Attend a workshop on Oct. 25 from 5 to 6:15 p.m., in Cowles Library, Room 45, on Tableau information visualization software. Tableau is a drag and drop software for transforming Excel or .csv files into graphical formats. The workshop provides a hands-on experience, starting with data cleanup and ending with the creation of an online geo-referenced dashboard.

Details and registration information can be found here. Seating is limited to 20. Drop-in’s are welcome if space is available.

—Cameron Tuai, Cowles Library

Are you passionate about violence prevention and making Drake a more inclusive and safe community? If this is you, join the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) team. The program is a great opportunity for students to develop skills in presenting, networking, and community outreach. Drake’s MVP program inspires leadership by empowering individuals with tools to lead and with concrete options to effect change in their peer cultures and across campus. Peer facilitators receive 12 hours of training, serve on our full MVP team, and present the curriculum on campus. Applications are due this Wednesday, Oct. 25.

The MVP team is hosting a train-the-trainer event the evening of Friday, Nov. 3, and during the day on Saturday, Nov. 4. Can’t attend the full training but still interested in learning about MVP or being a supporter? There is an option for supporters to attend part of the training. Supporters can be faculty, staff, or students. Supporters help open doors and make connections to further the MVP program. To attend a portion of the training as a supporter, send Tess Cody an email at tess.cody@drake.edu. Faculty and staff are encouraged to complete the training and be a part of the implementation discussion on the second day. Faculty and staff who are interested should also email Cody.

—Tess Cody, Violence Prevention Coordinator

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and now, more than ever, it is vital to talk about healthy and unhealthy relationships. The following events and activities will be held in the coming weeks to raise awareness for domestic violence:

Oct. 24–26: Violence Intervention Partner (VIP) to host a table in Olmsted. Stop by to learn more about their services and healthy versus unhealthy relationships. Follow the VIP page and get a cupcake.

Nov. 7: Speak Out and Poetry Slam at Mars Café at 7 p.m. hosted by SAGE

Nov. 9: “Help I’m Bad At Dating: A Discussion Of Pop Culture, Healthy and Unhealthy Dating Practices” at Shivers Courtside Club at 7 p.m. hosted by VIP.

Nov. 12: Bulldogs Against Abuse Conference hosted by IFC and PanHel. Time and location to be announced.

Also, look for purple ribbons displayed around trees near Helmick Commons.

If you or a friend experience emotional, physical, or financial abuse in a relationship, help is available. Violence Intervention Partner is a 24/7 confidential helpline to listen and safety plan. Text/call 515-512-2972. The Drake Title IX office and Public Safety are also available to help. Contact Katie, Title IX coordinator, at 515-271-2982 or email: kathryn.overberg@drake.edu or titleix@drake.edu. Contact Drake Public Safety at 515-271-2222.

—Tess Cody, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Did you know that approximately 10­–14 percent of Drake’s student body consist of first-generation college students? The Office of New Student Programs is inviting this ambitious and driven student group to share their college experience at upcoming discussion sessions. The sessions will help the Office of New Student Programs to grow and develop its support and resources for first-generation students.

Monday, Oct. 23: First-year students and sophomores who are first-generation students are invited to a discussion session from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Upper Olmsted Conference Room. Coffee and snacks will be provided. RSVP by Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 25: Juniors and seniors who are first-generation students are invited to a discussion session from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Drake Room of Olmsted. Coffee and snacks will be provided. RSVP by Oct. 18 at 5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 27, pizza lunch: first-generation students, faculty, and staff are invited to a lunch discussion at 11:30 a.m. in Cowles Library, Room 201. Pizza will be provided.

During these sessions, participants will have an opportunity to share their college experience and connect with other first-generation students. For questions or more information on the meetings, email orientation@drake.edu.

ICYMI: Watch a video in which faculty, staff, and students share stories and advice on the first-generation experience, and read about the University’s efforts to support this student group.

—Marina Verlengia, New Student Programs

The Winter Warmth Drive is back at Drake, Oct. 18 through Nov. 2. The drive collects winter clothing for local young people in need, as well as homeless and refugee metro residents. Please donate new or gently used winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, snow pants, and snow boots; infant through adult sizes are welcome. The Winter Warmth Drive is sponsored by the Christian Legal Society.

Clothing donation collection boxes will be located throughout campus beginning Oct. 18. For more information on the drive, please visit: winterwarmthdrive.org, or contact matthew.lepke@drake.edu.

—Matthew Lepke

In the Lorentzen Student Hatchery, Drake students spend a summer building their own business. The Hatchery provides a unique opportunity for any Drake student––undergraduate or graduate––to earn up to $10,000 over the 2018 summer while working for themselves. Both teams and individuals are welcome to apply. The last of the informational sessions will be held Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in Meredith Hall in the Innovation Studio, Room 124C.

Applications for the 2018 cohort are due Monday, Oct. 30, and presentations are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7. Students invited to participate in the 2018 Hatchery will have the opportunity to meet John C. Lorentzen, the 1977 Drake graduate who proposed and funded the student hatchery program, on Friday, Nov. 10, when the 2017 Hatchery cohort makes their presentations.

Visit the College of Business and Public Administration website to learn more and download an application, or contact the Entrepreneurship Centers at jpec@drake.edu.

—Stephanie Cardwell, Entrepreneurship Centers

The PharmD/MBA entrance exam is automatically waived for Drake pharmacy students (P1 or beyond) with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher who have completed at least 30 semester credits. For questions, contact Dianna Gray at 271-3921 or dianna.gray@drake.edu.

—Dianna Gray, CBPA

Get fit with the proper training and guidance. Whether you have a specific fitness goal, want to learn how to effectively workout, or start your journey to a healthier lifestyle, the personal training program at Drake can help. Email wellness@drake.edu for pricing information or to schedule an appointment.

—Drake Wellness

Explore hunger and its impact on refugees in Des Moines Oct. 16–17 with the Fall Break Immersion Trip. Participants will learn about hunger at the Iowa Hunger Summit, volunteer at the LSI Global Greens Farm and Bidwell Riverside Center, and take a driving tour of key spots in Des Moines. Apply for the trip. The application deadline is Oct. 12 by 9 p.m. Limited space is available. For questions, contact Chamindi Wijesinghe at wachamindi.wijesinghe@drake.edu.

—Chamindi Wijesinghe