Author: Carl Olsen (Carl Olsen)

Through the most wrenching pain shines the light of hope. That is the theme of "Trauma Reflected in Art," an art show of works and essays created by students at the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo, Iowa.

Drake University art professor Phillip Chen is one of 30 visual artists nationwide selected to receive a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation 2005 Biennial Competition Award of $20,000 based on their talent, promise and individual artistic strength.

The Drake Theatre Arts Department was featured in the Spotlight article in the December issue of Stage Directions magazine under the headline "More than a laboratory of learning, Drake University bridges the gap between academia and the real world.

The Drake University Chamber Choir, conducted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier, toured England in January, performing in the cathedrals of Salisbury and Ely, at St. John's College Chapel at Cambridge University and at St. James Piccadilly and The Grosvenor Chapel in London.

In an effort to drive up reading for pleasure among students, Cowles Library has issued a series of posters showing Drake luminaries with their favorite books.

Drake University has received a $15,000 grant for the Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children's Rights at the Drake Legal Clinic from the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation's Community Impact Fund.

Bulldog Bashes are confirmed or in the works in cities nationwide for this May/June. Check out the full list on the alumni page of upcoming events, https://wwww.drake.edu/alumni/events.html, or call the Drake Alumni Office at (515) 271-2500 with questions.

As Drake continues to celebrate its 125th anniversary, we're seeking items from the past for a historical display in downtown Des Moines. We're looking for old freshman beanies, sweaters, cheerleading uniforms, posters, pennants or other knickknacks

Bring a printed copy of this e-mail to University Bookstore for a 10 percent discount on any one item of new Drake athletic or academic logo merchandise. If ordering via telephone or online, mention the eBlue e-mail to receive the discount.