times delphic 12/03/2009
DESCRIPTION
Official Independent Student Newspaper of Drake University - Des Moines, IA.TRANSCRIPT
DES MOINES, IOWA • Thursday, December 3, 2009 • VOL. 128, NO. 20 • www.timesdelphic.com
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
SEE MOCK TRIAL, PAGE 2photo by ERIN HOGAN |News Editor
SIFE MEMBERS lead a program that taught principles of entrepreneurship to kids.
ELITEEIGHTDrake beat Boston College 6-4 Sunday afternoon, faces North Carolina nextPAGE 6 SPORTS
Polk County distributes more H1N1 vaccinations
by ERIN HOGAN News Editor
by KENSIE SMITHCopy Editor
The jury hangs on the closing statement as the prosecution makes a passionate final stab at the defense. It’s not a high-profile case on C-SPAN, but students participating in mock trial—a competitive intercollegiate activity.
The team recently participated in the 9th an-nual Cornhusker Challenge on Nov. 14–15. Mock trial requires a lasting commitment. Tour-naments began in October, regionals are in Feb-ruary and the season concludes with nationals in April. Last year, the 2009 Nationals were held in the Bulldogs’ backyard, here in Des Moines.
To make it to the top and compete at nation-als, the team uses hands-on learning for the com-plicated mock trial process. Sophomore Greg Boal explained the intricacies of the mini-trial system. Each team participates in four separate trials. In a given trial, one team plays the pros-ecution and the other plays the defense. Each team has six members. Three members act as attorneys and the others are witnesses.
The 23 students on Drake’s team are divided into three groups. One group has the members with the most experience, one is comprised of first-years and one has a mix of upperclassmen and beginners.
Each “match” has opening statements and the teams call witnesses. Cross-examination and
Still using hand sanitizer profusely and car-rying wads of Kleenex out of fear of getting H1N1? Luckily, Polk County officials have cut down restrictions on distribution of the H1N1 vaccine. Now, people between ages six months and 24 years are eligible to be vaccinated.
After offering three opportunities in Novem-ber for qualified students to receive the vaccine, the American Republic Student Health Center was left with about 88 vaccines to distribute. At that time, only very specific groups, such as those ages 5 to 64 with chronic health condi-tions, were eligible for the vaccine.
“We were definitely surprised we haven’t had a lot of takers,” Health Center registered nurse Lynn Bennink said.
Drake also publicized other distribution sites in Polk County on BlueView.
On Monday, the Polk County Health De-partment announced that, as of this Wednesday, the vaccine could be distributed to broader age groups.
“We couldn’t give it out to all students until we got the go-ahead from Polk County,” Ben-nink said.
Bennink said that the Health Center plans to distribute to remaining vaccines from the first rounds of distribution on Wednesday. They will request more from the county if they go through all of the vaccines the university has.
“We don’t want to hoard all of the vaccines until we see a response,” Bennink said.
She said that she is concerned students will bring viruses back to campus after Thanksgiving and winter breaks and that they are especially vulnerable to contracting the virus during stress-ful periods, such as finals.
“We’re hoping we have a lot of takers and can get a lot of people vaccinated on Wednes-day,” Bennink said. n
‘Don’t knock the mock trial team’
The Drake Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Sports Business Administration will team up this month for the first Toys for Tots Athletes’ Charity Ball. The ball is intended to benefit the Toys for Tots group and encourage future collaboration between the two student-athlete groups.
On Dec. 12, the Allen Fieldhouse will open its doors for the festivities at 9 p.m. Each Drake athlete is invited and may bring two guests. Admission is one new toy or three dollars per person.
“Student athletes often don’t get to socialize as a collective group, and when we do, it’s usually in practice gear,” copresident sophomore Colin Hagan said. “This is an
opportunity for student athletes to come to a nice event, bring guests and raise money for a good cause.”
According to Central Iowa’s Toys for Tots, the Des Moines branch donated nearly 82,000 toys last year. The toys were distributed to 195 central Iowa organizations. This year, Drake SAAC and SBA will be contributing to that number.
Senior Deidra Dirth is the vice president of SBA and the community outreach committee chair of SAAC. Dirth said SAAC has been collecting money for Toys for Tots throughout
the semester at Drake athletic events.
“SAAC has raised almost $300, and hopes to produce an
equivalent amount through the Athletes’ Ball,” Dirth said.
Hagan said the money they’ve raised will buy more toys, especially athletic gear, for children in need. The basketballs, tennis rackets and baseball gloves collected at the Athletes’ Charity Ball will go directly toward making children’s dreams come true.
“As athletes, we can help children by supplying them with the instruments that helped spark our athletic careers as children,” Dirth said.
The donations will be displayed at the ball and presented to KCCI and the U.S. Marine Corps, the organizations in charge of operating the charity in central Iowa.
SAAC and SBA have a goal of 100 student athletes and athletic personnel attending the event.
Dirth said this is the first year the two organizations will hold a ball. Last year, the athletic teams and the athletic d e p a r t m e n t collected money and made a single purchase of
toys for the program.
T h e evening will
feature sports-themed activities, a presentation of the toys and proceeds
and other entertainment for guests. n
Maxwell: we need your helpPresident sends e-mail to students, faculty Monday
by LIZZIE PINE Managing Editor
On Monday, President David Maxwell sent an e-mail to the Drake community about the administration’s responsibilities of prevention, education and support of the victims relating to the recent hazing and sexual assault incidents.
This was in response to a front-page article and a staff editorial in the Nov. 23 issue of The Times-Delphic, both of which reported that students and faculty found Maxwell’s original response to be untimely and insensitive.
In the recent e-mail, Maxwell said that the
SEE MAXWELL, PAGE 2
SIFE teaches local kids entrepreneurial skills
Small hands worked to craft beaded bracelets, tasseled bookmarks and colored magnets with an important goal in mind. Fourth- and fifth-graders from the Haven Youth Center worked tirelessly on these projects to try their hands at small business.
Drake’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) introduced the program to teach the children about entrepreneurship. The stu-dents made all of the products on their own,
determined prices and then sold the mer-chandise at the “Small Hands, Big Plans” craft sale that SIFE hosted in the Olmsted Breezeway Nov. 18.
The participants said they enjoyed the chance to come to Drake and had a good time making the items.
“I liked that you could be creative when you make the crafts,” 10-year-old Manuel said.
A unique part of the project was each student had a special role in the “company.”
by KENSIE SMITHCopy Editor
SEE SIFE, PAGE 2
by ALYSSE GEARStaff Writer
SAAC and SBA team up for Toys for Tots
OFTHESEASON GIVING
THE TIMES-DELPHIC NEWS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 PAGE 2
PAGETWO“I hope that next year’s group will be hungry to return to the conference tournament now that we have gotten a taste.”
— HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH PHIL MCDANIEL, page 7
SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO [email protected] FOR BREAKING DRAKE NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TDBREAKINGNEWS
DAYQUOTE
of the
SECURITY REPORTS
12:36 a.m. Nov. 10 A security officer observed a motorcycle being driven by a male adult near Jewett Residence Hall. The male was recognized by the of-ficer because of a previ-
ous encounter with him riding his motorcycle on sidewalks. When spoken to previously, the male merely shouted an obscenity at the officer, flipped him off and drove away. The officer
spoke to him again, and the subject yelled the same obscenity and attempted to leave. Another officer ar-rived and the male acted in the same manner and sped off northbound on 27th
Street, flipping off the of-ficers all the way to Forest Avenue. Police were called, and the subject was located by security officers in the 1300 block of 34th St. The sandwich delivery man was advised on trespass for the entire Drake campus and his supervisor was advised.
2:49 a.m. Nov. 13 A security officer observed two females near a Drake parking lot located in the 1200 block of 30th St. One of the females had her trousers down and was urinating. The underage- for-drinking female stu-dent, who appeared to be intoxicated, stated she had been drinking in one of the residence halls, but could not remember which one. The second female was also an underage-for-drinking student and stated she had been drinking at a bar ear-lier in the evening located in the 2300 block of Uni-versity Ave. She did not ap-
pear to be intoxicated, but did produce a fake driver’s license. It was evident that she was trying to help for the safety of her friend. Both students were seen back to their residence hall. The dean of students was advised.
2:24 a.m. Nov. 14 It was reported that some-one pulled an exit sign out of the ceiling on the third floor of Kirk Residence Hall.
3:57 p.m. Nov. 14 A male student reported that someone stole his passport out of his room in Herriott Residence Hall between Nov. 9 and 7 p.m. on Nov. 12.
12:48 a.m. Nov. 19 Between midnight and 12:48 a.m. on Nov. 19, someone removed a fire ex-tinguisher from the wall on the first floor of Goodwin Residence Hall and broke a
window to a residence hall room. Also, paper towels were scattered in the men’s restroom.
4:22 p.m. Nov. 20 A male student stated he was injured when he fell off his skateboard south of Herriott Residence Hall. Security administered mi-nor first-aid to the student’s toe. The student declined any further aid and stated he would go back to his room and finish treating his injury.
4:10 p.m. Nov. 23 Security responded to 30th Street and Carpenter Av-enue based on a call that a male adult smelling of alco-hol was following students. The male was encountered and advised on trespass for the Drake campus.
Security received a call from a male student who stated there was a drunk male in his room trying to fight him and damage his room. It was determined that an underage-for-drinking male student had left the basketball game at the Knapp Center early because he was intoxicated. He was given a key to the victim’s room by another roommate so he could retrieve his hat. When the complainant returned, he found a previously unopened bag of Cool
Ranch-flavored Doritos dumped all over the floor. The complain-ant told the other student to clean it up and that the fight was on. A bookcase and a curtain rod were destroyed in the altercation. The suspect student left, but was con-tacted by cell phone. He stated that he didn’t want to talk to of-ficers because he was intoxicated. The victim stated he didn’t want to press charges. The matter was coordinated with the dean of stu-dents.
9:16 p.m. Nov. 17
THE FIGHT IS ON...
Manuel had the role of “fashion consultant,” and fourth-grader Ciattle had a nametag indi-cating her role as “boss.”
“We helped teach them marketing skills and teach them positions in a company,” ju-nior SIFE member Ingrid Zhao said.
SIFE works to encourage business and economic stimulus. The project introduced the elementary students to entrepreneurship to promote engaged citizenship.
“All the money we make, we’re going to take and send to Africa to help the poor peo-ple and kids,” Ciattle said.
The sale gave the young entrepreneurs the opportunity to give back to the after-school program they all attend and enjoy. Supplies for the crafts, such as the beads, paper and glitter, were all donated. The hard-earned profits will go directly to The Haven, a Chil-dren and Family Urban Ministries after-school program.
The “company” said they plan to donate some money to a charity in Africa and the rest
will go toward programming for their group.“Depending on how much they make, they
are going to try and take a trip or buy games for the program,” SIFE member Katelyn Massey said.
Massey said they’ve been working with the student group for over a month, volunteering at the after-school program each week.
“I think it’s a good event that brings all the kids to a college campus to have something to look forward to,” sophomore SIFE member Eric Griffin said. “And, it teaches them about business.”
To celebrate their success, the young mer-chants were treated to a meal at Hubbell Din-ing Hall, compliments of Sodexo.
The craft sale was one of several events of SIFE’s Entrepreneurship Week, which ran from Nov. 16 to Nov. 21. Other opportunities included an entrepreneurship panel of current and recent Drake graduates and a roundtable discussion with alumnus Michael Sweeny, a founder of Venture Capital Firm/InterWest Partners. A keynote address by Drake gradu-ate and president of Monterey Mills, Dan Sinykin, and a service project for Craigslist tied up the week’s activities.
A special ceremony was also held to cel-ebrate a $3 million gift from Drake alumnus Bill Buchanan, president of Unified Life In-surance Co.
The donation will be used to found the William M. and Jean M. Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Housed in the College of Business and Public Administra-tion, the center will offer a business lab setting for students to increase their skills under the direction of a full-time faculty member. n
closing arguments are also evaluated. The tri-als are like a basketball game, where ideas are bounced back and forth and points are awarded to each attorney and witness. Each trial is com-posed of mini-trials, or steps in the process, which last two to three hours each.
Sophomore Sarah Francis enjoys the inten-sity and challenge that come with debating. The activity attracts a diverse group of participants with varying levels of experience.
“It gets really competitive sometimes,” Fran-cis said. “You meet the most interesting people in mock trial.”
All participants have a different role to play in the case. Francis’ current role in mock trial is that of a murder accomplice.
First-year Emily Lofgren smiles when she cites her character as a “cheesy assistant.”
“It’s really fun to be both an attorney and a witness,” Lofgren said. “And it’s good to get to play a role that you don’t generally play in real life.”
Team members play their roles from oppos-ing viewpoints, once on the affirmative side then on the defense. This switch in perspective allows the competitors to gain a deeper understanding of motives and factors behind a case.
“I personally joined because I’m planning on going into law, and it’s a good experience and preparation for law school,” first-year member Dakota Johnson said. “You get a lot of good practice of what you should do in a court room
with direct examination and making objec-tions.”
Practicing using legal terminology is just one component of the skill set the team members ac-quire. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. twice a week and for three hours on Sunday, the debaters allocate their limited free time to building these skills.
All of the practice paid off at the Harvard Crimson Classic, in Boston, Mass., where Drake placed sixth in the national tournament this fall. Last year, the team took the championship title at the Classic and participated at nationals.
“This year we have had a lot of success with individual awards,” junior Daniel Van Sant said. “All across the board people have been rec-ognized. It shows that when people work hard on their individual part, they promote the team as a whole.”
The mock trial board members are looking to continue the winning trend this year. Five of-ficers serve as the executive council of the team. They are in charge of making critical decisions on behalf of the team.
Junior Valerie Whiting serves as the secre-tary. Whiting said the team has clear goals.
“One of the main goals is to win, and the most important thing is to educate people on how law works, articulate well and argue effec-tively,” Whiting said.
The team will have the opportunity to ac-complish these goals at the Macalester Tour-nament in St. Paul, Minn. this weekend. The regional competition season will begin when students return for second semester. n
FROM MOCK TRIAL, PAGE 1
FROM SIFE, PAGE 1
administration will do its part, but the students must do theirs.
“We need your help if we are going to be successful in this endeavor,” Maxwell said.
However, many students think the e-mail was ambiguous as to what actions will be taken.
“He didn’t make the actions too clear,” soph-omore Joey Stych said. “I think the actions need to be taken faster. Clearly, this is an important issue; it won’t be blown over lightly.”
Junior Katie Henson said she thought he was going to list actions they had done, and that she didn’t understand exactly what he was doing.Others agreed.
“I thought the e-mail was kind of vague,” junior Kara McCartney said. “He wants to de-crease sexual assault and hazing, but he didn’t specifically list out how he was going to do it. He said he needed the students to do their role, but he didn’t say how he wanted the students to take active roles.”
Some students said that these incidents are not as rare as the administration thinks.
“It happens all the time—I don’t know if this was just more publicized,” Henson said. “It should’ve been a bigger deal all along.”
The e-mail also said sexual assaults and the misuse of alcohol are national problems, and Drake is not immune to them. Maxwell said there is more work to do.
Senior Chelsea Carter said that although she doesn’t see how task forces will help, she appre-ciates that Drake is addressing the issues.
“They are showing the Drake community that the safety of students is their main concern and they’re willing to take of it,” she said. n
FROM MAXWELL, PAGE 1
Mock trial serious about goals
photo courtesy of SARAH FRANCIS
Students react to e-mail
Drake students teach children the basics of business
Visit www.timesdelphic.com to participate in the new poll: Are the bells an improvement on campus? Yes or no?
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MEMBERS OF THE DRAKE MOCK TRIAL TEAM have spent hours preparing for their tournament this weekend in Minnesota. This is just one of three groups of the team, which has been divided based on experience.
OPINIONS & EDITORIALSTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009PAGE 3 THE TIMES-DELPHIC
OPINIONS&EDITORIALS Are you still sleepyfrom all that turkey?
THE TIMES-DELPHICTHE STUDENT NEWSPAPER
FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
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BUZZBUZZthe
When I first came to Drake as a first-year student, I thought I had found a heav-en on earth. Everywhere I
went, I felt like I was part of a community. Sure we have our cliques and there have always been a few rifts between certain groups, but I never felt like an outsider, always a member of a community. This year, that all changed. This year, what I came to love was ripped away from me, and I’m not alone in this. Something hap-pened to us as a community this year, and we need to act now to fix it.
Drake currently faces two major cri-ses. The first is our problem with alcohol. The second is our problem with rape. It is shocking to me to even write that we have these problems, but the fact is, we do, and unless we address them head on, we’ll only continue to see them. The main question that we have to ask ourselves is, “Who’s to blame?” It’s easy for us as a soci-ety and as human beings to shift the blame to others. So long as your conscience is cleared, you have nothing to worry about. But herein lies our problem. By refusing to accept responsibility, we are unable to properly ad-dress our problems. Once we stop pointing fingers and start accepting the fact that we are at fault, we can begin the healing process.
And yes, I say “we.” No one person is at fault for what has happened, we all are. Who created an atmosphere of social-izing that pressures people to drink, even if it means risking their own lives? Who allowed male students to view women as objects only to be used for sexual pleasure? Who let our fellow students leave campus bars when it was clear they were not ca-
pable of making conscious choices? Who permitted underaged drinking to escalate to such an unhealthy and dangerous level? Who said that burning signs protesting rape was acceptable? We all did. This is not the fault of one person, group or ad-ministration. This is the fault of a commu-
nity. We are all to blame.The most troubling thing about these
tragedies is that, when talking to the first year class, they don’t seem to be concerned with what’s happening around them. I’ve heard remarks such as, “I’m sure it hap-pened before this,” “Other schools are a lot worse,” “It’s not that big of a deal. Can’t we just move on?” Regardless of whether it has happened before, we have to deal with this now. Regardless of whether it’s happened at other schools, this does not
excuse it happening at Drake. And no, we cannot just move on. We cannot sweep this under the rug. We have to confront this head on, as a community.
So, what can we do to solve this prob-lem? It will take work. I challenge every member of the Drake community to change their thinking. Don’t pressure peo-ple to drink themselves to death. Don’t let your friends leave bars with strangers. And respect each other at all times. When you see those that are doing these things, don’t just stand by, say something! This is our home for four years, and I refuse to sit idly by and watch my home fall apart. Perhaps most importantly, though, we must reach out to each other. Talk about it with your friends. It is almost impossible to under-stand the horrors that have recently un-
folded, but we can prevent them in the future.
Upperclassmen, get to know the first-years. Talk to them, and let them know that we are from Drake University, and we look out for one another. I refuse to let a Bulldog be threatened in these ways ever again. Put aside your differences and understand that we must confront this together. Together, we are united. To-gether, we can prevent these ter-
rible events from happening again. Please, reach out and care. These are your peers, your colleagues and your friends. Do not let these horrendous acts define our col-lege experience. Instead, let our unity as a community define it.
ROBB KREHBIEL
COLUMNIST
Krehbiel is a junior environmental science and politics major and can be contacted at
TACKLING THE TOPICS
What happened to us?Drake is our home for four years, let’s keep one another safe
This is not the fault of one person, group or administration. This is the fault of a community. We are all to blame.
“
“”
OU
TSPO
KEN
What do you think …
“MEREDITH BELLJunior
”I’ve only gone once.
Personally, I think it’s hilarious because people are running around at all hours of the night acting crazy.
”
“Where I’m from, it didn’t seem as crowded as I thought it’d be. We were able to get everything in a safe and early manner.
PIERCE BERTSCHYFreshman
“”
It’s a waste of time. You do it once and that’s all you need.
NIK MILLERSophomore
“”
I’ve only been once. It was kind of crowded, but seemed under control. Not really for me.
SASHA KALIANSenior
It’s really hectic, but can be helpful if you get there on time.
ERIN VANDERSCHELFreshman
… about shopping on Black Friday?
”Share your views on
columns and editorials online.
www.timesdelphic.com
This article goes out to a friend of mine who asked me to explore and discuss this topic. With that said let’s talk about booty
calls. We all know people who do them, and people who refuse to, but this happens every day here at Drake. One person de-cides they are bored or horny, and picks up the phone, and sometimes it’s even just texting. How lazy do you have to be?
Let me warn you that I know this can be very dangerous. I will admit that I have never been a victim or participant of a booty call, so I am just telling you what I hear and what I believe on this topic. However, I did get asked once in high school if I wanted to be friends with ben-efits. Anyway, in fairness, I will argue both the pros and cons of this controversial topic.
A booty call could be a great opportunity to get some while avoiding the time commitment of a relationship, along with all the drama that comes with it. However, time does play a key role in the booty call, seeing as how most of them occur in the wee hours of the morning after a drunken night at, say, Peggy’s. So, if you are willing to be woken up or to lose a couple hours of sleep, then maybe the booty call is for you.
Let’s start with the cons. It can be ex-tremely difficult to draw the lines. How can you ever make sure that one of the people involved will not develop feelings for the other person? Well, it’s almost im-possible. And if one person does, then the
fun is done. Another thing to consider is your reputation—once people know you as the booty call king, it’s kind of hard to change that or have a real relationship down the road. And you will forever be thought of as promiscuous. As I said be-
fore, late nights can be difficult to schedule around. Also, it can be awkward and just plain uncomfortable. I can’t imagine that, “Thank you, please put your pants on and go,” ever really goes over well. One can-not help but feel somewhat used. If this is someone who was your friend before, you also run the risk of destroying the friend-ship.
Now, let’s discuss the pros to the in-famous booty call. This relationship re-
quires little to no effort … OK, there’s a little effort involved, but I’m not going to get into that. If done correctly, or in the beginning, this “relationship” is no muss, no fuss. There is no need to go above and beyond, or demonstrate how you feel to the other person. Also a plus, there is no need for roses and romance, it’s quick and down and dirty. You do not need to com-mit yourself to someone, so you could still date others or mess around with more than one person. Plus, if you find a qual-ity booty call, they are always there to fulfill your needs and usually gone within 30 minutes at the latest. But there has to be a mutual agreement that this is strictly “friends with benefits” or even “acquain-tances with benefits.”
I do want to warn the ladies, especially, that this could be extra difficult be-cause of all our emotions. When women become sexually involved, emo-tions are bound to catch up with you, and it is only a matter of time until someone ends up getting hurt, and, unfortunately, it is usually the girl.
So, in closing, booty calls could be loads of fun and exactly what you are looking for, but just be cau-tious and leave your heart at home.
LIFE: LIVING IT FROM EXPERIENCE
Are there really benefits to friends with benefits?
I can’t imagine that, “Thank you, please put your pants on and go,” ever really goes over well.
Booty call breakdown
Calder is a sophomore public relations major and can be contacted at [email protected].
JEN CALDER
COLUMNIST
THE TIMES-DELPHIC FEATURES THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 PAGE 4
FEATURES DON’T. MISS. THIS.The drama “Oleanna” plays
tonight at 8 p.m. in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $1 with a Drake ID.
We all want to be healthy and fit, don’t we? We’re college students, we’re teenagers, we want to be noticed by the opposite sex, and that’s why we have facilities like the Bell Center. With weights, exercise equipment and the pool, it sounds like a good plan at the beginning of every year. You tell yourself, “I’m going to work out at least three times a week,” which turns into “I’ll work out every couple days,” then it just goes away.
The gym may not work for everybody, especially in the dead of winter, when it’s 25 degrees below freezing, and you live in Ross, or any dorm for that matter. You don’t want to drag your-self all the way over to the other side of campus, so why not just work out in your room?
While you could just whip out 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups, let’s try and mix it up. Sparkpeople.com suggests many quick and easy options that anyone can mix and match to build a conve-nient workout:
Marching in place• Stepping up and down the stairs or running the stairs in your • buildingSide steps• Jogging in place or high-knee running in place • Jumping jacks• Kickboxing moves (front kicks, squats, side kicks, punches)• Dancing to your favorite music•
Fortunately, we don’t live in little shoebox rooms here at Drake. We’re lucky to have a good amount of space to move around, so that’s not the problem. Experts say everyone needs about 30–45 minutes of cardio a day with stretching. So, dish out some jumping jacks when you’re on a study break. Here are some more ideas:
• Squats• Leg raises – lie on your back with your legs straight
out. Lift your legs to a 90-degree angle and lower slowly, repeat• Calf raises• Bicep curls with water bottles• Butt-ups – lie on your back with your legs bent with feet flat
on the floor. Lift up your torso and butt while keeping abs and butt tight
• Push-ups – place your hands on your desk, and extend your legs straight out behind you. Proceed to do an up-and-down movement, like a regular push-up against the desk
• Lie on back, extend legs and lift them up about 6 inches off the ground. Lift your torso and shoulders up, extend arms and lift them up and down 10 times, go down and repeat back up
• Leg and arm extensions – Get on hands and knees and ex-tend your opposite leg and arm. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat with opposite arm and leg
If you want to fork out some dough for the good of your body, there are many DVD workout options. Sometimes you just need to stop thinking and allow someone else to tell you what to do. You can focus on different parts of your body — abs, butt, legs, arms — and you can chose what kind of workout you want to do- — yoga, Pilates, dancing and kickboxing. The choices are endless.
If you Google search for “Dorm room workouts,” there are a lot workout videos available to download that are free or very cheap (and legal). Then turn it into a party by setting up your laptop in the hallway and invite a crowd of people to join you. That way you’re getting your workout in, and you get to hang with your friends.
Although it’s hard to find the time to work out, the luxury of not having to leave your room to get one in should make it easier. Every couple days, just take a half-hour break from studying, put on some gym shorts and get to work. Your body will thank you for it later. n
by HEATHER HALLStaff Writer
Looking for some good workout videos? Try the “Power-house Collection: Pilates.” The 3-DVD set offers easy, cardio
and powerhouse pilates for all levels. It even comes with a body band to extend, lengthen and intensify your pilates
experience.
Dorm-room exercising devices
BOSU BALLFor a rock-solid workout, you can’t beat a Bosu Ball. This little blue hemisphere can rock your abs and calves all at once, and with a little variation, provide a solid upper and lower body workout experience. Literally dozens of exercises are possible. Make sure to get one that includes a pump, however.Cost: about $90
ANKLE AND BALL WEIGHTSIf you want to spend a little less money but still have access to a high-quality workout, invest in some ankle and ball weights. You can wear the ankle weights during normal leg raises, jogging or certain ab exercises. Ball weights are more versatile than traditional weights, and more fun, too.Cost: $10 - $20
YOGA MATIf you’re feeling like trying out a more exotic workout, a yoga mat might be the perfect choice. Dozens of stretching positions are possible.Cost: about $20
photos by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo Editor
DESK PUSH UPPolish those guns by cleaning off a small corner of your desk. Place your arms on your desk and extend your legs straight out behind you. Proceed to do an up-and-down movement like a regular push up.
WATER BOTTLE WEIGHT CURLSWater bottles are more than hydrating bladders — they can serve as adjustable weights in dozens of exercises. Curl them, bench them or extend them. Bonus: you’ll burn calories walking to the drinking fountain.
BUTT-UPNeed an excuse to clean your room? Shove the crap in the closet and get on the ground. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift up your torso and butt while keeping your abs and butt tight.
DORM ROOM BOOTCAMP
Get thin,not cold.
”“
FEATURESTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009PAGE 5 THE TIMES-DELPHIC
campus>>What’s going on?
TODAY
PERFORMANCEDrake Writers and
Critics Series - Writers Night
WHEREMedbury Honors
Lounge
WHEN7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
LECTUREProf. Mary McCarthy, Dept. of Politics and
IR, Humanities Center Colloquium Series
WHEREMedbury Honors
Lounge
WHEN3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
SATURDAY
THEATERCirque Dreams Illumination –
theatrical acrobatics
WHERECivic Center of Greater
Des MoinesWHEN: 2 p.m.
calendar
THEATERDrake presents drama “Oleanna”- $1 with
Drake ID
WHEREStudio 55 - FAC
WHEN8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
CONCERTDrake Wind Symphony
and Drake Concert Band
WHEREPerforming Arts Hall
FACWHEN
8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
PERFORMANCEChristmas Madrigal
Dinner featuring Drake Choir - $50
WHEREParents Hall
Upper OlmstedWHEN:
7 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
A Jew, a Mormon and an atheist walk into a room. What happens next?
If that room is in Medbury Hall, then the three are treated to an intelligent and respectful conversation. The talks are part of the Drake Interfaith Dialogues (DID) meant to address the similarities and differences of religions. DID is seeing what it means to coexist and put it to practice.
The new student organization started last year as part of a Wednesday night series at St. Kate’s Catholic student center. Kyle Lech-tenberg, the director of worship in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, started the program.
“The inter-faith dialogues are especially i m p o r t a n t , ” L e c h t e n b e r g said. “In the college environ-ment, it can be the first time people talk with others from all faiths.”
M e e t i n g s are open to all students’ reli-gious ideologies. Most participating students are monotheistic, but approximately 20 different faiths are represented, including Judaism, Mor-monism, Jainism, Ba’haism, Islam and Christi-anity. A big challenge for the group is ensuring that students who consider themselves agnostic or atheist are given a voice.
“(Our goal is) to civilly discuss diverse reli-
gious topics,” said Colin Faux, copresident of DID and a Mormon.
From the beginning, the discussion partici-pants recognized the importance of being re-spectful. Lechtenberg structured the meetings formally, starting with introductions that in-cluded names and religious affiliations. Students wishing to share followed a method that allowed them to express their own viewpoint. Each opin-ion started with, “In my perspective as a Roman Catholic,” or “In my perspective as someone who is Jewish…”
“The initial fears were that one person or one group will try and apostatize, or convert, the rest of the group,” Lechtenberg said.
Jamie Schenker, copresident of DID and a Jew, thinks it’s important to spread the right ideas about religion.
“We want to hear about religious faith from individuals of those faiths, not rumors,” Schen-
ker said.Lechtenberg
was pleasantly surprised with the level of interest of the program in its first year, and it quickly be-came a successful Wednesday night program.
As attendance grew, some con-cerns about the
location of the meeting were brought up.
“We started moving the meetings on campus because we didn’t want students to feel a push towards Catholicism,” Schenker said.
The move also helped connect the group’s goals with the university’s.
“DID is seeking to help Drake fulfill its mis-sion to build global citizens, by involving stu-
dents in this active part of world culture,” Faux said. “The ramifications of religion is a global reality,” Faux said.
DID is now in its second year and is in tran-sition into becoming an on-campus student or-ganization. Brad Crowell, professor of religious studies is slated to be the faculty advisor.
Lechtenberg is excited to see collaboration with students and professors.
“It’s the only place on campus where stu-dents are not expected to belong to a certain religion,” Crowell said.
The group meets once a month to discuss a chosen topic. November’s topic was “The Laws and Writings of Our Faiths.” It was both a show -and-tell where members could bring in religious texts and discuss what makes texts sacred.
“One thing that I learned about the sacred texts are that missionary religions, like Mormon-ism and Islam, pass out copies of their sacred texts frequently, as a way to get people to join the religion,” Schenker said. “I hadn’t realized that part of proselytizing was passing out sacred texts to anyone, mainly because this is definitely not Jewish custom. I find it useful to compare other religious traditions to my own traditions in order to better understand my own faith.”
Along with stimulating discussion, the group
tries to visit different places of worship. The monthly field trips transport students to different faith realms, like a Muslim Masjid—a mosque, a Mormon church and a synagogue.
In April, the group plans on inviting the rest of the university to an interfaith panel discus-sion. The question and answer session would share topics discussed over the year.
Benefits of interfaith discussions have also translated into the community. In his work with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, Lechtenberg utilized his experience to schedule an event for the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Iowa. The event included an in-terfaith discussion between 11 different religious leaders and people of Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths worshiping together.
“Coexist, within the religious context, means to share the space we live in, despite our reli-gious differences,” Faux said. “A very important concept to learn today, because we are now a global community where religious differences stare us in the face.”
Within the walls of Medbury 116, there is re-ligious dialogue that will result in tolerance, not conflict. DID proves that it is possible to learn from one another to gain new insight to coex-ist. n
Students discuss religious tolerance and differences in a safe, friendly way
It’s the only place on campus where students are not expected to belong to a
certain religion.– COLIN FAUX, copresident of DID
by ANDI SUMMERSStaff Writer
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
SUNDAY
SPORTSBetsy Ross Dodgeball Tourney - 5-8 player teams – $5 per team
WHEREBell Center
WHEN: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
LECTUREProf. Thomas Rosburg,
High Adventure: Climbing on Mount
Rainier
WHEREOlin Rm. 206
WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
photo by TIFFANY KRAUSE | Staff Photographer
JAMIE SCHENKER, ELIZABETH FEINSTEIN, SAMARA SILVERMAN, COLIN FAUX AND JEREMY SCAVO are speakers in the Drake Interfaith Dialogues.
photo by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo Editor
THE SNOWMAN IN OLMSTED was adorned with snowflakes on which were written the holiday wishes of children. Drake students took the snowflakes and gave the gifts on it to the children.
THINK YOU GOT STYLE?TD CRIBS:
The TD wants to see the finest of Cribs at Drake. Send in pictures of your snazzy and stylish space, whether a
dorm room or apartment, to:
THE TIMES-DELPHIC SPORTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 PAGE 6
SPORTSSTELLAR STATSNumber of non-seeded teams left in the NCAA tournament—Drake and Maryland.
2FOR BREAKING SPORTS NEWSWWW.TWITTER.COM/TDSPORTSNEWS
SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO [email protected] FOR BREAKING DRAKE SPORTS NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TDSPORTSNEWS
will begin accepting submissions on a rolling-basis starting Monday, October 26th 2009.
Submissions sought in the areas of Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Art and, for the first time, Music.
To submit, please send your submission(s) together with a cover letter includingname, e-mail address, phone number, and title(s) of work as an e-mail attachment to in a Microsoft Word document formatted in 12 pt., Times New Roman font. Art submissions must include digital images, title, dimen-sions and medium.
Music submissions should be sent as an mp3 attachment, but still include a cover letter containing the aforemen- tioned information.
The Bulldogs split a pair of down-to-the-wire games last weekend at the Saint Mary’s Hilton Concord Tourna-ment, including a 66-65 victory over University of Arkan-sas-Little Rock sealed by a game-winning runner with two seconds left by senior guard Jordann Plummer.
The shot served as redemption for Friday’s 76-73 defeat against tournament host Saint Mary’s, in which Plummer was called for traveling just before making what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer.
The Bulldogs are now 3-2 on their young season that also features an impressive victory over No. 24 Iowa State.
“Our overall performance was very good on the of-fensive end during the Saint Mary’s tournament,” Head Coach Amy Stephens said. “We continue to make really positive strides offensively, but our improvement on the defensive end still needs to be better, and our rotations and rebounding must improve.”
On Friday, the Bulldogs played a strong first half and seemed to be in control with a 45-34 lead. Junior guard Kristin Turk came off the bench and led the charge for Drake, scoring 12 points in a five-minute period and 14 total in the half.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 43 percent from the field and 50 percent from three in the first half.
The second half, however, belonged to Saint Mary’s. Led by Louella Tomlinson, the Gaels shot 63 percent from the field en route to a 42-point half.
The 6-foot-4-inch Tomlinson was nearly unstoppable, going 13-for-17 for 26 points. She also grabbed eight re-bounds and blocked seven Bulldog shots.
“Louella was tough to guard because she could score from the outside, off the dribble or with her back to the
basket, and she is an excellent free throw shooter,” Ste-phens said. “She is a very intelligent basketball player as well.”
With 37 seconds left and the Bulldogs down by four, sophomore guard Amber Wollschlager hit her third 3-pointer of the game to bring Drake within a point. Saint Mary’s sealed the game, however, with a layup by Jasmine Smith with 13 seconds left.
Wollschlager scored nine points on the game and was 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Senior forward Monique’ Jones added 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds.
The next day, Drake was in the opposite scenario.Against Arkansas-Little Rock, the Bulldogs got off to
a slow start, making just 9-of-20 shots and scoring only 24 points.
The second half was a whole different story, however, as Drake shot a record 16-for-20 (a school record) and 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
The Bulldogs were down seven with 12 minutes left when Jordann Plummer took control of the game. The senior scored four points and had two steals that propelled the team to a 6-0 run and pulled the score within one.
The score remained close for the rest of the game until Plummer ultimately gave the Bulldogs the lead with her last-second heroics.
Plummer finished the game with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting while dishing eight assists.
Jones and Turk also had efficient games, both shooting 5-for-7 and scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. Jones also controlled the boards, pulling in six rebounds.
“We hope to build off our defense in the second half of the Arkansas-Little Rock game,” Stephens said. “We also had a key defensive stop at the end of the game which we can build on.”
The Bulldogs will carry the momentum of the last-second win into next weekend’s Air Force Tournament in Colorado. n
by JACK THUMSERStaff Writer
Drake returns with close finishesWOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Drake men’s soccer team took off from Des Moines International Airport yesterday morning en route to its NCAA Championship Tournament quarterfinal match against North Carolina, scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. East-ern Time.
After defeating Boston College 6-4 Sunday, the Bulldogs advanced to the Elite Eight (Fri-day’s game).
The winner of the match will go on to the NCAA College Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., and will either face No. 1 seed Akron or No. 8 Tulsa Dec. 11.
Friday’s match will mark the first time the two teams will faceoff, but the Bulldogs are not going into the competition blind.
In preparation for the game, Head Coach Sean Holmes said he watched video of the op-ponents to scout their strengths, weaknesses and style of play.
“We’re completely confident,” Holmes said. “We’re unfazed about playing anyone, anywhere.”
North Carolina defeated Indiana en route to the Elite Eight.
Holmes said he doesn’t plan to change the team’s lineup at all for the game, although he said he was not sure of the status of goalkeeper Michael Drozd, who sustained an injury in the game against Boston College that benched him for the second half of the match. Senior midfielder Luke Gorczyca said the team is not worried about potentially having to switch keepers.
“Drozd has been a building block of our defense, but we have confidence in Jordan Ka-dlec,” Gorczyca said. “He’s a strong keeper and he’s done well.”
Gorczyca scored two of Drake’s six goals in the game against BC — his first multi-goal tally in one game this season.
Gorczyca’s scoring was not the only thing out of the ordinary during the match. The win over BC was the result of a game Holmes de-scribed as “wacky.”
“It was the most unbelievable game I’ve
ever been a part of, as a coach or as a player,” Holmes said.
Boston College scored the first two goals while holding Drake to a shutout until the 31st minute of the first half. The Bulldogs recov-ered from the 2-0 deficit with goals by junior midfielder Michael Noonan and senior mid-fielder Kevin Shrout.
“To be down 2-0 on the road and to come back is incredible,” Holmes said.
The team carried the momentum through the first 45 minutes of play.
“Once you get that first goal after being down, it just gets everyone into the game,” Noonan said. “We were all pretty pumped up at half.”
Just before the halftime whistle blew, start-ing goalkeeper Drozd suffered an injury that benched him for the remainder of the game. Sophomore keeper Jordan Kadlec replaced Drozd in the second half.
“Our backup keeper really inspired us with the way he played, being big in the box and making saves in the second half,” Noonan said.
Less than two minutes into the second half, BC freshman standout Charlie Rugg found the back of the net, putting the Eagles ahead 3-2.
Senior forward Garret Webb answered back, scoring at the 56:42 minute-mark. The referees contested the goal, calling it back for a moment. After deliberation, the refs awarded the tying goal to Drake.
The tug-of-war scoring pattern continued for the next 13 minutes as Drake took the lead at 4-3 after senior midfielder Luke Gorczyca scored. BC tied the match at 4-4 as another freshman, Kyle Bekker, scored off of a Rugg assist.
That was the last time Drake would lose its lead as Gorczyca scored the fifth goal in the 70th minute.
Noonan said the team’s strategy changed after the fifth goal. The team kept the forwards back and focused on defense to remain in con-trol and in the lead.
Junior midfielder Matt Kuhn’s goal in the 83rd minute solidified Drake’s lead, lifting the Bulldogs to 6-4 over the Eagles.
“Everyone was ready to fight for the ball in the box, and that’s how we scored,” Noonan said. “But it was a fight to keep the lead until that sixth goal was scored.”
The action-packed game was the highest scoring so far in the 2009 NCAA Tourna-ment.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Noonan said. n
by MARY BESS BOLLINGSports Editor
Bulldogs advance to round three
photo by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo Editor
SENIOR GOALKEEPER MICHAEL DROZD takes a goal kick in the first round of the NCAA Championship tournament against Western Illinois at Cownie Soccer Complex. Drozd suffered a game-ending injury in the sweet sixteen match against Boston College Sunday.
MEN’S SOCCER
Drake will play No. 5 seed North Carolina Friday
CHAMPIONSHIPVS.
Akron1
Tulsa8
North Carolina5
DRAKE(unranked)
Wake Forest3
UCLA6
Maryland
2
(unranked)
Virginia
Visit www.timesdelphic.com to fill out your own bracket & a chance to win an autographed Drake soccer ball>>
SPORTSTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009PAGE 7 THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Spike cheers his way to a spot at Nationals at DisneySPORTS SPOTLIGHT
The Bulldogs couldn’t carry over the sea-son’s newfound success into the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this weekend.
“We have talked all season about learning from losses, as well as repeating the things that we do well during our victories,” Head Coach Phil McDaniel said. “I hope that the group will retain these lessons as we approach next sea-son.”
The Creighton Bluejays stopped Drake from continuing its breakthrough season last Thurs-day as they went on to beat the Bulldogs in three sets (25-14, 26-24, 25-22).
The Drake squad came out tentative in the opening minutes as Creighton took the first set skillfully.
“I think that nerves played a part in our loss Thursday,” McDaniel said. “We seemed to make a few mistakes that we typically don’t make on the court.”
The Bulldogs fought back in the second and third sets, but Creighton clung to the mo-mentum and capitalized on each of the Drake squad’s mistakes to win the final two sets by a narrow margin.
“Creighton was able to keep us out of system quite a bit, especially in the first game,” senior Chelsea Lauersdorf said. “However, I really think we hurt ourselves more than anything by making errors.”
The squad isn’t dwelling on the Creighton loss so much, as they are ready to improve on one of the most successful seasons in over a de-cade.
This season, the Bulldogs had a record of 22-12—the first time since 1995 that the squad won over 20 games in one season. This was also the first time since 1998 that the team reached
the MVC Tournament.“Coach has a great ability to get his players
to believe in and commit to the team,” Lauers-dorf said. “The coaching staff is definitely on the right track when it comes to building a name for the volleyball program.”
The team will be losing three of its anchors from this season as seniors Lindsay Schryver, Emily Madden and Lauersdorf graduate.
“All three will be tough to replace as they each bring their own particular skill set to the court,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel is hoping that this season’s juniors will be able to fill the void left next season.
“The juniors will be expected to lead the team, beginning next semester in off-season workouts,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel is also looking to his underclass-men and incoming freshman to bring depth to a team that will have to compete in a very strong 2010 MVC.
“We have four young ladies coming in that will add speed and intensity to our group,” he said. “I am looking for these additions to the roster to come in and push the veterans on the team.”
McDaniel said he is aiming to improve his squad’s defensive skill as well as the speed of the offense.
“We will be focusing on getting better in all aspects of our game,” junior lebaro Alana Wit-tenburg said. “As a team, we need to get better at making the play when it needs to be made.”
McDaniel said he believes that the team’s tenacity and focus Drake has exemplified this year will be the key to success in next season’s conference.
“The Missouri Valley Conference will be strong again next season,” he said. “I expect the conference to be competitive next season—top to bottom.”
Like every year, one of the team’s main goals
is to take the MVC title.“I hope that next year’s group will be hungry
to return to the conference tournament now that
we have gotten a taste,” McDaniel said. “The younger girls on the team really know what it takes to win. n
by DOMINIC JOHNSONStaff Writer
VOLLEYBALL
Creighton halts Drake’s record season
Drake has high expectations for Hy-Vee ClassicMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Drake men’s basketball team opens a four-game homestand this weekend when they host North Dakota, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and University of Texas-Arlington at the Hy-Vee Classic. The Bulldogs are coming off of a 78-72 win at Austin Peay last Friday, and hold a 2-4 record.
“The win at Austin Peay was a big confidence builder for the team,” junior point guard Ryan Wedel said. “Winning on the road is always a key to success for any team.”
Drake will face SIU-Edwardsville on Friday, while North Dakota will play University of UT-Arlington. The winners of the two games will play Saturday, and the losing teams will play in the consolation game.
Wedel, a transfer from Arkansas State, has been a key addition to the Bulldog backcourt this season. He leads all Missouri Valley players in 3-point baskets with 18, shooting 56.3 percent behind the arc. He is also Drake’s leading scorer averaging 15.5 points per game.
Senior Josh Young played in his 100th career game against Austin Peay and broke out of a shooting slump. He started the year 2-for-17 from 3-point range, but made three of five, scoring 13 points. Young needs 33 to become Drake’s all-time 3-point leader.
Young needs 330 points to become the university’s all-time scoring leader. He currently ranks seventh.
Drake has been doing most of its damage from the perimeter this season, averaging 9.5 3-point baskets per game. They have already had 10 or more in three games this season, compared to only seven games last season with double-digit 3-pointers. Wedel and fresh-man Ben Simons lead Drake in shooting, combining for more than half of the team’s 3-point field goals.
“This team has a lot of guys that can score and
that means the defense cannot key on just one player,” Wedel said.
Beginning the season, Drake has done especially well from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs are shoot-ing 77.9 percent, and neither Wedel nor Simons have missed an attempt yet. Young is shooting 85.7 percent at the line.
Drake’s first opponent, SIU-Edwardsville, is in the second year of a four-year Division I reclassification process. SIU-Edwardsville has lost to Missouri Val-ley members Illinois State and Evansville this season. Sophomore forward Mark Yelovich leads the Cougars in scoring, averaging 13.7 points per game.
The Bulldogs will play either North Dakota or UT-Arlington Saturday. North Dakota is also in the second year of the Division I reclassification process, and is coming off a 16-12 season. UT-Arlington was 16-14 last year, finishing third in the West Division of the Southland Conference.
Rebounding was one concern Head Coach Mark Phelps had coming into the season. Losing two-time Missouri Valley Conference-leading rebounder Jona-than Cox to graduation, Phelps was concerned who would take his place.
“It will be a challenge,” Phelps had said in a Drake press release. “We will have to rebound by committee. Everyone in the front court will certainly have to have a major focus on rebounding.”
Senior Adam Templeton and freshman center Seth VanDeest have worked to fill the void. Templeton is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game, while VanDeest is averaging 4.7.
Despite the slow start to the season for the young team, Wedel is confident the Bulldogs will get back on track.
“We have made a lot of improvements since the first game,” he said. “We are playing much better to-gether as a team and we have a lot of confidence as a whole.” n
by MATT MORANStaff Writer
photo by ALEX MASICA | Staff Photographer
THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM huddles on the Knapp Center court. The Bulldogs ended one of their most successful seasons in over a decade with a loss against Creighton this weekend.
photo by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo Editor
SENIOR ADAM TEMPLETON keeps his eyes focused on the basket as he pushes into the arc. Templeton grabbed key rebounds in the final minutes of play against Austin Peay.
photo by SARAH ANDREWS | Photo Editor
BULLDOG MASCOT, SPIKE shoots T-shirts into the crowd during an event in the Knapp Center. Spike earned a No. 6 seed in the competition set for January 2010.
The cheers are getting louder and the competition is getting more intense. The crowd is not rooting for a last-second 3-pointer or a final run for the touchdown, but for the best tail-shake and cartwheel.
On Jan. 15, the Universal Cheer As-sociation will host the best furry, fuzzy and feathery spirit leaders from across the country at the College National Mascot Championship.
Drake’s own Spike the Bulldog will travel to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Disney World to bring home the gold.
Competitors were chosen through two-minute audition tapes with four required areas, including game-time performance, fan interaction, on-campus student inter-action and community volunteer work. The videos were also evaluated on broad categories, such as character development. Spike’s video was sent in on Nov. 1, and the recently reported results seeded the Bulldog No. 6.
Who are the students behind the mask
of Drake’s favorite bulldog? The Drake Mascot Team is a secretive group dedi-cated to bringing smiles to the fans and increase “bleed-blue” spirit. Members’ identities are kept secret to establish Spike as his own character, rather than a rec-ognized student in a costume. Only one member will actually be able to compete, but the entire team hopes to travel to Flor-ida to cheer Spike on.
Cheering at the games requires a large effort on all of the team members, and the unidentified Spike correspondent re-ported that the team was “absolutely ec-static” to be chosen to nationally compete. The team recognizes that there is a lot of creativity and cooperation that will go into making Spike’s routine the best it can be.
“It feels amazing to have national rec-ognition for all of the effort that we have put in this year,” the unidentifiable mas-cot representative said. “It will be a lot of work to put everything together before the semester ends, but we’re up for the chal-lenge.”
At the competition, Spike will be judged on a one-and-a-half-minute cho-reographed performance to showcase the best of his spirit skills. The mascots all hope to leave a lasting impact on the spectators.
“Spike will be judged on crowd appeal, crowd interaction, creativity, animation, use of props and overall impression,” the Drake mascot representative said.
Competing with the best, such as the defending national champion “Chip”
from the University of Colorado, Spike will need to practice his moves. The “fist-pound and explode” move is a signature cheer that gets everyone, from kids to alumni excited for the games. Along with Spike’s specialty bouncy swagger, dancing is sure to be incorporated into the rou-tine.
“Dancing is also something that Spike likes to do,” a mascot team member said. “He doesn’t always have the best moves, but he has more than enough energy.”
This energy has fueled the Drake sports teams throughout the semester.
He helped with morale on the football team, ended its successful season with an 8-3 record, including a 6-2 league record.
“He’s always energetic and enthusing the crowd,” football player Cam Good said. “I’d be looking at the field and hear the crowd laughing behind me, I’d turn around and it was all because of some-thing Spike did.”
Spike is not only a star on the field, but also a cheerleader for the community. The Bulldog has accompanied sports teams when they do volunteer work and projects off campus.
“I remember one time we were volun-teering at a school and there were about 80 kids cheering and yelling as Spike ran out to meet them out and signed shirts with the rest of the team,” Good said.
Catch Spike in action tomorrow at the men’s basketball game against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in the Knapp Center at 7:30 p.m. n
by KENSIE SMITHCopy Editor
Bulldog mascot will compete in Florida in January
>>MOST WINS IN 13 YEARS
THE TIMES-DELPHIC ADVERTISEMENT THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2009 PAGE 8