Join us, in partnership with NAMI on Campus, for our third annual Suicide Awareness Walk. We will have student and community organizations present to provide various resources for ongoing support, guest speakers, free food, and a community of individuals that value suicide prevention and belonging.

If you are interested in walking, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/gECiaUkdHTKYzcUD7

• When: Sept. 21, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Where: Drake Stadium (enter by the softball field entrance)

If you have any questions, please contact NAMIOnCampus@drake.edu or Kayla.bell@drake.edu.

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, director, Counseling Center

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, in association with The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy, was proud to host the second annual Civic Leadership Academy this July on Drake University’s campus. The Academy immersed 26 select rising high school juniors from across the country in a three-day intensive leadership development program focused on civic leadership.

The Academy provided students with the unique opportunity to hear from and visit with legislators and elected officials during visits to the Iowa State Capitol and Judicial Branch, as well as the chance to meet with Lt. Governor Adam Gregg. Students also participated in a service project with Meals from the Heartland and were immersed in Drake University culture with time spent on and off campus experiencing Drake essentials.

–Megan Wesselink, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center

Explore a range of captivating flow art props like the Levi Wand, Diablo, Spinning Plates, Juggling balls, and Hula Hoops in this workshop. Felicia from Cirque Wonderland Studios will guide you on your journey into the art of flow, balance, and coordination in a fun and supportive environment. All props are provided, and no prior experience is needed.

WHEN: September 20 at 5 p.m.
WHERE: Bell Center Studio
WHO: Anyone! All levels are welcome
HOW: Sign up using the Drake Rec App

— Drake Wellness

The Johansen Student Center (Morehouse Hall) project is progressing well, on schedule, and within budget. New courtyard infrastructure and foundations are currently being installed. New studios and collaboration spaces are starting to take shape while preserving the original historic character of the existing building. The entire project team is excited about how this redesigned space will enhance the student experience on campus.

–Heather Winslow, Facilities Planning and Management

If you love Sense and Sensibility (with or without zombies) and Colin Firth’s wet, white shirt moment in Pride and Prejudice, come and hear a scholar of literature and popular culture, Dr. Rachel Feder, as she speaks on “Literature and the Lies We Tell” on Wednesday, September 25 at 5:00 pm in Cowles Library Reading Room. Part of the Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series, this talk will explore the ways in which the literature we consume, from Frankenstein to Austen’s work to the songs of Taylor Swift, shapes our personal mythologies. Q&A to follow presentation, and light refreshments will be served.

–Megan Brown, College of Arts and Sciences

The rapid concentration of farm animal production in factory farms makes meat, dairy, and eggs plentiful and cheap, but this type of agriculture comes at a great cost to human health, communities, and the environment. A new book by Johns Hopkins University Press, Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health, brings together public health and other experts to examine some of the most critical topics related to industrial farm animal production.

In conjunction with the book’s release, The Harkin Institute is hosting a two-day conference examining pertinent topics such as the history, structure, and trends in the factory farming industry; water and air pollution; infectious disease health effects; community and social impacts; environmental justice and sustainable agriculture; and the impacts of COVID-19 among meatpacking workers. With an introduction by Senator Tom Harkin (retired), the hope of the conference is to highlight the serious risks posed to environmental and human health by current farming systems and to examine local and national strategies for moving towards a system that prioritizes health and well-being.

WHAT: Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health Conference
WHEN: September 25 & 26, 2024
WHERE: Parents Hall, Olmsted Center 
RSVP: Drake students can attend for free! Register using this link.

This event is hosted in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and is part of Iowa Environmental Education Week co-organized with the Iowa Environmental Council.

–Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute

University Communications and Marketing will hold professional headshot sessions Friday, Sept. 27, from 9:30–11:30 a.m. in Old Main, Conference Room 115. The sessions are free to all students, faculty, and staff.

Select the Register button on the University calendar page. Space is limited.

High-resolution portraits will be made available for download through SmugMug 3–6 weeks after the photos are taken. Images can be downloaded at https://drakeuniversity.smugmug.com/Headshots-1.

— Jimmy Hoover, University Communications and Marketing

As communicated to campus in August of 2023, Drake adjusted its COVID-19 guidance to reflect the expiration of the PHE and integrated COVID-19 into the University’s Contagious Illness Protocols.

These protocols are applicable to any instance in which a student is contagious with a viral or bacterial infection, such as influenza, strep, mononucleosis, or COVID-19. Infectious students cannot attend in-person classes and must contact their instructors to coordinate making up any missed material.

Please visit our Contagious Illness Protocols website to review this information. For additional questions, contact dos@drake.edu.

— Jerry Parker, Vice President & Dean of Students

Drake University will hold fire drills on Oct. 16–18 and Oct. 21 in compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act and in conjunction with National Fire Prevention month. All drills will be conducted at 10:45 a.m. except for the residence halls, which will be conducted from 6–9 p.m. on Oct. 21.

 We have planned this to minimize disruption to classes and most academic buildings will be completed the week of Fall break. This also allows us to have more efficient utilization of our staff for these drills. The residence halls will be done from 6–9 p.m. to increase participation in the evacuations.

 Fire alarms will be activated in all campus buildings to signal the start of the drill. When the alarm sounds:

• Evacuate the building.
• Buildings will be locked down and cannot be re-entered until the drill ends.
• Remember to dress accordingly.

 The fire drills will be coordinated through the Office of Public Safety (271-2222) working with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (271-3804) and Facilities Services (271-2706). Please report any fire alarm malfunctions or evacuation problems to Facilities or Public Safety.  Your cooperation in this important campus safety exercise is greatly appreciated.  Please refer to the Drake Emergency Response Plan for additional information.

Fire drill schedule:

 Oct. 16 at 10:45 a.m.

Meredith Hall
Aliber Hall
Cowles Library
Opperman Hall
Cartwright Hall
Harmon Fine Arts Center
Howard Hall
Carnegie Hall
Medbury Hall
Collier-Scripps Hall

 Oct. 17 at 10:45 a.m.

Olin Hall
Science Connector Building
Harvey Ingham Hall
Cline Hall
Fitch Hall
Studio Arts Hall
Occupational Therapy Building

October 18 at 10:45 a.m.

Olmsted Center
Hubbell Dining Hall
Alumni House
ROTC
Bell Center
Knapp Center
Fieldhouse
Tennis Center

Oct. 21 at 10:45 a.m.

Cole Hall
Old Main
Ross Hall (Public Safety)
Vote Smart
Legal Clinic
Dial Center
Harkin Institute
Black Cultural Center
La Casa Cultural Center
CAYA House
FPM Buildings

All residence halls – Oct. 21 from 6–9 p.m.

Campus Suites
Carpenter Hall
Crawford Hall
Goodwin-Kirk Hall
Herriott Hall
Jewett Hall
Stalnaker Hall

— Jen Rasmussen, Environmental Health and Safety

WHAT WE DO: The Writing Center’s trained peer tutors advise and assist students at any stage of the writing process:

• Understanding instructions/prompts
• Generating ideas and ways to develop ideas
• Outlining and organizing
• Writing, expanding, revising, and/or copyediting a draft

We are a free service for all Drake students, including graduate students and those in professional programs.

HOW TO SIGN UP TO VISIT: We are now using Starfish for scheduling! Students can go here to book an appointment with a tutor, or use the following QR code.

Appointments are approximately 30 minutes, and students can sign up for more than one session if they wish. They may also request that a tutor keep a regular time slot available for them if they would like to come in each week. If you cannot attend your scheduled appointment, please remember to cancel and reschedule.

WHERE WE ARE: The lower level of Cowles Library—please follow the signs. We offer hours daily, from mornings to late afternoon/evening (including weekends). Students with health concerns can request an appointment on Zoom.

FOR FACULTY AND STAFF: If you refer a student to the workshop or require all students to visit, please let us know via email (megan.brown@drake.edu). Ask students to bring their assignment prompt/instructions to the Writing Center, as well as any writing they have done so far. When students are referred, or required, to visit, the tutor will email you to let you know that your student has attended and briefly describe what work was done. When students attend on their own, we do not inform professors unless they specifically ask us to do so.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS please contact Prof. Megan Brown, Director of Writing (megan.brown@drake.edu).

— Megan Brown, Professor of English