For the second consecutive year, Drake Day at the Iowa State Fair promises to be a fun-filled day of Drake-sponsored activities.

Drake will host "DU the Fair!" on Saturday, Aug. 16. The first 500 people wearing Drake apparel to visit the Drake booth on the Grand Concourse (located in front of The Des Moines Register Service Center) will receive a free gift. Youth from the Institute for Character Development at Drake will be on hand encouraging fair visitors to pledge their support for Character Counts! by inviting them to sign boards that will be displayed publicly in Des Moines. Patrons can also sign up to win tickets to the 2004 Drake Relays.

Fairgoers will have the opportunity to meet Spike the Bulldog; enjoy music performances by Drake students and alumni; watch a chemistry magic show, listen to storytelling presented by the Drake School of Education; participate in the Bulldog Basketball Shootout with members of the women's and men's basketball teams; pose for free souvenir digital photos in front of three distinctly Drake backgrounds; and hear Neil Hamilton, the Dwight D. Opperman professor of law and director of the Agricultural Law Center, give a talk on "Putting a Face on Iowans' Food."

The event is a collaborative effort among faculty, staff, students and alumni, including more than 50 volunteers and performers.

John Burney, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said he sees this as an opportunity for all Drake constituents to come together. "I chose to volunteer because I think working with other Drake staff on informal events like this is the best way to get to know the people better," he said. "And I look forward to trying to inform people about what Drake does through some fun events at the fair. Besides, I need to build my collection of Drake T-shirts!"

Drake celebrities also will be taking part in various Fair events prior to Drake Day at the Fair. On Thursday, Aug. 14, President David Maxwell and Relays Director Mark Kostek will compete in the Celebrity Pie Eatin' Pairs contest from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Anderson Erickson Dairy Building. On Friday, Aug. 15, Natasha Kaiser-Brown, head women's track coach and head women's cross country coach, will participate in the Draft Horse Competition at 6:30 p.m. in the Livestock Pavilion.

ErmaDell Jensen has big plans for her retirement. Among other things, she hopes to participate in Bible study, family life ministry and volunteer work. As excited as she is about these pending pleasures, she's got something more immediate to do first.

" The first thing I'm going to do," Jensen said, "is come back to work."

That's right. Despite her retirement, which was made official yesterday afternoon at a party thrown for her in Levitt Hall, Jensen plans on staying on as a part-time employee until someone is hired to replace her at one of the most important positions on campus: University console operator, the person responsible for answering and routing each call made to Drake's toll-free and main local numbers.

Such dedication is nothing new for Jensen, who has been a Drake employee for nearly 25 years. She began her career in 1979, working as a coordinator of campus visits for the Office of Admission. When the University switchboard - the actual mechanism through which incoming calls are received and directed - was moved from Cole Hall to the basement of Morehouse Residence Hall in 1985, Jensen followed, becoming the system's operator. She has held the position ever since.

" I feel I'm serving Drake by taking care of people when they first call here," said Jensen, who has worked in the basement of Jewett Residence Hall 45 hours a week since the multimillion-dollar switchboard system was moved there in 1987. "I'm the first person they talk to, and if I don't take care of them, they're not going to call back."

Often taking as many as 800 to 1,200 calls daily, many from people who don't know with whom they need to speak, Jensen has become a master navigator of Drake's offices, and can now send a caller in the right direction within seconds. She has dealt with everyone from prospective students to hysterical parents to people needing directions. Once, she fielded a call from someone who wanted to know if Drake offered "a driver's training class by correspondence."

" I don't have to know the answer to a problem," she said. "But I have to know who knows the answer to a problem."

Jensen cites her five-generation family as a major reason for her retirement. She hopes to spend more time with her husband, Richard, and her mother-in-law, four children, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. All live in Des Moines and get together to celebrate at least one family birthday each month.

Interestingly, family has been part of Jensen's daily routine at work, too. Bill Jensen, senior telecommunications analyst, played a large role in planning the retirement party. ErmaDell's oldest son and current boss ("He's the boss at work," she said, "[but] when it comes to babysitting, I'm the boss"), Bill tracked down some memorabilia for her party, including the paper directory his mother used before the system went electronic. He also found the perfect retirement gift: an antique telephone.

" I think the University is going to miss out [when she retires]," he said. "I think most of all we'll miss her friendly voice getting people where they need to be."

During the week of Aug. 4-8, hundreds of college-seeking students and their families will visit Drake in what has become a rite of summer: Iowa Private College Week. Throughout the week, 29 of 30 Iowa nonprofit, private college campuses will participate, hosting tours and information sessions for college-bound students from Iowa and surrounding states.

Welcome sessions will start daily at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Levitt Hall in Old Main. Prospective students and their families can meet current students and faculty and learn about academic programs, student life, admission and financial aid. They also will have the option of having a free lunch at Hubbell Dining Hall.

Last year Iowa Private College Week generated 470 campus visits at Drake. Nearly one-third of these visitors were walk-ins. Drake officials expect even more campus visits this year because scheduled visits surpassed last year's total this past Tuesday.

" To enhance this year's campus visits, Drake will offer visitors the opportunity to have a digital family photo taken while they're at Drake," said Deneen Dygert, associate director of admission. "We will e-mail the photo to each family along with a thank you for visiting Drake."

A major challenge this year is routing the campus tour around all the major construction projects under way at Drake. "I am certain that the visitors will see these projects as progress," Dygert said, "and that the families will choose to visit again to see the benefits of all the construction."

As dean of two academic units, Charles Edwards Jr. divides his time between offices in the College of Business and Public Administration and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His major goal, supported by Provost Ron Troyer, is to maintain the momentum and strong tradition of both academic units, while leveraging the potential collaborative opportunities for the future.

To help handle the dual administrative duties, Edwards will rely on the assistance of four experienced faculty members serving as associate deans. The timing of these appointments is particularly important in the CBPA given the recent decisions by Associate Dean Jim Dodd and Assistant Dean Mary Edrington to return to the CBPA faculty this fall, Edwards said. Therefore, the new associate deans will start their positions today (Friday, Aug. 1).

John Lytle, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt professor of journalism, is the new associate dean for academic administration and programs within the SJMC. His responsibilities include curriculum, accreditation and faculty issues/communication. Lytle also will have responsibilities for the journalism school budget and office.

David Wright will continue as associate dean for student affairs with additional responsibility for community outreach within the SJMC. Wright's responsibilities will include student issues and academic status, course scheduling, technology, building management, communication with parents, orientation, student recruitment and community outreach/new programs. In addition, the journalism student record/advising office under Barbara Simpson and the Drake Telemedia Center will continue to report to Wright.

Heaston has been appointed associate dean for academic administration and programs within the CBPA. His responsibilities include curriculum, accreditation and faculty issues/communication. All faculty chairs, the graduate program as well as the technology office will report to Heaston.

" I'm grateful to these individuals for their willingness to accept these new leadership responsibilities," Edwards said. "It is our hope that all of us will work more closely together to provide our students with a Drake experience that continues to be both positive and productive."

The Salvation Army Band from the United Kingdom will perform from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Miller's Ace Hardware Store, 1300 Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Free hot dogs will be served. There also will be a ceremony to honor the store's longtime commitment to the Drake area.

Both events, which are free and open to the public, are sponsored by the Drake Neighborhood Association and the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The neighborhood association also will celebrate National Night Out by hosting a free ice cream social from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Drake Park, 23rd Street and Drake Park Avenue.

A forum on national health policy to be held in Sheslow Auditorium on Thursday, Aug. 14, is expected to receive considerable media attention. Gov. Thomas Vilsack has invited Democratic and Republican leaders to present their views on health policy. This event is free and open to the public.

The forum is part of a two-day meeting at Drake. On Aug. 15, health-policy experts will share their knowledge and successful program models.

For more information and registration, visit www.thehealthconference.org. Drake, the governor's office, lieutenant governor's office and the Iowa Department of Public Health are conference conveners.