Cowles Library will undergo a renovation of its main floor this summer. Preparation begins this week, including moving books and shelves. The renovations include updates to the north entrance, a new Information Services desk, new seating and study space throughout the entire floor, and small-group study areas. The main floor will also receive a fresh coat of paint and new flooring, making it more visually appealing and inviting to students, faculty, and staff. Additional details, including a renovation schedule and renderings will be shared soon.
Due to multiple events on campus and an increased community presence for the Drake Relays, it is necessary to establish the following parking and road restrictions. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Street Closures
Forest Avenue will be closed between 27th Street and 29th Street from Thursday, April 26, at 2 p.m. to Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m. No vehicular traffic will be allowed during this time. The street closure enhances the safety of those attending Relays.
27th Street will be shut down for bus traffic from Forest Avenue to Clark Street from Thursday, April 26, to Saturday, April 28.
Meek Street will be shut down for the hammer throw event on Saturday, April 28.
Parking lot restrictions
Lot 17 (Facilities) at 27th Street and Clark Street: No parking from Sunday, April 22, to Monday, April 30. Reserved for athlete warm-up area.
Lot 18 South (Studio Arts): No parking from Wednesday, April 25, at 2 a.m. to Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m.
Lot 18 North (West Stadium): No parking from Thursday, April 26, at 2 a.m. to Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m.
Lot 16 (Olmsted): Reserved parking from Thursday, April 26, at 6 a.m. to Saturday, April 28th, at 5 p.m.
Lots 1 and 2: Pay lots from Friday, April 27, to Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m. Permits are valid at no charge until 4 p.m. on Friday in Lot 1.
Please note: All residential parking lots are still under 24-hour residential permit only restrictions.
Visit the SAB Facebook event page for a full list of Relays events and activities.
It’s Relays week! The week-long festivities include so much more than world-class athletic competition on the Blue Oval. Here are a few ways to make the most of your Relays experience.
Carnival Day
The Relays Carnival is today from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in Helmick Commons. Come enjoy the sunny weather, free food, fun activities, and things like bucket hats, fanny packs, pins. Lots of Relays gear will given away.
Lace up your shoes
You don’t have to be an elite athlete to run at the Drake Relays. Hit the pavement during the Grand Blue Mile today, April 24. The one-mile street run is for runners of all ages and aspirations and starts in front of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park before making its way down Locust and Grand.
Grab lunch from a food truck on Forest Avenue
Students looking to grab a bite to eat on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 28, can dine at food trucks parked on Forest Avenue. The street will be closed to traffic between 27th Street and 29th Street from Thursday, April 26, at 2 p.m. to Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m. The closure will allow Relays vendors, such as food trucks, to set up outside of the stadium and safely interact with students and the community. No vehicles will be allowed through the area during this time.
The Vault at Capital Square
A must see event, The Vault at Capital Square allows you to get up close and personal with world-class vaulters as they take to the skies inside the atrium at Capital Square tomorrow, April 25, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Alumni Awards Ceremony
The entire campus community (no need to be a Drake grad) is encouraged to attend the Alumni Awards Ceremony. The ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate our most distinguished alumni. This year’s award winners demonstrate outstanding professional accomplishments and loyal leadership to Drake and their communities. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to register to attend the ceremony on Thursday, April 26, at 5:15 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium.
Relays Distance Carnival
On Thursday, April 26, distance runners take the track with the 800-meter race beginning at 4:30 p.m. Don’t miss the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 7 p.m.—think seven-and-a-half laps with hurdles and water jumps.
Spot an Olympian
Keep your eyes peeled for greatness. The Drake Relays attract some of the world’s best athletes. On Saturday, April 28, catch a glimpse of Andre De Grasse, a three-time Olympic medalist, set to compete in the men’s invitational 100 meters. In 2016, De Grasse won three medals at the Rio Olympics, including bronze in the 100 meters, behind Usain Bolt.
Relays Concert
This year’s Drake Relays concert will feature two artists. Marc E. Bassy and AJR will perform Friday, April 27, at 9:15 p.m. on Forest Avenue. To get hyped up for the concert, listen to this playlist with all the artists’ best songs.
So, whether you are enjoying a paint fight or cheering on your favorite athlete, Relays has something for everyone. Visit the SAB Facebook event for a full list of activities.
Starting next month, after graduation ceremonies, pre-construction activity will begin at the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue, the future site of the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club.
Drake and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa are partnering to bring the new Club to campus. Scheduled to open fall 2019, the new Club will be the third in the country to be built on a private college campus. It will provide after-school and summertime programs focused on education, healthy lifestyles, and character and leadership development to more than 170 K-12 students in its first year.
On May 21, a perimeter construction fence will be erected surrounding the site and access to parking lots 9 and 10 will no longer be available. Pre-construction activity includes the removal of paving, relocating of utilities, grading, and tree removals.
In 2015, Drake’s campus tree care policy was revised for the purpose of identifying standards pertaining to procedures and practices used in establishing, protecting, maintaining, and removing trees on campus. The goal of the plan was to ensure a safe, attractive, and sustainable campus urban forest.
Complying with the plan, and as part of the Boys & Girls Club project, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist with Perficut Companies completed a tree evaluation in collaboration with Drake’s Grounds Department to assess the health of existing trees, assist in determining the impact of the proposed improvements, and to develop recommendations for tree protection.
Following the evaluation, it was determined that 29 trees must be removed to complete the construction project. However, once construction is complete, 38 new trees will be planted around the new building and streetscape. These trees include: White Pine (4), Prairie Gold Aspen (22), Red Oak (5), and Japanese Tree Lilac (7).
Visit bgcci.org/club-pathways1 to learn more about the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club. View more information on the project or the Drake Campus Tree Care Plan policy below.
Alexander Weinstein, winner of Drake English Department’s 2017 Emerging Author Award, will read from his work and engage in a question and answer session on April 12 at 7 p.m. in Medbury Lounge. Weinstein is the author of Children of the New World, a collection of speculative, wryly dystopian stories that imagine futures near and distant in which technology, globalism, and individualism have transformed characters’ lives and relationships to one another and to their environment.
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will have the opportunity to encounter writing on the leading edge of American fiction and ask questions and engage with Weinstein on the imagined realities his writing presents.
In March, Drake welcomed seven new individuals to the Bulldog family.
Ann Guddall, Academic Affairs Budget Manager, Provost’s Office Mollie McKenzie, Compliance Coordinator, Pharmacy & Health Science Jared Butler, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacy & Health Science Sri Sai “Navya” Mannengi, Admission Counselor, Office of Admission Patrick Bourgeacq, Assistant Director, International Admission, Office of Admission Ethan Fickau, Admission Counselor, Office of Admission Darian DeVries, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Athletics
The following events are sponsored by the Innovation Studio and open to all students.
April 11: Meet and greet with Jon Bowermaster
Prior to Jon Bowermaster’s lecture at 7 p.m., there will be a meet and greet in the Innovation Studio from 6 to 6:45 p.m. The Principal Center for Global Citizenship is hosting Bowermaster, a 1976 graduate of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 10 and 11. Read more about his visit and accomplishments.
April 12: 3D Printing
Want to learn more about 3D printing? The Innovation Studio is hosting a 3D printing event on Thursday, April 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. Stop in to see the Sindoh 3D WOX printer in action and to take home a 3D printed item. You’ll also get a chance to try out one of our 3D pens. Professor Chris Porter will be on hand to discuss how he uses 3D printing in his classes and to show students how to use the printer.
Join Colleges Against Cancer and partnering organizations for an all-day fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesday, April 11. Ten percent of your total bill will be donated to a local cancer organization.
Students have two more opportunities to participate in The Harkin Institute’s free Student Lunch and Reception Series. Don’t miss this unique professional development opportunity and the chance to meet local business and nonprofit leaders. Upcoming speakers include: Rowena Crosbie, president and founder of Tero International, an executive training and leadership development company. Rowena was recognized by The Business Record as the 2009 Woman Business Owner of the Year. Thousands of individuals
from across the U.S. and the world have graduated from Tero’s programming on important business topics such as presentation skills, negotiation skills, business etiquette, leadership and intercultural competence. Register to join Rowena for lunch on Monday, April 16, at 11:15 a.m. at the Harkin Institute.
Elisabeth Buck, president of United Way of Central Iowa. Elisabeth leads strategies to impact communities in the priority areas of Education, Income, and Health to improve lives and build a stronger central Iowa. Prior to joining United Way, Elisabeth served as deputy chief of staff for Governor Tom Vilsack and Governor Chet Culver. She later served as Culver’s Director of Iowa Workforce Development. Register to join Elisabeth on for lunch on Tuesday, April 24 at 12:30 p.m.
— Emily Schettler, Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement
Call for survey participants: If interested, please take 5 to 10 minutes to take a survey on leadership qualities of different genders for the Student Leadership Development Series in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Starting next month, after graduation ceremonies, pre-construction activity will begin at the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue, the future site of the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club.