Drake Theatre seeks new plays written by playwrights from the Des Moines Metropolitan area.  Plays will be read and evaluated by Drake Theatre students and faculty.  The writer of the winning entry selected will receive a prize of $500 and have their play performed as a staged reading for two performances next fall on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, 2023, as part of Drake Theatre’s Main Stage Season.  Rules for entry are as follows:

• Full length plays only – one hour or more reading/performance time
• Playwrights must reside within 40 miles of downtown Des Moines
• Eligibility extends to Drake students, staff, and alumni as well as any member of the Des Moines community. Drake faculty are ineligible to compete.
• Plays may be of any style or genre. No musicals, please.
• Plays must be wholly original work. No translations or adaptations of existing plays.
• There are no restrictions in regards to characters with the understanding that the winning play will be performed as a staged reading by Drake Theatre students. All attempts will be made in casting to preserve the integrity and representation of characters, but compromises may be necessary.
• Submissions must be made electronically. Print copies will not be accepted.
• Submissions are limited to one play per playwright
• Submissions must be formatted as either a separate .docx file or a .pdf attached to an e-mail. The body of that email must include the following:
  • relevant contact information (name, address, phone number, email address) for the playwright
  • the title of the play
  • a brief (one paragraph) synopsis of the plot
  • a dramatis personae listing the characters.
• The attached copy of the play itself must have all references to the playwright (name, contact info, etc.) removed so that plays can be judged anonymously. Only the title of the play itself should be visible.
• If your play is chosen as the winning entry, know that you are granting Drake University Theatre permission to perform two staged readings of that work with no royalty or copyright restrictions attached. Those readings will be open to the general public and advertised as part of our Main Stage Season.
• Following each performance, the winning author is invited to participate in a talkback session with the cast, crew, director and audience to discuss the play and receive feedback.
• All submissions must be emailed to Michael Rothmayer at rothmayer@drake.edu

Failure to follow these rules may result in disqualification of your entry.  Submissions are due on or before by 5 p.m. CST, March 10, 2023.  The winning entry and playwright will be announced on or before June 1, 2023.  For questions or additional information, please contact the Drake University Department of Theatre Arts (515) 271-2018.

— Michael Rothmayer, Theatre Arts

On Thursday, Dec. 15, The Varsity Cinema will reopen and the big screen will light up with a mix of new and classic films, including Singin’ in the Rain, Decision to Leave, White Noise, Elf, and Lost Cinemas of Des Moines. Tickets for reopening weekend are on sale now.

After the theater closed its doors Dec. 31, 2018, Des Moines Film purchased the building—the last remaining historic theater in Des Moines—and began a massive renovation to bring back the movies and preserve the designated local landmark. The refurbished space includes a second auditorium, expanded lobby, upgraded concessions with a full bar, and a fully accessible building.

Visit the Varsity Cinema’s website for more information and a listing of upcoming shows.

The Drake volleyball team will take on Boston College in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) match at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14. in the Knapp Center.

Bring family and friends and help us pack the Knapp Wednesday to create a fantastic home-court advantage for our volleyball team. Purchase tickets. Admission is free for Drake students.

Drake has never won a postseason tournament in volleyball and the ability to host the championship match is a big deal. If you have not seen the video of Coach McBroom telling our women they would be returning home to host the NIVC Championship, I encourage you to watch it.

The Drake volleyball team has had a historic season. They set a program record with 30 victories this season, including a 16–2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team was just two points shy of winning the conference tournament, but accepted a bid to the NIVC (the equivalent of the NIT and WNIT in men’s and women’s basketball) and is now sitting at the top of the bracket. The Bulldogs has won 16 of its last 17 matches. What is more, they are 10–0 at home in the Knapp Center and have lost only one of 31 sets played.

Good luck, Bulldogs!

— Brian Hardin, Athletic Director

A reminder, Blackboard Learn Ultra only supports the two most recent versions for the four major web browsers. The current versions, as of today are:

Chrome – 108 (12-03-2022)

Firefox – 107 (11-29-2022)

Safari – 16 (8-18-2022)

Edge – 106 (10-2022)

To see what your current browser version is, you can use this resource to check https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Student/Ultra/Getting_Started/Browser_Support/Browser_Checker

If your browser version is more than two behind the current version, you may experience issues when working within Learn Ultra. This may include not being able to access courses, viewing resources within a course, or odd behavior when working in a course.

It is recommended to keep your browser up to date as security patches are applied on a continual basis. For Chrome, Firefox, & Edge, you can update to the current version by restarting the browser. For Safari, you will need to visit the app store and check for an updated version.

— Clayton Mitchell, ITS

The Office of Community Engaged Learning is now accepting nominations for the Newman Civic Fellowship. 

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a national year-long program that recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers. Students should engage in collaborative action with others from campus or from surrounding communities in order to create long-term social change, take action in addressing issues of inequality and political polarization, and demonstrate the motivation and potential for effective long-term civic engagement.  Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change. 

 Benefits include: regular virtual events focused on skill development and professional learning, an annual in-person convening of Fellows, one-on-one leadership development with a local mentor of their choice, connection to a nationwide network of engaged student leaders, public national recognition, special scholarship and career opportunities, opportunities to present or publish work.

Nominees must be enrolled at Drake University for the spring semester 2023, and the 2023-2024 academic year. 

 To nominate a student, please complete this short nomination form by Jan. 9 at 12 p.m. 

 A committee will review nominations to select one student from Drake University to be nominated for the Fellowship. That student will need to complete additional paperwork.  

 More information about the Fellowship can be found at https://compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship/.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning