On Campus - Stories
February 21, 2003 Vol. 55, No. 32

• National Alumni Scholar Day succeeds despite snowstorm
• Leading Constitutional law scholar to speak Wednesday
• Insurance Center to host $200 billion Wall Street manager
• Sen. Kerry to give keynote address at Law School banquet
• Drake Theatre to present 'Songs for a New World'
• Magazine editor to speak at Let's DU Lunch on March 5
• Physics Olympics set for March 5
• Drake team seeks new members
• Moot Court team competes in NYC

As a foot of snow was piling up across campus last Saturday, Drake University welcomed 90 prospective students and their parents to the first of two National Alumni Scholarship Days in which high school students compete for full-ride scholarships.

Despite the snowstorm, each candidate wrote an essay for 40 minutes and had an interview with members of the selection committee. In addition, the candidates attended various sessions with faculty, students and staff that introduced them to the offerings and academic climate at Drake.

"I think last Saturday was a real testament to Drake in many ways," said Deneen Dygert, associate director of admission. "Faculty, staff, administrators, Drake students, physical plant, security and Sodexho staff all rose to the occasion to welcome the visiting students and families who, too, had braved the weather. I was truly amazed at the teamwork that was shown throughout the day.

"Only a handful of faculty and alumni were simply unable to be here despite their efforts, but, all in all, enough of us were here to welcome the families. The comments from the candidates and their parents at the end of the day were those of appreciation and thanks. It was a remarkable day at Drake. In my 16 years in admission I've never seen anything like it."

The University is gearing up for the second National Alumni Scholar Day on Saturday, Feb. 22. At least 159 candidates are expected to attend, making it the largest National Alumni Scholar Day in Drake history, Dygert said. A total of 279 students, including 13 international students, have registered for the program this year. That's a 21 percent increase over the 231 candidates Drake had last year.

All of the candidates and their parents are invited to Spirit Night on the Friday evening prior to each Scholarship Day at the home of President David and Madeleine Maxwell. This informal gathering enables for the students and parents to meet the Maxwells, Drake students, admission counselors and other NAS candidates.

The National Alumni Scholarship, Drake's most prestigious scholarship program for entering students, dates back to 1971. To qualify, students must have earned a 29 ACT or 1270 SAT in addition to ranking in the top 5 percent of their class or having a 3.75 cumulative grade-point average. All qualified students who complete their application and meet the application deadline are required to attend a Scholarship Day on Feb. 15 or Feb. 22. Students abroad are allowed to participate via fax, e-mail and phone.

The candidates are competing to receive a full-ride National Alumni Scholarship (six awarded) or a full-tuition George A. Carpenter Award (10 awarded). All participants who qualify and complete the competition will be awarded a Trustee Scholarship of $1,000.

As part of Drake Law School Constitutional Law Center's Distinguished Speaker Series, professor Erwin Chemerinsky will deliver the lecture "Three Strikes and Beyond: The Constitutionality of Recidivist Sentencing Laws" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in room 213 of Cartwright Hall. A reception will immediately follow the lecture. Both events are free and open to the public.

Professor Chemerinsky also will act as a professor in residence Monday, Feb. 24, through Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Drake Law School. Chemerinsky, the Irmas professor of public interest law, legal ethics and political science at the University of Southern California Law School, will teach a course called "Recent Developments in Constitutional Criminal Procedure."

Chemerinsky is director of the Center for Communications Law and Policy at USC. He has written four books and over 100 law review articles. He also is a frequent commentator on national broadcasts on a wide range of legal issues.

Professor Chemerinsky has tirelessly devoted himself to public service. He served as chair of the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, and as author of a report on the Los Angeles Police Department and the Rampart Scandal. He has won service awards from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Urban League, among many others.

The Constitutional Law Center invites the nation's leading constitutional scholars to Drake as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series to engage students and faculty in discussions about current issues.

Ronald J. Ryan, founder of Ryan Labs and manager of Liability Index Fund (LIFE), will be the keynote speaker at the 2003 Archie R. Boe Distinguished Lecture Series at Drake on Thursday, Feb. 27. The series will address investment concerns of the insurance and financial services industry, including important insights for the average investor. The lectures will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parents Hall at Olmsted Center.

Ryan is president of Ryan Labs in New York City, an asset management and research firm specializing in custom index funds since 1988. It is well-known for its innovative work on fixed income indexes and research, especially asset/liability management.

Also speaking at the lecture series will be Sean McShea, director of marketing of Ryan Labs asset management, and Kathryn D. Beyer, CFA, managing director of Investors Management Group (IMG). McShea joined Ryan Labs in the fall of 1993. He previously served as a management consultant at Anderson Consulting in the financial services practice. Beyer is a fixed income strategist and a member of IMG's Investment Strategy Committee and Fixed Income Research Committee. She is responsible for managing fixed-income portfolios for mutual funds, insurance companies, public bodies, banks, foundations, corporations and wealthy individuals.

The cost for the lecture series and luncheon is $25 per person. Call the Kelley Insurance Center at x2134 for registration information.

The Kelley Insurance Center at Drake University offers high quality programs for professional development and continuing education in the insurance field. It offers qualification for professional designations, tailored programs for insurance companies and agencies, and specialized insurance conferences.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) will give the keynote address at Drake Law School's annual Supreme Court Celebration banquet Saturday, March 8, at the downtown Des Moines Marriott Hotel.

"Drake Law School's Supreme Court Celebration has a long tradition of keynote speakers who address timely and relevant legal topics," said Law School Dean C. Peter Goplerud III. "We are honored that John Kerry has chosen to include our students, alumni and faculty in a dialogue about 21st century legal issues. As someone who has been a prosecutor and has experience holding the justice system accountable, he brings a special perspective to this annual discussion."

Kerry is a graduate of Yale University and received his J.D. from Boston College in 1976.

He is a decorated Vietnam veteran having received a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat as a Swift Boat skipper on the Mekong Delta. After the Vietnam War, he spoke out for veterans who believed American policy had gone wrong.

As a top prosecutor in Middlesex County from 1976-78, Kerry took on organized crime and put the Number Two mob boss in New England behind bars. He modernized the district attorney's office, creating an innovative rape crisis crime unit. Kerry worked in private practice from 1979 to 1982.

In 1984, after winning election as lieutenant governor in 1982, Kerry ran and was elected to serve in the United States Senate. He was re-elected in 1990, 1996 and 2002.

In December 2002, Kerry filed papers with the Federal Election Commission, formally establishing an exploratory campaign committee for a possible 2004 bid for the White House. He resides in Boston with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Drake Law School's Supreme Court competition was inaugurated 66 years ago in an effort to enhance legal education and to uphold the profession by fostering good relations among the Law School, the bench and the bar. The banquet honors the justices of the Iowa Supreme Court, Drake law students and their accomplishments, and Drake law alumni.

Drake University Theatre will present Jason Robert Brown's "Songs for a New World" at 8 p.m. March 6, 7 and 8 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 9, in the Peforming Arts Hall, Harmon Fine Arts Center.

"This is a high-energy show unlike any other piece of modern musical theatre," said Director Clive Elliott, Drake's Daniel B. Goldberg artist in residence of theatre arts. "There is no plot, no dialogue, but a strong linking theme. As Jason Robert Brown, Tony Award-winning composer of the show says, 'It's about one moment - having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.' While some of the songs are serious in intent, there are also hilarious, joyous and moving moments."

This "theatrical song cycle" premiered off-Broadway in 1995 and since then it has received over 50 productions in the United States and England. The music, which encompasses ballads, pop songs, rhythm and blues and gospel, reveals our eternal search for that "new world," whether it be geographical or simply a state of mind, Elliott said.

The musical director is Colleen Jennings, assisted by Colleen Perch. The multi-level set is designed by Ryan DeRoos with lighting by John Holman and costumes by Lesley Case.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students, senior citizens and those with Drake IDs. For reservations, call the Drake Fine Arts Box Office at x3841.

Elliott will host a dinner and "TalkAbout" at 6 p.m. Friday, March 7, at First Christian Church, 25th Street and University Avenue. The cost, which includes a ticket to the Friday night performance, is $16 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required. For reservations, call x3995 by Monday, March 3. The TalkAbout is co-sponored by Friends of Drake Arts and First Christian Church.

Karol DeWulf Nickell, editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, will speak at Drake University's "Let's DU Lunch" speaker series on Wednesday, March 5. Her speech is titled "What Americans Want Now: A Perspective from Better Homes and Gardens."

The luncheon series, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the Drake Central Iowa Alumni Chapter and the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

Nickell began her publishing career at Meredith Corp. in 1979 as assistant furnishings editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, where she created the magazine's first antiques column. Since then she has served as editor in chief of Traditional Home and Traditional Home Decorator Showhouse magazines and as the founding editor in chief of Renovation Style magazine.

The luncheon will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Younkers Tea Room in downtown Des Moines. The cost is $15 per luncheon. For reservations, call x3848.

Hundreds of Iowa high school students will use toothpicks, mousetraps and soda straws to test the laws of physics at the 25th Annual Physics Olympics, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, in Parents Hall at Olmsted Center.

The events, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by Drake's School of Education and the Heartland Area Education Agency.

Using only household items and their creative minds, students will compete in six events, including toy racecar mousetraps, toothpick bridges, ping-pong catapult and student-powered water heater. Winners in each event will advance to the state competition at Drake on April 9. This will be the first time Drake has hosted the statewide contest.

There's still time to join Drake's team for the annual Walk to Cure Diabetes on Saturday, March 1, in the downtown skywalk system. The walk will raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more information and registration, call x2027.

The Drake Law School National Moot Court team, sponsored by Whitfield & Eddy, traveled to New York Jan. 27-31 to compete for the National title. The team, comprised of second-year students Jill Alesch and Robert Hancock and third-year student Jill Jensen-Welch, proceeded through the preliminary rounds and was defeated in the Octo-Finals by the University of Georgia. The team was coached by law professor Laurie Doré.