Drake Public Safety is attempting to identify the owner of this white minivan, as well as the name of the individual in this photo.

The white minivan was in the area of the occupational therapy building (30^th and Forest) on Friday, Oct. 7, between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. The person in the photo is believed to have been in Drake parking lots between Oct. 8 and Oct. 13 wandering around.  

We believe the operator of the white minivan, as well as the individual in the picture, may have information to help us resolve several vehicle-related crimes on campus.  

Please note we are only looking to identify these individuals; we are not stating that they are responsible for any recent incidents on campus at this time.

If you recognize the vehicle or see the individual in the picture on campus, please contact Drake Public Safety immediately at 515-271-2222.

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

University Communications and Marketing is sponsoring a Professional Headshot Day Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Old Main, Room 115. The sessions are free to all faculty, staff, students. High-resolution portraits are made available for download through SmugMug. 

Please sign up for a time slot. Click the Register button on the University calendar page. Space is limited.

Due to the cold overnight temperatures, HVAC staff began the process of switching campus buildings from cooling to heating mode.  By the end of the day (Oct. 18), residence halls will be switched over to heating. 

HVAC staff will continue working to transition the rest of campus buildings to heat, which should be completed by the end of the week.

Due to the unique piping infrastructure of our buildings, bringing our heating systems online is much more complicated than simply flipping a switch. The University’s heating and cooling system consists of miles of underground pipes which are filled with steam to heat and chilled water to cool, but not both at the same time. For this reason, the process to change buildings from cooling to heating, is a manual and labor-intensive process due to the need to drain and refill the pipes.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

— Aaron Edwards, Facility Planning and Management

Join the Drake community for DU Good Mile. Alumni and friends can register for $5. Students can register for free, and registrations will be covered by Student Alumni Association. All proceeds from this event will go towards supporting Little Free Pantries around Drake.

DU Good Mile will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and will begin at the start of the Bulldog Mile. This is not a timed event, nor is there a timed start. Dogs are welcome and encouraged to attend but must be on leash. Bagels and coffee will be provided, while supplies last.

Register here.

— Courtney Conrad, Alumni Relations

Registration is now open for 55th annual Drake Road Races on April 23, 2023, with the lowest prices of the year. In honor of the 55th running, the half marathon is only $55. Special pricing extends to the 10k for $35 and the 5k for $25. These flash sale prices end Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 11:59 p.m. Visit drakeroadraces.org to sign up today.

All participants will receive a premium apparel item and finishers will take home a commemorative medal. See you on the Blue Oval.

— Tanner Nissen, Athletics

Drake SJMC Days will kick off with Jazz, Journalism and the Roots of Creativity: An Evening With Dartanyan Brown on Monday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Slay Fund for Social Justice and the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine, Brand Media and Multimedia Education. The event will incorporate presentation, audio and video recordings, and a musical performance. It is based on “My Integrated Life,” an interactive memoir that Brown created for Rootstalk, an online Grinnell College journal.

Brown’s experiences include being a bassist and lead vocalist for acclaimed jazz/rock band Chase; interviewing the late Steve Jobs as a staff reporter for MacWEEK; and spreading the gospel of jazz throughout the country as a teaching artist with legends Dizzy Gillespie, Larry Ridley and Frank Foster. As an early adopter of education technology, he worked for Apple and as part of a team of sound designers and animators that collaborated with Dr. Seuss. His memoir also tells the story of his African-American family’s journey from Reconstruction-era Virginia to the integrated community of Buxton, Iowa, and then Des Moines, where Brown attended North High School.

Brown, JO’75, is a professional in residence working with Drake students during the 2022–2023 academic year. His residency celebrates the liberal arts education he received in both Des Moines public schools and at Drake. “I’ve enjoyed the last 40 years of helping others unlock the creativity they may have thought impossible,” said Brown. “Whether in jazz or journalism, rigor in preparation is a shared trait of both disciplines.”

— Denise Ganpat, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

If you are looking for a unique way to satisfy a Writing AOI, consider this hybrid domestic travel J-Term (one week online, one week on retreat at the historic Hotel Patee in Perry, Iowa). All meals, accommodations (double room) and instruction by deeply experienced and certified yoga teachers for the full course total only $600. No special equipment, experience, or body type is required. Just curiosity and a desire to write. Email carol.spaulding@drake.edu for more information. (Course is not affiliated with the global travel seminars program).

— Carol Spaulding-Kruse, Professor of English

Drake University and Drake Public Safety recognizes the importance of October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800.799.SAFE {7233}) for help.

If you are in danger on or near the campus, call 911 for the Des Moines Police Department or 515-271-2222 for Drake Public Safety.

Please download the Drake Guardian App at https://www.drake.edu/publicsafety/drakeguardianmobileapp/ for additional functionality.

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