Please share your thoughts on leadership and how your college or school has influenced your opinion on leadership by taking this three-minute survey, developed by Student Leadership Development Series (SDLS).

—Devon Jacobs

Students on the 335- and 195- block meal plans can convert up to 100 meals this spring semester to flex dollars. Spring semester conversion dates are as follows:

• Feb. 13–24
• March 20–24

To convert meals, you can stop at the Student Services Center during these conversion periods and fill out a form to indicate how many meals (maximum of 100 meals per semester) you would like to convert. You can also visit the Student Services website to find the form at the bottom of the page titled “Meal Plan Conversions.”

—Jerry Parker, Interim Dean of Students

A reminder that intramural basketball registration is due this Thursday, Jan. 26, by 4:30 pm. Register for free on imleagues.com/Drake or create your team with your Rec*IT app!

—Jordan Grindeland, Intramurals and Sport Clubs

Interested in studying abroad this summer in South Africa? Apply today!

• Course: Service-Learning in the Cultural Context of South Africa
• Credit: Earn 3 education credits
• AOI : Global and Cultural Understanding
• Dates: May 13–23, 2017
• Cost: $4,550–$4,600
• Application Deadline: Feb. 3
• Deposit Deadline: Feb. 6, $500 deposit due to secure you place on the program

The application closes soon—apply ASAP! Click here to learn more about the program and to apply.

—Maria Rohach, Drake International

The Harkin Institute D.C. Experience Scholarship provides financial assistance to a Drake undergraduate student who has secured an internship in a congressional office, government agency, or nonprofit in Washington, D.C. This opportunity is open to students of every major, area of study, and political party affiliation.

The scholarship covers:

• Travel expenses up to $500
• Housing accommodations for a 12-week period from May to August 2017 with Washington Intern Student Housing (WISH)

Apply or learn more at drake.edu/harkininstitute/scholarship.

—Erin Austin, Harkin Institute

Welcome back to the Spring semester, students! Stop by the Olmsted breezeway on Monday, Jan. 23, between 7:30 and 9:15 a.m. to grab coffee, juice, or donuts to kick off your day.

—Tony Tyler, Student Engagement, Equity, and Inclusion

The student editorial board of the Drake University Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is now accepting submissions for its 17th edition, to be published in the spring. Submissions may be short(er) analytical essays or long(er) research papers, but the board particularly welcomes submissions that display strong analytical and writing skills and offer interesting, original analysis of the author’s chosen topic/field. Any paper that gestures to ideas, claims, and questions of interest and importance to the social sciences (very inclusively understood!) are welcome. Contributions will be blind peer reviewed by a six-member student editorial board.

Submissions are due Feb. 15, 2017, and should be submitted electronically in Word format to advisor.dussj@gmail.com. All questions should be directed to this address, as well. When submitting a paper, please indicate if it is a research paper or short analytic essay. Also, please indicate the primary discipline and any secondary discipline(s). Only one submission per person will be accepted.

Past editions of DUSJJ are available for viewing at http://www.drake.edu/dussj/

—Denise Ganpat, Drake International