On Campus - Stories April 12, 2002 - Vol. 54, No. 33 Two students win prestigious national science scholarship Artists and writers collaborate in 'The Carbon Group' Juried Exhibition opens Sunday Drake Relays draws 55 Olympians Two Drake students win grants totaling $15,000 Students win essay contest Volunteers needed for Scrub Day Drake to host public hearings Pan American program planned E-Business Workshop on Friday Drake Theatre to present 'The Cripple of Inishmaan'

Two Drake students recently were awarded the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for Excellence in Science and Mathematics. The students are Carrie Mittelstedter, a junior biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major from West Burlington, Iowa, and Gregory VerSteeg, a junior physics, math and computer science major from Rock Rapids, Iowa. The scholarship was established by Congress to foster and encourage excellence in science and mathematics. This year, 309 scholarships were awarded, and 1,155 students from across the nation were nominated for the scholarship by their colleges or universities. The award, which is worth up to $7,500 a year, is to be applied to tuition, fees, books, room and board. "This is one of the most prestigious scholarships a student in the sciences can be awarded,î said Mark Vitha, assistant professor of chemistry. "Greg and Carrie are both very deserving of this award." This summer, Mittelstedter will be one of 15 students to intern at Stanford University, where she will research biochemistry and molecular biology. VerSteeg will intern this summer at the Brookhaven National Lab in Long Island, New York, where he will research the origins of nucleon spin.

Carrie Mittelstedter and Gregory VerSteeg.

A record 55 Olympians and 32 NCAA champions are scheduled to compete in the Drake Relays April 25-27, setting the stage for what could be one of the best meets in the 93-year history of the track and field extravaganza.
Olympic medalist Bernard "Kip" Lagat, who has run the two fastest miles in the world this year, will make his Drake Relays debut competing in the special invitational mile at 3:56 p.m. on Saturday. The invitational field also includes defending champion Senecaa Lassiter, who is ranked second in the U.S., and Bryan Berryhill, the 2001 NCAA indoor and outdoor champion.
A series of Relays Week events will be held in downtown Des Moines to raise the profile of Americaís Athletic Classic. For details, refer to the
calendar at right.

Knot magazine, a national, alternative online magazine founded in November 1999 by journalism and music senior Jennie Dorris and information systems senior Jim Casey, received the prestigious Pappajohn Seed Grant and Pappajohn Business Plan Competition this January. Knot magazine took home a total of $15,000 in grant money for their well-written business plan that detailed how editors Dorris and Casey plan to move their publication from a Web ízine to a printed magazine this fall.

Over the past two years, the Web site, www.knotmag.com, has featured over 100 writers from across the nation producing more than 350 stories, serving as an outlet for students to have their work published in a nationally recognized publication.

Still in the early stages of formulating their small publication business, Casey credits the grants with boosting confidence and financial support in their project, allowing the staff to mature into a young business and apply for a small business loan.

In June, Knot magazine is moving to Boulder, CO, where the alternative magazine will be produced on a weekly basis.

"We are still in the early stages of formulating this business," said Casey of the magazine. "This spring, we are in our pre-start-up phase, which includes market research, incorporation, assembling a board of advisors and researching additional capital opportunities. We are also in the process of assembling a team based at Drake that will continue to operate the Web site through next year."

Founding staff members include Drake students Dorris and Casey, as well as Pete Holm, a graphic design senior.

Itís time for spring cleaning and Drake students, faculty and staff are invited to join area neighborhood associations in sprucing up the Drake Neighborhood on Saturday, April 13. More than 35 students already have volunteered to help with the project.

The University is supplying trucks, end loaders, gloves, rakes and shovels for the clean-up effort, which will be centered in the Drake parking lot at 24th Street and Forest Avenue. Sodexho Campus Services will provide coffee, juice and doughnuts for volunteers.

Drake University has been selected to serve as neutral site for a series of meetings of the City/County Consolidation Commission. Drake is providing administrative coordination, support and research capability. The next meeting will be a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in the Performing Arts Hall. Additional meetings are scheduled for May 9, May 23, June 13, June 27 and July 11.

John Paul Chaisson-Cardenas, executive director of the Institute for the Support of Latino/a Families and Communities, will be the featured speaker at a Pan American Program at noon Thursday, April 18, in Parents Hall at Olmsted Center. He will discuss "Latinos in the United States: A Solid Bridge for a Better Tomorrow." The program will begin with a lunch at noon.

Tickets are $10 per person and reservations are required. For reservations, call x3711 ASAP.

The Drake University Business Link will conduct a free workshop for managers Friday, April 19, on "E-Business or How to Use the Web As An Effective Marketing and Training Tool in your Organization." The workshop will start at 8 a.m. in Parents Hall in Olmsted Center.

The keynote speaker will be Edward Moldt, president and chairman of The Moldt Group Inc. of Cedar Rapids. For reservations, call x3724.

Drake Theatre will present "The Cripple of Inishmaan" at 8 p.m. April 25, 26 and 27 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28, in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center. This daring comedy by Martin McDonagh deals with aggression and affection that the Irish people of Inishmaan display towards each other. Cripple Billy Claven longs to flee from his meager existence. When word spreads that the filming for "The Man of Aran" is set to begin on a neighboring island, Billy sees his one chance to escape. The play, directed by Deena Conley, contains adult language and themes and is not intended for young audiences. Tickets are $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens, and are free with a Drake ID. For reservations, call the Fine Arts Box Office at 271-3841.

Cripple Billy Craven, played by Brian Dahlstrom, reads to a cow in ìThe Cripple of Inishmaan.î

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, left, discusses his work with journalism students at a luncheon in Levitt Hall. ìHeís fascinating,î said Treyva Estler, a senior majoring in radio-television. ìItís a big honor to get to talk with him. I hope he can give me advice on how to break into the industry. My goal is to make in-depth documentaries about different religions.î In addition to chatting with students, Burns gave an informal talk in Cowles Library and drew a record crowd of 3,500 for his Bucksbaum Lecture in the Knapp Center.

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