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The Magazine of Drake University D R A K E blue 1111

Hitting the Hard NotesLAW PROFESSOR TACKLES EMOTIONAL SUBJECT MATTER,

MOUNTS SUCCESSFUL OPERA

WHEN DRAKE LAW PROFESSOR Cathy Lesser Mansfield was a child, she had a nightmare in which German soldiers were chasing her through alleys. Fast-forward to Nov. 8, 2008 — the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Mansfield sits nervously in the back row of a sold-out theater where the curtain is about to rise on the world premier of her Holocaust opera TheSparks Fly Upward.

AN ACTIVIST AND COMPOSER, Mansfield began working on the opera nearly 30 years ago. She studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatoryof Music before shifting to pursue her interests in social justice and law. After a successful law career, Mansfield brought her consumer advocacyexpertise to Drake in 1996. Taking a sabbatical from classes recently,Mansfield planted herself at the piano bench and began fine-tuning the stories and score for Sparks.“Perhaps because I view myself as a helper and a healer,” says Mansfield

of her choice to bring such ominous subject matter to the stage. “I tell mystudents that lawyers are very powerful people and that, with that power, theyhave a responsibility to help people.”

A METICULOUS RESEARCHER, Mansfield conducted interviews and gatheredsource material in Europe. She spent many long days at the U.S. HolocaustMemorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Leo Baeck Institute in NewYork stooped over reading and photocopying manuscripts. The result: a powerful story following the lives of two Jewish families in Berlin who go intohiding with the help of a Christian family. Through their struggles, the familiesturn to the biblical story of Job for reassurance and enlightenment. As thestory progresses the parallels between their lives and Job’s become apparent.“I decided that it was very important to create a historically accurate piece

that had the power to both educate and inspire. When you think about it, theopera’s themes are very relevant today,” says Mansfield, citing the conflicts ofBosnia and Darfur.Mansfield’s labor of love premiered before a full house that included

Holocaust survivors and theatrical producers. The production’s cast featuredDrake music professors along with several Drake students and alumni.“Sparks disrupted my entire life and changed me in ways that only experiences

like giving birth can,” says Mansfield. “Now there’s both theatrical and educationalinterest in the opera, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

— Casey L. Gradischnig

Editor’s note: For more information or to order a recording of The Sparks FlyUpward visit www.TheSparksFlyUpward.org.

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Something must be done before thespring Drake Relays or there is goingto be a big pull to take the Relays to

Chicago, Madison or Minneapolis. Theseother college centers have a stadium capableof holding the crowds and caring for ath-letes. The stadium is the single most impor-tant thing before Des Moines this spring,”said philanthropist and cosmetic mogul CarlWeeks to The Des Moines Tribune in 1925.

Weeks’ words did not fall on deaf ears. OnOctober 10, 1925, the Greater Des MoinesCommittee presented the new DrakeStadium to the University. Holding 18,000fans, Drake Stadium—the venerable redbrick venue that Jesse Owens called “souniquely right for track”—has been thehome to the Relays, Drake football andcountless other events since.

Ninety-three years later, Iowa’s signaturesporting event attracts 9,100 competitors, with39 consecutive years of sell-out crowds for itsSaturday events—the longest sell-out streakin U.S. track and field history. It is the onlysporting event in Iowa where fans can seeOlympic gold medallists compete annually.

PRESERVING SACRED GROUND

While the stadium has been maintained asresponsibly as resources have allowed, theyears have taken their toll. Extensive repairsare needed to ensure its future structural sta-bility and to make the stadium a viablevenue for future events—thus the Universityhas embarked upon a fund-raising campaignto not only preserve brick and mortar, butenhance a venue which allows for nationalexposure and economic growth to the entirecommunity.

“We believe in preserving the history of thestadium,” said Mark Kostek, assistant athleticdirector for Drake Relays. “There was talkabout just knocking the whole thing downand rebuilding it because it would be cheap-er, but we decided not to because the stadiumis sacred. There are going to be changes, butwe are approaching it as if we are renovatinga historical religious site. It will always havethe same look and feel, just better.”

Plans for renovating the stadium call fortwo phases totaling $22 million. Phase I ($11 million) focuses on reconfiguring andresurfacing the track to meet internationalstandards, and installing an artificial fieldsurface lined for football and soccer. It also

On your mark, get set . . .

THE RACE TO RENOVATE DRAKE STADIUM IS UNDERWAY

“

Drake University President David Maxwell with

Assistant Athletic Director for Drake Relays Mark Kostek

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includes repairing the stadium’s structure;addressing code issues; making improve-ments to the seating, restrooms and conces-sions; renovation of the press box; andadding lighting to make the stadium usablefor high school football and other communi-ty events in the evenings.

While the stadium could be repaired andthe track reconfigured to conform to stan-dards for less money, it cannot be trans-formed into the kind of facility needed forhosting national and international eventswithout making the enhancements outlinedin the $22 million plan.

“We have very strong interest from theNCAA for us to put in a bid to host the 2007track and field regionals as well as the 2008,2009, 2010 national competitions,” saidDrake University President David Maxwell.“We also have strong interests from U.S.Track and Field to bring in various eventsthat they control, including the U.S.Olympic trials. It is an exciting opportunityto make Drake—and Des Moines—the trackand field capital of the Midwest.”

A new press box, meeting rooms, addition-al restroom and concession enhancements,and a Relays Hall of Fame Plaza will beadded in Phase II of the project.

OFF AND RUNNINGWith a project volunteer leadership team co-chaired by Jack Taylor, CEO of Des Moines-based Taylor Construction Group, and con-sisting of Iowa business leaders Jim Cownie,Bill Knapp, Bill Knapp II, Maddie Levitt andGerry Neugent along with honorary co-chair/Olympians Suzy Favor-Hamilton, FrankShorter and Natasha Kaiser-Brown, fund-rais-ing efforts for the stadium are moving swiftly.

The stadium fund is currently more than$8 million strong with individual leadershipcommitments from Franklin “Pitch” Johnson,Jack Taylor, Bill Knapp, Maddie Levitt, Jimand Patty Cownie, and Don Lamberti.

Organizational support for the projectthus far includes $1 million commitments

from the Principal Financial GroupFoundation Inc., Prairie Meadows and PolkCounty; $250,000 from both McAnichCorporation and MidAmerican Energy; and$100,000 from both the Iowa Boys HighSchool Athletic Association and the IowaGirls High School Athletic Union.

“Revitalization of Drake Stadium repre-sents great economic opportunity not only

for Drake, but the entire Greater Des Moinesarea,” said J. Barry Griswell, chairman, presi-dent and CEO of the Principal FinancialGroup. “The Principal is proud to be part ofthis important investment in the growth ofour community.”

“This project is not just about DrakeUniversity—it has tremendous potential to enhance the economic vitality and the visibility of Des Moines by making the citythe track and field capital of the Midwest,”said Maxwell.

In fact, hosting events such as the U.S.Olympic Trials and Junior Olympics in trackand field and the AAU Junior OlympicGames means an economic impact of morethan $300 million over 10 years.

If all goes as planned, Drake hopes tosecure the $11 million needed for Phase Iand begin renovation immediately followingthe 2005 Relays.

A WIN FOR ATHLETES AND FANS

Many U.S. track and field athletes are attract-ed to European competitions because of theattention and pay they received overseas.

“They have rock star status over there.They get paid quite well. They don’t get paidquite that well over here,” said Maxwell.“But, we can give them rock star status. Andthey love it. They love the way that the fansinteract. So there is a very special bond ifyou come to the Drake Relays for the firsttime. You leave with a very special feeling ofwhat Drake is all about.”

In fact, adds Maxwell, “What we hear mostconsistently from the inductees of the DrakeRelays Hall of Fame are three things: One ishow amazing the fan support and the inti-mate connection with the crowd are. Numbertwo is the mystique. Athletes realize that theyare on the hallowed ground of track and fieldevents. And the third is how incredibly wellrun the Relays are—from the way that ath-letes are treated around campus to how wellthe meet itself is run. They really appreciatetheir interaction with the officials and the waythey’re treated.”

“The new stadium will not only provide anawesome atmosphere for the athletes, butfor the fans as well,” said Natasha Kaiser-Brown, a two-time Olympian who competed

Hosting events such as the U.S. Olympic Trials

and Junior Olympics in track and field and the

AAU Junior Olympic Games means an economic

impact of more than $300 million over 10 years.

Stadium renovation plans call for two phases with Phase I focusing on reconfiguring and resurfacing the track, installing an

artificial field and repairing the stadium’s structure. A new press box, meeting rooms, additional restroom and concession

enhancements, and a Relays Hall of Fame Plaza will be added in Phase II of the project.

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in 16 Drake Relays and serves as head men’sand women’s track coach at Drake. “Newbleachers, concessions and modern restrooms will definitely enhance the DrakeRelays experience.”

BEYOUND THE FINISHING LINE

While playing host to hundreds of world-classathletes including Bruce Jenner, Carl Lewis,Gwen Torrence and Michael Johnson is noth-ing to shake a baton at, Drake Stadium ishome to more than the Drake Relays.Enhancing Drake Stadium will provideDrake’s student-athletes in football, soccerand other sports with new competitive oppor-tunities, enhance Drake’s athletic camps andexpand fan base—and Des Moines will gainan outstanding venue for high school andyouth sports and an entertainment venue forhosting concerts, festivals, marching band anddrill team competition.

“This is going to be a great venue for ourfootball and men and women’s soccer pro-grams and for the community. Right now,our football team can’t practice on the fieldthey play on because they will chew the grassup—the new artificial surface will change allof that. And, with the new lights, theoretical-ly the stadium could be used 24 hours a dayseven days a week. This project is clearly inthe interest of Des Moines’ future economicvitality,” said Maxwell.

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

“The national buzz out there is Drake is onthe horizon and that something big is aboutto happen. It brings great responsibility tomake sure it’s done right. I envision myselfwearing a hardhat until the red ribbon iscut,” said Kostek.

“We’re already on the international mapfor Relays,” added Maxwell. “I think we havean opportunity to turn Drake and DesMoines into a major international track andfield capital—the Eugene, Oregon of theMidwest. We have the opportunity to havethe only world-class track and field facility inthe upper-Midwest. It would go beyondRelays, beyond Drake to put Des Moines onthe map as a major track and field center.That is exciting in terms of our responsibilityand for the community.”

—Casey L. Gradischnig

Conceptual renderings illustrate various upgrades to Drake Stadium.

First-year pharmacy major GretaAnderson started her semesterin uncharted territory by

working one-on-one to providecare to an elderly client. TimKarley, a third-year studentpursuing his doctorate inpharmacy, recently completed a stint of community outreach at La Cliniqua De Esperanza, a free clinic with a predominately

Hispanic population. Fifth-yearpharmacy student Amanda Sass

helped coordinate a group of Drakestudents who visited Des Moinesarea grade and middle schoolseducating kids about methamphet-amine. Lisa Izzo, DP3, was one ofmore than 100 Drake pharmacystudents and faculty whoadministered diabetes screeningtests in the Des Moines area.

Projects like these are just a few the many meaningful ways Drakestudents are contributing to the community while gaining valuablehands-on experience — all part of the College of Pharmacy’scommitment to exploratory learning.

THE IMPACT OF ACTIVE LEARNING“I feel that experiences like this are invaluable,” says Anderson ofher first-year immersion. “My experience with the geriatrics IPPEcourse [Integrative Pharmacy Practice Experience — an introductorycomponent of the College’s Experiential Education Program] thissemester helped me to see what the elderly actually deal with athome and the complications that may arise with aging. I was able to interact with those that are mentally retarded and to see whattheir level of communication can be. Itmade me aware that not every patient ofmine will be independent or even aware oftheir health conditions or medicationsthey are on. I also saw how precious eachindividual really is inside, though theymay not be able to communicate well.”

The College’s Experiential EducationProgram consists of a series of introduc-

tory pharmacypractice experi-ences in whichstudents partici-pate throughout their first three years of the professional curriculum. The goal is to introduce students to various pharmacypractice settings and active learning strategiesthat help them develop communication,problem solving and decision making skills.

Learning GetPharmacy’s Experiential Educat

PHARMAKON SUMMER 2001 • DRAKE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Tim Karley

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“Participating in this type of hands-on experience is a wonderful opportunity to apply what I’m learningin the classroom to actualpatients.” – Lisa Izzo

BRIDGING THE EXPERIENCES“It was fulfilling to provide medical supportto those who would not otherwise be able toobtain it,” says Karley, who volunteered atLa Cliniqua De Esperanza. Karley’s fluencyin Spanish allowed him to establish himselfas a bridge between the English- andSpanish-speaking communities at the clinic.

Experiences like this are also importantbridges between the classroom and theprofessional world, says Raylene Rospond, associate dean ofpharmacy and director of the free clinic project. Rospond believesearly exposure to service work helps the students understand thebarriers to health care that people face every day.“These experiences are causing the students to grow.It’s not always comfortable and easy. It’s my tenetthat you never know when these experiences aregoing to be important. And these experiences impactstudents throughout their cycle of learning here.”

HANDS-ON LEARNINGOne recent IPPE program allowed more than 100Drake students to participate in a community initia-tive that improved the recognition of diabetes in alocal high-risk population. The students performeddiabetes screenings in both traditional locations suchas senior centers and pharmacies, and nontraditional locationsincluding public schools, work sites, fire stations, and a local casino.More than 5,000 participants were screened during the project.

“Participating in this type of hands-on experience is a wonderfulopportunity to apply what I’m learning in the classroom to actualpatients,” says Lisa Izzo, DP2. “The diabetes screening experiencehas helped me feel more confident in my patient care skills.”

IPPE components such as volunteering in free clinics, workingone-on-one with the elderly, or conducting diabetes screenings arenot only active learning exercises; they can be powerful character-

building opportunities for thestudents as well.

Amanda Sass, a Drake studentwho participated in metham-

phetamine presenta-tions for grade schooland junior high schoolstudents, says theexperience gave her adeep sense of purpose.“As a pharmacy student,it made me feel like whatI was doing had a signifi-cant impact on these kids’lives,” says Sass, describingone of the many of thepersonal interactions

she had with participants. “I hadone little girl who was 7 yearsold come to me after a talk andshe was shaking. She proceeded to tellme that her high school sister does meth. She told me she alwayswanted to try it too, but her sister said she had to grow up a bit.Then the girl looked at me and said that because of what I told herduring the presentation, she didn’t want to try it anymore. And shewanted to know how to make her sister stop. If I changed her mind,and possibly helped her sister, I feel like I accomplished a lot.”

“It made me aware that notevery patient of mine willbe autonomous or is evenaware of their health condi-tions or medications they areon. I also saw how preciouseach individual really is inside.”– Greta Anderson

ts Activeation Program

DRAKE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES • PHARMAKON SUMMER 2001

Amanda Sass

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NEXUS SPRING 2001 • DRAKE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

n the past, a business could choose not to do business internation-ally,” says CBPA Assistant Professor of Management VinitiaMathews. “Now, smart businesses don’t have much choice

because whether a business participates in international business ornot, that business will be impacted by international business issuesand influencers. Traditional job descriptions have not changed, how-ever, how one executes his or her job . . . interacting with diversepeople, dealing with rapidly changing technology, and the increasedamount of travel all have changed remarkably in recent years.”

A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESSOne way Drake prepares business students for the increasinglydiverse workplace and the influx of global business practices is theinternational business major.

This major equips Drakestudents for the challengingtasks of leading and coordi-nating people, activities and

systems for global operations. The curriculum provides a broad-basedprogram of language and culture, history, geography and political sci-ence with a solid foundation of business and economics to enhancestudents’ abilities to be valuable and contributing members of a glob-al society.

GLOBE-TROTTING STUDENTS AND GRADUATES“My daily tasks are affected directly each day by economic, environ-mental and political events,” says CBPA graduate Carla Rajkowski,who travels the world as an international trade analyst and pricingauthority for Maersk Sealand. “Recently I attended a training semi-nar where employees representing more than 40 countries preparedeconomic presentations. Seven days before the presentation, manyrevised their forecasts due to the news regarding the U.S. economicoutlook and possible recession. In order for businesses to survivethrough theses fluctuations, businesses must be aware and react to theinternational events in a manner that is appropriate and timely.”

Rajkowski graduated from Drake in 2000 with internationalbusiness, economics and finance majors and a Spanish minor, and she

Go GlobalInternational Business Flies High at Drake

IT’S A BIG WORLD OUT THERE AND DOING BUSINESS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE HAS NOT ONLY BECOME EASIER, IT’S BECOME NECESSARY. FUELED BY MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND THE EMERGENCE AND

EASE OF THE INTERNET, E-MAIL AND AIRLINE TICKETS ARE QUICKLY BECOMING THE TOOLS OF TRADE IN AN INCREASINGLY GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.

Student ProfileMinna Hamalainen

Major: Master of Business Administration,anticipated completion in December 2001.

Hometown: Helsinki, Finland

Notable Achievement: Before attendingDrake, Hamalainen worked for Finland's largest cosmetic brand, where she planned and executedproduct launches and marketing strategies forboth domestic and international markets. Her

biggest project, managing a $2.5 million point-of-sale design roll-out, was honored in an interna-tional competition in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Off-campus Interests: Hamalainen embracesinternational education and loves traveling andgetting to know different cultures and people.After graduating from high school in Helsinki, she was an exchange student in the U.S. for a year.Through business, vacation, or academic enrich-ment, Hamalainen has visited approximately 20countries so far and has learned six languagesalong the way. She also enjoys concerts, art exhi-bitions, design, movies, hiking and skiing.

Career Aspirations: "A position where I canuse my international professional experience in strategic marketing along with interpersonal and

linguistics skills. My dream job would include afair amount of responsibility and lots of traveling,meeting new people and brainstorming.Marketing management, consulting and competi-tive market analysis would be interesting fields towork in."

“The Drake MBA and the offered electivescreate a great foundation for future busi-ness positions, and what I have learnedwill enable me to successfully further mycareer ambitions. Team performance isvital no matter what activities you engagein, and at Drake I've learned a lot aboutAmerican group dynamics in particular. Ifeel that this will be a valuable asset in myfuture business interactions.”

“I

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credits Drake for preparing her for the fast-paced global marketplacewhere she now works. “My international business classes gave methe tools I needed to evaluate international business opportunitieswhile increasing my understanding of cultural issues and customs.Secondly, my study abroad experience in Spain taught me a lot aboutmyself. I realized how truly open to other cultures a person must bein order to actually live or work abroad for long periods of time.”

DRAKE IS INCREASINGLY INTERNATIONALAccording to Mathews, the number of CBPA students travelingabroad has risen dramatically in recent years. Even prospective stu-dents are asking about travel abroad opportunities as they shop – forcolleges. From 1997-98 to 1998-99, the number of students from theUnited States studying abroad increased by 13.9 percent. Theincrease among Drake students was 15.5 percent. From 1993-94 to1998-99, the increase in the U.S. was 70 percent, while the increasein study-abroad participation at Drake was 88.7 percent.

While international students have long contributed importantperspectives to the Drake community, there are more of them to doso these days. From 1998-99 to 1999-2000, the number of interna-tional students studying in the United States increased by 4.8 per-cent; the comparable increase at Drake was 6.2 percent. If you com-pare 1994-95 and 1999-2000, the increase for the U.S. was 13.7 per-cent while the growth at Drake was 48.3 percent.

“Oh my word! I have learned so much,” says sophomorefinance major Hannah Zbornik, who is spending the spring semesterin Prague. Zbornik is participating in a program at the University ofEconomics, called CESP – Central and East European Studies

Program. “Even though I am not in a classroom all the time, I thinkI am learning much more than I would in a semester.”

WORLDWIDE RESULTSOpportunities like studying abroad, visiting with one of the interna-tional business experts frequently speaking on campus, and thedevelopment of Drake’s International Business Society by Mathewsand CBPA students two years ago, are paying off in measurableways for Drake graduates.

“We continue to see phenomenal growth in the area of interna-tional business, and our students are doing very well in placement,”says Mathews. “I hear raves from employers about how wonderfulour students are. Huge international companies like Pioneer Hi-Bredconstantly comment on how knowledgeable and how professionalDrake students and graduates are.”

Digital DrakeGreat global business resources for international businesses can be

found at the Center for International Business & Travel @www.internationalist.com

(Left) CBPA graduateCarla Rajkowski, on arecent business-related tripto Copenhagen, is aninternational trade analystand pricing authority forMaersk Sealand.

DRAKE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION • NEXUS SPRING 2001

(Right) Sophomorefinance major HannahZbornik is studying inPrague for the springsemester.