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

Spring 2023 and J-Term 2023 bills will be emailed to students and authorized users around Dec. 15 and will be due the first day of the term. Please remember, in order to register for the upcoming terms your Fall 2022 balance must be paid in full or you must be current on your established monthly payment plan. To view your current balance and make a payment please login to your student account via MyDrake>Student Accounts and Financial Aid> Make a Payment.

A J-Term FAQ is available for questions related to J-Term billing. The FAQ has been updated to include information regarding the new J-Term administrative fee that will begin for J-Term 2023.

If you have any questions about your current balance or a future J-Term and spring balance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at stuacct@drake.edu.

— Julia Gwebu, Director of Student Accounts

Register today! The Sussman Leadership Conference is an annual event that brings together Drake student leaders from all across campus to explore and gain skills in a particular leadership topic and theme. This year’s conference, “Confidence and the Comparison Trap,” will explore how to gain genuine and authentic confidence as a student leader and young professional with featured keynote speaker Alex Weber. Conference registration is free for students (valued at $75 per seat!) including a gourmet brunch, nationally-renowned keynote speaker, and several breakout sessions. All conference registration fees are covered by the Adams Leadership Institute. Space is limited, learn more and register by Nov. 1 at bit.ly/sussman22.

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

Faculty from the Department of Political Science will hold an informal, off-the-record discussion of the U.S. midterm elections and current events around the world on Friday, Nov. 11, from 1–2 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room. All interested students are welcome.

— Kieran Williams, Political Science

We’re excited to be offering five retreat experiences for first-year students during J-Term in 2023. The experiences are all centered around Drake’s mission and will engage students virtually during the first two weeks of J-Term before students return to campus on Thursday, Jan.19, for a retreat.

Applications are open until Nov. 11 at 5 p.m.

Students who complete a Mission in Action J-Term experience will become Mission Ambassadors for Drake University, which will be reflected on their official Drake University transcript. As Mission Ambassadors, students have proven that they are actively living out Drake’s mission.

For more information, please visit https://www.drake.edu/dc/j-termexperience/2023missioninactionfirst-yearexperience/.

— Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success

This fall, a number of important elections are happening across Iowa and the nation.  In addition to the U.S. House and U.S. Senate races and the statewide election for Governor of Iowa, state and local elections that will shape the Des Moines community are on the ballot this year as well. Drake University is committed to meaningful and thoughtful conversation about the issues that define our public life and we encourage informed participation in those conversations, including community participation in the electoral process.

Although many of you have participated as Iowa voters in past elections, it’s helpful to check your registration status and familiarize yourself with the process.  

You must be registered to vote in Iowa if you want to vote here. You may only be registered to vote in one location, so if you would like to remain registered in another location, you are subject to the rules and procedures of that other jurisdiction. By registering in Iowa and voting in Iowa elections, you are relinquishing your right to vote in any other state in the 2022 elections. (You may change your registration any time you move to a new location and Iowa college students are not required to change their legal state of residence to register to vote in Iowa.)

You can check your registration and find information about registration requirements at vote.org at any time. To find out if you are registered at your Drake address, click here. If you are not registered at your Drake address and you meet the requirements to register, there are several ways that you can register to vote.

The deadline to pre-register (or change your existing registration) is Oct. 24. Iowa does allow same-day voter registration, so you are still able to vote in Iowa if you miss this deadline. You must have an official ID from Iowa (e.g., an Iowa driver’s license or your Drake ID and proof of residency). You can register and vote at your designated  polling location on Election Day, Nov. 8, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

To facilitate early voting, the auditor’s office has set up a number of satellite voting locations where you can submit an absentee ballot. You do not need to request an absentee ballot to participate in early voting; you can simply show up at a satellite voting location and submit your vote. You may register to vote at the satellite voting location provided you have the required proof of identification and residence.

A satellite voting location will be set up at Drake on Wednesday, Oct. 19, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Knapp Center. This satellite voting location will be available for anyone who votes in one of the designated precincts:  DSM 11, DSM 12, DSM 13, DSM 14, DSM 15, DSM 29, DSM 30, DSM 31, DSM 32, DSM 33, DSM 34, DSM 35, DSM 36, and DSM 37.

To find a sample ballot, including all the current elections in Polk County, Iowa, you can access that here. If you have questions or concerns about voting, you may want to visit the Iowa Secretary of State’s website. For information specific to college students, click here.  

On-campus residents

To access your residence hall address for proof of residency, you can sign into myDrake and under the My Drake Profile category select My Addresses.

According to the Secretary of State’s office you can print the page and take it to the polling place or show on a phone/mobile device. We highly recommend you bring a printout of your proof of residency when going to vote, including your Drake ID card.   

Let us continue to participate and #EngagePolitics at Drake!

— Rachel Paine Caufield, Professor, Department of Political Science/Director, Iowa Caucus Project

— Jerry Parker, Chief Student Affairs Officer

The Drake Law School Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is hosting a conversation about election law on Oct. 27 at 4:30 p.m. in Cartwright Hall, Room 206. Speakers include Professor Derek Muller of the University of Iowa College of Law and Alan Ostergren, Election Law Attorney. All students interested in law and/or political science are encouraged to attend. Join us for a conversation on a wide variety of issues in election law—at both the federal and state levels.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School