The Bell Center and Underground Fitness will be open the following hours Feb. 15–May 14. 

Bell Center
Monday–Friday: 6 a.m.–9 p.m.   
Saturday: 9 a.m.–9 p.m.   
Sunday: 12 p.m.–9 p.m.  

Underground Fitness
Monday–Friday: 7 a.m.–10 p.m.   
Saturday: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.   
Sunday: 12 p.m.–8 p.m. 

Please make note of the following IM Registration Deadlines. Sign up on the Drake Rec App or imleagues.com/drake.

Badminton – Feb. 12
Indoor Volleyball – Feb. 17 
Madden – Feb. 17
3-Point Contest – Feb. 28 

Wellness updates:
In person GroupX classes begin Feb 15.
Virtual On- Demand classes are still available and will be throughout the semester.
Sign up on the Drake Rec App or imleagues.com/drake

— Emily Madsen, Recreational Services

Faculty and staff can order carryout from the Hubb
We’re excited to announce that faculty and staff are welcome to take away carryout meals from The Hubb beginning Monday, Feb. 1. We will continue to evaluate our operation throughout the semester to determine when faculty and staff will be able to resume dining on site. In the meantime, we will continue to honor the loyalty punch card; however, we will not resume the $5 Wednesday lunches at this time.

Commuter meal plans
Off campus students: If you need a meal plan for Spring 2021, they are available now! If you would like to sign up for a commuter meal plan, start by logging into myDrake and clicking on the Fork & Knife icon, to access the Housing & Meal Plan Selection Portal.  From here, click on the “Apply Here” at the top of the screen, then click on the “Commuter Application” for the semester in which you wish to have a commuter meal plan.

Campus Dining Hours
View hours of operation for campus dining. If you have any questions or comments, contact dining@drake.edu.

— Casey Morgan, Drake Dining

You are invited to nominate a faculty or staff member for the 2020–2021 Levitt Mentor of the Year award and/or the Levitt Teacher of the Year award.

A nominee must be a faculty or staff member in at least her/his fourth academic year of service and cannot have won this award within the past five years.

The letter should be sent as an attachment to Associate Provost Arthur Sanders at arthur.sanders@drake.edu and sandra.harris@drake.edu no later than Feb. 8, 2021.

Find details and nomination requirements for the Levitt Mentor of the Year award and/or the Levitt Teacher of the Year award. Let me know if you have any questions.

— Arthur Sanders, Provost’s Office

You are invited to nominate a faculty or staff member for the 2020–2021 Levitt Teacher of the Year award.

A nominee must be a faculty or staff member in at least her/his fourth academic year of service and cannot have won this award within the past five years.

The letter should be sent as an attachment to Associate Provost Arthur Sanders at arthur.sanders@drake.edu and sandra.harris@drake.edu no later than Feb. 8, 2021.

Find details about the requirements for the letter and the process. Let me know if you have any questions.

— Arthur Sanders, Provost’s Office

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Curt Cardwell, associate professor of History. Curt passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Jan. 7, at his home in Des Moines. Curt was a valued, dedicated, and talented member of the Drake community who will be deeply missed by his students and colleagues.

A service is being planned for late spring 2021 at the Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Iowa. Friends and family interested in honoring Curt’s memory can make donations to the Drake University History Department (https://alumni.drake.edu/giveonline), Des Moines Mutual Aid (Venmo @DesMoines-MutualAid), or the charity of their choice.

Curt is survived by his wife Stephanie Cardwell, program coordinator of the Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the College of Business and Public Administration, and their daughter, Lenin, who graduated last spring from Drake. 

You can read Curt’s obituary here. Drake community members wishing to express their sympathies can send cards addressed to the Cardwell Family through Karen MacKinnon, Meredith Hall, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311, and the history department will ensure they are delivered. 

The Student College of Clinical Pharmacy (SCCP), Drake chapter, needs your help with a survey concerning COVID-19 vaccine confidence and barriers. The survey consists of 20–25 questions that will gather your thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as some pertinent demographic information. Please complete the survey, which should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for helping us be #DrakeTogether.

— Andrew Miesner, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Drake’s Intensive English Program (IEP) provides free learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to improve English skills. Our IEP offers intermediate and advanced level classes with an academic focus. If you feel that you may need additional help in a certain English skill area, be it advanced academic writing, grammar, or speaking, or if you simply would like to improve your pronunciation, you may want to consider taking one of our classes. The best news is that full-time Drake students, including exchange students, staff, and faculty can take IEP classes free of charge. We also offer an American Culture course for anyone who is interested in a deeper understanding of the U.S. and its various cultural aspects.

All classes for the Spring 2021 semester are being offered remotely. Please note that these classes are not credit-bearing.

Our classes begin Monday, Feb. 1, and end Friday, May 7. The last day to register for classes is Friday, Feb. 5. If you are interested in joining a class, wish to see the schedule, or have questions about the program, contact Kendra Hossain-Morehead at kendra.hossain-morehead@drake.edu.

— Kendra Hossain-Morehead, Director of International Student and Scholar Services