Drake Political Review Fall 2022 | Vol. 9 Issue 1

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HAYDEN WITTROCK

MANAGING EDITOR

JULIA CASH

DESIGN DIRECTOR

PAIGE MINOR

ART DIRECTOR

MADISSEN KERMAN

COPY EDITOR

TYLER STRACHAN

STAFF EDITORS

LUKE CLAUSEN

KATHRYN PAGEL

FIRST YEAR EDITOR CHLOE GAYER

WEB EDITOR

MADELINE CRAWFORD

CONTRIBUTORS

MADELINE CRAWFORD

LINDSEY HERAZY

STEPHANIE KIEL

ANNIE PETERSON

LINCOLN ROCH

MACK SWENSON

MEGHAN HOLLORAN

PAIGE LAMBERT

MACI KLUESNER

JORDAN ROUBION

LIZ HATCH

ADVISOR

ABIGAIL STEPNITZ

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

As I wrap up the last semester of my undergraduate career at Drake, I could not have asked for a better bow on top than this issue of Drake Political Review. During my freshman year, I recall walking past the DPR booth at the activities fair and making a mental note to look further into what exactly DPR was. I knew many people around campus who were involved in DPR but as a non-journalism student, I was not sure if there was going to be a place for me, but thankfully, I was wrong.

I had an opportunity to become a writer for DPR as a secondyear covering the very important topic of college voters leading up to and following the tumultuous 2020 election. During my time as a writer, I was wonderfully supported by the DPR staff and eventually took an opportunity to apply for an editor position. What I came to admire about our publication most as an editor (besides our hilarious Instagram memes) was the discussion of politics from our incredibly brilliant editors, writers, and designers. I became amazed at the incredible stories that took shape from brainstorming to print. Furthermore, I have come to appreciate all the journalistic work in between brainstorming and print such as interviewing, writing, editing, and reading, along with re-writing, re-editing, and re-reading. Lastly, I appreciate DPR as a space for political junkies to peacefully talk politics in such a divisive and partisan time.

Serving as Editor-in-Chief this semester, I am so incredibly thankful to the writers, editors, and designers who helped make this issue possible. I am excited to add this issue to my collection and to hold it as a keepsake to be able to look back on the chaotic, but well-written about, political events that transpired over my college career. Well, it is about time for me to wrap up, but for now, get reading, and then,

LET’S

TALK POLITICS.

Mental Health in Iowa: A Crumbling System

Under the Golden Dome: The History and Daily Business of the Iowa State Capitol

Lasting Effects of Redlining on the Des Moines Community Horses Helping Heroes

Mental Health in Iowa: A Crumbling System

Exploring the politics behind the inadequate mental health services for many across the state

Words by Meghan Holloran | Art by Paige Minor and Madissen Kerman | Design by Paige Minor

Maya* whose name was changed for her privacy, sat down at her cramped desk, anxiously awaiting the start of her virtual therapy appointment. She wondered how long she could keep these appointments up. As a native of Illinois but attending college in Iowa, it was technically illegal for her to continue sessions with her therapist back home. Yet, if she stopped, she faced the possibility of having a breakdown.

This story is not unique to Maya. Across Iowa, approximately 1.8 million people live in communities lacking adequate mental health resources, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Up until April 2022, Polk County Health Services, a non-profit, ran the county’s mental health system. The state has taken over funding of mental health services, Gov. Reynolds signed S.F. 619 into law in July. Originally, mental health services in Polk County were funded by property taxes.

Renee Schulte, a licensed mental health counselor and policy advocate in Des Moines, discussed the recent transitions during a Zoom Interview.

“Prior to the last two years, this county funded all of this themselves. And two years ago, the legislature decided that the state was going to buy it all back,” Schulte said. “So now it’s a 100% state-funded system. And that’s just finished being paid off in July. So we’re really new into transitions.”

Before these changes, Broadlawns Medical Center was the ‘de facto’ place for anything mental health related, since it was funded by a levy, and Polk County residents would vote on the Broadlawns’ funding for behavioral health, according to Schulte.

These recent transitions in mental health funding are not the only issue plaguing a broken system. The pandemic has exacerbated an already overworked and dwindling workforce. Many mental health professionals and health professionals alike retired during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of your older therapists, your people that you know, maybe were questioning their health or whatever, just decided to hang up their shingle, and just call it good because of all the protocols and the pandemic and whatever so we lost a lot of people,” Schulte said.

Staffing shortages make it hard to fully run any type of health service. Many beds are closed due to COVID protocols requiring a certain number

of beds be available for overflow.

Dr. Kindra Perry, the director of Outpatient Behavioral Health at Broadlawns stated in an email “We are seeing a definite increase in the number of individuals seeking mental health care.”

Despite the mix of staffing shortages and COVID precautions wreaking havoc, telehealth and teletherapy services are starting to bridge the gap in access, but may not always be possible due to provider licensing stopping at state lines. Compacts are the sharing of medical licensing across state lines. Iowa is currently not a part of any compacts. However,

We are seeing a definite increase in the number of individuals seeking mental health care.

Dr. Kindra Perry, Outpatient Behavioral Health at Broadlawns

Photo by Madissen Kerman

while S.F.76 was introduced in 2021, it has not budged from subcommittees.

“It is behind as far as schedule and should have been done years ago. But right, it has to do with the education requirements are not standardized among schools,” Schulte said. “And then the license itself among states is not standardized.”

In Maya’s case her therapist is not a part of a compact. Her therapist had to conduct the appointments essentially for free, in order for her to continue receiving care while at university.

“I think my opinion it would have to be fixed at the federal level where somebody says, Hey, we’re all going to work together. Right now, every state’s trying to do it, and it’s super slow,” Schulte said.

“It’s just slower, but for those that work in compacts and the compact work that’s being done by associations, so like if you looked at your National Social Work Association or your National Mental Health Counselors Association those guys are working on that at that national level to try to make it the same across all states.”

Another reason Iowa struggles to satisfy the mental health needs of its population is because of too many services for other conditions. Geriatic care and nursing homes, for example, have boomed with U.S. News reporting at least 431 nursing homes in Iowa.

“We have way too many nursing homes, as an example, we have way too many residential care facilities as an example,” Schulte said. “And all of those total numbers of beds put us at a disadvantage for having the right types of beds. Because the federal government has been pushing on us to not have beds but to grow community services.”

Typically, states are supposed to have 50 beds per 100,000 people in order to provide a minimum level of care, according to the Treatment Advocacy Center. Iowa has a total of 64 public beds available.

Despite these stats, it’s important to understand the nationwide shift towards community-based solutions, which are reducing the need for physical beds.

“When you talk about community level

This photo was taken at a Suicide Prevention Walk. The finger print colors indicate the personal connection participants have towards suicide prevention.

Photo by Madissen Kerman

of care, it’s all kinds of levels, right? So it’s everything from the transportation driver, to people maybe providing meals for people or whatever,”

Schulte said.

“It’s not all about mental health, there’s a ton of support staff and work that needs to go around to have good robust community services. And peer support could be at the frontlines in crisis.”

The peer support workforce has personal experiences battling addiction or mental health disorders and can say things to people presenting to the Emergency room, or in crisis that other doctors can say, but haven’t experienced and don’t fully understand, Schulte said.

Peer support and mobile crisis teams are starting to be implemented throughout the U.S.

with “over 24,000 supporters working in all 50 states and U.S. territories,” According to Mental Health America. Peer support is also considered an evidence-based practice by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and is reimbursable by Medicaid by most states.

“We really undervalue and underutilize people like peer support, who could be doing a lot more work, and there’s they’re available. And we’ve trained a lot in the last several years. So that would be one area where we have people ready trained and just need plugged in.”

In addition to peer support being implemented in a larger scale, Gov. Reynolds signed H.F. 2549. The bill states that “Nonprescribers who work in mental health shortage areas will be eligible for loan repayment assistance of up to $40,000,” According to the National Association of Social Workers Iowa Chapter.

“I have a lot of hope for the future because we’ve laid out a path, we’ve laid out the access standards, we’ve laid out expectations, we’ve laid out what should be happening. And now the state has the funding control. And so I think you’re going to start seeing more development in the space,” Schulte said.

Maya’s story does end on a positive note. Their mental health care provider became licensed in Iowa, and Maya no longer has to worry about finding a new therapist or discontinuing care. Maya is one of the lucky ones.

“

I have a lot of hope for the future because we’ve laid out a path, we’ve laid out the access standards, we’ve laid out expectations, we’ve laid out what should be happening.

Renee Schulte, a licensed mental health counselor and policy advocate

Under the Golden Dome: The History and Daily Business of the Iowa State Capitol

Perched at the top of a hill, thousands of Iowans and non-Iowans alike have driven past the Iowa State Capitol, but do not know much about this historic building and the people who work in it.

Words by Lindsey Herazy | Design by Paige Minor

On Dec. 28, 1846, Iowa officially became the 29th state to join the United States of America. But thousands of years before the land now known as Iowa joined the Union, a glacier slowly passed through the area, forming the rolling hills that are quintessential to Eastern and Central Iowa.

Leo Landis, State Curator for the State Historical Museum of Iowa, said that this glacier is what formed the hill that the Iowa State Capitol rests upon. “[When] you're coming into Des Moines from the East, the first really big building you see is the Capitol and to see that gold dome, it's on the edge of where

the glacier ended,” Landis explained. “That's why there's a hill there, it's a glacial moraine [that formed] more than 14 to 14,000 years ago.”

This giant mound made a perfect spot for the Iowa State Capitol to be built on. According to the Iowa State Capitol Visitor Guide, work on the Iowa Capitol started in 1871 under the direction of John Cochran and Alfred Piquenard and had help from their two assistants, Mifflin Bell and William Hackney. Due to various circumstances, Hackney was the only one of the original architects to see the plans come to fruition when the Capitol was completed in 1886.

Tours and Chambers of Secrets

Present day tours of the State Capitol are available Monday through Saturday and last approximately 75 to 90 minutes, but even a tour this long cannot cover everything about the grand State Capitol. Joan Arnett, Tour Guide Supervisor, has worked at the Iowa State Capitol for 47 years, and according to her estimates, has given “Thousands of tours.”

The parts of the Capitol that Arnett finds most fascinating after all the years she’s been here “are parts that we don't really include on a normal tour,” she said. “They're the functional parts of the building, the sub-basement, the attic… the mechanicals [of] what really holds the building together.”

According to Arnett, there is a cistern, which is a holding tank for water, that is located in the sub-basement that would have been used for mixing mortar when the Capitol was being built. The cistern also would have doubled as a watering hole of sorts for the horses and mules pulling supplies to the workers. As for the attic, which is the space surrounding the big dome in the upper portion of the Capitol, a badge is needed to gain access. There are some boring items stored up there, such as walls for office cubicles used around the building, but there is a special storage area “for things that we really can't replace, like original doors in the building…or we have storage for hardware on those doors like handles and hinges and the like,” Arnett said.

Far from cramped and creepy, the attic is graced by big iron beams and large brick arches. Standing at about 20 feet, according to

Arnett’s approximation, the attic is tall enough to include the mechanisms needed to raise and lower the enormous chandeliers that illuminate the House and Senate chambers. The attic also includes the entrances to the four, smaller domes. While there are a few other state capitols that feature a large dome similar to Iowa’s, Iowa is unique in the sense that it’s the only state to have a capitol building with five domes. However, accessing

the smaller domes is not for the faint of heart.

“You have to actually crawl through ductwork in the attic to get from the attic into one of the [smaller] domes,” Arnett said. The

large dome, which Arnett shared is made up of 667,525 bricks alone, has a secret stairway that is hidden from the public eye. Above the whispering gallery, which is the highest point in the Capitol open to the public, this stairway will take state employees brave enough even higher up. While a lot of the space at the top of the staircase isn’t used, there is “an old gas ring…[that] would have been part of that original gas lighting system,” Arnett said. “[The gas ring] would have been how they increased the circulation in the building.”

Capitol Tours: The Good and the Bad

Visitors to the Iowa Capitol are not just Iowans. There are plenty of people from around the country and the world who pass through the Capitol. “We get visitors from all over the world,” Arnett said. “It's just amazing how many people end up right here in Des Moines, Iowa.”

One international visitor was a man from the Vatican who visited the Capitol decades ago. The man, who held a high authoritative position in the Catholic Church and was allegedly close with the Pope, told Arnett what a wonderful building the Capitol was. “He said, ‘You should be very proud of

We get visitors from all over the world,” Arnett said. “ It’s just amazing how many people end up right here in Des Moines, Iowa.

Joan Arnetta, Tour Guide Supervisor at the Iowa State Capitol

Photo by Madissen Kerman

your building,” Arnett remarked. “So that was kind of an eye opener [for me], people like that are so exposed to what I would consider to be very beautiful buildings, and he kind of ranked us right up there with those buildings. So that's one that I will always remember.”

Of course, not every tour goes well. Decades ago, when smoking was allowed in the Capitol, there were a couple of large ashtrays placed around the building. During one particular tour, “[a] child knocked one down the stairs of the main staircase, which has 40

steps…and I remember the sound of an ashtray hitting every single one of those steps,” Arnett recalled. “You know, it just went bang, bang, bang. And by the time it got to the bottom… [there were] cigarette butts scattered all over.”

Despite the many years she’s spent working here, Arnett never tires of the Capitol. “Yeah, it's just such a beautiful building. It's just so much fun to work here, and I just never ever tire of talking about it.”Landis expressed similar feelings about the Capitol. “It's a place of remembrance…[and] as a seat of government where the ideas of the people of Iowa are represented. It's a great symbol and a really beautiful piece of architecture, too.”

It’s a place of remembrance… [and] as a seat of government where the ideas of the people of Iowa are represented. It’s a great symbol and a really beautiful piece of architecture, too.

Leo Landis, State Curator for the State Historical Museum of Iowa

Photo by Madissen Kerman

Lasting Effects of Redlining on the Des Moines Community

How a history of discriminatory mortgage lending practices have created a divided community

Words by Meghan Holloran | Art and Design by Paige Minor

Upon first glance at the laid-back Des Moines, Iowa area, many people would consider it an ordinary mid-sized midwestern city with just over 200,000 people. Des Moines is gradually investing in revitalizing its downtown and drawing in new residents with its low cost of living. However even with revitalization and investment, Des Moines’ communities of color continue to suffer from the effects of discriminatory housing policies.

Dr. Jane Rongerude, an expert in Community and Regional Planning at Iowa State University, described redlining as “the practice of putting a line on a map that was red and saying, no, no mortgage lending here.”

Like in most American cities, discriminatory housing practices began in Des Moines following the Great Depression with the creation of the city’s first redlined maps in the mid 1930s by the Home Owners Loan Corporation.

In an attempt to quickly reinvigorate the economy, the government started offering lowcost mortgages to homeowners in an effort to stop the growing rise in foreclosures. However, many well-qualified minority applicants, especially Black individuals, were denied loans because of their race and where they looked to live. “This [redlining] is a deeply entrenched part of our system that was really created to prevent African American households and other households of color [from home ownership], although really, was focused on and remained the longest and continues to for African American households,” Dr. Rongerude said.

As a consequence of the Federal Housing Authority labeling minorities as high risk investments in their 1938 lending policies and manual, redlined areas received little to no investment from banks and mortgage lenders. This created a cycle of disinvestment in redlined areas, with the people of color being unable

to obtain loans for housing repairs and home purchases. Although redlining was outlawed with the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, its effects are still felt today.

Abena Imhotep, a Des Moines native, TEDx speaker and most recently— student, discussed growing up off 13th St. and Mondamin Ave, a

previously redlined area. “My childhood home is zoned by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission [as] residential only. Which sounds great, unless you want to open a business,” Imhotep said. “There's no opportunity for economic drivers, and so that keeps people marginalized, and it's policies like that, that perpetuate marginalization.”

One notable Black community that prospered in Des Moines despite redlining was Center Street. Center Street would frequently flood, making it an unstable area to live in. Black Iowans were frequently given mortgage lending near Center Street due to it being a flood-prone area. Center Street emerged as a jazz hotspot, featuring an array of jazz clubs and numerous Black-owned businesses: including the first Beauty School in Iowa, according to University of Iowa Archives

and Iowa City based Little Village Magazine.

“My parents migrated as part of, I think it was probably at the tail end of the great migration, from New Albany, Mississippi to Des Moines,” Imhotep recalled. “They had heard about Center Street and they thought, ‘Okay, so there's a bustling area that is all Black that you can thrive,’ And so they got here, and Center Street was gone.”

Center Street thrived until the 1960s when urban renewal programs began, along with the construction of interstate highways, specifically Interstate235 in Des Moines. Black communities were often bulldozed to build these highways, while white neighborhoods were left unscathed.

Because of the effects of redlining and urban renewal, Black Americans and other minorities in the Des Moines area continue to struggle to own their own homes and grow their wealth. Decades of divestment into previously redlined areas have made it hard for communities of color to catch up. “If you can't get a mortgage to buy your home, if you can't get a mortgage to improve your home. Even if you can scrap together cash or find other lending sources your neighborhood [is] going to remain low-income because people aren't going to be able to generate wealth,” Dr. Rongerude said.

Today, Black Iowans continue to face discrimination when it comes to home loans. From 2014 to 2017, Black individuals were denied home loans at a rate of about 24%, compared to Polk County’s overall denial rate of around 11% per One Economy.

In Des Moines, only 33% of Black Iowans own their own home, compared to 73% of white Iowans, according to the National Equity Atlas. Imhotep is ready to own her own home, she's happily married and her kids are grown up. Yet, she continues to face barriers to homeownership. “I've even looked personally at ways to get homeownership because I live in a really nice house that I don't own,” Imhotep said.

Imhotep explained how the Des Moines area has changed aesthetically and noted the community is “inundated” with Non-profit organizations that might be hurting more than helping. “The perimeter of the entire community is nonprofit organizations, most of whom have a mission of alleviating suffering poverty; lifting people out of their economic circumstance or other things,” Imhotep said. “But it's a cycle of

keeping people in and I'm like, ‘what in the world is going on?’ I don't know if anybody is really being lifted up.”

This lack of integration has major implications on the growth of neighborhoods. Predominantly white neighborhoods in the Des Moines metro area have higher incomes and better housing stability than predominantly minority communities. Areas like Johnston—where the median 2020 household income is around $93,000, and about 80% of residents are white, have seen better economic growth than more integrated neighborhoods. “You have these areas that are white, and they stay white. And I think that's really the question, ‘What can we do to break up that problem?’” Dr. Rongerude said.

Imhotep mentioned how she lived next to Chautauqua Park, a community that was originally all-white and had restrictions against Black individuals buying homes in that area.

“So you had a green line community nestled in the middle of a red line community. They had restrictive covenants, but it was literally on the other side of some shrubs,” Imhotep said. Okay, so there's that, but I think the long term impacts of redlining are redlining. It's the grandchild of redlining.”

In Des Moines, white neighborhoods not only have higher incomes but less poverty and lower incarceration rates. One Economy reported, “The median household income for Black or African American households in Polk County is $33,816. In comparison, the median household income for all of Polk County is $63,530.”

Imhotep expressed a feeling of hopelessness

and internalized oppression she’s felt within the community when it comes to the topics of hunger, poverty, and oppression. “We've got all these amazing construction projects and innovation[s] happening. But you see [the] struggle getting worse for a lot of people and it's the the diversity of who's in trouble, is shocking to me.”

In addition to being behind in income and homeownership, Black Iowans are also behind in renting. According to One Economy’s 2020 Action report, 69.3% of Black Iowans rent their homes, compared to 32.9% of the general population. Additionally, “53.3 percent of African Americans are cost-burdened renters in the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro area. Renters are considered cost-burdened if they pay more than 30% of their income towards rent.”

at Iowa State University

“Anything that promotes housing stability, I think is the solution. Anything that promotes community building so that neighbors can support each other,” Dr. Rongerdue said. “Right, because eviction and displacement, it affects the whole community, as well as just continued work on fair lending practices, homeownership

“

” Anything that promotes housing stability, I think is the solution. Anything that promotes community building so that neighbors can support each other,

Dr. Rongerdue, an expert in Community and Regional Planning

opportunities, things like that.”

One organization, the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, is pushing to increase Black homeownership in Des Moines and close the housing gap by implementing national housing programs and a more cohesive guide of resources for Black homeowners.

“So nationally, there is an effort called 3 by 30, which is trying to create 3 million Black homeowners, new Black homeowners by 2030. You know, that requires a partnership among people who do mortgage lending, realtors, others in the world of housing supports to help make that possible and communities,” Matt Hague, the Trust Fund’s Communication Director said. “So we're trying to find the ingredients of success and bring them here.”

There is no quick fix to dismantle the effects of discriminatory housing practices. However, incremental changes and housing initiatives are proving to be promising for the Des Moines metro area. Rental homeownership assistance programs are helping bridge the gap.

In April, the PCHTF received $15 million in aid from the Federal Government’s 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. A proportion of these funds will go toward building multi-family housing “with an emphasis on supportive housing for underserved populations,” according to Polk County’s Recovery Project Performance Review.

Community organizations such as IMPACT: Community Action Partnership offers emergency rental assistance programs and tenant based rental programs. They are contracted with Polk County to administer housing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Anne Bacon, IMPACT’S CEO explained how they’ve seen an increase in the usage of their programs. “Typically assisting people with housing, we'd serve about 185 families. In the last year and a half, we've served 10,000,” Bacon said. “So it was a real ramp up, but even prior to the pandemic funding, we had a homeless prevention program and tenant based rental assistance program.”

Local banks and lending institutions have also created programs to help people secure housing loans. One such lending organization is the Neighborhood Finance Corporation which offers home improvement and first-time homeowner loans. “It's almost like meeting people's needs so that we can all focus on the bigger picture and, I think for the city of Des Moines, that's something that the city loses sight of.” Imhotep said.

Disclosure: Abena Imhotep is a student at John Dee Bright College, a program part of Drake University.

Horses Helping Heroes

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is an unexpected recourse for veterans living with PTSD

Words by Jourdan Roubion | Photos by Liz Hatch | Design by Annie Peterson

Jennifer Livingston handed me a tangle of ropes and said, “Go catch a horse and get on.” It was my first day in veteran Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. I had just signed pages of waivers with tiny print.

“How?” I asked.

She pointed outside through the arena window, where I could see a paddock of grazing horses. She grinned. “You’ll figure it out.”

About 20 minutes later I was sprinting in and out of the barn chasing after a horse named Dancer. Horses are fast. My heart was racing. Not just from the cardio but because I was obviously doing something wrong. I had tied the halter wrong. The horse wasn’t so much scared of me as cheerfully uninterested in what I had to say. The other people in the barn were smirking but trying to hide it. I knew that even if I caught the horse, I had no idea how to get on it. Panic gripped my chest. I couldn’t breathe.

I was trained not to make mistakes. That’s what the military does to you. Mistakes meant harsh punishment at best. At worst, death. Yours or someone else’s.

Jen reeled me in and told me to stop. To slow down my breathing. To close my eyes. To get “back to baseline”. It was hard and it took a long time, but I stopped shaking and stopped sweating. My breathing smoothed out.

“Now open your eyes,” she said. And there was Dancer. No longer running. But he wasn’t coming toward me, either. He kept his distance.

He regarded me with heavily-lashed, melty brown eyes, brimming with curiosity about this new human that had so much to learn. About horses. And herself.

Depending on service era (Vietnam, Iraqi Freedom), 20 to 30% of American veterans exit the military with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. And not all of that PTSD is necessarily combat-related. More than half of the women veterans in the Veteran Affairs health system report experiencing sexual harassment while in

the military. That number doesn’t tell us how many choose not to report, which is a common occurrence in a climate known for retribution against victims that do so.

Regardless of how its earned, all that trauma has real impacts. PTSD is one of the leading causes of homelessness in the veteran population.

While the number of homeless veterans is decreasing over the years, almost 40,000 homeless veterans are without shelter on any given night.

The transition from military to civilian life is unique and often difficult, and mental health concerns like PTSD can make it feel impossible.

Veterans need help. Enter Jen and Mr. Lynn.

Dynamic Duo

Jennifer Livingston is a licensed mental health counselor who volunteers on the psychotherapy side of this Equine Assisted Psychotherapy equation. Jen is quick to get excited, beaming as she talks rapidly about “somatic experiences” and “the limbic system”.

The other half of the equation is Lynn Winkelmann, otherwise

known as Mr. Lynn. Mr. Lynn is the Equine Activity Director. The horse handler, in other words, complete with cowboy boots and hat. He’s Jen’s counterpart in every way: reserved and thoughtful; gentle, but firm. Mr. Lynn is shorter than the average man, but his quiet presence fills the wide space of the arena (the large, open area of the barn) with easy authority. The horses always have one ear slanted toward him.

Together, these two run EAP at the Wildwood Hills Ranch in St. Charles, Iowa, which offers a program for veterans in need of mental health counseling. It’s completely volunteer work on their part, though Jen is in the process of completing a research study via the program as she earns her doctorate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

So how does horse therapy help veterans?

According to the Ranch’s website, “The goal is to help veterans and service members learn values and develop needed skills such as accountability, responsibility, self-confidence,

problem solving and self control.”

A lot of more traditional therapy programs have similar goals, including talk therapies, which is what most people think of first when we say “therapy”. Sitting on a couch, facing a therapist, who is holding a clipboard and a pen poised for notes.

The problem is that veterans are often uninterested in traditional talk therapy scenarios. It can feel like an interrogation. It’s vulnerable and involves a lot of trust in someone like a civilian who, objectively, hasn’t earned it.

Horse therapy is different. Jen is there as a therapist, of course. But the connection is made with the horse.

An early session might involve a veteran on the ground grooming a horse. Jen, as the “human handler”, would observe the veteran and offer feedback based on those observations: asking the veteran to think about the tension in their shoulders. How are they feeling while they groom? Can they focus on the deep breaths the horse is taking and borrow some of that grooming relaxation?

Mr. Lynn observes the horse. Partially for safety, and partially to educate the veteran about the horse: where are the horse’s ears pointing and why? Is the horse truly relaxed?

Over time, the veteran gets more in-tune with themselves and with their horse, and the intersection of the two.

Jen calls this relationship that forms between the veteran and the horse the “mammal-tomammal connection”.

“Relationships with animals are noninvasive, because of their sense of security. They don't talk. They show up. They're there with you,” Jen says.

With horses, what you see is what you get. They have no agenda. They have no invasive questions. But, in a way, they are taking notes.

“ ”

Relationships with animals are non-invasive, because of their sense of security. They don’t talk. They show up. They’re there with you,

Jennifer Livingston, Mental Health Counselor

Horses Can Read You Like a Book

The trust between horse and human has to run both ways, and it makes the connection even more singular. Mr. Lynn says, “You can use dogs [for therapy], but they’re a predator.” Meanwhile, “Horses are prey. There's no reason that a horse should do anything for you. You're a predator. [The horse] still makes himself vulnerable to you. He will let you have a relationship with him.”

Horses are also incredibly perceptive, especially when it comes to humans. “They have to be perceptive because they're a prey animal,” Mr. Lynn continues. “They have to know what’s going on. You get on a horse and they feel every move you make.”

A horse knows when you’re holding your breath, when you’re tense, and they respond accordingly. Maybe they respond by trying to get away from you. When you’re riding a horse and your body tenses, that might mean the horse starts galloping. Whether you want them to or not.

Veterans learn to pay attention to their outward reactions to their environment, which can so often be overwhelming when PTSD makes them hypervigilant. The horse encourages the rider to be mindful of their bodies and their emotions. Then the veteran can take action to control their response.

Usually by taking a deep, deep breath and letting it all out.

Not surprisingly, then, “letting go of your breath” is how you communicate to a horse to stop moving.

Hands-On Horses

One of the reasons horse therapy works well for veterans is that it’s interactive by nature. Talk therapy often uses reflection, or stories that the client shares in the past tense that the therapist then assists them in breaking down. Inherently, the sessions are focused on relating the past and then trying to make a plan for the future.

Horse therapy is in-the-moment. EAP often begins with grooming the horse. The veteran feels the rough, wooden handle of the brush and feels the brush glide along the soft, slick fur. It’s an active participation for veterans who may be used to working with their hands and not talking about their feelings.

That in-the-moment quality also allows for interventions in real-time. It’s one thing for a therapist to suggest taking a deep breath next time a veteran’s family member does a certain action. It’s an entirely different situation when you’re on the back of a horse that is gaining speed and the horse handler is calling for you to scan your body and react to what it is doing, and how it’s affecting the horse, right then and there. The horse provides real-time feedback.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

I walk into the arena, which is blanketed in inky black darkness. The windows had been covered. There were only two sources of light. The first source: a flowing stripe of glow-in-the-dark star stickers, familiar from childhood bedrooms, along the walls. The other: the horses themselves.

The horses were painted with glow-in-the-dark paint. I could see the green, purple, and blue paint indicating the horses’ basic shapes, but not the horses themselves. There were four of them moving in a steady circle around the arena, together, as a herd. The paint undulated gracefully with their bodies. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

But I couldn’t see the ground. I couldn’t see my own hands. It felt like I might be completely out of control, just like when I have a panic attack.

Jen told me to walk into the arena. Trust the horses. Trust myself. Use my body and my breath to tell the herd that they could find their comfort in me, and that they could follow me. They were safe with me, even in the dark. I was safe with myself, even when it felt like I wasn’t in control. Then, with one foot forward into the darkness, I did.

Overturning Precedent: Where Abortion Protections Currently Stand

Examining the half of a century right to privacy precedent established in Roe v. Wade and what has changed since the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organizations. Since the ruling, what have been the resulting implications from patients to health care professionals?

Words By Maci Kluesner | Art and Design By Paige Minor

In the midst of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade this past summer, it is imperative to reflect upon the history that brought the nation to this point. In the time before the 1972 ruling, most states outlawed abortion, while the remaining states imposed strict limitations surrounding qualifications for the procedure.

Before legal and safe aborions were normalized, many women turned to illegal abortions performed by medical professionals or average citizens with minimal medical qualifications. According to PBS, the number of illegal abortions that took place in the time before Roe v. Wade is equivalent to the amount of legal abortions that took place before its overturning.

The restriction of safe options for people seeking an abortion sparked a health care crisis. Many women were susceptible to harm or even death, resorting to back-door abortions or other harmful methods to end a pregnancy. In the absence of safe and legal abortion methods, many pregnant individuals lost their lives, simply because they placed their trust in the wrong people at a vulnerable and desperate time.

Women encounter a plethora of circumstances that necessitate safe and legal access to abortions, Financial restrictions, which would make it difficult to support and raise a child; an absent father figure, the age of the woman upon pregnancy; or additional medical concerns resulting high-risk pregnancy oftentimes require abortion as viable health care option. Additionally, the procedures have been widely utilized in cases of rape, incest, or in instances to exercise bodily autonomy.

Historically, it has been typical that only women of wealth and privilege would even have

the choice to get an abortion legal or otherwise. This was primarily because if a woman lived in a state where abortion was illegal or restricted, those with sufficient resources would have the means to travel to another state to receive the necessary health care. This meant that a life could be dependent on how much disposable income a person has, which is a common theme in American health care still to this day.

In 1972, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had some unexpected thoughts on Roe v. Wade. Renowned for her position on the Liberal block of the court, she originally believed that securing

the right to abortion in the case presented to the Supreme Court did not have a strong enough basis. Roe v. Wade was decided on the basis that Americans have a right to privacy within their own home. Ginsburg believed this argument was not quite strong enough, this would eventually become evident in summer 2022.

Justice Ginsburg thought securing a permanent right to abortion would be stronger if the ruling was decided with the case Struck v. Secretary of Defense which had been tried in the early 1970s. The case surrounded a woman in the military who was pregnant. At that time, if you became

Photo by Moira Warburton

pregnant in the military you would be discharged. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and Justice Ginsburg was defending a woman’s right to choose. When the case finally made it to the Supreme Court the military had already changed the rule regarding military pregnancies. If the court had the opportunity to hear this case they could have solidified the decision of abortion on a gender discrimination basis rather than a right to privacy—women’s reproductive rights would have stronger grounds to stand upon.

Two months after Struck v. Secretary of Defense was set for arguments, Roe v. Wade reached the Supreme Court. The state of Texas tried to criminalize abortions. Jane Roe was the alias used by Norma McCorvey to protect her safety when she challenged the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled 7-2 in favor of Roe that women have the right to an abortion. They specified the viability of pregnancy and determined abortion was legal if the fetus could not live outside the mother’s womb.

Roe v. Wade has been challenged many times

since but has remained steadfast until the summer of 2022. Supreme Court judges tend to follow the precedents of cases out of respect and legal integrity. They are not supposed to succumb to social pressures of the time because that destroys confidence in the court from the public.

New Challenge From a New Court

It was widely speculated that the Supreme Court would be revisiting the basis underlying Roe v. Wade. In a newly conservative majority court, it was not surprising they chose to hear a case surrounding an abortion issue. Everything seemed normal until Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion was leaked on the internet. A breach of this kind has never happened before. In the opinion draft, Alito stated that he was in favor of Roe v. Wade being overturned, but it was not clear if this was the majority opinion. Alito has a long history of being extremely traditional and conservative. However, on past decisions, his vote seemed to align with the majority of the justices. This led the public to believe that there was a strong possibility that Roe v. Wade would be overturned.

The recent case that caught the Supreme Court’s attention in regard to abortion rights was the decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organizations. This case limited women’s access to abortion by only allowing abortions within the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, thus shortening the viability standard previously set forth by Roe v. Wade. What Ginsburg had feared almost 50 years prior was about to come to fruition. The Supreme Court felt that Roe v. Wade did not have significant legal standing; therefore, they had a right and responsibility to overturn the precedent. Everything about the process was unconventional, and there were many implications that can follow.

The Reactions & The Right to Privacy

Roe v. Wade was the major landmark that upheld Americans’ right to privacy as it is not explicitly stated in the 14th Amendment. The Dobb’s decision, however, caused many to fear that other landmark precedents would be in danger and could potentially strip women’s access to reproductive health care even more, and potentially impact other decisions such as Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized same-

sex marriage. With many landmark civil rights cases hinging on the right to privacy, many felt that the overturn could be the beginning of a domino effect.

However, many U.S. citizens were excited to hear the court’s verdict on Dobbs v. Jackson and many had been fighting for Roe to be overturned since 1972. Nonetheless, cases surrounding abortion rights have shifted from being a primarily women’s issue to a everycitizen issue. The legal, political, social and moral implications of this issue are bigger than this nation has ever seen in the past, and it will be interesting to follow along with the rest of this court’s decisions. To see how this change is taking place, there is no better place to look than inside medical offices themselves. Amber Kemp, a nurse practitioner who has worked at Medical Associates for the past seven years described her job since the ruling.

“Not much [has changed] for me at my hospital in my position, but all physicians at Mercy Hospitals cannot prescribe birth control.

Also, since we are affiliated with Mercy, doctors cannot tie women’s tubes any longer.” Kemp explained. These were all things that were left up to the physician’s discretion previously.

When asked if her clients had any reaction to the overturn, Kemp responded, “Dubuque is a super interesting area with a lot of people who hold largely different beliefs. That was one of the first things people would comment on when they came into my office. I heard every single argument from both sides.”

The various reactions to the Dobbs v. Jackson decision through a medical lens seems to be expected, especially since it has been such a time of unknown. Patients rely on professionals such as Kemp in times like these to be a trusted and knowledgeable individual during changing policies surrounding their health care. Iowa was one of the first states to put in stricter laws on reproductive health care after the Dobbs decision was announced. Health care workers like Kemp were on the front lines, and had to deal with these changes in a moment’s notice.

Photo by Lorie Shaull

Student Loan Forgiveness: Fighting for a Future with Less Debt

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan will ease the burden of student loans for millions of Americans, some of whose debt will be erased entirely. But many important questions remain - how will this relief impact the U.S. economy? And is forgiving student debt the right thing to do?

Words

By Lindsey Herazy | Design by Paige Minor | Art by Madissen Kerman

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Aug. 24, 2022 was a day long awaited by many past and current American college students. President Joe Biden announced a comprehensive student loan relief plan that will affect about 43 million Americans, 21 million of whom are eligible to have part of their debt forgiven, while the remaining 20 million may have all of their loans erased. This announcement comes in the wake of financial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increasing inflation that has put an even greater strain on families trying to afford everyday necessities and simultaneously pay off their student loans.

The major components of this package will forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loans for students who have received Pell Grants, and up to $10,000 for students who were not Pell Grant recipients. Federal Pell Grants are need-based grants awarded to students who come from a lower socioeconomic background and who have not earned their first bachelor’s degree or are enrolled in a qualified post-secondary

equivalent program. An additional stipulation of the loan forgiveness plan is need-based in that only Americans whose individual income is $125,000 or less, or married couples with a combined income of $250,000 or less are eligible.

That said, many are concerned that these thresholds may still be too high to help those who truly need it. “[$125,00] and [$250,000] are well above median incomes and people making near these thresholds should be able to repay their loans,”

according

to John Winters, Professor of Economics at Iowa State University.

“The policy would be more cost-effective if better targeted to lower income borrowers with greater need.”

About 8 million of the 43 million Americans who currently have student loans will have their debt immediately forgiven since the U.S. government already has their income and loan data on file from when they filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. A beta test of the application went live on Oct. 14, with the

formal application going live on Oct. 17.

Photo by Paige Minor

It is recommended that eligible applicants apply by mid-November 2022, as applications may take up to six weeks to process. In addition, student loan repayments start up again on Jan. 1, 2023 following a freeze period that spurred from COVID-19 measures. Americans who are eligible for relief have until Dec. 31, 2023 to fill out the application.

Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Regret?

As it currently stands, the United States has about $1.75 trillion in student loan debt. While this debt cancellation will relieve many families of additional financial burdens, some view this decision as unfair and a cause for concern –both for the government and taxpayers.

Currently, the U.S. total public outstanding debt is $31.1 trillion, with a deficit of $2.8 trillion from the 2021 fiscal year alone contributing to the mounting debt. The estimated cost of forgiving between $10,000 and $20,000 for about 43 million Americans will cost the federal government between $440 and $600 billion, which will only add to the national debt, and may result in 15 basis points (0.15%) increase to an already sky-high inflation rate.

While part of this burden will be neutralized by student loan payments starting up again in January 2023, Winters said that Biden’s plan will “eventually mean some combination of higher taxes, lower spending, and more national debt.” He further noted the counterargument brought

up by many, “There is no such thing as a free lunch,” Winters emphasized. “Somebody has to pay for student loan forgiveness.”

But beyond the fiscal concerns are the concerns regarding fairness. Many Americans who had to take out loans for college worked tirelessly to pay them off, even if it took decades to do so. Those who were barely getting by while paying off loans and trying to support their other livelihood expenses feel the betrayal of an opportunity that wasn’t afforded to them.

Of course, there are some who will also work tirelessly to earn a degree for a position that is desperately needed in society but doesn’t always pay well, such as an elementary school teacher. Taxpayers may be fine covering part of the bill for some students like that, but what about students who may be underwater in debt now, but will later on make upwards of half a million dollars?

There may be unintended consequences of this proposal, some of which would benefit families who are already well off.

“If a family can already afford college, free college frees up money to invest in other educational enhancing purchases, such as private pre-collegiate schools, tutoring programs, educational summer camps, test preparation, etc,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, Ph.D, another Professor of Economics at Iowa State University.

“These investments further increase the difference in educational starting positions between richer and poorer students. So, if a policy maker is determined to provide free

college, which is what a loan forgiveness program is, at least focus it on low-income students,” Hoffman further said.The largest long-term impact may be the one that this student loan forgiveness plan fails to address. Despite its best efforts, this plan merely puts a metaphorical band-aid on the ever- swelling wound of higher education tuition. Forgiving loan debt now is progress towards dampening the financial strain faced by past and current undergraduates and young adults. But this does nothing for future students, and if anything, might make things worse.

The student loan forgiveness plan may set a precedent for future prospective students who might assume that their debt will be canceled, and perhaps may create a false safety net of taking on more debt than current students. If enough students do so, colleges may be incentivised to raise tuition prices even more.

So, what is a longterm solution to the skyrocketing costs of college education? Hoffman suggests that “raising Pell Grant [amounts] might be more effective going forward,” but as of now, no other longterm solutions have been proposed.

For now, though, temporary relief will have to make do until a more solid plan is proposed.

Political Power Couples

A look into some of the most prominent couples in the political landscape of the United States

Words By Madeline Crawford | Art and Design By Paige Minor

Cupid was caught shooting his arrows on Capitol Hill! The concept of a “Power Couple” is nothing new but it has become revolutionized when applied to politics. Political power couples are usually composed of two individuals who each have their own influence on the socio-political culture and conversation. These couples put passion into politics and always garner public attention, no matter what governmental branch they inhabit.

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff

Married: Aug. 22, 2014

Second Gentleman has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The 2020 presidential election was historymaking in that Kamala Harris became the first ever female vice president.This means that her significant other would hold a never before used title, the second gentleman of the United States. Emhoff, a lawyer and visiting professor at Georgetown Law, has taken the new title with pride, even adopting it as his official Instagram username (@secondgentleman). The morning after the couple’s first date, Emhoff emailed Harris a list of dates for the next couple of months, since he badly wanted their relationship to work. They have continued to make their relationship work to this day. The couple hit the campaign trail together for her original campaign for the Democratic Party nomination, and then in support of Joe Biden as part of the ticket. The couple has challenged each other to take over new roles throughout the span of their relationship together. After their nuptials in 2014, Harris also took over a new role, as “Momala’’ to Cole and Ella Emhoff, Doug’s children from a past marriage. Their blended family is a new

seen

not

type of familial makeup

often

in the White House.

Photo by Alamy StockPhoto

Mary Matalin and James Carville

Married: Nov. 25, 1993

Mary and James had the Enemies-toLovers romance novel trope one could only dream of. The unlikely couple met while being campaign managers for opposing candidates in the 1992 presidential election. Carville, a lifelong Democrat, and campaign manager for Bill Clinton, cited his lack of “good looks’’ for his expansion of the dating pool to the other side of the political pond. The couple have since had two daughters, and have settled down in Louisiana to escape the chaos of Washington D.C. When asked how their political views impact their marriage, they say that work stays at the office when they go home for the night. The couple have cowritten and published several memoirs about their relationship, their careers in the nation’s capitol, and how those aspects can coexist.

Alan Greenspan and Andrea Mitchell

Married: April 6, 1997

Politicians have always had an interesting relationship with the media, not often is it quite as positive as the marriage between former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and his wife, NBC anchor, Andrea Mitchell. The couple first met in 1983 when Mitchell interviewed Greenspan for a story on the National Commission on Social Security Reform, where he had worked before moving to Washington D.C. They began dating in 1984, while Mitchell was tasked with exclusively covering the Reagan White House, and Greenspan served as chair of the Federal Reserve. The couple tied the knot in 1997 after dating for 12 years during a private ceremony at The Inn at Little Washington, with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiating the ceremony. Both couples had been previously married and divorced, which makes this an inspiring example of a second chance at love.

Photo by Scott Mecum

Photo by Gordon Beall

Bob and Elizabeth Dole

Married: Dec. 6, 1975

These two take the term “political power couple” to a whole new level, seeing as both ran individual campaigns for the presidency. Bob Dole was the 1996 Republican Nominee for president, and later ran as vice president on President Ford’s re-election ticket. Elizabeth supported her husband on the campaign trail, which she credited to her ambition to run for office herself. Elizabeth sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, becoming the first viable female candidate from a major political party. The two met in 1972, during a meeting in his Capitol Hill office set up by their bosses.The couple’s shared ambition and support of one another in their political endeavors lasted the duration of their marriage until Bob Dole’s death in December 2021.

Bill and Hillary Clinton

Married: Oct. 11, 1975

Love grows where the Ivy Leaguers go. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met while studying in the Yale University Library in 1971, and were immediately enamored with one another. The couple bonded over their shared ambitious goals for their futures in legislature and social change, and eventually tied the knot in 1975 after Bill proposed multiple times and finally succeeded. Their relationship has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, with presidential runs ,for both involved, and infidelity scandals that plagued the tabloids. Hillary has recently been quoted as saying that staying with Bill after the news broke of his affair was a harder decision than running for president of The United States. The couple have been together for over 50 years and have been a joint-force to be reckoned with in the nation’s capital.

Photo by Dole Archives

Photo by Mark Lennihan

Pete and Chasten Buttigeg

Married: June 16, 2018

Modern love personified. Pete and Chasten met on the dating app Hinge during Pete’s first term as Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Their first date consisted of dinner at an English pub and fireworks at a baseball game that reflected the feeling of new love sparking between the pair. The couple got married on June 26, 2018, with a ceremony that included a reading from the 2015 Supreme Court case that legalized samesex marriage in the United States. Their wedding was a celebration of love and equality, and even included a quick trip to the South Bend Gay Pride Parade downtown before the dinner reception. A year after their nuptials, the couple set off on the campaign trail for Pete’s presidential campaign for the Democratic nomination. Chasten, a teacher, was dubbed an unlikely secret weapon for Pete’s campaign, after his witty tweets and relatability to young people drew national attention. The husbands have since relocated to Washington D.C. for Pete’s role as Secretary of Transportation under the Biden Administration and have adopted a set of twins, Joseph and Penelope. They are redefining how modern political couples are represented.

Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao

Married: Feb. 6, 1993

Being set up on a blind date may be unnerving, but it worked out spectacularly well for Senator Mitch McConnell and former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. The couple were set up on a date by a mutual friend and came to find they had a lot in common due to their political outlook and similar upbringings. Mitch and Elaine chose Feb. 6 as their wedding date for two very important reasons: It was Ronald Reagan’s birthday and it fell exactly before a week-long recess in the senate which is ideal for a honeymoon. The couple have been supportive of each other in all their political endeavors, with Chao’s family donating millions of dollars to McConnell’s Senate campaigns. The two are very well connected in the Republican party and network on behalf of one another to achieve greater success.

Photo by Timothy D. Easley

Photo by Joe Raedle

Presidential House Hunting

A guided tour through the places presidents call home other than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Words By Paige Lambert | Design By Paige Minor

Just because they have presidential status, doesn’t mean they don’t know how to decorate. The interior design of the homes of former presidents is worthy of exploration. Home is where the heart is, or so that is the belief of many people across the world. Every element of a house has intention behind it. The homeowner decides what decorations are displayed, the appliances, finishes, and everything in between to create a specific home design. So what does this look like for politicians? To some extent, they are more than everyday people. They are elected officials who aim to better their community. And the former presidents of the United States? They are the face of the nation. Outside of the public perception we have for presidents, meeting with international leaders and working with the other branches of government, they are also everyday citizens who need a humble abode.

The Obama’s Cottage

The first house on the market is Barack and Michelle Obama’s cottage on Martha’s Vineyard. The Obamas vacationed here during Barack’s time as president and after his term ended in 2016, they spent much more time at this estate. Encompassing over 6,800 square feet, this summer home can easily host brunch for any Obama 2008 Cabinet reunion. Like many houses by the water, the Obama’s cape getaway is full of white finishes from top to bottom. From the cabinets in the kitchen to the color of most of the walls, and to the furniture in most of the rooms, various shades of white dominate the interior of the home. Many claim that white makes a space brighter and feel larger, but too much of it can give off an eerie or overlyfuturistic atmosphere. That being said, there is a definite level of poise and aesthetic in the space even with its lack of color.

Photos by LandVest

Reagan’s Mansion

President Ronald Reagan’s path to the presidency was quite unique and so was his home residence. Reagan’s mansion is located on a sprawling ranch in Sacramento, California. While Reagan inhabited the home, the style very much encompassed the modern-deco of the mid-20th century. The color palette of muted greens and browns was very fashionable during the 1960s and 1970s and so was the wood and stone paneling on walls. This home is almost a metaphoric representation of the American Dream. Reagan embodied a “picture perfect” lifestyle: devoted wife, nuclear family, wellpaying and respectable job and it is reflected in the decoration of his home. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public eye. In 2013, the mansion was on the market and sold for nearly 5 million dollars. However, there is a plaque inside that recalls where Ronald and Nancy Reagan were when he was informed that he won the 1980 Presidential election.

Lincoln’s Pre-Presidential Home

Lastly, Abraham Lincoln’s pre-presidential home is very quaint and charismatic. This home in Springfield, Illinois captures the lifestyle of Antebellum America quite well. Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln bought the house in 1844 and slowly remodeled it up until they moved into the White House after the 1860 election. The carpet is rather elaborate, making the home even more charming. Not to mention that the majority of the furniture is wooden, making the space feel warm and welcoming. Compared to today’s standards the house may not be ideal, but for Lincoln and his family it was quite the opposite. From the wallpapers to the wash stands, this house was just right for the Lincoln family. In 1972 it became a National Historic Site and was slowly restored. It opened to the public in 1988, so all visitors are now able to make their own observations on how Lincoln’s personal life may have affected his policies.

Photos by Keoua Medeiros

Photo by Visit Springfield Illinois

The Energy War

Energy shortages in Europe demonstrate the geopolitical implications of condemning an aggressor country that is also a major oil and gas supplier

Words By Mack Swenson | Design By Paige Minor

Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022 has caused more than a humanitarian crisis; it has also jeopardized the perilous balance of the world’s energy trade. The behavior of the Russian government has prompted international criticism and sanctions, but activism against a major energy exporter like Russia comes at a steep price. Following sanctions, countries in the EU have begun phasing out Russian energy imports, resulting in a worldwide energy crisis experienced most severely in Europe.

“People refer to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an energy war. It is,” Richard Priest, a senior faculty affiliate of the University of Iowa’s Environmental Policy Research Program and Politics and Policy Research Program, said. “Ukraine is one of the main conduits for Russian natural gas to Western Europe.”

Germany, the largest importer of Russian gas, saw prices rise 6.6% to a record 455 euros per megawatt-hour in August, according to BNN Bloomberg. In France, arguably the EU's most vocal leader of ending fossil fuel dependency, gas prices likewise rose 7.8% to 622 euros a megawatthour, representing the equivalent of $1,100 for a barrel of oil. Russia has taken steps to further decrease gas exports to Europe, exacerbating the crisis.

“People I have spoken to tend to be worried about the excessive cost of the next energy bill–particularly businesses–And whether they will be able to make payments due to increasing costs of both energy and rent due to constant inflation in London,” Kane Coombs, a university student who has been living in London since February, said. “I spoke to a cafe owner who said that his electrical bill rose by 110% in cost per kilowatt.”

The war was not the first in a series of shocks to the European energy system. COVID-19 and the subsequent rebound strained supply chains that had adjusted to lower energy demands. Government subsidies and attention had also

been shifting from fossil fuels to renewable sources, leaving Europe unprepared to suddenly increase domestic oil and gas production.

“Two things created this energy crisis. One was a steep rebound from COVID. There were a couple years there where economic activity was sharply reduced round the world because they’re not driving, they’re not consuming energy. Then when we started to come out of this, everyone was suddenly demanding a lot of energy, and there hadn’t been supply ready for that. We’ve also had several years of what some people would call underinvestment in oil and gas, thinking we’re going to transition to renewables very quickly and we shouldn’t be investing in oil and gas,” Priest said.

“But it turns out that the [renewable energy] transition is not that easy. We still use oil and gas - a lot of it. On a global level, the demand for oil and gas has not budged.”

Already, above average temperatures have exacerbated energy shortages and heat-related struggles for Europeans, many of whom don’t have air conditioning. But even more problematic than a heat wave is the upcoming winter, which has left European countries “scrambling” for other oil and gas sources, according to Priest.

Europe’s woes have been partially relieved by U.S. liquified natural gas imports, which were diverted from their planned export to southeast Asia. As a result, the U.S.’s domestic abundance of natural gas–experienced since the fracking boom in 2005–is coming to an end, and with it, lower heating bills.

“The United States has essentially become the foundation of European energy security by supplying rising volumes of natural gas,” Priest said.

While the U.S. has seen increased gas prices, these are not a direct result of exporting natural gas to Europe, Priest noted. Nor are they a result of international oil companies like Exxon and Shell taking advantage of the crisis. Understanding why U.S. energy prices have increased despite its meagerly dependence on Russian oil requires an analysis of the tangled web of economics and energy markets.

Central banks like the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank have raised interest rates in response to inflation. This pushes the major developed economies into a recession in which they aren’t able to demand as much as oil. As a result, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to reduce their individual country quotas by two million barrels, and less supply keeps energy prices high.

Wealthier European countries are able to afford paying higher energy prices, causing hardship for poorer nations that import their oil.

“The nations that benefit from this are the nations that can be high producing at low cost, and that means Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf nations primarily,” Priest said.

Even in developed nations, individuals are struggling. Rents are rising as landowners push to keep the lights on, prompting raised wages and cash handouts in some EU countries.

Coombs said that he does not think the U.K. Conservative Party’s cash handouts of £400 or £200 are

sufficient to help people cope with rising energy prices in the long run. He also said that the media in the U.K. typically blame the Conservative Party for causing the energy crisis, much like Americans blame the Biden administration for elevated gas prices.

“My rent has been increased in order for the landlord to be able to afford energy bills within the house,” Coombs said. “We are also not able to use the heating as much within the house because of the sheer cost of energy rising in London.”

Worst Still Ahead

For the time being, Europe is rushing to store natural gas in its reserves so that Europeans have energy for heating during the upcoming winter. The following winter, however, poses a greater challenge, according to International Energy Agency Senior Energy Policy Analyst Sylvia Beyer. Beyer said that the EU 's natural gas reserves are nearly 90% full, which should power heating through this winter. However, she said it would be “almost impossible” to fill the reserves for next winter.

“Coming into winter, a lot of people on TV and social media are worried that they may have to go cold rather than turning on the heating due to energy,” Coombs said. “I

use candles at night for light and was only able to use her toaster three times a week out of fear that she was not going to be able to pay her energy bills.”

Reserves will be difficult to fill next year because many EU countries will implement stricter measures on Russian imports. The U.K, France, Italy, and Germany, have pledged to implement a complete ban on Russian crude oil exports as of Dec. 5, and by February for all imports.

Perhaps more concerning, however, are the political implications of elevated energy prices. Priest claims that Putin’s goal in the “energy war” is to undermine democratically elected governments, which aren’t typically inclined to ally with pseudo-authoritarian Russia.

“High energy prices create economic hardship, economic hardship creates social turmoil, and social turmoil brings populist right wing people to power like we just saw in elections in Italy, and in Great Britain,” Priest said.

Not everybody is punishing Russia for its humanitarian abuses, however. Hungary and Bulgaria, both EU countries, caused a political ruckus when they extended Russian gas contracts. This is significant because Russia doesn’t have many oil and gas trade options; 80% of gas exports and 28% of oil exports

advantage of discounted Russian natural gas prices. Priest explained that the world is “lucky” that China, the world’s largest force of oil demand, has maintained strict lockdowns that reduce its energy consumption. If China’s energy demand rises in the future, shortages will be exacerbated further.

Renewable Energy Transition Stunted

Europe has also coped with shortages by slowing down its transition to renewable energy. NPR reports that in Germany, amid the loss of Russian gas supplies," at least 20 coal-fired power plants nationwide are being resurrected or extended past their closing dates, and the International Energy Agency's latest "Tracking Clean Energy Progress" report finds that coal's share of total global power generation rebounded back above 36% last year.

Germany, which is led by a Green Coalition government, is scrambling for natural gas after their renewable transition prompted the closure of nuclear and coal plants. Since February, it has constructed five new LNG import facilities. Mixed with announcements to delay shuttering coal and nuclear plants are calls to accelerate the renewable energy transition to reduce dependence on Russian imports, but this approach poses its own challenges. Priest said that linking renewable sources to the grid through long-distance transmission–not price–is the main barrier to accelerating the development of renewable sources.

“Bringing all those electrons generated by wind to where load centers are…that’s the big challenge right now for the energy transition,” Priest said.

In the logic of EU governments, the transition to renewables takes a back seat to ensuring that their citizens and businesses have enough energy to operate as normally as possible.

“Between energy security and energy transition: That's the biggest challenge,” Priest said. “That should actually be on the minds of educated people who are concerned on the one hand about climate change on the other about the political stability of the world we live in, and that we're not going to see more violent conflict driven by energy dislocation or energy wars.”

Sustainable Cities Role in the Fight Against Climate Change

Cities are prepared to reduce their carbon footprint to fix the ongoing issue of climate change

Words By Lincoln Roch | Design By Paige Minor

The planet is warming and humans are the cause. That scientific consensus has led to global efforts toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Nationally, climate change is still a divisive issue, but cities are in a unique position to make meaningful changes to reduce their carbon footprint.

Cities are the largest form of what's known as the built environment. A built environment is a complex word that Dr. Dave Amos, a city planning professor at California Polytechnic University, says encompasses most of our lives. “The built environment is the place humans create for themselves. To live, work, play, and get from one place to another,” Amos said.

As a result, the built environment can encompass a vast amount of our carbon emissions. Amos listed the three ways cities produce carbon. The first is construction, which requires the production and transportation of building materials in addition to the energy to operate equipment.

“Then there's obviously the environmental impact associated with operating all those buildings, bridges, and roads,” Amos said. “And then there's the transportation sources of emissions, getting from point A to point B.”

All of those sources are major factors globally for greenhouse gas emissions. But not every city is built the same. The ways in which cities are planned and infrastructure is built have a serious effect on their carbon footprint.

This can easily be seen through a brief history of European and North American cities. European cities were built several centuries ago with people primarily traveling on foot. Meanwhile, North American cities are much younger, and largely developed after the invention of the automobile.

As a result, the density of the cities is very different. European cities grow densely while North American cities have grown outwards with low-density development, known as sprawl. “Sprawl and the car are two sides of the same coin. Sprawl was designed because it's a really good land use if you're driving with a car,” Amos said.

Following World War II, the gap in density between the two continents intensified. In the United States the 1944, GI Bill allowed soldiers returning from the war to receive home loans without making an initial down payment.

Meanwhile the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 provided nine dollars from the federal government for every state-invested dollar to incentivize the development of the interstate highway system. The construction of these highways displaced over 1 million people, disproportionately affecting communities of color.

This resulted in a housing boom with almost all of the new housing stock being built in mass-produced subdivisions on the outskirts of cities connected to the city center by the new interstates.“You just saw the proliferation of suburban sprawl,” said Amos. “Not to say European cities don't have sprawl or suburbs, they do. But they didn't typically sprawl to the extent that they did here in the United States.”

All of that sprawl drastically increases the carbon footprint of a city and its metro area. Emissions from construction, electricity, heating, and especially transportation are much higher when things are spread out. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation was the U.S.’s greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 at 27%.

While that includes several forms of transportation, the biggest emitter for cities is the use of automobiles. The reliance on personal automobiles has evolved into a necessity in order to carry out daily life for a large proportion of the continental population.“The fact that in many parts of the United States you are expected to have a car and drive everywhere is a big deal because it's a lot of carbon being generated,” Amos said.

Decades of zoning, building codes, and infrastructure investment have created vast amounts of sprawl and its high carbon footprint. The same policies can also be used to make cities environmentally sustainable. One city in North America does not fit the mold of the cities on the continent. Vancouver, British Columbia is often ranked as one of the most sustainable cities on the planet. Differences in its planning and design can be noticed immediately if you're driving into the city with a car.

According to Chris Higgins, Senior Green Building Planner for the City of Vancouver. “Vancouver is the only major city in North America that I'm aware of that doesnt have a highway.” In the 1960s, citizens blocked a planned highway that would have bulldozed parts of the city's historic ChinaTown and Downtown. This high amount of public participation is unique and has continued throughout its history.

The city is known for what is described as ‘Vancouverism’. It includes a style of dense zoning that allows a mix of residential and commercial uses. Additionally, the style encompasses a distinct architecture style that incorporates single family townhomes as the “podium” for skyscraper buildings.

Transportation also looks very different. By opting out of highways connecting downtown to suburbs, the city has instead invested in metro train lines and a vast network of bike and walking paths. Already 54% of trips in Vancouver are made by walking, cycling, or public transit.

Higgins, who admires the American bulk retail store Costco, used one of its stores as an example of Vancouverism in action. There is a Costo in the city's downtown that's right on a bike path, across from a metro station, and is part of a 40 story residential building. “I lived car-free for ten years in the city of Vancouver and Vancouverism enables that,” said Higgins, who also bikes to his job eight months of the year.

Vancouverism is the result of decades of careful and strategic planning due in part to its geography. The city is surrounded by water or a mountain range on three sides. On the fourth side, Higgins said around 85% of the land is protected from redevelopment and is retained as farmland. These constraints have made the city limits 44.39 square miles compared to El Paso which has a similar population but sprawls

259.3 square miles.

“So when you have less land, it forces you to do more with less and so we are well set up for density,” Higgins said.

“Vancouver

is kind of born on third base, meaning we're very close to getting a home run on sustainability already.”

In 2020, the city government tried to get even closer to that home run by passing a Climate Emergency Action Plan that aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The plan takes aim at its two biggest carbon polluters: natural gas used in buildings and gas powered vehicles.

The plan has an ambitious goal to have 90% of residents living within an easy walk or roll of their daily needs. The city's heavy focus on walkability is a different approach to the rest of the continent. Many governments have turned to electric cars to make the vehicles commuting in and out of cities carbon neutral. Most notably, the U.S.’s Inflation Reduction Act passed this year provides a tax credit for purchasing electric vehicles.

If Amos could snap his fingers and electrify every car in the U.S. he would but he doesn't think it addresses the entire problem. There is no silver bullet.

“Electric vehicles are a solution but not the solution. How we design our cities and how we encourage people to stop driving their cars is still going to be important,” Amos said. Several states have recently adopted new policies to change how regional planning works in their metropolitan areas. California now requires governments to consider housing, land use, and transportation as a whole in their planning to try to incorporate more transit.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation has adopted new rules that provide less funding for road expansion, while investing in billions for greener transportation, and encouraging transit oriented development.

While good municipal planning alone can't solve the climate crisis, Amos sees planners focusing on transportation and land use as a reason to be optimistic.“We're picking away at some of these things that we never thought we could do before. So it's exciting.”

Electric vehicles are a solution but not the solution. How we design our cities and how we encourage people to stop driving their cars is still going to be important,

Dr. Dave Amos, a city planning professor at California Polytechnic University

Chile Referendum

Chile rejects constitutional referendum, the circumstances that led up to, and resulted in the rejection vote and what comes next

Words By Stephanie Kiel | Art and Design By Paige Minor

Oct. 25, 2019, marked a historic day for the Republic of Chile. Nearly a week after intense demonstrations, riots, and protests erupted across the nation, BBC News Mundo reported over 1.2 million people convening in Plaza Italia, a major metropolitan landmark in the capital of Santiago. This was the largest demonstration in Chilean history which featured waving banderas; cacerolazo, a form of protest characterized by the banging of pots and pans; and the chants of tens of thousands of Chileans, unified by a single cause. While the catalyst of these historic protests was a 4% metro fare increase in the capital city, the series of monumental demonstrations quickly developed into something much more.

On Oct. 6, 2019, the city of Santiago announced a hike in the public transportation fare, amounting to 30 Chilean pesos, which is approximately five U.S. cents. The increase positioned Santiago transit fares as one of the most expensive in Latin America, which, according to The Guardian, affected over 2.5 million daily users. For many Chileans, the subway fare increase served as a catalyst for action. After the announcement of the increase, the transit users of Santiago organized. To express their dissatisfaction with the price increase, individuals began to jump the gates to avoid paying the increased price altogether. The majority of these transit users were students, who are often the main organizers of protests in Chile.

The increase, while seemingly small in number, triggered significant consequences and was representative of much larger systemic issues in the nation. The magnitude of civil unrest grew, and protests progressed beyond simply jumping gates. In the weeks following the fare increase, more intense demonstrations popped up at metro stations along the capital’s most frequented lines. This tension came to a head on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, when the protests escalated to riot levels. The demonstrations

turned violent and destructive, resulting in the closure of the Santiago public transit system and President Sebastian Pinera declaring a state of emergency in Santiago. The demands for change spread far and wide. Protests were organized across the country, and the nation unified over large, systemic issues.

Constitutional Context

Relative to other Latin American nations, the Republic of Chile is perceived as a highly-developed country. At the time of the 2019 protests, Chile’s Human Development Index (HDI) – a measurement developed by the United Nations to assess major dimensions of human development – was 0.861, which placed it in the ‘Very High’ HDI category. However, the country is characterized by a number of issues not captured in the index. Extreme income inequality, low and generally stagnant wages, and unaffordable healthcare and private education systems are just a few of the many issues that the Council on Foreign Relations contributed to growing unrest throughout the country.

Perhaps the most significant underlying issue and largest contributor to the longevity and intensity of the 2019 and 2020 protests was the state of the Chilean Constitution. Written in 1980 under the dictatorial rule of Augusto Pinochet, the document became emblematic of the increasing inequality and slew of social, political, and economic issues that plagued the nation. Although it has been on numerous occasions throughout the years, the core of the constitution represented a longstanding holdover from the dictatorial regime that overtook the country for almost two decades. Upon reflecting on this history of Chile, Juan Pablo Sanchez, a retired Chilean Naval Officer living in Des Moines, stated that “for a part of the country… the constitution was a symbol of the military regime that exist[ed] back at the time – regardless of the fact that, under the current constitution, Chile experienced its biggest economic expansion in the country’s history, along with other major advancements in a number of aspects.”

Following the demonstrations, protests, and riots throughout 2019 and 2020 – now referred to as Estallido Social, there were a number of proposed changes put forth by the government to meet the demands of protesters. These demands varied from pension reform, to wage increases, to the resignation of President Sebastian Pinera. The most significant, however, was a unified cry to rewrite the constitution.

A New Constitution

To assess the desire for a new constitution, the national government conducted the 2020 Chilean national plebiscite, which posed the question to

Photos by Martin Bernetti

Chilean citizens: “Should the Republic of Chile rewrite its constitution? If so, who should draft the new constitution?”

On Oct. 25, 2020 – approximately one year following the massive protests in Santiago, the Chilean people voted overwhelmingly in favor of rewriting the republic’s constitution. BBC News reported that 78% of voters expressed their support to convene a constitutional convention to rewrite the Pinochet-era constitution. In the voluntary election, 79% indicated their preference for the drafting body to be composed of members elected by popular vote, rather than members of Congress.

The result of this referendum prompted another election in which Chileans chose the 154 members of the constitutional convention. In a breakdown of the elected members, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that the majority of members held either progressive or independent views with little to no public service experience.

Upon their election, the members of the constitutional convention were separated into commissions tasked with drafting different portions of the document. The groups tackled the demands presented by protesters in 2019 and the overarching calls for economic and social reform from the country as a whole. Sanchez, speaking on the issues the new constitution sought to address, stated that “if it is well-written, it would be an opportunity to bring modern topics that include the broader aspects that we are facing as a society – as a humanity – that we were not facing 40-50 years ago. It would be an opportunity to include environmental topics; modern economic topics; issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion; research and innovation; and those matters that we have advanced beyond as a society because we are different – we are better now – than we were before.”

Within the convention, the proposals of the individual constitutional commissions necessitated a simple majority to advance to the general assembly, which required a two-thirds majority for submission to the referendum draft, according to Reuters. Throughout this process, there was a great deal of disagreement within the elected group, with a plethora of commissions and general proposals failing to receive the necessary support to make it into the final draft.

After over ten months of intense debate, the convention finalized the draft constitution on May 13, 2022. In their summary of the draft, NPR reported that the document called for universal health care, advanced environmental protections, legalized abortion, autonomous Indigenous territories, extreme pension reform, and many other overwhelmingly progressive policies.

On the whole, the Republic of Chile is a conservative nation. Despite the election of popular left-wing activist Gabriel Boric to the presidency in March 2022, the majority of Chilean citizens hold generally conservative views. Leading up to the referendum vote, the strong push for a new constitution dwindled, and general public support for the document itself was relatively weak. The final draft submitted to the public stood in stark contrast to the existing right-wing constitution and conservative nature of most Chileans, instead emphasizing the progressive goals and initiatives held by the minority of citizens and majority of the elected members of the assembly. When reflecting upon the components of the draft constitution, Sanchez shared a belief that “[individuals] tend to think the problems that they face on a daily basis, especially related to the economy, the pandemic, inequality, social benefits, and health… are going to be solved by the constitution. However, people that have more experience state that these problems may be better and faster addressed by law or amendments under the same constitution.”

On Sept. 4, 2022, Chileans headed to the polls once again to cast their ballot in favor or against the draft constitution. In their article on the obligatory referendum election, The New York Times reported that 62% of voters denied the constitution. In light of the rejection vote, Sanchez expressed optimism for the future.

“I hope it doesn’t get too politicized and that [the government] can find the best way and the right people so they can come up with a unified proposal, and we can be an example for the rest of the world.”

The Chilean government has yet to announce the path forward toward a new constitution, but the 170 page document will head back to the drawing board, leaving the government, citizens, and nation as a whole with a single question: what comes next?

Photos by Martin Bernetti

Pinnacle Awards

Even more exciting, we represented DPR as a Pinnacle Finalist at MediaFest22. On opening night, Drake Political Review was awarded with a third place award for a feature photograph taken by staff member Grace Long & and an Honorable Mention for Four-Year Feature Magazine of the Year for our Spring 2022 issue.

Sightseeing

While in D.C. Madeline and Hayden, along with members from Drake Mag and Drake Broadcasting System, did some sightseeing in our nation’s capital. Madeline and Hayden paid special attention to sights that political junkies are especially drawn to (we are a political publication after all!)

MediaFest22 Memories

From Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 Madeline (Web Editor) and Hayden (Editor-in-Chief) represented DPR at the SPJ MediaFest22 conference in Washington D.C.. While at the conference, Hayden and Madeline listened to keynote speakers, such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein along with John Quinones. They also attended workshops to gain tips and tricks to promote an inclusive staff environment, reader engagement, leadership transitions, and potential of future publications.

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Stephanie Kiel, Undergraduate Chief of Staff, speaking at the beginning of the Fall 2022 Sussman Lecture in Sussman Theater.

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