All posts by Ashton Hockman

For Students Archive

All In campaign kicks off Thursday: What will your impact be?

All In is this Thursday and Friday from noon to noon! The 24-hour online giving day is an opportunity to make a huge difference in a short amount of time, but in order to be successful, we need all of us—faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and fans—to be all in.

How to be All In

  1. Give online on April 5 and 6 at drake.edu/all-in. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference. You can also make your gift in person between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 5 at the Student Alumni Association event noted below.
  2. Spread the word. In one day, Bulldogs across the nation can do truly amazing things—as long as they know about it. Spread the word about #DrakeALLIN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and encourage others to do the same. Be sure to follow the campaign Facebook page and share posts throughout the day. You can even update your profile picture with a frame from the All In Facebook page to show your support.
  3. Celebrate over Jethro’s wings. Wear your Drake gear on both April 5 and 6 to celebrate All In. Visit Helmick South (or Olmsted Breezeway if it rains) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday for Jethro’s wings, Dippin’ Dots ice cream, yard games, Griff, and more.

Challenge opportunities

As a student, your gifts qualify for two separate challenges during the All In event. That means your donation could potentially triple!

  1. Thanks to a group of generous donors, gifts made during All In can go even further. If 1,000 people make a gift, alumni Doug Zinser, AS ’96, Al McCoy, FA ’54, and Paul, JO ’68, and Laura, AS ’70, Miller will collectively give $50,000 to Drake. Be counted as one of 1,000 to unlock this substantial amount for Drake.
  2. All gifts from students will be matched dollar for dollar up to $1,400 through the Caldbeck Challenge. Diane Caldbeck, AS ’72, is a fantastic example of what it means to be All In for Drake. She and her family are true blue Bulldogs, and to celebrate Diane’s commitment and contributions to Drake, her children: Kelly, PH ’01, Peter, JO ’03, and Megan, JO ’05, have established an endowed fund to create this challenge and encourage student giving.

For questions about All In, contact Becca Widmer, director of annual giving, at becca.widmer@drake.edu.

— Becca Widmer, University Advancement

Campus Announcements Archive, For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Why should you be All In?

All In, Drake’s annual 24-hour giving campaign, is next Thursday and Friday, April 5 and 6, from noon to noon. It marks a day when faculty, staff, alumni, students, parents, and friends unite to show their support and pride for the University. The campaign raises funds to support Drake’s greatest needs. The donations made will affect every area of campus and impact the life of every student, current and future.

https://www.facebook.com/allinDrake/videos/768465180030326/

VIDEO: For more videos and campaign updates follow the All In Facebook page.

As Drake employees, we commit ourselves to making Drake a better place every single day—and nobody knows Drake’s needs better than we do. Last year, 183 faculty and staff went All In, and overall, the campaign raised more than $150,000 from 852 donors. This year we aim to be even more successful.

In fact, this year three generous alums have joined together to offer a challenge. If 1,000 members of the Drake community make a gift during All In, they will collectively donate $50,000. This is a tremendous opportunity to make your gift go even further and help unlock a substantial amount of support for Drake.

Here are five more important reasons to give:

  1. Your gift supports Drake students as they forge their path toward meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship.
  2. Your gift is an investment in Drake, and as an employee, an investment in your work and future.
  3. Giving demonstrates our united support for the University and makes an impressive statement to our constituents, alumni, and all Drake supporters that we believe in the work we do.
  4. By making a gift, you can support your passion. Give back to something at Drake that inspires you.
  5. Giving can be pretty sweet. If you make your gift before 2:30 p.m. on April 5, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a homemade apple pie from Provost Mattison. The winner will be picked at the faculty and staff social.

Think your gift won’t make a difference?

Think again. Collective giving makes a huge impact. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference, and puts us closer to achieving our goal of 1,000 donors and $50,000 for Drake.

You can make your gift during the event at drake.edu/all-in.

Attend the social and show your Drake pride

Attend a social on Thursday, April 5, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of Collier-Scripps Hall to celebrate All In. A drink ticket and snacks will be provided. This is an opportunity to learn more about All In. Don’t forget to wear your Drake gear to celebrate All In on April 5 and 6.

Want to know more?

If you have any questions about the event and how you can be All In, contact Becca Widmer, director of annual giving, at becca.widmer@drake.edu.

— Becca Widmer, University Advancement

Campus Announcements Archive

Beautiful Bulldog lottery tonight

More than 135 English bulldogs from 18 states registered to compete in Drake’s world-famous Beautiful Bulldog Contest set to take place April 22. From this record-breaking pool of bulldogs, only 40 (and 10 alternates) will be selected to compete in the contest, which crowns the official mascot of the 2018 Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee.

A public lottery drawing will be held tonight, March 20, at 6 p.m. in The Knapp Center lobby to determine the contestants. During the lottery, an exciting panel of contest judges will also be announced.

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend both events—tonight’s lottery and the April 22 contest. The events are free and open to the public, and will be live-streamed on the Beautiful Bulldog Contest at Drake University Facebook page.

In conjunction with the contest and lottery, pet lovers are invited to contribute to the “Griff Gives Back” pet food drive. Last year the pet food drive, hosted by Griff, raised more than 5,000 pounds of food for the nonprofit Pet Project Midwest. Donations of adult dog and cat food are accepted on-site at the contest and lottery, or they can be taken to Drake Postal Operations located in the Olmsted Center.

— Niki Smith, University Communications

 

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning lunch

The next Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) lunch is Friday, March 30, at 12 p.m. in Medbury Hall, Room 201. The lunch discussion is an opportunity for those engaged in SoTL projects at any level—from just thinking about starting one, to almost complete, or those simply curious about SoTL—to share ideas, seek advice, or ask questions of colleagues engaged in the process. To receive lunch, register by Monday, March 26, at 4 p.m.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

For Students Archive

Changing Your Major? Submit your change by March 26

If you are an undergraduate or pharmacy student who plans to make changes to your field-of-study and would like those changes take effect before registration begins, you must file your request to your dean’s office by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 26. Requests submitted after March 26 may not be accommodated until Wednesday, April 18.

For specific questions, including how to change your field of study, contact your dean’s office.

—Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar

For Students Archive

Campus active shooter education

Join Scott Law, director of Public Safety, to learn what you would do as a member of the Drake community in the event of an active shooter. The presentation will be held Tuesday, March 27, at 6 p.m. in Sussman Theater, and on Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 106.

—Tyler Voss

Featured Events Archive

The Truth About Jonestown, and Other Fictions

Rebecca Moore of San Diego State University will present the next lecture in the Hawley Foundation Lecture Series on April 5 at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater.

Rebecca Moore, emerita professor of religious studies at San Diego State University, will discuss “The Truth About Jonestown, and Other Fictions” as part of the Hawley Foundation Lecture Series on April 5 at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater.

The mass murder-suicides that occurred in Jonestown, Guyana, in 1978, have generated multiple reports, explanations, and theories about what led members of Peoples Temple to their tragic demise. From alternative histories to sensationalistic documentaries, depictions of the forty-year old tragedy continue to fascinate the American public. Moore examines these competing narratives in order to understand the ways in which stories about Jonestown say more about us than about those who died. This is especially clear when we consider voices that have been erased from popular media accounts: those of women, African Americans, and citizens of Guyana. Learning about the past and the various interpretations of Peoples Temple and Jonestown illuminates the ways in which we engage with new religious movements in the present.

Moore has a specialization in American religions with a focus on new religious movements. She co-edited Peoples Temple and Black Religion in America (Indiana 2004) and authored Understanding Jonestown and Peoples Temple (Praeger 2009; paperback forthcoming 2018). She co-manages the website Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple. Her most recent book is Beyond Brainwashing: Perspectives on Cultic Violence (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

—Charlene Skidmore, Honors Program

Featured Events Archive

Dogtown After Hours

Attend Dogtown After Hours in the Olmsted Center on Friday, March 30, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Dogtown After Hours is a large-scale, collaborative, student-led event that aims to bring campus together in an alcohol-free environment. There will be free food and games, prize giveaways, student performances, and more. Everything at the event is entirely free. Last year there were over 1,000 attendees.

— Lindsay Fiegle