Griff merchandise is now available exclusively in the Drake University bookstore and online. There are currently T-shirts, picture frames, keychains, and window decals available, and the collection will continue to expand. Get your Griff gear in the store or online today!
— Erin Bell, University Communications and Marketing
Drake is once again proud to be a part of the IMT Des Moines Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 20.
The marathon starts at 8 a.m. in the Court Avenue District. Mile 11 of the race will bring participants down 25th Street in front of Drake Public Safety, Drake International, and University Communications and Marketing. Runners will proceed across Forest Avenue and turn on Clark Street to enter into Drake Stadium and run on the Blue Oval. In Mile 12, runners will leave the stadium onto 27th Street and turn left onto Forest Avenue before heading back down 25th Street to Kingman Boulevard. See the course map.
As a result of the race, no parking will be allowed on the following streets:
— 25th Street from University Avenue to Clark Street
— Clark Street from 25th Street to 29th Street
— 27th Street from Clark Street to Forest Avenue
Those on campus during race day should expect road closures and traffic delays. Visit the Des Moines Marathon website for more information.
— Scott Law, Director, Public Safety & Operational Services
Over the summer, a 128.02 kW solar array project was completed on the roof of the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. This project comprises of 346 solar panels that produces 165,900 kWHours a year. Over the last year, every light in the tennis center and parking lot were changed to LED, which also included replacing the court lights with a more efficient fixture using 75% less energy and providing twice as much illumination ensuring the courts meet NCAA standards for competitions. With the reduction of electricity use from lighting upgrades, the project engineer determined that 346 solar panels were sufficient to produce enough electricity through renewable energy that would equal the amount used in the building for the entire year making it a “net zero” building. Over the next 25 years, the solar array will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2695 metric tons, equivalent to 371 homes’ energy use for one year, or 2,894,737 pounds of burned coal, or 6,497,619 miles driven in a passenger car.
The solar panels started to produce electricity on Sept. 10. To view the dashboard and learn more about the system performance and amount of energy created per day along with the environmental benefits of this project using renewable energy, visit Roger Knapp Tennis Center Solar Project.
Using renewable energy sources is particularly important for Drake University in achieving the goals of the University’s Climate Action Plan, https://www.drake.edu/sustainability/. Solar power is one of the cleanest, most reliable forms of renewable energy available. This project was made possible through a generous gift from John Lorentzen and Penny Fillmor and our food service partner Sodexo.
— Kevin Moran, Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Management
Drake will switch from cooling to heating season over the next couple of weeks based on outside temperatures. We understand that earlier last week some rooms seemed a bit warm so we wanted to provide some explanation as the seasons change. During this “in between” time air conditioning is not operable when the outside temperature falls below 60 degrees. Instead, the system brings in the cooler outside air as needed. However, sometimes the humidity level is so high that the outside air does not produce the level of comfort that we would like.
We monitor the forecast closely during these times and adjust switchover dates according to the temps forecasted. The switch over process takes our department about a week to drain the loops and switch systems from one mode to the other. We start with the residence halls first because these buildings are occupied 24/7. Once the switch occurs, there is no changing back until the next season (in mid-April).
Thanks for your patience in the next week or so when air conditioning will not be available and we prepare to switch from cooling to heat. During that time, if a room is not comfortable, please let us know so our staff can see if adjustments can be made.
— Brett Lovelady, HVAC Foreman, Facility Planning and Management
Each year, the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute hosts the annual Sussman Leadership Conference; a half-day event that brings together undergraduate student leaders from across Drake’s campus to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and gain skills to apply to their personal lives, student leadership roles, academic projects, and professional goals.
This year’s Sussman Conference, “Down with Drake Busy,” will take place on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. in Parents Hall. Brunch is included, and dress is casual (jeans are fine!).
Please visit bit.ly/sussmanconference to learn more and reserve your seat by Oct. 23.
— Kristin Economos, Director, Student Leadership Programs
The Drake Neighborhood association is holding a street party to celebrate its 40 year anniversary on Oct. 5 from 4–10 p.m. at 24th Street and University Avenue. Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend the event, which will include live music, food, and more. For questions, contact Ryan Arnold at ryan.arnold@drake.edu.
— Ryan Arnold, Director, Community Engagement
We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Ismael Hossein-zadeh, professor emeritus of economics.
Professor Hossein-zadeh joined Drake University faculty in the fall of 1988, where he taught classes in political economy, comparative economic systems, international economics, history of economic thought and development economics until his retirement in 2011.
His published work, consisting of three books and numerous scholarly articles, covers significant topics such as financial instability, economic crises and restructuring policies, currency-trade relations, globalization and labor, economics of war and military spending, and the roots of conflict between the Muslim world and the West. He is the author of the following books:
— Beyond Mainstream Explanations of the Financial Crisis: Parasitic Finance Capital (Routledge 2014);
— The Political Economy of U.S. Militarism (Palgrave–Macmillan 2007);
— Soviet Non-capitalist Development: The Case of Nasser’s Egypt (Praeger Publishers 1989).
Drake will hold fire drills on Oct. 16, 17, 18, and 21 in compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act and in conjunction with National Fire Prevention month. All drills will be conducted at 10:45 a.m. with the exception of the residence halls, which will be conducted from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 21. We have planned this to minimize disruption to classes, and the majority of academic buildings will be completed the week of fall break. This also allows us to have a more efficient utilization of our staff for these drills. The residence halls will be done from 6-9pm to increase participation in the residence hall evacuation.
Fire alarms will be activated in all campus buildings to signal the start of the drill. When the alarm sounds:
— Evacuate the building.
— Buildings will be locked down and cannot be re-entered until the drill ends.
— Remember to dress accordingly.
The fire drills will be coordinated through the Office of Public Safety (271-2222) working with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (271-3804) and Facilities Services (271-2706). Please report any fire alarm malfunctions or evacuation problems to Facilities or Public Safety. Your cooperation in this very important campus safety exercise regarding the Drake Emergency Response Plan is appreciated. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Fire drill schedule:
Oct. 16
Meredith
Aliber
Cowles
Opperman
Cartwright
Harmon Fine Arts Center
Howard
Carnegie
Medbury
Collier-Scripps
Oct. 17
Olin
Science Connector Building
Harvey-Ingham
Cline
Fitch
STAH
Occupational Therapy
3206 University Ave.
Oct. 18
Olmsted Center
Hubbell
Student Health
Alumni House
ROTC
Bell Center
Knapp Center
Fieldhouse
Tennis Center
Oct. 21
Cole
Old Main
Public Safety
University Communications
Kinne Center
Multi-use resource (old Ray Center)
Vote Smart
Legal Clinic
Dial Center
All residence halls (6–9 p.m.)
— Chris Nickell, Director, Environmental Health & Safety
Please consider participating in a social media survey for the Office of Community Engaged Learning. The short survey will consist of questions regarding social media usage and a preference ranking of your social media apps. All participants who complete the survey will enter a raffle with a chance to win a Drake Service-Learning T-shirt! The results are tallied anonymously and you only need to provide your email if you‘re interested in prize eligibility. The survey closes Friday, Oct. 4, at 12 p.m. Take the survey.
— Jazlin Coley, Service Coordinator for Equity and Inclusion
Following the successful inaugural Global Citizen Forum, Drake International and the Engaged Citizen Experience are pleased share updates for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum.
As it did last year, this year’s event will include a series of speakers, academic enrichment and professional development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. The exciting news for the 2020 Global Citizen Forum is that Drake University, in conjunction with our partner university, the University of KwaZulu Natal (Durban, South Africa) will be co-sponsoring a conference on the theme: Struggles, Strategies, and Solutions for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education. The international conference will include inviting our international partner universities and colleagues from fifteen different institutions around the world. The benefit of hosting an international conference on diversity and inclusion is the opportunity to learn from a broader worldview and have an opportunity to learn about work in this area around the world. The conference will provide a platform to share new ideas, advance research, refine and develop frameworks, and influence policy development. To submit a presentation proposal, please go to the conference website for more information.
Another component of the Global Citizen Forum is a student research symposium, this year focused on International Perspectives on Privilege to complement the conference. We invite you to consider including research on the theme of the symposium or international topics which could be presented in March 2020. We also anticipate paper development workshops and research colloquia for faculty and staff doing research on diversity and inclusion issues.
Sponsored by Drake International, The Engaged Citizen Experience, The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Community Engagement and Service-Learning, and other campus partners, the Global Citizen Forum is an annual event meant to provide students with opportunities to explore the role of engaged citizenship in an increasingly globalized society.
— Melissa Sturm-Smith, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence and Student Success
