For the past 17 years, Peace Over Violence has run its Denim Day campaign on a Wednesday in April in honor of Sexual Violence Awareness Month. The campaign was originally triggered by a ruling by the Italian Supreme Court where a rape conviction was overturned because the justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans she must have helped her rapist remove her jeans, thereby implying consent. The following day, the women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.

The Office for Sexual Violence Response and Healthy Relationship Promotion is proudly endorsing this national day of recognition on our campus and encourages all of our campus community to wear a pair of jeans on Wednesday, April 27, and don a sticker that says “ask me why I am wearing jeans” as a symbol of solidarity for survivors of sexual violence on our campus. Show your support online by posting a picture of yourself in jeans using the hashtags #denimday and #drakesaam. For more information about Denim Day visit: http://denimdayinfo.org/

—Alysa Mozak, Coordinator for Sexual Violence Response and Healthy Relationship Promotion

Drake magazine program featured prominently in MediaShift article

SJMC magazine professor Jeff Inman was featured prominently in an article on Mediashift, a website that bills itself as the “premier destination for insight and analysis at the intersection of media and technology.”  The article, titled “Teaching Magazine Students More Than Magazines,”  examines the changing nature of magazine journalism education and the challenges facing teachers attempting to replicate the breakneck nature of online journalism in the classroom.

Senior journalism website features musical mashup

The latest edition of Urban Plains (http://urban-plains.com/)—the award-winning multimedia website produced by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s magazine, news, and digital media production students—has been live for several weeks and is being continually updated. A fun feature of this year’s Urban Plains: Urban Mash Up, in which local musicians from diverse backgrounds (jazz, classical, dixieland, rock, folk) are invited into the Turner Jazz Center and left to experiment for an hour. Their musical collaboration is then recorded.

—Kathleen Richardson, Dean, SJMC

The Drake University Archives & Special Collections honors the installation of Earl F. Martin as Drake’s 13th president with a special exhibit: Drake Presidential History, Inaugurations 1881–2016. Created by Archives Assistant Katherine Lincoln and Drake senior Cecilia Panella, the exhibit is in the Collier Room on the 2nd floor of Cowles Library. Along with reproductions, the exhibit also includes original documents and historical photographs. The president’s mace and medallion will also be on display just outside of Archives & Special Collections on the 2nd floor. The exhibit, viewable through mid-August, is free and open to the public during Cowles Library hours.

—Leslie Noble, Manager, Library Support Operations

Drake Wellness is again making massage therapy available to Drake faculty, staff, and students in the Wellness Center. Special Drake rates are offered at $30/30 minutes, $50/60 minutes, $75/90 minutes. Add-ons are also available. Contact massage therapist Anne Boal directly at 515-988-8760 or anneboalwellness.com to schedule an appointment. Extended morning and afternoon appointment times are available.

—Anne Boal

Faculty and staff are invited to a farewell reception for Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and student financial planning, and Laura Linn, director, admission, who will be moving on to new opportunities in May. Join the Office of Admission on May 2, 2–4 p.m., in Cole Hall to wish them well and enjoy light refreshments.

—Anne Triplett, Administrative Assistant

Something a bit unusual happened at the installation of the 2016–2017 president of the Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (IASFAA) this year. On April 8, the gavel passed from the outgoing president to the new president, but the gavel did not travel from one Iowa school to another—it remained at Drake University’s Office of Student Financial Planning (OSFP). Kristi Fuller, assistant director, Drake OSFP and 2015–2016 IASFAA president, installed Chris Ditter, associate director, Drake OSFP, as 2016–2017 IASFAA President.

Kristi and Chris continue a long tradition of Drake leadership in IASFAA. Both Susan Ladd, director of the Office of Student Financial Planning, and former director John Parker served as IASFAA presidents.

—Susan Ladd

Angela James lecture
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to a lecture by South African scholar Angela James, who will present on service-learning research at University of KwaZulu-Natal, one of Drake’s strategic partners in South Africa. The lecture will take place April 20, 9:30–10:45 a.m. in Room B-13 in the School of Education building.

Diversity Statement
The SOE had finalized our diversity statement:

“The Drake University School of Education is committed to diversity and inclusivity. As members of the School of Education, we strive to work toward an affirming learning and teaching environment. We do so by seeking to educate culturally responsive professionals who are able to work effectively with all stakeholders. Aligned with our commitment to academic reflection, collaborative learning and social justice, we seek to facilitate the development of our students as reflective practitioners, critical thinkers, and public intellectuals.”

This is posted online at www.drake.edu/soe/about/mission/

—Catherine Gillespie, Associate Dean, Professor of Education and Mary Collier Endowed Professor

Phillip Chen receives prestigious foundation grant
Phillip Chen, professor of drawing and printmaking at Drake, recently received the 2015/2016 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. The foundation has awarded Phillip $20,000, for his work in printmaking. This is his second major art grant after receiving the Louis B. Comfort Tiffany Award in 2006. Learn more about the grant and Phillip in the Drake Newsroom.

Students present at the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies undergraduate student conference
Three students in the law, politics, and society program (Phoebe Clark, Alexandria Porter, and Alliyah Greaver) were selected to present research papers at the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies undergraduate student conference at Iowa State University’s Memorial Union on April 9. They each presented papers on the topic “Transforming Gender and Society.” Professor Nathaniel Holdren has been working throughout the semester with the students in preparation for their abstract submissions and paper research. The conference featured presentations and discussions by students from around the state.

Sigma Alpha Iota annually hosts a Free Day of Music for kids between ages 5 and 12. “Music is Out of This World” will be held Saturday, April 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church (3223 University Ave., near Drake’s campus). During this time, the kids will move between “space stations” learning about different aspects of music, visiting our instrument planetarium, making an intergalactic musical instrument, and learning a space-themed song and dance to perform for their adoring fans.

Guardians, family, and friends are welcome to join us at 11:30 a.m. to watch the performance of the songs and dance they learned throughout the morning. A snack will also be provided during their time with us, so please note in the registration form if they have any dietary restrictions.

Registration will be open the day of the event, but for planning and food purposes, we encourage you to pre-register. You can learn about our event and register a child or children at https://sites.google.com/site/saifreedayofmusic2016/home. We hope that you can join us on our Out of This World adventure! If you have any questions, please email sigmaalphaiota.pichapter@gmail.com.

—Taylor Donaldson