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January 28, 2000 - Vol.53, No. 32

Drake gains national exposure through the Iowa caucuses

Presidential candidate Steve Forbes, right, chats with students Jenna McMullin and Ryan Dunn before "Meet the Press."

Tim Russert displays a Drake T-shirt at the University Book Store.

About 20 faculty and students were permitted to watch the live broadcast of "Meet the Press."



Drake University basked in the limelight of the Iowa caucuses this past week.
NBC's "Meet the Press with Tim Russert" originated from Levitt Hall in Old Main on Sunday, Jan. 23. Russert mentioned Drake University four times and noted that Meredith Brokaw, wife of guest Tom Brokaw, had been the Drake Relays Queen in 1962. After the show, Russert stopped by the University Book Store and purchased two Drake baseball caps and a T-shirt.

Dan Rather interviewed three Drake students for a story about young voters that aired Monday, Jan. 24, on the "CBS Evening News." Rather described Drake as a "world-class" university.

CNN established a work site in Olmsted Center and taped standups with Old Main in the background for distribution to its 600 affiliates.

Hugh Winebrenner, Dennis Goldford, Larry Pope, Bob Woodward and Dean Wright were among the Drake faculty members interviewed about the caucuses by national and international media outlets.

Goldford, who logged 140 interviews from Jan. 3 through Jan. 25, even provided political analysis in German for a German radio network. "This whole experience has been fun, exhilarating and
exhausting," he said.

The Drake Knapp Center served as the caucus headquarters for the Iowa Republican Party. Satellite trucks filled the parking lot Monday night. Inside the arena, journalists monitored a huge digital tally board flanked by a blue set adorned with the Republican party crest and the American flag. As the caucus numbers trickled in, party officials took the stage and announced percentages as the tally board was updated.

Approximately 75 Drake journalism students gained valuable experience and contacts while helping national media outlets with their caucus coverage, plus they got paid for their work. Jill Van Wyke, internship coordinator for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, even loaned her car to one student so he could cover a caucus for The Indianapolis Star.

"I made some really valuable connections," said Jennifer Slesnick, a senior radio and TV major from Glenview, Ill., who served as a runner for MSNBC. "It was a great experience, a great chance to network and a great chance to learn a lot."

From left: Dan Rather, anchor of "CBS Evening News," discusses politics and voting with Constance "Tammy" Richardson, Rick Reiley and Scott Horrigan in the living room of Morehouse Residence Hall.

A TV station based in Tokyo, Japan, was among the news media reporting from the Knapp Center.

From left: Amy Pearson and Nicole Burmaster, both senior PR majors, assist media outlets.


Abel's book selected as finalist in international competition

Richard Abel, professor of English at Drake, is the author of one of eight books selected as finalists for the 1999 Kraszna-Krausz Moving Image Book Awards.

His book, The Red Rooster Scare: Making Cinema American, 1900-1910, is a finalist in the Culture and History Books Category.

The Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards are open to books from around the world. For the 1999 Awards, a record of nearly 300 books from 11 countries were submitted. Eligible books were those published between June 1997 and May 1999.

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at the Royal Society of Arts in London.
Sisk joins national law group

Gregory C. Sisk, the Richard and Anita Calkins distinguished professor of law at Drake, was recently elected to the American Law Institute, a national organization whose mission is to improve the law and its administration.

Sisk joins other legal specialists who review laws for their application to the country's social needs, draft proposals for legal reform and conduct significant legal research. The organization consists of 3,000 judges, lawyers and law professors selected on the basis of professional achievement and their demonstrated interest and efforts to help clarify the law.

"It's an honor to have been selected to the ALI and a privilege to work with other distinguished jurists, professors and lawyers in the development of the law," Sisk said.

Sisk is representative of the ALI's efforts to assure a membership that reflects both the quality and the diverse character of a rapidly changing profession, said Jerry Anderson, associate dean of Drake Law School.
Serenade your sweetheart with help from the Drake Choir

This Valentine's Day, the Drake Choir's talented vocalists will sweetly serenade your sweetheart and present a single red rose or a half dozen red roses.

Small groups of choir members will deliver singing valentines throughout the Des Moines metro area from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14. Two packages are available, one for $20 and another for $30.

Only 100 singing valentines can be delivered, so it's important to order by the registration deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 10. Call x2841 or x3024.

Proceeds from the singing valentines will help fund the Drake Choir's European tour in May. "No University funds will be used for the tour, so your support is important and greatly appreciated," said choir director Aimee Beckmann-Collier.
Staplin to present first recital celebrating 'The Art of J.S. Bach'

Carl Staplin, professor of organ and church music and head of the keyboard area at Drake, will give the first in a series of five recitals presenting J.S. Bach's major organ masterpieces at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 6, at First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave.

The series, titled "The Art of J.S. Bach," commemorates the 250th anniversary of Bach's death. Staplin devoted his sabbatical to preparing for the recitals.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in Des Moines that a series of Bach organ recitals have been given by one person," Staplin said. "Of course, there have been 'Bachathons' involving many organists playing."

In the first recital, Staplin will perform with the First Christian Chancel Choir, directed by Ben Allaway. The program includes Fantasia in G Major, Trio Sonata #5 in C Major, Prelude and Fugue in A Major, Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor and three of the "Leipzig" chorale preludes. Admission is free.

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