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How to be eco-friendly, even in death

Who’ the best underrated rock band?

An abroad update from sophomore Megan Stein

Drake women’s basketball team ready for MVC tournament

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DES MOINES, IOWA | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 | VOL. 129, NO. 33 | WWW.TIMESDELPHIC.COM

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Sophomore Matthew Van Hoeck won the vice president of student life position by just four votes according to the election results announced shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.

Van Hoeck captured 481 votes, or 50.2 percent, while his opponent Amanda Laurent received 477 votes, or 49.8 percent.

Junior Jessie Hill, co-chair of the Election

Commission, said she has seen many close elections.

“It just proves that all candidates are campaigning hard,” Hill said.

Van Hoeck is looking forward to his new position and said that he developed a lot of ideas throughout the campaign.

“It was a lot of work overall and I’ve really learned about myself quite a bit,” Van Hoeck said.

Van Hoeck and Laurent, both current senators this year, were the top two vote-getters in the three-way race last week. But they campaigned in a run-off election this week after neither captured the 50 percent plus one vote requirement set by the Election Commission for Student Senate officer elections the first time around.

“It was a really good race,” Laurent said. “It’s hard to get the turnout for the run-off, and I think Matt will do a great job.”

There was a total of 958 votes cast in the

run-off election, down from the nearly 1,200 that voted in last week’s election.

Election Commission Chair Alex Bergman said that the election ran smoothly, with the exception of only a few campaign complaints overseen by the committee.

Van Hoeck will join the other two executive officers, elected last week, as leaders of next year’s Senate. Junior Greg Larson was elected student body president and sophomore Jessica Hamilton won the vice president of student activities position.

The recent sleet, rain and snow persuade most students and faculty to remain within the warmth of campus buildings. But for some, a few daily ventures out into the cold is common place.

Even though Drake University has been a smoke-free campus since July 1, 2008, it’s still hard for some students on campus to kick the addiction, and it’s difficult for any observer to miss the piles of cigarette butts gathering in gutters beneath the melting piles of snow.

Most college students today have grown up in an era where they are well informed of the dangers of smoking, yet some continue the habit. Senior Jacob Myhre said he smokes four to five cigarettes a day. He also added that he has a strong desire to quit smoking.

“I’ve always been an athletic guy, and cigarettes are kind of harmful to that and also, I don’t want to want [a cigarette] all the time.”

Jacob is far from alone in this habit. According to livestrong.com, “about 13.8 percent of college students smoked cigarettes in the 30 days before they were surveyed and another 15 percent smoked cigarettes before that, according to the American College Health Association’s survey. Males are more likely to have smoked cigarettes than females — 31.3 to 27.3 percent.”

Even the increasing price of cigarettes is not enough of a deterrent for some smokers. As quoted in a Daily Finance article ran on July 8 of last year, Randall Kuhn, director of the Global Health Affairs Program at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School, said that “people often downgrade brands [when tobacco prices rise]. Cigarette companies are usually prepared with a lower brand, in case you need to downgrade.”

Similarly, the rising cost of cigarettes has not had a drastic change on Myhre’s behavior.

“My health is more important to me than any type of price, but the rising price of cigarettes has not changed my behavior,” Myhre said. “It’s more of something you complain about while you smoke.”

One thing that has affected all people who smoke at Drake is the smoking ban. When the ban was instituted in 2008, it prohibited anyone from smoking on any Drake University property by Iowa law.

Senior Danielle Ford does not smoke but she said, “I feel that new laws prohibiting smoking in certain places go a long way towards limiting the amount of smokers overall.”

Debra De Laet, global public health professor and professor of politics and international relations, said that even though more public places are now smoke-free, she thinks that there are more people smoking now than in her generation.

She said that anti-tobacco campaigns were huge while she was in college, but students were mostly “social smokers.” They went out to bars

to have cigarettes and now that many buildings and campuses are smoke-free like Drake, people who do smoke are now more visible because they must go out onto public streets to have a smoke.

However, it is important to note the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that as of 2009, 49.1 percent of adults who smoked had a GED diploma, and 33.6 percent of adults who smoked had between 9 and 11 years of education. Conversely, only 11.1 percent of adults who smoked in 2009 had an undergraduate college degree, and 5.6 percent of adult smokers held a graduate degree.

From these statistics, one could gather that college students are less likely to smoke than those who do not go on to pursue higher education. Furthermore, since more people are getting college degrees now than in the past, there is a lot of hope for the future.

According to a Bloomberg Business article posted on Nov. 21, 2005,

by Sean WalshStaff [email protected]

CONNOR MCCOURTNEY | photo editor

MATT VAN HOECK (left and bottom right) reacts as his win in the election for vice president of student life is announced. Van Hoeck received four more votes than opponent Amanda Lau-rent in Monday’s run-off election. CARLY STEIG (bottom left) waits to hear the results.

by Cambria PardnerStaff [email protected]


Thank you for not smoking

ON DRAKE’S CAMPUS, signs like this one remind students, faculty and visitors that a ban instituted in 2008 prohibits smoking cigarettes on any university property.

FOREVER GREEN:

Van Hoeck edges out Laurent for VP student life

>>Trying to quit?Check out some of these websites for tools to help you stop smoking now and to find forums of others in the same boat

smokefree.govFind a step-by-step guide to quitting and learn about with-drawal symptoms

quitlineiowa.orgQuitline counselors work with you to figure out a plan

quitnet.comQuitting strategies based on science, expert resources (membership fee required)

quitsmoking.comFree subscription newsletter and access to articles advising you on how to make quitting easier and how to make it stick

SEE SMOKING, PAGE 2

Sally Fischer is green to the extreme.The Drake senior intends to undergo a green burial when she dies, a process that places the

body into a wooden or biodegradable casket rather than a cement burial vault. Fischer became interested in green burials while writing a research paper on the contamination of ground water.

“I believe that once you die, your body is simply a body,” Sally Fischer said in an e-mail interview to The Times-Delphic. “It isn’t a person anymore.”

A traditional funeral is usually a combination of a visitation and a funeral ceremony, followed by a casket placed into a concrete burial vault. The burial vault practice began shortly

after World War II. Blair Overton, funeral director for Overton Family Funeral Homes in Des Moines, said that these concrete vaults can weigh up to 3,000 pounds.

“[Burial vaults] serve two purposes,” Overton said. “One is to protect the casket. Many people view the vault as what protects mom or dad… it’s what protects my person I buried there, my loved ones.”

The second, more practical function of the vault is to protect the surface of the cemetery from depressions that form when a biodegradable casket breaks down, possibly creating a washboard effect.

“One of the arguments I make a lot with people about the cemetery is that is really is a nature preserve,” Overton said. “If you go through town and you see a big green space with trees and things in nature, a lot of times it is a cemetery.”

by Matt NelsonRelays [email protected]

SEE BURIALS, PAGE 2

How the eco-friendly can plan for the afterlife

Following spring break, the Drake Undergraduate Mock Trial team 1237 will participate in the Opening Round Champion Series (ORCS) in an effort to qualify for the national mock trial competition.

Last month, the team finished in fifth place at the regional competition in Topeka, Kan. The team’s high finish among 30 other teams, as well as receiving three individual awards, demonstrated the team’s hard work, which led to success.Senior co-captain Daniel Van Sant was the top ranking individual in the tournament, receiving the All-Regional Witness award. The other two individual awards were presented to sophomores Annastasia Bergman and Megan Sherburne, members of team 1238, for “Outstanding Attorney” and “Outstanding Witness.”

“I worked really hard to do well at that one since there was a chance it could have been my last,” Van Sant said. “I was pretty proud because we definitely put the practice in every week and I’ve been working hard to get my parts where I want them.”

Team 1237 will now advance to the ORCS, which will be held March 25-27 in St. Paul, Minn. This competition is the final step in order to qualify for the National Championship, which takes place in Des Moines.

Drake has been known to compete well in mock trial and has made several appearances at the national competition. This year’s team is hoping to meet the expectations set for them by prior teams.

“Other schools definitely look at us. There’s a little bit of an expectation to do well,” Van Sant said. “If we qualify at St. Paul, our competition will be right here at our own Drake home turf.”

To prepare for the ORCS competition, the

mock trial team has continued to practice with its nine to 10 hours of practice a week, and is primarily focused on having more scrimmage based practices and having each person to improve individually.

“We’re excited for another tournament, and with that opportunity comes a lot of work but a lot of fun,” senior co-captain Kyair Butts said. “We knew we had to buckle down and that there was a lot of work to be done.”

One of the greatest difficulties the team is experiencing is keeping the case interesting. This year’s case, involving a parent suing the fictional HappyLand Toy Co. for allegedly being responsible for his son’s death by poisoning, was given to the team prior to the school year, around late July or early August.

After practicing the case for months, it can

be a challenge to keep it exciting both for the team as well as for the judges.

“We want to keep it interesting and keep the fire lit,” Van Sant said. “We have to keep it fresh and go to competitions bringing something new and exciting.”

The team has put in the hours and hard work and is now looking to reap the benefits of that hard work in St. Paul.

“We want to keep improving and getting better,” Butts said. “We want to learn more about ourselves and our team and we want tangible evidence of our improvement, which would be the overall goal of getting to nationals.”

The team will compete March 25-27 and if it qualifies, the national competition will be April 15-17.

“

“THE TIMES-DELPHIC NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 | PAGE 2

news

SEND YOUR STORY IDEAS TO [email protected] FOR BREAKING DRAKE NEWS, CHECK OUT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TIMESDELPHIC

Not knowing is one thing. But not knowing and thinking you know is another thing. And that’s dangerous, I think.—DR. JAMES ZOGBY, SPEAKING ABOUT INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS | PAGE 2

quotedayof the

by Elizabeth RobinsonStaff [email protected]

SECURITY REPORTS

7:35 p.m. Feb. 26 Security responded to Carpenter Residence Hall based on report of an uncooperative resident on the first floor. The underage-for-drinking male student and his two underage for drinking male student comrades were reluctant to cooperate, but in the end, the

resident of the room did and liquor and beer were confiscated and dumped out. A resident assistant was present.

1:58 a.m. Feb. 27A security officer heard shouting from a third floor window in Jewett Residence Hall. Officers went to the room and two underage for drinking male students and two underage-for-drinking female students occupied the room as well as an underage-for-drinking female not associated with the university. What alcohol from the party remained was dumped out by the female student. A residence hall coordinator was present.

8 a.m. Feb. 28A member of the faculty reported a Drake University computer was stolen from her office in the Fine Arts Center between 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 28.

1:11 p.m. Feb. 28A fake Wisconsin driver’s license was found near Goodwin-Kirk Residence Hall and everything on it matched that of a male student except for the date of birth. The license has been turned over to an Iowa Department of Transportation investigator and he will be in touch with the student who was not a resident of Goodwin-Kirk, but rather Ross Residence Hall.

10:08 p.m. Mar. 2Security was notified by Des Moines Police of a stolen vehicle that might be in the Drake area. A security officer observed the vehicle near 31st Street and Brattleboro Avenue at 11:20 p.m. Security followed the vehicle at a safe distance and coordinated with Des Moines Police the whole time. The two occupants exited the vehicle in the 2700 block of College Avenue and at 11:30 p.m. the two were arrested and taken into custody.

9:02 p.m. Mar. 3Security responded to Stalnaker Residence Hall based on complaint that a male had refused to show proper identification to enter the hall. The male student was talked to by the security officer.

11:47 a.m. Mar. 4A male student reported he had injured his ankle in the Bell Center the night before and was unable to walk. He was transported to the American Republic Health Center.

3:08 a.m. Mar. 5Security confiscated a baseball bat from a male student outside of Stalnaker Residence Hall. He was sent back to Carpenter Residence Hall where he resides.

4:48 a.m. Mar. 5A female was found sleeping in Olmsted Center by staff. The student stated she had found an opened door and entered the building. She was seen safely back to her own residence on 24th Street.

4:30 a.m. Mar. 6A security officer found a marijuana pipe outside the southeast corner of Opperman Hall and confiscated the item.

7:25 a.m. Mar. 6Security responded to Crawford Residence Hall based on report of a marijuana odor. A cigarette was found in an ashtray and the occupant of the room stated his friend who was not a Drake student had smoked the cigarette. There was no sign of marijuana in the room.

2:06 a.m. Feb. 26

IT’S OK, MY SISTER LIVES IN THE FINE ARTS CENTER

A security officer observed a male and female walking along the Harmon Fine Arts Center and the male was trying to open doors. When stopped, the male stated it was OK because the female’s sister lived there. It was determined that both were not students but the female was the sister of a student who lives in Jewett Residence Hall. Both stated they had been to a bar in the 2300 block of University Avenue and that no one asked them for ID to enter. The female was hooked up with her sister at Jewett and the male called a friend who was not intoxicated to give him a ride.

ANN SCHNOEBELEN | news editor

A crowd of over 100 students and community members gathered at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night in Bulldog Theater to hear a lecture given by Dr. James Zogby, author of “Arab Voices: What They’re Saying and Why It Matters.”

Zogby is the son of Lebanese immigrants and the founder and president of Arab Americans Institute and Zogby International Polling. His animated speech discussed the relationship between American and Arab culture and lasted

just over an hour, after which he took questions.Because the ordinary Arab people and families

do not show up in American pop culture and media, Zogby said, “the only Arab story we know is violence.”

He advocated efforts toward deeper understanding between nations and cultures.

“Things that matter to us, matter to them,” he said. “And things that matter to them, matter to us.”

‘Get over your bias and think about it.’DR. JAMES ZOGBY spoke in Bulldog Theater about Arab-American relations Tuesday.

2005, “85 percent of adult Americans have at least a high school degree today, up from just 25 percent in 1940. Similarly, 28 percent have a college degree, a fivefold gain over this period.”

Just as the amount of people who go on to higher education has changed as well. Myhre, De Laet and Ford all agree that obesity could be a great concern for our generation.

“Smoking is certainly a pressing issue for college students,” De Laet said. “I honestly wonder whether food and access to healthy food choices is a bigger issue for many students.”

Myhre also thinks that the issue of unhealthy eating habits takes high priority.

“I think obesity and fast food are huge concerns for my generation,” he said. “But for me, personally, smoking is probably the top health concern.”

Ford said she feels her generation has been informed well enough to understand the risks of smoking, and she does not like seeing people smoking on campus.

“I feel as though sexually transmitted diseases and obesity may take a greater toll on our generation, but when I see people smoking, I do get personally offended,” Ford said. “I saw my grandfather suffer from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) over the span of my entire life and I think it’s ignorant for my generation to continue smoking because we have more education than the generations before us.”

FROM SMOKING, PAGE 1

Calling all prospective editors

Applications are available in SLC and are due March 21. If you have questions, please contact Carol Spaulding-Kruse [email protected].

The Times-Delphic Editor-in-ChiefThe Times-Delphic Business ManagerDUiN Editor-in-ChiefDrake Magazine Editor-in-ChiefPeriphery Editor-in-ChiefDrake Broadcast System President

It is now time to apply for next year’s editorships of these student publications:

Overton said that Brooks funeral home offers three options: a traditional burial, cremation and a green burial. In Iowa, burials are still mostly traditional, with cremation as the second highest method of burial.

Fischer said she has received some strange reactions to her views.

“I’ve talked to my family about it, and they found it odd that I wanted to be buried green,” Fischer said. “I don’t think they see my point of view on the matter.”

Both Fischer and Overton said the cost benefits of a green burial are notable, since a cheaper casket can be purchased and the price of embalmment drops to zero.

“No embalming fluids are used, which makes the practice better for the environment,” Fischer said. “Putting all those chemicals into the ground could cause public health issues down the road.”

Overton said that people who desire green burials should select an existing cemetery with spots specially set aside. He said it was possible to bury a loved one in a personal property plot but said practitioners could face potential legal issues when their descendants decided to sell the land.

“A cemetery provides the continuity to our ancestry,” Overton said. “And America does that with our cemeteries. So with green burials, I think we should try to keep the same traditions in that manner.”

Overton said Overton Family Funeral Homes have recently been looking into doing more green burials, and have even found a beautiful cemetery that serves the purpose well. Still, he isn’t sure if the interest is strong enough.

“We have a beautiful area that’s kind of secluded from the town and everything else,” Overton said. “You go back there and it’s over a bluff — it’s like you’ve left the city.”

Fischer is committed to her cause.“I might as well do something that will

help the earth,” she said.

FROM BURIALS, PAGE 1 Mock Trial team 1237 going to St. Paul, looking to qualify for national competition

When people look at rock’s greatest instrumentalists and vocalists, they always have the same select group of guys. However, a lot of people don’t talk about the other guys who weren’t as big, but were just as talented. That’s what I’m doing here. It’s time to see rock ’n’ roll’s all-underrated band. Plus, I’ll go through songwriters and the most underrated band ever.

VocalistConsensus Best: Freddie Mercury (Queen), Steve Perry (Journey), John Lennon (The Beatles), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Paul McCartney (The Beatles)Underrated Nominees: Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), Brad Delp (Boston), Van Morrison (Them)

WINNER: BRAD DELPWhen it comes to vocalists, range is a key. That’s why Freddie Mercury and Steve Perry are so famous. They have or had incredible range. And that’s why Brad Delp deserves more respect. Boston’s lead vocalist had it all. Incredible tone, passion and great control of the higher range all define his style. Just listen to any Boston song, and you can hear the greatness of Brad Delp.

GuitaristConsensus Best: Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton (Cream), George Harrison (The Beatles), Keith Richards (Rolling Stones)Nominees: Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen), Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne), Terry Kath (Chicago), Steve Lukather (Toto), Joe Walsh (The Eagles)

WINNER: TERRY KATHI was going to include Stevie Ray Vaughan, but he technically wasn’t a rock guitar-ist. He was blues, so this one goes to Terry Kath in a close race. His style was a mix of blues and rock, and you can definitely hear his skill and passion on Chicago’s early records. That solo in “25 or 6 to 4”? Absolutely stunning, and it came from my most underrated guitarist ever. He was even said to be an idol to Jimi Hendrix. For a rock guitarist, there is no higher honor.

BassistConsensus Best: John Entwistle (The Who), Geddy Lee (Rush), Paul McCartney (The Beatles), Jack Bruce (Cream), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)Nominees: John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Peter Cetera (Chicago), Donald Dunn (Booker T & The M.G.s), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles)

WINNER: PETER CETERAI stated in an earlier column, that I thought Cetera was the greatest bass player ever, so it’s only fitting that he wins here as well. His style was very simple, but he still had a tone and a style that made the music great. Just listen to “Saturday in the Park” and “Lowdown” and you’ll see what I mean. The closest was John Paul Jones, and he’s only underrated because of his bandmates.

DrummerConsensus Best: John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Neal Peart (Rush), Keith Moon (The Who), Ringo Starr (The Beatles), Ginger Baker (Cream).Nominees: Jeff Porcaro (Toto), Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer), Tris Im-boden (Chicago), Alex Van Halen (Van Halen), Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick)

WINNER: JEFF PORCARODrummers are a lot harder to judge, because the guitarist or vocalist overshadows a lot of them. But there are a few men who are tops in their field, including Peart, Bonham and Moon. But the most underrated was Jeff Porcaro, who was a great session man before forming the band Toto. His grooves were top-notch, and he invented new beats constantly. His most popular, the shuffle from “Rosanna,” is copied all over the world. If he hadn’t died of a fluke gardening accident, he might be known as the greatest drummer who ever lived.

SongwriterConsensus Best: Lennon/McCartney (The Beatles), Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger/Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Pete Townshend (The Who)Nominees: George Harrison (The Beatles), Carole King, Elton John/Bernie Tau-pin, Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel), Buddy Holly

WINNER: ELTON JOHN/BERNIE TAUPINThis one was the closest yet. All the underrated songwriters were absolutely incred-ible, but Elton John was one of the greatest artists ever. Period. And he couldn’t have done that without some great songwriting. None were better than “Your Song,” a classic ballad that touches to very bottom of the soul. Bernie Taupin also deserves it because of his collaboration with John on all of his hits.

ArtistConsensus Best: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The WhoNominees: Chicago, Elton John, The Kinks, Cream, Simon & Garfunkel, Boston

WINNER: CHICAGO/BOSTON (TIE)This one is a tie. I think that these are two of the top bands ever, but I can’t decide who is more underrated. Chicago is one of the longest-running bands that con-stantly sell out arenas, but doesn’t get any respect from critics because of the group’s style of rock with horns. The band clearly deserves to be recognized as one of the best ever. Boston is only underrated because it has a limited output. While Chicago has put out approximately 30 albums, Boston has four. Both are deserving, so I declare this category a tie.

opinions&editorials Two more days until Spring Break 2011. Travel safely!

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FOR DRAKE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

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PAGE 3 | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 OPINIONS & EDITORIALS THE TIMES-DELPHIC

LIZZIE PINE, [email protected]

JESSICA MATTES, Managing [email protected]

MATT MORAN, Sports [email protected]

CONNOR MCCOURTNEY, Photo [email protected]

KRISTEN SMITH, Copy [email protected]

REED ALLEN, Business [email protected]

JILL VAN WYKE, Faculty [email protected]

ANN SCHNOEBELEN, News [email protected]

KATIE MINNICK, Sports Design [email protected]

KAILA SWAIN, Digital [email protected]

LAUREN HORSCH, Copy [email protected]

MARY HONEYMAN, Ads [email protected]

MIKE WENDLANDT | COLUMNIST Wendlandt is a sophomore broadcast journalism major and can be contacted at [email protected]

I recently saw a graph depicting the change in the income tax rates for the various tax brackets over the last century. Since the United States Federal Income Tax was instituted in 1913, the trend has been that the tax rates for most of the brackets have been fairly stable. This is not the case, however, for the highest tax bracket. The income tax rate for our country’s highest earners has gone up and down throughout the decades. The overall trend, however, over the last 60 years has been a dramatic lowering of their taxes to rates that are getting closer to those of the middle classes.

The pure data behind America’s income tax rates show that, through our history, the wealthy have been transferring the bur-den of taxes to those beneath them. Frankly, this is quite perplex-ing to me. Individuals who have the most wealth are the ones most able to pay higher taxes. People with less wealth cannot pay at higher rates because they usually have a much lower portion of disposable income that can be taxed. So why do we do this?

I’ll tell you why. The structure of our democracy ensures that money is the most powerful tool to create political change. The politicians that acquire enough money can ensure their reelection, and those with the most money are the most likely to be courted for their financial support. In turn, the political system caters to the whims of those that ensure their continuance of political power, evidenced by the historic trend of giving tax cuts to the wealthiest.

Also consider the latest data indicating that major U.S. corpo-rations, like ExxonMobil and Bank of America, have gone mul-tiple years without paying a single dime in income taxes. How is it that some of the most profitable and powerful corporations on Earth aren’t paying their share of taxes? Well, the tax code was written with enough loopholes and complexities by the wealthy interests so that they could get by with paying the least amount of money possible to Uncle Sam. It should be no wonder why the deficit is so high: the people who have the most to contribute to the government’s economic solvency are the ones who do the most to avoid paying their fair share.

This is not right. It does not matter what political ideology you follow or what politicians you vote for. This is a civil society that is governed by the rule of law. When the most powerful and wealthy among us feel that they are entitled to skirt the law that the rest of us have to follow, then there is something seriously wrong with what’s going on.

This country is supposed to be a democracy. How can we pos-sibly be content with allowing the decisions of a handful of people rule the economic fate of all? How can we be happy being told by the wealthy that the vast majority of us have to sacrifice things like education, social security and quality healthcare so that they may retain lower taxes? How can we allow their narrow interests to dominate the interests of the majority?

There is something gravely wrong in this country. Rule by the wealthy is a phenomenon that has existed since time imme-morial. The difference, is that we willingly allow this to happen

even though we have the power to change that. Despite all the unemployed workers, the growing poverty rates, the deepening divide in the concentration of wealth, deference to the authority of markets rather than the authority of morals, the melting ice-caps and rising seas, the socio-political monopolization of power, we still are too blind to see. We have all been raised to believe that unrestricted capitalism and economic liberty are virtues to be em-braced rather than vices to be tempered. The incessant preaching of these doctrines by politicians and pundits alike has led to our willful ideological submission to rule by the few. Despite all the mounting evidence characterizing the sheer unequal, oligarchic and indefensibly unfair system, we still cling to it like a misguided sailor going down with the ship while the captain sails away in a lifeboat, chuckling to himself.

The time has come to take a stand. There are far more of us than there are of them. We have the power of the vote. We have the power of the consumer. We have the power of the pen. Most importantly, we, unlike our ancestors, have the knowledge laid bare of what is happening to this planet, to this species. We will not allow the few to rule the many. We will no longer allow the supposedly “greatest” country on Earth to be filled with those who are too complacent or fearful to stand up for what is right. We will not allow our descendents to be born into a world stratified because of our neglect. This is no longer about partisan politics. This is about what it means to be a human being, if we truly be-lieve that the miraculous spark of light within the human mind has a greater purpose than to just savagely compete for resources.

With only one day left before Spring Break, the whole campus is ready to breathe a collective sigh of relief to have survived its mid-terms. The buzz you got from the massive intake of caffeine you had this week may or may not have worn off, but your ex-citement for the relaxation and freedom the next 10 days promise should only be progressively escalating. Speaking of that freedom, what is everybody doing over Spring Break? Driving back home and chilling with the family? Flying over to Miami and having some fun in the sun with old or new friends? Staying in the dorms and catching up on that class you nearly flunked out of, while sneaking in some leisure time every couple of days? Whatever the case may be, I am here to provide you with a list of movies that will serve to enrich your Spring Break experience.

Rango Imagine an animated movie set in the abysmal emptiness of

a scalding hot desert, but one that is as crazy and as fun-filled as the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. Now, imagine a spaghetti western with talking lizards, among other creatures, and a Greek chorus/mariachi band of owls. Keep up with me here, and try to picture what the outcome would be if Gore Verbinski decided to combine these two ideas. If you haven’t yet caught on, the correct answer to that insanely tricky question was “Rango.” Featuring Johnny Depp’s amazing voice talents as the titular chameleon, “Rango” is so very absurd, and so very adorable in that absurdity, that it is impossible not to have a good time watching it. If you are headed back home for Spring Break, be sure to gather the whole family and drive down to your nearest theater to witness this riot.

Paranormal ActivityBask in the glorious weather of some place warmer than Iowa?

Check. Play an awesome game of beach volleyball with friends, or make new friends while doing so? Check. Stay in your hotel and call in room service for dinner? Check. Now, all you need is a le-gitimately scary movie to watch with your friends to end your won-derful day in an epic way. Take my word, and watch “Paranormal Activity” only if you are genuinely committed to scaring the crap out of yourself. This one will send electric chills up and down your spine at the most unexpected of moments, and then disturb you some more. Find this on Netflix Instant Play to get spooked with

your gang, but beware. Side effects of watching “Paranormal Ac-tivity” may include either short, or if you get frightened as easily as I do, prolonged cases of paranoia and monophobia.

Some Kind of Wonderful Are you planning to have a girly sleepover with your best friend

from back home over the break? If yes, watching a teen classic like “Some Kind of Wonderful” is just the way to get started. Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson star in this sweet romance, and although it sticks to high school stereotypes, and does not have a very original premise, you will still have a fun time. Especially since seeing these characters scurrying down deserted hallways to make it to class on time, and being sent to detention may make way for a heavy reminiscing session afterward. Plus, not much can beat Eric Stoltz (circa 1980) fixing a car with a blot of grease over his cheek. “Some Kind of Wonderful” is available on Netflix Instant Play.

OldboyIf you have a thing for out-of-the-box thrillers and a high toler-

ance for gore, you need to type in “Oldboy” in your Netflix search bar and start watching this South Korean film instantly. “Oldboy” tells the bizarre story of a man held captive for 15 years without any explanations, and his rancorous quest to find the one respon-sible for it. The film is visually arresting from the very first scene, and the narrative voice manages to translate strongly into Eng-lish, but the dialogue is really not where this tornado of a movie’s strength lies. No sir, its strength lies in the unrelenting way it makes a show of the protagonist’s and the antagonist’s capacity for re-venge. “Oldboy” deals with some pretty scandalous subject mat-ter, so it probably would not be very wise to watch this with any family members.

Spring Break’s must-see movies

ASMITA GAUCHAN | COLUMNIST Gauchan is a sophomore marketing and theater major and can be contacted at asmita.gauchan @drake.edu.

Taking a stand

Whether students are on the beach, skiing in the mountains or snuggled up on a couch at home, a good movie can enhance any Spring Break

KEVIN PROTZMANN | COLUMNIST Protzmann is a first-year philosophy major and can be contacted at [email protected]

Underrated Rock

”“This country is supposed to be a democracy. How can we possibly be content with allowing the decisions of a handful of people rule the economic fate of all?

featuresFEATURESTHE TIMES-DELPHIC THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 | PAGE 4

don’tmissthisThe 40th Annual Juried Art Exhibition opened Tuesday in the Anderson Gallery. The exhibit will last through April 3.

Drake’s global perspectiveABROAD UPDATE

An update on life in New Zealand. Hmm…that’s a tough one. How exactly do you put in words how beautiful, clean and unique a city is without ever visiting it yourself? I’ll tell you, it’s impossible. Wellington, New Zealand, is one of the most incredible places in the entire world. I love to wake up in my ninth floor flat and have the first thing I see be a spectacular view of mountains, ocean and city life. It’s also a plus to be able to walk out the door and not have to maneuver through five feet of snow.

Studying abroad has been one of the most unique experi-ences yet. True, it is kind of costing me an arm and a leg, but it has been totally worth it. There is not one thing that I have regretted spending money on. If you are a Drake student, and I am assuming most of you are, studying abroad should be a must. Not every school supports students studying abroad like Drake does, and that in itself is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss. Just this semester there were eight students from Drake in my orientation group, which says something about our school’s enthusiasm for student travel.

So far I have gotten to do everything from a weekend trip to Fiji to canyoneering down a waterfall in Auckland, New Zealand, and I have only been here a month! The most chal-lenging experience has definitely been canyoneering. For those of you who know me, I am not exactly the most athletically coordinated person, so hiking around huge rocks, repelling, or abseiling as it is called here, down rock faces and crawling through tiny spaces was not a normal after-school activity that I would choose. However, we got to see gorgeous views and get a good workout, so it was worth it in the end. Morgan Nielsen, another Drake student and my good friend, loved the adven-ture of canyoneering and looks forward to skydiving and bun-gee jumping at some point during our trip.

Fiji was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The is-land where we stayed at the Botaira Resort was three hours away from the mainland, Nadi, and basically, we were isolated except for each other and the natives on the island. The na-tives were by far the coolest people I have ever met. They were friendly and welcoming, which is completely different than anything found in the U.S. One day we got to visit the village where the natives lived, which was my favorite part of the trip. The children were so cute! The women were all lined up in the marketplace to sell us necklaces, bracelets, sarongs and many other things for cheap. Throughout the week we also got to snorkel whenever we wanted since we had a reef right off our beach, which was awesome. Besides the fact that my entire ori-entation group got fried in the sun, Fiji was a lot of fun.

Auckland, New Zealand was our official orientation city, where we go to go learn native Maori culture, see a waterfall and visit a black-sand beach. Some of my orientation group stayed in Auckland, so for them it was exciting to get to their host city. For the rest of us, however, Auckland was still vaca-tion. We went into town a few nights and explored the nightlife of Auckland, which was enjoyable. Overall, however, Auck-land got to be a bit pricy and it was a lot more difficult to meet friendly people there a it is in Wellington.

I was so relieved to finally make it to Wellington. Fiji and Auckland were awesome and lots of fun, but living out of a suitcase starts to take its toll after awhile. The day we moved into our flats in Wellington was overcast and a bit depressing after leaving a beautiful city such as Auckland. But after seeing Wellington in the sunlight, there was no comparison. Welling-ton has the best combination of a thriving and artsy city that has a beach in walking distance. It is truly, “the best little capital in the world.” It is easy to find things to do here. Walking down Cuba St. and hanging out in a café (Espressoholic is my favor-ite) can be the best way to spend an afternoon or evening.

One of my favorite things I have done so far is visit the Wellington Zoo. At first I was a bit skeptical, considering we have zoos at home with lions, chimps, birds etc. But the Wel-lington Zoo is a million times better than any I have been to in the States. The animals are so friendly, and come right up to the glass or fence. I could have reached out and touched a giraffe if I wanted. There were red pandas hanging out in the trees above us. It was such a cool experience, and I would not mind going back.

School has finally started, which means getting back to work and actually using my brain for the first time since De-cember. I have found that hanging out with my flat mates (one is Carter Oswood, another Drake student), cooking din-ner with some friends from Victoria University or listening to popular New Zealand music can make a normal evening into a memorable one.

MEGAN STEIN (above) canyoneered in a waterfall in Auckland, New Zealand. Canyoneering is just one of the many intense activities Stein and other study abroad students get to participate in. They are plan-ning skydiving and bungee jumping adventures as well.

DRAKE SOPHOMORES (left) Carter Oswood, Sam Hellwege and Stein are all currently studying in New Zealand and attend similar events through their abroad programs.

FIVE-STAR VIEW (lower right) from the Botanical Gardens overlooking the beautiful Wellington, New Zealand.

KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA’S (lower left) and Drake sohpomores Lauren Mergen (right) and Stein repre-sent Drake’s Kappa chapter across the globe at the Wllington Zoo. Mergen is studying at Victoria Univer-sity and Stein at Massey University, Wellington.

by Megan Steinstaff [email protected]

photos from MEGAN STEIN

| THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 FEATURES THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Anderson Gallery debuts 40th Annual Juried Art Exhibition

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Mental Illness can be taboo, swept un-der the rug of secrecy and the content for a musical. Hid beneath a veil of what appears to be normal life, mental illness can destroy family relationship.

The Des Moines Civic Center is playing host to a new musical, “Next to Normal,” fresh off a January 2011 Broadway clos-ing. Opening in 2009, the show won three of eleven Tony Awards nominations. It also snatched a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of eight musicals to ever do so.

“Next to Normal” is in a class all of its own, with characters such as a mother, played by Tony Award winner as Outstand-ing Actress Alice Ripley, struggling with a deepening bipolar disorder. In rock star fash-ion, issues of suicide, substance abuse and psychiatry, hidden in the white houses and green lawns of suburban life are addressed.

The modern musical, written by Brian Yorkey and directed by original Rent direc-tor Michael Greif, hits a different chord than the happy-go-lucky musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

It’s deeper than “Legally Blonde” and more emotional than “The Music Man” but still full of catchy tunes that will leave the audience singing ballads from the moment the lights release and the curtain falls. With little lead in and punch beats, songs like “I’m Alive” will leave the audience wanting more.

“It left me with my mouth open with the unexpected twists it had,” Dale Stark, Civic Center public relations director, said. “It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.”

Modern aspects of the musical shine through the use of social media. In 2009, modified adaptation of Next to Normal

was published on Twitter line by line. The campaign garnered a Best in Show Situation Interactive 2009 OMMA Award .

According to critical acclaim by The New York Times, “Next to Normal” joined the ranks of the one-fourth of Broadway shows that become commercial hits. With the recognizable purple color, the poster and merchandise can be found on fans across the country. Shirts, posters and other products will be available for purchase at the show.

The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines and “Next to Normal” paired with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Des Moines. NAMI advocates for education and help for mental illness for both the individual and their families.

“Next to Normal” is promised not be any “normal” musical. Catch it in Des Moines March 16-20. Click to http://www.civiccenter.org/ to order tickets.

by Kensie Smithstaff [email protected]

Follow the tunes of “Next to Normal”

Facebook: Next to NormalTwitter: @n2nbroadwayyoutube.com/nexttonormalbroadway

Des Moines Civic Center plays “Normal”

The Civic Center’s Willis Broadway Series continues with...

“Next to Normal” March 16-20 “Rock of Ages” April 19-24“Young Frankenstein” May 3-8“Chicago” June 2-5

PAINTING (above) done by Aron Johnston and titled “We Are All Downstream.”

LIFE CASTING (right) was created from aluminum by Sandi Tomer.

INK BOTTLE (lower right) is made completely from cardboard and was constructed by Emily Hartly.


Drake Choir returns from regional tour

SARAH BANNON (left) graces audience members with her solo during “Ilay Gandangan.” Drake Choir performed a total of seven pieces featuring 11 different soloists. Chamber Choir, which is made up of 27 Drake Choir members, also contributed four pieces: “Consecrate the Place and Day,” “I Go Among Trees,” “There is a Garden in Her Face” and “Cheres Fleurs.”

DR. AIMEE BECKMANN-COLLIER (right) conducting the well-traveled Drake Choir. The group began its tour Wednesday, March 2 in Liberty, Mo., and ended Monday, March 7 with a post-tour home concert in Sheslow Auditorium. In total, the goup presented their rehearsed music at five locations, plus Drake University. The choir tours the U.S. annually and internationally every four years. The upcoming abroad trip, which is scheduled for summer 2012, will be making stop in Wales and Ireland.

THE TIMES-DELPHIC SPORTS THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 | PAGE 6

sportsDrake cleaned up on the academic side of sports awards this past week. Senior Ryan Wedel and redshirt sophomore Jordan Clarke earned All-MVC Scholar-Athlete awards to represent the men’s basketball team. Wedel was named to the second team while Clarke collected an honorable mention. For the women’s squad, senior Kristin Turk and junior Amber Wollschlager garnered second team accolades for the same award. Also, the football team set a school record with 55 players named to the Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll for 2010.

GETTING SCHOOLED

With a birth to the NCAA tournament awarded to the champion, Drake will take on the Missouri State Bears tomorrow night at 8:35 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Mis-souri Valley Conference Tournament.

Drake earned its place as the sixth seed in the tournament after a key win against Creigh-ton last Saturday. The team earned the win with some heightened excitement, as it was senior day and the last Knapp Center game for Bull-dog standout Kristin Turk.

Missouri State will also bring some momen-tum into tomorrow’s matchup. The team is holding on to a four-game winning streak that started with a home win over visiting Drake on Feb. 25.

Both teams thrive in tournament play, rank-ing first and second among Valley squads in championships. Drake has taken home five tournament titles in the school’s history, while Missouri State has earned nine.

The teams’ last meeting resulted in a high-intensity, high-scoring game that the Bears won 92-82.

“Missouri State is a great team and presents a huge challenge for us,” Drake head coach Amy Stephens said.

Missouri State was chosen as the preseason conference favorite, with scoring machine Casey Garrison leading the charge for the Bears’ talented team. Garrison follows close behind Drake senior guard Turk in points per game. Turk holds the lead in the Valley at 19.8 points per game, while Garrison ranks second with 18.4.

“They’ve got so many weapons,” Stephens said in a press teleconference on Tuesday. “If we can just figure out how to guard them, it could be another game.”

In the past month of conference play, Drake has proven that it has the talent to challenge those weapons.

“We’ve been practicing and playing with a

lot of passion lately,” Turk said. “I expect the game to be intense, and I expect that our team will leave it all on the floor.”

By defeating second-seeded Illinois State 72-67, Drake proved it can target those talent-ed players who consistently make baskets and it runs the hard defense needed to beat these strong teams.

Stephens said one of the keys to success will

be upperclassmen like Turk and juniors Amber Wollschlager and Rachael Hackbarth playing consistently.

Hackbarth, who leads the Bulldogs in re-bounds with an average of eight per game, has emerged as a leader on the team. Stephens said she has even more potential to fulfil.

“Rachael has played well for us, the big key question for her is consistency,” Stephens said.

“When that consistency is there, you could say she really has arrived.”

The winner of tomorrow’s game advances to the semi-finals on Saturday.

“Hopefully this isn’t my last weekend of col-lege basketball,” Turk said. “There’s still work to be done, and I will cry about it when it’s over, but right now there’s a lot of hard work to be done and we are ready to accept the challenge.”

Drake faces tall task at MVC tournament WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

by Mary Bess BollingStaff [email protected]

Bulldogs take on Missouri State tomorrow, must win three to earn title


HEAD COACH AMY STEPHENS addresses her team during a timeout. The Bulldogs (15-14) are set to face Missouri State (21-9) in the quarterfinals of the State Farm MVC Tournament tomorrow at 8:35 p.m. Drake lost both meetings with the Bears during the regular season.

>>State Farm MVC Tournament OutlookTHE FAVORITE – Northern Iowa: The Panthers ran away with its first regular-season Missouri Valley Conference title with a 17-1 league record. The nearest competitors finished at 12-6. UNI is riding a 16-game winning streak heading into the tournament, also a school record. The Panthers won last season’s conference title as the No. 5 seed, but the top seed in the MVC has won the tournament 14 times out of 25 years.

THE CHALLENGERS – Illinois State, Missouri State and Creighton: All three teams tied for second in the league at 12-6, but under the tiebreaking procedures, the Redbirds earned the No. 2 seed, with the Bears at No. 3 and the Bluejays at the fourth spot. Missouri State has won the most MVC

tournament titles (9) and is slated to play No. 6 Drake in the quarterfinals. Illinois State is the only Valley team to defeat Northern Iowa this season.

THE DARK HORSE – Drake: At 9-9 in the Valley, the Bulldogs earned the No. 6 seed and narrowly avoided a play-in game. Instead Drake will be the last team to play tomorrow at 8:35 p.m. against Missouri State. The Bulldogs dropped both decisions to the Bears this season, but as of late, Drake has strung together some solid performances after struggling during most of the Valley season. The team has the conference’s leading scorer in senior Kristin Turk, who is more than capable of carrying Drake’s young squad all the way to the title game.

compiled by Matt Moran | Sports Editor | [email protected]

After completing the Tulsa Invitational with a 2-2 record, the Drake softball team is hitting the road yet again for the Bayer Crop Classic in Fresno, Calif. The Bulldogs open against Troy and Idaho State tomorrow, then play Idaho State again and tournament host Fresno State on Saturday. Drake finishes the tournament on Sunday versus California.

After getting off to a great 5-0 start on the season, the team stumbled a bit in late February, and now Drake’s record stands at an 8-7. The team is hoping to get back on track with a great showing in Fresno.

“We just need to take motivation into our next games and play our best game, every game,” freshman Jordan Gronewold said.

Troy stands at 13-6 overall, Idaho State stands at 4-9, Fresno State is at 8-4 and Califor-nia is at 12-2.

A major bright spot for the Bulldogs this sea-son has been their pitching, led by seniors Jenna DeLong, Brynne Dordel and newcomer Grone-wold. DeLong stands at 5-3 on the mound and has already been named Missouri Valley Con-ference Pitcher of the Week twice.

Gronewold pitched a solid game last week at the Tulsa Invitational against North Dakota, earning a no-decision. She tossed her first win of her career later in the weekend against Ohio State.

“It felt great being out there on the mound for my first career start,” Gronewold said after the North Dakota game.

To do well in Fresno, the team needs to get back to the team it truly is and let things happen for them.

“We are a loose, goofy team,” junior Torey

Craddock said. “I think we need to remember how to have fun out there and have that motiva-tion in our upcoming games.”

Drake turns attention to Bayer Crop Classic

SOFTBALL

by Blake MillerStaff [email protected]

>>BULLDOG SPORTSThis weekend in

WOMEN’S TENNISFriday vs. Minnesota, 10 a.m., Columbia, Mo.Saturday vs. Missouri, 10 a.m., Columbia, Mo.

SOFTBALLBayer Crop Science Classic – Fresno, Calif.Friday vs. Troy, 11:30 a.m.Friday vs. Idaho State, 2 p.m.Saturday vs. Idaho State, 9 a.m.Saturday vs. Fresno State, 5 p.m.Sunday vs. California, 11:30 a.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLState Farm MVC Tournament – St. Charles, Mo.Friday vs. Missouri State, 8:35 p.m.Saturday, Semi-finals, 4:05 p.m.*Sunday, Championship, 2:05 p.m.**If necessary

MEN’S TENNISSaturday @ Saint Louis, 9 a.m.

WOMEN’S CREWSaturday @ Wichita State, TBAcompiled by Matt Moran Sports [email protected]


FRESHMAN JORDAN GRONEWOLD delivers a pitch in a game last fall. Gronewold picked up her first career win last weekend against Ohio State, and the first-year hurler is sure to see some action again this weekend with Drake slated to play five games in Fresno, Calif.

| THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 SPORTS THE TIMES-DELPHIC

Next step for Drake: No excuses, just start winning

MEN’S BASKETBALL COLUMN

by Eduardo ZamarripaStaff [email protected]


FRESHMAN RAYVONTE RICE emerged as one of the top talents in the Missouri Valley this season. He will face high expectations next year as Drake hopes to crawl back into the top-tier of the MVC after the Bulldogs’ second-straight losing season.

Men sweep WIU, women come back to edge Air Force

Basketball champions crowned in intramurals

TENNIS

INTRAMURALS

MENDrake extended its home winning streak to

eight games this past Sunday with a 7-0 vic-tory over the Western Illinois Leathernecks. The Bulldogs are now 8-2 on the season, and the team looks to have completely rebounded from its two losses against Big Ten foes late last month.

The match against the Leathernecks was nev-er in jeopardy for the Bulldogs, as they started the match by sweeping the doubles point. Each doubles team won 8-4 over Western Illinois.

Senior Mauricio Ballivian and sophomore Anis Ghorbel teamed up at the top slot, with sophomores James McKie and Jean Erasmus at the second position, and sophomore Ryan Drake and freshman Robin Goodman at the third spot.

The singles matches played out just like the doubles, with complete Bulldog domination. Drake clinched the match in under an hour, as Goodman, McKie, Ghorbel and junior Jona-than Hadash were able to make quick work of their opponents.

Goodman was the first off the court with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at the fourth position. McKie soon followed with an equally impressive 6-1, 6-2 triumph at second singles. Hadash granted the Bulldogs the victory with a 6-0, 6-2 win at the fifth position.

Ghorbel followed Hadash soon after with a 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles. Ghorbel’s play

over the past weekend garnered him Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week acco-lades on Tuesday.

The closest matches for the team came at first and sixth singles, but both resulted in straight-set victories for the Bulldogs. At sixth singles, ju-nior Sean O’Grady encountered a three-game deficit in the first set before fighting back to take the match 6-4, 6-1.

Ballivian encountered some resistance from the 2010 Summit League Newcomer of the Year, Jeff Cote. After taking the first set 6-2, Ballivian was taken to a tiebreaker by Cote, but once again, Ballivian prevailed in the tiebreaker 7-3.

The Bulldogs will take on the Saint Louis Billikens tomorrow in the first match of their four-game Spring Break road trip. Drake will also go up against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Memphis and Murray State, and The Times-Delphic will have a full report on the results after the break.

WOMENDrake bounced back from a tough loss

against Iowa State last Friday with an impres-sive come-from-behind win over Air Force on Sunday. Air Force entered into the matchup with an 11-3 record, with one of its three losses also delivered by Iowa State.

The opening doubles matches echoed the match against the Cyclones, in which the Bull-dogs were unable to find a way to victory at any of the positions.

Junior Jess Aguilera and sophomore Manca Krizman lost 8-2 at the top slot, and junior

Amanda Aragon and senior Jessica Labarte lost 8-5 at third doubles.

Once again, junior Earlynn Lauer and fresh-man Klavdija Rebol came the closest to victory for the Bulldogs, as the second doubles team clawed its way to six wins, but Air Force would not let them finish the job, as the Drake duo lost 8-6.

Determined not to see a repeat of last Fri-day’s outcome, the Bulldogs played tremen-dously at singles. Krizman was able to quickly even the score for the Bulldogs with a 6-1, 6-0 dismantling of her opponent at the top slot.

The Bulldogs then took the lead as Rebol registered a 6-2, 7-5 win at second singles. Air Force landed the next two hits though, as Lab-arte and Aragon lost in straight sets at fourth and fifth singles, respectively.

Down by one, the Bulldogs were just a set away from their second straight loss, but Agu-ilera was determined to keep the team alive. With a decisive third set victory, Aguilera won her match at third singles 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to even the score at three points apiece.

The outcome hung in the balance at the sixth singles position, as sophomore Ali Patterson was taken to a second set tiebreaker by her oppo-nent. Patterson was the player who raised her game in the end, as she won 7-3 to give the Bull-dogs one of their best results of the season.

Drake will be busy over the next week, as the squad is scheduled for six matches over spring break. The first match is against Minnesota to-morrow morning. The Times-Delphic will have the results of the Bulldogs’ Spring Break trip in the next issue.

by Dominic JohnsonStaff [email protected]

Bulldog teams take different routes, but both end victorious

compiled by Matt Moran | Sports Editor | [email protected]

Scoring 1. Rayvonte Rice, 13.8 points per game 2. Ryan Wedel, 10.9 3. Seth VanDeest, 8.8

Rebounding 1. Rice, 4.8 rebounds per game 2. Jordan Clarke, 4.7 3. VanDeest, 4.4

Passing 1. Wedel, 2.0 assists per game 2. Kurt Alexander, 1.7 3. Rice, 1.6

Steals 1. Rice, 1.4 steals per game 2. Clarke, 1.3 3. Aaron Hawley, 0.6

>>FINAL DRAKE STATS

The Drake Bulldogs were not supposed to lose against the Bradley Braves last Thursday. They were the seventh seed playing against the worst team in the conference (record-wise, any-how). Yes, Bradley had been playing a lot better and they had just pounded Drake a week earlier, but there were no excuses for what happened last Thursday night.

This was a game that Drake should have won. It did not have anything to do with our youth, or the referees or the Braves playing out of this world. Bradley was better. They played harder, they hit shots and they got in the lane as much as they wanted. They overwhelmed Drake. It was a defining moment in the future of a basketball program that has lost its course ever since the departure of head coach Keno Davis. Make no mistake, Drake has consistent-ly worsened its winning totals each of the last three years (from 28 wins to 17 to 14 and now to 13). It’s hard to believe this program is moving in the right direction.

Yes, Drake beat Northern Iowa and Creigh-ton at home. The Bulldogs played their hearts out in those games. Can they do that on a regular basis? I simply do not know. The big-gest problems plaguing Drake, from my point of view, is not hustle or effort. I do believe this team plays hard for head coach Mark Phelps. But it lacks size, it lacks rebounding and it lacks interior scoring. It lacks guards that can get in the lane and create opportunities to open up 3-point attempts. This is what Drake struggles to do on a consistent basis. We can’t keep throw-ing around the “youth” excuse much longer. Most of these guys are going to be juniors and seniors next year.

Look, Drake has had stellar recruiting classes each of the last two years and I will honestly come out and say that they have improved sub-stantially. But improvement only takes you so far. If you don’t put it in the win column, then it doesn’t mean anything. That’s the cold real-ity of sports. As former NFL coach Bill Parcells said, “You are what your record says you are.” And the Bulldogs are 44-53 overall in the last three seasons and 21-34 in conference play. Only Southern Illinois and Evansville have

worse records than Drake in the last three years. But let’s take a step back from how this sea-

son ended and try to look at what we should expect in the next couple of years. We are go-ing to lose fifth-year senior Ryan Wedel. He was our best shooter and one of our most consistent performers. Other than that, we have our same guys; there’s only one recruit coming in this fall. There are some bright spots in this squad, but it’s up to Phelps and the players to live up to their potential.

We have freshman Rayvonte Rice, who one day will be good enough to win MVC Player of the Year. We don’t need to worry about his production. This guy competes on offense and on defense.

Sophomore Ben Simons continued to im-prove his offensive game and shot a terrific per-centage this year. He needs to continue to be aggressive on offense and improve his defense and rebounding.

I hope sophomore Seth VanDeest does not struggle with injuries anymore and he can produce like he did his freshman season. We need his size and inside scoring. But either way, I’m intrigued to see how much junior transfer Kraidon Woods improves his game next year; he has filled in nicely for VanDeest.

Redshirt sophomore Jordan Clarke will be healthy and that will help him improve his of-fensive game. His elbow has not allowed him to finish or to step out and hit the mid-range jumper like he can. We’ll have junior Frank Wiseler back next year, who’s been out most of the season. He’s a true point guard who is an intelligent player. Junior transfer Kurt Alexan-der really started to show his offensive prowess late in the year, and we need his penetration and playmaking ability. And lastly, we need fresh-man Karl Madison to show next year that he’s as good as advertised.

There are a lot of good guys on this team and not just talent-wise. There are players who legit-imately care about improving this program, and I respect that. I hope they can put that desire to-gether with the talent they have, because I know this team is talented and I know we can be bet-ter. But if we do not start winning the games we should win, and we do not stop trying to blame our problems on youth or inexperience, then this program will not be able to move forward. I wish for nothing more than to see Phelps and his guys show that we can play ball at Drake.

LAW AND ORDER VS. PI KAPPA ALPHA Law and Order prevailed 57-55 over Pi Kap-

pa Alpha (Pike) on Monday night during the all-university basketball championship game at 10 p.m. in the Knapp Center. The law students and fraternity brothers battled to the last second to determine this year’s intramural champions

for men’s basketball. Both teams were in first place of their respec-

tive leagues, with Pike capturing the fraternity title and Law and Order winning the men’s A championship. Initially, Law and Order main-tained a noticeable lead over Pike. After re-grouping, Pike managed to put points on the board to make the halftime score 39-29 in favor of the law students.

In a very competitive second half, Pike closed the gap with strong shooting from the field. The teams were tied with less than two minutes left

to play until Law and Order added two points. With one second left in the game, Pike called a time-out.

After a successful inbound a Pike player got off a shot before the buzzer. The shot did not go in.

As Law and Order enjoys its new title, the men of Pike are left pondering whether they re-ally thought they could win when messing with the law.DELTA GAMMA VS. KOBE

The Drake women’s soccer team demon-

strated its basketball skills in the women’s intra-mural basketball championship game at 9 p.m. on Monday night in the Knapp Center.

Kobe, a team composed of Drake soccer players, defeated Delta Gamma’s basketball team. Kobe maintained a significant lead the whole game and was named the 2011 cham-pion with a final score of 36-15.

Guess it just goes to show that team Kobe can hoop it up like Kobe Bryant, who now has inspire soccer players to win on the basketball court.

by Monica Worsley Staff [email protected]


SOPHOMORE MANCA KRIZMAN returns a back-hand shot. Krizman won her No. 1 singles match against Air Force in straight sets, one of three victo-ries that helped Drake rally for a 4-3 triumph.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011 | PAGE 8 FEATURESTHE TIMES-DELPHIC

Lawrence Crawford smiles in front of the camera, changing poses like he was born to be in the spotlight. When he was a first-year entering Drake, he proclaimed his major to be broadcast television and “faminosity.”

“I always thought I should be in the camera or in front of the camera,” said Crawford, now a public relations major and senior. “I just always wanted to be seen and be famous, and to have an impact.”

His latest endeavor? Auditioning for MTV’s reality TV show “The Real World.”

“I don’t know what this is going to be like, but I hope it’s do-able,” he said. “At the end of the day, if nothing else, it’s an ex-perience.”

Even last year, friends told Crawford to audition for the show. “Once Lawrence and I became friends through classes and

such, I had a recurring joke with him about how he should apply to be on the Real World,” said Abby Finkenauer, another public relations senior.

It wasn’t until recently, when his friend Matt Martin ran to Crawford and told him, “So you’re applying for this.” Everyone in the admissions office where the two work agreed, and within 10 minutes, the new supportive Facebook group had 150 people “liking” it.

The casting call for season 26, rumored to be the last season, stopped in Des Moines yesterday.

“I have no idea what the process is like,” Crawford said. “It’s like, so scary. I don’t know if there’s multiple stages. If I make it past this first stage, it means it wasn’t a complete waste of time and I stand for something.”

Finkenauer volunteered to drive him there and stand with him in line to hold his hand before the audition.

“People have said I have a very strong personality. You don’t have a choice but to love me,” he said. “I will definitely tell the

creative director, ‘You save the best for last, don’t eff it up.’”Even though he said he’s seen maybe one episode in his life,

his friends have told him they’d watch the show if he were on it.“I always thought he’d be great,” Finkenauer said. “He is a

likable guy with a whole lot of personality that makes anyone that meets him twice, a fast friend. I would be so proud to have him represent the Midwest and the Drake community if he ended up getting casted. Which honestly, I think he will. He is a casting director’s dream.”

Crawford’s main hopes for the audition are to make it on the show and use the publicity as a platform for social issues to better the world.

“I know this is a little far-reaching for ‘The Real World,’ but I think he could change lives and help America see past some of the awful prejudices that still remain in society,” Finkenauer said. “I think when people meet Lawrence, they see past racial and sexual stereotypes and fall in love with the great, driven, quirky guy behind his black-rimmed glasses. He is a unique individual with a heart of gold, and a bright future that would be, to be hon-est, a hell of a lot of fun to watch on TV.”

Crawford’s friend Crystal Nance agrees with Finkenauer that Crawford would be great on the cast.

“I think this audition fits right into what Lawrence is all about,” Nance said. “While he does enjoy attention and the spot-light, I believe he would use a position on ‘The Real World’ to bring awareness to a number of causes, including equality and civil rights for all.”

He’s got the backing of friends, his mom’s OK and his own personality to take him through the auditions. Now it’s up to MTV to decide if he’s casted.

“I want to see how my life changes,” Crawford said. “I hope that wherever this goes, that I’m not going to be changing the Lawrence that people love.”


SENIOR LAWRENCE CRAWFORD fills out his application for the audition to be in turns in the 26th season of “The Real World” (top right). He turns the lengthy application in to MTV’s casting crew (bottom). Crawford brought friends to Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery in West Des Moines to help calm his nerves.

photos by SARAH ANDREWS | staff photographerillustration by ASHLEY THOMPSON | staff designer

I want to see how my life changes. I hope that wherever this goes, that I’m not going to be changing the Lawrence that people love. ”

“

-Lawrence Crawford

Entering the real worldThis is the true story of one Bulldog who wanted to have his life taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real.

by Lizzie [email protected]

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