A Drake experience opens doors, and Bulldogs believe in holding those doors open for others. From noon-to-noon on March 4–5, the Bulldog community will rally together during All In, creating new opportunities and experiences for current and future Bulldogs.

In celebration of your support, any Drake faculty or staff member that makes a gift during All In will be entered into a drawing for one of the following prizes:

• Free parking pass for Commuter Tier II Parking Lots
• Treats delivered by Griff II for your entire department
• Drake Relays Experience package (Gift card to use at the Relays Tent, VIP Relays Tickets, and more)
• Bucksbaum Experience package (VIP seating, Bucksbaum t-shirt, and more)
• Year-long, individual membership to the Varsity Cinema
• Bulldog Beer Package (4-pack of Bulldog Beer, a Drake-branded pint glass, and more)
• Limited Edition Griff II socks
• Copy of the new Griff II children’s book, “Griff’s Big Little Adventure”
• Drake Swag (cross-body bags, Drake flags, blankets, bobbleheads, coffee mugs)

Join your fellow faculty and staff and go All In for our Bulldog community on March 4–5. Learn more at all-in.drake.edu.

— Bruce Heintz, University Communications and Marketing

Are you unsure what the difference is between your Dining Dollars and Bulldog Bucks?  Let me explain.

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars are funds that are a part of your meal plan.  They are intended for on-campus dining.  You can use these funds at the Olmsted Starbucks, Hubbell Dining Hall, OnTheGo Convenience Store, the Library Cafe, or at Concessions in the Knapp Center.

Dining Dollars are loaded at the start of the semester, and will carry forward to the end of the Spring semester.  You’ll want to use these funds before you leave for home in the summer.

Bulldog Bucks

Bulldog Bucks are an optional account, also on your ID, that you (or your family) load as desired.  These funds carry forward from year to year until you leave Drake, and can be used both on and off campus.

Bulldog Bucks can be used for any on campus dining location (listed above), and can also be used at the Drake Bookstore, at campus printers, at participating off campus locations, and on the GrubHub app.

GrubHub Snacks and Giveaways Tomorrow!

GrubHub is providing an afternoon snack and some fun giveaways in the Olmsted Breezeway tomorrow, February 18, over the lunch hour, so feel free to swing by to grab a treat, and enter for a chance to win prizes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Funds can be added online in the myDrake portal, or at www.acceptinglocations.com/drake.  You can also see the participating off campus merchants at this link.  Please note that the off campus merchants cannot take your Dining Dollars, they can only take Bulldog Bucks.

If you have any questions about your Dining Dollars or meal plan, feel free to contact dining@drake.edu.  If you have any questions about your Bulldog Bucks account, feel free to contact studentservices@drake.edu.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

Discover the real story behind a rising literary career with bestselling author and Drake graduate Ellen Won Steil, JO’07. In this Everclass session, Ellen reflects on her path from Iowa to the bookshelves, sharing the quiet persistence, reinventions, and even failures that fueled The Lives of Others, Becoming Marlow Fin, and Fortune. She will also discuss what it is like to have one of her books optioned for development as a series on Peacock and how her background in journalism and law sharpened her voice as a storyteller. Perfect for creators seeking motivation, insight, and a candid look at the publishing world.

This is a free event open to all and will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, February 26, at 8 p.m.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

• When: Tuesdays, Multiple Dates, 2:30-3:30pm. Register Here
• Where: JSC 350, Ernest Boardroom

Contact Kayla.Bell@drake.edu if you have any questions or need additional dates.

Most of us are on guard for suspicious emails, but cybercriminals have increasingly shifted to a more personal and immediate channel: text messages. This type of attack is known as smishing. Understanding what smishing is—and how to spot it—can help protect both your personal information and University data.

What Is Smishing?

Smishing (a blend of SMS and phishing) is a scam where attackers send fraudulent text messages designed to trick you into taking a risky action. These messages often try to create urgency or fear, so you’ll respond quickly without thinking.

For example, you may receive a text that looks like it’s from your manager:

“Hi, I’m tied up in meetings. Can you quickly buy a few gift cards and text me the codes? I’ll reimburse you.”

This is a classic smishing scam. Attackers impersonate managers or executives to pressure employees into acting quickly.

A smishing message may also ask you to:

• Click a malicious link
• Call a fake support number
• Share sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, or onetime codes
• Download a harmful app

How to Protect Yourself

• Be suspicious of urgent or unusual requests sent by text.
• Never buy gift cards, share passwords, or send codes based on a text message.
• Verify requests through another channel (call, Teams message, or email you know is legitimate).
• Don’t click links in unexpected texts.
• Select “Delete and report as spam” to discard the text message.

When in doubt, slow down and verify. A quick check can prevent a costly mistake.

— Chris Mielke, ITS

Have you been itching to find out where the J-Term 2027 travel seminars will be heading? The wait is almost over! Join us at the annual Study Abroad Fair (formerly J-Term fair) on Wednesday, March 4, from 4–6:30 p.m. in Parents Hall North, Olmsted Center.

This fair will be bigger and better, as it will showcase ALL opportunities to study and intern abroad for the upcoming academic year. All current students are invited to join us to learn more about our DU cohort programs (now in 3 locations around the world), meet faculty leaders & learn about the 2027 J-Term opportunities, discover semester program locations, find international internship options, hear about student life abroad from alums, and more! We can’t wait to see you there!

— Chelsea Funk, Global Engagement

DART will introduce all new bus routes in the metro this summer. Ten main routes will replace current bus routes to provide service more often, all week, along the busiest streets. All Express Routes, Flex Connect, On Call services and the LINK shuttle in downtown Des Moines will end. DART will continue to provide Paratransit service and will launch new DART On Demand zones this fall. Operating hours will also change.

New bus routes will begin on June 14, 2026.

Learn about the new routes and other DART changes coming this summer and view a map of the new bus network at ridedart.com/newroutes

As a reminder, all Drake students, faculty, & staff ride DART buses for FREE by simply just showing your digital Drake ID.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President