The first segment of Front Row will debut Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. and feature Drake’s Jazz One ensemble. Be sure to tune in via Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
In an effort to stay connected with our Bulldog community while we are working and learning remotely, Drake is excited to announce Front Row on Thursday Night, a weekly virtual presentation to highlight the many aspects of our community. This weekly showcase will feature faculty, staff, and students from all colleges, departments, and talents on Drake University’s social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube).
To produce content each week, we are putting out a call for recorded video submissions from any member of the Drake community. Videos can include athletic, academic, and artistic components, and should focus on members of the Drake community. Videos can be submitted from any college, school, or department, and showcase anything from a research project, to a fine arts performance, to an athletic event. Videos should be between 5 and 30 minutes long, and if filmed on a phone, must be recorded horizontally. Student extracurricular groups are also encouraged to apply, but must comply with the DrakeTogether COVID-19 guidelines.
Please submit your video using WeTransfer.com. Upload and send your file for free to Ashton Hockman, assistant director of communications, at ashton.hockman@drake.edu. Submit your video at least one week prior to when you want it to stream.
Although COVID-19 has presented many unanticipated obstacles this school year, we are proud of what our Drake community has accomplished during these challenging times, and we look forward to seeing the many talents of our faculty, staff, and students.
Nov. 8 was National First-Generation Student Day! First-generation college students are an important part of the Drake community—about 14% of our campus community are first-gen students. This week we want to celebrate and recognize the achievements and experiences of first-gen students at Drake.
Read about six current Bulldogs who are the first in their families to pursue or earn a college degree. Learn why they chose Drake, and what inspires them.
— Marina Verlengia, Academic Excellence and Student Success
A series of small group discussions will be held from Nov. 11–20 for students, faculty, and staff to brainstorm ideas and action steps in response to the Campus Climate Assessment. Sign up for a small group discussion.
The Campus Climate Assessment survey, implemented in November 2019, was designed to learn about the experiences and attitudes of current faculty, staff, and students. The public forums held on Nov. 9 and 10 provided our community with the survey data. Through the small group discussions, our goal is to begin the process of coming up with actionable next steps for campus. Our purpose is to identify specific actions that respond to the report’s findings.
There will soon be construction equipment on the site of the new community stadium. Demolition and excavation work is scheduled to begin the beginning of November. The Sprout Garden has been moved to a new location at 31st Street and Carpenter (south of Drake West Village). Work to complete the relocation will continue through Spring 2021. Parking Lot 2 (Shivers Parking Lot) to the east of Shivers, will be off-line coinciding with the start of construction. Lot 2 will be removed as part of the site preparation for the new stadium.
More responses are needed! Today (Oct. 20) is the last day to take this year’s survey of administrative services. It is completely anonymous and often takes less than five minutes.
The survey assesses our performance in delivering services to campus. It focuses on six areas: Facilities Planning and Management, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Public Safety, and University Communications and Marketing.
Your feedback will help us to better meet the needs of our University, and drive intentional and strategic action for these departments.
The survey was developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in collaboration with several other of our colleagues.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, we are all called upon to do our civic duty and vote in our national presidential election. Drake recognizes that this responsibility poses some challenges for employees who are juggling competing personal demands and, depending on where you live, a time commitment that can feel restricting. So, the University is declaring Nov. 3 a meeting-free day to eliminate any time sensitive job responsibilities and give faculty and staff the freedom to take the time to vote without consequence. In the coming days, watch for an organization-wide calendar hold to be sent for the entire day, restricting any conflicting meetings to be scheduled and serve as a reminder for us all to make our vote count.
The Campus Climate virtual town halls have been rescheduled for Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 at 12 p.m. and will be held virtually. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to register in advance.
During the town halls, the Office of Equity and Inclusion will review the findings from the 2019 Campus Climate Assessment.
Following the town halls, several roundtable discussions will be held in December to develop next steps.
The 2020 United Way Campaign began yesterday (Oct. 12), and as of this morning, we’ve raised $11,945 from 64 donors. Thank you to those who have given, and to those who have yet to give, please consider making a contribution by 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. We need more donations to reach our goal of raising $40,000 from 350 individual participants! If we achieve this goal, President Martin will declare Friday, July 2, 2021, an additional campus holiday. Please refer to the email you received from the United Way for giving instructions. If you have any questions, please email ryan.arnold@drake.edu.
This Q&A is part of the story series Voices of Drake that highlights the diversity, ambition, and passion of the incredible people who make up our campus community. This week’s story is designed to celebrate and shine light on Latinx Heritage Month, Sept. 15–Oct. 15. It spotlights Marina Verlengia, director of new student and parent programs.
Tell us a little about yourself. I am a first generation American, born and raised in south Florida. My parents came to the U.S. from Venezuela to go to college and always planned to return home after graduation. My dad received a good job opportunity so they kept extending their time here. Eventually they had children and settled down in south Florida. I am the oldest of four. Growing up, we only spoke Spanish in our home and spent our summers in Venezuela visiting our extended family. For a long time, my parents were the only ones living in the U.S. Over time and as things have gotten worse in Venezuela, we have started to have more family members move to Florida.
Tell us about your education. Where did you go to school and what did you study? I went to the University of Central Florida for both undergraduate and graduate school. I got my undergraduate degree in marketing and have two master’s in Business Administration and Sports Business Management.
How long have you been in the Drake campus community? What is your role at Drake? It is hard to believe, but I have been at Drake almost six years. I am the director of new student and parent programs.
You are the organizer for Drake’s Latinx Faculty/Staff Affinity Group. What is that and how has it been important to you in your time at Drake? The Latinx affinity group is a space for Latinx faculty/staff to get to know one another socially and provide support for each other. There aren’t many Latinx faculty or staff on campus so it has been really nice to connect with areas across campus and meet other Latinx faculty and staff. Prior to this group, I didn’t really know many other Latinx staff or faculty.
These aren’t normal times, but in normal times, what kinds of things does the Latinx Affinity Group do? We have created a great partnership with La Fuerza Latina student organization and did a few get togethers with these students in La Casa. It has been a great way for students to also connect to Latinx faculty and staff. One of our gatherings was a potluck in which people brought traditional Latin dishes to share. We enjoyed great food and conversation!
How long have you been at Drake? What is your favorite thing about working at Drake so far? I have been at Drake almost six years. I love working with students and introducing them to our community. We have a really amazing, supportive community. We really do have an “all in this together” spirit. I feel a lot of support from my colleagues, everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand.
What is your favorite thing about the Drake neighborhood? I love walking in the Drake neighborhood. Since my start at Drake, I have always enjoyed walks in the neighborhood. When on campus, I try to go out during the lunch hour a few times a week.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life and what lessons did that person teach you? My parents—they came to this country not knowing anyone or speaking the language for a better education. They created an amazing life for themselves and their children. Our culture and heritage were always a huge part of our lives. They made sure we knew the language, music, food, traditions, and that we were proud of it. They faced a lot of challenges and adversity along the way but always put family first. I appreciate everything they did for us and the opportunities provided to us because they moved to the U.S.
How do you like to spend your free-time? Tell us about your hobbies and interests. During normal times, I love to travel! I love spending time with friends and family, going for bike rides on the local bike trails, going for walks, binge watching a good tv show, and have come to really enjoy puzzles this year.
This year is a year like no other. What advice would you like to give to a first-year student at Drake? During our Welcome to the Team event during Welcome Week, Coach Jennie Baranczyk gave a great speech with a special message that stuck with me. She spoke about being thankful for what we have this year and what we are able to do. It is so easy to focus on everything that has been taken away from us and all the things we can’t do in 2020. It is important to also think about everything we can do and to be thankful to be part of this great community. Things will get better and slowly we will return to normal. We are all in this together!
The 2020 United Way of Central Iowa Campaign will be held next week—mark your calendars and watch your email for more information! There will not be an in-person kick-off event this year, nor will we have campaign captains. However, your philanthropic donations are needed this year more than ever to provide relief to those left most vulnerable by the pandemic. If you are able, please consider making a contribution.
