The 109th Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee is right around the corner and we need you to help make it a success. Register to volunteer and invite your friends and family to join. Volunteers receive a free T-shirt, a free meal (if working over lunch), and free entry to the action. Volunteer opportunities begin Saturday, April 21, and run all week long. We hope to see you on the Blue Oval!
— Shannon Saunders, Athletics
Jon Bowermaster, JO’76, will discuss his career as a journalist and environmental activist on Wednesday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 101. His lecture, “From Journalism to Advocacy: 30 Years Reporting on the Planet’s Health,” is free and open to the public.
Bowermaster has worked for National Geographic, written numerous books, and written and produced many documentaries about environmental issues. His Oceans 8 project visited every ocean by kayak, and his most recent work includes a series of short documentaries on the Hudson River.
Bowermaster will be on campus on Tuesday, April 10, and Wednesday, April 11, sponsored by the Principal Center for Global Citizenship. He will be a guest lecturer in several classes, and he will have open “drop-in” hours to meet with students and faculty in the Meredith Magazine Center, Room 111, on Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:30-3:30 p.m. and on Wednesday from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
— Kathleen Richardson, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
For the second year, our live mascot Griff is leading a “Griff Gives Back” pet food drive to support The Pet Project Midwest, which provides food for animals in need. Griff is accepting donations of adult dog and cat food from now through the 39th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest on Sunday, April 22. We’ve already received more than 4,000 pounds of food—well on our way to the goal of 6,000 pounds!
Donations of adult dog and cat food can be made in the Olmsted Breezeway, or via mail:
Drake University
Attn: Griff Gives Back
2507 University Ave.
Olmsted Building—Drake Postal Operations
Des Moines, IA 50311
For project updates, follow Griff on Instagram or Twitter (@DrakeUGriff) and watch the Beautiful Bulldog Contest Facebook page. Similar to the All In campaign, this is a powerful demonstration of what the Bulldog community can achieve together.
— Niki Smith, University Communications/Director of the Beautiful Bulldog Contest
Last Thursday and Friday, more than 1,200 Bulldogs went All In for Drake, resulting in our most successful 24-hour challenge yet!
Thank you to all of the faculty, staff, and students who came together for All In. Whether you generously contributed, attended an event, of helped spread the word, your involvement helped to raise more than $267,000 in just 24 hours. This includes a $50,000 challenge gift awarded by a generous group of alumni. It’s amazing to see what we can accomplish when we come together to support our Drake family.
Gifts made during All In benefit all areas of campus and will be put to work to strengthen the University. Thank you, again, to all who contributed to this achievement. Your support makes a difference in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff today and for years to come.
If you missed any of the memorable and inspiring videos posted on the All In Facebook page, be sure to take a look.
2018 All In videos
Thanks for going All In
853 donors
500 donors
400 donors
All In Trivia
Bulldog Friends Forever
Go All In for Drake!
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
Beginning fiscal year 2019, faculty, staff, and students will see a three-year graduated rate increase for on-campus parking.
Parking permit rate increases for faculty, staff, and students has remained flat over the past 10 years, while expenses for the maintenance and operation of parking facilities has continued to rise. The increase is designed to help realign Drake’s parking rate structure with the cost to properly maintain, repair, and provision its parking operations.
The new annual and semester pricing structure is as follows. Annual rates are listed first with semester rates in parentheses.
| Evening/Weekend lots | Commuter lots | Resident lots | |
| FY 2019 | $80 ($50) | $190 ($115) | $250 ($165) |
| FY 2020 | $100 ($85) | $215 ($135) | $265 ($175) |
| FY 2021 | $125 ($75) | $250 ($165) | $275 ($185) |
These rates were carefully developed by the University Parking Committee along with the President’s Council. Drake continuously strives to manage cost structure, while maintaining a thoughtful plan for improving the safety and aesthetics of its parking lots and transportation services.
Faculty, staff, and students can purchase permits by logging into blueView, clicking the My Drake Account Tab, and then selecting Register for Drake Parking Tag.
As a reminder, Drake offers faculty, staff, and students a wide variety of alternative transportation options, including free DART bus rides all over Des Moines with presentation of a Drake ID Card. For up-to-date bus times, download the RideTime Transit App. In addition, faculty, staff, and students receive a discounted rate to ride BCycle bicycles. There are four BCycle stations close to campus; bikes are $3 per trip or $20 per year with unlimited 60-minute rides.
For evening and weekend transit near campus, Drake operates its own evening bus system that runs throughout the fall and spring semesters. Safe Ride is free of charge to students, faculty, and staff. Coming this fall, Drake, in partnership with Enterprise, is bringing WeCar to campus. WeCar is a car-sharing program that allows members to rent and use a vehicle 24/7. Cars will be parked at dedicated spots near campus, and members can rent a vehicle anytime and then return it to where they picked it up.
Public Safety continues to review and improve alternative transportation options to better serve the Drake community. For questions regarding parking rates or transportation options, contact Scott Law, executive director of campus public safety and operational services, at scott.law@drake.edu.
— Scott Law, Campus Public Safety & Operational Services
All In is this Thursday and Friday from noon to noon! The 24-hour online giving day is an opportunity to make a huge difference in a short amount of time, but in order to be successful, we need all of us—faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, and fans—to be all in.
How to be All In
Challenge opportunities
As a student, your gifts qualify for two separate challenges during the All In event. That means your donation could potentially triple!
For questions about All In, contact Becca Widmer, director of annual giving, at becca.widmer@drake.edu.
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
The Drake Athletics Ticket Office is hiring seasonal, part-time ticket sales associates for the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee. This paid position is open to all Drake students, regardless of experience and/or field of study, although students interested in sales, marketing, and/or sports administration are encouraged to apply. This position requires approximately 3 to 5 office hours during the weeks leading up to the Drake Relays and 12 to 15 hours during the weekend of the Drake Relays. All training will be provided upon completion of the hiring process.
To apply, please submit a current resume to tickets@drake.edu.
For more information, contact the Drake Athletics Ticket Office at 515-271-3647 or tickets@drake.edu.
— Ryan Harris, 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.
— Stephanie Cardwell, Entrepreneurship Centers
The premedical fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon will host its annual Anatomy Fashion Show on Tuesday, April 10, in Parents hall from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The event, which supports Children’s Miracle Network, will include music, live performances, artwork for sale, and food. Please come and show your support for your fellow students and professors who will be modeling anatomical systems.
— Theresa McAlister
This semester at Drake you may start noticing campus wide programming and events that the LEAD Capstone is initiating to increase pride and awareness around what it truly means to be a Bulldog. Over the next couple of months, we will be hosting several events, such as those listed below. We encourage you to participate in these events. More information about individual events will be shared throughout the semester.
For questions, email Grace Maher at grace.maher@drake.edu.
— Grace Maher, Junior
