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On Campus - Stories
April 20,
2001 Vol. 53, No. 39
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CONCERT
TO COMMEMORATE COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL TRAGEDY
Tonight the Drake Concert Band will perform "An American Elegy," which
was composed to honor the memory of the 13 people who lost their lives on April 20,
1999, as well as those who survived the tragedy at the Colorado school.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, will start at 8 p.m. in the Hall
of Performing Arts at the Harmon Fine Arts Center.
"An American Elegy" by American composer Frank Ticheli, is "a very
dramatic, beautiful piece of music," said Sean Flanigan, assistant professor
of music at Drake and director of the Drake Concert Band. "The students have
reacted very well to the piece and play it with genuine emotion. The music is at
times simple in texture, with beautiful flowing melodies. It gives many different
players opportunities to play important melodic parts, so they all feel very involved
with the piece."
DRAKE ALUMNUS
WINS PULITZER PRIZE
Tom Hallman Jr., JO'77, a writer at The Oregonian in Portland, Ore., recently
won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing for a profile of a facially disfigured
teenager who underwent months of surgery to remove a mass on his face. According
to The Des Moines Register, the teen fell into a coma on the day the last article
in the series ran. He has since awakened.
The series is posted on the Web at http://www.oregonlive.com/mask/
Hallman has received numerous journalism awards, including the National Society of
Professional Journalists Award and the Oregon Writer of the Year Award.
After graduating from Drake, where he worked for the campus newspaper, The Times-Delphic,
Hallman worked as a copy editor for a group of magazines in New York City. He then
moved to a weekly newspaper in eastern Oregon; a daily paper in Washington and finally
The Oregonian, where he was worked for more than 20 years.
Hallman has gained a national reputation in the journalism community. Other awards
he has earned include the National Livingston Award for best local story, 1985, and
finalist, 1989; the Best of the West Award for the best series written by a reporter
in the western half of the United States, 1989; and the John Patton Scholarship to
attend the Wesleyan Writers Conference. He also has won regional and state awards
for best spot, feature writing and investigative reporting.
At Drake, Hallman has served on the National Advisory Board for the School of Journalism
and Mass Communication. He was the featured speaker at the school's annual awards
dinner in April 1998.
DRAKE TO HOST POETRY FESTIVAL SATURDAY
EVENING
Nationally renowned poets Marvin Bell, Eavan Boland and Charles Simic will read selections
from their works during a "Gala Evening of Poetry" Saturday, April 21,
at Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main as part of the 11th annual Des Moines National
Poetry Festival.
At the gala, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., the poets will share their poetry and
then meet the audience at a special reception and book signing following the readings
The Des Moines National Poetry Festival promotes the appreciation for contemporary
poets and poetry. The festival is noteworthy as it is one of a very few community-based
poetry festivals in the nation and is organized and funded by volunteers in the community
and not an academic institution. All festival events are free and open to the public.
For more information, call 277-5011.
DEAN KEEFER TO RETURN TO FACULTY
Janet Keefer, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 1974,
announced this week that she has resigned her position as dean, effective June 30,
to return to the faculty. "This step ends one of the most rewarding phases of
my professional and personal life," she said.
Keefer noted that she had four goals when she became dean seven years ago:
- To improve the school's financial
condition and its national visibility.
- To create a National Advisory
Board that would take an active role in school affairs.
- To win reaccreditation for the
school from the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
- To improve the school's racial
and gender diversity.
"I have accomplished most
of my goals, with the help of dedicated faculty, loyal alumni, concerned professionals
and extraordinary students," she said in her letter of resignation. "Under
my leadership, the school has renovated its main computer classroom, its graphics
lab and has added a third computer classroom. It has entered the world of digital
audio and video editing.
"There is now in place a technology endowment and an endowment for a Center
for Magazine Studies. The annual contribution from Meredith Corp. has underwritten
much of the computer technology in the school, provided funds for faculty development
and student scholarships, and has made possible production of award-winning capstone
magazines that have made its magazine sequence the strongest in the country at the
undergraduate level.
"The SJMC National Advisory Board is indeed active and engaged and positioned
to stay that way. The school won reaccreditation on all 12 of the ACEJMC standards,
and I trust that this summer's midterm accreditation update will give the accrediting
council no cause to changes its view.
"We have improved gender diversity on the school's faculty. Two of our last
three hires have been women, and I hope to soon secure three out of four. We have
not been so successful with racial diversity, but Diversity Partnership funds have
allowed us to bring two persons of color onto the faculty for one-year appointments.
I hope my successor can be more successful at addressing diversity than I was."
CHECK OUT THE BULLDOGS AT MONDAY'S CANINE
BEAUTY CONTEST
The 22nd annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest will kick off Drake Relays Festival Week
on Monday, April 23, at Nollen Plaza in downtown Des Moines. More than 30 bulldogs
are expected to participate in the contest to determine Drake's mascot for the 92nd
running of the Drake Relays April 26-28. The contest, sponsored by Rock Bottom Restaurant
and Brewery, will start at 11 a.m.
The winner will receive a crown and throne as well as free admission to all Relays
events. Des Moines Mayor Preston Daniels, LA'78, GR'85, will present the top dog
with a key to the city.
The dogs will be judged by Mark Kostek, director of Drake Relays; David Blank, Drake
athletic director; Sonja Heithuesen of WOI TV; Bill Vorhies, Drake student body president;
Jason Parkin of KCCI-TV; Marty Tirell of KXTK Radio; and Mark Feree of WHO TV.
WANTED: VOLUNTEERS FOR THE LITTER MARATHON
TUESDAY
Faculty and staff are invited to join the Litter Marathon, a Drake Relays inaugural
event, from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, April 24. There will be a shotgun start at 10
a.m. at the Painted Street. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
The Litter Marathon is an all-campus voluntary grounds clean-up sponsored by the
Facilities Department. Participants are invited to a free barbecue lunch following
the marathon in the picnic area near Medbury Hall. In case of rain, the barbecue
lunch will be held in the Field House.
"I think we've all been most impressed by the job that the facilities folks
have done thus far in sprucing up the campus and the stadium for Relays, and this
is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community to pitch in, enjoy
ourselves, and contribute to the impact that our beautiful campus can have on the
thousands of visitors who'll be here next week," President David Maxwell said.
"I would ask all supervisors to do their best to release people to participate
wherever possible, and I'd like to exercise my awesome presidential powers to declare
Tuesday an 'informal dress day,' so that folks will feel comfortable coming to work
in clothes that are suitable for outdoor work. I look forward to seeing you next
Tuesday!"
SPRING FACULTY/STAFF RECOGNITION SET
FOR TUESDAY
The annual Spring Faculty/Staff Recognition will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April
24, in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. The honorees will include the recipients of
the Madelyn M. Levitt Mentor of the Year Award and the Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher
of the Year Award. A reception will follow at 4 p.m. in Levitt Hall.
SPEAKER TO DISCUSS 'ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHY
AND PUBLIC CULTURE'
John Louis Lucaites, a faculty member at Indiana University, will give a presentation
on 'Iconic Photography and Public Culture" at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, in the
Medbury Honors Lounge. The event is free and open to the public.
Iconic photos are those pictures from the news media that are widely recognized and
emotionally powerful depictions of historical events. Examples include the flag raising
on Iwo Jima and the girl running from a napalm attack in South Vietnam.
At Indiana University, Lucaites is associate professor in the Department of Communication
and Culture, adjunct associate professor in American Studies and a fellow at the
Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics. He is co-author of Crafting Equality: America's
Anglo-African Word. In addition, he is co-editor of Contemporary Rhetorical Theory:
A Reader and of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Sermonic Power of Public Discourse.
His appearance at Drake is sponsored by the Honors Program and the Department of
Rhetoric and Communication Studies.
HONORS CELEBRATION SET FOR WEDNESDAY
The College of Arts and Sciences invites faculty, staff and students to attend the
annual Honors Convocation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in Parents Hall at Olmsted
Center. A reception will be held immediately after the awards presentations.
Judith Allen, associate professor of psychology, will deliver the keynote address.
Dean Susan Wright will announce the student awards, which will be presented by the
college's faculty. Jennifer McCrickerd, chair of the Faculty Cabinet, will preside.
The Outstanding Teacher Award, the 2001 Stalnaker Lecturer, and the E.A. Sheslow
Prize are among the awards that will be presented.
JOURNALISM SCHOOL TO HONOR TWO ALUMNI
FRIDAY
Warren Swain, JO'68, and Becki Roth Drahota, JO'72, will be honored at the Annual
Alumni Dinner of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication on Friday, April
27. The dinner will feature a festive Texas barbecue theme, in honor of journalism
professor Henry Milam, who plans to retire after 22 years of teaching at Drake and
move to the Texas coast where year-round sailing is possible.
The festivities will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. Tickets are $25 per adult, $10 per student. For
reservations, call x3194.
Swain works for Pinnacle Sports in Gretna, Neb., and is the "voice of the Nebraska
Cornhuskers." He was recently named Sportscaster of the Year for the state of
Nebraska by the National Sports Broadcasters and Sportswriters Association. Swain
is one of only three people to ever win the award in four different states, having
received the award as the "voice of the Oregon Ducks" in 1981, the "voice
of the Iowa State Cyclones" in 1971 and six times as the "voice of the
University of Virginia Cavaliers."
Swain's broadcasting career includes covering sports for KDSN in Denison, Iowa; KHAS
in Hastings, Nebraska; KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa; KUGN in Eugene, Oregon; and KRNT
in Des Moines. While working in Iowa, Swain was often honored by the Iowa High School
Athletic Association and the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association.
He is a recognized supporter of the Make A Wish Foundation and the Child Saving Institute
of Omaha, Neb. On April 30, Swain will receive his ninth Sportscaster of the Year
award.
Drahota is the founder of Mills Financial Marketing, a 26-year-old Storm Lake, Iowa,
company specializing in strategic planning, research, promotional production and
training. Her company's client roster includes the nation's 12th largest credit union
and the SHAZAM EFT Network. She is also responsible for developing the industry prototype
for the marketing audit process.
In addition, Drahota is a nationally recognized speaker whose audiences have included
the American Bankers Association, the Iowa Bankers Association, the Wisconsin Bankers
Association, the ABA State Association and the Iowa Credit Union League. She is now
writing a book on financial marketing.
The creative services produced by her firm have earned Drahota numerous awards, including
Golden Eagle Awards from Bank Advertising News; three Best of Show Awards and several
other Iowa Bankers Association Best of Iowa Awards; and several Iowa Advertising
Federation Addy Awards, including Best of Category.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES ABOUND DURING RELAYS
A world-class track and field event with 16 Olympians and hundreds of other outstanding
athletes guarantees great excitement for one weekend, but Drake University offers
much more this Drake Relays Weekend, April 26-28.
Among the many off-track activities is a Historic Walking Tour of Drake Neighborhood
from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 27. The tour will start in front of Old Main.
The first-ever All-Alumni Tent Party for alumni and friends will take place from
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 27, across Forest Avenue from Drake Stadium. For just $10
per person, guests will enjoy beer, other beverages and the retro recipes of their
youth while catching up with favorite Drake professors and friends.
The Third Annual Paul Morrison Relays Lecture will be presented by sociology professor
R. Dean Wright, at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 28, in room 106 of Meredith Hall. The
lecture is free and open to the public.
More than a decade ago, Wright and his students began serving breakfast once a week
to homeless people in Des Moines, traveling city streets in a Salvation Army van.
He will share his and his students' experiences during his lecture, which is titled
"Under the Bridges of Polk County."
Everyone who attends the lecture is asked to bring a canned food item. Canned food
also has been collected in shopping carts on display in Olmsted Center. All donated
food will be given to the Des Moines Area Religious Council's emergency food pantry.
The annual Drake Relays lecture was renamed last year to honor Paul Morrison, a 1939
Drake graduate who has been a full-time volunteer in the athletic department since
his retirement in 1986. Morrison will be attending his 62nd Drake Relays this spring.
The event is sponsored by the Drake National Alumni Association and the Office of
Alumni and Parent Programs. The lecture is given every Relays Saturday by a Drake
faculty member.
The lecture will be followed by a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kragie Newell Agora,
which is part of the Helmick Commons landscaping project. The ceremony will start
at 11 a.m. north of the large tree in Helmick Commons, between Meredith Hall and
Hubbell Dining Hall. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in the student lounge
in Olmsted Center. Among those speaking at the ceremony will be Drake alumni Jack
Kragie and Liz Newell, who made a $200,000 gift to support the agora -- a gathering
place similar to small amphitheater.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR RETIREMENT CELEBRATIONS
Faculty, staff and students are invited to a retirement celebration in honor of Lloyd
Stjernberg, professor of education, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Levitt Hall in Old Main.
"Lloyd has had a huge impact on education during his 29 years of teaching at
Drake and we would like to thank him for his many contributions to the profession,"
said Jack Gerlovich, professor of education.
A retirement celebration for three faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences
will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, in the dean's conference room
in the Harmon Fine Arts Center. The retiring faculty members are Mike Barton, professor
of theatre arts; Harry Downing, associate professor of physics; and Dennis O'Brien,
associate professor of geology.
"Please join the College of Arts and Sciences in thanking these three faculty
members for their long service and many contributions to the college and the University,
and to wish them well in their retirement endeavors," said Sue Wright, interim
dean of the college.
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