Drake Political Review I Volume II I Issue I

DRAKE POLITICAL REVIEW LEGA L

FALL 2015 I VOLUME 2 I ISSUE 1

IS AMERICA TOO POLITICALLY CORRECT?

THE CAUCUS ISSUE

DEBATE AT DRAKE

SOCIAL 3 -5

CAUCUS 12

WTF IS A CAUCUS?!

IS AMERICA OVER-CORRECTING?

RILEY WILLMAN

JACQUI BRANCH

13 -15

6-7

IOWA’S SUPER VOLUNTEERS

SUNNI & SHIA DIVIDE

OLIVIA O’HEA

BAHI ABDELLATIF

16-19

8-9

DNC DEBATE AT DRAKE

DREAMERS ON THE TRAIL

LINLEY SANDERS & JOSHUA DUDEN

BENJAMIN VERHASSELT

10-11

OPEN DOORS EMMA MUTH

POLITICAL 20-21

IOWA SEX ED POLICY EMILY SADECKI

LEGAL

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CLASSROOM TO CAMPAIGN

28 -29

RILEY WILLMAN

UNPACKING THE PAC PROBLEM MADISON HOLMES

23 -24

HOW WARM A WELCOME

30 -31

SAMUEL MEYER

TOO LAX ON NALOXONE TREVOR BRIDGE

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COMPASSION OVER CAPACITY

32 -33

HALEY BARBOUR

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH MEGAN JOHNS

26 -27

LAND OF THE FREE? SARAH LEBLANC

DRAKE POLITICAL REVIEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JACK HELLIE

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Caucus Season is an amazing time to be at Drake. Hardly a week goes by without a presidential candidate or national media event taking place on campus. College Republicans, Drake Democrats and other student organizations host watch parties for every debate, and the press is there to hear what Drake students think. This doesn’t happen on other college campuses. Not all of us are political junkies, but collectively we are engaged in the political process, or at the very least, we are engaged in the discussion around it.

Are you not sure what “caucus season” is, or even what “caucus” means? If you don’t, you’re in the right place. The Drake Political Review exists to answer those questions. Even if you think you know everything about Iowa’s first-in-the-nation role in the presidential nominating process, we’re here to help you look a little deeper. Our motto is, “Let’s Talk Politics,” and we are proud of that. Beginning with this issue, though, I implore you to go one step further—yes, talk politics, but then do politics. Play your role. I am not asking you to be a super volunteer for a campaign, but take a good, Iowa look at each candidate. If you make it to a town hall or a Pizza Ranch, ask a question. Decide what you think, not just what your roommate or your crazy uncle thinks. Listen to them, sure, but invest yourself­­­—even if just the smallest amount.

When there is a wind-chill warning and a few feet of snow on Monday, February 1, get your friends, find your caucus location, and do something, Drake. For me, I will make my way to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. If you happen to live in precinct 40, also, I hope to see you there.

Until then, take every opportunity to embrace Drake’s time in the national spotlight.

TURN THE PAGE AND LET’S TALK POLITICS.

ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR

KAREN KALTENHEUSER

LINLEY SANDERS

CHIEF OF STAFF JACOB HESSION

SECTION EDITORS

HANNAH ARMENTROUT JOSHUA DUDEN OLIVIA O’HEA

CONTRIBUTORS BAHI ABDELLATIF JACQUI BRANCH MADISON HOLMES SARAH LEBLANC EMMA MUTH BENJAMIN VERHASSELT

HALEY BARBOUR TREVOR BRIDGE MEGAN JOHNS SAMUEL MEYER EMILY SADECKI RILEY WILLMAN

DESIGNERS JUSTIN ATTERBERG MOLLIE CLARK ZOE EKONOMOU HANNAH ERICKSON SUSANNA HAYWARD WHITNEY LEMING-SALIBURY HANNAH LITTLE AMY MATHEWS

EVENTS + PROMOTIONS MADISON HOLMES

KELLY MARBLE

ADVISER

JENNIFER GLOVER KONFRST

SPECIAL THANKS TO

The Harkin Institute for Pulbic Policy and Citizen Engagement, Rachel Paine Caufield, Sarah McCoy, Neil Ward, and Drake University Board of Student Communications © FALL 2015 DRAKE POLITICAL REVIEW IDEAS EXPRESSED IN THE MAGAZINE DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

Jack Hellie Editor in Chief

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IS AMERICA OVER-CORRECTING? IN A POLITICALLY CORRECT WORLD, IOWA UNIVERSITIES STRUGGLE TO FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN HEALTHY DIALOGUE AND OFFENDING OTHERS.

WRITTEN BY: JACQUI BRANCH PHOTOS BY: JACK HELLIE President Obama visited North High School in Des Moines, Iowa for a town hall meeting on September 15, 2015 to discuss college affordability with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

In his comments, he addressed political correctness—specifically in college and university setting.

“I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, you have to be coddled and protected from different points of view,” Obama said. “Anybody who comes to speak to you and you disagree with, you should have an argument with them. But you shouldn’t silence them by saying, ‘You can’t come because I’m too sensitive to hear what you have to say.’ That’s not the way we learn either.”

Obama’s comments reflect larger concerns about political correctness on college campuses and the place it holds in institutions of higher education.

If there is such heavy concentration on being politically correct, how can learning to work with those who believe differently occur? What place does political correctness truly hold in Iowa’s higher education institutions, if any?

Technically speaking, political correctness is “the avoidance, often

considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.” Within that seemingly simple definition, however, opinions clash. For instance, Associate Provost for Academic Excellence at Drake University in Des Moines, Melissa Sturm-Smith, works on inclusivity initiatives and training peer mentors at the university.

“I don’t like the term political correctness at all,” Sturm-Smith said.

“I find that political correctness becomes a way to tell people what they can’t say, and I prefer to invite people into speaking in ways that invite people in. It’s not about what you can’t say; it’s about the ways that we do say things that include others.”

Efforts to be more politically correct take place at all levels of academic life, from the administration to student groups.

While the point of political correctness is to avoid excluding or marginalizing forms of expression or action, it can also be seen as straightforward efforts for better inclusion. Grinnell College, located in Grinnell, Iowa, holds town hall meetings to discuss concerns of college students, faculty and staff. The town hall meetings represent efforts to include student perspectives on institutional issues, including explicit discussions of

political correctness and the place it holds on campus.

Efforts to be more inclusive on college campuses often focus on traditionally marginalized groups, because for students who identify outside of the majority or dominant groups, universities can be isolating places. Some colleges and universities are working toward providing gender-neutral spaces, which are intended to allow greater inclusion of trans and gender-non-binary people. These are not new efforts—the University of Iowa designated a gender-neutral public bathroom in 2013. Simpson College in Indianola and Grinnell College offer gender inclusive living environments for students. At Grinnell, these make up over 10 percent of all residence hall rooms.

While town halls and gender-inclusive spaces represent institutional efforts towards inclusion, some of what is termed political correctness happens at the student level. Sturm-Smith said that at Drake University, student groups such as Rainbow Union and One Voice have done much of the work to educate the campus about issues like respecting people’s preferred pronouns or the way people talk about significant others. Sturm-Smith said she learned how important it could be to change the way she talks about her significant other when she was a graduate student at Iowa

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State University in Ames during a conversation with a classmate.

“I said to her something about my partner and I, and she looked at me and she said, ‘You have no idea how wonderful it is for me to hear you use the word ‘partner.’ It made me feel so good and so included in the conversation.’ Ever since that day, I have tried as hard as I can to use the word partner. One word made a difference in a person’s life,” Sturm-Smith said.

Political correctness also recognizes and addresses what is lacking in institutions, like support for racial and ethnic minorities. The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls has the Center for Multicultural Education that works to enable the success of racial and ethnic minority students and contribute to overall campus cultural competency.

The Crew Scholars Program at Drake University was established in the fall of 2013, and was created as an effort to better retain and support students of color at the predominantly white University.

Steve Hitlin, a professor of sociology at the University of Iowa, describes how no matter the intentions behind political correctness, it risks going too far.“The flip side of having privilege is trying to not offend, and that has often been labeled political correctness.” Professor Hitlin said.

“It sounds to me kind of as an insult. I think it’s namely something that people probably try to do for good reasons, but then it goes too far and then you get this term that gets used to describe it.“ Many people felt that an incident At the University of Iowa in December of 2014 represents a case of political correctness gone too far. A professor, Serhat Tanyolacar, placed a statue of a Klu Klux Klan member covered in screen-prints of newspapers on racial

violence in the Pentacrest, the center of campus. Much of the discomfort was out of fear for people’s safety, especially for those identifying as racial or ethnic minorities. The project was intended to spark discussion about race, but instead prompted outrage.

freedom of expression.

This balance between making marginalized students feel safe and welcome while also providing room for controversial forms of expression and difficult conversation, is challenging to maintain in a college context, as seen in this incident at the University of Iowa. This leaves members of the campus community struggling to maintain that balance.

“You should be able to talk to people who don’t agree with you.

In a perfect world that’s what a university has,” Hitlin said. “I’m not going to like everything I read, but if I’m doing my job as a teacher, my students will learn how to respond to people they don’t agree with.”

Sturm-Smith recognizes that efforts at inclusion are an on going process. To many, political correctness requires that these conversations take place but also a consideration of how they are taking place in order to work toward a balance.

“Sometimes the negative consequences and where we end up shutting down conversations is that people become afraid of saying the wrong thing and offending,” Sturm-Smith said.

“Whenever you’re trying to become inclusive, you’re going to mess up. What we have to be open to is someone being able to say to us, ‘When you said this, it made me feel this way’ and being able to reply, ‘Thank you for telling me, I get that’ and to do better next time.”

“ THE AVOIDANCE OFTEN

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CONSIDERED AS TAKEN TO EXTREMES, OF FORMS OF EXPRESSION OR ACTION THAT ARE PERCEIVED TO EXCLUDE, MARGINALIZE, OR INSULT GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

“

The University issued two apologies for the incident; however, these apologies did not stop the vehement response to the professor. A colleague of Tanyolacar, University of Iowa professor Katherine Tachau, wrote a letter to the University’s President about the apologies and the impact of the situation on Tanyolacar, as reported by The Gazette, a Cedar Rapids newspaper. In the letter, she reportedly wrote that Tanyolacar felt unwelcome on campus and had received death threats, which she attributed in part to the University’s apologies, which failed to defend what she saw as the professor’s

Jacqui Branch is a senior Sociology major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

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Pr op he tM a m uh as am en sa cr d m e of ed ot to te m m an po em ra pi ry re pe re vo ac e lu tio n in se ira pt n em be r1 ar 1th ab sp rin g

A HISTORICAL GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERING MUSLIM BELIEFS AND CONFLICT

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WRITTEN BY: BAHI ABDELLATIF DESIGNED BY: MOLLIE CLARK PHOTOS BY: JACK HELLIE Foreign policy plays a huge role in finding the next president of the United States. The president is expected to be the chief diplomat of the country and understand the factors in play. Without question the role of “radical Muslims” will come up, but what are the differences between the two sides?

Most don’t know the Shia versus Sunni differences, but the divide and conflict are all too real. In fact, leading American politicians have said knowing the difference in the religious divide will be essential in bringing peace to the Middle East. But knowing how they vary and where the conflict began matters,

because the divide is so deeply political.

The Prophet Mohammed introduced the Islamic faith in 610 A.D., incorporating many aspects from Christianity and Judaism. It spread rapidly and just a century after Mohammad’s death, the faith claimed authority over nearly all the Arabian Peninsula. The internal divisions between Sunni and Shia Muslims started over who gets to be the Prophet’s successor.

Early followers of the prophet elected Abu Bakr, Mohammed’s confidante, to be caliph, the Islamic leader. Others, however, preferred Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s son-in-law and cousin.

This debate developed into Islam’s two biggest sects: Sunnis, meaning followers of the Prophet, and Shi’ite or Shia, meaning followers of the prophet’s

cousin Ali. Most Muslims accepted Abu Bakr as the new leader and the first caliph expanding the power of Sunni Islam.

Upon Ali’s death there was a shift of Muslim politics, because for the first time the caliphate was not based in Arabia but in Iraq. There, the Shias rejected each ruler, labeling them as illegitimate because they were not direct descendants of Mohammed.

Jumping ahead to 680, the reigning caliph killed 72 people, including several who were descendants of the Prophet, in what was known as the Karbala Massacre. In this group were Ali’s son and Mohammad’s grandson, Hussain, and many of his confidantes.

Sunni leadership feared that disciples of Hussain would use his assassination as a ploy to overthrow the Sunni monarchs,

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thus leading to further persecution of the Shias.

Sunnis continued to achieve political victory through a series of commitments for economic prosperity, political stability, and ferocious prosecution of minorities. This immense authority held by the Sunni population continued even until World War I, where the ethnic and religious divides expanded.

Following World War I, the SykesPicot Agreement in 1916 between the French, British, Russian governments and representatives from future-Turkey worked to exclusively draw up a new map of the Middle East. The lines they drew rarely—if ever—corresponded to any pre-existing cultural, geographic, tribal or historical distributions of the Islamic people. This caused intermingling and further conflict between the two sects.

The parties signed the agreement attesting to hand over control of Syria, Lebanon and Turkish Cilicia to the French and Palestine, Jordan and areas around the Arabian Gulf and Baghdad to the British, even though none had any historical claim to these countries.

Historic tensions only expound that the conflict is more than faith disagreements in Middle East and Islam; it is a social division of power.

Discrimination is not just from the West to the Arab world, but between believers in the faith itself. Power, persecution, and disagreement have fueled the schism of Islam.

So take note of the discussion regarding the different sects of Islam as they arise in the 2016 election cycle. Especially after the tragedy that expounded in Paris, France in November, understanding the modern applications of radical Jihadism versus the Islamic faith and the different paths of practice will be pivotal.

Bahi Abdellatif is a senior International Relations major. He is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

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SUNNI AND SHIA: MODERN DEBATE 1,400 YEARS LATER THE GREAT SUNNI-SHIA DIVIDE CONTINUES TO BE IMPACTFUL IN MIDDLE EAST AND U.S. DOMESTIC POLITICS Following the second DNC Debate on Nov. 14, the issue of radical Jihadism, also referred to as “radical Islam,” came to the forefront of the discussion. The issue took international prevalence after terrorist attacks in Paris were attributed to radical militant group ISIS, meaning the Islamic faith and the Sunni-Shia divide became intertwined with presidential discourse.

President Barack Obama said in an interview with Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes that addressing the Sunni-Shia divide in the Middle East is of great importance to bring peace and tolerance to the international community. “[The Middle East has] now created an environment in which young men are more concerned whether they’re Shi’ite or Sunni, rather than whether they are getting a good education or whether they are able to, you know, have a good job,” Obama said. “Many of them are poor. Many of them are illiterate and are therefore more subject to these kinds of ideological appeals. And, you know, the beginning of a solution for the entire Middle East is going to be a transformation in how these countries teach their youth.”

The divide and religious complications of the Middle East aren’t limited to the views of the Obama Administration. At the second DNC debate at Drake University, presidential candidates addressed this very conflict. Transcription provided by CBS and the Democratic National Committee:

SECRETARY HILLARY CLINTON “Many of the fights going on are not ones that the United States has either started or have a role in.

The Shi’a-Sunni split…

[Where] dictatorships have suppressed people’s aspirations. The increasing globalization without any real safety valve for people to have a better life.”

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS “This is a war for the soul of Islam. And those countries who are opposed to Islam, they are going to have to get deeply involved in a way that is not the case today. We should be supportive of that effort… But those Muslim countries are going to have to lead the effort. They are not doing it now.”

GOVERNOR MARTIN O’MALLEY “I believe calling it what it is, is to say radical jihadis… let’s not fall into the trap of thinking that all of our Muslim American neighbors in this country are somehow our enemies here. [We need to] understand that this brutal and barbaric group is perverting the name of a great world religion. And now, like never before, we need our Muslim American neighbors to stand up…”

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DREAMING ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

WRITTEN BY: BENJAMIN VERHASSELT PHOTOS BY: JACK HELLIE “They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people” GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump stated in June, according to CBS News. Trump’s remarks set the stage for immigration as a centerpiece in the 2016 presidential election. Undocumented immigrants are not scary criminals­­—rather some are young activists, students, sons and daughters seeking citizenship and political legitimacy.

President Barack Obama decalred on June

AS VOTERS INSPIRED BY THE DREAM ACT PUSH FOR DEFERRED ACTION ACTIVISM, COULD IMMIGRATION BE THE DECIDING FACTOR IN 2016?

15, 2012 that his administration will no longer deport young Latinos who qualify for residency under the 2007 Dream Act. This executive order would eventually be referred to as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

When Obama introduced the end of deportations for qualified Latino youth, he awakened a group of activists and undocumented residents in the U.S. eager to jump into the political process.

Applications for the new deferred action status were flying in and undocumented students felt hope for a better future in the United States.

The Brookings Institute reported that after 2013, Iowa had approved 1,172

applications for deferred action, under President Obama’s ruling. According to U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS), as of June 2015, nearly 4,000 applicants have been approved in Iowa. If the next president maintains Obama’s DACA Order, these numbers can be expected to grow as more people become confident enough to apply for status.

However, the process of receiving this status is not easy. Dreamers must pay $465 for processing their deferred action application, according to the American Immigration Council. The U.S. Census data reports that the medium household income for American Latino families is just over $38,000, making the processing

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fee burdensome.

The USCIS states that applicants must arrive in the U.S. before their 16th birthday, have lived continuously in the U.S. since July 15, 2007, have a clean record and have completed high school/GED or a military equivalent. However, meeting all these criteria does not guarantee an approval.

In addition to this, undocumented youth must live under a constant fear of their parents’ deportation. DREAMer and activist Kenia Calderon shared her fears about ‘coming out’ as undocumented.

“I accepted the risk, and the risk is that people across the street know that my parents live in Des Moines and that they are also undocumented, it’s scary” Calderon said. “I am protected under DACA but they don’t have any protection.”

According to the National Immigration Law Center, Obama has been working to expand DACA provisions to include dreamer parents in some situations, but such applications have not been released.

Joe Enriquez Henry, the state director for Iowa’s League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) said in an interview with The Des Moines Register that the importance of the Latino vote cannot be overstated this caucus season.

Calderon agreed and shared her own strategy to help turnout the Latino vote.

“I’ve been able to attend certain events and through social media I inform the Latino voters that know me and other people that are starting to follow me …

I give them the truth,” Calderon said.

Hector Salamanca-Arroyo, a deferredaction activist, also shared challenges with engaging eligible Latino voters, especially because of the language barrier.

“The uniqueness of the Latino community in Iowa is that you not only have someone who is a legal citizen, but you also have someone who may not necessarily grasp the language that is necessary to understand the resolutions that are being introduced in the caucus setting,” Arroyo said.

The positions of the Democratic Party are more consistent because all the candidates support a path to citizenship but only some of the stronger campaigns have the resources to reach Latino voters.

Calderon said is a Martin O’Malley supporter because of his support for the Latino community and his overall views on immigration policy.

“Having had interactions with Hillary and Bernie I said ‘There’s got to be something

“THE UNIQUENESS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN IOWA IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A LEGAL CITIZEN, BUT YOU MAY ALSO HAVE SOMEONE WHO MAY NOT NECESSARILY GRASP THE LANGUAGE THAT IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE BEING INTRODUCED IN THE CAUCUS SETTING.

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better out there.” Calderon said. “He has the actions. He’s passed the Maryland DREAM Act and that’s something I really wish we could pass in Iowa.” The Maryland DREAM Act, passed by O’Malley, extended public University tuition prices to undocumented youth under the Act. “Hillary, [unlike O’Malley], said that she would allow states to choose whether or not they give in-state tuition to dreamers” Calderon said.

Among Republican candidates, Jeb Bush has has reached out to the Latino community. The Bush campaign uses the phrase “Con Abrazos Abiertos” or “With Open Arms,” to describe his stance

on immigration reform. Bush stated his policy would seek to establish provisional, legal status for those in the country having undocumented status but not a legal path to citizenship. This is unlike other GOP candidates such as Ted Cruz who stated in the September 16 GOP debate, that he would not support a path to citizenship and is in favor of closing the border.

The work of the DREAMers and organizations within the community showcase how voter education is invaluable in a state like Iowa, and where the average citizen can get a great deal of face-time with the candidates, especially prior to the caucuses in January. Des Moines based organizations like the Latino Forum meet on the first Saturday of every month to discuss strategy for engaging the Latino community. In addition, organizations at Iowa State University have already begun caucus trainings for voters that are less familiar with the process.

Calderon’s story, like that of so many deferred action DREAMers who are diving into the political process, show hope for finding a candidate to bolster a future for them in the U.S. DREAMers in Iowa have the potential to be powerful catalysts for political activism in 2016.

Benjamin Verhasselt is a senior Politics and Rhetoric, Media and Social Change double major. He is a staff writer for Drake Politcal Review.

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OPEN DOORS: PLANNING AROUND THE HEALTHCARE PUSHBACK DESPITE ONGOING CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD, EXPERTS AGREE ON ONE THING—WOMEN NEED AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE.

WRITTEN BY: EMMA MUTH DESIGN BY: KAREN KA LTENHEUSER PHOTOS BY: JACK HELLIE Planned Parenthood’s 99th Anniversary did not blow over quietly on October 16, 2015. Protesters and supporters found themselves among a media storm all too familiar to the organization. But as this debate among politicians, advocates, and citizens rumbled on, one idea became clear: the discussion of women’s health is pertinent to America’s future.

Controversy surrounds Planned Parenthood regularly, leaving many with a hazy definition of its mission and the services. Some people visualize clinics and uncomfortable doctor’s visits, while others associate the organization with contentious abortion disputes. But, in a recently updated statement, Planned Parenthood says its mission is to “provide, promote, and protect reproductive and sexual health through health services, education, and advocacy.”

Planned Parenthood has become

a household name in health services.

As a provider of affordable sexual and reproductive health care, it has served more than 2.7 million women and men in the U.S. alone. The organization helps patients in poor economic standing receive the same care for a lower cost.

According to Planned Parenthood representative, Erin Cubit, the organization’s reputation for health services is unmatched by any other provider.

“We are one of the most trusted sources of reproductive health services

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and information because services that we provide are essential, basic health care,” Cubit said. “Our care is nonjudgmental.

If somebody goes into a clinic and they identify as any sexual orientation, have faced a sexual assault, or are experiencing a pregnancy before they are ready, they are going to receive the same care that anyone else would, no matter what.”

Beyond breast exams and screenings, Planned Parenthood focuses on preventative education, which gives people multiple resources to help them avoid health issues before they arise.

Despite the positives, Planned Parenthood continues to fight a political battle, primarily regarding abortion. This year, The Center for Medical Progress released many videos documenting abortions performed by Planned Parenthood, accusing the organization of selling “baby body parts.” “Because we are one of the most well-known providers of reproductive health, our reputation is used in a political way that works against us,” Cubit said. “I think the majority of people want to see Planned Parenthood funded.

A select group of individuals might not feel the same way, but that group is smaller than the rest of us.”

In a Quinnipiac Poll released in September, 52 percent of voters opposed cutting federal funding to Planned Parenthood compared to 41 percent in favor of the cut. The number of voters that support funding the organization is marginally larger than those opposed.

However, the amount of voters with an unfavorable view of the organization rose from 22 to 39 percent between 2012 and 2015. These opponents protest funding that would eventually shut down its clinics. Cubit not only disputes this effort, but dismisses it as a goal that is not feasible.

“There is a thought that if Planned Parenthood clinics were to close, other health organizations would take on those patients, and that just simply is not accurate,” Cubit said. “The clinics that also provide reproductive health care are stretched already. They would not be able to pick up

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a whole community of individuals seeking health care. It simply would not work.”

Advocates believe that if shut down, millions of women and men would be left without health care. For this reason, they encourage the discussion of reproductive and sexual health in media, politics, and society.

“Having access to education and preventative care is going to make the community healthier overall,” Cubit said.

“Their care will become much less of a financial issue. Their health concerns will not be as expensive to address and health care costs will go down.” Lowering health care costs could impact everyone, especially those with limited resources.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 14.8 percent of Americans lived below the poverty line in 2014 making health care less accessible, which prevents them from securing other resources that could help them achieve a better life. Family Promise of Greater Des Moines helps shelter and gives resources to families in financial difficulty, and caseworker Latoya Scott said family access to affordable health care is integral to getting them back on their feet.

“When they are able to access free physicals and free men’s and women’s health care, they can focus on getting employment and finding housing, among other things,” said Scott.

Women’s health impacts everyone, and advocates and opponents alike agree that creating an environment where women’s health is celebrated is crucial to societal advancement.“Women’s health is a very essential piece of life,” Cubit said. “A person’s reproductive health can be determinant of the rest of their health. That is why this care is so important.”

Emma Muth is a first-year, Magazine Journalism and International Relations double major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

FAST FACTS 1 in 5 women will use Planned Parenthood services over the course of their lifetime

1% Other Services 3% Abortion Services 9% Cancer Screening and Prevention 11% Other Women’s Health Services

34% Contraception

42% STD/STI Testing/Treatment

5,180,000

Number of Men, Women, + Young People who use Planned Parenthood Yearly

$0

$$$

Sliding pay scale based on financial capabilities

1.5 + Million People served through educational programs and outreach

WRITTEN BY: RILEY WILLMAN DESIGNED BY: SUSANNA HAYWARD

WHAT THE F

IS A

Caucus?

AS THE FIRST STATE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NOMINATION CONTEST FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES, IOWA HAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS. CANDIDATES SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND COUNTLESS HOURS TRYING TO TURN OUT IOWANS ON CAUCUS NIGHT AND WALK OUT WITH THE MOST DELEGATES TOWARDS THE NOMINATION.

GRAB YOUR FRIENDS AND RESEARCH YOUR CANDIDATES TO GET STARTED.

D R FIND YOUR CAUCUS LOCATION MOST LOCATIONS ARE IN COMMUNITY CENTERS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER MEETING PLACES NEAR YOUR HOME.

REGISTER FOR YOUR PARTY

YOU CAN EITHER DO THIS BEFOREHAND OR AT YOUR CAUCUS LOCATION THAT NIGHT

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

FIND YOUR CANDIDATE’S SECTION AND GO THERE TO BE COUNTED BY CAUCUS OFFICIALS

LISTEN TO SPEECHES FROM THE VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS, AND DECIDE WHO YOU WILL BE SUPPORTING

AFTER HEARING SPEECHES FROM THE CAMPAIGNS, TRY TO CONVINCE OTHERS TO JOIN YOUR CANDIDATE, OR JOIN ANOTHER CANDIDATE’S GROUP IF YOU ARE PERSUADED.

Vote

RECEIVE YOUR BALLOT, AND VOTE FOR YOUR CANDIDATE

AFTER ALL CAMPAIGNS HAVE CROSSED A PREDETERMINED THRESHOLD, VOTE FOR DELEGATES WHO WILL GO ON TO NOMINATE YOUR CANDIDATE

WAIT FOR THE FINAL TALLY, AND SEE IF YOUR CANDIDATE WON THE MOST DELEGATES TO NOMINATE THEM TO THE PRESIDENCY

NOW THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY THE PARTIES, SEE WHO CAME OUT ON TOP AROUND THE STATE AND SEE THE CAMPAIGNS OFF TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.

LEGA LUS CAUC

PASSION FOR POLITICS: THE LIFE OF A CAMPAIGN SUPER VOLUNTEER WRITTEN BY: OLIVIA O’HEA PHOTO BY: JACK HELLIE The West Des Moines office for presidential candidate Jeb Bush is fairly unassuming; like most campaign quarters there are several long tables, a shelf stacked with swag, and telephones staffed by student interns. However, unlike most campaign offices, there’s a desk tucked in the back with nearly every inch of its surface covered in small American flags, books, framed photos, a pocket thesaurus, newspaper clippings, note cards with inspirational quotes, and giant “Join, or Die” flag hung above the organized clutter.

“In my walks, every man (and woman) I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him (her),” one note reads, the gendered pronouns intentionally added in precise, block letters.

This is the handwriting, and desk, of Phillip J. Condo, a Bush consultant and longtime campaign supervolunteer. The trinkets carefully placed around Condo’s workspace are mementos from his 30 plus years of volunteer work for the Republican Party. Next to his laptop a small flip phone is plugged in, charging up before the next round of campaign calls.

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Super volunteers like Condo are rare but valuable for political candidates. These are people who volunteer full-time for a campaign. They can spend 40 hours a week making calls, knocking doors, and stuffing envelopes. Super volunteers are known for their tireless dedication to candidates, they can be counted on to show up to campaign headquarters election cycle after election cycle.

Candidates and their teams actively seek out people like Condo.

Super volunteers in Iowa and New Hampshire reported receiving handwritten cards, phone calls and even flowers directly from presidential candidates. Before Condo accepted a position on the Bush campaign he was contacted by representatives for Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, and Bobby Jindal.

The Cruz, Christie, Jindal and Bush campaigns all understand the value of a super volunteer. These volunteers do more than just devote their days to making calls, they are often longtime community members whose opinion is trusted both in and out of political circuits. Bring a super volunteer on board and you’re bringing an opinion influencer. You can count on the votes of their neighbors, friends, and family members.

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Condo, who has volunteered for regional, state and federal elections, now serves as a paid consultant for Bush. However, he began his political career in 1982 volunteering for Polk County Republicans on Terry Branstad’s first campaign for governor of Iowa. “I made some phone calls,” Condo said of his time with Branstad, “Of course the telephonic equipment back then was quite a bit different, we didn’t have the technology so it was the old ‘pick up and dial off of a hard list.’”

What initially began as a few phone calls soon turned into a passion for Condo. He was recently recognized for making 25,000 calls during the 2012 election cycle, and has received the GOP Volunteer of the Year award from the Republican party in Iowa.

Condo estimates the total number of calls he’s made for campaigns ranges in the 30,000 to 35,000 range — although he admits the exact number doesn’t really matter to him.

“When you get a note like ‘Phil you’ve made x number of calls today’ or when you get an award for making 25,000 calls that makes you feel pretty darn good,” Condo acquiesces, as a small moment of pride shines through in his humble demeanor.

Over three decades, Condo has developed some tips and tricks of the trade. He tends to stick to phone calls, where he feels he can best connect with the voters of Iowa. Condo always opens with a line about the campaign he is volunteering or working for and promises to only take fifteen or thirty seconds of the voters’ time. He gives them a few moments to think of their answers, and is never pushy or strident.

For Condo, making a good first impression is fundamental. As a brand ambassador for the campaign, it is his duty to relay candidates’ platforms in a civil and professional manner. That way, he explains, when another representative from the campaign calls the voter will remember their pleasant conversation with Condo.

“The telephone is a tool that can be used to communicate effectively, and that’s what I do,” said Condo. Phone calls are Condo’s milieu, the volunteer task he excels at. Despite

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his skills, he admits not every phone call is great. Often Iowans are tired of receiving campaign calls and solicitations, and may hang up immediately, or worse, chastise Condo for calling.

“You have to remember that each call is separate in and of itself, so you can’t let the impact of one call have a discordant effect on the next call,” Condo shared, “You have to be back at square one and ready to be your pleasant self — as we say in the trade ‘smile and dial.’” This commitment, and his unfailingly positive attitude, is likely why

HE WAS RECENTLY RECOGNIZED FOR MAKING 25,000 CALLS DURING THE 2012 ELECTION CYCLE, AND RECEIVED THE GOP VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA.

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candidates seek Condo’s help in every election cycle. While some political novices beg for a spot on a campaign, Condo is able to selectively choose where he expends his efforts.

He considers a candidate’s background, their legacy from past political positions, their positions on issues, family status and history, and their personal values. “I could not, in any case, take a position for someone regardless of the amount of money offered if I didn’t agree almost 100 percent with them,” Condo asserted.

When reflecting on his past volunteer

experiences he remembered meeting Mitt Romney’s family, who he described as ‘wonderful.’ Condo strongly considers a candidate’s personal ethics and moral compass, so meeting family members plays a large role in his perception of a candidate.

As a long-term super volunteer, Condo holds a deep respect not just for candidates but for the political process in general, especially Iowa’s status as first in the nation.

Although he is not a native Iowan, he acclimated to the political climate almost immediately.

“I remember not knowing what to expect,” said Condo of his first caucus in 2000, “I saw people getting together and I thought ‘Hey, this is a great idea’ and so I did it again in 2004, 2008, and 2012.”

Condo is a strong advocate for the caucuses, and admits he spends a lot of his spare time chatting about politics with his friends and family. This is the type of dedication and sense of purpose that develops after 30 years and countless election cycles. He believes Iowans have a duty to set an example for the nation in how to interact with candidates and turnout for elections.

“There’s a well-known phrase—you get the government you deserve— and it’s absolutely true, because if you don’t get out there and work for your candidate or for your cause you’re going to get the government you deserve,” Condo explained when asked about Iowa’s role in the election.

When Bush’s tenure as a candidate draws to a close Condo will pack up his desk: organizing his flags, books, photos, thesaurus, news clippings and notecards alongside new additions of Jeb! memorabilia.

However, the end of a cycle is certainly not the end of this supervolunteer’s work — it’s simply a small break before he gears up for the next 25,000 calls.

Olivia O’Hea is a senior Public Relations and Law, Politics and Society double major.

She is the politics section editor for Drake Political Review.

CAUC US

DEBATE DAY AT DRAKE DESPITE ONGOING CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD, EXPERTS AGREE ON ONE THING—WOMEN NEED AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE.

WRITTEN BY: LINLEY SANDERS & JOSHUA DUDEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JACK HELLIE On an elevated stage in Quad Creek Cafe on Nov. 14, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz began her speech as the Democratic candidates later would at the DNC Debate—by addressing the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.

“Our hearts are breaking for Paris and the French people,” Schultz began. “This is a terrorist attack that is unfortunately becoming more and more frequent...but

we are not going to cancel important events like this because if we do, the terrorists win.”

Schultz was the opening act for the DNC Debate hosted at Drake University.

Her ultimate goal, as she joined the more than 320 prospective and current students, was to convince each voter that the country needs a Democrat in the White House. She continued to discuss the significance of the Millennial voice in the election and how each candidate cared about the views of the younger generation.

“It is important we hear from those

who are seeking to be our commanderin-chief,” Schultz said. “I’m quite proud of each of our candidates; [they] understand what’s at stake.”

Around the room, people listened, sipping coffee and pushing pancake pieces around their plates. None seemed particularly surprised that the chairwoman was speaking so fervently to an eclectic bunch of college kids and prospective students early on a Saturday morning. After all, they’re in Iowa— where every four years, the eyes of the country turn to the state’s notable “first in the nation” caucus.

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For the democratic candidates— former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, senator Bernie Sanders and former governor Martin O’Malley—the second DNC debate would be their opportunity to show America, and Iowa, their foreign policy chops and what they would bring to the Oval Office. And for the students at Drake University, it would be their opportunity to engage with media, celebrities and presidential candidates as the race for the White House continued full-speed ahead. Iowa as first in the nation is nothing unusual though—and neither are the opportunities for students. Oftentimes, with national political events, students past, present, and future experience the happenings of a politically-charged campus.

Isabelle Barrett, one such future student, is the type of person who talks with her hands when she gets excited. Sitting off to the side of Drake University’s Hubbell dining hall, she spun her left hand over her right, gaining speed as she described the behindthe-scenes tour of the DNC debate stage that she experienced alongside 40 other prospective Drake students. Wearing a red wool hat, a patriotic ribbon pinned to her lapel, and a huge smile,

Barrett’s enthusiasm was evident.

“I really loved being able to see the debate set,” Barrett said. “And I really loved meeting the alumni. It was so amazing to see where you can go from here. At that moment, it was so incredible; it’s so much more real.”

Barrett is from Cambridge, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

To her, a city like Des Moines, with a national political scene will be the setting for her futer. “I’m ready to go; I’m ready to learn; I’m ready to get my degree,” Barrett said. “I have potential to change the world. And everyone has that, but I really want to.”

Just a few hours later, after the tours concluded, Secret Service secured the building and ticket holders began to form a line. Barrett arrived at the Bernie Sanders watch party, excited to see the candidates on the stage she was on earlier that day.

Clinton’s team used Olmsted Center for a watch party boasting pizza and a cash bar, while Sanders’ camp hosted a debate tailgate and watch party at the nearby Varsity Theater. Other students gathered together in residence hall lobbies and lecture halls and tuned the screens to CBS. Approximately four hours before the debate would air, a mix of Drake

students, local congressional leaders and media lined up alongside Cole Hall and Carnegie Hall. At 5:30, the doors of Old Main opened and the line buzzed with anticipation as Secret Service checked IDs and began to usher ticket holders through metal detectors and into Sheslow Auditorium. Inside the debate hall, prominent Democratic Party members such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, activist philosopher Cornel West alongside Everett Sheslow— the donor for which Sheslow Auditorium is named—interacted as people file into their seats. Students were in shock as they sent Snapchats and tweets to envious friends.

The show began at 8:00pm on the dot.

As Iowa moderators, Kathie Obradovich and Kevin Cooney, took their seats next to CBS’ Nancy Cordes and John Dickerson, cheers erupt from the audience as a point of Iowan pride. Throughout the night, the crowd applauded Clinton’s foreign policy remarks, Sanders’ self-aware quips about being socialist and O’Malley’s rhetorical swing at Trump. Immediately following Clinton’s remark about 9/11 as a reason for Wall Street donations, silence descended over the crowd, followed by a few hesitant claps that grew to a

Prospective students get a tour of Sheslow Auditorium before the second DNC debate at Drake University.

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Isabelle Barrett, prospective student from Minnesota looks at Sheslow Auditorium before the second DNC debate. (Above) A Bernie Sanders supporter dresses up to look like the candidate. (Left)

smattering of applause. Each sound bite would play on loop in national news coverage for the next few hours.

Immediately following the debate, candidates worked the audience as though the cameras never stopped rolling. Clinton stood near the edge of the stage, requesting photos with Drake students and posing for selfies. Sanders took a few photos near the edge of stage left before ducking out while O’Malley smiled for photos and introduced a few students to his family. Students were awestruck—and as they exited, there was buzz of who each would be caucusing for as they flipped through their cameras to compare the best selfies.

After the debate, local CBS affiliate KCCI gathered students and community members for a focus group in Meredith Hall. The group had watched the debate together, chatting during commercial

breaks. By the end of the debate, Sanders held a majority of the supporters, but the general consensus was that Clinton emerged victorious while O’Malley proved strong, but overshadowed.

Starstruck students could also be found a short walk away from the excitement of the debate. In the Knapp Center, students joined Caitlyn Jenner for a debate watch party. Jenner was filiming an episode of her TV series, “I am Cait.” once through the doors as students were guided to a table to sign the release waivers. Joined by the production staff, and administrators welcomed the students and briefed them on the happenings of the night. Students were informed they must sign a waiver in order to participate, because Caitlyn Jenner would be joining the watch party and filming her TV series, “I Am Cait.”

After signing the waiver, students were informed that they should choose where

to sit according to political affiliation.

Republicans would sit together, Democrats together, and Independents clustered in the center—building a visual spectrum of political affiliation. With the camera lights, boom mics, and producers frantically preparing for the arrival of the show’s cast, students buzzed with the energy of meeting the celebrity and activist.

With a quick motion to their earpieces, the security guards moved into position to welcome the star Caitlyn Jenner and her fellow castmates and transgender women who tour with her for the show.

With her Starbucks grande vanilla latte, extra hot, and her friend Aunt Kate close by, Jenner took her place on a couch at the front of the room before making polite chatter. Not losing sight of why everyone was there, students surrounded Jenner and began discussing her life,

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Drake University President Earl F. Martin and Everett Sheslow sit together during the second DNC debate held at Drake University.

her conservative political views and her expectations of the upcoming DNC debate.

Not long after the arrival of the cast, the debate was set to begin. The moderator took his position at the front of the room. He encouraged students to speak and that during commercial breaks they should talk about the candidates and share their opinions.

Mid-debate, during the second commercial break, Jenner stood and shared her views on the size of government, the enumerated powers and the encouragement of the free market.

Referencing the scope of government, the enumerated powers, and the encouragement of the free market over regulation. Embracing her conservative viewpoint, students applauded her honesty and knowledge as the CBS jingle began to play, welcoming viewers back to the Democratic Debate. Drake senior Jordan Mix said that although Jenner didn’t sway her political beliefs during

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the dialogues, she made comments that resonated with her.

“She said that she experiences more hate for being a Republican than she does for being trans,” Mix said. “While I do not condone hate or discrimination of any kind, it saddens me to think that the queer community would turn our own away simply due to political beliefs. It is important to keep Caitlyn’s class and white priviledge in perspective. . . but it is also important to recognize her trans identity and the work that she’s doing within the community.”

As Jenner and her friends stood to leave, students jumped in line to take a final picture. Then security cleared a path to the car, and the star went downtown to the local bar, The Garden. Students remained in the room until the entourage drove down Forest Avenue, but the buzz of celebrity political engagement did not die out.

Mix said she admired Jenner’s

courage and loved hearing about her journey despite disagreeing with her political views.

“I think I will always rememember the entire ordeal,” Mix said. “It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.”

Linley Sanders is a senior Magazine Journalism and International Relations double major. She is the managing editor for Drake Political Review. Joshua Duden is a senior Politics, Law, Politics, and Society, International Relations and Rhetoric quadruple major. He is the social section editor for Drake Political Review.

POLI TICA L

IOWA: WE’RE BRINGING SEX-ED BACK SORRY, MEAN GIRLS. THERE’S A BETTER WAY TO TEACH SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOL.

WRITTEN BY: EMILY SADECKI DESIGN BY: WHITNEY LEMINGSALISBURY Two things that people are afraid to talk about: politics and puberty. Politics can often seem like something foreign, much like those first discussions of “down there.”

In reality, our lives intersect with policy almost constantly. Behind those conversations about tampons and erections is a piece of legislation that guides the actions of organizations in their task of keeping adolescents baby and STD-free. Policy plays a major role in our schools, and yes, even our sex lives.

Let’s take a look at how policy affects what is taught in Iowa classrooms and the people

who make it happen.

Why is sex education important?

Advocates for Youth released a report in 2010 that comprehensive sex education programs had been shown to make young adults more likely to delay onset and reduce the frequency of sexual activity, and increase condom and contraceptive use. This reduces adolescents risk of getting pregnant or contracting an STD, both things that can be a hindrance to good performance in school.

Section 279.50 of the Iowa Code is the Human Growth and Development mandate. It calls for age-appropriate and research based instruction on a variety of subjects including sexuality, selfesteem, stress management, interpersonal relationships and HIV. Much of the

mandate leaves decisions about how and when to teach sex education up to individual schools and school districts.

Bobbie Jo Sheridan of Eyes Open Iowa, a nonprofit in Des Moines dedicated to ensuring sex education for adolescents said that the mandate is helpful in proving to school districts the importance of sexual health education. She said that Iowa has a model policy.

In comparison to other states, Iowa’s mandate is fairly progressive. In 2010, Iowa chose to no longer receive federal funds for abstinence-only programs. Instead Iowa only receives federal funds allocated for abstinence plus, a more comprehensive approach to teaching sex education.

While Iowa classrooms still promote

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abstinence as the best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs, they are able to have more conversations about STD and pregnancy prevention if students choose to be sexually active.

Some states, including Wisconsin, South Dakota, Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska, do not require sexuality education to be taught in schools at all. In some cases, there are even requirements that promote discrimination around sexuality. According to the Guttmacher Institute, there are four states requiring that only negative information be shared regarding sexual orientation.

Despite Iowa’s strengths in sex education, there is space for improvement. First, there is a lack of funding tied to the mandate, making it difficult for school systems to provide additional training or staff to teach sex education. Sheridan also points out that there is limited oversight of schools making sure that they are appropriately implementing sexual health education.

“There is no mandate police making sure that schools are following it,” Sheridan said.

A number of organizations come together to fill the funding and training gaps of the mandate. Eyes Open Iowa is an organization that partners with communities in Iowa to provide advocacy and education resources for adolescent sexual health.

They provide a Sex Ed Academy where they train professionals in teaching sexual health education. The classes include HIV/AIDS 101, Working with LGBTQ Youth, Answering Sensitive Questions and Self-Disclosure and Puberty.

Funds also come through state government programs. Mary Greene is a community health consultant for Iowa Department of Public Health, specializing in adolescent health. Her program receives

funds and then allocates them locally through requests for proposals.

Alysa Mozak, Coordinator for Sexual Violence Response and Healthy Relationship Promotion at Drake University, went through the Eyes Open Iowa Certified Sexual Health Educator Program in an effort to couple her responsive programming with

“ IF YOU HAVE A GROUP

first place.”

Along with Mozak, Greene’s program and others at IDPH also promote integrating sexual health education as part of a larger conversation about health.

For example, Iowa’s Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), not only equips teens with the information they need about reducing their risk for unintended pregnancy and STDs, but also includes modules about healthy life skills, financial literacy and healthy relationships.

Additionally, making sexual health less taboo is a charge for not only policy-makers, but everyone. Our daily lives are full of negative references to sexuality in music, conversations and the media. Positive comments in conversations with friends, family and around young people can help to move the needle in the opposite direction.

Also, both Sheridan and Greene encourage parents to be an active participant in conversations about sexuality. Parents are a pivotal part of helping youth develop personal values and finding answers to difficult questions. Greene recommends that parents learn more about the developing brain to understand why children are motivated to do certain things.

Policy is not just something that happens in fancy buildings. It is people.

It is important to know the importance of our questions, input and interaction with legislation. Legislation influences classrooms, roads and yes, even our sex lives. Just remember: always wear a condom.

OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS THAT HAVE A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING HEALTHY SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS AND THEIR OWN AGENCY AND AUTONOMY THEN YOU ARE GOING TO ERADICATE THE BEHAIVORS THAT CAUSE THE SEXUAL VIOLENCES IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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preventative programming. She says that there is room for increased funding and programming collaboration between sexual health education and sexual violence prevention.

Mozak explained the connection between the two perspectives, “If you have a group of audience members that have a new framework for building healthy sexual relationships and their own agency and autonomy, then you are going to eradicate the behaviors that cause the sexual violence in the

Emily Sadecki is a senior Public Relations and Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology double major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

POLI TICA L

FROM CLASSROOMS TO CAMPAIGNS DRAKE UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS SHARE HOW THEY BALANCE TEACHING AND RUNNING FOR OFFICE. WRITTEN BY: RILEY WILLMAN Spare time is hard to find when you are running for the Iowa House of Representatives. From meeting voters at their doorsteps to fundraising for campaign operations, every second counts. Spare time is also hard to find for professors who constantly balance teaching, advising, and keeping up with developments in their field. When two Drake University professors decided to run for the Iowa House of Representatives, they knew hitting the trail would be difficult, and separating academic and political lives would be an added challenge.

David Courard-Hauri, Ph.D. is an associate professor of environmental science and policy at Drake University.

After seeing many elections go by without a viable alternative to the traditional Iowa House race between a Democrat and a Republican, Courard-Hauri became increasingly frustrated with the politics and polarization within the electoral system and largely one sided districts, “where a candidate could win the primary with only 7 or 8 percent turnout and then win the general,” said Courard-Hauri. These issues, his environmental record, and the creation of a coalition of third party candidates running for office in Iowa prompted him

to run in Des Moines district 41 as the Green party nominee in 2014; he was eventually defeated in the general election

by Democrat Representative Jo Oldson.

Rep. Zach Nunn is a graduate of Drake University, and was invited to be an adjunct professor during the fall of 2014, all while running for an Iowa House seat in the rural areas of eastern Polk County. Nunn decided to run for the seat because he felt a calling to serve the community that he grew up in.

After winning the Republican nomination, he went on to defeat the incumbent and gain a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives.

Nunn believes that his experience teaching at Drake made him a better legislator by allowing him to be more open to feedback, making sure arguments and policy solutions are well researched and vetted, and allowing him to see what makes a good argument.

The challenges of running for political office are daunting for any candidate, but Courard-Hauri and Nunn had the added challenge of balancing teaching positions at Drake University and obligations to students.

At every political event held on the Drake University campus, a sign proclaiming the school’s non-partisan status is displayed to show students that the university doesn’t pick sides in political issues. Courard-Hauri and Nunn had to walk a fine line when

working for the school. Courard-Hauri was on a professional sabbatical during the fall of 2014, but was teaching in the classroom in the early days of his campaign in the spring before the election. Nunn was regularly teaching one class and conducting guest lectures throughout the weeks before the general election, and shied away from discussing his personal campaign during the semester. Both Nunn and Courard-Hauri admitted that the topic of their campaigns were brought up by students both in and out of the classroom during the election season, but both worked to keep their personal politics out of the classroom in order to respect all political views and to avoid any conflicts of interest.

By separating their political and professional lives while serving students, the politically active professors learned to better run their campaigns and deliver their messages to Iowans.

Riley Willman is a senior International Relations major. He is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

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POLI TICA L

HOW WARM A WELCOME BREAKING DOWN THE POLITICS OF GERMANY’S CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY.

WRITTEN BY: SAMUEL MEYER DESIGNED BY: HANNAH ERICKSON On August 25, 2015, the German foreign migration office sent out a tweet, in German, that would flip the growing refugee crisis on its head. “We are at present largely no longer enforcing Dublin procedures for Syrian citizens,” the tweet read when translated.

The influx of asylum-seekers and refugees from areas of conflict toward Europe has reached the magnitude of post-World War II levels. The 28-member states of the European Union took in approximately 280,000 refugees in 2014. 2015 has seen this number continue to skyrocket.

Those coming to Europe represent an increasing fraction of the almost 60 million worldwide who have been forcibly displaced—again, the largest figure since World War II. They come mostly from Syria

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in response to the ongoing struggle between Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ISIS, and countless other rebel groups; however, many others also come from Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and Eritrea.

Although those fleeing specifically to Europe represent a small but growing slice of the total, it still puts the EU in a tough spot, especially for an organization already plagued by financial and political instability. Still, Europe has been charged with sustaining this booming number of inhabitants, and the crisis is taking shape as the most divisive issue the EU has ever faced.

The discrepancies between responses are huge—especially given that EU law has very specific requirements as to the rights and resources afforded to asylum-seekers. These things include “certain material reception conditions” such as

clothing and food, and “family unity, medical and psychological care, and access to the education system for minor children.”

This is a lot to guarantee, especially when thousands are arriving by land and sea at the doors of a very small group of member states. To make matters more complicated, a piece of EU legislation, the Dublin II Regulation, demands that new arrivals must stay and apply for asylum in the first EU member state into which they set foot.

A few days following the Twitter announcement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made statements that would shift Germany directly into the media spotlight as a country of openness, maybe for the first time in recent history.

“There are many examples where we have shown what we are capable of handling,” said Merkel.

“We stand before this kind of challenge

today…German thoroughness is great, but what we need now is German flexibility.” The resounding words from her response, “Wir schaffen es,” translate as “We can do it.”

Though many wonder, can they do it?

Videos of refugees being met at a Munich train station with crowds of cheering people handing out bags of food and clothing went viral on the Internet. German citizens helped with language barriers in paperwork, and held signs saying “Wilkommen in Deutschland.”

During the month of August, more than 10,000 refugees flowed into Germany from Syria alone, and authorities estimate 400,000 refugees in total have arrived in the country.

The country plans to take in 800,000 people total throughout 2015, however some estimates exceed a million.

Much like the EU as a whole, German political and domestic sentiment has split dramatically around this issue. Although Merkel and all major political parties hold fast to the belief that Germany has enough resources, far-right groups such as Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West have capitalized on the opportunity to gain followers.

Marches protesting the influx of asylumseekers have occurred up throughout the country, especially in eastern states like Saxony. Every week for more than a year protesters have gathered in the major square in Dresden, and their numbers are still growing. They’re not all extremists either: these are middle class workers and families who are scared—antiimmigration and anti-Islamic sentiments are prevalent in these regions.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of East and West Germany occurred just three decades ago, many Germans still feel as though their nationality is under threat. They fear the implications of a less homogenous, melting-pot, ‘Americanized’ society. In mid-October a mayoral candidate backed

by Angela Merkel’s party was stabbed in Cologne over immigration policy (but she won her election the next day). In many cities, refugee centers and mosques have

seen riots or even attacks.

However, it doesn’t take an extremist to worry that such a strong influx is unsustainable. State governments are working to prepare for expected teacher shortages in the tens of thousands— especially for those able to work around language barriers. Many are also concerned about employment issues, that the newcomers will take jobs and lower wages for existing workers.

Still others worry about the arrival of new infectious diseases, and experts agree that the ability for the universal health system to adapt to one million newcomers cannot be guaranteed. Many refugees have spent everything just to arrive in Germany and come with significant physical and mental health needs.

Even within Merkel’s own party, there are worries that Germany’s thoroughness and flexibility might not be enough. Compared to the rest of the EU, they wonder why Merkel insists on being so welcoming.It may have to do with reputation. The country with one of the politically rockiest 20th centuries on record would might have something to gain from reacting warmly when given the opportunity—especially if it involves religious inclusivity.

Merkel, who has taken selfies with some of the newcomers, has become especially vocal and strong willed about the crisis as a humanitarian responsibility to act. She sees it as her duty, her responsibility to put continental Europe’s strongest economy to good use.

If any country has bounced back from the financial crisis that swept Europe, it’s Germany.

On the topic of the economy, Germany expect a work force shortage in the coming years, and their declining birth rate does not bode well for supporting the dramatically aging population. Maybe Merkel knows something that the rest of Europe doesn’t: that people who are willing to learn the language and contribute to the workforce are more needed than ever before.

Despite Merkel’s model, other EU countries are hesitant to follow her lead.

Hungary responded by erecting a razor-wire

fence along the Serbian border, a major crossing point for asylum seekers.

“The problem is not a European problem; it is a German problem,” Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated.

The Czech Republic is responding much the same way, with one poll indicating that 94% of Czechs believe the EU should deport all refugees. Even Denmark has spent money on publicizing the difficulties of adjusting to Danish life and culture, and recently cut social benefits in half for asylum seekers.

Given its track record and its status as an EU border state, Hungary represents a prime example of European xenophobia.

The viral YouTube videos of welcoming train stations in Munich are mirrored by a video of a Hungarian reporter attempting to kick fleeing Syrian refugees.

As far as a consensus between European nations is concerned, a comprehensive solution seems far off. However, every day in many countries, strangers take a break for a couple hours and head to refugee centers to do little things—handing out water, organizing donations and playing soccer. These actions are not complicated or political, but they impact the lives of refugees. Whether or not one agrees with Chancellor Merkel, it’s hard to argue with her when she states “There will be no tolerance for those who call the dignity of others into question.”

Samuel Meyer is a junior Biology major. He is a staff writer for Drake Political Review. Sam is writing from Berlin, Germany, where he is studying abroad.

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POLI TICA L

COMPASSION OVER CAPACITY WRITTEN BY: HALEY BARBOUR The most important lessons taught in Amman, Jordan, are not taught in the classroom but on the streets of the city.

The refugee crisis in Syria is the most pressing example. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees nearly 1 million Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan. This has come at incredible cost to the Jordanian government, which has been told that the international community cannot lend the country more resources.

Jordan is a country made up of refugees.

It has been a small beacon of calm in a region of intense conflict that has spanned decades. However, as Jordan continues to accept refugees, the economy struggles under its burden of the crisis.

The heart-wrenching stories told on the streets of Amman push the issue beyond numbers on paper. Fifty people live in a one-bedroom apartment and work illegally for unfair wages to try to support their families.

The parents who can make it to the SyrianJordanian border without being killed know they are handing their children to the border police and likely turning around to die. One can hear the fear in the voice of a Jordanian citizen who does not have dual citizenship in the West and worries daily about what will happen to her if this conflict spills into Jordan. This crisis began impacting Jordan before the rise of ISIS, since the very beginning of the Syrian revolution.

The modern day Kingdom of Jordan was established after World War II. It was one of the first countries in the Middle East to become independent of any colonial power.

Jordan began accepting refugees in 1948 when Palestinians fled their homes in Israel and Palestine. Since then, it is estimated that more than 3 million refugees are residing peacefully in Jordan.

The conflict in Syria began as a civil war.

Many Syrians were moved to rise against President Bashar al-Assad in the midst

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JORDAN CONTINUES TO ACCEPT SYRIAN REFUGEES DESPITE FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS

of the Arab Spring. Initially the conflict was peaceful; people were protesting their government. In early 2011 Assad reacted violently fearing the Arab Spring, and this ultimately drove the country into civil war.

By the end of 2011 more than 60,000 people had fled Syria for Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. The violence in Syria dramatically increased throughout 2012.

UNHCR reported in December 2012 that more than 408,000 Syrians were living in the surrounding countries.

By 2013 the international community began to receive Syrian refugees in small numbers. It soon became apparent that the conflict in Syria was no longer government versus rebellion. Through the prolonged turmoil of a civil war countless sects had developed within the country.

Initially the rebellion consisted of people acting individually based on their own grievances with the Assad regime, but as leaders began to organize the movement it became clear that there was not one rebellion.

The sects and factions of the rebellion were fighting each other and the government.

Countries like the United States struggled to find a party to support in the conflict. The Western world attempted to find one group to support that had good intentions and enough power to impact change, but it became clear that some of the sects were more interested in wreaking havoc than establishing a democratic government.

Western nations never found a sect to back, and the conflict continued.

In early 2014 the Islamic State gained international attention when American journalist James Foley was beheaded on television by militant extremists. This event changed the Syrian conflict. By December 2014 an international coalition led by the United States was formed to combat ISIS. One million people were registered with UNHCR during 2014 alone. Today, more than 4 million Syrian refugees have sought

safety in the surrounding countries of Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.

Each of these countries is having a difficult time handling the strain that hundreds of thousands of people place on the economy, but Jordan specifically has been hurt. The country’s economy was not in good shape before the crisis broke out, and the crises only created more economic strain. Unemployment runs rampant, and the government has been forced to devote a great deal of federal funds toward supporting refugees through camps and social programs.

The international community did allot funds to Jordan to help. Yet, this money has come up hundreds of millions of dollars short of actual costs. The Jordanian Ministry of Planning has estimated that the costs of the infrastructure needs to accommodate the refugees will be $851 million, which is two percent of Jordan’s total GDP. Despite the costs, the government announced in February that a refugee camp will be built in northern Jordan.

This announcement has been met with domestic backlash from Jordanian citizens.

The protesters believe that the international community and the United Nations need to take a bigger role in dealing with the conflict; they do not believe Jordan should have to pay.

It appears that a large part of the existing costs, and the future costs, will be placed on Jordan. Because of the strain, Jordan has become stricter at their border with Syria.

Similarly, Lebanon and Turkey are feeling the intense burden.

The future of the crisis is unclear, yet the issue remains one of international importance as refugees continue to flock to Western Europe, Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

Haley Barbour is a junior Politics and International Relations double major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

POLI TICA L

LAND OF THE FREE? NOT WITH FORPROFIT PRISONS AMERICA CLAIMS THE HIGHEST INCARCERATION RATE IN THE WORLD. AND IT’S NO WONDER— SINCE CORPORATIONS MAKE MONEY OFF THEM. WRITTEN BY: SARAH LEBLANC DESIGNED BY: JUSTIN ATTERBURG The United States’ status as the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world runs contrary to the popular nationalist slogan “Land of the Free.”

Currently, over two million U.S. citizens and 100,000 illegal immigrants are incarcerated in state and federal prisons, with a significant percentage of these inmates housed in private prison facilities.

For-profit, prisons are correctional facilities controlled by private corporations or industries contracted by the government. Iowa is one of 13 states that do not have privately run prisons.

Responsible for six percent of state prisoners and 16 percent of federal prisoners, these facilities operate with the intent to save state money. However, the ACLU reports that private prisons are controversial due to their alleged use of prisoners for labor and the inhumane environments in which inmates are housed.

With presidential candidates flocking to Iowa and debating key issues in an effort to seize the presidential nomination and win the his or her party’s caucus, the issues of incarceration rates and immigration are on the forefront of the nation’s mind. A recent student panel with NPR’s Michel Martin at Drake University discussed priority issues for this election cycle— two of the three

panelists cited immigration as a primary concern, and the audience echoed these sentiments.

With respect to private prisons, immigration and incarceration intertwine.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 62 percent of incarcerated immigrants are housed in private facilities. Held for criminal activity or due to an illegal status, immigrants may be held for years while waiting for deportation, asylum or green cards. With thousands of immigrants being incarcerated by law enforcement officials, for-profit prisons have had to be built specifically for the more than 40,000 undocumented immigrants detained every year.

Several candidates including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have received funding from private prison companies such as the GEO Group and from the American Legislative Exchange Council,

which is funded by large private prison companies including the afformentioned GEO group and the Correction Corporation of America. However, not all candidates have explicitly mentioned private prisons in their campaign platforms.

In the 1990s, favorable economic conditions led then President Bill Clinton to reduce the federal workforce an. This resulted in the Justic Department contracting private prison companies for labor, which utilized incarcerated undocumented immigrants.

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34,000 Bed Quota

FOR - PROFIT PRISONS: THE NUMBERS cost per prisoner per day

$159

CCA & GEO revenue OVER HALF OF THIS COMES FROM HOLDING FACILITIES FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS

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have private prisons

In 2004 as a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, increases in the capacity of detention centers were declared mandatory, and in 2009, detention bed quotas were introduced.

Congress mandated in 2014 that 34,000 immigrants be detained every day. On a national scale, taxpayers must fund the detention of these immigrants at a cost of up to $120 per day.

Hector Salamanca Arroyo, of Des Moines, Iowa, is originally from Puebla, Mexico, and came to the United States with his family in 1996. He volunteers with Dream Iowa as the advocacy chair in working to empower and educate Latino youth regardless of their immigration status. The immigration detention mandate is of particular concern to his organization.

“Corporations are having an impact on the political process and impacting congress members in ways that have never been seen before,” Salamanca Arroyo said. “As long as that mandate continues, the private prisons who pushed for the mandate originally continue to reap profit and rewards because

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$3.3 BILLION

$2 BILLION /YEAR (cost to detain)

they have lucrative contracts with the federal government.”

One of Dream Iowa’s missions before the caucuses is to ask candidates about their position on immigration reform.

In addition, the organization hopes that when people vote in caucus, they suggest resolutions that bring up the need to eliminate the detention mandate and reduce corporate control over candidate policy making.

“This mandate was pushed through congress by the for-profit prison industry in order to make more money off the detention of immigrants,” Salamanca Arroyo said.

“These corporations have released in their own memos to their shareholders that if immigration reform were to pass it would hurt their bottom dollar.”

With a disproportionate amount of minorities in American prisons, jailing immigrants is not a recent development.

“The system is rooted in a history of racism, oppression or preference of one region from world over another region of the world,” Salamanca Arroyo said. “In order to move forward there has to be an addressing of

those issues.”

In Iowa, the argument for private prisons is based on the high cost to tax payers and the lack of space to house the growing incarcerated population.

According to the Federal Register, in 2012 the average cost to house a single prisoner per day hovered around $81 per day, or more than $29,000 annually.

Though private prisons may save states money and provide jobs, they are not necessarily stable sources of income when communities rely on the institution for their sole income. Until studies can clearly conclude whether private prisons successfully lower costs to the state while providing comfortable living conditions, Iowa legislators must decide between sustainability and affordability.

Sarah LeBlanc is a junior News/Internet Journalism and Politics double major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

LEGA L

UNPACKING THE PAC PROBLEM

WRITTEN BY: MADISON HOLMES DESIGNED BY: AMY MATHEWS In April of 2015, the Federal Election Commission reprimanded the political action committee Carly for America only months after its formation. Citing Supreme Court rulings, the FEC delivered a formal letter threatening to audit and take enforcement measures against the Super PAC. “Your committee’s name includes the name of a candidate; however your committee does not appear to be an authorized committee of the candidate,” Christopher Morse, the Senior Campaign Finance Analyst for the FEC explains in the letter. “You must amend your Statement of Organization to change the name of

IN POST-CITIZENS UNITED POLITICS, SUPER PACS HAVE BECOME AN IMPORTANT—AND CONTROVERSIAL— AVENUE FOR CHANGE.

your political committee so that it does not include that candidate’s name and/or provide further clarification regarding the nature of your committee.”

While an independent expenditure Super PAC has experiences an unparalleled amount of freedoms within the political arena, it cannot use the name of a candidate. The lack of official affiliation with a political candidate gives Super PACs more legal freedom when fundraising.

Days later Carly for America clarified their name, explaining the meaning behind CARLY as Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for You (CARLY) for America. Abiding by the FEC regulations, the Super PAC maintained their outward support for Carly Fiorina’s bid for the presidential nomination.

This is only one example of the new role Super PACs have been playing as candidates gear up for the 2016 presidential elections. In 2010 there were 83 Super PACs attempting to influence the United States’ political system.

Together, the Super PACs spent $62,641,448 and political speculators were quick to raise eyebrows at the new political machines.

With a full year until the 2016 presidential election, there are 1,360 registered Super PACs. These committees have spread like wildfire across the country, representing issues, candidates, and parties. They’re changing the political game with each dollar spent.

As of October 2015, CARLY for America had raised $3.5 million and spent only $1.3 million. None of that spending includes contributions from the committee to

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Carly Fiorina’s actual campaign. Instead, CARLY for America spends all of its money and resources on advertising, volunteer recruitment, poll development and pre-primary preparation.

While committees such as CARLY for America are not campaigns, their goals are very similar to those of a campaign. Super PACs are completely legal, but they weren’t always. Prior to the development of the Super PAC, corporations and unions were prohibited from donating to political campaigns and causes under the 1907 Tilman Act and the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, respectively. These restrictions remained the status quo until Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit corporation, challenged the law after being scrutinized for advertising their conservative commentary, “Hillary: The Movie.”

The corporation was sued for violating the McCain-Feingold Act with the advertisement of their movie.

The Act, part of the larger 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, prohibited corporations from using their own money to fund campaign communications for fear that unlimited spending would lead to corruption and unfair advantages. The case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court in 2010, where the court was forced to reconsider campaign spending altogether. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) concluded with a 5-4 decision in favor of Citizens United.

“Political speech is ‘indispensable to decision making in a democracy,’ and this is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation…First Amendment protections do not depend on the speaker’s ‘financial ability to engage in public discussion,’” Justice Stevens wrote in the majority opinion.

The decision redefined the role a Super PAC could play in a candidate’s run for office. Seemingly, the only restrictions a Super PAC would face was the requirement to disclose where their money is coming from and a restriction on contribution limits.

It was only months later when the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

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cited Citizens United in one of its rulings, declaring in SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission (2010) that committee contribution limits are unconstitutional.

This effectively allowed committees to raise as much money as they can from any given source, eliminating almost all restrictions on a committee’s financial resources.

“Contributions to groups that make only independent expenditures cannot corrupt or create the appearance of corruption,” the appellate court’s decision reads.

Through the two landmark decisions, Super PACs advocating on behalf of candidates, parties, and issues have seen their abilities to influence the political arena increase drastically. Five years later, Super PACs are getting smarter, changing their tactics and furthering their reach.

CARLY for America is just one example of this. Although PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with campaigns, they are able to organize using public information, such as events and schedules posted online. Using this tactic, CARLY for America is developing extensive field operations in key early states, especially Iowa and New Hampshire.

The Super PACs of Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio and John Kasich have all used publicly posted calendars to coordinate town hall meetings and campaign events with the candidates.

Because coordination is public, the events are completely legal, which allows Super PACs to take on responsibilities typically reserved for campaigns.

Not every 2016 candidate has a Super PAC. Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders have both disavowed Super PACs and the money they raise behalf of candidates.

Trump and Sanders are not alone in renouncing the growth of Super PACs. People for the American Way is an interest-based Super PAC working to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

“As a result of Citizens United we’re seeing skyrocketing amounts of money being spent in any election,” said Rio Tazewell, campaign coordinator for People for the

American Way. “Money in politics is the mother of all major issues of our time. At the surface, the fact is that members of Congress have to spend over half their time catering to special interests and that’s clearly out of line.”

As People for the American Way symbolizes, Super PACs offer opportunities for individuals to represent their own interests. Even an organization dedicated to eliminating Super PACs formed a Super PAC in order to garner the necessary support and influence to create change.

Other causes have also turned to Super PACs to exert influence in politics. NextGen Climate is an issue-advocacy Super PAC advocating on behalf of climate change.

NextGen Climate Iowa, the Iowa operation, works prevent natural disasters and promote American prosperity, relying heavily on social media and volunteer outreach to convince Iowans to vote on environmental issues.

The committee is a branch of a larger Super PAC based in Washington DC. They have major organizations in states with competitive races, including Iowa.

The entire Super PAC raised $77.8 million in 2014 and has already raised $5.3 million in 2015, more than CARLY for America by almost $2 million. They plan to continue this fundraising to reach their #50by30 goal, whereby they hope to call on all legislators and candidates to achieve 50 percent clean energy by 2030.

“We oppose Citizens United. But we have to accept the post-Citizens United world as it is,” Tessa Lengeling, Iowa press secretary for NextGen Iowa, said. “And until a different and more effective system is adopted, we will work within it. Rather than complain about money in politics and do nothing— particularly on issues as critical as climate change—we will take action and work within the system that we’ve got until we can change it.”

Madison Holmes is a junior Strategic Political Communication major. She is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

LEGA L

TOO LAX ON NALOXONE

WRITTEN BY: TREVOR BRIDGE DESIGNED BY: HANNAH LITTLE. KAREN KALTENHEUSER Heroin abuse, and the mortality associated with it, have experienced a resurgence in the 21st century, with deaths related to heroin overdose quadrupling between 2001 and 2013.

Even Iowa, a state with historically low levels of heroin use, has seen rates jump recently, from eight overdoses in 2012 to 20 in 2013.

A medication called naloxone is available that could be used by the family members or friends of heroin users to stop overdoses as they occur, but some thorny moral and legal questions have kept its use by nonhealthcare professionals illegal in several states, including Iowa.

Since the 1990s, prescription of potentially addictive opiate painkillers

THE DRUG HAS THE ABILITY TO REVERSE OVERDOSE SYMPTOMS AND SAVE LIVES. SO, WHY ISN’T IT MORE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED?

like hydrocodone and oxycodone for relief of chronic pain has increased dramatically.

These prescription drugs do not necessarily lead to addiction in every case, but as their use has expanded, so too has their abuse.

These addictions can lead patients to buy the drugs without insurance or illegally for thousands of dollars a month. The financial burden of painkiller addiction often leads patients to turn to heroin, a drug that works on the body similarly to opiate painkillers, but at a fraction of their price. While abusers of prescription drugs are not completely safe from the risk of overdosing, the variable purity and additives in heroin make it that much more dangerous. The rapid rise in new heroin users due to increased painkiller addiction, coupled with the Internet making globalized and anonymous trade easier than ever before, has created the ideal conditions

for this new heroin epidemic.

Naloxone works on the same receptors in the body that respond to heroin and cause its high and, in excessive concentrations, its overdose. However, when naloxone binds to these receptors it does not produce an effect like heroin, so it is able to effectively outcompete heroin and stop overdoses as they happen. When administered to an overdosing patient, naloxone can begin to stop potentially life-threatening symptoms like respiratory failure and dangerously low blood pressure within one to two minutes.

Naloxone is principally carried by emergency medical professionals like EMTs and in emergency departments in hospitals.

When a patient experiencing an overdose is discovered, usually by a friend or family member, they must wait until an ambulance arrives to receive treatment. Since deadly

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overdose symptoms can occur within 10 minutes, even this brief wait can be fatal.

This is where many experts and advocates for wider distribution of naloxone say that the prescription of naloxone to heroin addicts and others at high risk for opiate overdose can save lives.

Generic naloxone is available to medical professionals as a solution that must be drawn up from a vial into a syringe for administration to patients. However, naloxone is also available as Evzio, an auto-injector similar to Epipen, the popular injection system used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions. Evzio contains simple, step-by-step instructions, allowing people who are not medical professionals to learn how to use it. The idea is that it can be administered to overdosing patients by the person who discovers them. By treating victims of overdose as soon as possible, the effects of the overdose can be mitigated before they become life-threatening.

Although naloxone has been available since 1971, relatively low rates of heroin and opiate overdose in the late 20th century made the widespread distribution of the drug outside emergency medical personnel unnecessary. At present, only Iowa and five other state legislatures have not set up a protocol for the distribution of naloxone outside of institutional settings like emergency departments. Unfortunately, now that heroin overdoses are on the rise and no precedent for distributing the drug to nonhealthcare providers exists, legislators face somewhat of an ethical conundrum about whether legalizing take-home naloxone will ultimately help or harm efforts to reduce heroin and prescription drug abuse.

Supporters of legalizing and encouraging the prescription of take-home naloxone argue that stopping overdoses should be a priority of addiction treatment, and that reducing mortality from overdoses is vital to reducing levels of opiate dependence in the United States. Dr. Jeffrey Bratberg, the former president of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association and an advocate for expanding the pharmacist’s role in treating opiate addiction, believes that

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legalizing take-home naloxone is critical in allowing pharmacists to provide addiction treatment care.

“When thousands of pharmacists and student pharmacists receive training in how to provide overdose education to patients at risk of overdose, in addition to counseling on naloxone, our profession maintains credibility as one laser focused on medication safety and patient care,” Dr. Bratberg said.

Most opponents to the legalization of take-home naloxone do not discount its ability to save overdosing patients, but are instead concerned that its availability will encourage risky behavior among heroin users. If the means to stop overdoses is readily available without needing to go to a hospital and risk exposure of the addiction or imprisonment, then users might feel more comfortable taking higher and more toxic doses of the drug. Furthermore, if the risks associated with heroin use are reduced in this way, more non-users might be encouraged to try heroin for the first time. In essence, critics argue that take-home naloxone normalizes and tacitly condones heroin use, and that these potential harms outweigh the potential benefit that greater access to naloxone offers.

Bratberg is skeptical about these criticisms. “This is a pervasive myth, particularly among health care providers,” he said. “Several peer-reviewed studies fairly conclusively show that the exact opposite occurs - more patients with opioid use disorders enter treatment and use less drugs. This underscores the importance of expanding access and coverage of mental health services, substance treatment, and especially medication-assisted therapy as naloxone goes mainstream.”

The Iowa Medical Society supports and advocates for the legalization of take-home naloxone prescription in the state of Iowa. Last legislative term, the IMS drafted a measure to set up a system for naloxone distribution and training for non-medical professionals which passed the Iowa Senate with bipartisan support. It stalled in the House due to

concerns about the legal protection it provided overdose victims and those who report overdoses as well as disagreements over an amendment mandating insurance coverage of formulating the drug to contain ingredients that prevent abuse. The IMS hopes to reattempt passage of a bill providing take-home naloxone prescription protocols at the next legislative session through continued outreach and teamwork with legislators.

The Iowa Pharmacy Association also supports efforts to implement programs where pharmacists collaborate with other health care professionals to provide the best care in emergency or life-threatening situations, as well as the development of statewide protocols regarding public health.

Though the organization does not have an official stance on the issue of take-home naloxone in particular, Vice President of Professional Affairs Dr. Anthony Pudlo notes that the Iowa Pharmacy Association has a role to play in working on issues of prescription drug abuse.

“We align very closely with Iowa Medical Society’s stance on prescription drug abuse,” Pudlo said. “We have worked closely together to try to lead resolving the issues as health care professionals.”

Though Iowa currently lacks legislation regarding the prescription of take-home naloxone to heroin users and others at high risk of opioid overdose, the advocacy efforts of the Iowa Medical Society and the Iowa Pharmacy Association could very well lead to passage of laws that catch Iowa up with the 44 states that have already passed laws regarding this issue within the next few years. This legislation could keep Iowa’s IV drug users a little safer, encourage recovery treatment, and reduce the rates of heroin addiction and opioid misuse and addiction in our state.

Tevor Bridge is a 2018 PharmD/MBA candidate. He is a staff writer for Drake Political Review.

LEGA L

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

WRITTEN BY: MEGAN JOHNS DESIGNED BY: ZOE EKONOMOU, HANNAH ERICKSON In February 2015, nine Iowa senators introduced a piece of legislation that would reintroduce the death penalty in the state. The death penalty was abolished in Iowa in 1965.

Iowa politicians have previously discussed reinstating the death penalty, most notably

by Governor Terry Branstad during his 1994 reelection campaign after a particularly gruesome murder involving a nine-year-old girl. No legislation was able to pass in both houses, so Iowa does not currently allow for the death penalty as a punishment for any crime. Since then Branstad has not pushed for reinstatement but contends that his position has not changed and

IOWA DOESN’T ALLOW FOR THE DEATH PENALTY—BUT SHOULD IT?

that he would consider such a bill. The February legislation stated that the death penalty would be considered in cases where a minor was kidnapped, raped and murdered. While this bill was never heard by the Iowa legislature, it does raise many questions about the death penalty, particularly here in Iowa.

Senate File 239, the proposed bill, was co-sponsored by nine Republican senators, including Senator Randy Feenstra. Feenstra explained that he only supports this bill because the scope of death eligible cases is so limited. The argument is that someone who has committed two Class A-felonies— kidnapping and rape—currently has nothing to lose by murdering the victim. Senator Feenstra believes the possibility of a death sentence would prevent the murder. He

stated that the bill was intended to save even one life.

David McCord, a Drake Law professor who has studied the death penalty throughout his career, explains that the science on the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is contradictory. “You can find research that it does [deter crime], you can find research that it doesn’t,” he said. “None of it is definitive because it’s trying to measure a negative.

It is trying to hypothesize the number of people who didn’t commit a death eligible murder because they thought about getting that sentence. If they didn’t do it you can’t measure that.”

Death penalty legislation in all states requires aggravating circumstances for the prosecution to seek the death penalty. “Every state that has the death penalty has what are

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called aggravating circumstances. The murder has to have an aggravating circumstance in order to be eligible for a death sentence and many states have rape as an aggravating circumstance during a murder and many have that the victim was of a juvenile status as an aggravating circumstance,” McCord said. Aggravating circumstances are the factors that make the crime more outrageous. In this case, rape, kidnapping and that the victim was of a juvenile status would all be considered a single aggravating circumstance. The jury must find that all of these were met before sentencing the defendant to death.

“This legislation would only create one category of death eligible crime which would be very unusual,” McCord said. “All jurisdictions have multiple aggravating circumstances. If it were to pass it would be the most limited death eligibility criteria in the country.” The limited scope of this legislation was key to Feenstra’s support.

The death penalty is almost exclusively carried out through lethal injection. It would have likely been the method used in Iowa had the legislation passed. Death by lethal injection has become a divisive topic after several botched executions, including that of Clayton Lockett in April of 2014. Lockett’s execution was carried out with untested doses of a drug not commonly used in executions. The result was a painful, drawn out death where Lockett “groaned, writhed, lifted his head and shoulders off the gurney.”

Difficulties in obtaining the commonly used drugs have become more common recently. Dr. John Rovers, a pharmacy professor at Drake, describes how international trade plays a role in producing these difficulties.

“Increasingly these drugs are not manufactured in the United States,” said Rovers. “And the countries where they are manufactured are refusing to send them to the United States if they’re going to be used for lethal injection.”

Rovers went on to explain that states are using compounding pharmacies to create new drugs that can be used. “States are literally making up lethal injection cocktails on the fly. They have no idea what’s going to

happen. They are using doses that have never been used in humans before and as a result there is no prediction of what’s going to happen. It’s the wild west,” said Rovers.

In October of this year alone, Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana and Texas have struggled with lethal injection incidents, while Nebraska announced it will be holding a statewide referendum deciding whether or not to abolish the death penalty in 2016.

Currently all states with the death penalty use the lethal injection as their primary

substantial when compared to a known and available alternative method of execution,” Justice Samuel Alito said in the majority’s decision.

In other words, there is no better execution method than death by lethal injection, even with untested combinations of drugs, and so it must be allowed because the death penalty is allowed in the United States. Such issues have concerned legislators deciding on issues of the death penalty, such as Feenstra. Feenstra agreed that performing the execution can be difficult. He believes in finding a “humane” way to execute someone but did not know what STATES ARE LITERALLY that was exactly.

While the current fate of the death MAKING UP LETHAL penalty is uncertain, the frequency of its use nationwide is certainly in INJECTION COCKTAILS ON decline. “The death penalty, while not THE FLY. THEY HAVE NO IDEA abolished by the Supreme Court, is shrinking dramatically, McCord said.

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. “For example, in 1994 there were 308 death sentences nationwide. In 2004 THEY ARE USING DOSES there were 131 and in 2014 there were 73. That’s a 75 percent decline in death THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN sentences over a 20 year period.”

USED IN HUMANS BEFORE Part of this, according to McCord, can be explained by a decline in AND AS A RESULT THERE IS murders. McCord does not believe the Supreme Court will rule that the death NO PREDICTION OF WHAT’S penalty is unconstitutional anytime GOING TO HAPPEN. soon though. He does see the Iowa proposal to reinstate it as “extremely unusual” given the overall decline in method in executions, but with the recent the use of the death penalty. The proposed difficulties in obtaining lethal injection law was not even heard on the Senate floor. drugs, some states have begun looking for “Legislation gets proposed periodically alternative methods. In Tennessee, the use with respect to a particularly bad child of the electric chair is permitted if officials murder…but as long as the democrats cannot obtain the necessary drugs. Utah control one house of the legislature it’s allows for death by firing squad in the same not going to go anywhere,” said McCord. instance. In November, Oklahoma will allow Currently in Iowa Democrats control the for death by nitrogen gas asphyxiation when Senate so it seems unlikely the bill would they are unable to obtain the drugs they use have been passed. The increasing challenges for lethal injections. in obtaining the drugs necessary for lethal Death by the specific drugs used in injection may continue as a barrier for Lockett’s case has been upheld by the death sentences.

Supreme Court in Glossip v. Gross (2015)

when a few Oklahoma inmates attempted Megan Johns is a junior Public Relations and to argue that lethal injection should, as Politics double major. She is a staff writer for it was being performed, be considered Drake Political Review. unconstitutional. “Petitioners failed to establish that any risk of harm was

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“

Study Strategic Political Communication in the Center of It All Be part of Drake’s new Strategic Political Communication major at the center of it all! Drake offers students the chance to learn strategic communication strategy from experienced faculty and apply your learning to the exciting world of politics and advocacy. Nestled in the heart of Des Moines, Iowa, your classroom extends across the state that hosts the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses. You’ll be prepared to take advantage of unmatched opportunities for internships, experience, networking, and on-the-ground application.

Learn more about Drake’s Strategic Political Communication major by visiting sjmc.drake.edu, or by contacting Jennifer Glover Konfrst at 515-271-3167 or jennifer.gloverkonfrst@drake.edu.

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