ITS is migrating print services to a new server. As a result, access to campus printing (PaperCut) will be completely unavailable between 1–3 p.m. on Thursday, May 21.
We appreciate your patience while we perform this necessary work. If you continue to have any issues after the planned maintenance window, please contact the support center at 515-271-3001 or visit service.drake.edu/its to report your issue.
— Carla Herling, ITS
ITS is making updates to TeamDynamix in order to facilitate single sign on (SSO). TeamDynamix is the system behind our ITS and facilities portals.
After the upgrade at 7 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, if you’ve previously signed into any Drake website using your Drake credentials you will no longer have to re-enter them when you submit a request or report an issue to ITS or Facilities.
The ITS portion of TeamDynamix can be accessed from the ITS Support link in the myDrake portal or by going to service.drake.edu/its. You can learn more about how SSO works at Single Sign On (SSO) and Drake applications (FAQ).
View instructions on using the ITS service portal
— Carla Herling, ITS
Drake University will hold a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of 1,071 students who are eligible to receive their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees.
The virtual commencement website can be viewed any time beginning Saturday, May 16. Content on the website will include the conferring of degrees; remarks from University administrators and deans, including Chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees Peggy Fisher, FA’70, and Drake University President Marty Martin; a message from alumnus Steve Berry, LA ’83, LW ’86; student submitted images; and video content specific to each academic discipline.
The virtual commencement will be accessible online through December. This semester’s graduating students are also invited to walk in the December 2020 commencement exercises.
To commemorate the celebration, all graduates will receive a blue tassel in the mail along with their diploma. Traditionally, graduates’ caps are adorned with a tassel in a color that denotes their academic discipline. The blue tassel is designed to be a symbol of unity and hope, capturing the Class of 2020’s “we are all in this together” spirit.
More information on the virtual commencement experience is available at https://www.drake.edu/commencement/. Faculty, staff, and classmates are encouraged to post congratulatory messages to graduates on social media using the hashtag #DearDrake2020.
The University’s online merchandise site drake.merchorders.com is having a sale on select gifts, food, and accessories now through June 1. Review the offer.
— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If stress has you anxious and tense, spending just a few moments a day practicing a relaxation technique, may help restore your calm and inner peace.
There are a number of relaxation techniques available. You can do most on your own or with the help of a free or inexpensive smartphone app. Which one is best? No relaxation technique is perfect for everyone. The right one is the one that works for you. Here are four you may want to try.
Deep Breathing. Also called belly, diaphragm, or abdominal breathing, this simple relaxation technique is the cornerstone of many other relaxation practices. Placing one hand on your chest and the other on your belly, breathe in slowly through your nose, watching your belly expand, hold your breath for a second or two, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This is a two-step process where you tense and then relax different muscle groups in the body. Start with your feet and work your way up to your face, tensing only those muscles you are focusing on.
Guided Imagery or Visualization. This involves imagining a scene in which you feel at peace. It could be a tropical beach, favorite childhood spot, or wooded glen. You can practice visualization on your own or with an app. If doing it on your own you may wish to use a listening aid, such as soothing music or the sound of ocean waves, for example, if you are visualizing a beach.
Mindfulness Meditation. The goal is to focus your attention on the present moment, and try to eliminate the many thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. It may involve focusing your attention on your breathing or a few repeated words. You can practice mindfulness with daily tasks like eating or brushing your teeth.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Each year on May 15, as part of 515 Day in Des Moines, members of the Drake Athletics department rally together to serve our greater Des Moines community. This year, we are collecting items for the Food Bank of Iowa and the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club.
A few socially-distanced staff members will be stationed out front of the Knapp Center on Friday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. collecting donations. Please consider making a contribution.
The Food Bank of Iowa has identified the following as items of significant need:
The Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club is requesting donations of:
These items are given to kids waiting in cars as their parents visit the food pantry.
Thank you, and Go Bulldogs!
— Shannon Saunders, Drake Athletics
Griff is getting ready to celebrate his eighth (golden) birthday! He is also retiring as our mascot on June 30. We are excited to invite you to join him for a celebration (social-distance style) on campus Friday, May 8, from 9–11 a.m. Griff and Griff II (aka George) will be stationed in the northwest corner of the Olmsted Lot ready to greet well-wishers from their cars as they drive by. Instead of gifts, Griff asks that you consider bringing donations of non-perishable food and/or personal care items to help him stock the Little Free Pantries to help neighbors in need. There will be a table for you to place the items on without getting out of your car. We also encourage you to wear Drake Blue in honor of Griff, and please feel free to make signs and/or decorate your cars!
— Erin Bell, University Communications & Marketing
Dr. Richard D. Bergen, the Kansas artist who designed the bronze bulldog that stands guard at the entrance of Drake Stadium, died Wednesday, April 22, at the age of 95.
According to his obituary, Bergen and son Rich partnered for over 35 years in the Bergen’s Sculpture Studio where together they crafted more than 40 monumental bronze sculptures and other works of public art found in cities across the Midwest.
The 750-pound bronze bulldog, which stands 3 feet high and stretches 5 feet long, is courtesy of a gifts by Andy and Elaine Hanna Wright, a pair 1969 Drake graduates, as well as support from gifts from the Class of 1997. The Wrights’ son, James Wright and his wife, Bethany (Hornblad) Wright, both graduated from Drake in 1997. Andy Wright, of Barrington Hills, Ill., is a member of the Drake Board of Trustees.
The bronze bulldog has become a symbol of pride on Drake’s campus and a worthy selfie-spot during Drake Relays and athletic events.
With the return of warm temperatures, construction on the sewer separation project is gearing up to get started again. Activity will be seen on University Avenue as well as along 24th Street between Carpenter Avenue and Forest Avenue where a new storm sewer line will be installed.
Installation of the storm sewer, bike lanes, and sidewalks will continue through the summer. Street paving of the north two lanes on University Avenue will wrap up the city’s project. Once the hardscape is completed, landscape plantings including installation of 86 trees, bus shelters, and other streetscape elements will finalize and beautify the University Avenue streetscape corridor.
— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning & Management
Even though National Volunteer Week has officially concluded, communities still need your help. Visit drake.edu/volunteer to learn about many opportunities both here in Des Moines and across the globe.
Send us a picture or quote of how you are helping the community to servicelearning@drake.edu by Sunday, May 3, and you will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. It could be anything from donating canned goods, checking in on your neighbors, picking up litter in your neighborhood, and more. With your permission, we’ll share it on social media to inspire others to serve. #DrakeServes
— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning
