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September 28, 2000 Vol. 53, No. 16


Kostek named 11th director of Drake Relays

Mark Kostek
Mark Kostek, track and field coordinator at the University of Nebraska since 1980, has been named the director of the Drake Relays, succeeding Bob Ehrhart who retired after 31 years at the post.

Kostek, who has served as the chairman of the NCAA Track and Field Committee since 1998, becomes the 11th person to serve as director of the Drake Relays since the first event was held in 1910.

The Hartford, Conn., native will assume control of a track and field extravaganza that saw a record 9,185 athletes compete in a record 98 events during the 91st running of the Drake Relays April 28-29. The Drake Relays also enjoyed its 35th consecutive sellout crowd of 18,000 for the Saturday session.

"I'm so excited because this is a great opportunity," said Kostek, 45. "The Drake Relays is not only one of the most prestigious events in the Midwest but also in the United States. When you look at a great school such as Drake along with the city of Des Moines, this was a very enticing opportunity that I couldn't pass up.

"Under Bob Ehrhart, the Drake Relays have grown and gotten bigger and better each year. There will be some big shoes to fill but I feel I can bring some things to continue to advance the Drake Relays."

A 1986 graduate of the University of Nebraska, Kostek has directed all of the Husker home competitions, where he has earned the reputation of one of the finest young meet organizers in the nation. He also manages the 190 volunteers of the Husker Track Officials Association. He has served as the meet director for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, which is considered one of the nation's premier intercollegiate indoor track and field meets.

In 1996 Kostek was appointed to the NCAA Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee, where he serves as the chairman of the Indoor Subcommittee. The subcommittee is responsible for the conduct of the National Indoor Championships. Kostek also sits on the four-person NCAA Rules Committee, where he represents Division I track and field.

The dean of Head Coach Gary Pepin's staff, Kostek has helped guide the Nebraska men's and women's track programs to a top 10 national ranking. This past season Kostek was instrumental in helping lead the Huskers to win both the Big 12 Conference indoor and outdoor men's and women's championships. Nebraska has captured 52 Big Eight/Big 12 Conference indoor and outdoor team titles since 1981.

During his tenure at Nebraska, Kostek has directed 15 conference championship events, 16 Frank Sevigne Invitational indoor meets, four NAIA indoor national championships and one NCAA Indoor national championship.

An active member of the U.S. Track and Field program, Kostek served as organizing committee chairman and meet director for the 1986 and 1990 National Junior Olympics Track and Field Championships held in Lincoln, Neb.
Program review announcement set for Monday

Drake will post the academic and administrative program review recommendations on the University Web site on Monday, Oct. 2.

A guide to program review already has been posted at www.drake.edu/review. The recommendations will be available at the same Web site on Monday afternoon.

Campus forums, led by Drake President David Maxwell, will be held Oct. 3-6 to let campus community members give input on the recommendations for the next step in the program review process. President Maxwell and program review leaders will not debate or defend the recommendations; rather, they will listen to the ideas, concerns and comments of forum attendees.

Some forums will focus on topics of interest primarily to students, faculty or staff, but all forums will be open to all Drake community members. Please refer to the On Campus calender for the schedule of forums.
Kirschenbaum exhibit to open Oct. 8 in Anderson Gallery

Detail from "Meditations on Death: Samuel Beckett
A retrospective presenting over 40 years of work by longtime faculty member and distinguished artist Jules Kirschenbaum (1930-2000) will open at the Anderson Gallery on Sunday, Oct. 8.

"A Matchless Clarity: Paintings and Studies by Jules Kirschenbaum" will feature more than 35 paintings, drawings and collages spanning the artist's notable career. An opening reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Both the reception and exhibition, which continues through Nov. 5, are free and open to the public.

Kirschenbaum came to Des Moines in 1963 as artist-in-residence at the Des Moines Art Center. In 1967 he was appointed associate professor of art at Drake, becoming a full professor in 1970. While teaching at Drake, he pursued his painting career, exhibiting in many group and one-man exhibitions throughout the country and in Japan and Italy.

He won numerous awards for his work, and is represented in such well-known public collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; the National Academy of Design, New York; and the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio.

At Drake, he received the President's Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching in 1989. At the time of his death on March 4 he was the Ellis and Nelle Levitt professor of art. Posthumously, he received the Drake Medal of Service.
The exhibition was co-curated by Marie-Louise Kane, director of the Anderson Gallery, and Thomas Worthen, associate professor of art. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
Tree planted at Drake Stadium in memory of Coach Osborn

A chanticleer pear tree was planted Thursday afternoon on the northeast corner of Drake Stadium in memory of former Drake women's track coach Gary Osborn who died May 21.

The tree was donated by the Drake men's track team as a memorial to Osborn. Members of Osborn's family and members of the Drake men's and women's track teams attended the tree planting.

"This tree will bloom every spring during Drake Relays time, so Gary's presence will always be with us," said Jean Berger, senior women's administrator.

Osborn had served as the head coach of the Drake women's cross country program since 1989 and also assumed the head coaching duties of the women's track and field program during the 1993-94 season. Under Osborn's guidance, Drake won consecutive Missouri Valley Conference cross country titles in 1994 and 1995 as well as 1998.
Let's DU Lunch on Wednesday

Drake University Athletic Director David Blank and Head Women's Basketball Coach Lisa Stone will discuss the Bulldogs' upcoming basketball season at a luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Younkers Tea Room in downtown Des Moines.

The luncheon, which is open to the public, is part of the Let's DU Lunch series sponsored by Drake University's Central Iowa Alumni Chapter and the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

The series continues with a luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 1, that will feature Lloyd Ward, chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp.

Both of the luncheons will begin with networking at 11:30 a.m. followed by the program from noon to 1 p.m. in the Younkers Tea Room. The cost of each lunch is $15 per person in advance or $18 at the door. For reservations, call x3152 ASAP.
Speech to address impact of architecture on student learning

Gaylaird Christopher, a nationally recognized architect of educational facilities, will speak at Drake on Thursday, Oct. 5, about "Architecture's Impact on Student Learning." The speech, which is free and open to the public, will start at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main.

The event, which will be followed by a reception, is sponsored by the Des Moines Business/Education Alliance in collaboration with Drake's School of Education, the Iowa Child Institute and CMF&Z Marketing Communications. For reservations, call 284-5848.
President Maxwell accepts leadership role in Heart Walk

Drake President David Maxwell has agreed to serve as vice chair of the next Greater Des Moines American Heart Walk. The walk, which is expected to draw up to 5,000 participants, will start at Sec Taylor Stadium on Sunday, April 29, 2001.
The goal of the event is to raise $325,000 to fight heart disease and stroke. Anyone interested in recruiting a walk team or volunteering the day of the event should contact Jennifer Plueger at 244-3278.
Flutist to give guest recital

John Bailey, the Richard H. Larson professor of flute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and principal flute with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, will give a guest recital at Drake on Sunday, Oct. 1. The recital will start at 3 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. Following the recital, Bailey will present a master class. Both the recital and master class are free and open to the public.
Business students learning to become entrepreneurs

Twelve Drake students are seeing the workings of entrepreneurial businesses from the inside out this school year. The business students selected last spring through an intense application process are shadowing local business leaders in meetings, decision-making processes, and the day-to-day activities that go into keeping a young business growing.

The Drake Kauffman Entrepreneur Internship Program is funded by a $39,600 grant that is being matched by the companies involved. "The program is designed to provide students with an experience-based learning opportunity in entrepreneurship by placing them in new and emerging firms," said Assistant Professor of Accounting Scott Yetmar, faculty director of the program. The internships are also an opportunity to expose students to the challenges, risks and rewards associated with entrepreneurial ventures, he said.

Each student must work approximately 20 hours per week during each semester, keep a diary of each work week, and prepare an in-depth presentation about his or her company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and a recommended strategic five-year plan. This plan will be presented to the business owner as well as Yetmar and Susann Siebke, co-author of the grant and director of the Drake Business Center.

"The vast majority of new jobs created in the United States are going to be in small businesses," Yetmar said. "Drake's business classes focus on giving students the skills and know-how of businesses small and large. This latest project will help the students with an entrepreneurial drive to get a head start."

The business community readily accepted the challenge of teaching its future leaders. Companies taking Drake students under their wing are Asset Management LLC, Lemke Group, Meredith Corp.'s Internet Division, BusinessSolver.com, TL Granthum & Associates and Kidder Benefits Consultants.

They get the opportunity to train up-and-coming talented business people and "get a very qualified college student for a very small investment," Yetmar said. The students will receive three hours of college credit and earn $10 an hour, which will be split evenly between the businesses and Drake, thanks to the Kauffman grant. But even more valuable is the experience the students will gain. "It's a great program," Yetmar said, "because the students will actually get to apply their classroom learning to the business world. The experience and learning is invaluable. I would love to be a student doing this."
Students join SafetyLink Zone

Drake pharmacy students have created an exhibit about Safe Use of Medicines that will be on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the free MidAmerican SafetyLink Zone at Southridge Mall.
Choral concert set for Oct. 8

The Drake Choir, Chamber Choir and Chorale will present "The Song Goes On: Monteverdi to Jazz," at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. The program will include Monteverdi's delightful motet, "Beatus Vir," with strings and harpsichord, Kansas City composer Jean Belmont's bold "Invitations," with percussion and flute, a vocal jazz piece arranged by Iowa composer Phil Mattson, as well as madrigals and other choral works. There is no admission charge.
Symphony season opens Oct. 10

The Drake Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Canarina, will open its 2000-2001 season on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 8 p.m. on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. The concert is free and open to the public.

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