Des Moines, Iowa • Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 • Vol. 129, No. 5 • www.timesdelphic.com

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

insideNEWS FEATURESOPINIONS SPORTS

PAGE 2

Musical-based improv group comes to Drake

Rainy day solutions for when the weather gets wet

A go-to guide for Parents Weekend activities and fun

Men’s tennis excels at Drake Fall Invitational

PAGE 3 PAGE 5 PAGE 7

Making the cutAdmittance percentage decreases as standards continually rise

Each fall brings about 800 new students to Drake and 800 chances for Drake to transform. Lately, there has been speculation about the uni-versity’s acceptance rate decreasing – it’s getting harder to be accepted to Drake.

Tom Delahunt, vice president of Admission and Financial Planning at Drake, confirmed.

“The number of students we accept each year is driven by the number of applications we receive,” Delahunt explained. “The demand for Drake has gone up 20 percent the last few years, which allows us to be more selective about the students we accept.”

Drake has had to raise its standards gradu-ally because of the increased number of appli-cants. The number of students it’s admitting has also decreased. In previous years, the first-year class size was as high as 924 students, but this created housing conflicts.

Now, the goal each year for the first-year class is between 850-870 students, which was met this year with 864 students.

“The hard part is figuring out how many people to admit so that the right amount of people enroll,” Delahunt said.

Drake admits 65 percent of the people who apply and one out of four enrolls. These statis-tics are lower than previous years, when 86 per-cent of the people who applied were admitted.

“We get to shape the community at Drake,

and try to get Drake to be the best Drake it can be,” Delahunt said.

The admissions office does this by selecting applicants from different majors and countries, and who are involved in different activities.

“The students are the life-blood of the com-munity,” Delahunt said. “We want more than just good students; we want people who will get involved.”

Director of Admission Laura Linn credits her co-workers for Drake’s increasing popular-ity.

“They successfully build relationships with prospective students and communicate the ben-efits of a Drake education,” Linn said.

Linn explained that the qualifications for new students are not changing, Drake is just having to be more particular about who it accepts. The average high school GPA for first-year students this year is 3.7 and the average ACT score is 27, higher than previous years.

However, Delahunt and Linn stressed that they review more than just prospective students’ academic records; they also review leadership, involvement, work experience, writing abilities and letters of recommendation.

“Our goal is to bring a vibrant and interest-ing first-year class to campus each fall,” Linn said.

So, will this change in admissions affect the campus?

“I don’t see it affecting Drake overall,” first-

by Lillian Schrock Staff Writerlillian.schrock@drake.edu

Christian author Josh McDowell returns to Drake

See a photo slideshow of DEAL’s Earth Week at timesdelphic.com

SEE ADMISSION, PAGE 2

Drake students go head-to-head with Iranian President Ahmadinejad

If you could ask Iranian President Mah-moud Ahmadinejad one question, what would it be?

“Where do you see Iran in 20 years?” Drake University freshman Drew Kaufman asked.

“I see Iran as a great place, a friend to all nations,” Ahmadinejad said. “I see peace, co-operation and justice for all.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Drake was among six schools across the country to participate in a live video conference with President Ahmadinejad. The University of Southern California(USC), Sonoma State University in San Francisco, the University of Maryland, Georgia Tech and Yale University joined Drake in this unique opportunity.

Iranian-American journalist Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich and Ahmadinejad con-ducted the interview from USC in Los Ange-les. Sepahpour-Ulrich is a graduate of USC and an independent writer, researcher and blogger.

Drake Professor of Economics Ishmael Hossein-Zadeh has worked with Sepahpour-

Ulrich in the past and this connection allowed Drake to become involved with the confer-ence.

“I was familiar with, and admire the writ-ings of Ismael,” Sepahpour-Ulrich said. “I e-mailed him and asked if Drake would be in-terested in participating. I was delighted when Drake accepted the invitation.”

Sepahpour-Ulrich asked Ahmadinejad various questions students had submitted

before and during the hour-long live video conference. Once a question was posed, a translator spoke with Ahmadinejad, who an-swered the question. Then, his response was translated into English.

“He avoided answering [my question]

with any specifics; however, I wasn’t disap-pointed because it offered another look at the way Ahmadinejad operates,” Kaufman said. “The interview was a fascinating glimpse into the mind of Ahmadinejad. You see the clips from his speeches on the evening news but those can be very short and without context.”

Ahmadinejad began the interview with a rambling opening statement regarding man-kind, stating that it is a universal creation with an infinite capacity. This capacity is hindered by the ‘failure’ of world management. He fur-ther alluded that the problems of the world, including war, hate and poverty, are due to this mismanagement.

“A country or nation is successful when each of its individual citizens feels they own a part of the country and can help the govern-ment move forward,” Ahmadinejad said.

Sepahpour-Ulrich then addressed nuclear warfare and the possibility of a disarmament treaty. Ahmadinejad stated that nuclear en-ergy is cheaper than fossil fuels, and he sug-gested that everyone should utilize nuclear energy peacefully.

“I think nuclear weapons are the most destructive form of weaponry humans can

by Jackie Wallentin Managing Editornews@timesdelphic.com

photo by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | Photo Editor

JOSH MCDOWELL will be speaking this Friday at Helmick Commons about his journey in the Christian faith.

“I thought this was a joke,” begins Josh Mc-Dowell in “Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” one of over 120 books that he has either au-thored or co-authored. “Evidence” is one of his most popular works, and in it he supports the historicity and validity of the Bible.

McDowell, 71, was in college when, finding himself fed up with religion, Christianity and “that kind of garbage,” he set out to prove the Bible wrong.

“I decided to write a book that would make an intellectual joke of Christianity,” McDowell said. But after doing his research, he decided that he was the one that must be off.

Many years later, McDowell finds himself traveling from city to city sharing the things that he’s learned over the years. This weekend, he will be in Des Moines and is kicking off his visit with an event on Drake University’s campus. He and his son, Sean, will both be speaking at Hel-mick Commons on Friday at 7 p.m.

This will be McDowell’s second trip to Drake. McDowell also spoke in the spring of 2009.

Collin Cameron, a senior who attended the McDowell lecture his sophomore year, said he plans to see him speak this weekend as well.

“When I last saw him, it was very impactful,” Cameron said. “He gave me a lot of things to think about. He presents the reasons for why he believes what he does in a very articulate man-ner.”

McDowell plans to talk about the shape his

photo courtesy of JOSH MCDOWELL

by Jon Heggestad Staff Writerjon.heggestad@drake.edu

SEE MCDOWELL, PAGE 2

As of May 2010, Drake University became the first and only school in Iowa to have a curling club.

The founder, sophomore John Maher, was involved with curling in high school and missed playing when he came to Drake.

“I grew to love the culture, sport and everything around it,” Maher said. “I wanted to continue my involvement in the sport and help others.”

He decided to start the club after he saw the interest increase from the Olympics. Andrew Wade was a perfect example.

“I was watching Olympic

curling as a joke with my roommates,” Wade said. “It actually started to get interesting so we decided that we should curl sometime, and then this club started.”

Maher knew gaining interest would not be hard, but he also wanted to teach people more about the sport. He said that it is a very social sport, because players get to know teammates and opponents as well.

“It’s more about people and friendships, rather than simply playing to win,” he said.

Curling began in the 1500s in Scotland, where yelling, swearing and throwing equipment was looked down upon. That tradition continued, along with disallowing referees on the ice.

The teams must now settle any disagreement. If a player believes the other team broke a rule, they tell the opposing team and negotiate.

“It shows camaraderie and sportsmanship unlike any other sport,” Maher said.

An informational meeting was held last semester and 25 people attended. After the activities

fair this September, the group doubled in size with 52 members.

Maher hoped the numbers would be big, but he was very impressed with the large turnout.

“I hope and expect that we will continue to grow with time,” he said.

Curling requires four people

Drake creates first Iowa collegiate curling club

THE SPORT OF CURLING has reached Drake’s campus. The club is the first of its kind for the university and the state.

GETTY IMAGES

by Becca Mattaloni Staff Writerrebecca.mattaloni@drake.edu

SEE CURL, PAGE 2

“ ”I see Iran as a great place, a friend to all nations.

–Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

SEE IRAN, PAGE 2

“

“THE TIMES-DELPHIC NEWS THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010 PAGE 2

PAGETWO

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“The demand for Drake has gone up 20 percent the last few years, which allows us to be more selective about the students we accept.”

—TOM DELAHUNT, SEE PAGE 1

QUOTE of

DAYthe

SECURITY REPORTS

3:20 p.m. Sept. 13Security responded to a Drake parking lot located in the 3200 block of University Avenue based on a report of an injured female. It was determined a

female staff member who was walking on one crutch fell while stepping off a curb. Fire/rescue was called. The female staff member was transported to a local hospital.

9:30 a.m. Sept. 14A male staff member reported money stolen from an unlocked file cabinet in room BO24 of the Fine Arts Center between 5 p.m. on Sept. 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 4.

1:52 a.m. Sept. 15The security dispatcher monitored Des Moines Police being sent to a bar in the 2300 block of Forest Avenue regarding a 19-year-old female passed out in a restroom. She was taken to a local hospital by fire/rescue. The dean of students has been advised.

7:56 a.m. Sept. 15Security officer responded to a call from a staff member about a suspicious man in the Fine Arts Center. The male adult was stopped between Cowles

Library and Carnegie Hall at 8 a.m. Police were called and he was advised on trespass for the campus. A small baton was also confiscated from him by the police officer.

10:14 p.m. Sept. 16A security officer observed three males acting suspicious in a Drake parking lot located in the 2900 block of Forest Avenue. It was determined they were all underage-for-drinking male students and had a bottle of rum. The rum was poured out; the matter was coordinated with a resident assistant of their residence hall.

10:52 a.m. Sept. 17Security, Mid America, police and the fire department responded to 1445 29th St.

based on report of a gas leak. It was determined a female adult hit the gas on her vehicle instead of the brake and ran into the gas meter.

8:17 p.m. Sept. 17Security responded to Crawford Residence Hall based on report of a young male vomiting in his girlfriend’s room. The male was an underage-for-drinking male student and the girlfriend was an underage-for-drinking female student. The male appeared to be intoxicated and the female did not, although she stated she had a couple drinks. The female stated she would look after her boyfriend for the evening. A resident assistant was present.

11:30 p.m. Sept. 17Security responded to Carpenter Residence Hall based on report of a female vomiting. Other students were holding a bowl nearby in case she threw up again. They stated she had filled one bowl. She was barely conscious and fire/rescue was called. Someone had called her roommate earlier and asked her to pick up the victim at 1166 27th St. The building is known as “Big Bird House” or “Yellow House” according to students at the scene. Fire/rescue arrived and transported the female victim to the hospital. The dean of students and the Drake Real Estate Manager has been advised.

Drake observatory hosts public star series

by Lauren HorschStaff Writerlauren.horsch@drake.edu

Students at Drake University will have an opportunity to learn about stars and their properties this fall during Public Nights at the Drake Municipal Observatory.

This Friday’s topic is “Stars Become Colorful,” which will explore the colors of stars and what they reveal about their nature.

“Stars come in a variety of sizes, luminosities, temperatures, colors… All of these contain information that scientists use to address questions about the structure, origin and fate of stars,” said Charles Nelson, associate professor of physics and astronomy.

Those who are interested in stars are urged to come to the Public Nights to get a crash course in a topic that people might not otherwise get the chance to learn about.

“Public Nights are opportunities for the public to come out and hear a popular entertaining presentation about astronomy and to observe planets, stars, nebulae and other astronomical objects through the telescope,” Nelson said.

While Drake offers astronomy classes throughout the year, these special series are open to everyone on Friday nights during September and October, as well as during the spring and summer seasons.

Students along with the general public are welcome to go out to the observatory and hear “an informal, enjoyable talk on the topic.”

“I find most people have a great interest in the stars,” said Lauren Breman, professor of astronomy at Drake.

The Public Nights are not only informational, but also fun for those who come, and not “one bit boring,” Breman said.

Nelson also added that students would have an opportunity to look through the main telescope that will give “superb images of the planets and brighter celestial objects.” Seeing views that the naked eye cannot see is only one incentive for those who go.

If the weather is clear, Friday night attendees

may also be able to go up into the dome of the observatory, look through the telescope and actually see the colors of stars that are showing that evening.

The observatory located on the grounds of the Waveland Golf Course is open to the public every Friday at 8 p.m. free of charge during the fall series.

“We typically have 50-75 people each night and significantly more on clear nights,” Nelson said.

Since this season’s topic is “Starry Skies and Starry Eyes,” the topics featured every Friday will encompass stars and their properties as well as some fun explorations into how the sun works.

The fall series began Sept. 10 with a presentation on “Ancient Views,” and the series will end on Oct. 29, with the topic “Fantasy Becomes Reality,” which will look into stars that defied description only a few generations ago.

“We can also use things we learn about the stars to learn about other kinds of astronomical objects such as galaxies, supwernovae and star clusters,” Nelson said.

For more information about the Drake Municipal Observatory, or to learn more about the topics presented, visit the observatory website at drake.edu/artsci/physics/observatory.html.

Baby Wants Candy’s previous onstage credits include “The 40-year-old Virgin Mary,” “The Revenge of Thomas Jefferson” and “The Adventures of Super Badger,” but as all were only performed once, it would prove difficult to find any sheet music or song lyrics.

In fact, the people who will fill the seats of Sheslow Auditorium this Friday at 8 p.m. will be witnesses to a musical performance that has never been seen before and will never be seen again.

Baby Wants Candy is a Chicago-based musical improvisation group billing itself as “the completely improvised musical.” The act begins when the players ask audience members to shout out titles of a musical that has never been done before.

The first one they hear becomes the basis for an hour-long show featuring songs made up on the spot and accompaniments from a full band of instrumentalists who are improvising beside the actors.

The Student Activities Board is sponsoring the free event, which will also feature the Drake student improvisational group, D.I.C.E.Y.

Committee co-chair junior Nick Lund said he thinks Baby Wants Candy’s performance will be a great part of Drake’s Parents Weekend.

“They tend to cater to college students’ sense of humor, so we think it will be just perfect for students on campus, all while keeping it family-friendly for the parents and siblings that will also be coming to the show,” he said.

Lund’s co-chair, junior Allie LeClair encouraged students to have their families accompany them to the event.

“We hope that this gives an activity to the students they can bring their parents to so they can show their parents what they have an opportunity to do here on campus,” she said.

BWC’s website boasts that the group has more than 2,000 shows under its belt, some featuring comedic personalities such as Rachel Dratch and Seth Meyers of “Saturday Night Live,” among others.

During Friday’s act, audience members may recognize one actor, Jack McBrayer, as Kenneth, the page from NBC’s “30 Rock.”

In addition to the big names, some of Drake’s own talent will be performing.

D.I.C.E.Y, a campus improv group with just over a dozen members, will open the show. The students have performed on campus before at Hubbell Dining Hall and Relay for Life in the Fieldhouse. But on Friday, they’ll be trying out something new, according to president Matt Pruett.

“Our first bit is actually a sketch, but I can’t spoil any details,” he said. “Needless to say, students and parents alike will get a good laugh.”

Improv group ‘Baby Wants Candy’ comes to Drake Friday

year student Max Cavett said. “It seems like it will be the same campus, maybe just higher test scores and a rise in average GPA.”

Junior Tanner Davis expressed mixed feel-ings about the shift in admissions.

“It means fewer students will get to expe-rience the great education I am, but it also means Drake will only be accepting students who really want to be here and who exemplify

academic excellence,” Davis said.Delahunt explained that the admissions of-

fice does not want Drake to change, it wants Drake to continue to thrive as it has, and it wants students to feel the same sense of com-munity they’ve always felt. The admissions of-fice picks students who will fuel the identity of Drake’s community.

“If we do our job correctly, Drake won’t change,” Delahunt said. “We want Drake to continue to be Drake.”

FROM ADMISSION, PAGE 1

for each team, and Maher eventually wants to have 10 or more teams at Drake. Because there are no other clubs in Iowa, the curlers at Drake will play each other for the time being.

One issue that hindered the start of the club was finding a place to play.

“It was hard to find a place that worked, because Iowa was limited in hockey and ice arenas,” Maher said. “I ended up finding the Metro Ice Sports Facility, and they are really excited to have us down there, because it is something Iowa has never had.”

The facility will allow the club to practice free, which adds to the large amount of donations the club has received. Maher began calling curling clubs across the U.S. for equipment donations and brooms and sweeps,

but is now waiting on stones and other items from clubs in Alaska, Madison, Wis. and Chicago that should arrive next week.

Once the equipment arrives, the club plans to start practice in two to three weeks with practices twice a week, but members are not required to come to both. Practices are Tuesday 10-10:45 p.m. and Saturday 1-2:30 p.m.

As the year progresses, Maher hopes to organize tournaments with other Iowa schools. His goal is to organize an Iowa College Curls Weekend once a semester. It would consist of a learning session Friday night, with the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

Maher hopes students from Drake University and the Des Moines area come watch the games. They will be open to the public free of charge.

life has taken. The title of his message is “A Stubborn Journey.” His son is the head of the Bible department at a Christian high school, and the title of his message is “Why Every Religious Quest Should Begin with

Christianity.” The two will also speak several other

times this weekend at various locations. A full schedule of their speaking engagements, along with the topics for each event, is posted online at walnutcreekcc.org/joshsean. The event is free and open to the public.

FROM MCDOWELL, PAGE 1

The audience shouts out a title of a musical that has never been performed before. Accompanied by a full band, the first title that the group hears becomes the title and theme for that evening’s completely improvised 60-minute musical that BWC creates on the spot.

BWC has featured performers: Stephnie Weir and Nicole Parker (MadTV)

Rachel Dratch and Seth Meyers (SNL)

Jack McBrayer (30 Rock)

Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band)

How It Works

graphic courtesy of BABY WANTS CANDY

“ ”Chicago’s most consistantly funny and crowd-pleasing show!

–Chicago Sun-Times

Where:Drake Observatory

Waveland Golfcourse

Cost:Free

by Ann SchnoebelenStaff Writerann.schnoebelen@drake.edu

possess,” Ahmadinejad said. “Peace cannot be contained under nuclear warfare.”

He failed to address the current investigations surrounding Iran’s nuclear warfare activity, but rather continued to ramble, criticizing America and its involvement in the war stating that, “America has never entered into any successful wars in the past 60 years.”

“I was not impressed by many of his answers,” sophomore Sean Walsh said. “I found it very ironic that he was lecturing American students about peace and equality, when it is so obvious that Ahmadinejad’s government has no respect for human rights. He seems like a smooth speaker and that is why I think many in the Middle East think favorably of him, especially with his harsh, anti-American views and comments.”

Both Walsh and Kaufman agreed that

they would have liked to see more questions geared toward recent events and controversies surrounding Iran. Students submitted questions concerning the American journalists taken hostage in Iran, and the recent riots and protests that took place after Ahmadinejad’s election ended with violent actions taken by the government towards its citizens. However, Ahmadinejad avoided questions aimed at his political leadership.

Despite this, both also agree the conference was an amazing opportunity to experience.

“I would have never thought that I would be sitting in my classroom at Drake in a live video interview with the president of Iran,” Walsh said.

Sepahpour-Ulrich ended the conference by asking Ahmadinejad a simple question: “How would he like to be remembered?”

“Like any other person, to have the legacy of a good name,” Ahmadinejad said.

A male student reported he was assaulted with a piece of a handrail by another male student at 1219 34th St. between 12 a.m and 1 a.m. on Sept. 19. He was also punched several times. The actions were witnessed. The victim stated he went to the hospital where he was treated for about five hours. The dean of students was advised and the matter is being investigated.

4:46 p.m. Sept. 19

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Lecture to explore the colors of stars and what they reveal about nature

FROM CURL, PAGE 1

FROM IRAN, PAGE 1

When:Friday Sept. 24

8 p.m.

OPINIONS & EDITORIALSTHURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010PAGE 3 THE TIMES-DELPHIC

OPINIONS&EDITORIALSVaudeville Mews has two grand perfomances this weekend.

9/25 Tony Furtadobr9/26 Tim Kasher

THE TIMES-DELPHICTHE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

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Classes, work, sororities and fraterni-ties, homework, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends, projects, exams, clubs, community service, intern-

ships, scholarships, financial aid, student loans, professors—just thinking about these raise my blood pressure and make me sweat profusely.

Ok, maybe not profusely, but I know I’m not the only one who can be a little overwhelmed by everything going on in college. It’s surprising we don’t have panic attacks every five minutes. With all the stress we face every day, how do we keep from having a mental breakdown?

Finding time to de-stress during your busy schedule will keep those anxiety attacks at bay. But how do you de-stress?

Relaxation is the antibiotic for anxiety. Sometimes during a busy day, you just need to sit or lie down and simply gather your thoughts. Stare at the ceiling for a while or daydream. Try to empty your mind off whatever is stressing you out.

If you’re having trouble clearing your mind, try to recite a favorite poem or song in your head. I mentally recite the First Amendment verbatim repeatedly.

Play soothing music such classical or jazz (wherever your preferences lay). Yoga, Pilates and meditation are great ways to harness your chi and get a better grip on everything.

Naps are another effective form of relax-ation, especially when writing a paper. Since the brain is most active while you sleep, you might

wake up with more perspectives on your prob-lems.

Getting eight hours of sleep every night helps, too. Sometimes I get the feeling sleep is a competition of whom can get the least amount and still be able to open their eyes. Excuse me for wanting a full REM cycle.

Avoid beverages with large amounts of caf-feine. Sure, a Monster will keep you awake long enough to type a paper, but unbelievably, caf-feine is a drug that can actually boost your stress levels. So if you’re on the verge of mental break-down, don’t head to the café for a double shot of espresso. Go for the non-caffeinated beverages instead.

Read a book, other than your textbooks. Sometimes I get in this mindset that I can’t read a good novel because that’s study time I’m wast-ing. However, reading something for fun is way less stressful than reading a boring textbook. I’m not saying to ignore reading assignments, but try to make room for an enjoyable book as well.

Hang out with some friends! Watch a funny movie and just laugh and have fun. Chances are they need to de-stress too. It’s like that old say-ing: Laughter is the best medicine.

Play with a puppy! Ok, this might seem ran-dom, but who doesn’t love an adorable puppy? During finals, many colleges have animal shel-ters bring cute puppies and kittens to campus for students to pet and play with in order to de-stress. If animals can be used to visit hospital patients, why can’t they help anxious college students?

Go for a walk or run. We all know exercise releases endorphins, and endorphins make us happy. It’s also a chance to shut out everything around you for a while. Put your iPod on high volume, and walk around campus a few times.

Of course, there are many more ways to de-stress, and not all techniques work for everyone. Find your own ways to de-stress, and you can avoid any embarrassing panic attacks during the middle of class.

LAURA WITTREN | COLUMIST Wittren is a sophomore magazines/open journalism major and can be contacted at laura.wittren@drake.edu.

College takes toll on student stress levelsThere are many ways to de-stress that prove crucial to college students

1. Dance – You’ve seen it in the movies, but have you ever done it yourself ? If you’re walking through campus and you see a crazy girl running around, spinning in circles – yep, that’s me.

2. Read – If only all residents could enjoy the window seats of GK. They are the best place to curl up with a good book, especially when it’s raining.

3. Play games – I use rainy days to my advantage. All my friends lock their doors because they know I’ll beg them to come play board games. How nice.

4. Nap – I feel like this is necessary every day, but a storm is the perfect excuse to say you need a nap. It is so peace-ful and relaxing to fall asleep listening to the rain. In case of a drought, www.rainymood.com is a good simulation.

5. Order food – Canoeing your way around campus is not a great idea, but ordering in is! There are plenty of great dining options that would love to deliver food to college students.

6. Do homework – I know everyone’s first thought when it’s raining is, “Yes! Time to do homework!” Let’s be serious, we all want to relax, take a nap and watch a movie instead, but it had to be included for those non-procrastinators.

7. Watch movies or TV – Along with taking a nap, this is also justified on a rainy day. Going through a whole season of your favorite TV show sounds appealing, and it helps you put off homework that you are ever so thrilled about starting.

8. Bake – There comes a point in time when Hubbell cookies just aren’t cutting it. Plus, it makes you feel like you’re home when you smell something baking in the oven.

9. Call your mom – You know she’s been waiting to hear from you for a few weeks. Let her know everything is fine and you’re spending plenty of time at the library.

10.Build a fort – Whether you lofted your bed or not, how awesome would it be to have your whole room as a fort? All your friends will be jealous because it looks so cool. Not that I would know. I’ve never done it before…

Since Drake seems to be the center of all rain and thunder-storms lately, at least we now have some things to do besides sit-ting on Facebook for hours at a time. Hope you all brought your oars!

REBECCA MATALONI | COLUMIST Mataloni is a sophomore news/internet and music major. Mataloni can be contacted at rebecca.mataloni@drake.edu.

Top 10 things to do on a rainy dayRain, rain—what do I do now?

”“I get the feeling sleep is a competition of whom can get the least amount and still be able to open their eyes.

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THE TIMES-DELPHIC FEATURES THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010 PAGE 4

FEATURES DON’T. MISS. THIS.Saturday, Sept. 25 from 3- 11 p.m. Drake Neighborhood will be hosting Dogtown Fest. Live music, good food and art.

SEEJO VALACHERIL rides an oversized tricycle for Earth Week’s Transportation Day.

You’re sitting in a Meredith Hall lecture room, trying to take notes on the day’s lesson. But you’re frustrated. While others around you can write with ease, taking advantage of the desks attached to the right side of their chairs, you have to struggle to put yourself in an awk-ward position so you can write with your left hand. You think all Drake Bulldogs have equal opportunities in the classroom? Try telling that to the left-handed students.

Normally, many people don’t set left-handed students (fondly referred to as “lefties”) apart from the general population. You can’t easily pick them out of a crowd walking across cam-pus or eating in Hubbell. Even in the classroom, they’re more difficult to spot. However, their

presence is small and mighty. Currently, the largest problem that lefties

face at Drake is concerned with “lecture desks,” wooden seats with a tablet desk attached to the right side only. Commonly found in large lecture halls, these desks are smaller and have the ca-pability to fit more students into a larger space. However, they do nothing to accommodate the needs of left-handed students who have to posi-tion themselves differently in order to write.

“They’re very inconvenient,” said first-year lefty Kaity Dowd.

Head Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication David Wright pointed out that computers pose another issue.

“In the computer labs, the mice for the computers are always placed on the right side,” Wright said. “Many of them have locks so they are difficult to move.”

Taking notes in class also has its challenges. “When I have to write something in pencil,

the lead smudges all over the paper,” said Mi-chael Edwards, a first-year left-handed student. “It creates problems for legibility. It’s so ter-rible.”

Some right-handed students don’t under-stand all the fuss.

“Left-handed students are just like any other people,” said sophomore Ahn-ton Dang.

Drake has taken steps to narrow the gap be-tween left-handed and right-handed students in the classroom. A majority of halls have changed their seating to include standard and confer-ence-style tables, a maneuver that has won favor with lefties.

“The longer tables, like in Meredith Hall’s smaller classrooms, work well for me,” Edwards said.

Some professors also provide alternatives to lecture-style seating.

“I offer an alternative table up front for the lefties so they have room to write during exams,”

Wright said. But the lecture desks still exist, a symbol of

the disadvantages lefties face in a world skewed toward right-handedness.

Wright agrees, adding, “Those desks are noisy, obnoxious and collapse at the worst times during tests. [The lecture halls] will probably be the last rooms to be upgraded. It’s a pretty sub-stantial undertaking.”

Lefties have taken these struggles and adapt-ed them into their everyday routines. Sure, it can be a pain to write in an awkward position while sitting in a lecture desk, or to constantly bump into a right-handed person’s arm when writing. But for lefties, it’s another part of life, one that some lefties do not consider bad.

“I like being left-handed,” Edwards said. “It sets me apart from the majority of people. It’s a defining feature of my character.”

The struggles students face in classes when not right-handed

by Paige ZidekStaff Writerpaige.zidek@drake.edu

Congratulations to the new Student Senate Committee

Members and Interns!

Don’t forget to follow senate at DrakeStuSenate on twitter and on Facebook under Drake

University Student Senate.

Weekly Senate meetings are held every Thursday at 9pm in the Drake room located in

upper Olmsted. You can also listen to the meetings live on I-

Tunes podcast under http://bit.ly/b0DS5r

Join us weekly at Bulldog Break for a sweet treat every Thursday from 12 to 1 in Olmsted

The tagline reads, “Be more German zan ever.” This weekend, kick-off the fall season by celebrating all things culturally German. The seventh annual Des Moines Oktoberfest will be the main party to be at this Friday and Saturday for all students over the age of 21.

Oktoberfest is traditionally a 16-18 day cel-ebration of Bavarian culture that began in Mu-nich, Germany in 1810. What began as a small festival is now host to 6 million spectators.

The downtown location will feature tented Bier Gardens, authentic German food and beer with a promise of a party “rain or shine.” At-tendees can get entrance to the festival, one free drink ticket and a mug, all for $10.

The past two years the party has taken place at Principal Park, due to revitalization and con-struction of the downtown locations.

“People are excited about Oktoberfest’s re-turn to the 4th Street location,” said Melinda Toine, the main event coordinator for the fes-tival.

Toine is a 1996 Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate and she helped arrange the music set for this weekend. Musical stylings of the Bob Malek Fishermen Band and the Stratford Rhythm Ramblers will headline the festival.

Toines mentioned that festivalgoers would not want to miss Barefoot Becky and the Ivan-hoe Dutchmen. The German-Czech group is a mix of country and big band music, originally from Mount Vernon, Iowa.

The festival’s return to the original location conveniently puts the German-based bar, Hes-

sen Haus, in the middle of the party. Owners of the local downtown establishment are be-ginning the event with a tapping of the “Gold-en Keg” and two free kegs of beer.

After the primary ceremonies, things may become somewhat raunchy at the Bier Maid-en Contest at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. Maiden contestants will be judged on a wide variety of talents, including attire, ability to balance beer steins and belching.

“It is a local event and it reminds me of events from back home,” said Jim Davis, a se-nior originally from Saint Charles, Illinois.

For under legal drinking-age students, there are still activities to get into the German mood. Today there will be Polka on the Plaza, at the downtown Nolan Plaza, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The first 150 attendees will re-ceive a free bratwurst and glass of Raccoon River Brewery home-brewed root beer. Not only will there be free food, but entertainment by the Polka Club of Iowa as well.

“If I was 21 I would consider going to Ok-toberfest,” Ashley Ester, a first-year, said. “It would all depend where it was at and who all was going with me.”

Regardless of age, students like Ester can learn a new skill with the free polka dance les-sons from the Polka Club of Iowa on Saturday from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

“It should be a great event and we’re all re-ally looking forward to it,” Toines said.

Drag out your traditional German garb, grab a mug and get to downtown Des Moines to celebrate the goodness of bier and brats.

Oktoberfest fall festivalby KENSIE SMITHStaff Writermackensie.smith@drake.edu

LutherW.StalnakerLectureWHAT:

WHEN: Tonight, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Sheslow Auditorium

Earth Week comes to DrakeA fun-filled Earth Week has brought students together to participate in events such as rock climbing, bottle bowling, solar panel cooking and tricycle riding. Events continue with today’s farmers market and Friday’s political action day.

photo by CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | Photos Editor

photo by CARTER OSWOOD | Staff Photographer

Aimee Beckmann-Collier, professor of conducting at Drake University, will examine music as an intersection of mind, body and spirit as keynote speaker for the 26th annual Luther W. Stalnaker Lecture.

FEATURESTHURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010PAGE 5 THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Parents Weekend>>What’s going on?

EVENTSFRIDAY4 p.m. - 7 p.m.Plant Sale - Stalnaker Hall LobbyFish Sale - Crawford Hall Lobby

5 p.m. - 7 p.m.Information Table - Olmsted CenterPick up meal and sporting event tickets and Fun Run t-shirts here

7 p.m.Drake Women’s Volleyball vs. Bradley - Knapp CenterTickets $3 in advance; $5 at the door,Drake students free with ID

8 p.m.Drake Jazz Ensemble I and IIPerforming Arts Hall in Fine Arts Center

8 p.m.Baby Wants Candy - Sheslow AuditoriumMusical improv group

SATURDAY7:30 a.m.Drake Fun Run/WalkBegins on Helmick Commons$6 entry feeFree T-shirt and post run food with entry fee. The two-mile route circles campus and ends in the world famous Drake stadium.

9 a.m. – 1 p.m.Information Table - Olmsted CenterPick up meal and sporting events tickets

9 a.m. – 10 a.m.Continental Breakfast - Pomerantz Stage, Olmsted CenterMeet Drake’s President David Maxwell and the 2010 Drake Parents of the Year

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Women’s Crew - Birdland MarinaSee 500 participants in the largest crew regatta inDes Moines

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.Drake Informational Sessions - Olmsted Center, various other locationsSelect from a variety of topics lead by Drake Faculty and Staff: fraternity and sorority life, residence halls and dining services, career development and law school admission.

11 a.m. – 12 noonStudy Abroad Session - Olmsted Bulldog TheatreLearn about study abroad experiences from the staff and the traveling students and their parents.

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.Lunch offered by Sodexo Campus Services - Hubbell South Dining HallTickets $6 in advance; $7 at the door

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.Bus Tour of Des Moines - Board the bus on University Avenue in front of Aliber Hall. Limited seating. Register for the tour beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

1 p.m. – 3 p.m.Texas Hold ‘em Tournament - Bell CenterPoker for the whole family. Register at 1 p.m.

3 p.m.Sweetheart Sing - Sheslow Auditorium, Old MainFraternity/sorority vocal and skit show benefiting the Children’s Cancer Connection.Seating is limited; have your Drake student purchase tickets in the Olmsted Center in advance.

7 p.m.Drake Women’s Volleyball vs. Northern Iowa - Knapp CenterTickets $3 in advance; $5 at the door,Drake students free with ID

SUNDAY10 a.m. – 1 p.m.Parents and Family Brunch - Hubbell Dining HallTickets $6 in advance; $7 at the door

12 noonDrake Women’s Softball vs. Minnesota State - Buel FieldTickets $3 in advance, $5 at door, youth 3-18 $2

1 p.m.Women’s Soccer vs. Evansville - Cownie Soccer ComplexTickets $3 in advance, $5 at door, youth 3-18 $2

This Thursday you might have trouble renting a vacuum from your front desk. What could prompt this cleaning spree, you may ask? What could possibly motivate those boys down the hall to finally do laundry or buy air freshener for their room? You guessed it…Parents and Family Weekend.

Excitement for this weekend can fall anywhere on the spec-trum from “I’m so excited for my mom to take me shopping, and to eat at restaurants and have my parents pay” to “If my mom

comes in here and critiques my room or how I look, I’m having a breakdown.” The same goes for students without guests visiting. For some, it’s hard to see other people with their parents when theirs are at home. For others it means business as usual, but with a better spread in Hubbell.

Whether you’re excited for the coming weekend or dreading it, the campus has come together to make it a good experience. Because, after all, what are the weeks for, if not to prepare for the weekends?

Get started: If you registered for Parents Weekend ahead of time, stop by

the information table in the Olmsted Center. Here you can pick up tickets for meals and events for the weekend and ask any ques-tions about logistics for the weekend. Friday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Park like a pro: Pay attention to posted signs at lot entrances. Most of the lots

surrounding the residence halls are only for students with parking passes. The Olmsted Lot will be open for parking. Cars may also park on Forest Ave., but only during certain hours, so please pay attention to these city signs as well.

Equip your student for the weeks ahead:

Especially if your student doesn’t have a car, this weekend is a good opportunity to take them to get supplies to last until fall break. The closest malls are Merle Hay Mall or Valley West Mall. There is also a Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee at 73rd and University (just take University Ave. west until 73rd St.) Maps are available in the Student Life Center, located in the Olmsted Center.

See the Des Moines sites: This year, a bus tour of Des Moines has been added to the

weekend’s agenda. Register at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the 1 p.m. bus tour, which leaves from Aliber Hall. This is a good introduc-tion to the city for students and parents, and a great way to learn about resources and opportunities.

Get your game on: This weekend, Drake students will be showcasing their skills

in volleyball games on Friday and Saturday night, a regatta for women’s crew on Saturday morning and soccer and softball Sun-day afternoon. Do you want to stretch your athletic side? Partici-pate in the Drake Fun Run/Walk with your student on Saturday morning. For tickets and details for all of these events, visit the Olmsted Information Table during designated times on Friday and Saturday.

Take in a Show: There are lots of fun events this weekend to fill your culture

quota. Friday night, both Drake Jazz Ensembles will perform in the Fine Arts Center. No advanced tickets are required. A guest musical improv group sponsored by the Student Activities Board will create a show in Sheslow Auditorium, with Drake’s own im-prov organization, DICEY, performing an opening act. Greek Life is also sponsoring “Sweetheart Sing,” a Drake tradition. Fra-ternity and sorority members will perform musical numbers they designed and rehearsed; all proceeds benefit the Children’s Can-cer Connection. Have your student purchase tickets in advance.

Support the Residence Halls: Each hall has a governing body called the “executive council,”

or E.C., comprised of residents from that hall who are elected to office. Each E.C. has organized a special event for students and guests for the weekend. Look for posters in the residence halls for details. All students and guests are welcome to events in any of the halls, not just your own.

Check out the campus highlights:

Visit Hubbell North, our new dining facility. Renovations be-gan last winter and were completed over the summer in time for arriving students. Ask any returning student, and they will prob-ably rave about the improvements in the atmosphere.

Walk down our famous painted street between Jewett Resi-dence Hall and Cowles Library. Last April, students spent a whole day sketching and painting the squares in preparation for the Drake Relays.

You can also see the progress on the new addition to the Fine Arts Center, the Fred and Patty Turner Jazz Center.

If you have a sophomore student, remember that it’s never too early to start thinking about housing for next year. This could be a good time to check out the accommodations at Drake West Village, or other places.

To the parents: here’s a comprehensive guide for your weekend at Drake:

Parentsweekend

by ERIN HOGANStaff Writererin.hogan@drake.edu

Information found @ http://www.drake.edu/parents/familyweekend.php

THE TIMES-DELPHIC SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010 PAGE 6

SPORTSSTELLAR STATS

The amount of saves junior goalkeeper Jordan Kadlec has over seven games.

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Over the weekend, the Bulldogs helped im-prove their record to 3-3 after victories against UMKC and Loyola (Ill.) The 3-2 win over the Ramblers dropped Loyola to 0-5-1 as the Bull-dogs improved back to .500 on the season.

Junior Charles Schwartz helped open the scoring on Saturday in the 10th minute to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 advantage. That lead dou-bled five minutes later after junior Thomas Os-trander took a breakaway and converted it into a goal off assists from juniors Michael Noonan and Michael Thaden.

Will Martini of Loyola cut that lead in half in the 22nd minute and the game went into the half with a 2-1 Drake lead.

“With the six goals we scored this (past) week,

I feel we’ve shown the offensive potential we’re capable of led by Hunter (Kennedy) and Thom-as (Ostrander) up front and Michael (Thaden) orchestrating the midfield,” Head Coach Sean Holmes said.

The second half saw freshman defender Garrett Crall tally his first-ever collegiate goal, which turned out to be the game-winner. Crall connected on a header from Schwartz’s corner kick in the 63rd minute to increase the Bulldog lead to 3-1.

Even in the wet field conditions, junior goal-keeper Jordan Kadlec pulled in four saves com-pared to Peter McKeown’s three.

In Tuesday’s game vs. DePaul, the Bulldogs fell victim to playing on the road in an uncom-fortable stadium and dropped two second-half goals to the Blue Demons to fall 2-0.

“It was difficult playing there,” Schwartz said. “The width of their field is a bit smaller than

what we’re used to at home. Also, playing at 4 p.m. was a bit difficult as we’re not really used to that. Their field was pretty tricky, as it’s also their softball field, so there were patches pop-ping up in spots.”

The loss dropped Drake to 3-4 on the season while the Blue Demons of DePaul improved to 3-3-1.

Alex Mangan sent home a diving header that deflected off the crossbar and into the net past Kadlec.

An insurance goal from Antonio Aguilar came in the 86th minute to make the 2-0 mar-gin final.

“The win this weekend gave us a lot of con-fidence heading into the new week,” Schwartz said. “But DePaul played a bit different than we’re used to. They possessed it a lot at the back and did keep away. We got kind of frustrated and ended up getting tired.”

The Bulldogs were out shot by DePaul 10-7, as Kadlec brought in a game-high six saves. Not one Drake player accounted for more than one shot in the game.

“Mid-week, non-conference road games are always extremely difficult, but give DePaul cred-it; they were able to possess and circulate the ball for long sequences and we spent too much time chasing,” Holmes said

The Bulldogs return to action this weekend as they head to St. Louis to face off against Saint Louis University, who they lost to two years ago in the first round of the NCAA tournament when the Bulldogs made it for the first time.

The game this weekend will be the Topdraw-ersoccer.com game of the week and streamed live on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

by Skylar BerglStaff Writerskylar.bergl@drake.edu

MEN’S SOCCER

Drake splits doubleheader at All Iowa Classic last weekend

The Drake softball team split a doubleheader with Iowa and Iowa State last Sunday at the All Iowa Classic tournament in Ames, Iowa. The Bulldogs trounced Iowa State 9-5, but lost to Iowa in eight innings, 7-5.

Senior first baseman Molly McClelland con-tributed five hits on the day with a sacrifice fly to go 5-for-6 with two home runs and two doubles. Senior catcher Erin Mollohan slammed three homers to record five runs batted in versus the Cyclones.

“It felt really good to get out there versus high caliber teams again,” Mollohan said. “Getting to hit live pitching after the summer reminds you how much work you have to do, but also how much potential we have as a team.”

In the first game versus Iowa, the Bulldogs got started early, tallying two runs on two hits and two Iowa errors in the top of the first in-ning. Junior Torey Craddock started the rally with an RBI single to center to score sophomore Macie Silliman. Mollohan sacrifice-bunted the runners to second and third, and McClelland scored freshman Jordan Gronewold from third on a sacrifice fly.

Iowa did not respond until the sixth inning when catcher Liz Watkins hit a two-run shot over the left field fence against Gronewold.

The game went into extra innings, culminat-ing in an Iowa victory after being tied at four through the seventh. Iowa loaded the bases with two outs, and two costly Bulldog errors led to three runs. The Bulldogs responded in the bot-tom of the eighth but could only record one run on senior Jenna DeLong’s RBI single up the middle.

“We were reminded how important hitting is this weekend, but we also realized again the importance of air-tight defense,” DeLong said.

In game two, Drake battled the poor field conditions and unpredictable Iowa-weather drizzle to score nine runs on 14 hits, three of which were Mollohan home runs.

“The conditions were just something we needed to fight through,” Mollohan said. “The rain stopped us from playing on Saturday and we were just excited to get out and play.”

“The fields were soaked so we had to make some adjustments,” DeLong said. “The ball moves differently on a wet outfield. You have to pull four seams of the ball and really be in control both in the outfield and in the pitching circle.”

The Bulldogs played almost flawless defense to hold the Cyclones to five runs on 12 hits. Ju-nior outfielder Jaimie Duffek was a big contribu-tor in the affair, belting a two-run double.

Drake takes on Minnesota State next week-end at home on Sunday at Buel Field. Games are at 12 and 2 p.m.

by Sonya BrauchleStaff Writersonya.brauchle@drake.edu

Mollohan’s three homers, five RBIs leads win over Iowa State

SOFTBALL

Courtesy of Drake Athletics

SENIOR HUNTER KENNEDY (23) AND JUNIOR MICHAEL THADEN (2) attack the defense hoping to find the back of the net.

Junior Thomas Ostrander Named MVC Offensive Player of the WeekJunior Thomas Ostrander was awarded Missouri

Valley Conference Player of the Week for his perfor-mance in two Drake victories last week.

Ostrander netted his first two goals of the season in the Bulldogs’ 3-2 wins over UMKC and Loyola (Ill.).

The first goal came on a half-bicycle kick in the 80th minute to break a 2-2 tie against UMKC.

He added a breakaway goal in the 16th minute

against Loyola. Ostrander leads the team in goals (2), points (4) and

game-winning goals (1). It was the second time in his career he had won the award, and the first time this season a Bulldog captured any of the conference’s weekly honors.

“Thomas has been playing exceptionally well this season,” junior teammate Charles Schwartz said.

“His play is always at 110 percent and he sets an ex-ample when he plays.”

Ostrander previously won the award during the Bulldogs’ magical Elite Eight run last season, when he scored a game-winner against Evansville on Oct. 10, 2009.

13 Ostrander, Thomas

GP-GS PK-ATTG A Pts. Sh GWShot % SOG SOG %

6-6 62 0 4 10 1.200 2 .200

photo by SCOT JOHNSON | Staff Photographer

OSTRANDER

DePaul downs Drake, 2-0

Sunday Minnesota State (DH) 12 p.m. Buel FieldOct. 3 Iowa Lakes CC 1 p.m. Buel FieldOct, 3 Indian Hills CC 3 p.m. Buel Field

Remaining Fall Schedule

In Monday’s women’s soccer article, Brittany Schuling’s name was misspelled in the headline.

43

SPORTSTHURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010PAGE 7 THE TIMES-DELPHIC

The newest player of the Drake men’s tennis team, junior Sean O’Grady of Tempe, Ariz., led the Bulldogs on the final day of the Drake Fall Invitational. O’Grady won the Flight “C” title by defeating Gustavus Adolphus’ Daniel Pomer-anc in straight sets by a score of 7-6, 7-6.

In his first tournament as a Bulldog, O’Grady used his flat ground-stroke to push his oppo-nents back behind the baseline. Brought to Drake to serve primarily as a doubles specialist, O’Grady spent the weekend finding a variety of angles and depths to open up the opportunity to charge the net and finish points off quickly with a well-placed volley.

“My goal was to try and be aggressive and not allow him to get in any kind of rhythm,” O’Grady said.

Head Coach Evan Austin believes that O’Grady can use his performance this past weekend to improve his confidence as he con-tinues to improve his strength before the spring season.

“I was very impressed with the way Sean was able to tough out a few of those matches,” Aus-

tin said. “I think he showed a lot of character in doing so.”

Senior Mauricio Ballivian and junior Jona-than Hadash also played impressive tennis for the Bulldogs. Ballivian and Hadash played each other in the semifinals of Flight “A” on Sunday morning. In a match categorized by powerful rallies and heavy angles, Hadash used his loop-ing ground-stroke to generate power that Balliv-ian had not seen from his previous opponents in the tournament. Ballivian looked tight in the first set, and Hadash capitalized, breaking his teammate’s serve to take the first set, 6-4. As Ballivian found his range, Hadash seemed to lose power on his serve, which led to numerous breaks of serve by the Drake senior. Ballivian dominated the next two sets, winning the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

“My goal and our ultimate team goal is the conference tournament in the spring season, so I just need to keep working hard for that,” Ha-dash said.

Austin advised his players, Ballivian and sophomore James McKie, not to play the final, making sure his top two players did not injure themselves in what would have been a hotly contested final.

“With practices starting late, I didn’t feel it

was worth the risk to have the guys overplay af-ter only five days of training,” Austin said.

Other results from the final day included sophomore Ryan Drake’s complete domination of Gustavus Adolphus’ freshman Joey MacGib-bon. Drake proved his superior grinding ability, often using heavy, looping spins on his ground-strokes to force MacGibbon to hit one more shot than he was capable of hitting. He breezed through the match by a score of 6-0, 6-1.

Sophomore Mark Fouad lost a three-set thrill-er in the Flight “C” consolation final, but after winning the first set 6-4, his South Dakota State opponent took the next set, 7-5. In a third-set super tiebreaker, Fouad fought back from a defi-cit, but his Australian opponent fought back to win the set 10-8 and take the match.

The Bulldogs are looking to improve on their fitness in preparation for their next tournament, the Wildcat Invitational, at Northwestern Uni-versity on Oct. 14-17.

“I think all the guys competed hard and also saw parts of their games that need work,” Aus-tin said. “As a team, we know fitness is the big-gest thing we need to work on and that is what our main focus is on for the next three to four weeks.”

Cross Country Ranked in Midwest PollThe Drake men’s cross country team moved

up two spots in the latest U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Midwest Region Poll. The Bulldogs sit at No. 11, sandwiched between Kansas and South Dakota State. Oklahoma State tops the region, with Iowa State in third. Drake Head Coach Dan Hostager’s squad is the second Missouri Valley Conference team ranked in the poll, with Southern Illinois in ninth.

Women’s Golf Finishes Fourth at Hawkeye Invitational

After a sixth-place finish at the end of last Sat-urday, Drake closed the tournament strongly on Sunday to rally for fourth. The Bulldogs posted its lowest three-round score at 311, and ended with a 954, which was 28 strokes behind cham-pion Iowa. Senior Michelle Mathwick led the team with back-to-back rounds with scores of 76 to finish tied for 11th. Juniors Christy Wit-tmer and Chelsey Falk ended in 19th and 22nd, respectively. Drake was the top Valley squad in the tournament, finishing ahead of Illinois State, Northern Iowa and Creighton.

Men’s Golf Team Places 11th at Kansas In-vitational

The Drake men’s golf team opened its fall sea-son this week, and finished 11th at the Kansas Invitational in Lawrence, Kan. The team shot a three-round score of 907, which was 42 strokes off of champion Oklahoma State’s 865. Senior Ben Freeman shot a team-low 73 on Tuesday to post a 223 total, and moved up to 26th overall. Junior transfer Justin Weber shot a 224 to finish tied for 30th.

Quick HitsDrake volleyball faces its toughest test yet this

season, when it hosts nationally ranked No. 16 Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Bulldogs (15-1) will tune up for that game when they host Bradley on Friday. The game on Saturday will be covered by 94.1 The Dog…..The football team opens Pioneer Football League play this week when it faces its third-straight road test at Val-paraiso (0-3) this Saturday. Drake (1-2) looks to bounce back from a 48-21 at No. 22 Montana State last weekend…..The women’s tennis team is back in action this weekend at the Northern Iowa Invitational…..The women’s crew team opens its fall season with the Head of the Des Moines Regatta at the Birdland Marina.

by Dominic JohnsonStaff Writerdominic.johnson@drake.edu

Newcomer O’Grady captures singles’ titleMEN’S TENNIS

photo by DOMINIC JOHNSON | Staff Writer

JUNIOR JONATHAN HADASH slams a serve in the Drake Fall Invitational this past weekend.

Compiled by Matt Moran

BULLDOG briefs

Bulldogs slip past Wyoming, 1-0

On a wet and chilly Sunday after-noon, the Bulldogs did just enough to get past the University of Wyoming.

With the first half coming to an end, a deflected free kick taken by freshman Megan Fisher dramatically found the back of the net to give Drake the only goal of the match.

Fisher’s strike was hit hard and low, and the slight deviation proved too much in a match that certainly did not gener-ate a lot of offensive flair.

A slick soccer field and cold weather certainly quickened the pace of the match, which led to much imprecision from both sides. The Bulldogs struggled to find any kind of rhythm, but once again relied on a dead-ball situation and defense to eke out an important non-conference victory.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” said junior Melanie Fielder. “We knew they were going to come out hard and we matched their intensity.”

It was not Drake’s prettiest game by any means. Wyoming outshot Drake 13-7, and threatened to tie the game down the stretch when the Bulldogs seemed to take their foot off the gas pedal.

“Wyoming gained momentum and we were rather fortunate it couldn’t capi-talize on its chances to close the game,” Head Coach Lindsay Horner said.

However, Drake was able to hold on, thanks to some lucky bounces, timely defending and another good showing by

freshman goalkeeper Kalena Litch. The Bulldogs posted their second consecutive shutout in as many home games.

“The movement and organization of our backs defensively was efficient, until the end, when we made the game harder than it needed to be,” Horner said.

It was an important victory for the Bulldogs, who are well aware that a tough conference schedule slate is just around the corner.

“It was a good win for us and another shutout,” Fielder said. “We will battle to stay undefeated at home and also battle for another shutout.”

Drake will have the opportunity to stretch its winning streak to three games tonight, when it squares off against North Dakota State University at Cown-ie Soccer Complex.

“Overall, this was a great weekend for us and we’re looking forward to North Dakota State on Thursday, and starting league play with Evansville next Sun-day,” Horner said.

The Bulldogs know that a good start in conference play against Evansville is vital, but are critical of the improve-ments they must continue to make to strive for a successful season.

“We must continue to play possession-oriented soccer,” Fielder said. “Commu-nication on the field is improving with each game, but it still can be better.”

As long as the defense holds up and the freshmen keep improving, the Bull-dogs might just have what it takes to make a run in the Missouri Valley Con-ference.

by Eduardo ZamarripaStaff Writereduardo.tamezzamarripa@drake.edu

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Ballivian, McKie sit out Flight “A” final for extra rest

Fisher’s goal off free kick delivers second-straight shut out

photo by EDUARDO ZAMARRIPA | Staff Writer

FRESHMAN MIDFIELDER PAIGE DUSEK dribbles away from a Wyoming defender in Drake’s 1-0 win last Sunday.

Ryan Norman - CreightonRyan Norman - CU 3-6, 6-3. 6-4

Sean O’Grady - DU 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)

Sean O’Grady - DU 6-3, 6-2

Sean O’Grady - DU 7-6, 7-6

Daniel Pomeranc - GA 6-2, 6-4

Lorenz Laurel - CU 6-1, 6-1

Andre Lepine - N. Colo.

Lorenz Laurel - CU 6-3, 1-6, 6-2

Daniel Pomeranc - GA 6-1, 6-1

Daniel Pomeranc - Gus, Adolphus 6-2, 6-4

Ryan Lane - N. Colo.

Connor Buchannan - N. Colo. 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

Sean O’Grady - Drake 6-1, 6-1

Sean Mathison - Creighton

THE TIMES-DELPHIC OPINIONS THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 2010 PAGE 8

Preface: One day a bunch of my new Spanish friends and I were all sitting around and having dinner, drinking, laughing and telling stories with me rambling in Spanish and everyone hu-moring me, bless their hearts. After getting into one of my many stories, I realized I didn’t even know how to explain the ending in Spanish so, jokingly, I cut myself off and simply said, “and then everyone lived happily ever after.” My new friend Aaron told me that they have a saying like that in Spanish as well, but in transla-tion, it goes something like “and then everyone lives happily ever after eating birds.” I asked him if he was serious, and he was. I thought it was hilarious, hence the title of this article. You can stop being confused now.

Although I lived in Spain for 6 months about a year and a half ago, I never made it to northern Spain and boy, was that a shame. I corrected that mistake this past summer when I returned to Spain and spent time in a city called A Coruña, which is lo-cated in Galicia, an autonomous community in the northeastern part of Spain.

A Coruña is my new favorite city. Being in this city during the summer is like Christmas. Not in the literal sense, but in the sense that it makes you want to jump up and down and run around like a little kid. There is always something awesome going on and, trust me, I took full advantage of the festivities.

First and most importantly, considering us Iowans are impris-oned in this landlocked cornfield, any place with a nice beach is automatically on my A-list. A Coruña is a coastal city with beach after beach, and beautiful ones at that. This is a place where if you close your eyes and take a deep breath, you can smell the salt-water in the air from anywhere in the city. A place where at night, you can fall asleep to a peaceful serenade of crashing waves. It is the perfect place.

Apart from spending leisurely days on the multiple beaches

throughout the city, they also have awesome nighttime festivities. My personal favorite was attending a concert there. Hanging out by the ocean while rocking out to great music is not a bad way to spend the evening, especially when it ended in a foam party. It was like junior high all over again. The summer in this city is filled with concerts. My personal favorite was a concert I went to where they did a Lady Gaga imitation. Listening to the singers try to perform her music was incredibly amusing. I am assuming either they did not know English very well or they didn’t know the lyrics. It was something along the lines of: mumble mumble mumble…poker face, mumble mumble mumble…bad romance, oo gah gah, mumble, bad romance (insert thick accent). It was pure greatness, better than the nutcase herself. And just when I thought life couldn’t get any better…. two Avatars floated down from the ceiling.

Now if the mention of Avatars wasn’t enough to get you ex-

cited, you will be very pleased to know one vital piece of informa-tion: yes, they have carnies in Spain. Iowa is not the only place with a fair (I will not pick on the fair (the State Fair?) because I know it is the most exciting event in our state besides the caucuses and corn-picking season). I did, however, learn from the carnivals in Coruña are not that different from those in the U.S. No matter where in the world you go, the carnie games will be overpriced, rigged and the prizes will be pieces of junk. Carnie rip-offs know no international borders, an invaluable cultural lesson I must say.

But the carnivals do possess one very important thing that ours do not (besides 10-year-old bartenders): “Los Toritos.” Now, it was supposed to be a mechanical bull ride for little kids, so I was confused when my friend Maria insisted that I go on the ride with her. It was just 10 little kids and us on the bulls and I was wonder-ing where all the fun was (and how the heck these little kids were staying on) when all of a sudden Maria got this crazy look in her eyes and tried to throw me off the bull. We spent the rest of the time wrestling around on the mechanical bulls amongst all of these terrified little kids. I’m sure we were quite the spectacle: two blonde ladies in their 20s throwing each other around on a ride occupied by children. Los Toritos is by far my new favorite ride in the world. Take that, Adventureland.

A Coruña is not just the awesome beaches, concerts, nightlife

and activities. I will now move on to one of my personal favorite subjects: food. I am a firm believer that with any trip, a country is only as good as its food. Considering most of you reading this article are American, I know you want to hear about the food, so listen up. First, I want to talk about a little thing I’m obsessed with called tapas. Tapas are simply yummy appetizers that come free when one orders a caña (a small glass of beer). But tapas, though awesome, are old news and can be found pretty much anywhere in Spain. In fact, A Coruña has a whole festival dedicated to the different kinds of tapas across Spain. A Coruña has something that in my mind far overshadows the tapas from anywhere in Spain. You see, the fact that it is a peninsula does not just indicate miles of beautiful beaches, but that it is a coastal city, which in my mind only points toward one thing: seafood. Being a seafood fanatic, I can honestly say this city has the best I have ever tasted. In the mornings I could walk approximately 3 ½ blocks to a mar-ket where I could browse hundreds of kinds of seafood and fish, so fresh that much of it was still alive, and be eating it three hours later for lunch. I felt like I was living the life of a queen. Apart from the seafood, if you do ever happen to visit this city, you must try “pimientos de pardon.” If you are a fan of peppers, like me, they will be like heaven on your tongue.

Before I end my harangue about how awesome this city is, I will get to what many of you will find to be the most important aspect in defining the worthiness of any place: the athletics. Now Spaniards, like pretty much all Europeans, live and die by foot-ball (what us Americans like to refer to as soccer). Sadly, we have not jumped on that bandwagon yet, but I won’t judge us in our silly sports preferences (okay, maybe just a bit). Regardless, it is impossible to mention A Coruña without the mention of their beloved football team, Real Club Deportivo. A lot of you reading this may be big Real Madrid or, dare I say it, Barcelona fans, but if you think those teams have diehard fans, wait till you meet the Deportivo supporters. In the words of A Coruña native Chema Rios Conceiro, “The best part about A Coruña is the walk to the football stadium on game day.”

Although Deportivo may be overshadowed to foreigners by the existing popularity of Real Madrid and Barcelona, one could say that they have loyalty that would put Cubs fans to shame.

Apart from the festivities, beautiful landscape and top-notch cuisine, by far the best part about the city of A Coruña is the people. Everyone is so open, kind and just looking to have a good time. There is something special in the air of this city and it comes from those living there. Life is easy and happy here.

So if you ever make the wise decision to stop by and visit A Coruña don’t be surprised if you find me whirling around on a mechanical bull or wolfing down seafood, because I love this place, and I’m sure it’s where I’ll end up someday.

Oh and P.S. with a special cherry on top, the shopping is awe-some, too.

Happily Ever After Eating Birds

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SARAH VANLANDEGEN?

photos courtesy of SARAH VANLANDEGEN | Columnist

SARAH VANLANDEGEN and friend Maria prepare for an-other crazy ride on “Los Toritos.”

VanLandegen is a senior international relations, spanish and biology major and can be reached at sarah.vanlandegen@drake.edu.

SARAH VANLANDEGEN COLUMNIST

A trip to Coruña, Spain, leads to more than just eating ‘tapas’ and drinking caña

SARAH VANLANDEGEN and friends get ready to watch the Deportivo football game.

“”

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, two avatars floated down from the ceiling.