What?

That’s where Ira Flatow, host of National Public Radio’s Science Friday program, comes in. For the past several years, he’s been making sense of these seemingly unintelligible reports and science issues for the average listener. He’s bringing science to the masses.

Flatow will be the keynote speaker at the Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS) luncheon on April 11. The well-known personality is set to discuss the influence of science in everyday life and the importance of scientific literacy.

“Mr. Flatow’s passion for understanding and disseminating scientific findings is evident,” says Maria Valdovinos, associate professor of psychology. “Having a well-known guest as the keynote speaker at DUCURS promotes how valued the sciences are at Drake.”

In addition to hosting Science Friday, Flatow is the founder and president of the Science Friday Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to creating multimedia projects that make science user-friendly. He has been reporting on science-related issues for 35 years, including time as a science reporter for CBS This Morning and CNBC. His credits also feature six years as host and writer for the Emmy award-winning show Newton’s Apple on PBS.

Flatow’s work to promote scientific developments has earned him dozens of accolades. In 2012, he received the Isaac Asimov Science Award, which honors advocates who have increased the awareness and understanding of science and the scientific approach.

Flatow is one of the most prominent speakers to lecture at DUCURS. The conference provides a forum to showcase collaborative math and science research projects between students and faculty. DUCURS is part of Drake’s ongoing efforts to increase scientific literacy and provide opportunities to engage the larger community in science and math.

—Alyssa Cashman

Buy work from art students Buy art from up-and-coming artists before they hit the big time. Skeens recommends checking out shows at your local university art department, such as the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition at the Anderson Gallery.

Attend local arts events “The best way to add to your growing collection is to attend local gallery openings, and get to know local artists at arts events,” Skeens says. “If you see any pieces you’re dying to have, ask about pricing and possibly set up an installment plan.”

Get internet-art savvy “There is a great site, 20×200.com, for people who want to purchase work from popular contemporary artists but might not have the budget to purchase an original,” Skeens says. Ebay is also a resource for uncovering artistic gems. “Find an era or period of art you like, and search for ‘art,’ ‘decorative arts,’ or ‘photography’ to find something unique and fitting to your taste,” Skeens says.

Become friends with artists “Growing your personal art collection shouldn’t be your main intention when seeking out artist friends, but it can be a nice benefit,” Skeens says.

Scour auctions and estate sales Another’s trash can be your artistic treasure. “If you see something and fall in love with it, just buy it. Don’t worry about anything else,” Skeens says.

—Abbey Barrow, Class of 2015

Web Exclusive

Drake’s Lenore Metrick-Chen, associate professor of art history, discusses one of the University’s most notable works of art: Stuart Davis’ 1954 mural, Allée.

Richard Black, FA’57; professor of art and printmaking 1960–1994; professor emeritus of art

From the rooms of Drake’s Studio Arts Hall to the rows of a grape vineyard, retirement has been a change of scenery but certainly not a rest for Richard Black, FA’57. When he left Drake in 1994 after 35 years of teaching in the art department Black saw a chance to expand his work into new horizons.

“I was looking forward to retirement, and now I feel pretty much the same way,” Black says. “It gave me the opportunity to do a lot of other things I was always looking to do.”

One of those new opportunities is the grape vineyard Black runs in Farnhamville, Iowa. Following a lifelong passion for gardening, Black began growing and selling grapes in 2000.

“Most people assume that because I raise grapes, I also make wine, but I don’t,” Black says. “Wine is too confining because there’s the exact recipe you have to follow. Art is the opposite, and it allows you to experiment.”

After grape harvest season is over, Black spends the rest of the year in the printmaking studio he built on his farm.

“I just see art as an opportunity to explore a lot of new ideas,” Black says. “Very seldom do you hear about artists who stop making pictures, because they just don’t retire.”

As a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, Black participates in a show every fall in London. Last year, one of his entries was selected for a prize, and his work was published in a London printmaking magazine.

Despite the demands of balancing two careers, Black maintains his connection to Drake, especially Bulldogs basketball.

“I’ve had season tickets since probably 1954,” Black says. “Having played [basketball] myself, I appreciate the game. I even watched them play in the Final Four in the late ’60s.”

Hectic schedule and all, Black sees no signs of slowing down.

“I enjoy everything I do and get so much pleasure from it,” Black says.

—Abbey Barrow, Class of 2015

Visit Olson Larson Galleries to view more of Richard Black’s art.

Leslie Schrader Caraballo, JO’82: How is being a female undergrad today different from when you were in college?

Maxwell: I wasn’t a typical female undergrad inasmuch as I was studying at the Rhode Island School of Design being artsy, individual, discussing the meaning of the color yellow or protesting what was going on in the South, breaking down barriers, aiming for truth, helping humankind, and bucking the establishment. We were not as focused on career then. We were interested in learning how to think critically and innovatively and never sell out. We were finding our passions and learning how to be aware to make the world a better place—Drake students are doing this, too!

Sara Robby, LA’83: What is your favorite part about being in the Drake community?

Maxwell: Getting to know students as they follow their dreams, then hearing about them later on or visiting with them at reunions. It always seems as if they’ve skyrocketed into being successful adults.

Hope Rowold Johnson, JO’94, AS’94: What is your favorite color?

Maxwell: I’ve been an illustrator, a designer, and a creative director. It’s impossible for me to choose one color over another—it depends on the season or the setting. On an early spring day there is nothing more beautiful than the yellow of a daffodil against the snow and dark earth, or the orange flame of a blazing fire on a jet-black night, or the sky-blue-pink of a sunset. Black? White? I love those, too. Absence of color; fully saturated color—I could go on all day.

Stephanie Esker, Class of 2014: What about Drake has affected your personal life the most?

Maxwell: At Drake it’s not a what; it’s a who—and that is the people who comprise the Drake community. If it has to be a what, it would be the great work ethic.

Joey Gale, Class of 2015: What is the secret behind those delicious whoopie pies you bake?

Maxwell: Yummy ingredients that you won’t see in any health food store except for chocolate, which is now deemed good for you.

For three weeks in January, Drake’s classrooms stretched from Des Moines to the Bahamas, the Galapagos Islands, and Ghana, as well as to Poland, Austria, and London. These locations and many others were the destinations of Drake’s inaugural January Term (J-Term) offerings, in which students devoted three weeks to in-depth study of a single subject, often on location.

During J-Term, 25 students traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the presidential inauguration under the guidance of Rachel Paine Caufield, associate professor of politics. They also worked with national leaders and scholars, conducted fieldwork assignments, met with professionals in their fields, blogged, and created a culminating documentary.

“Throughout our time in Washington, D.C., Drake alumni were all very willing to meet with us and explain what it is like to start a career and live in the nation’s capital,” writes Lucas Mueller, a junior actuarial science and finance double major, on the group’s blog. He noted that Drake alumnus Zachary Nunn, as’02, director of cybersecurity policy for the National Security Council, arranged for the class to go bowling in the White House’s Truman Bowling Alley.

“For me personally,” says Mueller, “this was an amazing experience that I will never forget.”

In another popular offering, students served as crew on the Liberty Clipper, a 125-foot schooner, while being mentored in leadership by Tom Westbrook, professor of education. The students spent two weeks in the classroom learning leadership attributes and the technical aspects of sailing, and then practiced what they learned while exploring the Bahamas Out Islands for six days.

For junior health sciences major Sarah Mooney and her watch team, a swiftly moving storm provided one of many tangible lessons in leadership. “The winds were blowing like crazy, waves were crashing up over the boat,” says Mooney. “We had to act fast and deal with the situation, because the storm wasn’t going anywhere. It was an incredibly pertinent leadership lesson because when you encounter an unexpected obstacle, it’s important that you react in a calm but efficient manner to transcend the obstacle, whatever it may be.”

Other J-Term courses took place closer to home—such as producing the musical Chicago, studying the biology of winter, and building and programming robots. But all offerings took advantage of the ability to accomplish much in a compressed, intensive time frame.

“With J-Term, there are a lot of things that you can try that you might not be able to do in the regular semester,” says Arthur Sanders, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Professor of Politics and associate provost. “J-Term allows us the opportunity to offer those kinds of choices.”

—Jill Brimeyer

Big-time TV contracts, roaring crowds, and $100 million annual revenues are appealing to universities and their student-athletes. But are athletics programs still fulfilling the mission of higher education?

By Aaron W. Jaco, JO’07, AS’07

For centuries, colleges and universities have been beacons for young people to learn, find their passion, hone a craft, and mature into ethical leaders. The model of higher education is one that has traditionally been tailored to meet those needs—with the ultimate goal to create and instill knowledge, prepare global citizens for meaningful professional pursuits, and fulfill a social compact to serve the public good.

At the same time, thousands of students use their college years to participate in athletics, an endeavor that has long been thought to go hand-in-hand with academics. But developments in some sectors of intercollegiate athletics are bringing sport into conflict with the core mission of higher education. The addition of television contracts, video game sales, and other major licensing deals has transformed Division I athletics into a high-revenue business venture—fraught with added pressures, larger time commitments, and fiercer competition among student-athletes.

While the demands associated with participation increase, data show that the valuable lessons traditionally associated with athletic competition—including fair play, critical thinking, teamwork, and trust—are falling by the wayside. Off the playing field, institutional spending on coaches’ salaries and other expenses are increasing at a rate higher than spending on academics.

Confronted by these challenges and more, college and university leaders are working with athletics regulators and others to find a balance between commercialism and the core purpose of our colleges and universities.

Big-money athletics

The Southeastern Conference, the nation’s top-earning athletics conference, collected more than $1 billion in receipts in 2010.

The Big Ten Conference was right behind it with $905 million. Individually, several schools have consistently topped $100 million in annual revenues for the past five years or more.

Television contracts generate a large chunk of that revenue. In 2010, the NCAA reached a 14-year, $10.8 billion television rights deal for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. A new college football playoff, set to begin in 2014, is expected to raise another half-billion dollars. Those revenue sources are parsed out to member colleges and universities based on a variety of factors.

Altogether, television contracts and other marketing rights constituted nearly 20 percent of revenue for schools within the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the top level in college football, in 2010. Schools also earned cash directly from ticket sales (24 percent), donor contributions (22 percent), and other sources, including institutional/government support, student fees, and corporate sponsorship.

Full-time commitment?

One byproduct of that money—and the competitive environment it promotes—is a higher standard for student-athlete performance. Competing in college sport can be a rigorous, full-time endeavor, and one that is taking more and more of a student-athlete’s time. The NCAA allows 20 hours of official practice per week, but games, travel, voluntary workouts, and other commitments can double the amount of time students spend on athletics.

In 2010, student-athletes in Division I and II men’s basketball, Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) football, and Division I baseball reported an increase in the time they spent every week on athletic pursuits compared with respondents in 2006.

Division I FBS football players practiced and competed the most: more than 43 hours a week while in-season. Division I baseball and FCS football players also reported an average time commitment in excess of 40 hours per week. In Division III, student-athletes reported spending at least 30 hours per week in-season on their sport.

Even when coaches exercise moderation in their practice regimens, university officials are faced with the fact that some students prioritize athletics above their work in the classroom. In 2011, a study by the NCAA showed that a majority of Division I student-athletes listed athletics participation as a more important factor than academic offerings in their college decision. This held true across all sports for student-athletes of both genders, not only for players on men’s marquee teams.

University officials must ensure that their students succeed academically while making sure not to stifle their athletic potential, says Gene Smith, athletic director at The Ohio State University.

“We have elite athletes who aspire to win championships and be the best they can be,” Smith says. “We want to make sure they also do what they’re supposed to do in the classroom.”

Degrees of success

A college degree is the most tangible culmination of higher education for most student-athletes—for the great majority, at least, who don’t go on to play professional sports. But does athletic participation make students more or less likely to graduate? The statistics paint a complicated picture, particularly in high-revenue sports at high-profile schools.

Federal graduation rates show that students who compete in Division I athletics are 2 percent more likely to earn a college degree than are nonathletes, according to data for students who entered college in 2005.

By the same measurement, black student-athletes are 10 percent more likely to graduate than black nonathletes, and the graduation boost is even higher for black female athletes—though in all cases they remain significantly less likely to graduate than their white counterparts.

The picture becomes more nuanced when segmented by sport. Students who participate in basketball and football are less likely to graduate than peers who participate in lower-profile sports at most Division I schools.

For example: A dozen men’s teams that competed in the 2010 NCAA tournament, or about one in five teams that took to the court, graduated fewer than 40 percent of their players, according to statistics released by the NCAA in October 2012.

That same year, five men’s teams in the NCAA tournament graduated 20 percent or fewer of their black players, and two teams graduated none of their black student-athletes who entered the program from 1999 through 2002, according to an editorial that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wrote for ESPN.com.

The College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill used another model to compare Division I football players with full-time male students who did not participate in sports. The study found that football players are less likely to graduate at a majority of Division I schools. The CSRI found the highest discrepancy in graduation rates within the Pacific-12 (Pac-12), one of the nation’s top-earning athletic conferences, where football players graduated at a rate 27 percent lower than their full-time male counterparts. (The discrepancy was even higher when comparing black football players with the overall male student body.)

Level playing field?

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a group of higher education officials, journalists, and others with a stake in the future of college sports, has pushed for stricter NCAA standards to address disparities in academic outcomes among colleges and universities. Such regulations, the commission suggests, should carry financial rewards and consequences—because without the incentive of money, schools may sacrifice their focus on academics in pursuit of a competitive advantage and an extra buck.

“It’s difficult for an institution that is doing everything it can to keep athletics aligned with the university mission,” says Amy Perko, the Knight Commission’s executive director. “Because the reality is, you’re competing on the athletic field with your competitors, who may not adhere to those same standards.”

The academic performance at any given school tends to be influenced more by institutional priorities and culture than by revenues, says Jean Boyd, associate athletic director for student-athlete development at Arizona State University.

“You take a school like Northwestern or Duke or Stanford—those who have an academic identity that is historically firmly entrenched and long-lasting—and there I think you’ll find the best of both worlds: The money stream is high, and the academic performance is high as well,” Boyd says. “But there are situations on the other end, in which schools have vast monetary resources but a [graduation rate] that is relatively low. It probably has more to do with the culture there than with money.”

The basketball squad at Gonzaga University, a private Roman Catholic institution in Spokane, Wash., has appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since 1999, including six Sweet Sixteen finishes. The team has also graduated all but one of its men’s basketball players who completed NCAA eligibility at the university since 2000.

“It’s true that some [Division I teams] place higher emphasis on academics than others,” says Mike Roth, athletic director at Gonzaga. “But that’s an individual school’s prerogative. It doesn’t seem to harm our competitive edge, though I see how it could.”

For Gonzaga, athletics advance the university’s mission primarily by increasing visibility. The name recognition that results from ESPN appearances and the glow of athletics victories are powerful marketing tools that boost applications and allow the university to be more selective in its enrollment practices.

“There are many students out there who know us first because of our basketball program,” Roth says. “You literally can’t buy that kind of publicity.”

The impact of athletics success has varied, with research suggesting that application increases resulting from successful seasons tend to be temporary. Some college administrators believe that a consistently competitive athletics team substantially benefits admissions, while others have said that simply having Division I teams matters more than any one team’s success.

Lessons on the field

Most athletics officials, student-athletes, and fans would agree that sport provides an exceptional learning experience for participants—that coaches teach their students to develop critical thinking skills, to work as a team, and to perform under pressure. Those outcomes, among others, strike at the core mission of higher education by promoting career preparedness and receptiveness to learning.

On the other hand, a significant number of student-athletes today say they are not perceiving an institutional emphasis on other key values, which include ethics, honesty, and fairness. As competition heats up, do these values fall by the wayside?

In 2011, only 57 percent of Division I football players surveyed by the NCAA said they “strongly agree” with an assertion that “my head coach defines success not just by winning but by winning fairly.” Fewer than 50 percent of participants in men’s basketball, baseball, other men’s sports, and women’s basketball strongly agreed with the survey question.

Similarly, between 39 and 56 percent of Division I student-athletes strongly agreed with the assertion that “my head coach can be trusted.” Responses varied by gender, conference, and school. Between 61 and 77 percent of Division I athletes strongly agreed that academic honesty is highly valued at their institution, with the fewest number of football players saying they strongly agree.

Proactive steps

As myriad elements continue to complicate the dynamic between higher-ed institutions and their athletics programs, NCAA officials and some schools are using new approaches to ensure that athletics remains a faithful extension of the university’s core mission—or at least serves a complementary function.

In 2011, the NCAA adopted a rule requiring schools to be on track to graduate at least 50 percent of its players in order to be eligible for postseason competition. The mandate, adopted 10 years after the Knight Commission first advocated for it, was more stringent than those recommended by some other proponents of athletics reform, including Education Secretary Duncan.

The NCAA also recently increased its minimum GPA for eligibility in Division I sport. Student-athletes must maintain a 2.3 GPA in certain core classes—up from the previous minimum GPA of 2.0—beginning with students in the graduating class of 2016.

A third development ties academic performance to financial revenue to an unprecedented extent. In 2012, officials who oversee a new college football playoff agreed to allocate nearly 10 percent of revenues from that event—projected to earn $470 million a year—to schools based on their academic performance. It’s the first time in college football history that schools will be directly financially rewarded for the results of their work in the classroom, according to Perko, of the Knight Commission.

Also last year, the NCAA reversed a rule that prohibited institutions from awarding multiyear scholarships to student-athletes. That rule, which stood for 40 years, gave some institutions the wiggle room to cut funding for students who underperformed on the playing field—making it more difficult, or impossible, for shunned student-athletes to afford to finish school. Officials hope the use of multiyear scholarships will allow more students to earn degrees.

Other NCAA regulations aim to keep students’ focus on their classes rather than on the prospect of professional sport. Student-athletes are prohibited from accepting payment, including gifts, for participation in athletics. Rules also preclude them from profiting from commercial use of their image or likeness. The NCAA’s regulations have also led some schools to monitor their students’ use of social media and even their checking accounts—though critics of these controversial measures maintain that athletics leaders are more concerned about protecting their own image than teaching students about ethical behavior and the importance of academics.

Who pays?

At Division I institutions, some athletics programs have begun allocating money toward academics. In September 2012, for example, Louisiana State University’s athletics department agreed to give more than $36 million over five years to the university in support of academic programs. Ohio State also capitalizes on its financial windfalls to enhance the school’s ability to provide educational opportunities for students.

“Our primary goal is to support the university,” says Smith, Ohio State athletic director. “We transferred $30 million to the university [in fiscal year 2010–2011]. We paid all our scholarship costs—$16 million—and transferred another $14 million to support other parts of the institution.”

On the other hand, most schools, including those with top-earning football programs, do not make a profit on their athletics programs. The costs associated with higher-profile competition, such as increasing coaches’ salaries and facility costs, have historically offset the increase in revenue.

A majority of schools subsidize their athletics programming with university dollars—which amplifies questions about the role of athletics in advancing the university’s core mission.

Looking ahead

What is the purpose of college sport? Is it a springboard for promising young people to access a college education? To go pro? To learn life lessons that will prepare them for rewarding lives and careers?

Is it a vehicle to rally alumni support, to increase the visibility of the institution? And how does the changing financial foundation of athletics shift the way universities approach these questions? Do administrators, coaches, and student-athletes behave differently when there’s more at stake?

Whatever the future holds for intercollegiate athletics, one thing seems certain: The television deals, the money, and the crowds are here to stay. And so are the questions. As long as thousands of fans fill the stands at home games and bowl games, and pack into living rooms and restaurants to cheer their teams toward championships; as long as universities earn millions in revenue (and pay it back in millions to coaches); and as long as young men and women dream of competing and excelling at the highest level of their sports, there is certain to be continuing negotiation as schools seek a balance between the business of sport and the mission of higher education.

1. Snookies in the Beaverdale neighborhood is not just an ice cream shop; it’s a Des Moines institution. Residents camp out in the parking lot every year to be among the first in line on opening day. You don’t have to be first, but you should go.
2. The quirky gifts, local art, and handcrafted goods at Tandem Brick Gallery make this shop a must-see as you explore the many restaurants, storefronts, art galleries, clubs, and dives on Ingersoll Avenue. The street runs through the Woodland Heights, North of Grand, and Ingersoll Park neighborhoods.
3. Des Moines’ oldest neighborhood, Sherman Hill, is famous for its many “painted ladies”—spacious Victorian homes restored to their original splendor. Plus, Hoyt Sherman Place, the 1,400-seat theater originally built as a home for Major Hoyt Sherman in 1877, dazzles with its historic architecture.
4. If you’ve not had breakfast at Waveland Cafe in the Waveland Park neighborhood then you’ve never truly experienced Des Moines. Don’t let the long lines deter you; the friendly staff goes out of its way to get you in as quickly as possible.
5. Taller than you would ever think a child’s slide should be, and steeper by far, the rocket slide in Union Park, located in the Union Park neighborhood, is not for the faint of heart. Never fear, though—nearby is the much tamer (but equally cool) Heritage Carousel, one of the few wooden carousels built since the 1930s.

—Tim Schmitt, GR’08, ’10

Visit www.drake.edu/desmoines for an interactive look at some of the places Drake students love most in the capital city.

Creating a new model for athletics in higher education

By Tim Schmitt, GR’08, ’10

It’s no secret that some student-athletes pursue higher education primarily as a means to “study” their sport. While college sports provide a great opportunity for the vast majority of participants to grow both academically and athletically, some students don’t always make this connection. While few in the world of higher education would claim to endorse this approach, the fact is that education can sometimes take a backseat to athletics.

Colleges and universities want—and athletes want to be a part of—strong athletics teams that win championship titles and bring prestige to their schools. But there is no guarantee that shunning academics to focus on athletics results in winning teams. When this gamble for athletic greatness does happen, it takes place at the expense of student-athletes who are missing out on the education they were promised.

And it’s a gamble that need not take place. There have always been great athletes who excel in the classroom. And often, students who have struggled academically in their younger years find academic success in college thanks to the opportunity provided them by participating in athletics. Changing the mindset in higher education to expect this to be the rule rather than the exception, however, is not a simple task.

“The concept that students can learn more than their sports through athletics is not new,” says Director of Athletics Sandy Hatfield Clubb. “Learning is happening everywhere on college campuses. Unfortunately we often leave it to chance in athletics that learning happens in the best way possible. Why not develop intentionality in our programs to ensure that comprehensive learning takes place?”

This challenge exists on college campuses of all sizes across the country—and Drake is no exception. As a result, Drake’s Athletics Department, led by Hatfield Clubb and with support from Drake University President David Maxwell, has been undergoing an intentional and strategic shift in the athletics programs at Drake. Building upon traditions of academic excellence and athletic achievement already in place, Drake is intertwining learning outcomes with athletics to further develop well-rounded student-athletes as well as winning programs.

The Drake Athletics Strategic Plan calls for the University to provide leadership-based experiences for student-athletes and create a progressive model for intercollegiate sport. This plan, says Maxwell, is an example of how Drake University takes its mission seriously and how athletics can—and should—play an important role in its fulfillment.

“The Drake experience is a holistic experience,” says Maxwell. “Whether it’s in the classroom, in Greek life, in the lab, in student life, or on athletics teams, students are learning to lead. Athletics is one path that leads to the learning outcomes promoted by the University.”

Leveraging the jersey

Hatfield Clubb presented the Drake Athletics Strategic Plan to the campus community in 2010. Student-athletes now take coursework that explicitly defines and points out lessons in leadership and communication from the playfield that were previously left to chance. Additionally, they use their visibility and positions as student-athletes to engage in service work—from packaging meals through Meals from the Heartland to acting as guest lecturers in local schools—that further reinforces these lessons while benefitting the community at large.

The Seeds of Success program, made possible through a grant from DuPont Pioneer and in partnership with Character Counts, allows student-athletes to visit area middle schools and discuss with students what it takes to succeed in the classroom and in life.

“They use the power of the jersey to reach middle school students and tell their stories of success and overcoming adversity,” says Hatfield Clubb.

Drake’s student-athletes seem to understand that there is more to learn from their sport than, well, their sport. When the grant was awarded, Hatfield Clubb committed to putting 30 student-athletes into classrooms in the first year and to increasing the number of participants over subsequent years. In the first year, however, 42 student-athletes eagerly signed up to participate.

“Our students embraced the program immediately,” she says. “That speaks to the type of student-athletes who Drake recruits.”

Recruiting the right students is just the first part of the effort. Once here, student-athletes are guided through Bulldog Foundations, an extended orientation process that introduces them to the Bulldog Way and the Drake Playbook—programs that teach the importance of integrity in action for all student-athletes.

“Every coach has a philosophy and approach to ethics and success—it is not a cookie-cutter approach,” says Hatfield Clubb. “They understand that leadership involves learning who you are and developing that potential. They stretch their students and take them beyond their own mental concept of what they can do. They help them reach their full potential by getting better every day.”

But can we still win games?

The focus on athletics as a tool to teach leadership and ethics while requiring student-athletes to be academic achievers is a concept that is different for some fans. It’s natural, then, that some might ask if it is possible to take this approach and still have successful teams.

The short answer is yes.

“The concept of creating winning teams and using athletics as a teaching tool are not mutually exclusive,” says Maxwell.

The 2007–2008 men’s basketball team is a perfect example of this, he says. That team, made up of many athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or above, won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship, set a school record for wins, and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

More recently, the 2012 football team won its second consecutive conference title in November; the men’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2010; men’s tennis won two consecutive MVC titles in 2011 and 2012; the softball team advanced to the semifinals of last year’s MVC tournament; and individual athlete honors—both academic and athletic—are too numerous to list.

But this is just the beginning. Drake University is striving for sustained success and believes that a coaching model in which there is an intentional focus on developing the human being first and educating young people to become world-class leaders will produce winning programs.

“Some have argued that Division I teams have to recruit student-athletes who are not prepared for, or focused on, the academic side of college in order to be competitive,” says Lindsay Whorton, AS’09, ED’09, a former student-athlete, first-team Academic All-American, Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright recipient, and current member of the Drake University Board of Trustees. “There are many talented athletes who are very bright and are motivated to excel both on and off the court or field. I believe that an institution that is able to truly integrate the athletic and academic spheres will be able to successfully attract these student-athletes. Such an institution will produce winning teams, teams that will also contribute to a vibrant academic environment.”

Multidimensional students

Matt Bowie, a senior biology major, member of the men’s basketball team, and a member of the football team until his eligibility ran out this year, recognizes that athletics has helped him learn some meaningful lessons—on and off the field.

“Drake Athletics is unique to other programs in not only the way academics are stressed as the highest priority to athletes but also the way the qualities of leadership, time management, self-efficacy, and others can be learned from these sports,” says Bowie. “This approach has been important to me because it assures that I don’t become one-dimensional. I am not just a student or just an athlete. The approach focuses on maintaining the balance needed to excel in both aspects and not just getting by in one or the other.”

Bowie says he learned about the power of athletics in a very real way when he traveled to Tanzania as a member of Drake’s football team in 2011 to compete in the first-ever collegiate game of American football on the African continent.

“That trip really helped me gain perspective on other cultures and myself,” he says. “It pushed me from being really introverted to where I actually love to experience new things. This is something that would not have happened without participating in athletics.”

Maxwell, who traveled with the team to Tanzania, recalls a conversation while still en route in which Bowie mentioned that, although he was interested in winning the game, he was well aware that the trip, the experience, and the service work they were to do was much bigger than the sport that brought the team there.

“The game is a catalyst,” says Maxwell. “The Africa trip was a powerful example of this. It helped teach cross-cultural communication and leadership, and it allowed these students to do meaningful work in a variety of settings for a population in need. To hear Matt articulate this was very powerful.”

Though results of implementing the Drake Athletics Strategic Plan are apparent in the words of Matt Bowie and in the actions of student-athletes across campus, the effort is really in its formative steps.

“I think there are more ways to integrate athletics and academics in a formal sense and to continue to think about the role that athletics plays in accomplishing the mission of the liberal arts university,” says Whorton. “There is room to consider how college athletics can contribute even more to the university at large and enhance the experience of non-athletes and campus life as well as student-athletes.”

Hatfield Clubb acknowledges this effort has just begun, and ensuring it continues and succeeds will require a campuswide effort.

“The majority of our work is ahead of us,” she says. “Student-athletes really do a great job supporting each other, but the question is how we build pride across the community and make sure this carries over and continues. We need to have a pervasive culture, not pockets of buy-in.”

By Kristin Looney, JO’09, AS’09, GR’10

But the first time I tried, it was exactly the opposite. I vowed, while dramatically huffing and puffing around my block, that I would retire from the sport. Yet my energy and determination overruled that idea, and I again laced up my shoes. Eventually the huffs and puffs subsided, and I begged my parents to enter me in the Ridge Run, a local event held each Memorial Day that included a kids’ one-mile “fun run.” I was 7 years old.

The race did not feel “fun.” In fact, it was torture. But the cheers that welcomed me as I crossed the finish line made the strain seem insignificant. My family encouraged me to continue competing, and I competed in the fun run for the next seven years. Over time I became focused not on winning but on improving. Beating my personal best—even by a single second—was supremely satisfying.

When I entered high school, I knew that running was something I enjoyed. However, I had clear specifications when it came to the sport: Anything over a mile was simply too far. My coach had other ideas.

During practice one day, she revealed that I would be competing in my worst nightmare: the 3,200-meter run. The thought of running two miles—let alone running them in circles on a track and in a race—made me feel like I had a rock the size of Stonehenge in my stomach.

I contemplated potential excuses. Could I feign a fracture? Could I blame bad cafeteria food? At that moment, I loathed the fact that I was a terrible liar.

As I reluctantly ran from curve to straightaway, curve to straightaway, the feelings from my first time running around the block resurfaced. Several times, I vowed that my days of running long distances were through. Yet as I crossed the finish line, the struggles transformed into smiles. My self-doubt decreased, and I had faith that I could achieve anything. With renewed confidence and drive, I set and attained several competitive goals during the following years, including qualifying for state and being named Most Valuable Player.

During my senior year in high school, I came into contact with a midsize university in Iowa that invited me to visit campus.

As a lifelong Chicagoan, my perception of Iowa was that it was covered in cornfields and students shared tractor rides to class. But what I had learned about the school—Drake University—intrigued me. The plethora of programs and boundless opportunities seemed ideal (and the blue track didn’t hurt). So I took a road trip.

The moment I arrived on campus, I knew Drake was a flawless fit: Everyone I met was warm and inviting, the students were engaged in their classes and with each other, and, of course, there was the Drake Relays. That first visit eventually led to a position on Drake’s cross-country and track-and-field teams.

When I started at Drake, I was ecstatic about everything. I took classes that I found incredibly appealing, such as Reading and Writing Short Stories and Sports Psychology. In addition, my teammates were not only dedicated, they were also extremely enthusiastic and enjoyable to be around. I developed strong friendships quickly and could not fathom being at any other school than Drake.

A few months into college, however, I encountered both academic and athletic roadblocks. Throughout my life, I had been a perfectionist. In both academics and athletics, I set high goals for myself and worked diligently to achieve them. But in college, the bar was higher. The expectations began to feel overwhelming. Within a few weeks, I received a poor grade on a paper and ran a horrible race. I began to doubt my abilities to succeed as both a student and a runner.

During those times of uncertainty, the faculty and staff at Drake reached out to me and continued to help me build my confidence. And throughout Drake Athletics, the idea was continually reinforced that successful student-athletes remain positive, dedicated, and adaptable regardless of circumstances. That concept became my mantra.

While competing, my coaches emphasized that receiving outstanding grades was even more important than attaining athletic accomplishments. While learning, my professors stressed that education was not about the grade; it was about gaining knowledge. In both athletics and academics, I learned that the amount of effort I applied would make the difference between satisfactory and superior. Because of the optimistic outlook promoted throughout Drake Athletics, I began to believe that I could soar over what I previously perceived as the unbeatable bar.

Shortly before I finished my undergraduate degree, I made a decision that would have a profound impact on my future. Although I immensely enjoyed my journalism classes, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in teaching. I was determined to make a difference, and I realized that education was my true passion. The decision to pursue higher education amounted to more time and money. Yet my confidence in my choice never wavered. Without a doubt, I knew that Drake was the place where I wanted to attend graduate school. I worked diligently in my courses, and, fortunately, my efforts were rewarded. I received my dream job—to teach high school English and journalism while coaching the school’s cross-country team.

As a teacher and coach, the messages I learned at Drake remain meaningful. At times the plethora of papers and my penchant for procrastination make tasks seem insurmountable. The huffs and puffs that I experienced during my first few times running sometimes make a return in my career. Sometimes I witness a glimmer of these doubts in my students as well: A challenging curriculum can simply seem too intimidating. A cross-country workout can seem too strenuous. Both my students’ and my comfort zones are frequently compressed.

Yet, through my years at Drake, I’ve learned to never settle for satisfactory. I’ve worked to instill this notion in my students and runners as well. The standards that Drake has encouraged me to continuously set for myself always return to the forefront of my mind. The efforts are never easy, but the results are always rewarding.

Running had transformed from an arduous test to a persistent passion.