Over the past several months the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has issued several announcements and resources that are of interest to federal student loan borrowers.

The COVID-19 emergency relief for federal student loans, including the loan repayment/collection pause and the 0% interest rate, will expire on January 31, 2022. Learn more about what to expect here.

On Oct. 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced a temporary period during which borrowers may receive credit for payments that previously did not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more about this here.

Federal student loan servicers Navient, PHEAA (FedLoan Servicing), and Granite State have announced plans to stop servicing federal student loans. Borrowers currently assigned to these servicers can learn more about the USDE’s transition plans here.

— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning

If you’re interested in becoming a Peer Mentor Academic Consultant (PMAC), attend a virtual information session on Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. Scan the QR code below to sign up for the session.

— Kirby Nelson, senior

The deadline to return fall rental books is Dec. 21. You may return in-store or ship back at your expense. For shipping, the check-in form is located within your rental account at universitybook.com. The bookstore will remain open through Dec. 23 for any late returns or shipments. Please remove any sticky notes or flags and unfold any bent pages.

Damages: We will not accept returns of books with broken spines, ripped or missing pages, excessive writing or highlighting or water damage. We didn’t sell it to you in that condition, so we will not accept it back. If your book falls under that category you will have to pay the difference between the original rental price and the purchase price to buy it outright.

Keeping the book: If you want to keep the book, you can buy it outright by paying the difference between the original rental price and the purchase price. You have until Dec. 21 to make that selection.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore

In-person sign-up
Virtual sign-up

The Harkin Institute is offering a limited number of tickets for Drake students to attend “An Evening with Charlie Cook” in person at Sheslow Auditorium on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Though this is an online event, a small in-person audience will be allowed as well. Tickets are free and available to all Drake graduate and undergraduate students. However, only 30 seats are available. Regarded by many as one of the leading authorities on the U.S. political scene, Cook provides a yearly lecture on American politics. Cook is a political analyst for National Journal magazine, founder of and contributor to the Cook Political Report, and a National Advisory Council member for The Harkin Institute.

— Jaelyn Lentz, senior

Drake University students interested in a career in mathematics, the physical sciences, natural sciences, or engineering are invited to apply for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

Established by Congress in 1986, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation operates an educational scholarship program designed to provide opportunities for outstanding U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in, and potential for, careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering.

In April 2022, the Foundation will award scholarships to students who will be college juniors or seniors during the 2022–2023 academic year. In order to be considered for an award, students must be nominated by their institution. The national DEADLINE for RECEIPT of all nominations is Jan. 28, 2022. There are earlier on-campus deadlines however. Please note them below.

The scholarship award covers eligible expenses up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Sophomore scholarship recipients can expect to receive a maximum of two years of support. Junior scholarship recipients are eligible for a maximum of one year of support.

Who is eligible to apply?

• Any Drake University student pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering is eligible if he or she majors in mathematics, physical sciences, or natural
• Students must currently be full-time sophomores or juniors pursuing a baccalaureate
• Students must have a cumulative Drake P.A. of 3.75 or better.
• Students must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, or U.S. national.
• Students who plan to study medicine are eligible only if they plan a research career rather than a career as a medical doctor in a private
• Strong candidates may have had the opportunity to participate in research or held internships in research facilities, either industrial or

The application consists of two to three pages student essay on a research problem in science, three letters of recommendation, most likely from Drake University faculty, transcripts, and a nomination from the Goldwater Scholarship Faculty Representative (Dr. Gholam Mirafzal). In the case of students with research experience, one of the three letters of recommendation must come from the research advisor.

Application materials are available at: goldwaterscholarship.gov/

Drake University can nominate up to four individuals. Qualified individuals will submit their essay to Dr. Mirafzal. They will then be read by the Drake Goldwater Scholarship Committee. From this pool of essays, four will be chosen and will be forwarded to the national scholarship committee. The internal review of essays will begin on Jan. 14, 2022.

To be considered, interested sophomores and juniors should contact: Dr. Mirafzal, (Department of Chemistry, 213 Morgan E. Cline Hall of Pharmacy and Science, x4811) no later than Dec. 10. I would encourage you to speak to me earlier than that, however, to get a start on the essay and on the other application material.

Several Drake students have received this scholarship in recent years and our hope is for that to continue. The scholarships are prestigious and the students that have received them have gone on to well known institutions for graduate studies.

— Gholam Mirafzal, Windsor Professor of Chemistry

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. 18, 2022.

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

— Ryan Zantingh, Student Financial Planning

Join us Nov. 29–Dec. 2  at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and a semester catch up with fellow students and Hannah Clayborne, dean of students. Lunch will be provided at Hubbell Hall and sign up is limited to 10 students per session on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is required. Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Contact Gina Ryan (gina.ryan@drake.edu) with questions.

First-year students, Nov. 29  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch

Sophomores, Nov. 30  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch1

Juniors, Dec. 1
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch2

Seniors, Dec. 2
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82AA7FFC52-lunch3

— Hannah Clayborne, Dean of Students

The web-based Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is accepting submissions for its Spring 2022 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, 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.

The deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 11.

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 sent to the DUSSJ faculty advisors, Professor Li and Professor Henderson at advisor.dussj@gmail.com.

— Heath Henderson, College of Business & Public Administration

We are entering a new change in weather and pending time change that can influence your mood, motivation, and feelings of connectedness to others. During fall weather, you get to experience sweater weather, the comfort of warm drinks (warm coffee, tea, and hot chocolate), bon fires, and the beauty represented in the yellow, brown, and sometimes purple color of the leaves that begin to fall from trees. In addition, you may also experience a sense of sadness, isolation, increase in stress, and reduced energy when approaching the winter months. You may also notice that it gets darker sooner and lighter earlier, feeling as though your days are not long enough.

If you notice yourself experiencing these symptoms know that it is very common and typical because you are adjusting to a very different lifestyle than what you experienced in the summer. Some of you may have experience these symptoms for multiple years with a sense of hopelessness, worthlessness, and suicidal thoughts, which we describe as Seasonal Affective Disorder.  However, it is best to talk with a professional about what you have been feeling rather than self-diagnosing, although I know it can be tempting.

If you notice yourself experiencing these symptoms as we adjust to colder weather, I encourage you to try some of these tips below:

1. Recognize and validate that adjusting to weather change can be hard and not a reflection of your worth
2. Meet with your doctor and ask about the best Vitamin D options to take
3. Create a list of the activities you enjoy and add variety. Plan to try to engage in them when you notice yourself feeling down.
4. Exercise! It is very important to continue moving, walking, dancing, and exercising. Sign up for a Bell Center class or create a movement activity within your respective organization activities.
5. Keep your blinds open and lights on as much as possible or financially feasible.
6. Limit rushing because your energy levels may be lower as you adjust, plus running to class in the snow may feel like an Olympic event.
7. Weather permitting (i.e. safe weather temperatures), walk or stand outside. Be intentional about leaving your home.
   1. Keep those in person therapy appointments and it will be worth it in the long run.
8. Do something that engages your senses (i.e. lotions, soap, eat a peppermint or candy, listen to uplifting music, etc)
9. Gratitude Journal-Write at least 5 things you are thankful or grateful for daily.
10. Remember, this is seasonal and not a reflection of your worth or abilities.

If you notice yourself struggling to get through the day, please contact us by phone at the counseling center at 515-271-3864. In addition, the Crisis Observation Center is a 24/7 free service for students at Broadlawns Medical Center (1801 Hickman Road. Des Moines, IA 50310.) have counselors available to talk with, however this service would be the financial responsibility of the student.

Lastly, remember to breathe and know that you have a community of support at Drake to help you. You are not alone, and you are capable.

— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Director, Student Counseling Center