All posts by Aaron Jaco

News & Achievements Archive

Bulldogs of DU: Clarence Padilla

What do you do?
At Drake, I’m a professor of music and chair of the music department. Outside of work, I am a clarinetist with the Des Moines Symphony and also the orchestra’s personnel manager.

Why do you do what you do?
From the music performance part, it allows me to express myself. I’m generally a shy person, and music is how I talk and how I show my emotions; I can be mad, I can be motivated—it all comes through when I play. I teach because I really enjoy watching someone grow, watching someone mature into a strong musician, I like working with this age because this is an important time in their life. I also like helping people; I like to resolve things, which is probably how I ended up being chair.

What’s the most interesting thing about you?
I guess one interesting thing is that I played on the soundtrack for the movie Hidalgo, so every year I receive between $7–12 in royalties from the Motion Picture Academy.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to golf, mow my lawn, and just be outside. I grew up in California and was always outdoors. When I first moved to Iowa I had one coat that kept me warm if it was more than 45 degrees. I get cranky from about December to March 1 because I can’t go outside.

Featured Events Archive

Engaged Citizen Documentary Film Series: Behind the Rainbow

The final film in the Engaged Citizen Documentary Film Series will be shown on Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 101. The film, Behind the Rainbow, is a look at the transformation of the African National Congress from a liberation organization to South Africa’s ruling political party. We are honored to welcome Kesh Govinder, a faculty member at Drake’s South African partner institution, University of KwaZulu-Natal, to facilitate the post-film discussion. Find more information about the film online.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

Featured Events Archive

School of Education welcomes professors from University of KwaZulu-Natal

Two professors from Drake’s international partner, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa, are visiting the Drake campus following a fall visit by Drake Professors Sally Beisser and Laura Kieran to the UKZN campus to present, collaborate, and work with students and faculty with a grant from Drake International. The two visiting professors will be here April 17–23 in order to reciprocate. Open presentations are as follows:

Professor Angela James will present on “Service-Learning in UKZN” in the School of Education, Room B-13 from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20.

James and professor Thabi Ntombela will present on “The Impact of Apartheid on Living and Learning in South Africa” in Meredith Hall, Room 106 at 7 p.m. on April 20.

Questions should be directed to Sally Beisser at sally.beisser@drake.edu or Laura Kieran at laura.kieran@drake.edu.

—Sally Beisser, Professor of Education

Featured Events Archive

Athletics events: Week of April 18

Softball
Drake vs. Wichita State (Doubleheader)
April 23 at 12 p.m.
Ron Buel Field
*Faculty Staff Weekend—All Drake University faculty and staff receive up to four (4) free tickets with a valid Drake Card (ID) all weekend! Please show your Drake Card at the gate.

Football Spring Game
Drake Exhibition Game
April 23 at 1 p.m.
Drake Stadium
*FREE ADMISSION*

Women’s Tennis
Drake vs. Bradley
April 23 at 1 p.m.
Roger Knapp Tennis Center

Women’s Tennis
Drake vs. Illinois State
April 24 at 10 a.m.
Roger Knapp Tennis Center

Softball
Drake vs. Wichita State
April 24 at 12 p.m.
Ron Buel Field
*Faculty Staff Weekend—All Drake University faculty and staff receive up to four (4) free tickets with a valid Drake Card all weekend! Please show your Drake Card at the gate.

For Students Archive

“Identities 101: We Are Not What The Media Says We Are”

Join UNITY Roundtable and School of Journalism and Mass Communication Professor Jovan Johnson in a dialogue regarding media representation of identities and how those representations affect the way we view each other. The dialogue will take place in Meredith Hall, Room 106 today, April 18, from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Any questions, comments, or concerns can be referred to thalia.anguiano@drake.edu or jiayong.lee@drake.edu.

—Thalia Anguiano

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

All Staff Council Summer Kick-off Social this Wednesday

Who: All faculty and staff
What: Kickball Tournament and Summer Social (refreshments and additional lawn games will be provided)
When: Wednesday, May 18, 2–4 p.m.—come and go as you please
Where: Helmick Commons (rain location will be the Fieldhouse)
Why: All Staff Council would like to thank YOU for another great year of service. Join us for an afternoon of fun, and start drafting your kickball team! Watch for the team sign-up in May.

We hope you can join us, contact Kerwin Dobbins (kerwin.dobbins@drake.edu) with any questions about this event.

—All Staff Council Communications Committee

For Staff Archive

Called to be True Blue

This past fall and winter, when the national political spotlight shone brightly on Drake, it was the Political Visitor Team who orchestrated it all. Led by Rachel Paine Caufield, associate professor of politics and director of the Iowa Caucus Project, the team includes Jarad Bernstein, director of public relations and media management; Scott Law, director, campus security services; and Matt Miller, University events manager. The group was awarded a “Called to be True Blue” Award on April 8 for their efforts.

With the support of myriad staff members, facilities managers, and others, the Political Visitor Team successfully organized 27 events varying in size, complexity, and visibility, including three major national media events with CBS, CNN, and Fusion TV.

“The practical effects of the Political Visitor Team’s efforts have been felt broadly across the University,” noted the award nominator. “Members have been tireless advocates for the University, putting forward immense time and energy to ensure success. The team’s work has elevated the public face of the University, strengthened institutional ties to the community, encouraged democratic citizenship, and provided outstanding student learning opportunities.

Every interested member of the Drake community has had unprecedented opportunities to directly interact with the national political environment in a very tangible way.”

The team is the final True Blue entry of the fiscal year, and is in the running to win top honors for staff accomplishment at the All-Staff Council Sapphire Awards event, held Tuesday, April 19, at 2 p.m. in Levitt Hall. Please join us!
—Submitted by All Staff Council Recognition Committee

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Robing details for inauguration

Faculty and staff who are wearing academic regalia and sitting with the floor party, please note that robing for the inauguration ceremony will begin no later than 12:30 p.m. in the women’s gym of the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility. To access the gym, enter through the Bell Center and proceed to The Knapp Center court. Walk across the Knapp floor, behind the stage curtain to the east, and you will see an entrance titled “Women’s Basketball.” Proceed straight ahead down the corridor to the women’s gym. Once inside the gym, there will be personnel and signage to direct you. All wearing regalia should be at the gym no later than 1 p.m. The procession onto the Knapp Center floor will commence at 1:15 p.m.

If you have ordered or rented your regalia from the University Bookstore, you will need to pick it up from the University Bookstore prior to the event.

—Joseph Schneider, Inauguration Co-Chair

For Faculty Archive

Fulbright opportunities for students

Fulbright offers several kinds of grants for students to study, conduct academic research, engage in the creative and performing arts, or teach English in a range of countries after they earn their bachelor’s degree. The most common types of student awards are: 1) Study/Research Grants, in which graduates design their own projects to conduct abroad; and 2) English Language Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs, which place graduates in classrooms abroad to assist in teaching English while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.

Faculty, I seek your help in identifying potential applicants and encouraging them to contact me for further information.

  • Who might be a promising potential Fulbright applicant? Generally, it’s a student …
  • With the interests and the personal suitability/temperament to serve as a cultural ambassador representing the United States
  • Who is prepared to adapt to living outside the country for up to one year and actively seeking to immerse him or herself in the host country
  • With a strong academic or artistic record of achievement and persistence
  • Who is actively engaged in the community or their chosen profession

For Study/Research Grants, the student must also:

  • Be able to develop a feasible, interesting, and appropriate project for the proposed country, in terms of accessible resources, time, and the student’s academic and linguistic preparation. The project might involve graduate study, research, or the creative and performing arts.
  • Demonstrate talent and potential for growth

For the English Teaching Assistant Program, the student must also:

  • Be able to develop and carry out a variety of learning activities under some supervision
  • Possess good facility with English usage and grammar in spoken and written forms, (e.g. clear, precise diction)
  • Be able to make presentations on U.S. culture and society

If a promising student comes to mind, please suggest the Fulbright program and encourage him or her to contact me to learn more about available opportunities. If you have further questions about the Fulbright program for students, please contact me at karen.leroux@drake.edu.

—Karen Leroux, Asssociate Professor of History and Coordinator, Post-Graduate Scholarships – Drake International