We invite you to a unique opportunity for Black men to come together in a safe and welcoming environment facilitated by Drake students Tre’ Montague and David Duncan. Drinks and snacks will be provided. “Barbershop Talk” is a space where you can relax, engage in meaningful conversations, and connect with others who share your experiences.

Our next meeting is November 3, 2023, in the Drake Room, Olmsted Center, from 4:30–5:30 p.m.

— Terrance Pendleton, Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion

Please join us Friday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium for an evening of unaccompanied viola music with guest artist, David Rose. Admission is free.

Professor Rose will perform works by W.A. Mozart, Chen Yi, Dobrinka Tabakova, and J.S. Bach.

He has served as Associate Principal of the Vancouver Symphony, Principal Viola of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, and Acting Assistant Principal of the San Francisco Symphony. He is currently the principal violist of the G27 chamber orchestra in Toronto. Also active as a baroque performer, he was a member of the Pacific Baroque orchestra, and has toured and recorded with Toronto’s Tafelmusik. He is Associate Professor of Viola and Head of Strings at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

— Maureen Yuen, Assistant Professor of Music

Did you know that you can get trained for free in QPR, which is an evidence based suicide prevention training. Contact kayla.bell@drake.edu if you are interested in scheduling a training this school year.

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center

View the Counseling Center’s October newsletter for news about upcoming events, mindfulness tips, and support groups.

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center

Plan to attend the Pi Theta Epsilon lecture by Ms. Jennifer Kray entitled “Redemptive Suffering” at Levitt Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. Kray, author of the text “My Other Half,” will describe her experience as a graduate student who experienced an eating disorder, to a brainstem hemorrhage. The lecture will provide insights into the importance of patient connection and the impact of hope in healthcare. 1.0 CEU available for OT practitioners.

— Christine Urish, Professor of Occupational Therapy

Contemporary artists Duane Slick and Martin Smick will be on campus on October 27 and 28th for two events in conjunction with their site-specific installation What the Night Tells Us at the Anderson Gallery. The exhibition opening reception is on October 27 from 5-7 pm and the artists will lead an exhibition tour on October 28 from 1-2pm. Both of these events are free and open to the public.

Duane Slick is an artist of Native American descent, the Meskwaki Nation of Iowa and the Ho-Chunk Nation of Nebraska. His acrylic paintings blend the subjects of oral and visual Native American traditions with a focus on trickster strategies and modernist/post-modernist painting histories. Martin Smick is an artist who has been living and working in Rhode Island since 2007 and has taught in the Painting Department at Rhode Island School of Design since 2013. Both artists have exhibited nationally and have collaborated on two previous exhibitions. As collaborators, Slick and Smick are conscious of their respective cultural identities and have been able to create exhibitions that engage in issues surrounding Native culture.

The exhibition is supported by a National Endowment for the Arts grant. More details can be found on the Anderson Gallery webpage andersongallery.wp.drake.edu.

— Lilah Anderson, Anderson Gallery

Drake University Phi Beta Kappa is excited to welcome Dr. Anna Brickhouse, University of Virginia, to campus Oct. 26–27 as part of the National Visiting Scholars program. Her visit will include work with Bright College, English, Pharmacy & Health Sciences, and World Languages and Cultures. All are invited to her public lecture ““Curse and Doom:” Writing the Americas as Catastrophe on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium co-sponsored with the Susan Glaspell Writers and Critics Series.

— Jeff Kappen, Zimpleman College of Business

The fourth week of Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a reminder that you as an individual make all the difference in keeping yourself and Drake safe and secure. Everyone on campus is part of our security culture, and you play the most important role in keeping yourself safe.

Trust your gut and stay vigilant for phishing attempts, suspected ransomware, use of bots, and unsafe social media practices. Remember good cybersecurity practices, such as keeping your software updated, strengthening your passwords, and verifying information you find online. Make it a habit to report suspicious emails and contact ITS with questions, concerns, and for other tech assistance.

Your contributions and actions keep everyone at Drake safe. While Cybersecurity Awareness Month may be coming to an end, good cybersecurity practices apply year-round. Learn more about cybersecurity, watch videos, and become a part of Drake’s security culture at drake.edu/its/csam.

There’s still time to take the cybersecurity quiz! The first 150 people to complete the quiz will receive a coupon to use at the campus Starbucks, and all student participants will be entered into a random drawing for 1 of 10 Griff II t-shirts. Complete the quiz by October 31, 2023.

For ITS assistance, submit a ticket at service.drake.edu/its, visit the lower level of Carnegie Hall, or call 515-271-3001.

— Chris Mielke, ITS

The President’s Committee on Supporting Persons with Disabilities has begun its work, meeting several times this semester. The committee is developing a framework for integrating disability inclusion into campus initiatives and planning, while also identifying some concrete steps that will result in short-term progress. The committee has identified the following categories of focus: student support, campus culture, campus facilities, employment, and technology. These are categories the committee identified; however we recognize that other members of the campus community might have additional suggestions for areas of inquiry. The next steps include a comprehensive inventory of existing best practices and challenges faced by units across campus. In addition, the committee is engaging with  campus units, groups, and organizations to gather feedback and input. Any member of the campus community who wishes to provide feedback to the committee, offer ideas, or suggest topics of future discussion can e-mail the committee at disability.inclusion@drake.edu.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer