inside NEWS FEATURES OPINIONS SPORTS PAGE 2 Check out the first security reports of the year The top eight things first-year students should do at Drake New RHA president takes reign and shares his opinions DeGrave reflects on NCAA Championships experience PAGE 3 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 DES MOINES, IOWA | THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | VOL. 131, NO. 2 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884 THE TIMES-DELPHIC Former cabinet member to speak about economy by Kylie Rush Staff Writer [email protected]PHOTO FROM DRAKE UNIVERSITY >> CAMPUS CALENDAR Weekend Events WHAT: Tanzania Experience, sponsored by the Drake Football Team WHERE: Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted Center WHEN: Tonight, 7 p.m. WHAT: Residence Hall Executive Council Information Sessions WHERE: Carpenter Lobby and Goodwin-Kirk Lobby WHEN: Tonight, 7-8 p.m. WHAT: Bruce Brubaker, piano department chair at New England Conservatory, piano recital WHERE: Fred and Patty Turner Jazz Center WHEN: Friday, Aug. 26 7:30-9 p.m. WHAT: Preston Pugmire, Musician, sponsored by Student Activities Board WHERE: Pomerantz Stage WHEN: Friday, Aug. 26 8 p.m. WHAT: Club Olmsted WHERE: Pomerantz Stage WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 27 8 - 12 p.m. Robert Reich is a name not yet too famil- iar to Drake students, but after his Sept. 8 speech, that could change. “To the average Joe, his name might not mean much, but most labor and economics policies come from those who are appointed, like him, not those who are elected,” stated Rachel Caufield, associate professor of poli- tics and international relations. Reich, the former secretary of labor for the Clinton administration and is currently the chancellor’s professor of public policy at the University of California Berkeley. Reich has written 13 books, including “The Work of Nations,” which has been translated into 22 languages. In addition, he has written news columns, held television spots and has been the voice of American Public Media public radio. Caufield believes most of his success is due to not only his po- sition in government, but to his personality. “He is very outspoken, but also listens and responds well; it’s his most successful trait,” Caufield said. “He also has a great sense of humor which people like.” Reich is also the founding editor of “American Prospect” magazine and the chair- man of the citizen’s group “Common Cause.” Caufield feels that everyone should attend the speech, not only politics majors. She felt that pharmacy majors might also be particu- larly interested because of their stake in the economy today. Sean Severe, assistant profes- sor of economics, agreed. “It is a great chance to hear from someone who knows from the inside how things work in government and economy,” he said. Severe added that because of his involve- ment in both economics and politics, his views are prominent today. “For my intro-level classes, the speech won’t really help, but long term you will at least get a feel for what’s going on in politics,” Severe said. According to Caufield, Reich’s speech will be relevant to everyone who wants a job in the SEE ECONOMY, PAGE 2 KRISTEN SMITH | editor-in-chief Students learn the ins-and-outs of time manage ment Seminar in Parents Hall kicks off the year with trivia, prizes and tips for effective scheduling by Kristen Smith Editor-in-Chief [email protected]Between classes, Facebook, exercising and attempting to keep up one’s personal hygiene among other commitments and distractions, keeping everything straight can be a challenge for college students. Last Tuesday night the department of academic excellence and student affairs put on an academic success seminar that focused on time management. About 100 students took a half-hour out of their nights to attend the seminar in Parents Hall. Chrystal Stanley, professional and career development services and academic achievement coordinator, said the seminar was primarily for first-year students because transitioning to college life can cause students to struggle academically. “Adjusting from the high school environment to the college environment can be very challenging for most first-year students because for the first time in their lives they have a lot of freedom,” Stanley said. She said one of the questions she gets asked most often from first-year students is how to turn empty spots in their schedules into productive time. “I’ve had students say to me, ‘I only have two classes on Monday, what do I do with the rest of my time?’ because they’re so used to having classes all day long,” Stanley said. “Having a lot of extra freedom is a wonderful thing but sometimes having that much extra time can cause people to procrastinate, and that’s where efficient scheduling really helps.” Michelle Laughlin, director of student disability services and co-presenter of the night, urged students to make a physical schedule. She said physical schedules help students stay on top of assignments. Laughling asked the crowd of students, “When are you most likely going to start writing a paper?” Most students voiced that they would start the night before the paper is due or even the day of. Laughlin said having a term schedule, or a “work-back” schedule, will help students break down projects into smaller tasks and determine which tasks should be higher up on the list of priorities. “Come up with a schedule for the whole term,” Laughlin said. “Go through each syllabus and put in exams, papers and classes.” She encouraged students to use different colors for different classes and to set goals to >>Test yourself: What is the biggest time-waster for college students? How many hours should you spend preparing for class for every hour in class? How many hours per week does the typical student spend on that particular time-waster? To find out the answers, visit www.timesdelphic.com SEE SEMINAR, PAGE 2 LEFT: CHRYSTAL STANLEY talks to students about how much time is wasted on social media. MIDDLE: STUDENTS TRY TO guess what the biggest time-waster is for college students. LEFT: STUDENTS LISTEN for tips on how to set up a term schedule.
Transcript
insideNEWS FEATURESOPINIONS SPORTS
PAGE 2
Check out the first security reports of the year
The top eight things first-year students should do at Drake
New RHA president takes reign and shares his opinions
DeGrave reflects on NCAA Championships experience
PAGE 3 PAGE 5 PAGE 6
DES MOINES, IOWA | THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | VOL. 131, NO. 2 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Former cabinet member to speak about economyby Kylie RushStaff [email protected]
PHOTO FROM DRAKE UNIVERSITY
>> CAMPUS CALENDAR
Weekend Events
WHAT: Tanzania Experience, sponsored by the Drake Football Team
WHERE: Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted Center
WHEN: Tonight, 7 p.m.
WHAT: Residence Hall Executive Council Information Sessions
WHERE: Carpenter Lobby and Goodwin-Kirk Lobby
WHEN: Tonight, 7-8 p.m.
WHAT: Bruce Brubaker, piano department chair at New England Conservatory, piano recital
WHERE: Fred and Patty Turner Jazz Center
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 26 7:30-9 p.m.
WHAT: Preston Pugmire, Musician, sponsored by Student Activities Board
WHERE: Pomerantz Stage
WHEN: Friday, Aug. 26 8 p.m.
WHAT: Club Olmsted
WHERE: Pomerantz Stage
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 27 8 - 12 p.m.
Robert Reich is a name not yet too famil-iar to Drake students, but after his Sept. 8 speech, that could change.
“To the average Joe, his name might not mean much, but most labor and economics policies come from those who are appointed, like him, not those who are elected,” stated Rachel Caufield, associate professor of poli-tics and international relations.
Reich, the former secretary of labor for the Clinton administration and is currently the chancellor’s professor of public policy at the University of California Berkeley.
Reich has written 13 books, including “The Work of Nations,” which has been translated into 22 languages. In addition, he has written news columns, held television spots and has been the voice of American Public Media public radio. Caufield believes most of his success is due to not only his po-sition in government, but to his personality.
“He is very outspoken, but also listens and responds well; it’s his most successful trait,” Caufield said. “He also has a great sense of humor which people like.”
Reich is also the founding editor of “American Prospect” magazine and the chair-man of the citizen’s group “Common Cause.”
Caufield feels that everyone should attend the speech, not only politics majors. She felt that pharmacy majors might also be particu-larly interested because of their stake in the economy today. Sean Severe, assistant profes-sor of economics, agreed.
“It is a great chance to hear from someone who knows from the inside how things work in government and economy,” he said.
Severe added that because of his involve-
ment in both economics and politics, his views are prominent today.
“For my intro-level classes, the speech won’t really help, but long term you will at least get a feel for what’s going on in politics,” Severe said.
According to Caufield, Reich’s speech will be relevant to everyone who wants a job in the
SEE ECONOMY, PAGE 2
KRISTEN SMITH | editor-in-chief
Students learn the ins-and-outs of time managementSeminar in Parents Hall kicks off the year with trivia, prizes and tips for effective schedulingby Kristen Smith [email protected]
Between classes, Facebook, exercising and attempting to keep up one’s personal hygiene among other commitments and distractions, keeping everything straight can be a challenge for college students.
Last Tuesday night the department of academic excellence and student affairs put on an academic success seminar that focused on time management. About 100 students took a half-hour out of their nights to attend the seminar in Parents Hall.
Chrystal Stanley, professional and career development services and academic achievement coordinator, said the seminar
was primarily for first-year students because transitioning to college life can cause students to struggle academically.
“Adjusting from the high school environment to the college environment can be very challenging for most first-year students because for the first time in their lives they have a lot of freedom,” Stanley said.
She said one of the questions she gets asked most often from first-year students is how to turn empty spots in their schedules into productive time.
“I’ve had students say to me, ‘I only have two classes on Monday, what do I do with
the rest of my time?’ because they’re so used to having classes all day long,” Stanley said. “Having a lot of extra freedom is a wonderful thing but sometimes having that much extra time can cause people to procrastinate, and that’s where efficient scheduling really helps.”
Michelle Laughlin, director of student disability services and co-presenter of the night, urged students to make a physical schedule. She said physical schedules help students stay on top of assignments.
Laughling asked the crowd of students, “When are you most likely going to start writing a paper?” Most students voiced that
they would start the night before the paper is due or even the day of.
Laughlin said having a term schedule, or a “work-back” schedule, will help students break down projects into smaller tasks and determine which tasks should be higher up on the list of priorities.
“Come up with a schedule for the whole term,” Laughlin said. “Go through each syllabus and put in exams, papers and classes.”
She encouraged students to use different colors for different classes and to set goals to
>>Test yourself:
What is the biggest time-waster for college students?
How many hours should you spend preparing for class for every hour in class?
How many hours per week does the typical student spend on that particular time-waster?
To find out the answers, visit www.timesdelphic.com
SEE SEMINAR, PAGE 2
LEFT: CHRYSTAL STANLEY talks to students about how much time is wasted on social media. MIDDLE: STUDENTS TRY TO guess what the biggest time-waster is for college students. LEFT: STUDENTS LISTEN for tips on how to set up a term schedule.
“
“THE TIMES-DELPHIC NEWS THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | PAGE 2
news
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It was a really awesome experience. My friends, family and people from around Des Moines that I know came to watch me. Not a lot of people can say that.
—JON DEGRAVE on the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | PAGE 6
quotedayof the
Security responded to Goodwin-Kirk Residence Hall based on report of a strong odor of marijuana coming from a third-floor room. Two male students produced a zip lock bag with three large pill bottles full of marijuana. Police were called and the marijuana was confiscated. One male was arrested for possession of marijuana. He told the police the marijuana was his. While searching the room alcohol was discovered. Since both males are under 21 years of age the alcohol was dumped out. The dean of students has been advised.
TROUBLE TOO SOON
SECURITY REPORTS9:51 p.m. Aug. 15
Seminar includes tips on scheduling
get assignments done well before they are due.Stanley said it does not matter what type of
calendar students use as long as it keeps them organized.
“If you’re more likely to use paper and pencil, and if you like crossing things off as you go, use paper and pencil,” she said. “If you’re someone who likes the reminders that come with an online calendar, such as Google calendar or iCal, use that. It’s all about finding your personal preference.”
John Mcmahon, a first-year student and football player, said he found the tips throughout the seminar to be helpful.
“I definitely think it will help with my time management,” Mcmahon said. “The thing I’ll remember the most is how much time you have to spend on each thing in your schedule.”
Like Mcmahon, many of the students who attended the seminar were athletes.
Anthony Binion, director of student athlete success, said academic seminars are especially important for athletes because it helps them adjust to balancing two important schedules: their academic schedules and their sports schedules.
“It’s important to have good time management skills because athletes have a huge demand on their time as far as practice, as well as games, and then more importantly their academic schedule,” Binion said.
Binion said first-year athletes can become overwhelmed easily if they are not prepared to
fulfill higher expectations both in the classroom and on the field.
“Many times they don’t understand it’s a big difference from being successful in high school and being successful in college,” he said. “But they need to learn to use these tools because they will be what students need to remain successful throughout their careers here at Drake.
Stanley said one of the biggest things she wanted all students to take away from the seminar was knowing how to manage all aspects of their schedules.
“I want students to understand the importance of small portions of time that they have during the day instead of focusing all of their study time in the evening,” she said.
Stanley advised students to not try to take on too many tasks at once. She also stressed that it is important for students to remember to take time out of their days to reward themselves.
“It’s tempting to become over-involved, but students should know that it’s OK to say ‘no’ to some things, especially your first semester,” Stanley said. “What’s interesting about what we present is it’s not rocket science. Everyone sitting in the room tonight already knew most of this, they just need the reminder every once in a while.”
The department of academic excellence and student affairs will hold another academic success seminar on Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in Parents Hall. The seminar will focus on teaching students study skills that will help them at the college level.
be relevant to everyone who wants a job in the economy today and wants to see real world applications of politics and economics.
Recently named one of Time Magazine’s ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century, Reich has been making some of the most important policies on labor and econom-ics. His remarks are particularly relevant in to-day’s economic standing.
Caufield stated that the idea that we only learn in the classroom is ridiculous and this presentation would be a great way to engage in how theory meets practice.
Although Reich was most prominent during the Clinton administration, he remains an im-portant part of politics and the economy today.
In 2008, he endorsed President Barack Obama in his campaign and he continues to blog about most aspects of politics today.
Reich will be coming to speak at Drake Uni-versity on Sept. 8. His speech, titled “The Next Economy and America’s Future” will begin at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium with a question and answer segment to follow.
This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Reich’s newest book, “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future,” will be available for purchase and there will be a book signing in Levitt Hall to follow.
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4:39 p.m. Aug. 10Security officers observed two male subjects skateboarding and doing stunts on the sidewalk in front of Howard Hall. Both were advised on trespass for the Drake campus.
5:44 p.m. Aug. 12Security officers observed a male juvenile skateboarding on the south side of Old Main Hall. The juvenile was advised on trespass for
the Drake campus.
6:12 p.m. Aug. 16Security officers observed a male juvenile smoking marijuana behind the Drake ROTC building in the 1100 block of 24th Street in the alley. Police were called. The juvenile was arrested for possession of marijuana.
10:18 a.m. Aug. 17Security responded to Crawford Residence Hall on a new student who was moving into the hall and cut his chin while moving a bed.
The cut was cleaned and a band-aid stopped the bleeding. No further medical treatment was required.
1:09 a.m. Aug. 18Security responded to a Carpenter Residence Hall third floor restroom on a female student that was on the bathroom stall floor. The female admitted she had been drinking alcohol off campus. The underage drinking female stated she was ok now. She was escorted back to her room and Residence Hall staff was notified. The dean of students has been advised.
2:05 p.m. August 19Des Moines Police and Security responded to 30th and University at the crosswalk. A female student was hit by a car driven by a non-Drake affiliated male as she was walking across the street in the crosswalk. The victims left foot was run over by the car. Des Moines Fire Medics were called to the scene. Fire medics transported the student to a local hospital. The accident is under investigation by the Des Moines Police Department. 5:30 p.m. Aug. 19Security and Des Moines Police responded to 27th and Clark for an assault that just occurred. Security officers arrived and found two non-Drake affiliated males yelling at each other over a parking space on the city street. Both were here for the Dowling vs. Valley high school football game. One male stated he was in the
street saving the spot for his wife to come park her car. The second male was driving a vehicle and parked his vehicle in the spot. As he was doing this the male standing in the street kicked the passenger door. Des Moines Police arrived. Police advised the one male he could not save parking spaces on the city street. The male that hit the vehicle with his foot did give the driver of the vehicle his insurance information to pay for the damage.
8 p.m. Aug. 19A security officer on patrol observed a non-Drake affiliated male juvenile vomiting in the Drake parking lot located at 28th and University. The male admitted he took a drink of a beer that made him sick. The juvenile was at Drake for the Dowling football game. Des Moines Police and a West Des Moines Police Officer working the game were advised. WDM Police called the student’s parents to come pick him up. The juvenile was also advised of trespass for the Drake campus. 6:15 a.m. Aug. 20Security and Des Moines Police responded to a motor vehicle accident at 31st and Carpenter. A non-Drake affiliated female was driving north on 31st Street when something went wrong with the car and she hit a curb. Police arrived and checked both the driver and the passenger for warrants. The non-Drake affiliated male passenger had six warrants. He was arrested and transported to the Polk County jail.
FROM ECONOMY, PAGE 1
Only two days per weekDoesn’t interfere with classes
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KRISTEN SMITH | editor-in-chief
ABOVE: DRAKE STUDENTS eagrly answer trivia questions to try and win prizes at the academic success seminar. The seminar focused on time management skills.
BELOW: CHRYSTAL STANLEY, professional and career development services and academic achievement coordinator, shows students a chart of how much time the average college student wastes on social media instead of studying.
FOOTBALL TEAM TO PRESENT ON AFRICA TRIPMembers of the Drake University football squad will share stories and experiences from
their summer trip to Africa this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Pomerantz Stage in Olmsted Center.There will be 14 different presentations throughout the hour-long event. After the conclusion of the 2010-2011 academic year, Drake football players embarked
on a trip to Tanzania and competed in the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl, which was the first official football game on African soil. The Bulldogs went go on to win the Global Kilimanjaro Bowl 17-7 against the Mexican CONADEIP All-Stars.
Drake student athletes participated in service projects, conducted football clinics with the local youth and even reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The Bulldogs also participated in a semester-long course leading up to the experience titled “Leading with Emotional Intelligence.”
“Emotional intelligence is all about understanding yourself, understanding others and working toward a productive end,” said Tom Westbrook, professor of education.
Westbrook co-created and taught the course with Deb Bishop. Bishop is an associate professor of practice in management and international business.
This will be the first public event in which the football squad shares its experience. Global Football President Patrick Steenberge will also be in attendance.
opinions&editorialsHowatd Hall received renovations to some of its classrooms over the summer....finally.
thebuzzPAGE 3 | THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 OPINIONS & EDITORIALS THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Since it was founded in 1776, the United States has had public debt. During the Revo-lutionary War the U.S. incurred $75 billion in debt. After the War of 1812 there was a sharp increase in debt that included 18 surpluses, but in the following 20 years 99.97 percent of the debt was paid off. That is the difference be-tween then and today.
Although we continued to accumulate debt every year, our government paid off a majority of that debt in a reasonable amount of time. Since World War II, however, when the debt rose by 100 percent, we’ve been gradually sink-ing in our debt. Each year since that war, the public debt has increased almost as much as in-flation. It even tripled in size between 1950 and 1980 when it climbed to $909 billion. Between 1980 and 1992, during the Reagan and Bush administrations, the debt had quadrupled. The debt rose 50 percent in the 1990s, and during the George W. Bush era it rose from $5.7 tril-lion to $10.7 trillion. President Barack Obama has expanded the debt even more, taking it from $10.7 trillion to $14.2 trillion as of Febru-ary 2011.
In the upcoming 2012 election we need to keep all of this in mind. I believe one of our main priorities in voting in this upcoming elec-tion has to be the debt. Critics say that the United States is on the verge of bankruptcy if we don’t do something about the debt soon. I don’t necessarily believe that the government will collapse anytime soon, but I do believe that there will be some serious consequences for our nation.
I urge everyone to become informed about all of the candidates in this election to make the best decision about the debt. Each candi-date holds a different opinion on the debt crisis and how to fix it, and it’s up to us to decide which will work the best. Some candidates, such as Newt Gingrich, think the U.S. must “quit spending beyond its means.” These can-didates have a broad view on the subject. I trust the more intricate plans and would like to see more of them. Gingrich’s broad approach to the debt makes me think that he either doesn’t know how to fix it or he doesn’t care. That is not the type of president I would like to run our nation.
I hold a little more trust in candidates that come out with plans on decreasing the debt. It shows me that they have confidence in their plans and that they’ve actually thought about how to fix the problem. Herman Cain and his
5-point plan have a distinct plan to decrease the federal debt. Roger Gary is another candidate that has a solid plan for turning around our debt. His plan doesn’t sound as good to me as Cain’s does, but at least I know he has put some thought into how to fix the problem. Some candidates, like Tom Miller, have a plan for the debt, but the lack of experience in government will be a hindrance to their presidential aspira-tions.
Although Obama appears to have a plan for the national debt, he has only shown us in the last three years that he can increase the debt. I feel that we can’t keep banking on the chance that it will change. I know he came into office with the debt already befalling the nation, but he hasn’t shown us that he can fix the problem.
Debt is not a new problem for our government
”
“Each candidate holds a different opinion on the debt and how to fix it, and it’s up to us to decide which will work the best.
Top 8 tips for new Drake students
The Times-Delphic strives to represent student views as accurately and honestly as possible. We rely on readers to provide us with criticism, comments and new ideas so that we can continue to serve the interests of the students in the fairest possible way. We encourage interested readers to submit letters to the editor. Letters must include the author’s name and phone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Deadlines for guest submissions are noon Tuesday for the Thursday edition and noon Friday for the Monday edition. The Times-Delphic reserves the right to edit letters and submissions for space and in the interest of taste. Letters and submissions reflect only the opinions of the authors and should be limited to 250 words.
LETTERS & SUBMISSION POLICY
The Times-Delphic is a student newspaper published semi-weekly during the regular academic year and is produced by undergraduate students at Drake University. The opinions of staff editorials reflect the institutional opinion of the newspaper based on current staff opinions and the newspaper’s traditions. These opinions do not necessarily reflect those of individual employees of the paper, Drake University or members of the student body. All other opinions appearing throughout the paper are those of the author or artist named within the column or cartoon. The newsroom and business office of The Times-Delphic are located in Meredith Hall, Room 124. The Times-Delphic is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The editor-in-chief sits on the Board of Student Communications.
ADVERTISING POLICY
The Times-Delphic’s business office is located at 2507 University Avenue, 124B Meredith Hall, Des Moines, IA 50311. The Times-Delphic is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. The newspaper is distributed for free around the Drake campus. All advertising information is to be submitted noon Tuesday for the Thursday edition, and noon Friday for the Monday edition. Advertisements can be designed by The Times-Delphic or submitted via e-mail. We accept cash and check. A 10 percent discount is offered for prepayment on advertisements. The business office can be contacted at 515-271-2148.
KYLIE RUSH | COLUMNIST Rush is a sophomore magazines major and can be contacted at [email protected]
ERYN SWAIN | COLUMNIST Swain is a junior marketing and writing double major and can be reached at [email protected]
Our Two Cents
Attend the fall activities fair. On Aug. 31 from 4-7 p.m. in Helmick Commons, all students can learn about the many organizations Drake has on campus. This is a fun way to meet new peo1ple and discover new interests. Surely there is something at this for everyone!
Meet someone from another country. Many of us only know people from our own culture and haven’t had the opportunity to meet others with different backgrounds. There are some wonderful people here at Drake if you just take the time to stop and converse with others you may not normally meet.
Participate in intramurals. If you love sports but didn’t have the chance to be a college athlete, here’s your chance. There are teams for volleyball, basketball, floor hockey, soccer and so much more. If you aren’t that competitive but want to play for fun, there are also leagues that you can join regardless of your skill level.
Watch the Student Activities Board’s musician on Aug. 26. This year the musician is Pres-ton Pugmire, a one-man band who will surely entertain. Best of all, it is free to all Drake students!
Utilize your independence. Doing all your own laundry and dishes and preparing your own meals can become daunting. It doesn’t have to be like pulling teeth. Make sure to stay on top of things when you do have that small amount of free time during the semester. Letting things pile up can create unnecessary stress.
Watch a Drake sporting event. Your Drake ID will get you into any Drake event free. Our sports teams never get the fan bases they deserve, so this would be a great way to support the blue and white!
Go to your classes. While this seems to be obvious, you have to attend the first session in each of your classes in the semester to ensure you stay enrolled in that class. If you don’t attend, you may be dropped from the class.
Meet others in your hall. Sure, you know some of them if they are from your FYS, but go ahead and leave your door open so others who walk by can stop and chat. Better yet, be one of those traveling down the halls to meet other students.
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• We’re having a love-hate relationsip with the weather right now. Why does it have to be so nice out while we’re stuck in class?
• So, we’ve noticed the male-to-female ratio of the freshman class is a little off-kilter... Coming soon: The TD will investigate more on this issue.
• The re-pavement of 31st Street: One small step for the Drake community, one smooth ride for Drake students.
• Props to the dude who rode a unicycle to class on Tuesday. We wish we had skills like yours.
• Hope everyone survived syllabus week.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Drake University junior Meryl Brune takes her academics seriously. A biochemical and molecular biology major, Brune is a National Alumni Scholarship recipient who boasts a 4.0 GPA on a 16-credit course load. However, Brune, like several other Drake students, does not get enough sleep at night.
“It’s very frustrating,” Brune said. “If I could name it, I would call it stress induced insomnia.”
Lately, Brune has only been getting about three or four hours of sleep per night. Sometimes it takes Brune up to three hours to fall asleep. She believes that her coursework and stress have led to her sleeping disorder.
Sam Cochran, counseling center director at the University of Iowa, weighed in on what causes sleeping disorders.
“Sleep disorders can be caused by any number of things,” Cochran said. “Including stress, diet, heavy caffeine intake, depression, anxiety and medical problems or difficulties such as sleep apnea or restless leg syn-drome.”
Cochran believes that in a case like Brune’s, the academic workload is only the trigger, but it’s actually the stress that can cause a sleeping disorder.
“Academic workload can lead to stress, which can then lead to sleep disruptions,” Cochran said. “I don’t believe academic workload itself is the main factor here. For some students, a challenging work load is fine, for others, the stress causes serious disruptions in sleep.”
Brune often finds herself counting backwards, concentrating on her breathing or trying to do anything she can think of that might help her fall asleep quicker. She reads and exercises to help her body relax, hoping it will help her sleep better.
According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 40 million people suffer long-term sleeping disorders, with an additional 20 to 30 million people who suffer occasional sleeping problems.
Brune has taken sleeping pills before, but their results have been incon-sistent. She is considering getting herself checked if the problem persists.
However, behavioral techniques have proved more effective in trying to help sleeping disorders.
“Behavioral techniques are aimed at improving what is called ‘sleep hygiene’,” Cochran said. “These include going to bed and getting up at the same time each day based on desired amount of sleep; not staying in bed if you are not sleeping; avoiding naps during the day; and so forth. Other behavioral techniques include relaxation and meditation, which
can help to induce sleep.”And while Brune may not be able to carry out an ideal sleeping sched-
ule, her peers also have a difficult time sleeping the appropriate number of suggested hours.
Drake students often have to balance a heavy academic workload, jobs and extracurricular activities, leaving them without enough time to catch up on their sleep.
Cochran believes that teenagers are wired to be able to function with-out receiving the ideal number of sleeping hours.
“It appears that the amount of sleep a person needs varies over the life span,” Cochran said. “Young babies and toddlers sleep quite a bit, ado-lescents sleep less. The older we get the less we sleep until older age, when sleep time seems to increase again. “
Junior Shelby LaTona, a health sciences major, believes her course-work takes a toll on her sleeping habits.
“I stay up late doing homework,” LaTona said. “I am taking 18 credits plus RA (resident assistant) class.”
LaTona is also involved with the Residence Hall Association and Al-pha Phi Omega, a service fraternity. She gets about five hours of sleep per night even though her goal would be to sleep nine hours each night.
Cochran also points out that the socializing aspect of the college life can also affect how much sleep a student receives and believes that naps can throw off a person’s sleeping schedule.
“Students I speak with often are “night owls” and stay up very late socializing either in person or online,” Cochran said. “Students who don’t get enough sleep at night time, they frequently will take naps during the day, which is usually not restful or restorative sleep and can tend to make it even harder to fall asleep at night at a more normal bed time.”
Senior Megan Lynch, another health sciences major, tries to avoid naps as much as she can and finds herself having to balance her academic workload and her job as a complex manager for the recreational center. As a result of this, Lynch does not think she is well-rested in her everyday life.
“I’m always still tired when I wake up and don’t feel fully energized when I get out of bed,” Lynch said.
Lynch sleeps about six or seven hours on an average night but wishes she could sleep at least nine hours. She works 10 hours per week along with the 18 credits she is currently taking.
And while someone like Brune might suffer a sleeping disorder caused by the stress in her life, Drake students in general struggle to get enough sleep as well.
Whether it’s a sleeping disorder, a heavy academic workload or a hectic schedule, Drake students are finding out that the hardest thing about college might just be getting enough sleep.
featuresFEATURESTHE TIMES-DELPHIC THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | PAGE 4
don’tmissthis
New English professor joins Drake staff
As the new school year begins, Drake welcomes a new group of first-year students, but they will not be the only fresh faces navigating the halls this coming semester.
Drake is lucky enough to have 27 new faculty members from all areas of study this semester, ready grace the halls with fresh ideas and perspec-tives. The English department has the pleasure of introducing Jonterri Gad-son, a visiting professor teaching ENG 91; “Reading/Writing Poetry.”
She has a BA in English from Flor-ida International University in Miami Florida and a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Poetry) from the Uni-versity of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Gadson loves interacting with other writers from around the world through the wonders of social media. Get to know her better from her short interview below.
QI see that your expertise is in Poetry, do you have a favorite writer/poem?
AGwendolyn Brooks inspired me the most toward pursuing an education
centered around poetry and creative writing. Her poem from the sequence “Children of the Poor” that begins “First fight, then fid-dle” is my favorite. Once I started reading more, Terrance Hayes became my favorite poet still writing today.
QYou say you love social media and in-teracting with other writers through
it, but do these sites ever hinder rather than fuel your creative process? Does the dreaded “Facebook” ever distract you as it does so many Drake students?
A Social media can definitely hinder my creative process if I let it. I realized
that I use it so much more when I have a deadline and I’m procrastinating. Facebook doesn’t distract me as much as other things.
QIf so, what website/social networking addiction eats up most of your time?
ATwitter! I love Twitter! It’s so “right now”. Updates are constant. Twitter
allows me to interact with poets and authors
I wouldn’t otherwise have access to. I’ve built some great relationships via Twitter. But, yes, it can be a productivity killer.
QDo you have a famous fictional char-acter you feel you can relate to?
AJanie, from Zora Neale Hurston’s nov-el, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I
can track my development through the types of relationships I’ve had with people just like she can.
QUpon arriving at Drake was there anything about campus that stuck out
or surprised you? What about it do you like best?
AThe technology in the classrooms. I’m really excited not to have to lug my
laptop to all my different classes.
QWhat are you looking forward to most about Drake?
AI am really looking forward to getting to know the English department fac-
ulty better and to helping Drake’s students bring new work into the world.
QHow do you plan to decorate your of-fice?
A One of my students from UVA gave me a card with a lady bug on it, so
I’m thinking of incorporating lady bugs in some way.
QIf you weren’t an English professor, what would you be doing instead?
For more information and for applicationsvisit www.timesdelphic.com.
JONTERRI GADSON joined Drake’s staff this year as a visiting professor teaching “Reading/Writing Poetry.” She states that Gwendolyn Brooks was one of the poets that inspired her to go into teaching poetry and creative writing.
KRISTEN SMITH | editor-in-chief
Club Olmsted is this Saturday on Pomerantz stage from 9 p.m. to midnight. DJ Byron Varberg will be putting down some beats, and there will be prizes for students wearing neon.
“Students who don’t get enough sleep at night time, they frequently will take naps during the day, which is usually not restful or restorative sleep and can tend to make it even harder to fall asleep at night at a more normal bed time.”
While working as a barista at the Drake West Village Starbucks, Abby Kauffman met Jordan Lill, and did not know that 15 months later the pair would soon be married and ready to discuss the idea of starting a family. The only question they had was how they should raise their chil-dren – with religion or without.
Neither Kauffman nor Lill is affiliated with a religion, but both were baptized, and they plan to do the same for their children. Even though they do not believe in a higher being, they still find it necessary to baptize their children. Kauff-man said their parents are enforcing religion upon their children, but the couple agrees it has importance.
“This way when the children grow up and choose to believe in something, they’ll already be baptized,” Kauffman said.
Many college students can relate to Kauff-man and Lill’s situation.
In a survey, 103 students, ages 18-23, at Drake University and across the country were asked about the importance of religion in a relationship and whether religion is waning. Although this was not statistically reliable, infer-ences can be drawn from the answers.
Seventy-seven percent of respondents an-swered that religion is important in a relation-ship and 63 percent said that religion is not dy-ing.
Junior Erika Owen said she is a Buddhist along with her boyfriend, Kyle McKinney. Owen considers religion an important factor in relationships.
“There are so many more things we can do together — meditate, visit Shambhala centers, read related books and discuss them,” Owen said. “It’s awesome.”
Beth Kosters, an alumna of Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, said she has a strong, Christian faith, especially when it comes to relationships.
“Religion is a personal relationship with God,” Kosters said. “He gives us the ultimate example of love and is the reason we are able to love others.”
In 2008, the American Religious Identifica-tion Survey (ARIS) released a survey that said 15 percent of Americans ages 18 and older classify themselves as having no religion. This number is greater than the number of those affiliated with every religious group except Catholics and Baptists.
Because the U.S. Census Bureau does not ask about religion, ARIS was the first comprehen-sive study of how people classify their religious affiliation.
Trisha Wheelock, professor of religion at Drake, said that religion may not be dying, but the church is not adapting to a society that has changed.
“One hundred years ago a social outing was going to church,” Wheelock said. “There are now so many social opportunities in a commu-nity.”
Junior Zac Pace agrees that the cause of a change in beliefs is due to changes in society.
“Religion isn’t dying,” Pace said. “But as society progresses all facets of life are being ana-lyzed.”
Even though society may be changing, why is the church not changing with it?
Many students in the survey said that orga-nized religion is not as appealing as it used to be. These students said that many lose their re-ligious beliefs in college because they are able to choose what they want to believe, not what their parents believe.
Junior Kate Recca believes that religion will always have a place in society because of its his-tory.
“People are always falling out of religion, but many people are falling in as well,” Recca said.
Iowa State University junior Morgan Grad-ert said that many people put religion on the back burner when it comes to everyday life, es-pecially those in college.
“It’s really important to step back and think about the bigger picture,” Gradert said. “That is what society is losing ground on.”
QHow did you become interested in a Resi-
dence Life position?
AI came to Drake last year as a Vocal Per-
formance major, and joined the executive council of a residence hall because it allowed me to do something other than performing and singing. Last year, I made really bad posters, hung them up, and be-came President of More-house. We had a great Executive Council, and ended up winning Hall of the Year.
QWhat was your own residence life experi-
ence like last year?
AI lived on the second floor of Morehouse.
I love Morehouse. I had a fantastic random room-mate, and I was actually able to set up my piano in my dorm. I had an RA that was
supportive of our whole floor and who pushed us to get involved. Sometimes Morehouse first-year students can feel left out, but I never felt that way.
QHow many individuals are on RHA executive council this year? How do you feel about the group you are working with?
AI believe we have eleven members this year, and those positions cover everything from finance chair to environmental chair. I have an amazing board this year. They’re so
ecstatic about all the projects we are working on; they’re always saying, “yeah let’s do it” even though we have a lot on our plate right now. RHA EC is a job, it is a responsibility, but it does not have the financial compensations of a job. We don’t do RHA EC for perks or pay; we do it because it is fun.
QDescribe your leadership style.
AI like to get students excited with my energy. I’m straightforward, I don’t like drama or gossip, and I like to stay focused. I try to help our EC see both sides to every issue.
I like to be more reserved and observant so others can speak their mind. I exercise my voice and opinion less than last year, so that when I do feel strongly about something my opinion is more powerful. I’ll be as straightforward and honest with you as you are with me, and that’s important. I haven’t gotten any complaints as of yet!
QWhat did you learn from the RHA EC last year? How will you apply those lessons to this year?
ALast year I observed former RHA President Sean Walsh, and he gave us a great footing to start off this semester. We really hope to take last years Executive Council
ideas into account. I think there may have been some issues with planning in advance last year, so we will work on that. Drake’s Got Talent was a huge success last year so we hope to continue that. We want to rethink the way we did our RHA Hall Crawl, and re-energize siblings weekend. As RHA EC we want to constantly be reassessing everything.
QTell us more about your life away from being RHA President.
AI am a sophomore Vocal Performance major and Musical Theatre minor, I am in two of the performing ensembles on campus, the Drake and Chamber choirs. This sum-
mer I went to China though a musical Ambassadorship. I spent most of my summer in New York with an opera company. Over 4000 people auditioned, and I was one of the lucky 32 who were selected. I was actually the youngest person in the company, and they have asked me to return next year.
QWhat is the value of Residence Hall living?
AWhen one thinks of college, so many think of that residence hall experience, doing your own laundry, and the idea of being on your own is so cool. We have such a good
system here at Drake. I see residence life as a community, everyone takes care of each other and it just works.
Q Tell us some things about Residence life that students may not know.
A RHA has the largest membership on campus, and we want people know that we can be a huge resource for campus organizations. We want students to know that we are
a governing body, that we do have a budget, and that our goal is to make residence life better for every student.
Q Talk about some goals you have for the year.
A My frustration as a student is that I pay all these fees, but I don’t know where they go. I want students to know that there is programming out there for everyone. I also
want to start bridging the gap between campus life and Greek life. I want to bring the values of brotherhood/sisterhood to campus and to create a marriage between the two organizations. We want to build community in the residence halls without forcing it
Q What is your favorite part about your new position as RHA President?
A I get to meet new people every day. That’s what is so cool about Drake, it’s not gigantic but I can always meet someone new. I look at crowds and realize that everyone has their own story. I think it’s so interesting to see how people interact, and that’s the cool thing about leading, I get to observe and solve problems. My job is so fun, yes, it’s stressful but everything RHA can do is so amazing. We have so many ways to get involved. You may be the sports guy, the shy studious person, or someone who likes to lead, RHA has the ability to bring all these different people together, and that’s amazing.
PAGE 5 | THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 FEATURES THE TIMES-DELPHIC
SOPHOMORE ERIC FERRING is the new Resident Hall Association president this year.
photo by LAUREN HORSCH | Managing/News Editor
Kyle Glaser: “My relationship with that person is based on my relationship with God. My goal is to have that person help me be closer to God.”
Morgan Woodrow: “Many morals come from one’s religious beliefs, which may make people attracted to certain people based on synchronized morals.”
Matthew Winkler: ”Religion may be unpopular and frowned upon in places like college, but in the real world, it’s alive and well.”
Stephanie Niewohner: “Religion in general is not dying out; however, religion on campus can easily be tested.”
Bre Hess: “When it comes to marriage and raising a family, it’s important for children to understand all aspects of religions and people’s views of the matter, especially if the parents have different views.”
Eric Hall: “The more religion is important to the individual, the more it is important to the relationship.”
Bobby Starace: “Many of the practitioners of religions are persecutive of their own brethren. Why would one want to be religious if one can’t be accepted in a group of their similar peers?”
What are people at Drake saying about religion?
Society has impact on religion for college students
“People are always falling out of religion, but many people are falling in as well.”
On June 8, Jon DeGrave became the first Drake track athlete to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Champion-ships since 2000. DeGrave finished with a time of 51.54 seconds in the national semifinal round of the 400-meter hurdles at Drake Stadium, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the finals.
Still, the senior earned honorable mention All-American hon-ors. DeGrave said he was proud to represent Drake on his home turf, but did not run to the best of his capabilities. That will serve as his greatest motivation as he aims to return to the outdoor championships next June, which Drake will host again.
“It was a lot of fun and it was unique because it was here at Drake,” DeGrave said. “It was a really awesome experience. My friends, family and people from around Des Moines that I know came to watch me. Not a lot of people can say that.”
DeGrave had a tremendous season in the 400 hurdles. At the NCAA West Regional in Eugene, Ore., he broke Dan Cleveland’s school-record which stood since 1983. His time of 50.59 sec-onds broke his own personal record of 50.92 seconds, which he clocked at the 2011 Drake Relays. DeGrave has won the Missouri Valley Conference championship in the event twice in his career.
There were 24 hurdlers in the semi-final round before the field was whittled down to eight for the finals. DeGrave said the num-ber of outstanding runners surrounding him was a little over-whelming.
“A lot of success in track comes from confidence, knowing that you belong,” DeGrave said. “I think I was a little intimidated this year and beat myself before the race even started. But after a whole year of training, I’ll be ready to move forward.”
At the NCAA West Regional, DeGrave finished fourth in the second quarterfinal heat and had the 10th fastest time in the regional. There were 12 runners in the West regional who ad-vanced to the national semifinals.
Now DeGrave turns his focus to training for next season. After a long spring, he said that he took it easy with workouts this past summer in order for his body to recover for the upcoming year.
“Right now we’re doing general conditioning, and then about a month into the school year we will start hurdling,” DeGrave said. “I also want to spend a lot of time in the weight room.”
DeGrave also said he won’t start racing again until early De-cember, when the team’s indoor track season gets underway. Af-ter a year of experience at the outdoor championships under his belt, he can’t wait to get another shot next spring.
“I’m more excited this year because (the NCAA champion-ships) are at Drake again,” DeGrave said.
THE TIMES-DELPHIC SPORTS THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | PAGE 6
sportsThe Drake volleyball squad will head out to Utah this weekend to participate in the Southern Utah Tournament. The Bulldogs will take on Southern Utah, Boise State and Utah State in the two-day tournament. This will be the first tournament of the season for the Bulldogs, who were picked to finish sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference.
SENIOR JON DEGRAVE poses outside Drake Stadium. DeGrave was the first Drake track athlete to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships since 2000.
EDUARDO ZAMARRIPA | sports editor
DeGrave on track for return to NCAAs
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Drake men’s basketball team took their talents to New Zealand and Australia to take on professional teams in preseason exhibition games. The 10-day trip wrapped up last Satur-day. The Bulldogs went 1-3, with the lone victo-ry coming against the Frankston Bears, a 59-57 triumph in Melbourne, Australia.
“The trip was a lot of fun with the whole team,” senior point guard Frank Wiseler said. “I hope it will help us. We got the opportunity to play extra games that other teams don’t have.”
On Aug. 10, Drake departed Des Moines and arrived in Auckland, New Zealand, on Aug. 12. The Bulldogs first game was the next day against the New Zealand Breakers. The team spent the morning touring the city and the Auckland War Memorial Museum before tak-ing the court. After redshirt sophomore David Smith sank a free throw to tie the game at 67, the Breakers knocked down a last-second shot to edge Drake.
Drake then travelled to Melbourne for its next two games. On Aug. 15, the Bulldogs lost 84-78 to the Kilsyth Cobras. Drake nearly pulled out the victory, despite Kilsyth shooting 71 percent from the field in the second half. The next night sophomore guard Rayvonte Rice scored with 10 seconds left to push the Bulldogs past Frankston.
Drake spent the next two days enjoying Syd-ney, Australia, and then battled the Sydney Kings last Friday in the team’s final game of the trip. The Kings proved to be too much for the Bulldogs, dealing Drake a 95-62 loss.
“The competition was a lot tougher than we thought it would be,” Wiseler said. “They were professional players and older, so they know how to play.”
Rice led the Bulldogs by averaging 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in the four games. Ju-
nior Ben Simons impressed the coaching staff as the only other Bulldog to average double-figures in points (17.5 per game).
Redshirt freshman Jeremy Jeffers also turned some heads. He averaged 9.5 points and 2.5 re-bounds per game during the tour.
Most of Drake’s roster was present for the trip, including the team’s lone scholarship freshman player, Judd Welfringer. One notable absentee was senior Kraidon Woods. It was Welfringer’s first appearance for the Bulldogs. Jeffers and fel-low redshirt freshman Karl Madison also made their first appearances for Drake.
“I think Judd (Welfringer) handled it well,” Wiseler said. “When he was on the court he played very tough.”
The Bulldogs participated in plenty of team-building activities, sight-seeing tours and other cultural experiences. Wiseler said the trip was an unbelievable experience and was happy to have spent it with his teammates. Still, he said there is plenty of work to do before the season starts.
“There are a lot of things we need to im-prove,” Wiseler said. “That’s the reason we did this, to improve. We have to go the gym and keep working.”
Name: Tony SungaPosition: Head CoachAlma Mater: Drake 88’Previous experience: Assistant at Wyoming University (2008-2010)Assistant at Drake University (2005-2007)Head Coach of Iowa Power Volleyball Alliance (2002-2006)Assistant Coach at Simpson College (1993-2000)Interesting Fact: As recruiting coordinator for Drake in 2007, Sunga recruited Alana Bys and Alana Wittenburg, two of the most decorated players in Drake volleyball history.
Tony Sunga took over the Drake volleyball head hoach position after Phil McDaniel departed to South Dakota State.
Sunga has plenty of coaching experience. He started as a graduate assis-tant for Drake in 1991. He then would go on to be an assistant in Simpson College, Drake and Wyoming.
In his twenty years as a coach, Sunga has been known for his recruiting and defensive scouting. The last recruit class Sunga brought in for Drake in 2007 is considered one of the most talented Drake volleyball classes ever.
FILE PHOTO
COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS
Drake vs. New Zealand Breakers67-69(L)
Drake vs. Kilsyth Cobras78-84(L)
Drake vs. Frankston Bears59-57(W)
Drake vs. Sydney Kings62-95(L)
Zika Named MVC Offensive Player of the Week
2011 Pre-Season Tour
Junior Tara Zika was named the Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week this past Tuesday. Zika had a team-high two shots in Drake’s loss to Iowa State on Friday and found the net twice for the Bulldogs in their 3-1 home victory against Green Bay on Sunday. This marks the first time that Zika has received such honor. This was the first honor the women’s soccer squad has received this season.
After the 2010 spring season ended with a loss to Illinois State in the first round of the State Farm MVC Tournament, the Drake women’s tennis team is now prepared to look ahead to the 2011 season.
Graduating only one player from last year’s team, this year’s team will consist of four seniors out of the nine players.
“We have (four) girls graduating this year,” head coach Paul Thomson said. “I think that those (four) girls in particular don’t want to fall back after last year. I think they want to move forward even further and see what they can ac-complish with their little bit of time left here at Drake.”
Thomson is entering only his second season as Drake’s head coach.
“Last year was kind of a learning experience for me,” he said. “There was a lot of adjusting going on between me and the players and the players and me; also me learning kind of the ins and outs of the university and the athletic department. That was a lot of what we worked on last fall, and then by the spring we were more used to each other.”
After taking the time to adjust to his new team and home, Thomson noted the differences between last year and this year, both personally and as a team.
“Last year was more about changing the per-ception of the culture and the dynamics of the team, of who we think we have been versus who we think we can be, and confidence building type of things,” he said. “Now I have my feet on the ground. I’m not scampering around like a rat on a sinking ship looking for any survival
method. And I can already see a more confi-dent, comfortable perception or mood with the players.”
One of those players is Gabby Demos, a se-nior who is excited about the possibilities of this season.
“I’m definitely more excited going into this season than previous seasons,” Demos said. “Our sophomore season was a little rough so I was a little nervous going into last season. Fresh-man year was a lot of fun just because we’re so new and excited, but I am really excited about this season; we have a lot of seniors and I think all of us are going in hoping to end with a bang.”
The season officially begins today with the team’s first practice. On this year’s team are two freshmen, Nell Boyd and Amanda Dick, who are already earning praise from their teammates and coach.
“I think they are really going to bring in new energy and a new positive attitude which I re-ally think will be good for the upperclassmen,” Demos said. “Everyone will need to be on their game with new faces around so I really think it will help with the intensity also.”
Thomson agreed that both new players will bring positive changes.
“Both of these guys are going to bring a fresh dynamic to our team,” Thomson said. “I think they’ll both be able to push some of the oth-er players on the roster and just be that spark that we needed. They get along great with the players and fit in well already. I think the team chemistry this year will be great, and those two will be the little edge that this team needs.”
The team’s first competition will be the Drake Fall Invitational on Sept. 9-11 at the Knapp Center. The first time the team will be on the road is Sept. 23 when it travels to Cedar Falls for the Northern Iowa Fall Invitational.
“I really hope we get off to a good start,” Demos said. “After the season ended last year I think we were all kind of disappointed, and we’re just ready to leave that behind and have a fresh start and leave last year in the dust a little bit. But I really think we have a good start to this season.”
Freshman Grant Tesmer is one of two new additions to the Drake men’s tennis squad that dominated the Missouri Valley Conference last year en route to an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Fortunately for Drake and head coach Evan Austin, this Lin-coln, Neb., athlete may be one of the Midwest’s most under-rated players.
Tesmer spent his summer competing in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Summer Circuit, where many Division I players and recruits hone their skills in the offseason.
Although the Drake freshman had always played rather well in previous summer tournaments, he hadn’t consistently domi-nated draws the way he did a month ago.
In July he posted wins over opponents from Big Ten schools Il-linois and Indiana while reaching the finals of tournaments held at Wichita State, and then won the event at Kansas.
Tesmer’s only loss in July came at the hands of Texas A&M recruit Jackson Withrow. Tesmer went toe to toe with Withrow throughout the entire match but eventually lost in the third set super-tiebreaker.
The most impressive thing about that match isn’t that With-row is ranked as the 17th best junior player in the nation, but that he will be competing in the main draw of the men’s doubles at the U.S. Open, one of the four biggest tournaments in all of professional tennis.
With results like these, one may wonder why Tesmer wasn’t receiving scholarship offers from the power conference teams. Fortunately for Drake, many of the bigger schools skipped over him because for five months of the year Tesmer’s tennis schedule was virtually empty.
This wasn’t because he simply grew tired of tennis, but be-cause Tesmer was a two-sport athlete at Lincoln Southeast High School.
The Lincoln Southeast standout had been a multi-sport ath-lete since he was a kid growing up in Colorado Springs, Colo. It was at the Colorado Springs Country Club where Grant first picked up a racquet.
“I didn’t really choose the sport,” Tesmer said. “It just came to me because my older brothers and sister played a lot.”
When he was seven Tesmer and his family moved to Nebras-ka, and it was at the Nebraska Tennis Academy where he honed his talents. When it came time to choose between tennis and basketball, the choice was clear. Tesmer chose tennis because he enjoyed having to prove himself individually on the court.
“I like to have the pressure on me and to be a clutch player,” he said. “And I’m 6-foot-1 with my shoes on, so I wasn’t going anywhere in basketball.”
Austin believes that larger schools passed over Tesmer because of his basketball career.
“I felt like he was very under the radar because he was playing basketball as well so his tournament experience was limited,” Austin said.
Tesmer was one of the first prospects Austin went after once he arrived at Drake, but it was Tesmer who initiated the relation-ship.
After making an impromptu stop at Drake on his way back home from a tournament, Tesmer emailed Austin to see if any spots were available on the roster. After speaking with him on the phone, Austin decided to meet with Tesmer in person.
“I made a day trip over to Nebraska to watch him practice and meet with him and his dad,” Austin said. “The things that impressed me the most were his intensity and athleticism.”
Austin believes that Tesmer can become a similar player to Drake junior James McKie. Like McKie, Tesmer positions him-self at the baseline and grinds players down with his athleticism.
Now that he can focus all year on tennis instead of splitting time with basketball, Austin believes that Tesmer can become an even better player.
“I think as his game develops he will play an aggressive base-line style of play where he can use his quickness to move forward and finish points, similar to James’ style,” he said.
Tesmer and the rest of the Bulldog squad are preparing for their first tournament of the fall, the Purdue Fall Invitational in West Lafayette, Ind. The tournament is from Sept. 16-18. Drake’s first home contest is on Sept. 23 during the Drake Fall Invitational, where Tesmer and fellow freshman Alen Salibasic will make their debuts.
PAGE 7 | THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 SPORTS THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Freshman Profile: A diamond in the rough Bulldogs hope Grant Tesmer’s athletcism can bring future success at collegiate level
KRISTEN SMITH | editor-in-chief
FRESHMAN GRANT TESMER poses outside of Meredith Hall with his tennis gear. Tesmer was a two-sport athlete during high school and chose to come to Drake to play tennis.
Paul Thomson aiming for a better year in his second season
Name: Matt LewisPosition: Head CoachAge: 35Alma Mater: Iowa State 99’Awards: All-Big 12 first teamAcademic All-Big 12 PerformerPrevious Experience: Clinton Country Club Head Pro (2004-2011)Somerset Country Club Assistant Golf Pro (2001-2003)Interlachen Country Club (1996-2000)Interesting Fact: Lewis was coached at Iowa State by former Drake men’s golf coach Jamie Bermel
Matt Lewis was named Head Coach of the Drake Men’s Golf program on July 26th. Lewis took over after former head coach Scott Bohlender stepped down.
Lewis had a decorated collegiate career at Minnesota University and subsequently at Iowa State, where he played his last two years.
Following his collegiate career, Lewis competed in the North Florida PGA Tour (1999-2000). He is also a PGA Class A Member.
Lewis last worked at Clinton Country Club where he was Head Pro for eight years before accepting the position at Drake.
>>Matt Lewis New Head Coach
COURTESY OF DRAKE ATHLETICS
THE TIMES-DELPHIC ADVERTISEMENT THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 2011 | PAGE 8
