Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures has subscribed to a language learning resource, Mango Languages, available free online for students, faculty, and staff. You can use this to explore a new language, brush up on existing language skills, or gain a focused vocabulary for a specific purpose.

Mango Languages provides elementary language instruction and, in most cases, intermediate language instruction in 72 languages. Within their system, language learners can use flashcards, voice recordings to compare one’s own voice wave to that of a native speaker, an introduction to an expansive collection of vocabulary and other languages learning tools.

Mango also includes specialty courses such as “Carnival in Venice,” “Arabic Etiquette,” “Feng Shui,” “Spanish for Librarians,” and many more.

To access Mango, log in to blueView and click on the Campus Life tab. You will find Mango Languages listed on the right-hand side, in the eLearning Content Resources section. You will then be prompted to create a new account or access content through Guest Access. The benefit to creating an account is that the system will return to the place you left off when you stopped your previous lesson.

For further information, contact Associate Professor Marc Pinheiro-Cadd at marc.pinheiro-cadd@drake.edu

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison

Drake students, faculty, and staff can use the discount code FSS5DGB to save $5 toward registration in the 5k, half marathon, or Bulldog Double.

Be the first to register for the brand new Bulldog Double. Finish in both the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday, April 25, and either the half marathon or 5K of the Drake Road Races on Saturday, April 29, and receive your own 2017 Bulldog Double finisher medal to show off your Relays Week accomplishment.

All Drake Road Races participants receive a long-sleeve T-shirt and finisher medal, while the Grand Blue Mile participants receive a short sleeve T-shirt.

For the first time ever, as part of the Bulldog Double all finishers of the Grand Blue Mile and either of the Drake Road Races Half Marathon or 5K will receive TWO FINISHER MEDALS!

Your paid registration for the Drake Road Races also includes one paid admission to the Distance Carnival, the Thursday evening session of the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee, and a discount ticket rate of $17 to the Friday night session. A ticket voucher will be presented at packet pick-up for redemption at the Drake Athletics Ticket Office.

Early bird registration pricing is available until March 6. Don’t delay, register now for the best savings!

Grand Blue Mile | Tuesday, April 25 | 6 p.m. | Register Now | More Info

Drake Road Races | Saturday, April 29 | Half Marathon or 5K | Register Now

Bulldog Double | Griff – GBM and Half Marathon | Spike – GBM and 5K
—Ellen Lowe, Recreational Services

As we prepare for several changes in our campus in the year ahead, including the opening of two new STEM@DRAKE buildings, we are also carefully evaluating the effect these and other changes will have on parking. For example, various faculty, staff, and students provided input into the development of the 27th Street promenade and parking lot that is part of the STEM@DRAKE project, noting the importance of adding a parking lot adjacent to the new buildings.

Likewise, the University Parking Committee is addressing a variety of topics including changes to the parking rate structure and how to better handle visitor parking—particularly as it relates to the impact on permit holders. While proposals for parking rate increases are never popular, periodic reviews of rates and usage are necessary to ensure we keep pace with the cost of providing parking. Since the parking rates were last changed at Drake—in 2009—we have seen a steady increase in maintenance and repair costs as well as parking rates at other institutions like ours (the annual rate at Creighton University, a Midwestern peer, is $341 for students and $375 for employees).

With input from the Parking Committee, Director of Public Safety & Operational Services Scott Law will be meeting with various representative bodies on campus to discuss possible parking rate options. Based on feedback from those meetings, further refinements and changes to parking rates and regulations will be finalized so that changes can be communicated before the end of the semester.

Watch for additional communication from Scott Law in OnCampus regarding this topic.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Last summer Drake purchased 27th Street and Carpenter Avenue stretches between 25th and 27th streets. Because of this purchase, the City of Des Moines requires address changes to the buildings located on Carpenter Avenue and 27th Street. The address changes will be effective on June 15, 2017.

New addresses:

• Harmon Fine Arts Center: 1310 25th St.
• Opperman Law Library: 2604 Forest Ave.
• Cartwright Law School: 2608 Forest Ave.
• The Point: 2612 Forest Ave.
• Jewett Resident Hall: 2700 Forest Ave.

Other recent address changes (already in effect):

• Olin Hall: 2708 Forest Ave.
• Collier-Scripps Hall: 2702 Forest Ave.
• Science Connector Building: 2714 Forest Ave.

—Jolene Schmidt, Director, Operations and Support Services

The Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) team is continuing the tree work plan to remove and prune trees. The majority of the tree pruning work has been completed including in the areas from Jewett to University Avenue and 25th Street to 28th Street. On Monday, March 13, FPM will remove the Sycamore west of Old Main. The west entrance will be temporarily blocked off to allow the removal process to take place. FPM hopes the tree removal will be completed within a two-day window.

The following buildings will also be affected by tree removal work the week of March 13: Cole Hall, Carnegie, Cowles, and Aliber.

To see a full schedule of the tree work, please visit our web site www.drake.edu/facility/

If you have any questions or concerns about the work being completed or concerns related to noise, please contact Aaron Edwards, building and grounds manager, at 515-271-2959 or FPM at 515-271-3955.

—Kevin Moran, Executive Director Facilities Planning and Management

Facilities Planning and Management manages multiple projects of all shapes and sizes. All projects aim to implement as many sustainable practices as possible and to improve the quality of the campus.

Current projects are featured below for Spring Break, March 13-17.

• Weitz Construction will be connecting the STEM building to Fitch Hall.
• Weitz will be connecting the fire sprinkler system, which will require that the fire alarm system be shut down in Olin March 13, 8–10 a.m..
• Cleaning Opperman corridor wall panel
• Addressing carpet, upholstery, and hard wood areas of buildings throughout campus
• Completing a steam line repair outside of Olmsted
• Planned power outage of the Fine Arts Center Tuesday, March 14, for an 8–10 hour period to install a new breaker for the chiller project
• Heat shutdown in Harvey-Ingham for insulation of new heating pump and piping
• Medbury second floor corridor ceiling and lighting replacement
• Prep and paint Studio Arts, Room 120
• Removal of sick or dead trees around Old Main, Cole Hall, Carnegie, Cowles, and Aliber.

If you have any questions or concerns about the work being completed or concerns related to noise, please contact Facilities Planning and Management at 515-271-3955.

—Kevin Moran, Executive Director Facilities Planning and Management

Drake was awarded the Tree Campus Award again for 2016. To be honored with this prestigious award requires a plan to maintain healthy trees and remove trees that are damaged by storms, have health concerns, are at the end of life, or present potential hazards to students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Drake campus.

The Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) team is implementing the tree work plan to remove 12 trees and prune many others. The majority of the tree pruning work planned for the next couple of days is taking place from Jewett Hall to University Avenue and 25th Street to 28th Street. However, there are a few trees outside this area. The work began on Feb. 16 south of Old Main with several tree removals. On Feb. 27, removal work will continue near the crosswalk over Forest Avenue between Harvey Ingham Hall and the stadium as well as a tree repair between Stalnaker and Hubbell.

To see a full schedule of the tree work, please visit the FPM website.

If you have any questions or concerns about the work being completed or concerns related to noise, please contact Aaron Edwards, building and grounds manager, at 515-271-2959 or Facilities Planning and Management at 515-271-3955.

—Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning & Management

Learn more about the Drake Medal of Service
Stop by University Archives & Special Collections to learn more about the Drake Medal of Service! The exhibit includes the original proposal for the Medal, a complete list of those honored, and the medal given to our “featured recipient,” Don Adams of the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute.

Learn about Cowles Library resources
Did you know Cowles Library has more than 250 databases available to Drake students, faculty, and staff? We’re highlighting these valuable resources on the Cowles Library blog. Learn more about how Education Source can help you!

—Leslie Noble, Cowles Library

Would you like to begin learning a few words in Spanish for an upcoming study abroad semester or travel seminar? Do you want or need to keep up your foreign language fluency? Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures wants to help.

Spanish Conversation Hours are scheduled for Mondays 4–5 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 204, and Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 228. All levels of Spanish speakers are welcome. The group supports all participants with an opportunity to practice Spanish and no long-term commitment is required to attend. A native speaker facilitates the conversation in Spanish in an informal setting.

Additionally, this semester we are offering an hour conversation about Mexico. Hora sobre México is scheduled every Friday, 2–3 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 204. The purpose of this themed conversation hour is to speak about, learn, and ask questions about Mexico, en español.

For further information, contact Assistant Professor Inbal Mazar at inbal.mazar@drake.edu.

—Dorothy Pisarski, Drake International communications liaison