Join fellow Bulldogs at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. for breakfast and a preview of this year’s Drake basketball seasons. Hear the latest from head coaches Niko Medved and Jennie Baranczyk while enjoying a delicious spread. To attend, RSVP at DrakeTix.com/tipoff by Oct. 20. The event cost $15 to attend.

For questions, contact Austin Strawhacker at 515-271-2228, austin.strawhacker@drake.edu.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

On Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium, Victor Padilla from RSM will lead a discussion on the use of data analytic tools, public information, and visualization techniques to detect and uncover fraudulent activity. The lecture is sponsored by the Drake School of Accounting and Financial Executives International. It is open to the public and free to attend.

—Stephen Gara, College of Business and Public Administration

Drake’s Disability Action Awareness Community will hold its annual Day in the Life event Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. in Parents Hall South. Participants will be broken into small groups and given a profile on someone with a disability. Then, they will have to problem solve through the many adversities they face on a daily basis. The event is designed to shed light on what it is like to live with a disability. Food will be provided.

—Courtney Nelson

On Oct. 23 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., join the Drake Law Federalist Society for a thought-provoking discussion about the law enforcement practice of civil asset forfeiture and its effect on society and the criminal justice system. The discussion will be held in Opperman Hall, LL19. It is open to the public, and food will be provided.

—James Bump

The eleventh annual CHINA Town Hall will take place Oct. 24 and will feature Ambassador Susan E. Rice, former national security advisor and U.S. ambassador to the UN, as the webcast speaker.

CHINA Town Hall is a national conversation about the country’s economic, political, and security relations with China. More than 80 venues around the country, including Drake, participate in the event. The webcast will be shown from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sussman Theater, and will be preceded by a live, on-site discussion with Ira Kasoff titled, “Are We on the Verge of the Chinese Century.” The event is free and open to the public.

China’s emergence as a global power, role as an important trading partner, and potential collaborator in key U.S. global policies ensures that U.S.-China relations will affect the lives of every American. This discussion will help participants to understand the challenges and opportunities of what has been characterized as the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.

Ira Kasoff is an author and senior counselor with APCO Worldwide. He is a former deputy assistant secretary for Asia with the U.S. Department of Commerce, principal commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, commercial counselor at the American Embassy in Tokyo, and senior commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Kasoff worked for the Boston Consulting Group, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and as the Beijing representative for the Fuqua World Trade Corporation.

Ambassador Susan E. Rice was national security advisor (2013–2017) for the Obama administration and U.S. permanent representative to the UN (2009–2013), as well as U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council. Her critical role as a presidential advisor developing and executing U.S. foreign policy make her perspective on the relationship especially relevant during this uncertain time in the bilateral relationship.

—Jeffrey Kappen, College of Business & Public Administration

Join The Harkin Institute as it welcomes Columbia, S.C., Mayor Stephen Benjamin to Drake on Monday, Oct. 30. Mayor Benjamin will discuss some of the top issues facing American cities and their elected leaders at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center.

The city of Columbia has confronted many social issues faced by local governments across the country, including ongoing conversations about race, equality and the role of monuments in our society; sanctuary cities and creating welcoming environments; and how cities have become more proactive in the face of state and federal government inaction.

Benjamin was first elected mayor of Columbia in 2010 and currently is seeking his third term in office. He serves as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and will assume leadership of the organization in 2018. Benjamin has been praised as a thoughtful, innovative leader on issues facing Columbia and American cities in general.

As the capital city of South Carolina, Columbia has been at the center of ongoing discussions about how and where to display confederate symbols, and in 2015, removed the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Capitol grounds.

Earlier this year, Benjamin joined mayors across the country seeking clarification on how local authorities should enforce immigration policies and potential consequences for communities that identify themselves as “sanctuary cities.”

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

—Emily Schettler, The Harkin Institute

The Sprout Des Moines Urban Youth Learning Garden at Drake will host a free open house on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 12 p.m. to celebrate new additions to the garden, share fall and winter gardening tips, and distribute samples of fresh produce. The open house will take place at the community garden located on the corner of Drake’s campus at Forest Avenue and 25th Street.

A pre-open house for Drake faculty and staff will be held on Friday, Oct. 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Faculty and staff are encouraged to stop by and enjoy their lunch break in the newly furnished garden.

The open house will feature the unveiling of a new porch swing and pergola. It will also include a local expert discussing fall and winter gardening, sampling of fresh produce, refreshments, music, and community fellowship.

The event is free and open to the public; donations of canned foods and personal hygiene products are accepted, but not required.

For more information on the event or garden, contact Amanda Martin at amanda.martin@drake.edu.

—Lindsay Finnell