All posts by Ashton Hockman

Drake Basketball Faculty/Staff Days

Drake faculty and staff are eligible to receive up to four complimentary tickets to the basketball games listed below. Tickets may be picked up at the Drake Athletics Ticket Office Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at the ticket window on game day. A Drake ID must be shown at the time of pick up.

Women’s Basketball
Drake vs. Milwaukee
Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
The Knapp Center

Men’s Basketball
Drake vs. Coe
Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
The Knapp Center

More information is available at DrakeTix.com/promotions. For questions, call 515-271-3647 or email tickets@drake.edu.

Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

United Way social and kickoff event Nov. 6

Drake will kick off its annual United Way giving campaign on Monday, Nov. 6, at 3:30 p.m. with an informational meeting and social in Shivers Courtside Club. All employees are encouraged to attend to learn more about United Way, socialize and mingle with colleagues, and enjoy complimentary beverages and snacks. Toby O’Berry of Iowa Homeless Youth Shelters will be the guest speaker at the event. Representatives from United Way will also be on hand to answer questions.

This year’s campaign goal is to raise $55,000 or achieve a participation rate of 200 employees. If our goal is met, all employees will receive the full day off on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (instead of a half-day).

Why invest in United Way?

United Way works to better the lives of central Iowans by investing in programs and resources that focus on the building blocks of a good life––education, health, and self-sufficiency.

Money donated to United Way stays right here in our community. United Way raises money locally and makes investment decisions locally. United Way financially supports 33 organizations that are Drake partners. Last year, more than 6,000 people in the 50311 zip code benefited from United Way funding. Also, donors can designate what program or nonprofit agency they’d like their donation to support.

While the greatest incentive is improving lives for the better, Drake is encouraging employees to donate by offering a variety of incentives that vary per giving level. Incentives include basketball tickets, Drake merchandise (we have so much to give away!), a visit to the President’s house, VIP Bucksbaum tickets, and more.

How to Give

The easiest way to give is online. An email with a donation link will be distributed to campus on Monday, Nov. 6. For those who have contributed in the past, please consider contributing again. If you are new to the campaign, please consider donating $5 per month.

A simple way to give is through payroll deduction. Employees have the option to make a one-time gift or a recurring gift each pay period. More information on giving to United Way can be found here.

For questions on the campaign, contact your campaign ambassador or Nate Reagen, at nate.reagen@drake.edu or ext. 2949.

Nate Reagen, President’s Office

Halloween dinner at Hubbell Dining

Join Hubbell Dining for a spooktacular Halloween dinner today, Oct. 31, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Also, on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Hubbell Dining will feature CityScapes, a New Orleans style lunch. Authentic cuisine from “The Big Easy” will be served, such as jambalaya, shrimp etoufee, pork po boys, gumbo, fried okra, and more. Faculty and staff can dine for just $5 with their Drake Card.

—Jennifer Bowersox, University Dining

University photography procedures updated

The photography protocol and procedures section of the University Communications toolkit has been updated. Visit the toolkit for information on:

  • SmugMug
  • Drop-in headshot sessions
  • Event photography and training resources
  • Independent contractors
  • Freelance student photographer pool (outside of the University Communication office)
  • Key photo and video priorities for 2017–2018

—Justice Simpson, University Communications

 

Clean out your closet and help clothe fellow residents in need

The Winter Warmth Drive is taking place now through Nov. 2. The drive collects winter clothing for local young people in need, as well as homeless and refugee metro residents. Please donate new or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, snow pants, and snow boots; infant through adult sizes are welcome. The Winter Warmth Drive is sponsored by the Christian Legal Society.

Clothing donation collection boxes are located in buildings throughout campus, including Olmsted, Old Main, Aliber, and Cartwright. For more information on the drive, visit winterwarmthdrive.org, or contact matthew.lepke@drake.edu.

—Matthew Lepke

Now accepting nominations for the Newman Civic Fellowship

The Office of Community Engaged Learning is accepting nominations for the Newman Civic Fellowship.

The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes community-committed students who engage in collaborative action with others from campus or from surrounding communities in order to create long-term social change, take action in addressing issues of inequality and political polarization, and demonstrate the motivation and potential for effective long-term civic engagement.

Nominees must be enrolled in higher education for the duration of the 2018–2019 academic year.

To nominate a student, please submit one to two paragraphs with information about the nominee’s approaches to addressing the root causes of social issues. These may include involvement in public policy reform, community organizing, community-based research, social entrepreneurism, or other efforts to build the capacity of community-based organizations. Additionally, please include why you believe this person has the motivation and potential to develop innovative and collaborative approaches to addressing public problems and to contribute to a network of similarly committed students.

A committee will review nominations to select one student from Drake to be nominated for the Fellowship. That student will need to complete additional paperwork.

Please submit nominations to Amanda Martin, program coordinator in community engaged learning, at amanda.martin@drake.edu no later than Nov. 28.

Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

New trees to be planted on campus

Several trees on Drake’s campus were removed due to construction of the Science Connector Building and Collier-Scripps Hall. While new trees were planted as part of the landscaping around the new buildings, Drake is required to follow the City of Des Moines Tree Removal and Mitigation policy whenever trees are removed due to construction. To comply with this policy, Country Landscape will be on campus the next two weeks to plant an additional 21 trees.

Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management

QUIZ: Test your phishing knowledge

Now through Nov. 17, ITS is holding a phishing quiz, a contest where Drake students, faculty, and staff can learn how to identify phishing emails and fraudulent websites. The first 300 people to take the quiz will win a certificate for a free taco courtesy of Taco Johns. Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered to win one of six additional prize packages. Visit www.drake.edu/its/phish today.

Additionally, ITS will have a table in the Olmsted Breezeway on Nov. 1, Nov. 7, and Nov. 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by to spin the prize wheel. If you answer a phishing question correctly, you could win an additional prize.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

Street closure, water shut down to affect campus buildings

A new water main will be installed on campus (on the old 27th Street) this week. As a result of the construction, water to Jewett, Cartwright, Collier-Scripps, Olin, the Fieldhouse, Bell Center, and Facilities Planning and Management will be turned off on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 11 p.m. Water will be turned back on by 6 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2. During the shutdown, residents of Jewett will have card access to Morehouse to shower and use the restroom facilities.

In addition, the intersection of 27th Street and Forest Ave. will be closed between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5. The City of Des Moines will install detour signs on University Ave., 30th Street, and 25th Street. Please be careful in all construction areas around campus during this period.

Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management

26th Street homes to be relocated soon

Two houses located on 26th Street and south of University Avenue will be moved to the Sherman Hill neighborhood on Nov. 14 or Nov. 15 depending on the weather. The moves are anticipated to occur sometime around 10 p.m. Following the relocation of the homes, DeCarlo Demolition will remove the basements and grade the land where the houses once stood.

The homes are being relocated to clear the lots, which will be redeveloped by Nelson Construction into a mixed-use space. Moving the homes involves careful planning and coordination between city officials, Des Moines Police, and MidAmerican Energy. 

Jolene Schmidt, Facilities Planning and Management