Get fit with the proper training and guidance. Whether you have a specific fitness goal, want to learn how to effectively workout, or start your journey to a healthier lifestyle, the personal training program at Drake can help. Email wellness@drake.edu for pricing information or to schedule an appointment.

—Drake Wellness

Explore hunger and its impact on refugees in Des Moines Oct. 16–17 with the Fall Break Immersion Trip. Participants will learn about hunger at the Iowa Hunger Summit, volunteer at the LSI Global Greens Farm and Bidwell Riverside Center, and take a driving tour of key spots in Des Moines. Apply for the trip. The application deadline is Oct. 12 by 9 p.m. Limited space is available. For questions, contact Chamindi Wijesinghe at wachamindi.wijesinghe@drake.edu.

—Chamindi Wijesinghe

The Winter Warmth Drive is back at Drake and will be held Oct. 18 through Nov. 2.  The drive collects winter clothing for local young people in need, as well as homeless and refugees. Fall break is the perfect time to clean out your closet and donate items you no longer wear. New or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, snow pants, and snow boots are welcome in infant through adult sizes.

Clothing donation collection boxes will be located throughout campus beginning Oct. 18. The drive is sponsored by the Christian Legal Society. For more information, please visit winterwarmthdrive.org or contact matthew.lepke@drake.edu.

—Matthew Lepke

Interested in rowing? Join the Drake Rowing Club by completing a short survey or contact first-year student Wyatt Anderson at wyatt.anderson@drake.edu. Anderson, who is passionate about rowing, met with student senate, the Des Moines Rowing Club, and administrators to establish the Drake Rowing Club. Now, the club is looking to grow its team.

—Wyatt Anderson

Spend three weeks on a May Term learning about sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study-abroad opportunity is open to all undergraduate students and fulfills AOI: Engaged Citizen or Global and Cultural Understanding. It is six credit hours.

Information sessions:

• Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m., Meredith Hall, Room 124C
• Wednesday, Oct. 11, 6 p.m., Aliber Hall, Room 103

Register at: drake.edu/studyabroad/. There is a $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve a spot.

For more information, contact one of the following professors:

• Heath Henderson, henderson@drake.edu
• Debra Bishop, bishop@drake.edu
• Jimmy Senteza, senteza@drake.edu
• Glenn McKnight, mcknight@drake.edu

—Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Are you passionate about violence prevention and making a more inclusive, safe Drake community? If this is you, join the Mentors in Violence Prevention team. The program is a great opportunity for students to develop skills in presenting, networking, and community outreach. Drake’s MVP program inspires leadership by empowering individuals with tools to lead and with concrete options to effect change in their peer cultures and across campus. Peer facilitators receive 12 hours of training, serve on our full MVP team, and present the curriculum on campus. Applications are due Wednesday, Oct. 25.

The MVP team is hosting a train the trainer event the evening of Friday, Nov. 3, and during the day Saturday, Nov. 4. Can’t attend the full training but still interested in learning about MVP or being a supporter? There is an option for supporters to attend part of the training. Supporters can be anyone: faculty, staff, or students. Supporters help open doors and make connections to further the MVP program. To attend a portion of the training as a supporter, send Tess Cody an email at tess.cody@drake.edu.  Faculty and staff are encouraged to complete the training and be a part of the implementation discussion on the second day. Faculty and staff who are interested should also email Tess Cody.

—Tess Cody, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Did you know that approximately 10­–14 percent of Drake’s student body consist of first-generation college students? The Office of New Student Programs is inviting this ambitious and driven student group to share their college experience at upcoming discussion sessions. The sessions will help the Office of New Student Programs to grow and develop its support and resources for first-generation students.

Monday, Oct. 23: First-year students and sophomores who are first-generation students are invited to a discussion session from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Upper Olmsted Conference Room. Coffee and snacks will be provided. RSVP by Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 25: Juniors and seniors who are first-generation students are invited to a discussion session from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Drake Room of Olmsted. Coffee and snacks will be provided. RSVP by Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27, pizza lunch: first-generation students, faculty, and staff are invited to a lunch discussion at 11:30 a.m. in Cowles Library, Room 201. Pizza will be provided.

During these sessions, participants will have an opportunity to share their college experience and connect with other first-generation students. For questions or more information on the meetings, email orientation@drake.edu.

ICYMI: Watch a video in which faculty, staff, and students share stories and advice on the first-generation experience, and read about the University’s efforts to support this student group.

—Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs