Drake’s National Alumni Association has slated October 22, 2011, as DU Good Day. Event coordinators are currently seeking site leaders for projects across the country on this national day of service. Register to participate and find further information online.

Meet three alumnae who are leading the cause:

Jane Fiegen Green, AS'07, Saint Louis, Mo.

Jane Fiegen Green, AS’07, St. Louis, Mo.

Why I was inspired to take part in DU Good Day: I have become involved with my local Drake alumni chapter, and I enjoy feeling like I’m part of the St. Louis community. I hope that DU Good Day will help me meet more local alumni and make me feel more at home in this city, where I am pursuing my doctorate at Washington University.

Where are you volunteering? I chose Gateway Greening, a group that organizes and supports community gardens, because I enjoyed two summers of tending my own plot. This organization promotes sustainable agriculture, good nutrition and community interaction. Plus, we get to play in the dirt on a beautiful St. Louis autumn day!

How Drake exposed me to the value of service: I had some great service experiences at Drake, particularly through the Honors Program. I enjoyed taking ownership of the activities and feeling like a full member of the community, not just a transient college student. Whenever I drive past the downtown branch of the Des Moines Public Library, I can remember that I was there on opening day, helping kids get excited about reading!

Megan Caldbeck

Megan Caldbeck, JO’05, Denver

Why I was inspired to take part in DU Good Day: I want to become more involved in my community, and I haven’t been here long enough to become familiar with available volunteer opportunities. DU Good Day is a great chance for me to reach out of my comfort zone and explore the needs of the community a little more.

To me, community service means: Recognizing the needs of your neighbors and, more importantly, recognizing that a little goes a long way.

What’s special about volunteering with other Drake alumni and friends: Helping people is a contagious thing. As soon as you realize the difference it makes and the fact that it’s not difficult to find a place that needs your help, you realize how many people have the same idea. That’s what happened while I was at Drake. As a member of a sorority, there were always ways to help others, and it was great to be able to do that with other students. I fully anticipate that’s what will happen at DU Good Day as well.

Natalie Johansen, JO, BN’08, Davenport, Iowa

Why I was inspired to take part in DU Good Day: Ever since graduating and leaving Des Moines, I have been looking for a way to reconnect with Drake. When this opportunity arose, I thought it was the perfect way to couple my enthusiasm for volunteer work with my desire to engage with other Drake alumni. I am really looking forward to meeting the network of alumni in the Quad Cities.

How are you giving back? We will be serving breakfast to the homeless. Providing assistance to those in need takes a lot of work and this organization in particular not only provides food but also resources to get people back on there feet and integrated into the community.

To me, community service means: Using and sharing your skill sets to help out organizations and people in need. Giving back can be the most rewarding work you can accomplish.

Read about other DU Good Day site coordinators profiled in the June edition of eBlue.

The above photo from the 1973 edition of Drake’s Quax yearbook depicts a skeleton of Olmsted Center, with the caption:

“Fun and function will be the Olmsted Center’s job when it debuts in January of 1974. The $4.1 million structure will be the new SAC home and also contain a grill, T.V., games and meeting rooms, vending machines and Parents Hall. The long-awaited student union will be strategically located across from Goodwin-Kirk.”

See more historical photos in the Cowles Heritage Collection online.

A renovation of the Olmsted Center lower level is currently under way. The project, inspired by student feedback, will greatly enhance the Drake campus. The renovation includes the addition of a new satellite fitness center for students offering cardio equipment and a free weights area. The project will also include larger, revitalized meeting room spaces and improved interior lighting, carpet and paint.

Richard Sussman, AS’51, and his wife, Lila, have generously donated funds to support the second phase of the project, which will begin in the summer of 2012. This phase will include the renovation (and renaming) of Bulldog Theater, the installation of new restrooms and revitalization of the Olmsted lobby.

Olmsted Center today

Minutes after President Obama finished delivering a speech on the state of the United States economy earlier this month, former Beltway insider Robert Reich treated Drake University students, faculty and the Des Moines community to a riveting lecture.

Reich, who served as secretary of labor during President Clinton’s first term in office, watched Obama’s address on Drake President David Maxwell’s basement television set.

Then, to a standing-room-only audience packed into Sheslow Auditorium, Reich shared his reaction to Obama’s speech and his expert opinion on the country’s economic outlook.

In the lecture, Reich focused almost exclusively on Obama’s American Jobs Act and the nation’s employment creation prospects. He suggested potential fixes, repeatedly stating that the president’s proposal must be big and bold in order to make a difference.

Reich also emphasized that legislators must view the country’s economic problems as a demand-side issue, rather than one of supply.

Noting that consumer spending accounts for roughly 70 percent of the nation’s GDP, he advocated for solutions that would drive consumers to buy goods and services. Part of the problem, Reich said, is that the shrinking middle class is not able to participate in the economy at the level necessary to spur significant improvement.

Reich, who teaches public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, also argued against cutting business taxes as a job creation tactic due to the fact that corporate cash holdings have never been higher.

A video recording of the lecture is available online.

Three members of the Drake University faculty and staff were presented with Madelyn M. Levitt Awards on Tuesday, September 13, at the annual Faculty and Staff Convocation in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. The awards were established by the late Madelyn M. Levitt, who served as a Drake trustee and special assistant to the president for development.

Anisa Fornoff

Anisa Fornoff, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, was honored with the Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award.

The award recognizes a faculty or staff member with a demonstrated personal commitment to volunteerism and community service as well as professional and personal values and behavior that typify the ideals of giving back to others.

Fornoff is actively involved with service organizations dedicated to adults with mental and physical disabilities, including Passageway and Candeo, which offer individuals with disabilities opportunities, services and support.

Her professional work includes pharmaceutical care services and experiential student learning at various community sites dedicated to support services for adults with mental and physical disabilities. She has made that work personal by engaging students and speaking passionately beyond the classroom. Last year, Dr. Fornoff developed a new First Year Seminar focused on the media’s treatment of people with disabilities. She provides students a service-learning opportunity by creating an experience at Ruby Van Meters Schools.

Her inspirational leadership is captured in this comment from one of her advanced pharmacy practice experience students:

“[Fornoff] is an amazing model for empathy and understanding, and her positive and encouraging attitude exemplifies what is to be desired from all health care professionals.”

The 2011 Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence Awards, which honor staff members whose work and commitment consistently exceed expectations, were presented to:

•    Jen Hogan, assistant director of international programs and services and study abroad

•    Kevin Moenkhaus, assistant director of student records and academic information

Jen Hogan

Hogan demonstrates a commitment to Drake’s study abroad programming and exemplifies the global citizenship contemplated by the Drake mission.

Hogan’s nominator noted that Drake’s study abroad offerings are more robust and diverse because of her vision for expanding beyond what might be typical or expected. When natural disasters or political upheaval made the headlines last spring, Hogan worked tirelessly to communicate, coordinate and support impacted Drake students.

Moenkhaus works collaboratively across departmental lines, thinking beyond himself and his department.

Whether it is responding to a Sunday night scheduling emergency or finding an elegant way to navigate a complex enrollment process, Moenkhaus’ nomination included several examples of his willingness to go “above and beyond” to ensure others are able to fulfill their roles within the University.

“In all of these areas of excellence, the fact that Kevin does his job superbly makes it easier for me to do my job well, and I think that is the highest complement one can pay to a colleague,” his nominator said.

Shiv Morjaria (middle left) and Ryan Price (middle right) accepted the Honor of Philias Award for Drake's Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter.

More than 1,400 men from across the United States rose to their feet to applaud seven Drake students who accepted Sigma Phi Epsilon’s highest award for brotherhood last month.

Drake’s chapter of the fraternity — Iowa Delta — received the Honor of Philias for Great Brotherly Love at the national fraternity’s biannual meeting held in Pheonix. It was an emotional display of admiration toward a fraternity whose members have weathered challenges with inspiring solidarity.

“I was told several times during the meeting that Sigma Phi Epsilon — the largest fraternity in the country — looks up to Drake as it’s flagship chapter in dedication,” said Ryan Price, president of Iowa Delta and a junior politics and broadcast news double major from Apple Valley, Minn.

This national recognition comes as a result of Iowa Delta’s recent noteworthy conduct. Last October, when member Shiv Morjaria was diagnosed with cancer, his fraternity brothers rallied to support him.

Morjaria, a sophomore actuarial science major from Mombasa, Kenya, never faced a treatment session alone. Chapter members transported him to doctor visits and the organization’s alumni board has covered 90 percent of his medical costs. Iowa Delta also allocated funds allowing Morjaria’s mother to travel to Des Moines to be with her son.

“I would not be the same person today without the support of my brothers,” said Morjaria, who attended the awards ceremony in Pheonix. “They’ve helped me through thick and thin, in sickness and in health. It is almost like finding 108 new family members.”

Tyler Boggess, JO’10, Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter services director, said that the appreciation Iowa Delta received at the ceremony was overwhelming.

Drake's chapter received the national SigEp award for their support of brother Shiv Morjaria, who was diagnosed with cancer.

“The standing ovation was awe-inspiring,” Boggess said. “I couldn’t have been more proud to be an alumnus of Iowa Delta. Receiving the Honor of Philias shows the character of the chapter and the power a fraternity holds.”

At the ceremony, Iowa Delta also received The Buchanan Cup for Chapter Excellence, an award recognizing a decade of excellence in all areas of operation. Out of 250 chapters from across the country, Drake was among nine to receive the award.

“It’s difficult to tell exactly what our chapter has done to deserve these accolades,” Price said. “We constantly strive to challenge ‘frat’ stereotypes. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s motto is ‘This fraternity will be different,’ and that’s especially true at Drake. Higher education often questions the purpose of fraternities, for good reason, and we try to prove we serve an important — and positive — role in a young man’s development.”

— Stella Hart, Class of 2012

Teaching Magazine Journalism Beyond the Magazine

Tuesday, August 30: PBS MediaShift

Jeff Inman, associate professor of journalism, is quoted in an article about strong magazine programs that have developed innovative courses and assignments to challenge students to think beyond the printed page.

Miles appointed to national higher education board

Tuesday, August 23: Ames Tribune

Drake alumnus and former Board of Trustees member David W. Miles was recently appointed to the board of directors for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the country’s leading authority on higher-education governance.

Muscatine woman gets a closer look at conflict

Monday, August 22: Muscatine Journal

Drake University senior Emily Lofgren received a firsthand lesson on international politics during a recent two-week trip to Israel with Christians United for Israel. Lofgren is a public relations major involved in politics and the Christian ministry on campus.

Back to school

Friday, August 19: Des Moines Business Record

The Drake College of Business and Public Administration is featured in an article in which representatives from Iowa’s business colleges reflect on challenges and changes.

Event Pick: ‘The Journey’ with David Maxwell

Tuesday, August 16: Des Moines Register

Pulitzer prize-winning editorial writer Michael Gartner will host this third installation, speaking in depth with Drake University President David Maxwell on Thursday evening.

Watch a video recording of the event online.

[Note to viewers: The audio quality is low, so please use headphones or external speakers for optimal listening.]

*Please note that some links from news outlets expire and may no longer be available.

Dean Jan McMahill, Meaghan Tigges and Joan Gerling

“Happiness is Joan at The Drake,” reads the cake — scripted in red icing against white frosting. It’s a surprise chocolatey dessert brought into the restaurant specially for Drake alumna Joan Gerling, in celebration of her recent 85^th birthday.  As with so much that the bubbly octogenarian has, Gerling is delighted to share.

The Drake is a welcoming restaurant in Burlington, Iowa, located in a picturesque spot just across the Mississippi from Gerling’s farm.  Two or three times a year, Gerling gets together with Jan McMahill, dean of Drake’s School of Education, to reconnect, reminisce and talk about new developments on campus. It’s the perfect setting: Drake at The Drake.

“I feel as though I’ve known Jan my entire life,” Gerling says. “She’s the type of person who never meets a stranger.”

Gerling attended Drake University during the height of World War II. Her experience in Des Moines is a time she treasures and one that kicked of a 20-year teaching career. Now, many of her former third graders have already celebrated their 50-year reunions, but Gerling remains committed to providing quality educational opportunities.

When she talks about her Drake experience, Gerling’s face lights up. She remembers staying in the Cottage Grove Hall, and then another year on campus in Jewett Hall, student teaching at Hubbell and Greenwood elementary schools, and going to dances with servicemen at Camp Dodge.  (Gerling met her late husband, Ray, a few years later and first fibbed to him that he was on a “do not date” list issued by her superintendent. Her teacherly attempt to brush him off didn’t work; they were happily married for more than half a century.)

Vivacious and active, with skin lightly tanned from chores on her acreage, Gerling lives to give. She still serves on a number of local committees and makes visits to her friends whose memories are fading. And, every so often, she sends a check to the School of Education — contributions that will help to erect a much-needed new building.

For years, the School of Education (SOE) has been housed west of campus, in a space originally designed for a credit union. Only three classrooms are available, and faculty and staff members work in a windowless basement. The new building will move the SOE from its current off-site location to the heart of campus, across from the Knapp Center, and will equip Drake students, faculty, staff, and administrators with the most flexible, state-of-the art environments that support student learning. In addition to more offices and meeting spaces, key features will include:

• A 2,600 square foot curriculum and resource library
• A much sought-after 1,700 foot tiered classroom
• Art and music studios for teachers and students to simulate classroom experiences
• Nine state-of-the art classrooms that can be reconfigured for different size groups and teaching styles

The vision for the new SOE building is a priority of the distinctlyDrake campaign and an exciting one. It’s an opportunity for alumni to make a lasting contribution to the campus and to Iowa’s community of educators.

The outside of the restaurant The Drake where SOE alumna Joan Gerling meets with SOE Dean Jan McMahill. The two get together several times a year to reminisce and talk about future SOE developments.

“When do you think the building will be finished?” Gerling asks McMahill between bites. “I plan to live into my 90s and wouldn’t mind making it to 100, and I’d love to live to see it.”

Many wonder at the secrets to a long and healthy life. Listening to Gerling, it’s clear that her optimism, hard work, unwavering love and generosity have helped her to not only weather life’s challenges with poise but also prosper.

When the School of Education does finally break ground on the project, which should be fully funded within the next five years, the Drake Community will have a gracious and humble grandmotherly figure, Joan Gerling, to thank. Then, it will certainly be time for another piece of cake.

Others interested in being part of the campaign can contact:

Meaghan K Tigges

Major Gift Officer

Kinne West

2429 University Ave

Des Moines, IA  50311-4501

meaghan.tigges@drake.edu

515-271-4843

No paparazzi were present, but the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Upper Midwest awards were still a moment for Drake journalism students to shine. The Drake student-produced “Beyond the Blue Line” program was awarded a Regional Student Television Award for Excellence in the Long Form (fiction or nonfiction) category. 

“Beyond the Blue Line” follows three Des Moines Buccaneers hockey players as they balance their school, social and sports lives. The 30-minute program topped a category that featured nominations from St. Cloud State University, Buena Vista University and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

The award was presented to members of Professor Todd Evans’ fall 2010 Producing Television Sports class on August 20 at the first-ever Upper Midwest Student Television Awards for Excellence in Minneapolis. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences also awards national and local Emmy Awards. This award is the student equivalent.

“I anticipated the program would be competitive, but you never know how much so until the awards are announced,” Evans says.“The national recognition reflects the dedication of those students and their abilities as video storytellers.”

Drake students Rebecca Altenhofen (executive producer) and Rachel Yancey (line producer) attended the ceremony and accepted the award on the class’ behalf. Maggie Sutton (associate producer), Lauren Staller (editor), and Eamonn Cogan (lead videographer) were also recognized.

“It became clear that these five members of the class were wholly committed to making ‘Beyond the Blue Line’ the best program they were capable of,” Evans says. “They pushed themselves way beyond their comfort zone, they pushed me, and they pushed the limits of our technology.”

Follow the “Beyond the Blue Line” conversation on Facebook.

“Beyond the Blue Line” was the second long-form pilot sports program created by Professor Evans’ Producing Television Sports class. In 2009, members of his class produced “Pound for Pound,” which focused on high school wrestling and won both Telly and Communicator Awards. Currently, this year’s students are working on “Blood, Sweat and Wheels,” which features amateur longboarding, roller derby and Muey Thai.

This is the fourth time a Drake student television program has been awarded a NATAS Award. Drake’s Electronic Media capstone DrakeLINE won best newscast in 1993, and two other individually produced programs also won awards in 1994. DrakeLINE was also nominated for best newscast this year.

Ten years ago, the 9/11 attacks forced Americans into a long process of national grieving, and many are looking for closure to put a stop to the pain.

Drake University Associate Professor of Sociology Nancy Berns argues that the popular concept of “closure” may be nonexistent. In fact, she says that the search for closure can be counterproductive to the grieving process. In her new book, Closure: The Rush to End Grief and What It Costs Us, Berns examines grief of all kinds, including failed relationships, loss of loved ones and national tragedies.

“We all face loss in our lives,” Berns says. “Yet a common expectation is that we need to rush grief and find ‘closure.’ I wrote this book to help people understand why the concept of closure became so popular, why it is confusing, and why it does a poor job of capturing the experiences of grief and loss.”

Two recent events, Osama bin Laden’s death and the verdict of not guilty in Casey Anthony’s trial, make her book especially relevant right now. Bin Laden’s death sparked a national debate about closure’s role in 9/11 and the War on Terror. The Casey Anthony verdict is a case where many Americans felt a lack of satisfaction and social justice, and many cited a lack of closure.

Berns writes that the search for closure in cases such could discount the actual grieving process, as well as ignore the grief still felt after the supposed closure event. Those mourning Caylee Anthony, for instance, would still be grieving her death regardless of the verdict.

While Berns argues that closure is unrealistic, the tone of her book is not negative. She begins by writing that closure can mean many different things to different people, and that closure is a term that limits our understanding of grief.

She also notes that people misguidedly try to push grievers toward the search for closure. This can be hurtful for a griever who is not looking for closure, or even more painful for a griever who fails to find closure.

Nancy Berns

“The concept of closure taps into a desire to have things ordered and simple, but experiences with loss and grief are typically messy and not easily resolved,” Berns says. “The appeal of closure resonates with our hope that pain will end and healing will come. But closure does not capture the complexity of grief. More importantly, healing can come without closure.”

Berns’ main teaching and research interests include grief, death, violence, media, social constructionism and social justice. At Drake, she teaches the courses Death and Society and Narratives of Tragedy and Grief.

Closure has already received national attention. Berns was recently interviewed by the Boston Globe and appeared on both Iowa Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Radio to talk about the book.

Visit www.nancyberns.com For more information on Closure.

— Jack Thumser, Class of 2012

Students aren’t the only Drake University constituents who are up for an academic challenge. Drake faculty frequently embrace unique opportunities that can elevate the profile of the University and stretch their teaching skills.

This summer, professors in the College of Business and Public Administration joined forces to host 19 South Korean students for a three-week seminar that introduced the international visitors to the health care system in the U.S., insurance industry operations and the American culture.

The opportunity came to Drake through connections that Inchul Suh, associate professor of finance, has with Kim Shin Dong, vice president of community outreach and international affairs at Hallym University in Chuncheon, South Korea. The two have kept in touch since they met at the Indiana University-Bloomington as graduate students. So, when Kim’s university received a Korean government’s grant to study medical tourism last year he turned to Suh.

“South Korea has a very strong medical service sector,” Suh says. “They want to educate young college students to be future administrators and marketers for the industry so that they can serve medical tourists better by not only providing access to medical services, but also anticipating and resolving any cultural and communication issues that they might have.”

Drake’s location in Des Moines — both a state and insurance capital — and the strong programs offered through the CBPA Center for Professional Studies provided a good fit for the program. Creating curriculum required contributions from Drake’s Center for International Programs and Services and several academic units in the CBPA including public administration, finance, international business and marketing.

In addition to classroom work, organizers coordinated trips to the Wellmark corporate headquarters, Methodist hospitals, the state capitol and even outings to Adventureland, an Iowa Cubs game for some downtime fun.

“I think there was a cultural connection,” says Dr. Allen Zagoren, associate professor of practice in public administration, who also works as a surgeon for Iowa Health System. “It transcended the topic. Hopefully they took away a certain understanding of our healthcare system, policy and new law. I learned a lot about South Korea that I would not have known.”

Faculty didn’t miss an opportunity to include a student in the experience. Drake actuarial science major Erika JeeMin Yang was also instrumental in the success of the program. Born in Korea and fluent in the language, Yang acted as interpreter for the group.

“I was trying to narrow the gap between U.S. culture and Korean culture,” she says. “In Korean classrooms, lectures don’t involve as much student participation. Here, I saw how the professor was really trying to bring the reactions out and make the students engaged in the lecture.”

Yang even pulled an all-nighter with the Korean students on the eve of their final presentation, offering them support in their studies.

“I learned a lot,” she says. “The trip to Wellmark was especially helpful to me. Being an actuarial science student, it has broadened my perspective on the path for my future. I feel very privileged that I had the opportunity to be part of this program.”