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On Campus - Stories
December 1, 2000 - Vol. 53, No. 24


Sheila McCoy advances to state finals in competition for Rhodes Scholarships

Sheila McCoy
Sheila McCoy, a Truman Scholar and a senior at Drake, has been named an Iowa state finalist in the competition for Rhodes Scholarships. As part of the state-level competition, she will be interviewed next week in Iowa City. Several faculty members are helping her to prepare for that experience by conducting a mock interview this week.

"It's pretty exciting," McCoy said of her selection as an Iowa state finalist. "A number of faculty members have volunteered to sit on the mock interview panel. From what I've heard, the mock interview tends to be more difficult than the actual interview. I'm sure it will be a good preparatory session."

Julian Archer, professor of history and director of post-graduate fellowships at Drake, said McCoy's selection as a state finalist confirms the wisdom of the Truman Committee in selecting her as a Truman Scholar. "This is further confirmation of her outstanding abilities not only as a student but a leader with very innovative ideas," Archer added. "It's also a credit to the caliber of student that Drake is attracting and to the work the faculty members do in refining the intellect of the students who come here."

The student selected at the state-level competition to represent Iowa will advance to the district competition Dec. 7 and 8. Each district's selection committee may elect up to four Rhodes Scholars. Iowa is part of district six, which also includes Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The Rhodes Scholarships were established by Cecil Rhodes in 1903 to bring able students from throughout the English-speaking world and beyond to study at Oxford University. Each year, 32 U.S. citizens are selected as Rhodes Scholars.

McCoy, a resident of Merrill, Iowa, has a cumulative grade-point average of 4.0 and four majors: English, history, politics and international relations.

Last spring she was one of 61 students selected nationwide to receive a $30,000 Truman Scholarship, which recognizes leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of "making a difference." She plans to use that scholarship to attend law school after graduating from Drake and serving in the Peace Corps. She intends to pursue a career in international law and human rights.
Drake renews its commitment to observatory


Madelyn M. Levitt, center front row, joins President Maxwell, Tom Vlassis and Chris Hensley on the steps of the Drake Municipal Observatory following a news conference.

Drake University President David Maxwell recently announced that the University is renewing its commitment to the Drake Municipal Observatory. The promise was made possible with the help of a major gift from Madelyn M. Levitt, a member of Drake's governing board and national chair of the University's $190 million fundraising effort.

Levitt made a gift of $150,000 toward the renovation, allowing Drake to maintain its role in the observatory. Her gift enables the University to address the majority of immediate repairs. The total cost of the interior renovation is estimated at $222,000, plus a $250,000 endowment is needed to support future maintenance.

"We are hopeful that Maddie's generosity will also spark additional donations and gifts in kind from local businesses and community members," President Maxwell said. "The observatory's history and future as a community asset and resource, indeed, reinforce the need for the facility to be a true partnership between Drake and Des Moines."

President Maxwell said Drake will continue to provide free educational programs at the observatory and fund the observatory's annual operating budget of approximately $15,000.

Built with city funds on city property, the observatory houses a refracting telescope donated to Drake in 1894 by Francis Marion Drake just two years before he became governor of Iowa. Under the current agreement, the city is responsible for maintenance of the building's exterior while Drake is responsible for maintenance of the interior.

Drake's announcement drew positive comments from city officials.
"I think it's wonderful," said Des Moines City Council member Chris Hensley. "I would hope that by working with the neighborhood associations and Drake we can explore other financing that would work with the Drake dollars to enhance the building."

Another city council member, Tom Vlassis, said he, too, is pleased that Drake is renewing its commitment to the observatory. "It's a very valuable asset to Des Moines," he added. "I'm proud of Drake University and Maddie Levitt. She's one of the best supporters you could have."
Drake to present Pulitzer Prize-winning play

Drake University Theatre's production of "How I Learned To Drive" will open at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.

Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for drama, Paula Vogel's "How I Learned To Drive" is both a poignant and powerfully disturbing look at the nature of love. The play contains material intended for an adult audience and may be inappropriate for children.

From left: Molly Kirk, Dana DeRuyck, Steven Archer and Jennifer Hughes star in Drake's production of "How I Learned To Drive."
"In Vogel's work we see the power love has at once to redeem and destroy," said director Michael Rothmayer, instructor of theatre arts at Drake. "In the words of the author, the play is, in essence, a story similar to Vladimir Nabokov's 'Lolita,' yet told from the woman's point of view.

"This play forces us to examine boundaries and delineate what is appropriate, acceptable and allowed from what is inappropriate, unacceptable and forbidden," Rothmayer added. "Through a series of vignettes, we travel backward through time to explore the relationship between a woman, an adolescent, a young girl and the first man she ever loved."

Performances start at 8 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 9 and 10. Tickets are $4 for adults, $2 for students and senior citizens and free with a Drake ID. Reservations are required due to limited seating. For reservations, call the Fine Arts Box Office at x3841.
President Maxwell's reception for graduates set for Sunday

Faculty and staff are invited to the President's Reception for December Graduates from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, in Levitt Hall in Old Main.

The reception will be an informal gathering where faculty and staff may offer their personal congratulations and best wishes to the graduates. Approximately 215 students are expected to graduate in December.
Students raise funds for projects in developing countries

Students in Eleanor Zeff's comparative politics class on developing areas are raising funds for five projects in developing nations.

"Previously, I have had students design a project appropriate for a developing nation, but we have never had the opportunity to work on a real project," Zeff said. "This year I discovered that the Peace Corps lists a number of projects over the Internet. These projects have been developed and approved by the Peace Corps Partnership Program and are only in need of funding. All donations are tax deductible and donors receive a letter from the Peace Corps verifying their donation.

"The students in the class are in contact with the Peace Corps volunteer so that they can get a better understanding of both the project, as well as how and why the volunteer developed it," Zeff added. "The Drake students have researched the areas where their projects will be used and each group has prepared background information on one of the five countries and presented it to the rest of the class."

The five projects are in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Romania/Moldova and the Ukraine.

The students are in the process of fund raising for their projects, and they will present their results to the class next week, Zeff said. "This kind of a project shows that classroom education has many practical purposes," she added. "It also gives students some experience in fundraising and applying research skills and learning to the world outside of school."
Relays adds third day of events

There will be a new flavor to the 92nd running of the Drake Relays with a third day of running and field events added to the schedule.

New Drake Relays Director Mark Kostek has added 10 running events and five field events to Thursday's program following the conclusion of the decathlon and heptathlon. The 2001 Drake Relays are planned for April 26-28. The first day of the combined events will be Thursday, April 26.
Dr. Maxwell elected president of local board of directors

Drake President David Maxwell recently was elected president of the Des Moines Higher Education Center Board of Directors. He will serve at two-year term.

The Des Moines Higher Education Center, which opened this fall in Capital Square, is a collaborative effort to provide quality higher education courses and training programs that will benefit the greater Des Moines community and help individuals and organizations reach their professional and educational goals. Seven colleges and universities are participating in the center: Des Moines Area Community College, Drake, Grand View College, Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Simpson College.

"I am honored by the trust placed in me by my colleagues, and look forward to working with the participating institutions and the staff of the center to develop creative and effective responses to the learning needs of the downtown business community," Dr. Maxwell said. "We have a real opportunity to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts, to set a new standard for collaboration and cooperation among Iowa's colleges and universities in ways that enrich Des Moines' economic, social and cultural development."
Marty provides guidance for discovering 'nearby history'

Everyone, every neighborhood, every community has a history. Drake University's Myron A. Marty can help you discover it.

Marty, the Ann G. and Sigurd E. Anderson university professor at Drake, and David Kyvig, a professor of history at Northern Illinois University, have published a second edition of their popular book, Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You (AltaMira Press).

The book serves as a comprehensive guide to investigating the history of families, neighborhoods, artifacts, churches, businesses, buildings and towns. "In addition to student audiences, this book is quite deliberately aimed at people who are simply interested in exploring their own history," according to the authors.

Copies of Nearby History will be available at Borders Books Music & Cafe when Marty and his wife, Shirley, discuss the book they wrote together, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Fellowship, at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8.

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