Drake undergraduate students are invited to participate in a pilot documentation project entitled “Drake in China: Past and Present.” There is a $450 stipend available for undergraduate researchers this spring semester (up to two awards).

Are you interested in China? Are you interested in finding out more about how Drake engaged in modern and contemporary China, or the other way around?

Are you interested in writing your own history, and first, learning to create a research guide/annotated bibliography of sorts that would help future students from different disciplines find areas of possible research?

Do you have 10+ hours per month and 40+ hours this spring?

If you answered yes to the questions above, keep reading:

The project will be co-facilitated by En Li, assistant professor of history, and Hope Bibens, associate professor of librarianship. We are looking for undergraduate researchers to create a collection of materials related to Drake University’s historical engagement in China and to explore possible platforms to showcase their research. Sample topics include but not limit to:

• First Chinese students came study at Drake, 1890s;
• First missionaries sent from Drake to China, early 20^th century;
• Madame Chiang Kai-shek’s visit to Drake, 1959;
• Exchange students between Drake and China since the 1980s;
• Drake Football Team’s visit to China in 2018;
• The “Teach in China” program;
• The Branstad archives recently acquired by Drake;
• Gift exchange between Drake and China.

Researchers are encouraged to submit their projects for publication in the Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal(DUSSJ). The digital/physical exhibit will be featured during the Asian Heritage Month in May 2023.

This project is generously supported by a Drake Research Grant from the Provost’s Office. There are spots for two researchers. Selected researchers will be awarded a stipend of $450 upon completion of the research.

What do you need to do to receive a $450 stipend?

• Choose a topic that you are interested in, related to Drake and China;
• Conduct the research by collecting, categorizing, and interpreting primary sources;
• Identify a platform to publish/exhibit your research by the end of the fall semester.

Selection criteria:

• value of the proposed topic and intellectual inquiry;
• feasibility of the research scale (within one semester);
• creativity of the proposed platform to publish/exhibit the results to engage the broader community;
• previous research experience and research ability;
• previous knowledge about China—being able read and write in Chinese is not required, but would be a plus.

If you are interested in participating, please submit your proposal by filling out the form below by Feb 3, Friday. Selected candidates will be notified via email by Feb 10, Friday.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoNlnj7XopG4VmQN5yfV36ZPteqB8WPPg9PCTY1rubGy4ccQ/viewform?usp=pp_url

For research and China related questions (for example, what might make the Drake Football Team’s visit to Drake an interesting topic), please contact En Li (en.li@drake.edu); for archive related questions (for example, what would be considered to be valuable archives to collect from the Football Team’s trip to China, and what would be feasible platforms to publish/exhibit the results), please contact Hope Bibens (hope.bibens@drake.edu); for experience about being a student researcher at the DIC project, please contact Kaiya Kielb Young (kaiya.kielbyoung@drake.edu).

— Kaiya Kielb Young, AS’23

The Office of Residence Life is accepting Resident Assistant Applications for the 2023–2024 academic year. RA’s must be leaders, role models, and resources for their residents; however, just as important, they must be team players that work with and support other staff in their own hall as well as other halls on campus.

 The application deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (during J-Term).

RA informational sessions:

• Tuesday, Nov.15, 2022, 6 p.m. – Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted
• Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, 12:30 p.m., Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted

Application link:
https://drake.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cMTHHjc68IDS3wG

If you have any questions regarding the application or interview process itself, please contact Randy E. McMullin (randy.mcmullin@drake.edu).  We would encourage you to reach out to your own RA or another RA should you have questions about the position from a student perspective.

— Randy E McMullin, Residence Life 

The Des Moines Women’s Club has 14 different scholarship programs available to students from Polk, Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Story, or Warren Counties.  Applications are due Jan. 27, 2023.

To learn more about the available scholarships and to apply, visit desmoineswomensclub.com/dmwc-scholarships-1.

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

The Drake in China documentation project will be conducting a panel discussion that everyone is welcomed to attend. The discussion involves material collected from the Drake special archives and relations between Drake University and China. Information about the presentations are below.

Drake in China: A Documentation Project
Moderated by En Li, Assistant Professor of Chinese History

10:30–11:30 am, Collier Scripps Hall Room 335 
Presenter#1 Kaiya Kield Young (International Relations and History) 
Title: “Christianity in China through the Drake University Bible College”. 
Presenter#2 Tavia Swarney (Anthropology and Sociology) 
Title: “Chinese Cultural Exchange in the Modern Day” 

Discussants;  
David Skidmore, Professor of Political Science 
Liping Zheng, Professor of Economics 
Hope Bibens, Associate Professor and Director of Archives & Special Collections 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, AS, Senior

Orientation leaders are dedicated to providing incoming students and their families with all of the information and resources necessary to ensure their transition to Drake is a smooth and enjoyable one.

We need you to help make this happen. Each year we recruit current Drake students to become part of the orientation leader staff. Orientation leaders play a vital role in this exciting process, working closely with new students and their families on a wide variety of topics including academics, student involvement, housing options, and more.

We highly encourage you to attend one of the information sessions being offered. Click here to sign up for a session.

• Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 4–5 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310
• Thursday, Dec. 1, from 6–7 p.m. on Zoom
• Friday, Jan. 27, from 12–1 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310

You will be compensated for your time and effort and gain valuable skills in this position.

Learn more about the position. For questions, contact Marina Verlengia at marina.verlengia@drake.edu.

— Marina Verlengia, New Student and Parent Programs

Financial aid information and policies can be found at drake.edu/finaid. Here you will find: 

• instructions for submitting a financial aid appeal for special circumstances,  
• terms and renewal information for most of the financial aid that Drake offers 
• Helpful resources, including scholarship search sites and free personal finance education 

 Please take time to familiarize yourself with the information available on our website! The Office of Student Financial Planning is here to serve you (in person, over the phone, or virtually)! If you have questions about your financial aid please contact us to schedule an appointment or stop by Carnegie Hall. 

— Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is currently accepting applications for the treasurer position for the 2023–2024 academic year. The selected applicant will train/shadow the current treasurer during the Spring 2023 semester, prior to fully assuming the position in April 2023. Apply here.

This is a great opportunity for students studying accounting/finance/other business disciplines and have a passion for providing opportunities to make our residence halls “a home away from home.”  The RHA Treasurer develops and manages one of the largest student organization budgets on campus.

Any student who will live in a residence hall or Campus Suites at Dogtown for the entirety of the 2023–2024 academic year is strongly encouraged to apply by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.

Feel free to direct any questions to current RHA Treasurer Matthew Williams at matthew.williams@drake.edu.

— Matthew Williams, BN, Senior

 

The web-based Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is now accepting paper submissions for its Spring 2023 edition. Any current Drake undergraduate (or recent graduate) is eligible to submit a paper on a topic in the social sciences (political science, international relations, anthropology, sociology, economics, history, philosophy, religion, and social psychology). Submissions may be short analytic essays or longer research papers. Papers that feature thoughtful, original analysis, polished writing, and careful citation are especially welcome!

No more than one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be peer-reviewed by a student editorial board. 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).

Questions and submissions should be directed to the DUSSJ faculty advisor Professor Li and DUSSJ Acquisitions Editor at advisor.dussj@gmail.com. 

— Kaiya Kielb Young, Senior

The 2022 Midterm Elections are just one week away. The polls will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your Iowa voter registration status here.

Iowa offers same-day voter registration, so all Drake students that are U.S. citizens and over the age of 18 may register to vote on Nov. 8 (even if you did not pre-register). Drake students may vote at their nearest polling location, which can be accessed on the Iowa Secretary of State website. Eligible voters must bring a photo ID (with an expiration date) and proof of address.

For on-campus students, you can access your residence hall address for proof of residency by signing into myDrake. Under the ‘My Drake Profile’ category, select ‘My Information’ and print out the page. According to the Secretary of State’s office, you may use this printout as your proof of residency when you go to the polls.

To learn more about voting as a college student, visit https://www.drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/votingcivicengagement/

Questions? Reach out to Stephanie Kiel, Community Engagement Peer for Voter and Civic Engagement, at stephanie.kiel@drake.edu.

— Stephanie Kiel, AS’23

The deadline to register for Co-Rec Innertube Waterpolo  is Wednesday, Oct. 26. Learn more and sign up at imleagues.com/spa/intramural/550ab0b3251e4b9387d21ca441000d01/home. Don’t miss your chance to participate!

— Emy Hayes, JO’24