March 28, Bassem Youssef
Topic:  Revolution for Dummies
Location:  Sussman Theater
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.
Sponsor: Principal Center for Global Citizenship

Bassem Youssef, dubbed the “Jon Stewart of the Arab World,” was the host of the popular TV show AlBernameg, which was the first political satire show in the Middle East. Originally a 5-minute show on YouTube, AlBernameg grew to become the most watched television show across the region, with 30 million viewers every week. Youssef was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2013, was awarded the International Press Freedom Award by the CPJ, and was recognized by Foreign Policy Magazine as a global thinker during the same year. Youssef majored in cardiothoracic surgery, passed the United States Medical License Exam (USMLE), and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS).

—Denise Ganpat, Drake International

Drake will host a free public lecture focusing on the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM fields. Bettina Casad, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, will present “Underrepresentation of Women and Minorities in STEM and What We Can Do About It” at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in the the Cowles Library Reading Room. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.

The Comparison Project at Drake will present the eighth event in its series on death and dying. Michelene Pesantubbee will deliver a lecture on death and dying in Navajo religious traditions titled “‘To Die in Peace’: Negotiating Advance Directives in a Navajo Context.” The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at Sussman Theater in the Olmsted Center. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.

The second film in the Engaged Citizen Documentary Film Series, Harvest of Grief, about the agricultural crisis in India, is this Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. in Olin Hall, Room 101. The film will be introduced by Rekha Basu, columnist for the Des Moines Register and daughter of the film’s producer. Pizza will be served.

—Art Sanders, Associate Provost

The TEDxDrake Club is inviting all members of the Drake community to our annual TEDxDrakeU event on Friday, March 31, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room. The theme this year is “Share your Spark”.

TEDxDrakeU is a student-led initiative, inspired by TED talks, with the firm belief that every individual has a thought-provoking and unique story to tell. Generally, TED talks are given by some of the world’s leading thinkers and doers. TEDx events have a similar vision but are much more locally focused. With this in mind, you will have the opportunity to listen to unique and unexpected ideas from community members.

These ideas all center around the theme of “share your spark.” Presenters will explore ideas that ignited their passion and share perspectives that foster learning, inspiration, and wonder—and provoke conversations that matter.

Tickets are being sold starting March 27 in the Olmsted Breezeway. Tickets are $5 when bought in advance and $7 at the door. The event is open to students, staff, and faculty.

We hope to see you on March 31! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at tedxdrake@gmail.com or on facebook.com/tedxdrakeclub.

—Kerstin Donat

Please join Vote Smart’s board, staff, and interns, along with our partners at Drake, in celebrating Vote Smart’s relocation to Des Moines. Vote Smart President Richard Kimball and Drake President Marty Martin will be speaking, in addition to a ribbon cutting ceremony and a special appearance from Griff!

Where: 1153 24th St.
When: Monday, April 10
5–7 p.m.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

To RSVP, please email membership@votesmart.org or call 515-989-6363.

Vote Smart (votesmart.org), founded by Presidents Carter, Ford, and other national leaders, is a nonprofit national research center that collects accurate and factual information on over 40,000 political leaders. Our goal is to empower voters with access to a vast library of reliable, nonpartisan, factual political information.

—Cassandra Reed, Vote Smart

Join us on campus for a series of presentations, panels, and performances on the current state and future promise of interfaith activity in the state of Iowa.

The conference opens at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, with the launch of A Spectrum of Faith: Religions of the World in America’s Heartland. This new title from the Drake Community Press explores in words and photography the faith traditions of 15 religious communities in the Des Moines area.

The event, hosted by Des Moines Register columnist Rekha Basu, will feature the student and community collaborators who produced the book; a keynote address by Interfaith Youth Core founder and author, Eboo Patel; and a student-made documentary film about the two-year collaboration of student and community contributors.

Friday, April 7, features a morning kickoff by Patel, followed by afternoon breakout sessions. Join us in the evening for a cocktail reception starting at 5:30 at the Des Moines Social Club.

Breakout sessions continue throughout the day on Saturday, April 8, starting at 9:45 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m.

To register for the conference or for more information, visit: www.iowainterfaithexchange.com/

—Carol Spaulding Kruse, English Department

Sheila Smith, of the Council on Foreign Relations, will be speaking about “Opportunities and Challenges for US-Japan Relations under the New Trump Administration,” on Tuesday, March 21, 7–8:30 p.m., in Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center. Her visit is made possible through a grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership and is co-sponsored by the Principal Center for Global Citizenship and the Department of Political Science.

—Mary McCarthy, Department of Political Science

Luis Clemens, NPR senior editor for diversity, based in Washington, D.C., will be on campus to work with students and deliver a public lecture on Tuesday, March 21. Clemens will discuss “Facts, Freedoms and the Pursuit of Journalism,” on the challenges of practicing journalism in the era of “fake news” and attacks on the press, at 7 p.m. in Cowles Reading Room. The event is free and open to the public.

—Kathleen Richardson, SJMC Dean

Alan Chow, professor of piano at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University, will present the next concert of Drake’s Keys to Excellence Piano Series. The free performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 6, in Sheslow Auditorium. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.