Drake leaders celebrate the renovation of Olin Hall Drake leaders celebrate the renovation of Olin Hall President David Maxwell and Board of Trustees Chair Jim Hubbell cut a blue ribbon with an oversize pair of scissors. "This is my first ribbon cutting," Hubbell quipped. "I will get better. I hope to get really good by doing this many times." The $4 million project includes new labs for biology and psychology classes, new classrooms and offices and the renovation of the large lecture hall on the second floor. The new entrance and plaza are scheduled to be completed soon. President Maxwell thanked the architectural firm -- Holabird and Root -- and the general contractor -- Weitz Co. -- along with the donors who made the project possible. Lead gifts came from the Mary Wheatley estate, the Victoria Pewick estate while supporting gifts were from the Roy G. Carver Chariatable Trust and William Smith, LA'70. Due to numerous flight cancellations at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, Jerry Greenfield will not get to Des Moines in time to give his informal talk in Cowles Library this afternoon. Greenfield and Ben Cohen, the masterminds behind Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., are still scheduled to give the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture at 7:30 tonight at the Drake Knapp Center. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "An Evening of Social Responsibility, Radical Business Philosophy and Free Dessert for All." A reception, featuring a book signing and samples of "Cherry Garcia" and "Half Baked" ice cream, will follow. The Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from Melva and the late Martin Bucksbaum, former chairman and president of General Growth Corp. and longtime member of Drake's governing board. "I wanted to wear Drake colors, so I went through my father's things and found his letter sweater," she said. "It's in pretty good shape after all these years." During the dedication ceremony that preceded Saturday's Homecoming game, Drake President David Maxwell said, "Today we are turning back the pages of the history books to honor a man who played for Drake in the years 1949 to 1951. Johnny Bright is the first -- and to date only -- Drake player inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. "Johnny set 20 Drake records during his collegiate career, was a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy, and is considered to be the best football player ever to have played at Drake University. We are delighted that we are able to memorialize Johnny Bright's prominence in the Drake family by attaching his name to the field on which he excelled." President Maxwell and Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb presented two game balls to Kandis Bright and her sister, Deanie Bright-Johnson of Fort Wayne, Ind. "On behalf of the Bright family, we'd like to say thank you to Drake for a great honor toward the family," Kandis Bright said. "Our father had accomplished so many things in such a short lifetime and we in the family are extremely proud of every one of them. There couldn't be a better honor than to have our father's name here on the Drake field. It's fantastic. I'd like to say thank you to the Bulldogs." Also participating in the dedication ceremony were Deanie Bright-Johnson's husband, Cecil Johnson, and their daughters, Maura and Brea Johnson. Leaders of the Des Moines branch of the NAACP presented a plaque to Drake President David Maxwell and Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb during Saturday's Homecoming game in recognition of the University's strong commitment to the achievement and advancement of African Americans. The plaque will be permanently displayed at Drake Stadium. "By dedicating the Johnny Bright Field, Drake University continues its commitment to not only Johnny Bright himself, but to the memory of what he did, and to what he stood for," said the announcer at the game. "The NAACP is excited to present this award to the University because of Drake's respect for, and the mark of distinction that it has placed upon, Johnny Bright. Naming the field after one of the great African American Football players of our time will provide the opportunity for the Drake University community and the people of Iowa to learn about Johnny Bright and his great accomplishments not only in football but in the equal treatment for all people. "Following a notable professional football career, Bright had a highly successful career in education as a teacher and administrator. By growing Johnny Bright's legend and continuing to recognize his accomplishments, we are able to bring his true combination of education and sport to public view, so that Johnny Bright can continue teaching others." Participating in the ceremony were NAACP representatives Linda Carter-Lewis, branch president; Rev. Keith Ratliff, Sr., NAACP National board member and State Conference president; the Rev. Irv Lewis Sr.; Gretchen Woods; Arnold Woods Jr.; Russell Lovell, law professor and associate dean of Drake Law School; and Sean Ratliff, NAACP Youth Council member. The nonpartisan event, convened by the National Health Policy Council, the National Coalition on Health Care and AARP, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium. It is one of a series of similar events to be held across the country featuring key governor races. Both Republican Congressman Jim Nussle and Democrat Secretary of State Chet Culver will discuss how they would increase access for more than 250,000 uninsured Iowans and how they plan to improve the quality and safety of long-term care in Iowa, among other issues. In addition, they will answer questions submitted by those attending the event. Drake University President David Maxwell will open the conference. Also speaking at the forum will be Mary Mincer Hansen, director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and Henry Simmons, president of the National Coalition on Health Care. In addition, a panel of experts on the health care industry will follow the candidates' presentations. The event is free to the public, courtesy of Allergan Inc., the national sponsor of the event. Tickets and other event information may be obtained through the event Web site at In spite of Guthrie's obvious intent, his publisher has managed to enforce the copyright and extend it to the present day. To learn about copyright law today, attend the first in a series of Copyright Chats from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, in conference room 234A in Cowles Library. Brown-bag lunches are welcome. The discussion will cover topics such as: Conducted by Randal A. Buikema, the 56-member Drake Choir will perform pieces by Bach, Brahms, McClure, Hogan and Whitacre. The American Chorale Directors Association commissioned Eric Whitacre - a young, hip American composer - to compose his mini-opera "Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine" in 2004. There will be string, percussive and other accompaniments throughout. "It's an eclectic repertoire that shows off the capabilities of this choir," Buikema said. The Women's Chorale, conducted by Linda Vanderpool, will perform works by Giordano, Halmos, Nelson and Manuel. These include spiritual tracks, such as Halmos' "Ave Maria," and emotionally dynamic arrangements of folk songs in Nelson's "Three Mountain Ballads." Corrigan, the director of cinema studies and professor of English, German, and Art History at University of Pennsylvania, focuses on modern American and international cinema as well as film pedagogy. His published works include "New German Film: The Displaced Image," "The Films of Werner Herzog: Between Mirage and History," and "A Cinema Without Walls: Movies and Culture after Vietnam." His newest research focuses on the works of such filmmakers as Herzog, Chris Marker, Agnes Varda, Derek Jarman and Trinh T. Minh-Ha. The event is sponsored by the Drake University English Department and the Drake Center for Humanities. For more information, contact Dina Smith at |
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