einstein.

The problem with this theory of gravity is that gravitons are particles, and as such are limited in velocity to the speed of light.

Even if gravitons traveled at this speed in their exchange with other bodies of mass, the effect of gravity would be slightly delayed.

The general theory of relativity accounts for this delay, as well, contributing to the existence and propagation of gravitational waves. But physicists have not, as of yet, managed to detect these gravitons. Thus, the theory of gravity as a force loses its luster in the face of the general theory of relativity, which incidentally has much more experimental backing.

Perhaps a more apt perspective to behold is that of gravity as a field; a preexisting structure influenced by any and all mass in the universe. All bodies that enter this field instantaneously experience the effect of gravity, thereby eliminating the issue of lag. As object approach other objects, they accelerate towards each other in a manner proportional to the product of

their masses. In this regard, the spacetime around the masses is said to be warped, given that the path of least distance between any two points is altered. You may already be familiar with the image of a large body of mass sitting on the sagging mattress of a two-dimensional grid. While not completely ideal as a diagram, the image does demonstrate how spacetime warps due to the presence of mass.

So why does any of this matter (I’m so punny)? Why do you, a non-physicist, need to reform your views on spacetime?

On a sociological level, the dismantlement of a privileged, hierarchal view of space grants an individual the recognition that there exist other perspectives of the same truth.

In this regard, a subconscious reformation of your views of spacetime may extend your tolerance for other realities different from your own.

Furthermore, the theory that gravity — and by extent matter — is intrinsic to spacetime and vice versa is an extraordinary enlightenment to behold. We, as beings comprised of mass, are such stuff that spacetime is made of. What a fanciful, beautiful thought.

Or perhaps, the conception that high velocities influence one’s interactions with spacetime will merely give you something to ponder on long road trips down I-80. There’s nothing like eleven hours on a highway that will make you reexamine your preconceived notions about spacetime.

features | C1

April 23, 2018

FEATURES

PHOTO COURTESY OF COWLES LIBRARY ARCHIVES

C4 DEFINE GRIFF Students ogle over Drake’s furry celebrity as he waddles across campus. But few know why the beloved mascot is such a marketing success for university or the history of the live mascot program that defined him.

C6

ALL-AMERICAN REFUGEE

The riveting story of Drake faculty Amir Busnov has been all about admission to the United States, to the army, to Drake’s International Relations program. Now Busnov is assistant director of admissions.

POLITICS

C7

The millenial generation includes those born from 1981-1996.

Drake attendees comment on the stereotypes surrounding half their student body.

CAMPUS LIFE

‘High-curious’ marijuana users may ‘Painted Streak’ brings into question heavy drinking, no longer risk jobs, scholarships Lórien MacEnulty Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu @LorienMacenulty

First-time marijuana offenders might get a second chance at a clean record. Iowa state senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of a judiciary reform bill that, if enacted, will modernize court proceedings, giving ‘high-curious’ individuals a break the first time they’re caught with pot. Some lobbyists and students see this as another step in a slow march towards the legalization of marijuana in Iowa.

Senate File 2382 (SF 2382), which passed the Iowa Senate 472, tackles the way courts impose punishment on those guilty of various misdemeanors. These crimes include everything from railroad vandalism and arson to domestic violence and fraud.

Legislators aimed at modifying technicalities such as jail time, fine quantity, degree of severity of crime and others, in adapting to a

society whose standards continue to change.

Among these modifications lies a section dedicated to those guilty of marijuana possession.

The language of this subsection is exactly that of SF 2180 and SF 432, bills proposed earlier this year by Sen. Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, Iowa.

“I want to be really clear that I don’t support breaking the law. I don’t support recreational marijuana,” Zaun said. “But in reality, it’s pretty prevalent in our schools. A lot of people are doing this and making these bad decisions. The reason why I want to do this (is that) unfortunately, because of that bad decision, and you were caught with a small possession of marijuana, it’ll affect the possibility of scholarships.

It will affect your ability to get admitted to any kind of college or school, and most importantly, it will affect you potentially getting a job if (marijuana possession) is on your record.”

Over 9.6 percent of Iowan adults used cannabis within the year 2015 to 2016, according to a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The same survey found, however, that 73 percent of Iowans do not perceive smoking cannabis once a month as a great risk.

The bill Zaun filed compensates for the increase in marijuana use. It states that persons with no prior offense found in possession of five grams or less of marijuana are guilty of a simple misdemeanor. This means that the courts may impose imprisonment sentences capped at 30 days and a maximum of $625 in fines. As a trade-off for paying up, convicted persons may

also qualify for expungement of the offense off their permanent record.

College students might find this clean slate appealing. Daily marijuana use among college students surpassed cigarette smoking in 2014, according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Regular pot-user and Drake University student John Smith (pseudonym employed to protect identity) said that marijuana helps him get to sleep. Smith is aware of upcoming drug tests, however, and so in preservation of his academic and professional life, he stopped lighting up last December.

“Drake doesn’t randomly test,” Smith said. “They give you a pretty far notice before they do it, and the same with a lot of other jobs. But it’s definitely a risk that you have to think about when doing (marijuana).”

In 2015, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission reported that only six of the 175,424 students eligible for federal student aid qualified for suspension of that aid due to drug convictions. This is the lowest number of students to qualify for suspension in the last three years.

The risk students face in losing federal financial aid is slight, around 0.003 percent.

Nevertheless, Smith said the change incited by SF 2382 is a step in the right direction, but that decriminalization of marijuana would be better for students like him and the state as a whole.

“I think it’s just better to legalize it and tax it, not only for the state because it’s a huge income, but also for any of the

CONTINUED ON PAGE C2

student motivation at Relays Kasey Springsteen Contributing Writer kasey.springsteen@drake.edu “A student ran past the Meredith windows covered in paint and left a body print on one of the windows. The student wasn’t wearing any clothes,”said David Wright, a long-time Drake journalism professor.

In his 30 years at Drake, he’s had a lot of memorable times during Relays week, the ‘painted streak’ the most memorable of them all. His kids, young as they were at the time, were there in his Meredith office to witness the display. He thought the incident was fun, and his children laugh at the colorful memory.

Drake Relays has long been an event bringing fantastic athletes and innumerable fans to Drake University. It is also known on campus as a fun event where students can make some of their favorite memories while at Drake.

However, some students choose to drink during this week, and not always a safe amount.

This reputation has not gone unnoticed by professors.

Wright said that Relays “can be a much-needed release for students.” He said he understands that Relays can be a fun experience for students.

“Almost all colleges and universities have some sort of ‘spring release’ where students can let go and just have fun, and this is Drake’s,” he said.

However, he is worried about the pre-gaming and bingedrinking of students at these events.

“Most students need to learn their limits,” he said. “Often they

drink to the point where it simply isn’t safe.”

Drinking has a collection of repercussions, one of which is poor performance on classwork.

Lisa West, a professor in the Drake English departmen6t, understands Relays has a large impact on students’ coursework.

“It creates a bump in student productivity. It can be difficult to get students motivated for the last week of class,” West said.

Most years, there is only one week of classes after Relays, but this year, there will be two weeks left. Both Wright and West are interested to see how student productivity will be impacted.

West pointed out that not all professors see Relays as another break for students. They are still responsible for any assigned coursework, and she, along with other faculty members, believes there is no excuse for skipping classes or late assignments. West also sees a lot of potential dangers involved with Relays.

“With the event and all of the potential drinking that takes place, there is also a potential for more cases of sexual assault or issues of that sort,” she said.

West would like to see more focus on academic events and bring focus to the amazing lectures Drake hosts every year.

Even in recognition of the issues accompanying Relays, both Wright and West see Drake Relays as a wonderful campus event that has many great effects.

They stressed how amazing all of the athletes are and how special it is for Drake to host this event.

They want to make sure students are doing so in a safe and responsible manner.

C2 | features

April 23, 2018

FEATURES

Senate file addresses legality one-time marijuana use

CAMPUS EVENTS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C1

A FRESH COAT of white paint conceals a year’s worth of color and history. PHOTOS BY MACKENZIE EKERN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The ghosts of painted street’s past...

Maddie Topliff Assistant Relays Editor maddie.topliff@drake.edu When prospective students receive informational brochures from Drake University, one of the most promoted aspects of campus is the lively and colorful Painted Street, which dawns on the sidewalk just north of Cowles library. However, for students visiting campus last week, the beloved Drake landmark seemed to have vanished from view.

On April 12, a handful of Student Activities Board (SAB) students volunteered part of their afternoon in order to cover Painted Street in white in preparation for the annual street painting that occurred last Friday.

“Whitewashing” is a lesspublicized Drake tradition but is vital to the overall success of Relays week. Each year, the street becomes a blank canvas, giving 56 student organizations the chance to show off their group for a calendar year by painting a sidewalk square that corresponds with the selected Relays theme.

Last year’s theme was “Like Never Before,” and some SAB

members like Joanna Drake and Relays committee co-chair Meghan Mulligan were sad to see the squares of 2017 disappear.

“I’m a little biased, but the Delta Gamma square was hard to paint over,” Mulligan said. “But I didn’t let anyone else paint over it; I wanted to paint over it.”

Drake was especially attached to the Lambda Kappa Sigma pharmacy fraternity square that featured a detailed depiction of Peter Pan flying near London’s Big Ben. “It was really awesome, I was just like ‘No! We should probably just keep it!’” she said.

Apart from the slight sentimental hardship, Drake said that it was a physical challenge to cover up the old paint.

“It was hard, actually, because you would try to paint over it and get it done, but it kept chipping, so it wouldn’t let you paint over (the street),” she said with a laugh.

Although it was hard to let go of the past designs, Drake sees an importance behind starting fresh each year.

“People that are in the club change every year, so it shows the growth of the club,” Drake said.

“Maybe they have new members, so they can feel included.”

The 2018 Relays theme is “Life in the Fast Lane,” and Mulligan was the mastermind behind it.

She could not wait to see how organizations incorporated the theme into their designs,

especially because it is not the easiest theme for every organization to utilize.

When Drake hears the phrase “Life in the Fast Lane,” she thinks of either the Eagles’ 1976 song or cars from “Fast and Furious” series, with flames emblazoned on the sides.

As far as being relevant to the campus, the theme could be a

comment on the busy culture that Drake students tend to partake in.

“Everyone at Drake is so busy– their lives are on 10,000 speedwise...and even though we have a lot on our plates, we still have time for fun,” Drake said.

Whitewashing and Painted Street were only the beginning of a full week of Relays events put on

by SAB and Drake Athletics.

criminal concerns,” Smith said.

“I think it’s a good direction to reduce those crimes, but I’d still say it’d be better to go full legalization.”

Carl Olsen, director of Iowans for Medical Marijuana and lobbyist in favor of SF 2382, said that compared to other states, Iowa is not considered prolegalization, but it’s not against legalization either.

“Now (Zaun) has filed this bill to lower the penalties for simple possession,” Olsen said. “I think that as slow as we’re moving, people who use this illegally, this would be a break for them. They would get a second chance if they got arrested, so it’d be a big improvement for people that use this for medical purposes without legal authorization.”

Having passed the Iowa Senate before the second funnel period, SF 2382 headed to the House of Representatives for debate and negotiation. The section dedicated to the reduction of penalties for first-time marijuana possession passed unscathed while other large sections of the bill the house either rescinded or amended.

“The pieces that we preserved in the House—like I said, we stripped out a lot of sections from that bill—we kept the first division that dealt with expungement of records for misdemeanor or crimes,” said Rep. Chip Baltimore, a member of the judiciary subcommittee that advocated for the passage of the bill. “(It’s) kind of an expensive section, but we thought that was an important issue to keep taking a look at.”

Baltimore said that the future for SF 2382 looks cloudy as it goes through the house.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of time to have in-depth discussion with our fellow senators about where our points of agreement are and where our points of difference are,” said Baltimore.

“But I imagine that those discussions will be taking place this week and possibly into next week.”

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Full-tuition, full-ride academic scholars comment on Drake experience Tuma Haji Relay’s Editor tumaorthegap.haji@drake.edu Nearly three years ago, junior Ryan Skotzke was sitting on the toilet when the National Alumni Scholarship organization called to give him the news that would change the course of his college career. The 4.0 GPA high school student with an impressive score of 35 on the ACT had not anticipated a full-ride to the university of his dreams. The prestigious National Alumni Scholarship was the one thing that made it possible for Skotzke to pursue his passion for actuarial science at Drake University.

Skotzke acknowledged early on that his life would differ from the typical college student who must worry about financing their education. However, the lift of the financial burden did not absolve Skotzke from self-accountability.

“It also feels like it comes with a lot of responsibility, too, because now that you’re given this great award and honor, you feel like, ‘Well, now I really have to put my foot down and take my college experience to the next level and

do something that really makes a difference,’” Skotzke said.

Skotzke said he was clueless about which element in his application secured him the award but is certain that his expressive extra-curricular resume played a determining role. Like all contestants, Skotzke was required to have at least a 3.8 GPA, an ACT score of 35, two essays and a personal interview.

As someone who has always been passionate about doing math, Skotzke added data analytics to complement his actuarial science major. His love for jazz music was fostered in his high school jazz band.

Skotzke mentors National Alumni contestants and awardees, but said it’s difficult to give them one, single note of advice.

“I feel like the college experience is so much different for so many different people, so (my) advice to them is usually, and this might sound a bit generic, but sort of just figure out what your passion is and pursue it. You have to try a lot of different things before you find what is right for you,” Skotzke said.

He said he’s been taking his

own advice for the past three years and is happy with where it’s led him. He joined Gamma Iota Sigma, a business fraternity that has helped him build connections. He credits a member of his fraternity with helping him start his first internship. Skotzke is part of the pricing team for the life and annuity products at Farm Bureau.

“Everyday is a challenge,” he said. “But that’s what I like about it. I feel like I’ve learned as much about being an actuary there as I have in all of my schoolwork.”

One of Skotzke’s hidden hobbies turned out to be broadcasting his own radio show on 94.1 The Dog the past two years. Although he confesses that his parents are his only consistent fans, he still pursues the hobby.

His parents’ support goes deeper than just listening to their son’s show. Skotzke credits them with the successes he’s celebrated throughout his life.

“They’ve always been very strict with me, but I give them a lot of credit for that because I don’t think I’d be anywhere near where I am now if it weren’t for them lighting a fire under me and constantly nagging me to get

my work done and stay on top of things,” he said.

Nearly three years after Skotzke received the National Alumni Scholarship, another Drake student also received the call that changed her college career. Maddie Topliff from Grinnell, Iowa, was getting ready to go to work at Subway when her phone rang. She recalled being in a state of disbelief that she had been awarded the scholarship and kept asking the caller if they were kidding.

“There were so many people who’d applied, like over 300 people, so I was really thankful and said thank you a million times,” Topliff said with a laugh.

“I immediately called my mom because she was at work already and told her.”

Like Skotzke, Drake’s expensive tuition was a hindering factor for Topliff.

“Being able to lift some of the financial burden from my parents was really gratifying, and I was really proud of that because my parents have provided for me my whole life and to kind of pay them back in that way with a scholarship really meant a lot to me and my family,” Topliff said.

Topliff said her time as a state thespian officer formed and solidified her strong leadership skills, which she believes helped her in the competition.

Topliff is majoring in public relations with a minor in Spanish. She is involved in a wide range of activities and organizations, including Drake University Community Choir, Student Activities Board, Delta Gamma and the Student Alumni Association. She is also booked to be a resident assistant next year.

Addi Weakley, a friend of Topliff’s, proudly commented on her strong personality.

“Maddie is a go-getter. She’ll go out there, and she’s always super energetic, and if there’s something to do, she’s going to find way to do it,” Weakley said Topliff advises future National Alumni applicants to have faith in what they’ve accomplished.

“You put the work in all four years of high school and the (interviewers) are going to see that,” she said. “Just be yourself because if they can’t tell who you are, then why would they give you a scholarship?”

features | C3

April 23, 2018

FEATURES Inside the Times Delphic How students produce the newspaper you’re reading Anna Jensen Contributing Writer anna.jensen@drake.edu Each week, we pick up a 12page newspaper from newsstands all around campus. The only glimpse we, as observers, get into the newsroom, is an occasional peak through the open door in Meredith Hall or the “have an opinion ad” that lists all the editors and their positions.

Since the biggest issue of the Times-Delphic (TD)—the Relays edition—is (hopefully) in your hands, I took this opportunity to turn the camera on them, and learn about some of the editors, writers and the decision making powers they hold through their positions.

40-pages, full-color, full-creative The traditional sections of The TD are: news, opinions, features and sports. The editors layout three pages of stories and pictures each week. For the Relays edition, they introduce a new section: speed, that has a theme directly relating to relays, and every section editor lays out eight pages instead of three.

This year, first-year journalism student Tuma Haji was chosen as the Relays editor. She works closely with the editor-in-chief to push out the edition and is in charge of editing and laying out stories for the speed section.

This year’s theme for the speed section is ‘define.’

“We want the stories that define us as Drake students to solidify our place within and beyond the Drake community,” Haji said. “It’s important to show our role within the Drake community.”

For editor-in-chief Jessie Spangler, this edition is exciting because it gives much more creative leeway to explore color use and spreads.

“We are trying to do one spread for every section,“ Spangler said.

Spreads — which are major stories that cover two pages of the paper and have a multitude of pictures and graphics — haven’t been a part of the TD’s repertoire before.

Spangler and three other editors went to the National College Media Convention in Dallas, Texas, in October and were given advice on changing up and experimenting with the

pictures and graphics — haven’t been a part of the TD’s repertoire before.

Spangler and three other editors went to the National College Media Convention in Dallas, Texas, in October and were given advice on changing up and experimenting with the design of their paper by other university’s newspaper advisors.

“One talked about us being a college paper and this being the time to take risks,” Spangler said. “So when we got back, we started looking at different fonts and different colors and wanted to stray away from what we did before. Now we do a really dark red and navy blue.”

The staff has really welcomed the creative change.

The Weekly Roll Out The TD goes to print every Tuesday at 5 p.m. so it can be on newsstands by Wednesday morning.

Stories are due to editors on Fridays or Saturdays, and they go through a macro round of edits by the TD’s managing editor, senior Katherine Bauer. She looks at the big picture and alerts section editors if their writers need more sources or are missing a point of view. Over the weekend the TD’s two copy editors make edits to the stories, as well.

Lórien MacEnulty, the features editor, said she wishes

writers were more invested in their work. Often times, she will make changes to a story and none of her writers will contact her to ask her why she made that change or how they could improve for next week.

“I’m very invested in my writing,” MacEnulty said, after saying it makes her sad not to see her writers covet their words like she does. “I truly value my pieces.”

When she was a staff writer last year, she met with then-news editor Bauer to go over every edit she made on her articles, ask questions and improve for the next week.

The editing process is done through Google Drive, so that may alleviate some of the questions writers would have about edits, because they can see why they were made.

Haji follows along with her edits every week.

“The Google Doc is shared with me so I can make clarification edits,” Haji said. “It’s very collaborative, which I really like … we’re always included in the process.”

MacEnulty is in the office on Sunday morning laying out her stories on her pages. Her pages are usually done and ready for print by Monday night at the latest.

For this reason, she doesn’t see the other section editors very much and misses out on some of

the playfulness of the newsroom, that happens on Tuesday.

MacEnulty said other editors don’t operate the same; they can be found in the newsroom on Tuesday morning and afternoon hustling to finish their pages.

Spangler agreed, saying that it makes her life a bit more hectic, but she isn’t one to control when people can come get their work done. Often it is based on when the editors have freedom in their schedules.

“The work always gets done before deadline,” Spangler said.

TD’s Digital Drive At the beginning of fall semester, the TD and Drake Broadcasting System wanted to form a year-long partnership that could really diversify the content pushed out on the TD’s website.

“We did get an audio accompaniment from DBS once for a story on a choir concert, and it made a really cool podcastesque pairing,” said digital editor, junior Hallie O’Neill. “I’d like to see more of that on our site.”

Since then, the collaborative efforts between the two have fallen to the wayside, but O’Neill said it is a relationship that should try again next semester and suggests it is an issue of both mediums being more organized and needing a clearer vision.

The TD has tried to be creative over the years with its online

content — recent efforts have been a weekly TD podcast, but it consistently totaled 10 or less viewers, and a more humorous tone on social media which backfired for the publication.

The TD continues to stick to posting three articles from every section each week on their website. O’Neill posts the articles after the section editors upload them on the site; the editors usually pick the “three most timely, well-written articles of the week,” O’Neill said.

An EIC’s Outlook While the publication and its editors work hard to be as professional as possible, Spangler wishes people were more understanding of the fact that they are still students who use the TD’s platform to learn and grow.

“We’ve gotten so many rude emails in the past from students and professors … and for a lot of us this is our first stab at journalism and having true reporting experience,” Spangler said. “A lot of professors and administration don’t realize we are just a bunch of 19 and 20-year-olds that are trying to put this together every week.

“This is our learning experience, and it’s a very public learning experience,” she continued. “It’s a lot harder than you think to put your work out there.”

STAFF of the TD work on the Relays edition. PHOTOS BY ANNA JENSEN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

GRADUATE

Drake graduate students reflect on life beyond undergraduate Hannah Thomas Staff Writer hannah.thomas@drake.edu

Sarah Baldi “Honestly, you take these education classes and I think you do use some of the information you learn, but it’s so different from actually going into a classroom and seeing how it happens. It’s nice to take what we are learning in our classroom setting and turn around to use it in the practicum setting.”

Sarah Baldi was in the middle of earning her first master’s degree when she realized she wanted to do something new.

“I don’t have that ‘when I was a little kid I wanted to be a teacher’ story,” Baldi said.

Her realization came when she was thrown into teaching as part of earning her master’s degree in German at the University of Missouri. She wasn’t sure she would like the experience, but once she started teaching undergraduate German students,

she knew she had found her passion.

“You would see (the students) catching on to different concepts and I guess for me it was nice to know that I helped them or was able to give them tools,” Baldi said. “That made me feel really good, to know that I helped them.”

From there, Baldi started looking into programs that offer the necessary certificates for her to teach German at the high school level. She started looking in Missouri, but soon found that Des Moines, and by extension Drake University, was where she could get the licensure and certification necessary to teach in the United States.

With an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in German, Baldi has changed her career plans drastically since she started her education. Despite the change in vocation, she has always had a focus on helping people in some way.

“As a freshman, I thought I wanted to be a therapist, help everyone with their problems, but then I realized three years

later that it’s not really my thing,” Baldi said. “I like it, but not so much as a career.”

Right now, Baldi is enjoying her practicum experience as she works toward the ability to have her own classroom.

“Honestly, you take these education classes and I think you do use some of the information you learn, but it’s so different from actually going into a classroom and seeing how it happens,” Baldi said. “It’s nice to take what we are learning in our classroom setting and turn around to use it in the practicum setting.”

Right now, Baldi plans to teach German in high school, and eventually she would love to work in Germany.

Leo Farho “My plan had originally been to go straight to a Ph.D. program where I could get my master’s along the way. I like learning so much that the eight-year-long process appealed to me. But I think at some point I was like, I need to be doing something. I need to be taking that knowledge and applying that.”

Education graduate student Leo Farho tried to avoid teaching for as long as possible, but it eventually caught up with her.

“I specifically left (my music major) because I decided I didn’t want to teach music,” she said.

“It’s really funny because right after I dropped that major, citing not wanting to teach as my reason, I got a job as a piano teacher. And I loved it.”

Growing up, she always loved the idea of teaching and would play school. That love is what lead her to start off with a music major, and her decision to leave the major didn’t necessarily lessen her passion for teaching. In fact, Farho credits the decision to pursue an undergraduate degree in English and to take two years off before starting her master’s as the reason for her current career path.

“I think, in the years that I was not in school, I got to explore my own creative writing a lore more,” she said. “I think it gave me a good basis, and when I started here at Drake I knew exactly what I wanted and how I wanted to translate that into a career.”

Farho is in her first year

studying to get her master of arts in teaching secondary education with an English language arts endorsement. She would love to be able to teach creative writing, but really just wants to teach. She loves school, so coming back for her master’s has been a pretty easy transition so far.

“My plan had originally been to go straight to a Ph.D. program where I could get my master’s along the way. I like learning so much that the eight-year-long process appealed to me,” Farho said. “But I think at some point I was like, I need to be doing something. I need to be taking that knowledge and applying that.”

While completing her degree, Farho works at the Young Women’s Resource Center where she leads empowerment programs for middle school girls.

She’s busier than she’s ever been before, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The fact that I had those two years to digest my undergraduate experience really put me in a better place,” Farho said. “(Grad school) can be stressful, but I think it’s worth it.”

features | C4

features | C5

April 23, 2018

FEATURES What defines

Griff ?

CAPTION goes under the photo to give more information to both the photograph and the story. The caption must span the full column length. PHOTO BY CASSANDRA BAUER | PHOTO EDITOR CAPTION goes under the photo to give more information to both the photograph and the story. The caption must span the full column length. PHOTO BY CASSANDRA

The success story of Drake’s beloved bulldog mascot Lórien MacEnulty Features Editor lorien.macenulty@drake.edu @LorienMacenulty Griff seemed euphoric that a member of the Times Delphic was at his house for an interview.

He pranced vivaciously around his house, a mutilated, stuffed elephant between his jaws suffering the expression of the bulldog’s enthusiasm.

Just as he does the elephant, Griff enthusiastically vessels the Drake University brand. Unlike the elephant, Drake’s brand thrives off Griff’s attention and sponsorship. That’s why the English bulldog of brindle and white coat is such a marketing success.

“As a mascot…[Griff] has done incredible things to personify Drake and what we believe in,” said Natalie Adkins, professor of marketing at Drake.

Griff is an extrovert with a busy schedule. He is brother to rescue dog Lottie and Magoo, who was the best friend of late live mascot, Porterhouse. He’s a therapy dog that visits a special education class at Delaware Elementary every month. He has a Twitter account with over 4,000 followers, gets overwhelmingly excited about meal time, and awkwardly ambushes leaves blowing on the ground.

Many of these traits exemplify a concept called anthropomorphization: the process of ascribing human characteristics to non-human entities. Adkins said it is a successful technique employed through live mascot programs at universities. Just like humans, Griff wears shirts and ties, maintains social media accounts and donates to charity. He ‘speaks’ and people treat him like a celebrity.

Griff is even named after a human; the 1908 fottball coach John L. Griffith inspired Drake to adopt the bulldog mascot in the first place. Griffith often brought his two English bulldogs­—“playful pups whose ancestries were among the ritziest in dogdom,” according to a 1951 letter saved in the Cowles Library Archives—to practices and games.

“Yes, we ascribe human

characteristics to him,” Adkins said. “We anthropomorphize all the time. We like to think that he recognizes us. We like to think that when we read the tweets that Erin [Griff’s owner] so craftily puts out that we could hear the dog as if he's actually talking.”

Drake is not the only university to take advantage of anthropomorphization. The Butler University bulldog delivers acceptance letters to prospective students and flaunts over 30,800 Twitter followers. The University of Colorado in Boulder owns a bison that runs across the football field before games to intimidate the opposition. Baylor University has three bears.

By contrast, the English bulldog may seem like a fragile choice for a mascot. They’re smaller and less athletic than American bulldogs and suffer a range of breathing problems, the result of an inbred, smashed snout. Griff’s caretaker and live mascot director Erin Bell said that English bulldogs are prone to other hygiene issues. Bell has to clean Griff’s nose rope (the fold above his nose) and tightlykinked tail to avoid bacterial infection and skin irritation.

Despite their fragility, the bulldog is surprisingly common among university mascots. This begs the question; can we truly consider our wrinkled Griff unique?

Bell finds what Griff brings to Drake is rare.

“Bulldogs are stubborn,” Bell said. “They’re determined.

Once [Griff’s] got his mind set on something it’s impossible to talk him out of it. But at the same time, they’re approachable, they’re lovable, they’re cute in their own unique way. They’re gentle. I mean we’ve got two human toddlers here in our house, and he’s just perfect with them. They’re a really unique animal.”

The live mascot program at Drake hasn’t always been so easygoing. In 1948, Drake’s own Butch II, a troublemaker of a bulldog, was put down after attacking and hospitalizing a 6-year-old girl near campus. Paula Jo Robinson, as she was called, suffered severe wounds to the right eye, forehad, scalp, right leg and arms but no rabies since Butch II was deemed

“ not rabid. The resulting liability forced Drake to discontinue its live mascot program.

The university hosted an array of bulldogs in the past decade, including Old Spike, New Spike and Porterhouse—another Bell bulldog. Drake recommissioned the live mascot program in 2015 with Griff, a process that the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) partially facilitated.

"Our stance, with any animal, is that the animal needs to always be the first consideration,” said Stephanie Filer, ARL Manager of Special Gifts & Partnerships.

“Their welfare needs to be a consideration and equally, public safety needs to be a consideration.

As long as the animal's needs are being met, that they enjoy the job they are being asked to perform, and that they're given adequate time to rest…and really that it's something that they enjoy, then it can be a program that's great for the dog.”

Filer said that having only one

Notable live mascots in Drake history

TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT OT RIGHT Griff at his house. Griff with stuffed elephant toy. Bulldog at Drake’s Blue Oval in mid 1900s, courtesy of Cowles Library Archives. Griff and live mascot director Erin Bell.

Magoo, Griff’s brother, owned also

by Bell. PHOTOS BY LÓRIEN MACENULTY | FEATURES EDITOR

owner offers Griff the stability to perform his mascot duties, which are quite demanding at times.

Bell makes sure Griff’s needs are fulfilled before those of the university are even entertained.

“I love how Drake uses his face,” Bell said. “I’m all for sharing him far and wide, and using his face and stuff. But I am also very protective of him, so if I ever felt like that was being infringed upon, I would definitely speak up. His happiness and his health and his well-being is always my priority, even if that disappoints other people.”

Two ‘piano-leg’ bulldogs— playful pups whose ancestries were among the ritziest in dogdom.

— Les Gates to Don. D.

”

Meiklejohn in 1951 on the English bulldogs of Coach John L. Griffith

C6 | features

April 23, 2018

FEATURES PHOTO COURTESY OF AMIR BUSNOV

FACULTY PROFILES

All-American Refugee

The story of the man admitted to Drake, the United States, the Army and now the office of admissions Katherine Bauer Managing Editor katherine.bauer@drake.edu @bauerkatherine On any given day on Drake University’s campus, the assistant director of admission will walk down the stairs inside Cole Hall with a prospective student and their parents. The assistant director towers over the small family, and his initial appearance is rough and gruff. He seems to try and diminish his size to meet his guests on their level. At the bottom of the stairs, he sticks his hand out and shakes those of the family, a wide smile spreading across his face.

Amir Busnov is this towering figure. His closest friends describe him as a “great, big, bear of a guy.”

“But as soon as he smiles, he puts people at ease,” said David Skidmore, who taught Busnov many years ago when he attended Drake as an undergrad.

And while Busnov tries to diminish his size, he can’t diminish his personality.

“He’s kind of larger than life,” said Graham Gillette, one of Busnov’s closest friends. “He’s such a powerful force.”

Beyond his appearance, Busnov has been described as a “patriot,” a “hero,” and ultimately as the “all-American story.”

But Busnov uses a much humbler word to describe himself, one he’s championed and made his own. Refugee.

become an independent country.

Shortly after the fighting started, turbulence came to Srebrenica. “(Srebrenica) was basically destroyed, burned to the ground, in the early months of the war,” Busnov said. “So my family, and myself included, escaped to another town.”

Busnov was already working as a police officer in Kladanj, the town about 40 miles away from his destructed home. However, he and his family couldn’t escape the artillery fire.

“Everybody was fighting on a daily basis,” Busnov said. “I carried on multiple occasions civilians that had been blown into pieces from machine shell.”

Soon, Busnov’s family realized they had to move on and the United States became their destination. Busnov said he had always wanted to move to America.

“I don’t know for what reason, my entire life, even when I was growing up in Bosnia, I knew I was going to end up in the United

“It’s something I always wanted to do,” he said.

He was deployed three times.

He was an enlisted soldier in Kosovo in 2003, worked as an analyst in Iraq in 2011 and in Afghanistan in 2012.

By joining the National Guard, Busnov was able to become a citizen.

He explained that a friend he met in basic training told him he could get his citizenship without getting a green card first, that a Bush-era executive order allowed active duty members to become citizens.

Busnov recalled going to get his citizenship in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2002.

“I was in Omaha, wearing my uniform. I was talking to a lady, reading a list of questions. ‘Are you ready to bear arms?’ And I said, ‘Are you serious?” And she said, “I’m sorry, we have to ask.’”

Busnov’s patriotism is obvious whether or not he’s wearing his uniform.

“It’s his adopted country, and he’s putting his life on the

“I carried civilians that had been blown into pieces from machine shell.”

Busnov was born over 5,000 miles away from Drake, in a small village in Bosnia called Srebrenica.

“It was pretty quiet, tranquil,” Busnov said of his former home.

Busnov grew up with a communist government, which spread a belief in brotherhood and unity.

“We were raised to believe that everything is nice and dandy,” he said. “We are all equal, that we love each other, that we would never let anyone conquer us or divide us.”

Unfortunately for Busnov and over four million people living in Bosnia, that changed when the communist party fell apart.

“People didn’t have nothing they could rely on,” Busnov said.

“There was nothing else they could organize around other than ethnicity and religious groups.

And that’s what it did. As soon as they did that in ’91, hell broke loose.”

The BBC reported that divisions arose between the three main ethnic groups in Bosnia: Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Croats. The Serbs and Croats wanted to unite with ethnically similar countries, while the Bosnian Muslims wanted to

PHOTO FROM DRAKE WEBSITE States,” he said. “But I never believed it was possible.”

It was possible, but it took several years for Busnov’s entire family to move to the States.

They first moved to Croatia to wait for their U.S. resettlement applications to be approved. His brother arrived first in 1998. His parents and two sisters followed a year later.

Busnov didn’t join his family until 2000.

“That was the first time I had seen my whole family, all in one place, since April of ’92,” he said.

“A lot of tears. A lot of happiness.”

He said it was pretty awkward being the last one to go, but going back to Bosnia wasn’t an option.

“If we had gone back to Bosnia, we would have been refugees living out of somebody’s basement, working for probably a piece of bread a day,” he said.

“He’s an American now.”

Busnov soon National Guard.

joined

the

line,” said Jim Spooner, who has known Busnov for nearly 20 years. “That’s pretty heavy stuff.

And he’s doing it with a source of pride that I think some of us that are less appreciative of what we’ve got could take note of.”

Spooner further explained that military personnel are sometimes able to take home a flag flown at their base, and Busnov was lucky enough to bring one home. But he didn’t keep it for himself. “(He) gave it to my family for helping to take care of his wife and family,” Spooner said. “That’s not something you really want to give up when you’re dedicated to the flag, but he did.”

“He made it look easy.”

Even though the National Guard became a major part of his life, Busnov had some things to get used to living in America.

His close friends said he made it look easy.

“He’s kind of unstoppable,” Graham said. “I don’t want to

minimize how hard it was for the Busnovs to come to a new country, but when he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t let up.”

In Bosnia, Busnov said he learned about American culture from old western movies and from foreign peace keepers. This helped set him up for success once he moved to Des Moines.

“Usually when refugees come over, they have that culture shock because everything is so different,” Busnov said. “I already know how they sort of think.”

He said the one thing he could never really get used to was the food.

“There’s things that you like to eat,” he said. “Culturally, (Bosnians) eat stuff at home, everybody cooks. But you have no places where you are so used to it to go out and have anything.”

Busnov’s favorite Bosnian food is burek, and his mother “is probably the best burek maker between Mississippi and Missouri.”

“He’s such a hungry learner.”

After settling his family in Des Moines and in between deployments, Busnov could be found at work or in a classroom.

“I wanted to study international relations,” Busnov said. “I was dead bent on studying international relations. I thought I’d see the world with it.”

He first attended DMACC to take some general education classes.

“Here’s a guy that speaks four different languages, he’s been around the world, he’s fought for his country, and he has to start right at entry level to make this stuff happen,” Spooner said.

Busnov attended classes during the day and worked at night as a security guard at Prairie Meadows to support his family.

“There’s nothing beneath him because he’s a hard worker,” said Lynn Harper, another long-time friend of Busnov.

After DMACC, all signs were pointing to Drake.

“Somebody I talked to said, ‘Drake’s your best bet,’” Busnov recalled.

He was accepted to the international relations program at Drake in 2005.

“We all wanted him to be successful,” said Eleanor Zeff, one of Busnov’s professors. “We felt he should have every opportunity he could and he was willing to take advantage of it.”

Even though Busnov was at Drake to further his education, numerous professors said he taught others almost as much as they taught him.

“He brought so much into the classroom because he was older and had these extraordinary experiences,” said David Skidmore, another one of Busnov’s professors. “He just brought a maturity of perspective and personal experience to the classroom that really helped the

rest of us think more deeply about the issues we were discussing.”

“He was a very patient and an open person who listened to students, took their perspectives seriously and remained open to dialogue even when things were sometimes difficult for him to talk about,” said Debra DeLaet, another international relations professor.

While Busnov flourished in many aspects of his education, Zeff says one thing Busnov struggled with was writing.

“English was his second language. He was doing higher level work than what his papers would come out as. Obviously, his thinking was much more mature about issues and he was more involved in them, but then he couldn’t quite express it in writing as much as he wanted to,” Zeff said.

Throughout his time at Drake, however, his writing improved.

“I worked really closely with him on a lot of these things and he got better and better and better,” DeLaet said. “And one thing I really appreciated is he sought out the help and was very patient in trying to work on those things because he did want to express himself as well as he could in writing.”

Busnov ended up graduating from Drake in 2007 at the top of his class, receiving the Elsworth P. Woods Prize for being an outstanding international relations student.

After graduating, his education didn’t stop.

“So he decides to gets a masters,” Spooner said. “So he’s got to get into the executive MBA program in international relations. He got admitted to four out of the top five (programs).”

Busnov ended up at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

“All based on not who he knows but what he knows,” Spooner said. “He (went to a school) with career diplomats and high profile executive business people and Amir. He did it all by strapping on the backpack and lacing up his boots. I was already proud of him for that because he showed his real colors there in terms of being among the elite.”

“Iowa Nice is not just an empty phrase.”

After finishing up school, Busnov and his family moved to California for a short time.

However, Des Moines was on his mind.

“I’m attached to this place probably more than any other place,” Busnov said. “This is probably the most welcoming place I’ve ever been in the whole world. Iowa nice is not just an empty phrase.”

After moving back to Des Moines and officially retiring from the military, Busnov was looking for something he could do for the rest of his life.

CONTINUED ON PAGE C8

features | C7

April 23, 2018

FEATURES DEFINE

Student body comprised of half millennial, half Gen-Z Bulldogs respond to divided definition in favor of aggregation

Phong Ly Staff Writer phong.ly@drake.edu

With the last of the previous generation, the millennials, entering the workforce, it is Generation Z’s turn to raid the working world. According to the Pew Research Center, millennials were born between 1981 and 1996. Individuals born after 1996 are considered part of Generation Z (Gen Z). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gen Z makes up 25 percent of the population of the country. Millenials are now at 83.1 million people and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population.

Drake University hosts both millennials and Gen Zers as students. It is possible that the succeeding generation of Bulldogs has a different set of expectations and preferences compared to their predecessors, the millennial bulldogs.

Pharmacy student Michael Lang, a millennial, said it is still too early to tell if there are going to be any significant differences between two generations.

“The reputation that millennials developed didn’t really fully develop until they

started entering the workforce,” Lang said. “Gen Z is just now getting into college.”

According to Dr. Darcie Vandergrift, a Drake sociology professor, these intergenerational terms are just artificial constructs.

“This is a social understanding,” Vandergrift said. “They are a set of feelings, an orientation that are different depending on when somebody becomes placed in the flow of history.”

According to Vandergrift, the one thing that is very popular to talk about regarding this discussion is experiencing childhood with smartphones versus experiencing childhood without smartphones.

“This shapes the way Gen Z sees the arrangement in geopolitics, and therefore see who their allies are and who are they connected with,” Vandergrift said. “Things like interests in Korean films and Bollywood versus interest in Hollywood.”

This shows the effect that technology has on the later generations. Lang said this is simple because these generations were born in the time where the technology revolution took place.

“I believe the stereotype

that both millennials and Gen Z are way more tech savvy is true,” Lang said. “I also would believe that we aren’t as well suited to survive in nature because we have lived in a tech savvy era.”

Lang specified that it is the environment they were born into that introduced and developed those traits in people.

As a millennial, Lang does not think his generational identity carries much weight.

“I’m barely considered a millennial: if I had been born a year or two later, I would be a Gen Z, and would that year or

two really make that much of a difference?” Lang said. “I believe that I am who I am based on how I was raised, and my mother would have raised me the same way whether or not I was a millennial or a Gen Z.” Sophomore Tirfiya Musa, a Gen Zer, agrees with Lang.

She said these generational identities are just another set of labels society is trying to put on people.

“I refuse to be defined by the negative viewpoints that society tries to place on me,” Musa said. “To depict an entire generation by false, preconceived notions is just wrong and childish.”

Vandergrift warned people to not focus too much on just one generation, because then we would risk ignoring the continuity that exists across generations.

“Sometimes the media sets this up as something adversarial, conflict between the two generations,” Vandergrift said. “People at different stages in their lives collaborate, reach out and mentor one another, so there is a lot of mutual support going around too.”

ACADEMICS

CULTURE

Drake prepares twentieth century philosophers

Craft breweries slowly gain weight in Des Moines

Katie Carlton Contributing Writer katie.carlton@drake.edu

There’s a stigma that surrounds a philosophy degree saying that it’s impractical, but Drake University philosophy majors have been able to find practicality in their degrees both in and out of the classroom.

“In your daily life, philosophy helps you identify what you are disagreeing about and potentially resolve the disagreement or live with it,” philosophy major Josh Ladehoff said.

Philosophy professor David Roth said the philosophy courses at Drake provide opportunities to give students a broader perspective and challenge familiar perceptions.

Roth said students have the opportunity to apply these skills in out of class opportunities offered to them by the philosophy department.

“In connection with the comparison project, students have had the opportunity to work on the creation of a book and a video, and it really provides students the significant opportunity to have exchanges,” Roth said.

Philosophy major Kyle Cornell

was given an opportunity by the philosophy department to showcase what he’s learned outside of class.

“I went to a conference that my professor helped me find where I got to present a political philosophy paper that I wrote for one of her classes, and I got to meet people and form connections,” Cornell said.

Ladehoff said the opportunities in his philosophy classes helped him to make better sense of the world around him.

“In the series of justice course, we read foundational texts of the past 50 years that have really shaped where we are today in thinking of justice and fairness and so on. We were able to see these perspectives being discussed outside in the world and how they were relevant to the world,” Ladehoff said.

Roth said that he feels that philosophy classes help students to think about the larger academic enterprise because the courses bring other disciplines into conversation. Students may draw history, sociology and science.

For both Ladehoff and Cornell, who are double majors, they are able to benefit from the interdisciplinary coursework.

Ladehoff is a double major in politics and philosophy, while

Cornell is a double major in creative writing and philosophy.

“I’ve learned a lot about what makes a good or interesting argument. I feel that I can provide interesting thoughts that professors are looking for in their upper classes,” Cornell said.

Roth said studying philosophy could help students that want to enter a variety of different fields after graduation like business or law.

He said some students are hesitant to major in philosophy because they are unsure what to do with it following graduation, but he feels that a philosophy major can compliment another major that may be seen as more applicable.

Ladehoff said he plans to go to either law school or graduate school, while Cornell is interested in studying philosophy in graduate school.

“I think sometimes, looking into a college, that people or parents of people are caught between something that is valuable, but also something that is more than just to make money.

I feel like I really found that in the philosophy program,” Cornell said.

Shannon Rabotski Staff Writer shannon.rabotski@drake.edu @shannonrobot

In recent years, craft beer has been gaining popularity throughout the United States.

An American craft brewer is any brewery that is small, independent and traditional, producing fewer than six million barrels a year, according to the American Brewers Association.

Despite being behind many other large cities in the brew scene, Des Moines’s brewery count has been growing in the past decade, and today the city is home to over 10 breweries, with six of them nestled downtown.

“We’re a little behind the times in the brewing world,” said Mark David, taproom director at Confluence Brewing Company.

“If you look at Denver, there’s probably 100 plus breweries just in Denver alone, so I think there’s a lot of room for new product and breweries in the market.”

The growing youth population of Des Moines is what makes it a good area for breweries to be popping up, David said.

Des Moines’ breweries range from small, local based breweries to large commercial companies that ship beer all over the state.

Peacetree Brewing Company is one of Des Moines’ smaller breweries. Opened in 2009, Peacetree prides themselves in bringing craft beer to Iowa.

Peacetree has grown from a small brewery that hand-delivered their beers to stores around the state, to one of Des Moines’ most well known breweries, with 14 full-time employees that distributes throughout Iowa and Nebraska.

“When we started, we wanted to make some styles of beer that nobody else in Iowa was brewing at the time, and now we try to stick to that same plan. We try to have something a little bit different that nobody else is doing,” said Joe Kesteloot, Peacetree’s head brewer since its opening in 2009.

Despite its development since opening its doors almost a decade ago, Peacetree plans to remain a

local brewery.

“Right now, everybody really supports small and local businesses,” Kesteloot said. “I think that for us, our size has really helped us out.”

On the other hand, Confluence Brewing Company opened in 2012 and has since grown from a small brewery to a large commercial brewery that ships beer to over 550 towns in Iowa.

“We’re here to be a production brewery, not just a little small town taproom-only thing,” David said. “We focus on distribution.”

They started in a small section of a large warehouse, but were able to take over more space as they grew and other tenants left, leaving them three times larger today than they were when their doors opened.

“We were very much about slow growth, instrumental growth,” David said. “We didn’t open up as this huge brewery. We set ourselves up for growth, but it took us a few years to get there.”

Confluence Brewery is the third largest brewery in Iowa in terms of production.

They offer a variety of beers, both year-round and seasonal, with their most popular being their Des Moines IPA. “I think something that people don’t realize is that we’re not just making the same handful of beers year-round,” David said. “We’re constantly making new products, finding new stuff.”

Though Des Moines’ brewery scene can pale (ale) in comparison to that of larger cities, it is up and coming and has been growing every year.

“

We try to have something a little bit different that nobody else is doing.

”

C8 | features

April 23, 2018

FEATURES

STUDENT LIFE

FACULTY PROFILE

Amir Busnov CONTINUED FROM PAGE C6

Humans of

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Michael Meyer, Ren Culliney and Jamie Rusan. Humans of Drake is a weekly column that humanizes and highlights Drake students and faculty. PHOTO BY HALLIE O’NEILL | DIGITAL EDITOR

Hallie O’Neill Digital Editor hallie.oneill@drake.edu

Ren Culliney “I don’t really know much about sports, so for me, Relays is more of a social thing. I’ve gained a few really close friends over the past few months and I’m looking forward to having a good time with them.”

Ren Culliney, a sophomore studying writing and rhetoric, media and social change with a concentration in women’s and gender studies, is currently working on their third draft of a novel. It’s an urban fantasy that incorporates a mafia, tarot readings and swirling elements of conspiracy.

Culliney’s dream is to be published, but it’s not so easy.

“There’s a queer relationship, and one of the protagonists is an older black woman, and my main protagonist is a Chinese trans guy,” Culliney said.

“Publishers don’t want to publish that, because they don’t think that they’re going to make any money off of that, which isn’t true because there’s a ton of young queer people out there that are like, thirsting for queer lit that isn’t just about, ‘She came out, and now she’s sad.’ (Something) that isn’t just tragedy.”

Culliney looks to writer Maggie Stiefvater for encouragement, who they said possesses a beautiful command of language.

Culliney also enjoys knitting, and as a self-proclaimed sufferer of “project-start-itis,” they’re currently working on socks, a scarf, a blanket and a pillow.

Culliney’s main wish for their Drake career is to impact changes in inclusivity on campus— specifically, they said, in the wake of certain events that occurred

post-election.

“There was a big shift in the (campus) climate, and we’ve seen a lot of instances of hurtful behavior since then,” they said.

“I would like to see that not be happening when I graduate. I would like to see more inclusivity in actual, tangible policies.”

In five years, Culliney would like to live under the reign of President Michelle Obama and Vice President Elizabeth Warren.

They’d also like to write for a living, using their words to affect change. “(It’s) really useful for people of marginalized identities to share their stories, and you see that a lot in creative nonfiction,” Culliney said. “I think that writing can definitely be activism in that kind of way—broadening other people’s worldviews.”

Jamie Rusan “Hopefully I’m able to hang out with my friends, let my hair down a little bit. It’s towards the end of the semester and it’s been so stressful … hopefully there’s a party on the weekend, then I can show off my dance moves.”

First-year Jamie Rusan, a member of Drake’s pre-pharmacy program, is a total family man.

His close relationship with his mother was part of the inspiration for his career path.

“Around my sophomore year in high school, my mom got sick,” Rusan said.“She was diagnosed with TTP. It’s this blood disorder where your blood clots too much.

She was taking a lot of medicine, and it sort of interested me while I was taking care of her. Maybe this is something I want to do in the future.”

Along with his rigorous course schedule, Rusan is also a Crew scholar, holds a position on the Student Government Association,

completes volunteer work and is a member of the Engaged Citizen Corps.

He does it all with his family in mind.

“The most important thing to me is trying to give my family a better life, since I’m at the disposition now where I can do that,” Rusan said. “Growing up, I felt so powerless. I couldn’t help my mom because she was a single parent…I feel like being here at Drake is giving me the opportunity to make something of myself so I can support them and help them in the way that they deserve.”

On the rare occasion Rusan finds himself with some free time, he enjoys playing basketball and volleyball, spending time with his friends and listening to old school pop and R&B. With five Drake years left to go, Rusan is anticipating his education with positivity—as he does with all other things in life.

“I want to be able to know that I did as much as I can to extract as much knowledge and as many opportunities that I can from Drake, so I can reach my best potential in being a pharmacist,” Rusan said.

Michael Meyer “I’m hoping for some better weather than in years past. My favorite part of Relays is that there are a lot of festivities going on, so there is always something to do.”

Junior Michael Meyer, an accounting and finance double major, was hesitant to be interviewed, claiming he’s “not really a quirky type of guy.”

But here’s a quirk: he eats, sleeps and breathes accounting.

This semester, Meyer works 25 hours a week at Clifton, Larson, Allyn, takes two Drake accounting

classes among other coursework, is president of accounting club Beta Alpha Psi and tutors in the subject.

“I came here for actuarial science, and that didn’t go so well,” Meyer said.

Luckily, he’s found his niche.

He wants to be a tax accountant, either for personal or corporate tax.

His tutoring gig, however, illuminates another one of his skills.

“I’ve always thought about teaching,” Meyer said. “I think it’d be a good back-up plan if I get sick of the corporate world.”

Meyer also flexes his ability to lead in Beta Alpha Psi, which was revamped this academic year as a result of the business school’s reaccreditation. This fall, he’ll take the club to a national meeting in Washington, D.C. “It’s enjoyable because I know most of (the members) since the accounting population is a little smaller than most majors,” Meyer said.

He’s accustomed to thriving in close-knit circles. Meyer grew up in small-town Minnesota where he built strong friendships and fully immersed himself in sports.

He still plays soccer and baseball through Drake intramurals, but saves golf for the summertime.

His family is extremely important to him, and he attributes his values of hard work and honesty to them. His family, along with his small community back home, keep him grounded.

“I like the diverseness that comes with a larger city, but I like that small community feeling,” Meyer said. “It builds stronger friendships. I’m still close with my friends back home.”

“I called him and said you need to think about this,” Graham recalled sending Busnov an opening in the admission office at Drake.

That’s how Busnov became the assistant director of admission.

He now travels to high schools and college fairs, telling prospective students about Drake.

“I don’t have to sell them anything,” he said. “I tell them my experience. Talking to students is the best part of the job for me.”

When he’s not spreading the word about Drake, Busnov has spread the word about immigrants, refugees and Muslims “Des Moines is very lucky to have him,” Harper said. “I think of him kind of as an ambassador in Des Moines because so many people know him.”

Busnov wrote an opinion entitled “Terrorists are driven by hate, not Islam” for The Des Moines Register two years ago.

“That took a lot of courage,” Lynn says. “In the one he wrote about Islam, it got some good reaction. But there are also some who criticized him or criticized his view. So, I think it takes a lot of courage to stand up.”

His friends say Busnov is allAmerican even though his story didn’t start here.

“The reason I like talking about Amir is… he wasn’t like you and I, born in the United States,” Spooner said. “He came to us not by accident of birth but by delivery of choice. He’s certainly given me an appreciation for the struggles of people coming to the United States. It’s made me a lot more proud to know him.”

And while many say he’s a success story, Busnov and those who know him know refugees looking to come to America are facing steep challenges.

Busnov speculates that President Trump’s attempts at travels bans on majority Muslim countries, had they been in place 20 years ago, would have kept someone like him from coming to the states.

“What he’s trying to do is not what this country’s about,” Busnov says. “They’re trying to rewind everything that was accomplished for the last 60 years.”

Those who have met Busnov find it difficult to imagine their lives without him.

“Amir humanizes these issues,” DeLaet said. “The word refugee, I think sometimes people think it evokes sympathy sometimes it evokes pity. But too often it doesn’t evoke a sense of a real human being. So Amir appear puts a real human face on these issues.”

“We need to see refugees and hear the stories of refugees who have been success stories like Amir because there are so many other people who are talking about the negative aspects of refugee resettlement,” Lynn said.

“People need to be reminded of that.”

“Things will get taken care of.”

It’s been nearly two decades since Busnov left Bosnia and started his new life in Des Moines.

While he’s had a strong impact on those who have met him here, he says that getting older makes “you kind of miss the opposite things.” “(I miss) the relaxed atmosphere back in Bosnia,” he said. “Nobody’s in a hurry. You don’t worry about it. Things will get taken care of.”

Busnov said working at Drake is something he could do for the rest of his life. His friends say he could be a teacher or even an ambassador someday. But whatever he ends up doing, he’ll continue sharing his story and leaving them with a positive impression of what it means to be a refugee.

sports | D1

April 23, 2018

SPORTS

PHOTO BY JD PELEGRINO | STAFF WRITER

D2

Former Relays competitor Brian Hardin is back now as the athletic director of Drake. He shares about his Blue Oval days and his path back to Drake.

D3

Women’s head basketball coach Jennie Barancyzk is on the road to building a dynasty at Drake. The TD caught up with her to ask about recruiting, social media and her unabashed love for her job.

D5

Running a team relay event creates a strong bond. This group of women have stretched that bond off the track.

TRACK & FIELD

Unique Pre-Race Routines Prepare Athletes to Perform Track & Field requires long-term focus leading up to events; three athletes weigh in JD Pelegrino Staff Writer john.pelegrino@drake.edu @jddontdrop Everybody has their own routine. No matter what the hobby, career or activity, everyone does it their own way.

Athletes are no different.

Jackie Robinson used to rub dirt from the batter’s box on his hands before at-bats.

Jason Kidd blew a kiss with his left hand before shooting free throws during his NBA career.

While some routines are sillier than others, the goal is the same: get mentally and physically prepared for the task at hand.

Here’s a look at some Relays competitors who have a quirk of their own in their race preperation.

Malik Metivier

Malik Metivier refuses to jump before a race. He just won’t do it. And the Drake University sophomore likes to jump.

He runs 400 hurdles primarily, but also the 110 hurdles and is on the 4x4 team. He’s that rare combination of being fast as a leaper. But if he jumps before a race for warm-ups, it’s like he has lead in his feat.

He claims that every time throughout his career he has jumped before his events, he has done a terrible job.

“I can’t describe for the life of me why that happens, but that’s the biggest ‘no’ I could ever have.

I will never, the rest of my life, jump before a race. I just can’t jump,” Metivier said.

He’s too scared to even try it now.

Metivier isn’t alone in his odd superstition.

Athletes, particularly track and field athletes, have unique pre-event rituals that, in their minds, might help them win.

Sanya Richards-Ross, a former-sprinter for the USA from 2004-2012, always had to wear the necklace with a bullet attached to it that her mother gave her because her mom told her that she was, “faster than a speeding bullet.”

Jillian Camarena-Williams threw shot put in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. She always had to wear a yellow ribbon her grandmother gave her around her ponytail.

Metivier doesn’t jump, but he does listen to opera. For 90 minutes before he warms up for each race. Opera and slow jazz.

He said that he has a hard time focusing, especially during bus rides to meets.

Early on in his career, someone recommended Metivier listen to this type of music to calm his central nervous system so it can “recharge” him for the race.

Metivier said that this is the only way he can calm down his whole body to prepare for a race.

One of his teammates, sophomore Max Harlan, might know why.

anthropology at the University of San Francisco who has studied superstition in baseball for decades.

He said superstitions are more prevalent in areas where the outcomes may be uncertain.

Some examples may include a test in school, first date or a job interview.

“And so sports — in which every night brings a new competition to be won or lost — are a natural incubator for them,” Gmelch said.

Harlan competes in the multis at Drake, which is the decathlon during outdoor season.

He also listens to a similar type of music before his races. Harlan

listens to musical theatre the whole day leading up to his events and sometimes the day before as well.

“The story really helps me, helps distract me and kind of escape from the nerves,” Harlan said.

Cooper Jazo

University of Illinois pole vaulter Cooper Jazo has a wardrobe requirement for each meet. Jazo has to wear blue compression shorts.

He does not know why, but insists on wearing them for every meet, including this year’s Relays.

He’s got other quirks. When he’s pole vaulting outside, he

always spits on his hands for grip. He also has a short series of preparatory actions before each run.

“Before I go each time, I apparently either chalk up, sort of slap my legs a little bit, like tap my chest.

“I slap my legs to warm them up and I tap my chest to represent the block that represents U of I. If I didn’t do those two things during meets, it just psychs myself out to think I’ll do bad. After performing the same rituals before each and every run, it becomes accustomed to how I can succeed,” Jazo said.

Max Harlan

Writer Joe DeLessio wrote an article about athletes’ superstitions, where he cites George Gmelch for a more indepth analysis.

Gmelch is a professor of

RIGHT MINDSET Harlan (left) and Metivier (right) enjoy a walk back to the blocks during a practice session. Both prepare for their events with a more relaxed genre of music. PHOTO BY JD PELEGRINO | STAFF WRITER

D2 | sports

April 23, 2018

SPORTS

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFILE

Brian Hardin makes his Relays debut as athletic director Twenty years after running on the Blue Oval in high scool, Hardin returns JD Pelegrino Staff Writer john.pelegrino@drake.edu @jddontdrop On Oct. 31, 2017, Des Moines native Brian Hardin was announced as Drake’s next director of athletics.

Hardin claimed the role on Dec. 11, 2017, as Drake’s seventeenth athletic director, succeeding Sandy Hatfield Clubb who served as the University’s athletic director from 2007-2017.

This will be Hardin’s first Drake Relays since competing in them as an athlete in high school and college.

He attended Valley High School, where he graduated in 1998.

During his time at Valley, Hardin had the opportunity to compete in two Relays on the Blue Oval of Drake University: his junior and senior years.

In 1997 and 1998 he ran the 4x4, 4x2 and the distance relay medley, running in about 10 Relays races overall. He advanced to the finals in high school.

“The place was packed, because (former Olympic Sprinter) Michael Johnson was here, and that was my literal brush of greatness, when I literally ran into Michael Johnson moments before his 200-meter invitational,” said Hardin when remembering his first Relays in 1997.

Hardin snuck onto the back stretch of the track, which he claims nobody is supposed to do during a meet, to meet the former Olympian who set the world record in the men’s 200-meter in 1996.

Hardin could not pass up the opportunity to meet his favorite athlete of the time.

By the time he realized he should be preparing for his own race, thirty minutes from the gun, he ran into his idol.

“I literally ran into a what I thought was a brick wall, and it was him. I fell down, and I looked up, and he’s 6’ 2” cut from granite, and he doesn’t even feel me,” Hardin said.

“He just swatted me away like I was some fly, and he just kept walking to his blocks and got in, where he ran an amazing race.”

Hardin was raised around Drake and born to compete in the Relays. Both of his parents are Drake alumni.

Bob and Jan Hardin graduated with bachelor’s degrees from the School of Education in 1973.

Bob teaches and coaches cross country at Valley High School in West Des Moines.

After high school, the Drake athletic director took his talents as an athlete and student to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about five hours from his childhood home.

While enrolled at Marquette, Hardin worked as a student assistant in the sports marketing and sports information departments.

He competed in the same track events, while attending Marquette. For his senior year, Hardin was elected captain of the team.

Unfortunately, the teams Hardin was a part of throughout his four years at college never qualified for championships.

Immediately after graduation, Hardin interned for the sports information department at Loyola University of Chicago.

The internship at LoyolaChicago set him up to keep moving forward in his career.

After the Loyola internship, he accepted another internship on the media relations team for the Chicago Bears.

This internship led to a twoyear stint with the Bears as the media relations coordinator from 2004-2006.

In July of 2006, Hardin left the Bears organization to become the director of football media relations at the University of Notre Dame.

At Notre Dame, Hardin worked with head coach Brian Kelly, players and assistant coaches while serving as the primary day-to-day liaison with the media. Hardin held interviews and helped with gameday operations.

After six years at Notre Dame, in February of 2013, Hardin took on the role of deputy athletics director for external affairs at Ball State University.

In this role, Hardin had oversight of the media relations, marketing, corporate relationships and ticketing departments.

Just like at Notre Dame, at Ball State, he focused on a variety of sports as he was the primary sport administrator for the women’s cross country and track and field teams and men’s and women’s swim and dive programs.

Hardin also worked closely with the both the football and baseball programs for a number of years.

“Under his guidance, Ball State enjoyed significant increases in overall attendance and ticket revenue in numerous sports.

Highlights of the growth included dramatic progress in student support, thanks in large part to the development of a successful rewards program,” according to gomarquette.com.

In Hardin’s last five months at Ball State, he stepped into the role of interim director of athletics.

In June of 2015, Hardin returned to his alma mater, Marquette, to serve as the deputy athletic director.

At Marquette he managed committees that supported the athletics department through revenue generation, community engagement, fan development initiatives and promotion of the department itself.

Hardin traveled back home to Des Moines, Iowa, in December 2017 to act as the director of athletics for Drake University.

He has already made a large impact at Drake, bringing a new men’s basketball coach in April 2018, and is only working to improve Drake athletics even more.

This will be Hardin’s first Relays since competing, but now from his role as Athletic Director.

“There’s just a different electricity at the Relays than at any other meet you’re at, whether it’s high school or college,” Hardin said. This appears to be a perspective shared by the athlete’s themselves.

Malik Metivier is currently a sophomore on the track team at Drake. He is a hurdler and is on the 4x4 team.

According to Mativier, it is the atmosphere itself that makes the Drake Relays something unique.

“I can honestly say I just like being in that atmosphere, being around a lot of track fans, watching international and mid-collegiate track and field… there’s nothing better than that,” Metivier said.

As an athlete, Relays weekend is unforgettable.

“For that one weekend, we kind of get a sense of maybe what other football and basketball players at bigger schools feel like every time they step onto the court or field,” Hardin said.

However, the Drake Relays affect much more than the athletes competing.

They provide fun for the local Drake community, Des Moines, students, family/friends of athletes and everybody in between.

Hardin is particularly fond of the Drake Relays because of the people who contribute, show up

BOUNCIN’ AROUND Hardin has been on quite a journey since leaving Des Moines in 1998, moving up the athletic ladder with relative speed as he proved his worth at each stop. PHOTO BY DRAKE ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION and show support.

“To me it comes down to the people. It’s the people that help run the meet that are really

knowledgeable that do a great job of getting things prepared… and the fans really appreciate and have a great knowledge of track

and field. It’s the little things,” Hardin said.

Brian Hardin Career Timeline 1997

Hardin debuts as a Relays athlete, representing Valley High School

1998

Graduates from Valley and enrolls at Marquette University

2002

Graduates from Marquette and begins internship at Loyola-Chicago

2004

Becomes Media Relations Coordinator for Chicago Bears

WHERE

FRESH & FAST MEET ®

2006

Becomes Director of Football Media Relations at Notre Dame

2013

Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs at Ball State

2014/15

Named Interim Athetic Director at Ball State

2015

Deputy Athletic Director at alma mater Marquette

2017

Returns to Des Moines as Athletic Director at Drake

WE DELIVER! VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU

sports | D3

April 23, 2018

SPORTS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Keeping up with coaches; Jennie Baranczyk interview Coach Baranczyk talks about her coaching evolution, recruiting and social media

DES MOINES is home to Coach Baranczyk and it is where she plans to stay for the forseeable future. noting that she still has plenty of things to achieve here before she considers departing. PHOTO

BY MADDIE TOPLIFF | STAFF WRITER

Maddie Topliff Assistant Relays Editor maddie.topliff@drake.edu @Top_Dog30 Head coach Jennie Baranczyk of the Drake University women’s basketball team has proved for the past six seasons that she has what it takes to produce a championship squad, attracting thousands of fans to the Knapp Center for every home matchup.

However, Baranczyk may have become the biggest Drake advocate of all.

Baranczyk has considered Des Moines her home for years.

The city was where her basketball career started to heat up, winning the high school state championship twice on behalf of West Des Moines’ DowlingCatholic school district.

She didn’t stray far from home for college either, choosing the University of Iowa to continue both her academic and athletic careers.

Before coming to Drake and before being able to claim Des Moines as her home once more, Baranczyk had the opportunity right out of college to explore a handful of assistant coaching positions at Kansas State University, Marquette University and Colorado University, picking up pieces of coaching advice at every stop along the way.

The first stop on her coaching journey was Kansas State, where she said she learned a lot of behind-the-scenes details and was at times very humbled by the surprises that came along with the transition into coachhood.

“You come out of college and you think you know exactly what you’re gonna do and you think you know how you’re gonna do it,” she said.

“You think ‘I know how it should be done’ and then you realize all of a sudden–bam– there’s this whole other way how to do it...I definitely went through that, but I had the opportunity to learn from so many people.”

Another very important skill Baranczyk started to learn at Kansas State was how to coach an experienced, older team and a batch of newcomers and found

out that coaching isn’t a one-sizefits-all approach At Marquette, Baranczyk learned that atmosphere and competitive nature of Division 1 athletics sometimes require staff to balance the coaching position and one’s values, but with the right mindset, it’s possible.

“You can make sure that when you’re a leader, you can keep those core values in place,’ Finally, at Colorado, Baranczyk was tasked with starting from the beginning, having been the first hire on a brand new coaching staff. Time and energy dynamics were two large components in this position.

“You gotta put time in the right places; where does your energy go?” she said. How do you start to connect all these dots?”

In 2012, Baranczyk returned home and accepted her first head coach position from the Drake women’s basketball team.

Although she was back on her old stomping grounds, she didn’t initially realize how special Drake was and considers herself really lucky to have found that out.

“I think (Drake) is a hidden gem; I think it’s one that even the city of Des Moines doesn’t always understand how fantastic this place really is,” Baranczyk said.

Baranczyk accredits a lot of the Drake atmosphere to the students that make up campus.

“There’s a different kind of student here,” she said. “They’re problem-solvers...they’re teamoriented.”

Being team-oriented and being able to solve problems are both skills that Baranczyk hopes to instill upon her players especially before they make the transition from student to real-world adult.

Perhaps her favorite life lesson to promote, however, is for people to find what they’re passionate about and then pursue it with their whole hearts without fear of ridicule.

“Sometimes, we try to be careful because we want to protect ourselves,” she said. “And you know what? You can fall down, and that’s okay. It’s how you get back up.”

After all, the Drake women ranked ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference during

Baranczyk’s first year.

As much as she shares messages of persistence, confidence and passion, it’s no mystery why her

team has won two consecutive MVC tournaments the past two seasons.

A full version of the interview

will be available on our website during Relays to watch.

FULL INTERVIEW will be available to watch on the Times-Delphic website on Thursday April 26.

SPORTS EDITOR

PHOTO BY JOSH COOK |

D4 | sports

April 23, 2018

SPORTS

TRACK & FIELD

Mary Young prepares for her last Relays after great career Obama was still in his first presidential term the last time Young wasn’t at Relays Noah Manderfeld Contributing Writer noah.manderfeld@drake.edu @ManderfeldNoah Mary Young has a good idea of what the Drake Relays are. After competing in three relays in high school, she is getting ready for her fourth and final collegiate attempt - her seventh time overall at the annual event.

Young grew up in Urbandale, Iowa, and began to flourish at the high school level. A specialist in the 100-meter hurdles, she took home two consecutive victories in that event her junior and senior year of high school, breaking a record in the latter year at state.

“That was crazy, I really wanted to finish strong,” Young said.

She finished with a mark of 14.62 seconds, second best in Urbandale girls track and field history.

These two victories were some of her more impressive highlights, she always thought mostmost highly of the Relays. “[In high school], Relays was more important than state honestly, cause that was when everyone could compete against, no matter, if it was 4A or 3A,” Young said. “Everyone was there and the crowd was always just amazing.”

During her senior year, she committed to Drake. Then she showed her talent on the Blue Oval, where she would compete on for the next four years. In the third, and final, Relays and final oneof her high school career, she showed off her true talent to the state. She not only won her best event, the 100m hurdles, she broke a Relay’s high school record with a time of 14.30 seconds.

Now having been with Drake for four years, Young has a lot of experience under her belt. In her Drake career, she’s been AllConference in the Missouri Valley Conference, had a trip to the NCAA Regionals in the 100-meter hurdles and a first-place finish in the Georgia Relays. While she is has a lot of first place finishes, she is still most proud of her third place finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays, her

RELIABLE Young has been an inredibly dependable athlete during her time at Drake; something teammates and coaches give credit to her work ethic for.

PHOTO BY NOAH MANDERFELD | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

best Relays finish in her collegiate career. “[The third-place finish] is crazy for me because I am competing against girls that are Olympic trial qualifiers and SEC champions,” Young said.

She isn’t wrong about the increased competition. Last year, she ran against—and defeated— Valerie Thames, a Missouri University record holder in the event, competed against Chantel Ray, who placed fourth in the Big Ten Championships, as well as Jayla Stewart, who qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Round.,

“(Placing) third was just way past what I thought I could do,” Young said.

Sophomore Malik Metivier, a hurdler as well, says that Young is able to do this because of her work ethic.

“She just works hard and she always keeps a good attitude about her, so whenever things aren’t going well you can kind of level with her,” Metiver said.

Heading into these Relays, getting third again will not be an easy task. Having just began the outdoor season after moving from the indoors,

Relays will be only their fourth time competing outdoors this season. Ngonidzasbe Makushba, an assistant coach for Drake, says with the move to outdoors from indoors will take a bit of adjustment before she’s ready.

“She is a seasoned athlete. She knows what works for her, when to perform, so we just have to give her time to get her strides together.”

Some of the difficulties in moving outdoors is the addition of wind, which can make times more of a variable, and the addition of four more hurdles for

a total of ten.

While the Relays may not be the end, the event may be the beginning of the end, something Young is beginning to realize.

“I have had a lot of good success at the Drake Relays, it is always been very near and dear to my heart,” Young said.

Her final goal? To continue to improve.

“Hopefully I can get down to 13 (seconds) flat,” Young said, “That has been my goal since freshman year.”

WARMUPS take place on a chilly day in Des Moines. Young is preparing for team Relay events in addition to her solo events in her final Drake Relays performance. PHOTO BY NOAH MANDERFELD | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Personal Best

Personal Best

Outdoor 100 m

Outdoor 200 m

12.82 seconds

24.73 seconds

Personal Best 100 m hurdles 13.38 seconds School Record

Personal Best

Personal Best

110 m hurdles

400 m hurdles

13.51 seconds

1:01.14

sports | D5

April 23, 2018

SPORTS

TRACK & FIELD

Teamates to roomates to friends; the origin of a squad Four Drake athletes open up about the development of their friendship through track, and the funny story that started it all Aryana Anderson Contributing Writer aryana.anderson@drake.edu

“Stick,” Mary Young shouted.

“Stick,” Rai Ahmed-Green replied.

Breathless shouts for the baton are barely heard in the stadium as relay teams practice their handoffs forfrom the upcoming track events.

This relays team is unique.

Disregarding the records set by these women on the track, three-fourths ¾ of the 4xX1 teamrunners are roommates and have been for three3 years.

The precision in which the baton is handed off for these runners is derived from their family-like relationship shared between Rai Ahmed-Green, Kaylen Rettig, Taryn Rolle and Mary Young.

“You can switch to Zumba freshmen year,” Ahmed-Green said. “You were menestrating.”

“You mean menstruating,” Young said.

“So we had to run to Ttarget,” Ahmed-Green said.. “I had to drive because Coach Bennett, he was freaking out, because he was a dude and she was on her period.

I drove.”

“Yeah she drove,” Young continued.. ”And, I was like, she kinda mad at the beginning but it was funny. Next thing you know we are all hanging out on the track.”

“Track brought us together,.”

Ahmed-Green added.

“Not necessarily...like kinda,” Rolle said.. “The track team always had a high population of black people doing sprint, jumps, hurdles. So, it’s like you gravitate towards most of the people… that’s just who I am” “So, yeah. It was mostly track and blackness,.” Ahmed-Green said.

Although these girls are like family, their friendship was catalyzed by their living situation.

“Our coach picked out our roommates,” Ahmed- Green said.

“Kaylen was assigned to me,” Young said. “So, I met her during orientation.”

“Yeah. I signed late,” AhmedGreen said, “And I lived in Stalnaker instead of Harriot with all the athletes.”

“I was in Harriot because of my FYS,.” Rolle said. “I actually roomed with a tennis player. But I remember the first day, I’m peeking my head ‘cause two black girls are moving next to me. Then we found out that we were on the track team.”

Although they were scattered

NEARING THE FINISH of their collegiate careers, these Drake athletes begin to reflect on their time here. From left to right: Rettig, Rolle, Young & AhmedGreen. PHOTO BY ARYANA ANDERSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER across different residence halls their first year at Drake University, Ahmed-Green, Rettig, Rolle and Young shared room 270 in Goodwin-Kirk their sophomore year. And then Room 336 in West Village their junior year.

“At first, I was nervous about us living all together,” Rolle said.

“Mary and Kaylen always had people over and were always loud.

But when we got the quad in GK, everything worked out. And, now that most of us have boyfriends, I think we all chilled out.”

From Sunday services at church to going to the shooting range, they have become best -friends.

“They’ve been here together

for four years,” said Nginidzashe Makusha, one of their coaches.

“Obviously, they’re comfortable with each other; which is really just great being on the track team having the building friendships … That’s what I see with them.

They’re just not teammates.

They’re really, like, close friends and more like a family . . .like sisters and friends.”

Since their first year at Drake, the track team has had three different coaching staffs. The transition from each administration has been hard on the team and even harder on these four seniors. To help the team get through this tough time of change, Ahmed-Green, Rettig,

Rolle and Young have taken on leadership and mentor roles to solidify the track team as a family.

“My favorite thing about Mary is that, not only are we hurdles sisters, she has always been a leader for me,” said Bryce Lang, a member on the women’s track team. “My favorite thing about Rai is that she is very strong willed. She knows when things aren’t right and will always speak up for those who won’t.

My favorite thing about Kaylen is that she is very resilient. Taryn is like the mom to me. She is a hard worker and has been there to show it all pays off. “ Relays is an exciting time for the relay teams. They get to run

together and watch each other compete in their different events.

This will most likely be the last time that they will step onto the track.

“Most of us don’t really plan on doing track after,” AhmedGreen said. “So, when that’s your last race, that is your last race on the track. There’s only two races after that. It’s the closing of your year and your Drake career.”

Drake Rrelays will always be a staple in their friendship. It was the first meet that they raced together and it will be one of the last ones that they will compete in together.

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D6 | sports

Apr. 23, 2018

CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE CBPA

2018 CBPA SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Sophomore Leadership Alpha Kappa Psi GoldbergAward

Ben Backstrom Community Scholarship

Macy Fuller Benjamin Schultz Drew Breun

CBPA Leadership Council

Reed Bailey Jack Brokaw Austin Christensen Hanna Christianson Wonqwui Chun Ben Danile Nick Finney Zoey Glenn Janina Goncalves Parker Grant McKenna Haase Erin Hirter Benjamin Lacke Brooke Lofgren Brittany McQueen Daniel Newsome Justin Nolan Aashka Patel Alex Peterson Claire Peterson Emily Petrowski Jack Richards Kyle Rittmuller Trevor Scheiderer Kevin Vaughan-Carber Vidya Vello Giang Oung Taylor Wahlberg Claire Witte Robert Wolak

Kappa Psi Scholorship Certificate and Key Award Alexandra Klein Adam Cloe Allison Smith Haley Morris Madeline Young Benjamin Troester Kate McCoy Madison Gildersleeve Ian Miller Taylor Monkman

Undergraduate of the Year

Phi Chi Theta Fraternal Socialization Excellence Award

Samuel Bermke

Alpha Kappa Psi Graduating Seniorof the Year Ryan Hultman

Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key Award Adam Cloe Allison Smith Madeline Young Benjamin Troester Kate McCoy Madison Gildersleeve Ian Miller Taylor Monkman

Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Upperclassman Michael Meyer

Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Underclassman Dylan Brockway

Delta Sigma Pi Graduating Senior of the Year Matthew Van Herzeele

Delta Sigma Pi Undergraduate of the Year Jenny Goodale

Phi Chi Theta Professional Excellance Award Jack Brokaw

Phi Chi Theta Community Service Award

Zach Heller

Phi Chi Theta Engagement Excellence Award Mary Piegors

Phi Chi Theta 200 Hours of Service Award Derrick Fridley Lexi Cross

Phi Chi Theta 400 Hours of Service Award Jack Brokaw

Gamma Iota Sigma Outstanding Achievement Award Ryan Skotzke

The School of Accounting Service Award Michael Meyer

Outstanding Economics Student Award Benjamin Lacke

Outstanding Entreprenurial Management Student Award Ryan Hultman

Outstanding Finance Student Award Giange (Jade) Vuong

Outstanding Sr. Actuarial Science Student Award Sarah Frantik

Outstanding1styearActuarial ScienceStudentAward

Aisya Lazim

Atikah Puteri Abdul Aziz Alex Adler Ty Albrecht Muhammad Azam Ali Nicholas Andersen Ming Tong Ang Lucas Austin Mallory Baber Lauren Bascio Alaina Bautista Chun How Beh Miin Chyi Beh Hasif Azfar Bin Johari Matthew Bluhm Morgan Bohlman Charles Bollmann Daniel Boorman Hannah Boyd Jack Brokaw Brandon Bullock Chase Busch Alek Butkus Blake Caluzzi Jonathan Caracci Shayla Carey Cody Casaubon Dustin Casey Daniel Cates Caroline Cauldwell Lauren Ceplecha Christopher Cerreta Pei Yu Cheng Na Young Choi Min Yi Chong Keegan Christensen John Christiano Hanna Christianson Won Qwui Chun Grant Cirks Paul Ciszewski Kasey Clary Nathan Clayberg Alec Clement Chloe Clinton Adam Cloe Douglas Cochrane Matthew Craven Rebecca Crepeau Alexis Cross Matthew Cushman Kathryn Dale Noah Daniels Benjamin Danile Courtney Day Madison Dean Samuel Dee Stephan Del Rio Zachary DeLeon Ndeye Dieng Austin Dismond Peter Doebler Ryan Drake Cody Drilling

Jacob Sabella Ben Heidt

Ben Erickson

Outstanding Information Systems Student Award Marisa Macho

Outstanding Data Analytics Student Award

Award

Courtney Luib Nathan Ruplinger

Junior Leadership Award

Rachel Youngquist Noah Daniels Austin Christensen

Senior Leadership Award

Rebecca Crepeau Benjamin Lacke

Daren Teng

Outstanding International Business Student Award

FirstYear Community Service Award

Ann Hunhoff Kyle Rittmueller

Lucas Austin

The Mabry Miller Management Student Award Monica Burich

Outstanding Marketing Student Award Erin Hirter

Society of CPA’s Outstanding Accounting Student Mary Piegors

Make It Matter Alec Clement Elena Hildenbrandt Joseph Sienkiewicz

CBPA Ambassador of the Year Ben Schultz

CBPA Ambassador Outstanding New Member Kaysha Murphy

CBPA Ambassador Outstanding Graduating Senior Ben Lake

FirstYear Leadership Award Aashka Patel Trey Newman

Sophomore Community Service Award

Sydney Walther Jordan Brockway

Junior Community Service Award

Elena Hildebrandt Parker Grant

Senior Community Service Award

Mary Piegors Derrick Fridley

Graduating Seniors with a 4.0

Adam Cloe Madison Gildersleeve Alexandra Klein Vincent Choon Weng Kok Kate McCoy Ian Miller Taylor Monkman Haley Morris Allison Smith Benjamin Troester Ming Yee Wong Madeline Young

Outstanding Underclassperson of the year award Linda Fiorito

CBPA Outstanding Senior of the Year Award

Haley Morris

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATING SENIORS Khiry Dukes Robert Dumas Michael Dunn Nor Adlin Izurin Dzulkifli Jennifer Echterling Gabriel Edel Bradley Egan Fatou Eldridge Alexander Engelbert Steven Enna Frederick Epting Cory Erickson Benjamin Erickson David Everding Nikki Ewe Christopher Faron Ariel Feltman Monica Fennelly Victor Franco Sarah Frantik Emma Freeman Derrick Fridley Emily Furlow Austin Gallagher Jian Yee Gan Josef Ghaussy Gianni Gibbs Madison Gildersleeve Adam Goldberg Sandra Gonzalez Kaleb Gregor Alexa Greisch Kyle Grossmann Evan Guest Jordan Haege Umi Solehah Bt Halim Shukri Andrew Hallet Andrew Hamilton Hannah Hamilton Mohamad Haziem Hanafi Brady Hansen Connor Harty Norsuraya Hasan Andrew Hawkins Abigail Hayes Thomas Hebl Zachary Heller Nicole Hewlett Christian Higgins Erin Hirter Hannah Hoefft Zachary Hoffman Hunter Hoopes Zihang Huang Riley Hulsebus Ryan Hultman Krista Hutchinson Taylor Ihm Kyla Inderski Andrew Ison Melania Jaglarz Zachary Jakalski

Mengliang Jiang Cassandra Johnson Cheyenne Jones Christopher Kaminski Garrett Kelly Logan Kentner Theresa Kettler Elizabeth Keup Husna Nazihah Binti Khairul Anwar Sabrina Khairulnisan Salim Kherbaoui Dennis Kilcoyne Zack King Ryan Koch Risa Kondo Laura Kovanic Grant Kraemer Jacob Krug Benjamin Lacke Louis LaFeve Blake Laffey Kin Yik Lam Isaac Landers Matthew Lavery Katarina Law Braimah Lawal Duc Le Amanda Jia Ying Lee Mason Leonard Jordan Lewinsky Fang Liang Lim Pei Ling Lim Jia Yin Lim En Siew Lim Jeremy Liu Lauren Locante Brooke Lofgren Brittany Logan Jun Hao Low Marisa Macho Trey MacKnight Jesse Maddox Muhammad Syamil Adha Bin Malik Chandler Martin Julietta Marty Matthew Massello Aisya Hartini Mat Lazim Derek Mattson Trevor Matusik Stephen Maynard Sean McCann Kristina McCasland Desmond McCubbin Cort McElmury Brittany McQueen

Puteri Nur Syahirah Binti Megat Mohad Wazer Megat Idzham Bin Megat Mohammed Haniff

Nicholas Mertes Kimberly Messmer Jacob Milchesky Madison Miller Collin Miller Ian Miller

Joseph Mitchell Safiah Amirah Mohamad Azahan Janarthan Mohan Mohd Mathoridie Bin Mohd Sobri Taylor Monkman Caitlyn Morehouse Haley Morris Ross Moshinsky Margaret Mueller Mio Mukaiyama Elizabeth Neal Zach Nemmers Melissa Neutz Daniel Newsome Joel Ting Chun Ng Zhaohung Ng Justin Nolan Benjamin Norgaard Amanda Nossaman Daniel Novak Davis Oberle Ashley Odegard Matthew Odum Benjamin Ohlendorf Jacob Ohnmacht Connor Ostrander Rory Packard Hunter Pahl Joseph Pariseau Justin Peele Jared Peterson Emily Petrowski Mary Piegors Colin Piscitello Andrew Platon Lucas Poe Kevin Price Taylor Pudenz Anthony Pullano Morgan Purdie Amelia Quek Talia Raddatz Maxwell Raecker Benjamin Ransom Priyanka Rao Steven Ray Jessica Rebischke Logan Reisinger Megan Richards Casey Ringhofer Taylor Robertson Kyle Rocovich Solea Rodriguez Taryn Rolle Brody Rothert Taylor Ryan Abishek Saimon Emily Saitta Summer Sanford Curtis Saunders Erin Sawasky Claire Schafer Trevor Scheiderer

Casey Schlatter Shannon Schmalz Anna Schmalzriedt Nicole Schmidt Allison Smith Courtney Smith Lindsay Smith Kailee Smith Grant Snow Zachary Spielberger Emily Spillane Elizabeth Stanczyk Caleb Stein Joshua Sternberg Maddy Stokes Cody Stonebraker Brian Sunbury Taylor Szala Na Ta Johanan Tai Ryan Tapp Daren Teng Tyler Terveer Chun Hoe Tham Man-Ting Tommee Riley Treadwell Benjamin Troester Anh Truong Samantha Truso Kumudhini Ujoodha Tyler Updegraff Matthew Vanherzeele Ella Vasquez Christian Verdin Giang Vuong Armando Wagui Terry Wallen Anna Walters Tsai-Kang Wang Nathan Ward Joseph Weinrich Renee Westrich Toby White Alec Wilcox Megan Winge Ava Witthauer Ming Yee Wong Benjamin Wood Kelsey Wright Isabelle Yamaguchi Kah Mun Yap Arielle Yehudah Weng Yao Yew Madeline Young Ungku Zahrah Tyler Zak Max Zaug Nathan Zeien

sports | D7

April 23, 2018

SPORTS TRACK & FIELD

Coaches discuss getting their athletes ready for Relays Mental and physical health are both important when transitioning to outdoor season

DRAKE STADIUM sees a drastic increase in foot traffic during Relays. With all eyes watching, pressure on athletes to perform well increases; something coaches know to prep for. PHOTO BY PAUL LEE Samantha Jones Contributing Writer samantha.jones@drake.edu

Track and Field coaches at Drake University put in months of planning and effort to ensure their athletes are at their best before Relays arrives.

Coach Mark Carroll, director of track and field at Drake University, has been working with his athletes for months to prepare them for success on the track.

This includes early morning weightlifting, afternoon workouts and weekends on the road with the team.

Drake Relays is the exclamation point on Drake University’s track and field program, but it isn’t the only meet the coaches must prime their athletes for.

The Relays are an important building block in their preparation for the conference meet, which takes place two weeks after Relays.

According to Carroll, while this schedule doesn’t change the training regimen, it affects the team’s mental approach to the season.

“We’re very lucky that we have such a big meet as the Drake Relays here,” Carroll said. “We have a high-level meet right outside our door with [40,000] spectators and it’s one that you want to be on top of your game… we should be race-sharp, and we planned the season deliberately so we could be ready.”

This type of planning is a large part of the coaching staff’s responsibilities as they head into the bulk of their outdoor season.

Intentional schedules and workouts are set to make sure athletes are race-ready and injury free.

Ngonidzashe Makusha, assistant track and field coach, says he carefully structures the workouts to ensure his athletes are at their best when Relays rolls around.

“Every coach has a different philosophy in terms of how they

want their athletes to develop and be prepared at a certain time of the season,” Makusha said.

“For me, I structure my workouts so that I give them enough time to rest and recover during the week. Even the intervals when we are doing speed work during practice, I try to structure it in a way that I try to protect them as much as possible.”

Amy Rudolph, assistant coach and women’s distance coach, keeps an open dialogue with her athletes to make sure everyone is mentally and physically prepared going into the Relays.

This includes mapping out goals early in the season and being a positive motivator.

“Each athlete is a little bit different,” said Rudolph, a twotime Olympian and experienced collegiate distance coach. “Some people like a little bit more tough love, some athletes you need to be a little bit more comforting with…

When athletes start running well, when they start running PR’s [personal records], they start to

trust the process you’re taking them on a lot more.”

Building that trusting relationship between athlete and coach plays a major role in the success of a team on, and off, the track.

For Makusha, his personal experiences as an athlete shaped how he coaches his athletes today.

With seven career NCAA titles, national records in the long jump, and 100 meter dash, in his native Zimbabwe and a fourth-place long jump finish at the 2008 Olympics, Makusha says it was his coach’s guidance that helped fine-tune his abilities.

“Since it’s an individual sport and you are functioning from your own lens…it’s easy to get lost,” Makusha said.

“As an athlete, I was able to take my own lens but also take my coach’s lens and see where he was coming from, and how he had a vision for me to get to the next level. That’s the amazing thing about having someone trusting in you, having someone see the potential in you and take you to

that next level.”

Reaching the next level doesn’t always come right away, either.

As a professional athlete, Carroll personally experienced the ups and downs of the sport, facing exhaustion at the enormous volume of work he was putting into running without seeing results.

His coach continued to remind him that exhaustion and lack of success was all part of the process.

With this continued guidance, Carroll eventually went on to become a two-time Olympian and six-time World Championships qualifier.

“Our sport is a tough sport.

You have to train hard,” Carroll said. “Success doesn’t just fall out of the sky. You have to put the work in, you have to put the time in, and over time the results will come. That’s where that belief starts to come into the athletecoach relationship.”

Track & Field Records

Taryn Rolle breaks Drake triple jump record at Jim Duncan Invitational After missing the record previously on a techincal mistake, Rolle bounces back Bailee Cofer Staff Writer bailee.cofer@drake.edu @baileeGOAT

ROLLE broke the record after hunting it for a while, recently missing on a technacality. PHOTO BY DRAKE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Taryn Rolle finally broke Drake’s school record in the women’s triple jump at the Jim Duncan Invitational last weekend with her victory mark of 12.71m.

Kayla Bell formerly held the record at a mark of 12.39m.

“It felt like a good jump, but it didn’t feel like anything special,” Rolle said of her record-breaking performance.

“When the official called out the actual mark, I almost didn’t believe it.”

Rolle had good reason for skepticism regarding the mark called. In the past, she’s come extremely close to the record, only to barelyscarcely miss it or have it taken away.

In one instance, last indoor season, she actually broke the indoor school record, but was

denied the official mark due to technical errors.

In a video of the recordbreaking attempt, Rolle executes her jump and then casually walks out of the pit.

While her lack of emotion makes sense given the past situations, it’s humorous how calm she is upon breaking a school record.

“I went into that jump thinking, well, here goes something,” Rolle said. “I didn’t know how big of a jump it was until they announced it. After hearing confirmation that my jump was actually legal, it was so surreal. Even now, I still don’t fully feel like it’s real.”

Rolle said that within competition, when she has a big jump she is usually skeptical over whether or not she can do it again.

This weekend, she had two legal jumps, both of which were a personal recordPR and a school record.

Consistent high performances like that can combat feelings of

skepticism and replace them with confidence.

“This weekend’s jumps affirmed the fact that I can pull off big jumps, and I can do it again and again,” Rolle said.

“I feel at peace that all the work I’ve put in is paying off. It took four years, and I’m happy that it finally happened.”

Along with Rolle, this past weekend the rest of theyour Drake University Men’s and Women’s Track and & Field teams competed in the Jim Duncan Invitational.

The Bulldogs had 27 top-three performances, along with many other strong efforts.

They travel to Mizzou this weekend for the Tom Botts Invitational before returning to the Blue Oval for the 2018 Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee.

D8 | sports

SCHEDULE Sunday, April 22, 2018

12:00 p.m. Beautiful Bulldog Contest Knapp Center

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

6:00 p.m. Grand Blue Mile Downtown

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

11:30 a.m. Decathlon Men, Day 1 12:30 p.m. Heptathlon Women, Day 1 6:00 p.m. Vault at Capital Square 4th/Locust

Thursday, April 26, 2018

10:30 a.m. Decathlon Men, Day 2 11:00 a.m. Heptathlon Women, Day 2 Distance Carnival 4:30 p.m. 800m (Unseeded) UD/CD, Women, Final 4:39 p.m. 800m (Unseeded) UD/CD, Men, Final 4:46 p.m. 1500m (Unseeded) UD/CD, Women, Final 4:59 p.m. 1500m (Unseeded) UD/CD, Men, Final 5:15 p.m. 240 Yard Shuttle ES, Youth, Final 5:25 p.m. 3200m HS, Boys, Final 5:40 p.m. 3000m HS, Girls, Final 5:55 p.m. 10,000m Open, Women, Final 6:35 p.m. 10,000m Open, Men, Final 7:08 p.m. 3000m Steeple UD/CD, Women, Final 7:22 p.m. 3000m Steeple UD/CD, Men, Final 7:33 p.m. 5000m (Unseeded) Open, Women, Final 7:53 p.m. 5000m (Seeded) Open, Women, Final 8:22 p.m. 5000m (Unseeded) Open, Men, Final 8:37 p.m. 5000m (Seeded) Open, Men, Final 8:55 p.m. Session Ends Field Events 4:00 p.m. Discus HS, Boys, Final 4:30 p.m. High Jump HS, Girls, Final 4:30 p.m. Shot Put HS, Girls, Final 5:00 p.m. Long Jump HS, Boys, Final

Friday, April 27, 2018

8:00 a.m. 100mH HS, Girls, Prelim 8:15 a.m. 110mH HS, Boys, Prelim 8:30 a.m. 100m HS, Girls, Prelim 8:40 a.m. 100m HS, Boys, Prelim 8:50 a.m. 4x800m CD, Women, Final 9:04 a.m. 4x800m CD, Men, Final 9:15 a.m. 4x100m CD, Women, Prelim 9:33 a.m. 4x100m CD, Men, Prelim 9:49 a.m. 800m Medley HS, Girls, Final 10:02 a.m. 1600m Medley HS, Boys, Final 10:21 a.m. 800m Masters, Men/Women, Final 10:31 a.m. 100mH HS, Girls, Final 10:36 a.m. 110mH HS, Boys, Final 10:42 a.m. 4x1600m UD/CD, Women, Final 11:05 a.m. Officials Break 11:40 a.m. 4x1600m UD/CD, Men, Final 12:00 p.m. 100mH UD/CD, Women, Prelim 12:13 p.m. 110mH UD/CD, Men, Prelim 12:28 p.m. 4x400m CD, Women, Prelim 12:52 p.m. 4x400m CD, Men, Prelim 1:16 p.m. 4x100m UD, Women, Prelim 1:26 p.m. 4x100m UD, Men, Prelim 1:36 p.m. Special Olympics 4x100m Coed, Final 1:43 p.m. 4x200m HS, Girls, Final 1:55 p.m. 4x200m HS, Boys, Final 2:07 p.m. 800m HS, Girls, Final 2:13 p.m. 800m HS, Boys, Final 2:19 p.m. 100m Paralympic, Men, Final 2:24 p.m. 100m HS, Girls, Final 2:29 p.m. 100m HS, Boys, Final 2:34 p.m. 100m UD/CD, Women, Prelim 2:49 p.m. 100m UD/CD, Men, Prelim 3:03 p.m. 4x400m UD, Women, Prelim 3:25 p.m. 4x400m UD, Men, Prelim 3:45 p.m. Session Ends- Clear the Stadium Field Events 8:30 a.m. Shot Put HS, Boys, Final 9:00 a.m. Discus HS, Girls, Final 9:30 a.m. Long Jump (North), HS, Girls, Final 9:45 a.m. High Jump HS, Boys, Final 10:00 a.m. Long Jump UD/CD, Women, Final 10:00 a.m. Javelin UD/CD, Men, Final 11:00 a.m. Shot Put UD/CD, Men, Final 12:30 p.m. Pole Vault UD/CD, Women, Final 1:00 p.m. High Jump UD/CD, Men, Final 1:00 p.m. Discus UD/CD, Women, Final 1:30 p.m. Javelin UD/CD, Women, Final 1:30 p.m. Triple Jump UD/CD, Men, Final ES – Elementary School | MS – Middle School HS – High School | CD – College | UD – University Elite or Invitational Event | Masters – Masters Division (40+)

April 23, 2018

Hy-Vee Night at the Drake Relays 5:00 p.m. 1600m Medley MS, Girls, Final 5:07 p.m. 1600m Medley MS, Boys, Final 5:13 p.m. 200m UD/CD, Women, Final 5:21 p.m. 200m UC/CD, Men, Final 5:29 p.m. 100m Wheelchair, Women, Final 5:33 p.m. 4x100m HS, Girls, Prelims 6:03 p.m. 4x100m MS, Girls, Final 6:16 p.m. 4x100m MS, Boys, Final 6:29 p.m. 4x100m HS, Boys, Prelims 6:59 p.m. 1500m UD/CD, Women, Final 7:07 p.m. 1500m UD/CD, Men, Final 7:13 p.m. 100m - Age Graded Masters, Men, Final 7:18 p.m. Sprint Medley CD, Women, Final 7:38 p.m. Sprint Medley CD, Men, Final 7:55 p.m. 4x800m UD, Women, Final 8:08 p.m. Two Mile Elite, Women, Final 8:22 p.m. 4x800m UD, Men, Final 8:35 p.m. 4x400m HS, Girls, Prelims 8:54 p.m. 4x400m HS, Boys, Prelims 9:10 p.m. Session Ends Field Events 5:30 p.m. Shot Put UD/CD, Women, Final 6:00 p.m. Pole Vault Elite, Men, Final 6:15 p.m. High Jump Elite, Women, Final

Saturday, April 28, 2018

8:30 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS, Girls, Prelim 8:45 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS, Boys, Prelim 9:00 a.m. Distance Medley Iowa CD, Women, Final 9:15 a.m. Distance Medley Iowa CD, Men, Final 9:30 a.m. Distance Medley CD, Women, Final 9:45 a.m. Distance Medley CD, Men, Final 9:58 a.m. 4x800m HS, Girls, Final 10:13 a.m. 4x800m HS, Boys, Final 10:27 a.m. 400m Wheelchair, Women, Final 10:33 a.m. 4x200m UD/CD, Women, Final 10:48 a.m. 4x200m UD/CD, Men, Final 11:03 a.m. Officials Break 11:30 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS, Girls, Final 11:35 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle HS, Boys, Final 11:40 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD, Women, Final 11:56 a.m. Shuttle Hurdle UD/CD, Men, Final 12:00 p.m. Beautiful Bulldog Winner/Recognitions 12:11 p.m. Distance Medley UD, Women, Final 12:25 p.m. Distance Medley UD, Men, Final 12:45 p.m. 400mH HS, Girls, Final 12:52 p.m. 400mH HS, Boys, Final 12:58 p.m. 400mH UD/CD, Women, Final 1:11 p.m. 400mH UD/CD, Men, Final 1:26 p.m. 200m Paralympic, Men, Final 1:33 p.m. Sprint Medley UD, Women, Final 1:45 p.m. Sprint Medley UD, Men, Final 2:01 p.m. 400mH Elite, Men, Final 2:07 p.m. 100m UD/CD, Women, Final 2:11 p.m. 100m UD/CD, Men, Final 2:17 p.m. 400mH Elite, Women, Final 2:23 p.m. Mile Invitational, Men, Final 2:30 p.m. 100mH UD/CD, Women, Final 2:37 p.m. 100mH Elite, Women, Final 2:42 p.m. 110mH UD/CD, Men, Final 2:49 p.m. 110mH Elite, Men, Final 2:56 p.m. 100m Elite, Men, Final 3:03 p.m. 800m UD/CD, Women, Final 3:08 p.m. 800m UD/CD, Men, Final 3:13 p.m. 4x100m UD, Women, Final 3:18 p.m. 4x100m UD, Men, Final 3:22 p.m. 4x100m CD, Women, Final 3:27 p.m. 4x100m CD, Men, Final 3:31 p.m. 4x100m HS, Girls, Final 3:36 p.m. 4x100m HS, Boys, Final 3:41 p.m. 4x400m UD, Women, Final 3:48 p.m. 4x400m UD, Men, Final 4:00 p.m. 1500m HS, Girls, Final 4:07 p.m. 1600m HS, Boys, Final 4:14 p.m. 4x400m CD, Women, Final 4:20 p.m. 4x400m CD, Men, Final 4:25 p.m. 4x400m HS, Girls, Final 4:32 p.m. 4x400m HS, Boys, Final 4:38 p.m. 2018 Drake Relays Ends Field Events 9:00 a.m. Hammer UD/CD, Women, Final 9:30 a.m. Triple Jump UD/CD, Women, Final 10:00 a.m. Discus UD/CD, Men, Final 10:30 a.m. Pole Vault UD/CD, Men, Final 12:45 p.m. Long Jump UD/CD, Men, Final 1:00 p.m. Hammer UD/CD, Men, Final 1:30 p.m. High Jump UD/CD, Women, Final 1:30 p.m. Discus Invitational, Men, Final 2:00 p.m. Pole Vault Elite, Women, Final 2:30 p.m. Shot Put Elite, Men, Final

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April 23, 2018

SPEED

ORGANIZERS E2 RELAYS The Student Activities Board plays a

major role in organizing the festivities for the week of Relays. Read how the organization and its many committees make Relays happen.

E3

E3

MEREDITH RENOVATIONS Meredith is ready for a face lift, but the first changes are happening below ground. Read what updates are coming to the basement.

D O W N MEMORY LANE Relive the glory days of Relays past and read about records of Relays gone by.

DRAKE PROFILE

Paul “Mr. Drake” Morrison lives on in students’ memories Katie Moon Staff Writer katie.moon@drake.edu

This year, Drake Relays will be a really different. For the first time since 1945, Paul “Mr. Drake” Morrison will not be in attendance. Morrison died on Nov. 30, 2017, at the age of 100.

Morrison played a major role in Drake and Drake athletics He started as a student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and continued on as sports information director.

He earned the title “Mr. Drake” with age, due to the fact that he was always working or volunteering, according to his daughter, Holly Dierks. She said that back in the day, Drake required faculty and staff to retire at age 70, but her father came in the very next day as a volunteer. He would come in five days a week; sometimes even seven after his wife died.

Dierks remembered her “different kind of childhood.”

Her father was always working, but her family was able to go to work with him. Whether that was a track meet, basketball game or football game, she said they would tag along. She even helped her father do office work during the summers in elementary and middle school.

Dierks said that her most fun memory was when the Drake men’s basketball team went to the Final Four when she was in high school in the late 1960s. While her dad traveled with the team, her family and another family traveled to Louisville together to watch the game.

One of Morrison’s biggest contributions to Drake athletics was his newsletter that he started in the 1940s, according to Dierks.

She recalled that her father had

an incredible memory and could remember everybody. In this newsletter for student athletes, Morrison made sure to have upto-date addresses for everyone and asked them to send in life updates. Dierks said that her father wrote these newsletters until his passing. His newsletter survived around 70 years.

Dierks remembers that her father loved writing letters. He used this and his incredible memory to write letters to former student athletes.

“If he would read about you getting a promotion in the newspaper, he would write a congratulatory letter to you,” she said.

Even when he received a check from someone paying their dues for his D Club, a special season ticket package for student athlete letter winners, he wrote a handwritten thank you note with a personal touch.

Morrison had a welcoming, bubbly, happy, “proud of Drake” personality; Dierks said, that he showed in many ways. He welcomed those who wouldn’t have felt “at home” at Drake and accepted them as they were.

He also showed his “proud of Drake” personality by picking up litter.

“He’d carry an old, ratty briefcase, and if he saw a piece of litter on campus, he would always pick it up,” she said.

This even extended beyond Drake, as he would walk around Dierks’ neighborhood and do the same thing after work.

Perhaps the most unique thing about Morrison was that he never had a driver’s license. Dierks said that Morrison’s parents never really drove, so he didn’t really have an interest in doing so.

She thought that he failed a few lessons, so his mom took over.

Because he never drove, Dierks

said her father lived to be 100 because he walked everywhere.

It wasn’t unusual for him to walk five to 10 miles per day. Dierks said that he had his first heart attack at age 80. “Literally, his heart had reworked its vessels for years just because…he was so healthy,” she said.

When he was the sports information director for Drake, Morrison wrote all of the press releases. During football season, basketball season and Drake Relays, there was about one press release per day. He had to make about seven stops downtown per press release, but because he didn’t drive, he would either walk, take the bus or have someone, usually his wife, pick him up and take him to each stop, according to Dierks.

One might think that all his time of walking would cause Morrison to become frustrated

when he had to be in a wheelchair.

However, that wasn’t so. Dierks said her father took everything in stride; no change bothered him.

His positivity, humility and politeness were unmatchable.

“Never, ever did he have an ill word to say about anybody,” Dierks said.

Even while he was sick and dying in the hospital, he always said “please” and “thank you” to everyone that took care of him. He didn’t understand why President Marty Martin would want to visit him in the hospital. Dierks knew that, in his mind, nothing was about him. It was always about everyone else.

Paige Greiner, a senior on the Drake women’s basketball team, said that Morrison went a long way making sure that her team was recognized and remembered for their accomplishments, including going to the NCAA

tournament during the 20162017 season. This went as far as donating the Missouri Valley Conference championship rings to the team.

Greiner first met Morrison at the athletic welcome picnic her freshman year. Because she had heard about him during her recruitment visits to Drake in high school, she was just in awe of the history that surrounded him. She said that his reputation proceeded him.

On Nov. 30, the day of Morrison’s death, the women’s basketball team played Iowa State University at home in the Knapp Center.

“You could talk to anyone who was in the arena that night, and they would tell you that Paul Morrison was there,” Greiner said.

PAUL MORRISON celebrated his 100th birthday this past summer. ARCHIVE PHOTO.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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April 23, 2018

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Memories of Morrison CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Drake won that game in a fourpoint game-ending play; the score was 83-80. The entire game was close, but Greiner and the rest of the team believe that Morrison gave them that extra little push.

Jeff Martin, a former football player turned coach that graduated in 1977 and holds five school records, remembers several things Morrison did for him and the football team. He said Morrison, who traveled with the football team, always made sure that the hotels were ready, the meals were planned and managed the business aspects of all the trips.

Martin first knew Morrison through his grandparents who went to church with him. That connection, among others, fostered several short discussions.

Martin was always amazed by Morrison’s intelligence. When he would talk about previous athletes, he would be able to say when they played, their major accomplishments, what their college degree was in, where they lived and what their job was. Martin said that Morrison’s intellect never diminished.

Bryan Moon, who graduated in 1984, remembered an act of kindness that Morrison did for his family. Moon’s father, Don, a professor in the School of Education, filmed games for the football team.

“I was a junior in high school, and my dad wanted to take myself one week and my other brother the other week on a football trip, and Paul (Morrison) made all the arrangements to get me on the flight,” Moon said.

The flight to New Mexico State was the first flight of many that Moon would go on in his life.

“I’ll always appreciate the time that he took to accommodate my dad and my brother to go on that flight with the football team,” he said.

Morrison went above and beyond in everything he did.

“I don’t even want to attempt to say what all he did, because I know he did a lot of stuff that we’re not even aware of,” Greiner said.

He even inspired her to give back to Drake.

Dierks said she never realized how big of an impact her father had in so many people’s lives.

She was shocked by the number of messages she received after his passing. She got messages from people of all ages and walks of life. There were messages from the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA), whose annual meetings Morrison attended, people in the press box and both former and present-day student athletes.

“The ones that shocked me even more were maybe more the current generation,” Dierks said.

Paul “Mr. Drake” Morrison’s personality embodied Drake as a whole, according to Greiner. She said that there are just not enough words to explain his impact. She misses seeing him because no matter what, he would be there to support and comfort her team.

Dierks said she misses her father’s joy for life. He inspired her to pick up litter just like he did, and she uses his phrase “You gotta be T-U-F, tuff,” on her grandchildren.

“He is dearly missed, and he will be dearly missed for a very, very long time,” Greiner said.

Mr. Drake loved Drake Relays.

The only thing that would ever upset him was people complaining about the Drake Relays weather, according to Dierks. He always said that there were more nice than not nice years, and he had the stats to prove it. Perhaps the weather will be nice this year to honor him.

CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS

Student Activities Board tasked with entertaining campus Alexis Mueller Contributing Writer alexis.mueller@drake.edu

The Drake Student Activities Board (SAB) has long been an active group of students that seek to be involved on campus and plan fun and educational events for the student body of Drake University.

With a mission statement that states, “To serve the student body by providing quality entertainment and educational programs,” SAB has become well known for their events around campus. They are known for their large campus-wide events, such as the Relays concert, which pulls in hundreds of students each year, but it also puts on dozens of smaller events that help keep Drake students involved and entertained.

Some of its most popular events have included the Student Organizational Showcase, Dead Day Yoga and Massages, and Street Painting. These events allow other organizations to showcase their own talents and provide a safe, alcohol alternative for students on campus.

Jordan Lundquist, the marketing executive director of SAB, said that his favorite event is the Drag Show that is co-

hosted with Rainbow Union each semester.

“Not only were we able to bring Shangela, a competitor from RuPaul’s Drag Race, to campus, but we filled Parents Hall with a huge crowd. The event was super fun, but also raised awareness for the LBGTQ+ community on campus,” Lundquist said.

SAB is also known for hosting educational opportunities for students, such as speakers and study promotional events. This year, it helped bring in speakers such as Anastasia Somoza, a disability rights advocate, and hosted events for students that were studying during midterms and finals weeks.

The organization is run by Anna Jensen, the president of SAB. She is involved in all of the events and takes charge when any issues arise.

“I try to be involved in every aspect of the Student Activities Board, but also respect when my board wants to do it more themselves,” Jensen said. “This position is unique because I am also on (Student) Senate, so I have a number of weekly meetings with our advisors and my executive board to discuss senate issues and plans for the week. I have my hands in a lot of jars.”

Jensen has been with SAB ever since her freshman year at

Drake and has always been happy with the skills it brought her and her colleagues.

T h r o u g h l e a d i n g meetings with the board or running events f r o m the top position, s h e believes she has g r o w n through her experience with SAB. “I think the Student Activities Board events and the Student Activities Board as an organization leaves an impact on the people and the university,” Jensen said. “The people who are a part of the Student Activities Board gain so much leadership and planning experience that they can give back to Drake in other ways.”

SAB has become well known around campus by students because of the marketing work it puts in every year. Erin O’Keefe, the first-year marketing representative for the board, said SAB is leaving a lasting

impression on Drake.

“We are an organization that provides entertainment when students want to have a fun night and we also provide campus-impact events that give students a cultural and global understanding,” O’Keefe said.

RELAYS EVENT

Marc E. Bassy and AJR scheduled to perform Relays concert

Emily Larson Staff Writer emily.larson@drake.edu

Last year, Lil Yachty came to Drake University as the 2017 Relays performer and rocked the boat. This year, one artist was not enough. Drake’s Student Activities Board (SAB) went the extra mile and booked two headliners to play for students: Marc E. Bassy and AJR. According to a survey SAB sent to students at the beginning of the year, students wanted a pop artist this year, and that’s what they are going to get.

Marc E. Bassy is an American pop artist with hits like “Dirty Water” and “You & Me.” AJR is a pop indie band of brothers who’s first big hit was “I’m Ready” in 2013 and most recently, “Sober Up.” In the weeks leading up to the reveal of the Relays performer, rumors were flying around as to who it would be. On April 1, April Fools Day, a gag band was “leaked” to students: The Blue Man Group.

When SAB band co-chairs Courtney Smith and Brooke Otterson made the big band announcement Wednesday night at the Blitz Day event, reactions were mixed. Half of the students knew these artists and were excited. The other half were less thrilled and tweeted things like “What’s an AJR?” Smith and Otterson have the important task of picking the artists as co-chairs. With an entire school eager to decide, it will never be possible to please everyone. The process of picking who to perform is months of strategizing and hard work.

“We get a big pricing sheet from

our agent, and then we also send out a big student survey at the beginning of the year,” Otterson said. “That gives us a feel of artists and genre interests. So we look at our budget, at prices, take into account what the survey results said, then we compile a bigger list of artists we’re considering and from there narrow it down.”

Past performers for Relays have been a mix of pop, hiphop and rap. The list includes: Lil Yachty, Skizzy Mars, 3OH!3, Hoodie Allen, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and We the Kings.

Another big change for this year’s concert is location. Instead of in the Drake Stadium parking lot, the concert will take place in the street. Forest Avenue will be shut down, welcoming everyone to the performances. Typically, students wait in a line outside the stadium to be admitted. But this year, since it’s in the street, there will be no waiting. It’s open to the public, and students can bring as many friends as they want.

Director of public safety Scott Law and the rest of Drake Public Safety (DPS) have been preparing for the concert, too. Before the group is chosen by SAB, Law spends a couple weeks making phone calls to the past few places the potential artisthas performed in order to do a background check. He wants to see if they’ve had any issues with the artist and what kind of crowd they draw in.

Law speculates that there are three main reactions to the chosen artists. “... either the artist is problematic or the fans are problematic, or everything is fine,” Law says. “That’s usually how it goes. We reach out. We get feedback. I try to reach out to the last three places they’ve been.

Then based off that I will talk to

the (Bands) committee and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got no issues from our end.’ Once we know that and they confirm that’s the artist, we then work with the Des Moines Police Department and the city of Des Moines for sound permits and for security plans to put in place.”

Law’s biggest concerns for the concert are three things: jackets, restrooms and crowd surfing.

“The last couple of years, it’s been a little chilly in the evening,” Law says. “So I do worry about being dressed appropriately for the weather, not for going out, for the weather. Taking into account

looking out for your friends. If a group of you are going to the concert together, and one of you isn’t going back, make sure you know what’s happening. Look out for one another.”

Making sure students have access to restrooms and remain in the crowd and not on top of it, are public safety’s primary worries.

The concert will be April 27 at 9:15 p.m. on Forest Avenue.

For more information and updates, follow SAB on Instagram (drakesab), Facebook (Drake Student Activities Board) or visit www.DrakeSAB.com.

SINGER Marc E. Bassy will being joining AJR onstage at the Relay concert this year. PHOTO BY ANTON MAK

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SPEED CAMPUS NEWS

Meredith scheduled for renovation over summer Leo McGrath Copy Editor leo.mcgrath@drake.edu

One of Drake University’s most iconic landmarks, Meredith Hall, is in the process of getting a makeover. Though many students and faculty are reliewved that their learning space is getting a much needed update, some architectural enthusiasts are concerned about the historical significance of the building.

Meredith Hall was designed by renowned architect Mies van der Rohe. The black glass and steel structure of Meredith is both a style of Mies’ and served as an attempt by Drake to add a modernist look to its campus back in 1965.

“I knew if we were going to make any changes to the building, any updates, we would have to be very thoughtful,” said Kathleen Richardson, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Literally, we have architectural enthusiasts and preservation experts coming through the building all the time,

looking at it.”

Meredith Hall will not be receiving any large scale renovations in the foreseeable future, but on the smaller scale, it’s much different. The lower level of Meredith is currently undergoing substantial remodeling to its equipment living space.

“We’re calling it more of a refreshment,” said multimedia engineer Ray Fredregill. “It’s not as in depth as a major rebuilding.”

Though Fredregill has only been at Drake since Dec. 2017, he has already been hard at work preparing these changes.

“The first thing I told him (Fredregill) was that, ‘Here we do have a pot of money to upgrade the basement area. Would you make it a priority to work with the faculty and figure out what we need as far as everything from the physical space, to the audio facilities, the lights, the cameras, all that kind of stuff?’”

Richardson said.

The majority of the changes involve replacing existing, outdated equipment with modern alternatives.

The broadcast studio will get new lighting and

THE EQUIPMENT in the television studio is awaiting upgrades. PHOTOS BY KATHERINE BAUER | MANAGING EDITOR new cameras and the recording booths will get new microphones,

for example. The broadcasting room has already been reworked technically and has received new furniture.

Along with this, there will be a lot of redecorating elsewhere.

New furniture, carpeting, painting and lights. Nearly every room will experience some kind of change.

“Our goal is to make this lower level more of a lower level and less of a basement,” Fredregill said. “Something that has a sense of newness and brightness to it and life.”

According to Fredregill, the rapid changes to digital media production over the past few decades are the reason the environment is so out of date. The majority of their budget has gone to keeping up with advancing technology, and, as a result, the space they were working in was left to the wayside.

Even then, journalism student Nathan Maughan still believes that the area has been left behind in both regards.

“I feel like they do a really great job having rooms in Meredith that have great technology, but then you get to the basement, and

it’s not quite the same,” Maughan said.

“In the grand scheme of things, what we’re doing here is not huge,” Fredregill said. “It’s a project that, if I take the equipment cost out of it, is measured in the tens of thousands of dollars, not in the hundreds or the millions. Because of that, it’s something that doesn’t, I guess, garner a lot of attention.”

Though the changes that are being made to Meredith are relatively small, Fredregill said they will make a big difference to the students who study digital media. Major renovations are still a long way off, but he is happy the changes the school is making will “make a huge difference for the students and the faculty and the space.”

“I expect students will be very excited when they come back to school in the fall to see what happens down there, and I know the faculty will be too.”

CAMPUS ORGANIZATION

Student groups make community outreach a top priority Katie Carlton Contributing Writer katie.carlton@drake.edu

Drake student organizations have worked to build community both on campus and in the surrounding neighborhood this school year.

Drake is home to over 160 student organizations and each attempts to build community in a different way. Some focus more on connecting students on campus, while others focus on connecting with the Des Moines community.

The International Students Association (ISA) hosts events to bring together international students and students from the U.S. said President Viviana Cao. The organization has hosted welcome back parties at the beginning of each semester, a halloween party, an escape room gathering and it participated in a race downtown. Its biggest event is International Students Night where Drake students come to learn about International Student’s cultures.

“When I started as a freshman, I didn’t have a lot of friends and I went to the events and I met a lot of my friends through there and a lot of students have met others,” Cao said.

Cao said that socially it is hard

to be an international student because a lot of students don’t understand what you go through.

She said that she only gets to go home twice a year, which is a lot less than most students at Drake.

She feels that ISA has helped her socially because she is able to connect with other international students that understand.

Cao said that sometimes she feels welcomed as an international student at Drake, but other times she doesn’t. She said that sometimes students put up a wall when she tells them she is from another country, but other times it can spark a conversation.

While ISA works to bring students together on campus, the Community Action Board (CAB) brings students off campus to build community.

CAB connects students with service opportunities in the Drake Neighborhood and helps to facilitate interaction with the neighborhood said Vice President of Educational Programming Morgan Garner. She said that CAB does this through hosting public events with the community and working with the homeowners association.

Garner said that some Drake students have a conception about the neighborhood being unsafe in certain areas, while residents hold some negativity about the campus because of disruptions in

the neighborhood due to partying and drinking.

“I think it is really important to have a strong mutually beneficial relationship between Drake students and the community in which they live,” Garner said. “The community can offer us so much

“

the community mutually benefit.

She feels that it is more beneficial than just throwing students who need community service hours at an organization.

Alpha Phi Omega works to create community on campus and connect students with the Des

It is really important to have a strong mutually beneficial relationship between Drake students and the community in which they live.

economically and culturally. We can offer them benefits of the campus, our time, our service and our cooperation.”

Garner said that CAB tries to give back to the community by creating service opportunities where both Drake students and

”

Moines community.

APO is a service fraternity that offers students a lot of opportunities to volunteer both on and off campus said APO Service Vice President Jenna Cornick. APO has partnered with on campus organization Alpha

Kappa Psi and Kappa Alpha to host an ethnic food drive. They also partnered with Phi Delta Chi to host a blood drive with the Blood Life Center.

“A big focus of ours is working with other student organization to reach out to more people,” Cornick said.

APO also works with community partners to help students get out in the community said Garner. APO has ongoing volunteering opportunities with Furry Friends Refuge, an animal shelter, and Wesley Acres, a nursing home. APO has partnered with the Bidwell Riverside food pantry, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Drake Farmer’s Market.

“It is really important for students to get out in the community and learn more of what the needs are,” Cornick said. Cornick said that she thinks service projects can create community on campus by connecting Drake students with other like minded students that are interested in service. She also said that off campus service projects are important because it is important to make changes in the community.

ISA, CBA and APO are all organizations that help to define the Drake community, both on and off campus.

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speed | E5

Apr. 23, 2018

SPEED

DRAKE PROFESSORS DEFINE THEIR TEACHING EXPERIENCES The professor who never never thought she’d teach Lou Ann Simpson never thought she’d be a teacher.

During her freshman year of undergraduate—during which she got her degree in accounting—a friend told her one day on a walk back to their dorm from the library, “Oh Lou Ann, you should be a teacher.”

Simpson recalled telling that friend, “You’ve got to be kidding.

Who in their right mind would want to be a teacher?”

Years later, when Simpson accepted a part-time teaching position at Drake University, the friend got to say “I told you so!”

Simpson grew up in a small town in Minnesota. Drake recruited her as a student back in 1961 because she was the top of her class.

“Because I grew up in a small town I was so impressed that a big university from a big city would want me to come,” Simpson said.

“I visited Drake, and I just fell in love with it.”

She hasn’t left since. She completed her undergraduate work in 1964 and then graduated law school four years later. She left briefly to run her own law firm for five years, but came back when a former professor who was now the dean of the business school asked her to take a part time position. She fell in love with teaching and soon accepted a full

Saying goodbye the Wright way Professor David Wright has become somewhat of a staple in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications (SJMC).

Every student takes his JMC 31 class as one of their courses in the program, and with that comes “Radio Day,” or rather, the day he brings in his father’s old radio.

Wright is always unsure about whether or not the radio will work every year, and he always has a fire extinguisher ready for the worst. The radio survived its last show this semester though, as this spring semester of 2018 marks Wright’s last semester before retirement.

In 1976, the year Wright started teaching, the halls of Meredith Hall would look totally unrecognizable to a student today. Mac computers were just beginning to make an appearance, whereas now they’re in all the labs. The Times-Delphic was laid out with wax every issue. There was a darkroom used for photos.

But the school’s goals haven’t changed.

“While it was much lower tech, it was still about the passion for storytelling, which is something I still feel we have in our roots,”Wright said.

Technological change is something Wright enjoys watching, but what he’s really passionate about is getting to have relationships with his students.

Anna Steenson, a junior double majoring in digital media production and music, has really seen Wright’s passion and

appreciated all the advice and help he has given her.

‘He makes the time to get to know the students,” Steenson said. “He values personal relationships. He’ll be asking students how their sports team is doing, or he’ll also ask about a new project that they’re working on.”

Past and present studentteacher relationships is something Wright has always cherished. Whenever he sees former students who have come back to campus, he gives them big hugs and asks what they’ve been up to.

Things have been a little different in the past couple years though. Whenever Wright sees former students, they often end up introducing him to their children who are looking at coming to Drake.

“It makes me think ‘Oh my gosh I’ve been here long enough that I’m teaching the children of former students,’”Wright said with a laugh.

He said he wants to retire before he starts getting grandchildren of former students.

But the passion for the students and seeing what they’re up to is what makes it all worth it for Wright.

“I love following the journeys of the students,”Wright said.

I’ve loved being part of people’s journeys.”

Wright said that the passion he has for teaching and his students is something that all teachers

have to have.

“If you don’t like working with students then don’t do this, because it’ll drive you insane,” Wright said.

After he retires, Wright has big plans. Next fall, when students and teachers will be coming back to Drake, he will be in Europe, traveling and visiting friends.

He still plans on coming back to Drake and being a big part of Relays, though. While he has always worked on video for the races during his time here he is looking at possibly being involved with the timing of the races next year.

In wrapping up his final semester, Wright has been able to reminisce on his time as a Bulldog.

“It’s been a great run. I bleed blue, and I will always bleed blue,” Wright said.

time position.

“I love getting to know the students and being able to help them as they struggle with life decisions as they’re maturing and finding their way in life,” Simpson said.

Lucas Kraut is a former student whom Simpson has made an impact on.

“Every student who goes into her class knows they’re going to have to work hard to succeed in her class, but they also (know) she’s always going to have their best interest and do whatever she needs to do to get them to get the grade that they want,” Kraut said.

Simpson is glad she made the switch to teaching, partly because of the relationships she is able to build.

“I think you can build relationships with your students that you don’t build with your clients when you’re practicing law,” Simpson said. “You have an opportunity to help them as they’re discovering what they want do with their lives.”

In her 43 years of teaching at Drake, Simpson has come up with some advice for students.

“Have the courage to try things, and if it doesn’t work out, have the courage to quit and try something else,” Simpson said.

Molly Adamson Staff Writer molly.adamson@drake.edu

Time flies when you’re having fun Patrick Heaston, professor of accounting at Drake, has had experience teaching at both public and private colleges. Having gone to school at Creighton University, he realized he missed the private university environment when he began teaching at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and soon found himself at Drake. He has now been teaching here for 35 years.

“I felt like there was more concern for the student and how well they did than in the larger state setting,” Heaston says.

“There just wasn’t the same concern about good teaching and helping students succeed.”

His students definitely benefit from this concern. Morgan Bohlman, a senior accounting major, said he has benefited from Heaston’s teaching.

“I think he shows he enjoys teaching his subject more than I’d seen in any other professor here at Drake,” Bohlman said.

“He loves accounting, and he loves teaching his subject, and it really shows in how he teaches the material and how he interacts with the students. I think it makes everyone in the class really want to learn more about the subject.”

Heaston really appreciates the environment Drake has created that allowed him and his colleagues to enjoy teaching.

“People are really concerned about being good teachers and helping their students get better,” Heaston said. “We’ve always considered that to be our primary mission. Right away I felt at home, it was what I was looking for. 35 years went by really fast.”

While some students may not find accounting enjoyable,Heaston is still able to keep his students engaged and help them learn valuable lessons they can use in other classes.

Avery Neel, a first-year accounting major, says that Heaston’s teaching helped her realize how important being ready for class everyday helps a student succeed.

“I really feel like I earned my grade in that class, and I always came to class feeling prepared,” Neel said. “I think that’s really going to benefit me in the long run.”

Heaston himself can’t believe he’s been at Drake for 35 years.

But he doesn’t plan on retiring quite yet.

“When I say it’s been 35 years I think ‘My god, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long,’” Heaston said.

“I think that tells me I must have really [enjoyed] what I’ve been doing.”

Fishing for productivity Professor of rhetoric and communication studies Bill Lewis didn’t think he was going to be at Drake that long, mainly because it was his first job out of grad school. But 35 years later, and with only about a month left before his retirement ,Lewis is still here. He’s going to miss Drake after this final semester.

“I’ll miss the interactions with the students and the work we do inside and outside of the classroom,” Lewis said. “I’ll miss the conversations, the give and take in the classroom.”

Getting to have conversations and help the students out has been Lewis’ favorite thing about teaching. But, he likes to point out, there is so much more to teaching than just being in the classroom.

‘The hardest part is that you’re always a professor, by which I mean that you’re always working, or at least you should be working,” Bill said. “The stimulating part about being a professor is that you’re always doing things.

You’re not only teaching, but you’re developing courses, writing papers, working with colleagues and doing committee and administrative work on and off campus. There is never a moment, not when you’re on vacation, not at night, when there’s not something else you should be doing.”

He may always be doing something, whether that’s talking to students or giving presentations, but that’s what students like about Lewis.

Whatever he’s doing, people can tell he’s passionate about it.

Drew Finney, a senior rhetoric and broadcast news double major, sees Lewis’s passion in every interaction he has with him. “Bill is one of the most passionate professors at Drake,”Finney said. “Bill usually likes to have fun in his classes, he seems to be very much in his element when he’s teaching, which is probably a good thing since he’s been doing it for such a long time. He has a good time, and his students have a good time.”

E6 | speed

April 23, 2018

SPEED RELAYS

PHOTO COURTESY OF COWLES LIBRARY

Former student, Relays announcer reminisce about Relays past Joe Sheehan Contributing Writer joe.sheehan@drake.edu @shady_sheehan In anticipation of Olympic medalist Andre DeGrasse’s appearance in the 100-meter invitational this year at the Drake Relays, here are some other memorable appearances and events from Relay’s past.

Perennially star-studded and record-breaking, the Relays has been a stage for many memorable events in track and field.

Leaving Rio with a bronze medal after finishing behind the United States’ Justin Gatlin and now-retired Usain Bolt, DeGrasse may be the most accomplished athlete at this year’s Relays. The Canadian sprinter is slated to compete in the invitational on

Saturday, April 28 at 3 p.m.

Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be a fan of the Relays, the 1994 installment featuring a cold, wet and snowy challenge for ninetime Olympic medalist Carl Lewis. He was set to compete in the invitational 200-meter. The inclement weather procured some doubt in spectators’ minds if this world-class athlete would run or not. Then-editor of The TimesDelphic Dan Finney remembered falling into the deep mud of the stadium’s infield.

“On a day like that, everything is awful, it’s muddy and slippery,” Finney said.

The wintry mix was falling with such haste that “you could not even see people on the backstretch,” lead announcer Mike Jay said. Jay was spectating in the Drake stadium bleachers that frigid day. Lewis competed

and won. “(Carl Lewis) could have easily said no, he never complained, the crowd appreciated that,” Jay said.

Gwen Torrence, who was waiting to compete in the women’s 200m following the men’s race, said “We’ll run. After all, we have to perform about 20 seconds or so. It’s the fans who sit through the bad weather.”

And most fans stayed, according to 64-time relays attendee Bob Spiegel, in his book “Centennial Drake Relays.”

The 2007 Relays saw Alan Webb set a blistering pace in the mile run and set a Relays record that still stands. This was Webb’s first race of the season, and his time was but five seconds off from his personal record that he would set just three months later in Belgium.

“The crowd was just electric.

I was lucky enough to be announcing that race,” Jay said.

“This was truly an unexpected accomplishment as Webb’s season opener,” Jay added. After the second lap, the pace setter peeled off, Webb was on his own.

The clock read 2:55.9 after three laps. Webb separated from the rest of the pack. Leading the pack was Blake Boldon, the second place finisher and now relays director, was not even in the TV frame at this point.

“Show him your appreciation!

The record is 3:55.26,” Jay exclaimed over the loudspeaker, to a crowd that was all on their feet.

“We caught a great day, a great field of competition, and Webb delivered,” said Mark Kostek, former Relays director and then assistant athletic director.

Ivory Crockett held the 100-

yard dash world record at 9 seconds flat when he appeared on the Blue Oval in 1975.

The St. Louis native was much anticipated. As of that year, false-starting would result in a disqualification and an end to the racing at the respective event.

Sure enough, this rule would soon be put to the test. Crockett false-started in the 100-meter invitational, much to the disappointment of the crowd.

There were no second chances now; the spectators were furious they wouldn’t get to see the world’s fastest man compete live.

As Jay said Crockett “got on the microphone and told the crowd that ‘Hey its okay, I made a mistake.”’

CAMPUS EVENT

Lecturer to give thought-provoking Hoi Mun Yee Contributing Writer hoimun.yee@drake.edu @yeehoimun As a part of Drake Relays week, Drake University’s Astronomical Observatory Lecturer, Herbert Schwartz, will be holding a public lecture about multiverse theories titled “Is There an Anti-Me?” at the Drake Municipal Observatory. Although there is no concrete proof of the existence of parallel universes, many notable scientists believe in the multiverse theory, including Neil deGrasse Tyson and the late Stephen Hawking.

Schwartz said the topic will be very “cerebral,” requiring a lot of thinking and analyzing, but will still be interesting to his “general astronomy-interested public” audience. He also said people should not expect to get definitive answers from his lecture.

“The world of quantum mechanics allows for multiple universes [to exist] in a quantum and every possible outcome in that quantum to be true,” Schwartz said. “I am simply saying this is possible as a reality, although, there is virtually no way of knowing if it is real.”

Drake associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics Charles Nelson said this is an important topic in the field of science today. He said people need to see where the opinions and conversation of multiverse is going, especially since Stephen

Hawking, a huge contributor to the conversation, just died.

“The notion of multiverse is the latest fad,” Nelson said.

“There’s a lot of kerfuffle going on among intellectuals, cosmologists in the field, whether they buy into this stuff or not,so that’s kind of interesting to follow and hear how people are thinking about it.”

Drake first-year biology and environmental science major Mykaelah Fennoy plans to attend the lecture. She hopes to learn more about what she has seen in films like “The Butterfly Effect,” which features a protagonist who can change past actions, creating alternate timelines, and the film “Mr. Nobody,” which features a character who can see all the possible outcomes of his life before birth. While it is understood that parallel universes may be a possibility, the theories behind how they can exist are not widely depicted in popular culture.

“For there to be an antime? That seems pretty cool, it’s something you’ll listen to,” Fennoy said. “I want to know how do we look for these multiverses, how do we find them, how do we gather the idea that there might be millions of these universes cluttered in our own?”

Nelson is not a proponent of the multiverse theory because there is a lack of medium and adequate technology to conduct experiments and test its validity.

“Philosophical ideas of what science should be include this notion of falsifiability; you can

do some experiment or test to see if it’s right or wrong, well there hasn’t been one devised,” Nelson said.

However, Nelson’s mind may yet change, with Stephen Hawking’s final paper being reviewed by leading scientific journal “A Smooth Exit from Eternal Inflation.” Hawking’s colleagues revealed he included a new theory of how parallel universes can exist in the paper and mathematical workings to help spacecraft find multiple big bangs. It is a theory co-author Thomas Hertog said could land him a posthumous Nobel prize.

Schwartz said the multiverse theory is important because it “presents one more possibility about our universe,” and according to Nelson, understanding the universe is what humans should be doing. Despite his skepticism, that is why Nelson is interested in attending the lecture.

“I think that understanding the universe that we live in, broadly speaking, is important; that’s what university is ultimately for,” Nelson said “Is There an Anti-Me?” is part of a series of astronomy lectures held at the Drake Municipal Observatory during spring and fall semesters. This particular lecture will be held at 8 p.m. on April 27 and is open to the public.

PHOTO BY HOI MUN YEE | STAFF WRITER

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April 23, 2018

SPEED RELAYS PROFILE

MIKE JAY has been announcing the Drake Relays for 16 years. PHOTO COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Sheer passion for track and field fuels broadcasters 16-year-long career Samantha Ohlson Copy Editor samantha.ohlson@drake.edu @SamanthaOhlson Mike Jay first attended the Drake Relays in 1975 as a sophomore in high school. He hasn’t missed one since.

For the last 16 years, Jay has been the voice of the Drake Relays.

“I really can’t explain it, but it’s just something I absolutely have a passion for,” Jay said.

Jay, who is also a Drake Relays historian and serves on the Drake Relays Hall of Fame Committee, has made a career out of announcing track and field and cross country events, spending approximately 30 weekends on the road every year.

His resume is impressive. He announces the home cross country meets for several universities in the fall, like Stanford, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. In addition, he announces the Iowa High School Athletic Association State

Track and Field meet. He’s also announced the Pac-12 outdoor championships, the Big 10 and Big 12 indoor championships, the Ivy League indoor championships and the Power Five Conferences.

To top it all off, he’s also announced the last 10 NCAA indoor championships and the NCAA outdoor championships, the USA indoor championships and two Olympic trials.

“The thing that differentiates him from any other announcer in the country is the depth and sincerity of his love for the sport,” said Blake Boldon, the Drake Relays director.

Jay’s workweek runs Wednesday through Sunday; he prepares for each meet during the beginning of the week and announces over the weekend.

For the Drake Relays, Jay spends 50 to 60 hours preparing.

He spends a lot of that time researching, looking for up to three pieces of information on every athlete in every lane in every race. He looks for things like conference wins and national titles, things that set each athlete

apart from all the others.

“Everybody always gets one thing,” Jay said. “I’ll stay up as late as I have to to find one thing that’s worthy of repeating.”

During the week of the Relays, he announces the Grand Blue Mile, road races, pole vault and the high school, university and invitational events, working over 12 hours per day in the stadium.

Jay started announcing the Relays in 2002. He was working as a cross country coach in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The Drake track and cross country coach at the time, Gary Osborn, was a former teammate of the father of one of Jay’s runners. He put in a good word for him with the Relays director at the time, Mark Kostek.

“I saw him (Kostek) at a Missouri Valley Conference meet, and he said to me, ‘Why aren’t you announcing the Drake Relays?’ I said, ‘Well, nobody’s ever asked me.’ He said, ‘Well, now you’ve been asked,’” Jay said.

The Relays are a family affair for the Jays – his wife goes every year, his three sons grew up

running track and field and one, Joe, has been up in the booth with him for about 12 years.

“Our lives have revolved around the Drake Relays every year,” Jay said.

In 2014, Jay earned the Scott Davis Memorial Award from the Track and Field Writers of America. The prestigious award marked Jay as one of the top track and field announcers in the nation.

His favorite parts about announcing are interacting with the crowd and “perhaps helping your athletes run a little faster, jump a little higher, go a little farther.”

Jim Kirby, an assistant cross country coach at Simpson College, said Jay gave such a great call in 2007 when his runner won the 3000 meter race at the Drake Relays that he “felt inclined to write him a letter and tell him how great it was.”

Kirby said Jay’s use of phrases like “Oh, what a field have we assembled for you today” and calling a relay team a “quartet” is part of what makes him such a

great announcer.

When he’s not announcing, Jay is covering Iowan track and field athletes through the website he co-founded with Kirby, Next Level Iowa.

“Track and field doesn’t get covered in the state of Iowa like it used to,” Jay said. “So we’re just trying to fill a niche there.”

The website covers Iowa runners competing at the collegiate or professional levels and all Iowa colleges. It includes news coverage, stats and a podcast. Jay’s Twitter account has nearly 3,000 followers.

Jay said he will continue to announce as long as Drake will have him, but he also mentioned that his family will let him know when it’s time to step down.

“It’s like an athlete, you know?

You’ve got to know when it’s time to get out,” Jay said.

For now, though, Jay said he has the best of both worlds – announcing and track and field.

ACADEMICS

Honors students identify primary areas for program improvement Maddie Topliff Assistant Relays Editor maddie.topliff@drake.edu @Top_Dog30

The Drake University honors program has entered the beginning stages of a complete makeover. Last Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., more than ten honors students met in Medbury’s lounge in order to brainstorm ideas that would enhance or completely transform the existing program.

Gigantic blank sticky notes were attached to the lounge’s tables, allowing a blank canvas for the dozens of ideas students came up with.

Professor Jennifer McCrickerd orchestrated the meeting, urging students to think outside the box.

“Money is no object!” she told the group. “I want to invite you to think huge.”

Sophomore Kiley Roach came to the meeting prepared, a list of preconceived ideas already at her disposal before the meeting even started.

One of her bigger ideas touched on concept of introducing more distinctions between the honors

track and the area of inquiry (AOI) track – Drake’s way of implementing general education.

Roach said that right now, the standards between the two tracks are too similar.

“It has to be set apart,” she said. “(Honors students) are supposed to be cream of the crop.”

However, Roach and others

English or are heavily literaturebased and exclude STEM majors.

Another point of heavy discussion was the program’s visibility.

Currently, honors does not have a spot in Student Senate, which is a primary outlet for representation on Drake’s campus. Roach, a recently-elected student senator, has heard talk

“

It has to be set apart.

(Honors students) are supposed to be cream of the crop.

”

also agreed that the program needs to be accessible to all interested and that approachability should be an initiative to strive for.

In the same realm of approachability, some students advocated for the broadening of actual curriculum, pointing out that almost all current honors classes focus on aspects of

that such a position may be in the works. Additionally, the marketing and publicizing of honors was noted by the group as an area of improvement, which will increase transparency and leave less questions about the program unanswered.

Honors practicum is an optional, one-credit course,

offered by the program to introduce new students to honors if they feel as though an introduction is needed.

Unfortunately, the class’s structure has turned a handful of students away from the program as a whole, including first-year Eva Greder, an accounting major.

Discussion-based classes set the foundation for critical thinking – a fundamental part of the honors program – but they aren’t for everyone and have the potential to unintentionally turn students away.

Greder also said that the program requirements make it more difficult for her to obtain her degree since she brought in many AOI credits that transferred from her work in high school.

“Without doing the honors program, I’m able to graduate in four years with my Master’s in accounting instead of having to do the extra fifth year,” Greder said. “So, overall, it just seemed like a better idea to not do the honors program.”

One proposed way to combat the practicum aversion is to allow students to decide what to study, which would allow more flexibility in both discussion and a better opportunity for students

to be passionate about their work.

First-year honors student Kasey Springsteen made sure to share her passion about both individual attention and the powerful social dynamic the program has the opportunity to expand upon.

“I would like to know who else is in the honors program with me,” she said, advocating for more events to take place outside of the classroom.

Although the large majority of the meeting aired on the serious side, students also offered some fun and frivolous ideas to keep the group’s atmosphere alive.

“Can we get an honors amusement park?” Springsteen said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, McCrickerd told the group that she plans to facilitate a similar meeting in the near future in order to build upon the proposed ideas.

E8 | speed

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April 23, 2018

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