Gustavus Adolphus College gustavus.edu alumni@gustavus.edu

October 1999

Hail to thee, loyal Gusties who after 47 years of these class letters still give on. I salute you and crown you with honors!

A grade-schooler hoped to be chosen for a part in the school play, but wasn’t, yet came home eyes shining with pride and excitement as he gleefully announced, "I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer!"

And so have I. Chosen to clap and cheer for the good ol’ class of ’38, 44 of whom are among the living as of 1998 and listed as givers since 1957 when the annual fund was started.

I report on some both "naughty and nice" aspects of giving patterns in our 41 annual giving years:

Our 1999 giving gladdened my heart, $31,566. Yet eleven classmates were in the goose egg column and six were at $25 or less.

A young schoolboy clapped and cheered for his baseball team on the playing field and was asked, "How come you’re yelling for your team when it is 19 runs behind?" He replied, "But my team ain’t been to bat yet!" That’s optimism. And I’m optimistic that each of us survivors will step up to the plate and slam homers for the 2000 Gustavus Fund. Let’s beat the ’99ers! That’ll take some grand slammers with heavy hitters.

Each year I get happier and happier that I’m a Gustie. I never cease to marvel about how Gustavus advances, reaches new heights, becomes a Greater Gustavus. It’s just mind-boggling! For example, kids are cramming the halls to get into Gustavus. There’s a backlog of over 400 applicants that there’s not room for in housing, class space, professors and even parking spaces. There’s no evidence of the tornado on campus―1600 trees have been planted. National magazines are hailing our college as top notch. The new student center is a winner. Athletic facilities are high grade. In the plans are to put up another residence hall to make the college "on campus."

I was on campus several times of late. It’s gorgeous, fresh-looking and proudly stands atop the old hill. Our bucks help make it all possible. Our Gustavus Quarterly issue after issue gives us reason to be proud of our alma mater. Let’s boost that pride with our bucks.

The 1999-2000 academic year opened with a record enrollment of 2,490 full-time students (compared with the previous record of 2,474 set last year), including 660 first-year students. Students returned to the new Campus Center housing the Evelyn Young Dining Room, the new Book Mark, post office, health service, and printing service. Renovation of the old dining service building will continue with expected completion in February. The renovation project will provide office space for student organizations, Office of Admission, specialty dining areas, Dean of Students office, and a faculty and staff center. Summer construction also included the landscaping of parking lots on the north end of campus. The landscaping provides a welcoming appearance to the College and helps break-up the "frozen tundra" between Norelius Hall and the Campus Center.

Gustavus Adolphus College is once again ranked among the best of all national liberal

arts colleges in U.S. News and World Report's 13th annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings. Gustavus is again in the top 80 of the overall quality listings for national liberal arts colleges. Ranked again in the second tier in the national liberal arts college category, Gustavus is one of only two Minnesota colleges included in the 38-college tier two listing and one of four Minnesota colleges ranked in the top 80. Gustavus is also included in the Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine list of "100 great values" among the nation's 1,600 private schools. The "Private Colleges Worth the Price" article appears in the September 1999 magazine. Gustavus is one of only four Minnesota colleges named a Top 100 Value in Private Colleges. The list is based on academic and financial measures.

Some exciting changes are in store for class reunions. Starting next year, all class reunions, except for the 50-Year Club and the 50^th Anniversary Class, will be held in the fall at Homecoming, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 29 & 30, 2000. Classes celebrating reunions at Homecoming will include ’55, ’60, ’65, ’70, ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90 & ’95. Reunion dates for the 50-Year Club and the Class of 1950 are May 26 & 27, 2000, Commencement Weekend.

The Gustavus Library Associates Once upon a holiday … A Royal Affair, is Saturday, November 13 at the Radisson South Hotel, Bloomington. Information and registration material was inserted in the Summer Quarterly.

Christmas in Christ Chapel, Even so, come, Lord Jesus, is December 3-5. A ticket order form was inserted in the Summer Quarterly. Tickets are only available for Friday and Sunday evening performances.

Alumni Chapters will be meeting again this year so mark your calendars today: Washington, DC, November 5; Boston, November 6; Chicago, December 11; Atlanta, January 31; Marco Island, February 5; Tucson, February 7; Phoenix, February 8; Sun City, February 9; Seattle, March 3; Bay Area, March 4; Los Angeles, March 5; San Diego, March 6; Denver, March 7.

ALUMNILLENNIUM 2000 - The Gustavus Artist Series -- For 30 years, the Artist Series has brought world-class artists to campus for performances, exhibitions and residencies. This year the tables turn as the Series features and celebrates the accomplishments of our alumni artists as they enter the new millennium, ALUMNILLENNIUM 2000. The Fall Series opened September 18 with the jazz trio October, featuring Andrew Benson ’95, Brian Rowe ’95 and Nik Lindell ’95; followed by the music of Steve Heitzeg ’82, September 25. David Esbjornson ’75 directs a one-woman Virginia Woolf play on October 8; organist Timothy Strand ’82 presents his recital on November 14; and tenor Mark Thomsen ’78 will present a vocal recital on November 21. Spring semester events include an alumni art exhibiton in February; a concert by Neal Hagberg ’81 and Leandra Peak ’83 on February 19; pianist Stephen Carlson ’92 on March 4; and Peter Krause ’87, better known as Casey McCall on ABC's SPORTS NIGHT, will be in residency in April. Other events may be scheduled through the fall of 2000 as well. Ticket information and complete schedule will be posted to the Fine Arts Calendar on the Gustavus website.

Following extensive work to Christ Chapel's magnificent pipe organ this summer, a three-concert series of organ recitals has been planned for the fall. Christ Chapel Organist, Dr. David Fienen opened the series with Organ Works by Charles-Marie Widor on October 10 at 7:30 p.m. Volodymyr Koshuba, Organist of the Kiev Concert Hall of Organ and Chamber Music and the

Ukraine's "Honored Artist" for 1998, will present a recital on November 4 at 7:30 p.m. The final recital, mentioned in the ALUMNILLENNIUM 2000, is a recital by Timothy Strand ’82, Organist and Music Director for St. Luke's Episcopal in Minneapolis, on November 14, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Fienen and Strand recitals are free of charge. The Koshuba recital, sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, will have tickets available at the door.

You’ll note in the next issue that another of our stalwart classmates has moved on to "greater glory," my dear brother, Richard A. Anderson, at the age of 84 of Wildwood, Florida. He was an outstanding Gustie, noted as a Gustavian Weekly writer and editor and chief editor of our 1938 year book. He ranked high in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was CEO of his own aluminum extruders association. He died on June 24 leaving spouse, Virginia, three married sons, a daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Peace be to his memory.

I clap and cheer for each of you, often give thanks for your loyalty and gift giving. You all comprise a splendid network of believers in the Holy Trinity, country and Gustavus in that order.

Remember always "God Blesses!"

Tom Wersell

1938 Class Agent