FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2002 CONTACT Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE STUDENTS RECEIVE GRANTS TOTALING $15,000 Jennie Dorris of Owasso, Okla., and Jim Casey of Glenview, Ill., founders of Knot Magazine, recently received the Pappajohn Seed Grant of $10,000, and an additional award of $5,000 in the Pappajohn Business Plan Competition for their business plan to move the publication from a Web-based magazine to a printed magazine this fall. Knot Magazine is a national, alternative online magazine that has featured more than 100 writers from across the nation and has published more than 370 stories since it was founded in 1999. The magazine focuses on current social issues, promotes independent music, art and youth in politics, and provides a forum for aspiring journalists who wish to be published in a nationally recognized publication. Knot Magazine’s Website can be found at www.knotmag.com. Dorris, editor-in-chief of Knot Magazine, is a senior majoring in magazines in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and music in the School of Fine Arts at Drake University. Casey, business manager and web director of Knot Magazine, is a senior majoring in information systems in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake. Dorris and Casey plan to move their office to Denver, where they will produce their magazine on a biweekly basis and distribute it to colleges and universities in the North-Central Colorado area, with a starting circulation of 25,000. “This spring, we are in our pre-startup phase, which includes market research, incorporation, assembling a board of advisors and researching additional capital opportunities,” says Casey. “We also are in the process of assembling a team based at Drake that will continue to operate the Website through the next year.” While still in the early stages of formulating their business, Dorris and Casey say the grants will buffer startup costs and provide leverage for a small business loan. In addition, they say the grants provide them with confidence that they have the skills and dedication necessary to start a business. Dorris was on the editorial staff of Periphery, the Drake literary magazine, in 2000, and was editor-in-chief of the magazine in 2001. She also has written for various other Drake publications. In addition, Dorris was named the 2001 Best Percussionist in Iowa and the 2001 Best Percussionist in the Midwest by the Music Teacher National Association, and was ranked fourth in the national competition. She participates in the Drake Wind Symphony and the Drake Symphony Orchestra. She also received the Drake Outstanding Junior Achievement Award. Casey has worked with the Drake Student Activities Board to bring student elections online through the development, implementation and maintenance of an online voting system that has been used for the past two years. Casey also has worked on the Drake Website in the Drake Office of Marketing and Communications since the fall of 2000. He has installed and maintained a web server that houses the university’s new admissions Website, designed a Web calendar system and implemented a new survey system that allows the department to conduct surveys online. Drake is a private, independent university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an enrollment of approximately 3,250 full-time undergraduate and pharmacy student from 46 states and 50 countries.