Legal Clinic to benefit from performance of 'The Exonerated' Proceeds from a special performance of "The Exonerated," a joint production of the Des Moines Playhouse and StageWest, will support programs at the Drake Law School's Legal Clinic. The benefit performance will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Des Moines Playhouse, two days before the regular run of the play (Jan. 28 - Feb.13). "The issues raised by "The Exonerated" about our criminal justice system, and the costs of wrongful convictions, could not be more important, more timely, or more timeless," said Drake Law School Dean David Walker. "We're grateful to the Playhouse and StageWest for their support and collaboration, because funds raised by the performance will go to support our clinical education programs, including our criminal defense program, which offer free legal services to low-income and elderly clients in the community." Originally produced in New York in 2002, "The Exonerated" tells the stories of six innocent people who endured from two to 22 years on death row and were eventually exonerated, often thanks to an attorney who took on their case pro bono, or law school students seeking to right a wrong. Before viewing the Jan. 26 performance, the audience will hear from Penny Beerntsen, a former Wisconsin resident who had mistakenly identified Steven Avery as the man who sexually assaulted and nearly killed her while she was jogging a Lake Michigan beach in Manitowoc County, Wis., in 1985. Beerntsen, a former resident of Keokuk, Iowa, who now lives in suburban Chicago, will speak about her experience and advocate changing the way law enforcement officials show suspects to victims and other witnesses of crime. Avery served 18 years in prison before being exonerated through DNA tests and the work of the Wisconsin Innocence Project at the University of Wisconsin Law School. The DNA tests showed Avery could not have committed the crime and indicated the assailant was Gregory A. Allen, who is serving a 60-year sentence for another sexual assault and kidnapping that occurred in 1995. After Avery was freed in September 2003, Wisconsin established the Avery Task Force to explore new methods of handling eyewitnesses and suspects. Wrongful convictions "hurt everybody," Beerntsen said. "When the wrong person is convicted, not only does that person serve time in prison unjustly, the actual perpetrator remains free to commit further crimes. My actual assailant wasn't convicted until 1995 even though he was charged or suspected in 10 crimes between 1985 and 1995. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the woman Gregory Allen attacked in Green Bay in 1995 and how different her life would be if the right person had been convicted in my case." Professor Findley and Beerntsen have been speaking at law schools across the country, including Hamlin, Marquette, Northwestern and Yeshiva University's Benjamin Cordozo School of Law. "Penny is a courageous, remarkable woman," he said. "After Steven Avery was exonerated, she took the initiative to meet with him and extend her apologies to him for what had happened. They had a warm meeting that ended with a hug." Tickets for the benefit performance are $25 or $15 for students. Tickets also are available at $50 for the performance and a reception that will be held at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Des Moines Playhouse. For ticket reservations, call the Drake Legal Clinic at x3851. In conjunction with the benefit performance of "The Exonerated," Drake Law School will hold a panel discussion on "Issues of Eyewitness Identification and Exoneration" from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Neal and Bea Smith Law Center. The event is free and open to the public. "The focus of the discussion will be the cost of wrongful convictions in lives and dollars and whether there are changes in eyewitness identification procedures that can be implemented that will lessen the likelihood of faulty identification," said Robert Rigg, director of Drake Law School's Criminal Defense Program. The panelists include: "The exhibit provides convincing evidence that those who can, do, and those who can, also teach," said Nora Wendl, director of the gallery. "Beyond that, this work exemplifies Drake University’s dedication to the application of knowledge and creativity to the culture and challenges of the 21st century." Participating faculty members are Angela Battle, Phillip Chen, Robert Craig, Catherine Dreiss, John Fender, Pete Goche, Thomas Knauer, Art Locke, Wendl, Ignatius Widiapradja, Connie Wilson and Ed Wong. The opening reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. The exhibition will continue through Feb. 20. Admission is free. Gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Call 271-1994. In announcing the appointment, Drake Provost Ron Troyer said, "Jan McMahill earned the respect and admiration of students, faculty and staff members with her work as interim dean. She has valuable experience at Drake University and knowledge of education in the state of Iowa. In addition, she has been an exceptional leader in distance and extension education. I am confident that she will be instrumental in helping the University achieve its goals." McMahill holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Drake and a Ph.D. in industrial education from Iowa State University. She began her education career as an English teacher in the Des Moines Public Schools. She then served as director of special projects at Iowa Central Community College and director of language arts for Fort Dodge Community Schools. In 1989 she joined Drake as associate dean of the School of Education and director of Extension Education — the school's distance learning division, which serves more than 10,000 students a year across the United States and Canada. She became interim dean of the School of Education last June. McMahill has been nationally recognized for her achievements in distance learning. She is the founder of the Iowa Distance Learning Association and former president and board chair of the United States Distance Learning Association, which honored her with its distinguished service award in 1998. Now in her fourth term on the USDLA Board of Directors, McMahill recently was selected by the board as one of six educators to finalize a set of requirements for the accreditation of distance learning programs. She was inducted into the International Hall of Fame by the International Distance Learning Association at its 1998 Teleconferencing Convention. Patricia Prijatel, the E.T. Meredith Distinguished Professor of Magazine Journalism, has been named director and associate dean of Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Charles C. Edwards Jr., dean of Drake's School of Journalism and its College of Business and Public Administration, said Prijatel is now responsible for SJMC faculty and curriculum development and the school's budget. "In her 21 years at Drake, Professor Prijatel has made the magazine sequence 'arguably the best in the country,' in the words of our national accreditors," Edwards said. "She has brought extensive resources to the school of journalism, not least of which is development of the Meredith Center for Magazine Studies." Prijatel said advancing the SJMC's strong professional programs and leadership in community service would be priorities. "Our talented, creative faculty prides itself on preparing Drake students to be leaders in communication," she said. "The amount of David Wright, associate professor of electronic journalism, will continue as assistant dean with responsibilities for student records and student affairs, working with prospective, new and transfer students as well as the current student body. Edwards said the new administrative alignment was partially a response to the accrediting council's concerns raised in October. "While the accreditors were highly complimentary of our programs, they felt the faculty should be involved to a much greater extent in operational decision-making of the School," he said. " I worked closely with the faculty in configuring a team that will maintain the SJMC's strong, independent identity," In addition, Edwards said he wanted to be able to put more of his own efforts into external relationship and resource development for both the journalism and business schools at Drake as well as a new joint venture, the School of Management and Communication. Drake's SJMC has a faculty of 13 with 480 students majoring in advertising, electronic media, magazines, news-Internet and public relations. Drake's offices of Marketing and Communications and Institutional Advancement won five awards at the CASE District VI conference in Kansas City, Mo., this week. CASE is a professional organization for those in alumni relations, communications and philanthropy. CASE District VI comprises eight states and nearly 200 institutions. Following are Drake's award-winning projects. Silver denotes second place and bronze third place. Gulley, a senior from Downers Grove, Ill., left for Israel on Sunday, Dec. 26, and returned on Jan. 3. The delegation included student body presidents from universities in†Oklahoma, Montana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Washington. The seminar provided these student leaders with a first-hand introduction to Israeli politics and society and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Gulley, who is majoring in English with a minor in biology, described the trip as "an 8 day whirlwind tour of the geographic, political, cultural and historical Israel." Asked to summarize his experiences, Gulley said, " It is difficult to sum up a life-shaking experience, but perhaps the easiest statement is this: Israel is a land of wild contradictions; of ancient history and modern strife; of heartfelt religious conviction and growing secularism. "The seminar allowed us to meet and question Israeli and Palestinian students, economists, journalists, crisis workers, military personnel, peace negotiators and professors," he added. "With the aid of our guide, Shmulick, we toured the cities of Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Ma’agan, Capernaum, Jerusalem and Masada." Security in a country long plagued by suicide bombers was a concern for Gulley and his family. "My parents were initially apprehensive about my participation in the seminar," he said, "and I will admit that the realization that our ubiquitous bodyguard, Avi, was carrying a loaded weapon brought a harsh edge to the beauty of the countryside and cities. Israelis are a people who have lived under the threat of terrorism – there is much to learn from their happiness, tenacity, and vibrant culture." National Jurist recently ranked Drake Law School 15th in the country on its Technology Honor Roll. This ranking appears in the January 2005 issue, which notes some of the factors considered are the wireless network, computer exams, technology in the courtroom and laptop usage. "In the last National Jurist technology ranking Drake finished in the top 40, so this most recent survey helps further affirm Drake's position as a leader in effective use of technology," said John Edwards, director of the law library and professor of law. Faculty and staff are invited to join the Law School in wishing Barbara Frueh well on her retirement from Drake University. A retirement reception for Frueh will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, in the Quiet Lounge (room 209 of Cartwright Hall). In addition to working as a program assistant at the Law School, Frueh has worked at Cowles Library, Olmsted Center and Student Financial Planning. Singers are invited to join the Drake University/Community Chorus, which will begin rehearsals for the spring semester at 6:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, Jan. 18), in Monroe Recital Hall on the lower level of the Harmon Fine Arts Center. No addition is required. Rehearsals will continue throughout the semester on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The University/Community Chorus, along with Drake's other choral ensembles, will perform Haydn's "Creation Mass" (Schˆpfungsmesse) with a faculty/student orchestra on May 5 at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. For more information about the chorus, call x2841. Act now on your New Year’s resolution to cultivate your creative side by registering for music lessons at the Drake University Community School of Music. Lessons for the 16-week spring semester begin this week. Instruction is available for children and adults in piano, voice (age 15 and older), strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, harp, organ and music theory. Tuition is $320 for the semester with a $20 enrollment fee for new students. To obtain more information about any of these programs or to enroll, call the Drake University Community School of Music office at x4011. Drake's 2004 Charitable Giving Campaign for United Way of Central Iowa and Iowa Shares produced total contributions of $34,288 from143 faculty and staff members and 34 retirees. United Way received gifts totaling $27,367 while Iowa Shares received gifts amounting to $6,921. Drake's 2003 campaign netted a total of $36,835 for United Way and Iowa Shares from 271 faculty and staff members and 33 retirees. "Even though the totals show that our giving efforts came in a little less than last year, I am encouraged that given the economy and other factors, the Drake Community did an outstanding job," said Dolph Pulliam, director of community outreach and development. Broadcast News senior Kailyn Reid of Omaha has won seventh place and $500 for her TV Features entry to the Hearst Journalism Awards program. The top five winners qualify for the Program's semi-finals. Sixty students entered the TV contest, double the number of radio entrants. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication receives a matching grant of $500. "The stories came from my work as a reporter at KETV NewsWatch 7 (the ABC affiliate) in Omaha this past summer," Reid said. "My entry consisted of three stories — one of them was about a man miraculously recovering from a lightning strike, one about a family's basement that suffered damage from a "mud flood" and one about a "soul school" where young Omaha kids learn about the fundamentals and heritage of jazz." A second phase of the Hearst broadcast contest involves "hard news" and "enterprise" reporting. Those entries are due Feb. 8. Reid is eligible to enter this second contest. Robert Benton and Carol Jensen have added $50,000 to the $100,000 endowment of the fund established in memory of their father, Byrl Benton, who was dean of the Drake University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences from 1949 to 1977. Robert Benton is a resident of Norristown, Pa., and Jensen resides in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. The Byrl Benton Memorial Fund originally was established by the Benton family and Drake alumni to provide emergency loans to pharmacy students. To better meet the needs of current students, the Benton family has increased and repositioned the fund to support two prime initiatives of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The first initiative is to increase scholarships for professional pharmacy students who already have a bachelor's degree. The second initiative is to support student research projects and make it possible for students to travel to conferences across the country to present their findings. "The number of students with a prior baccalaureate degree applying to pharmacy schools has been steadily increasing," said Raylene Rospond, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. "These students have already exhausted the financial aid opportunities available to first-time students and are limited to student loans as the primary mode of financial aid. Competition for these students is great due to their diversity of experience. This is the first scholarship in the College of Pharmacy directed to support this population of students and we are delighted to have it." The expanded Byrl Benton Memorial Fund also will make it possible for more Drake pharmacy students to conduct additional research and to travel to conferences for presentations. "The travel support from the Byrl Benton Memorial Fund not only will allow students to present the results of their research but also will provide support to students representing Drake at the many national skills competitions," Rospond said. Drake University is a member of the Des Moines Tax Credit and Asset Building Coalition, which is offering free tax preparation assistance and promoting the Earned Income Tax Credit, a tax benefit for people who work full or part time. Workers who were raising children in their homes and earned less than $34,458 in 2004 can receive a credit up to $4,300. Workers raising one child who earned less than $30,338 can receive a credit up to $2,604. Workers from ages 25 to 64 not raising children in their homes who earned less than $11,490 can receive a credit up to $390. The Drake Legal Clinic is one of the six locations in Des Moines where tax preparation assistance is available. The clinic's program will be open from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. every Monday from Jan. 31 through March 14. Other sites are Corinthian Baptist Church, Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency, Visitation Catholic Church, United Way Human Services Campus and Des Moines Area Community College Urban Campus. |
|
