Mark your calendars for a retirement reception to honor and celebrate Chip Miller, Ph.D., the Thomas F. Sheehan Distinguished Professor of Marketing, on Tuesday, April 9, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Aliber Hall, Room 204.

— Katherine Coady, Zimpleman College of Business

The Drake Relays brings thousands of athletes, alumni, and guests to campus. As a reminder, parking and travel on and around campus will be impacted Saturday, April 20, through Saturday, April 27.

It is highly recommended that if you are coming to campus from off grounds, that you use public transportation, if possible.  If you do plan on driving, give yourself plenty of time to find parking.  Please remember that cars that are parked on the grass, illegally in handicap spaces, or blocking operations will be towed without notice.

All valid commuter permits will be honored throughout the week, all day Thursday, April 25, and until 5 p.m. on Friday.  Only residential permits are valid in residential lots and commuter permits in commuter lots, unless posted otherwise. 

Please note that the Olmsted and Ray Promenade lot still require the correct permit color to park in those lots before 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 20– Sunday, April 28 – Lot 17 (Facilities Lot) will be closed/no parking allowed.

Wednesday, April 24, at 12 p.m. – Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. – Forest Avenue will be fully closed from 27^th Street to 29^th Street and will allow for only limited access from 24^th to 27^th Streets and from 29^th to 31^st Streets. No street parking is allowed along Forest Avenue.

Wednesday, April 24 – Saturday, April 27 – 27^th Street will be intermittently closed between Forest Avenue and Clarke Street.

Wednesday, April 24 – Saturday, April 27 – Lot 18 S (Studio Arts) will be closed/no parking allowed.

Wednesday, April 24 – Monday, April 29 – Half of Lot 13 (Ray Promenade Lot) will be closed.

Thursday, April 25 – Saturday, April 27 – Clarke Street will be posted No Parking from 27th street to 25th street.

— Scott Law, Executive Director, Public Safety & Operational Services

Civic Action Week is a campus-wide week of events for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to learn, engage, and encourage collective responses to persistent societal challenges.

Civic Action Week centers around the Pathways for Civic Action and Social Change. We recognize there are many strategies needed to create change; the Pathways include: Community Engaged Learning & Research, Community Organizing & Activism, Direct Service, Philanthropy, Policy & Governance, and Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Responsibility.

Consider participating in one or more of the events happening that week!

Monday, April 8

• SNAP out of Food Insecurity, 2-3pm in the Olmsted Breezeway. Join the first-year Changemaker Scholars to learn about food insecurity and how it affects college students. Learn about the many resources that are available for students, and discover ways to get involved! (Other tabling events will occur April 16 from 1-3pm and April 18, 9-10:30am). (Pathways – Community Organizing & Activism, Policy & Governance)

Wednesday, April 10

• Civic Action Week tabling, 12:15-2pm in the Olmsted Breezeway. Swing by to learn about Civic Action Week events, grab some swag, and share why or how you like to give back to the community.

Thursday, April 11

• Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel. 4-5pm on Zoom. Hear from professionals on how they have used their career to create change. Panelists include George Scott of YMCA Greater Des Moines, Kathryn Lehmann with FEMA, and Annelise Tarnowski, founder of the Rook Room.  Register on Handshake. Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning and Career Services.

Friday, April 12

• Findley Elementary School First-Grade Visit to Drake. Drake has adopted the first grade class at Findley Elementary School and on April 12 the students will visit campus for a morning full of activities. Start your day off the best way! Anyone from the Drake community is invited to welcome the students when they arrive at 9:30am with a “Welcome Tunnel” at the University entrance of Meredith. Form a line from the front doors down the sidewalk. Drake students have the opportunity to promote a college-going culture for youth in Des Moines. Contact abigail.axell@drake.edu for more information.  Hosted by the Office of Community Engaged Learning. (Pathway – Direct Service)
• Sprout Spring Volunteer Day. 2-4pm. Help prepare the beds for spring planting, plant cool-weather crops, and clean up litter that has acquired over the winter.  (Pathway – Direct Service). 

Saturday, April 13

• Drake Constitutional Law Symposium – “Climate Change, the Environment, and Constitutions.” 8:30-1pm in Cartwright Hall, 213. Prestigious speakers will discuss current environmental topics. (Pathways – policy & governance, community organizing & activism)
• Sprout Garden Compost Pile Sifting, sponsored by DEAL. 1-2:30pm at the Sprout Garden. Sift through completed piles, break down garden waste, and prepare to build a new pile. (Pathway – direct service).

Learn more about events and opportunities. Follow along on Instagram @drakeservice.

 — Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Whether you’re budgeting for the present or planning for your retirement, managing your finances can be an overwhelming task. That’s why The Harkin Institute chose “Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness” as the theme for this year’s Harkin Retirement Security Symposium. The event will bring together advocacy and community organizations, government agencies, and private companies and their foundations that work on financial wellness and retirement security. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the most pressing challenges and find collaborative opportunities to address documented financial wellness needs and their relationship to retirement security, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

WHAT: 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

WHEN: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.

WHERE: Olmstead Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 5031)

RSVP: Registration is free for Drake students, staff, and faculty! The event will also be livestreamed on The Harkin Institute’s YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium, click here.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

Join us Wednesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. to hear from Emily Steele, BN’12, Drake alum and the CEO & co-founder of Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is a dynamic marketing platform connecting place-based brands with community-minded content creators. Emily will share insights on her innovative approach to marketing and entrepreneurship, leveraging social media and community collaboration to empower small businesses and elevate emerging brands.

This is a virtual event open to Drake faculty, staff, and students.

Register here.

Questions? Reach out to Andy Verlengia at andrew.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Andy Verlengia, Office of Alumni Relations

On April 12–14, Drake will host the sixth annual Iowa Interfaith Conference (IIC), this time in conjunction with the regional conference of the upper-Midwest American Academy of Religion (UWMAAR) on April 12–13.

These conferences will feature site visits (on Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning/afternoon) and panels and keynotes (on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon). The on-campus events will be held in Meredith Hall.

Here, in brief, is the schedule for both events. (Also see below for detailed schedules of each and attire/etiquette information about the site visits.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 12
-3:30 pm: reception
-4:00-5:15 pm: first session (panels 1 & 2)
-6:00-6:45: Visit to Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa (33916 155th Ln, Madrid)
-7:00-8:30: Visit to Islamic and Education Center: Bosniak (17630 Bosniak Ln, Granger), dinner
-9:00: Ice Cream social at Drake Diner

SATURDAY, APRIL 13
-7:45: breakfast
-8:15-9:30: second session (panels 3, 4 & 5)
-9:30: coffee break
-10:00-11:15: plenary address: Dr. Douglas Kries, “Religions and Their Communities: Is Religion Friend or Foe?”
-11:15-11:45: lunch
-11:45-1:00: screening of and panel about digital stories from Drake’s interfaith camps (Varsity Theater)
-1:00-2:15: session 3 (panels 6 & 7)
-2:30-3:25: interfaith plenary address: Sarah McCammon, “Making Sense of Religious Pluralism as an E(x)vangelical”
-3:25: coffee break
-3:45-5:00: session 4 (panels 8, 9 & 10)
-5:15-6:30: session 5 (panel 11)
-5:45-6:45: visit to Wat Lao Buddhavas (1804 E Park Ave, Des Moines)
-7:00-8:30: visit to Hindu Cultural and Educational Center (1940 E Army Post Rd, Des Moines), dinner

SUNDAY, APRIL 14
-10:00-12:00: visit to St Mary Coptic Orthodox Church
-12:00-1:30: visit to Iowa Sikh Association

— Catalina Samaniego, senior, Arts & Sciences

Starting in Fall 2024, all undergraduate students will automatically receive required course materials on or before the first day of class. This eliminates the shopping process, saving students time and money while lowering stress. The program cost is added to student accounts with the opportunity to opt-out. Learn more about this exciting program. A student FAQ and Faculty FAQ can also be found on the Course Ready webpage.

— Jerry Parker, Chief Student Affairs Officer

Get ready to groove with jazz funk April 12. Jazz funk combines jazz, hip-hop, and African dance to create an exciting groove. We’ll warm up, learn cool moves, and have a blast.

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services