10-Year
Class of 1998
Reunion dates ― October 3 & 4, 2008
Hello everyone!
Yes, it’s another letter from the college you went to almost a decade ago. In fact, it was almost exactly 10 years to the day that we donned our caps and gowns, walked across campus, and were allowed to sweat in the sun for a couple of hours before being told we were officially evicted. Oh, well. All good things, and all that.
My name is Nate Saul, you’ve heard from me before, and in order to keep my part short, I just want to say that I have a really bad cold, my wife is having twins any minute (well, any day, I guess, but who can tell?), I’m still remodeling our house to fit the two additional tax deductions, and I’m stuck working overtime at the Guthrie to top it all off. So of course, I really, really, really want to write a long letter. It will tell you all about how important it is to help our class raise money for the Alumni Fund, and how much we want you all to come to the Ten Year Reunion this October. I’ll wax eloquent about our great times on campus, and tempt you with offers of tours and activities to re-acquaint you with Gustavus after ten years of absence.
On second thought, I think there are others who can do that better. So they will write those parts of the letter. I’ll just give you a small sampling of what some of your classmates are doing with their lives.
CLASS NEWS
Rachel Dault Hudson
is living in Arden Hills and is a professor of biology at
Sheryl Filby Williams and her husband, Jim, had a son, Jasper Filby, on March 21 of this year.
Paul Jessup was
recently promoted to the position of vice president at Bank of America Bank in
Jason Klipsic is
working as a medical software consultant in
Kate McFadden is working for Habitat for Humanity as a corporate relations specialist.
Landon and Rebecca Moen Pirius had a daughter,
Audra K’Lynn, on
Emily Pohland Schultz and her husband, Stephen, had two babies, William Edward and Cooper Thomas, also on March 21 of this year. I’m totally calling them for advice (although ours are two girls).
Sharron Sturgeon
is attending graduate school at
Aneka Swanson works in the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as a pollution control specialist.
Aleida George Zollman
is living in
Now, on to the parts of the letter written by people less sleep deprived than I. Hope to see you in October!
Nate
Saul
Communications Co-chair
Greetings from
I think I was asked at least a hundred times while I was at
Gustavus, “You’re from
There is a Gustavus sticker in my car’s rear window, my keys are on a Gustavus lanyard, my dog has a Gustavus leash, my own two future Gusties, Sophia and Caden, have mini-Gustavus gear, and I wear my college sweatshirts with pride. I am always thrilled when someone approaches me and says they went to Gustavus or have a relative that did. As you know, Gusties are everywhere. Maybe I’m just a sentimental sap, but I don’t think there is a day that goes by that something, a song or an expression or something I learned while at Gustavus, doesn’t make me smile and think fondly of good ol’ GAC.
I was asked to write a little bit about our sophomore year which, I’d like to throw out, is the only year I can remember that classes were ever cancelled due to snow and cold. It is a year I remember ice skating and giggling in the ice-covered parking lot in front of Co-ed. By our sophomore year, as one does with any “second year” of something, we had things pretty well figured out. We were able to choose who we wanted to be roommates with, which dorm we wanted to live in, and, possibly, what our major would be. Or perhaps you were one of those who held out until our junior year when we were forced to decide on a major. We definitely had a comfort level with campus that enabled us to really get involved with the plethora of activities going on at Gustavus.
One of my most memorable and honorable memories of my life
was the Festival of St. Lucia. One
notion that has really stayed with me from being
I hope that all of you in the class of 1998 will come to
campus in October to celebrate, reminisce, and reconnect. I am so excited to come that I’ve already
arranged for my substitute five months ahead of time to take care of my kindergarten
class while I am in
Sincerely,
Keegan
O’Brien Louis
1998
THE
On Saturday October 4th we will be gathering at Gustavus for
a tailgate party, tours of the campus and the homecoming game in the new
football stadium. Then there will be
opportunity to chill with your classmates and significant others at a cocktail
hour and banquet in Alumni Hall. We plan
to have childcare provided during cocktail hour and the banquet, as well as
shuttle service from
GIVING
The month of May is your last chance to get in the “Honor Roll of Donors” prior to the reunion for this fiscal year. In addition there are matching funds for those donations received in May. Remember we are trying to raise enough money for one year of tuition, room and board at Gustavus. If you cannot give in May, do not fear- reunion classes will count all donations through October 3, so you still have a little more time. Plus you can pledge a donation over three years! Go Gusties; help support the future of Gustavus!
CAMPUS NEWS
New Gustavus
President Announced
The Board of Trustees of Gustavus has elected Jack R. Ohle
to be the College’s 15th president. Ohle, currently the president of
Honoring Years of
Service and Retirees
Gustavus will honor Claude Brew, professor of English; Bill Heidcamp, professor of biology; Kathie Martin, inter-library loan manager; Gregory Mason, professor of English; and Lawrence Potts, professor of chemistry, upon their retirement and other faculty and administrators for their years of service at a May 22 banquet on campus.
Gusties Gather! Hosts
Needed
Gusties around the world are called to gather on Sunday, Sept. 28. The Alumni Board is designating this day as a day to intentionally connect with other Gusties. Want to do more to be connected with Gustavus? Sign up to host a Gusties Gather! event for your neighborhood or with your friends. To learn more about Gusties Gather! go to: Gustavus.edu/alumni/reunion/GustiesGather.php
Your Gift is Twice as
Nice from May 1 to May 25
The Gustavus Alumni Fund goal is to raise $1.95 million from
8,000 alumni donors by May 31. So far
6,100 alumni have contributed $1.5 million toward our goal. The Gustavus Board
of Trustees has created a $50,000 challenge match for any gift to the Gustavus
Alumni Fund from May 1 to May 25 to help achieve the goals. Take advantage of this 1:1 matching
opportunity to double your
gift by
Athletics
Softball clinched a spot in the MIAC playoffs and
Julie Mahre became the Gustavus career hits leader with 207 hits. The men's tennis team is the MIAC
regular season and playoff champions and will be appearing in the NCAA
tournament for the 15th consecutive year. The women's tennis team won its 17th
consecutive MIAC Title. Junior Lisa
Brown finished seventh in the javelin at the prestigious Drake Relays
with a career best effort 156 feet, 5 inches; she was the only non-Division I
competitor to finish in the top ten and broke her own school record by nearly
two feet. Brown's mark of 156-5 is the
best mark in Division
See you in October!
1998