Class of 2005

May 2007

Greetings fellow Gusties,

Can you believe that it’s been two years since we’ve left the comfort of our lives on the Hill? Crazy! It’s been so fun to see what everyone has been up to these days and how their lives have been progressing.

I am still working at News America Marketing and love my job. I’m an account director at NAM and help clients such as General Mills, Dairy Queen, and 3M with their objectives to see if we can create any synergistic marketing plans between the client and News America Marketing. I was just at Campbell Mithun, a Minneapolis based creative agency a few weeks ago giving a presentation on behalf of one of my clients and found myself in a room full of Gusties!

In fact, these Gusties are everywhere. If you go to the local watering hole/bowling alley, The Park Tavern in St. Louis Park, you are bound to find some singing karaoke on a Saturday night. Or take a drive into Uptown and visit The Drink and Bar Abilene. While you’re there, check out those at William’s who are eating peanuts, enjoying large mugs of beer, and reminiscing about the good ol’ days at the Flame.

Anyways, enough of an introduction; here’s a recap of what some people are doing these days:

Alec Nord is pursuing a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is specializing in environmental planning/natural resource management. Chris VanHoven is working at Northwest Airlines as an analyst. Valerie Johnson and Rachel Hanson are living together in St. Louis Park. Val is an accountant at CB Richard Ellis. Katie Aplin is working for Wells Fargo Financial as a credit manager.

Angie Crowley is a mental health disability claims specialist for Assurant Employee Benefits. She is engaged to Steve Chismar who is working for Federated Insurance. They are getting married this September. Angie, Kelsey Hanson, and I all live together in Plymouth.

Caitlin Severinson is living in Golden Valley and working as a talent specialist for Pro Staff in Minneapolis. Lindsey Toppin is an assistant product manager in the Sourcing Department at Wilson’s Leather. She is engaged to Erik Severinson ’03 and they are getting married in June! Sean Smith is in business development/commercial investment sales at First Capital Commercial Services in Eden Prairie. Sean lives with Ben Eklo, Isaac Sieling, and Karl Spilseth in Bloomington.

Congratulations to Kelsey Getz who is graduating from the University of St. Thomas with her master’s in counseling! Scott Wegner is a ski patroller at Snowbird Ski Resort and living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Carissa Herzog is a nurse at United Hospital and engaged to be married to Jeff Roach in September.

Jenny Kramer is an assistant account executive at Weber Shandwick. Congratulations to Megan Johnson who married Luke Friedrich on September 30, 2006. Gina Mueller is the resource development/marketing coordinator for United Way of Kandiyohi County. She is planning an August wedding with her fiancé Cole Leisure.

A big thanks goes out to Jeremy Wilson for serving our country in the National Guard. May God watch over you. Lyz (Baranowski) Lenz is working as a documentary film writer for the American Visions Group in Iowa. Kirsten Mickelsen is a graduate student at Indiana University. Alysen Farran is an associate planner at Macy’s in the women’s department. She lives in Uptown with Steph Handahl.

Well that’s all I could come up with! Before you read the news from Gustavus, I need to remind you to give back to Gustavus. Send a check or donate online to show your support and thanks for the education that Gustavus has provided you with. Your donation does so many wonderful things to support Gustavus: academics, athletics, extracurricular programs, and the current students that are attending this fine institution that we were so blessed to attend. Gifts to the Gustavus Alumni Fund need not be large to make a real difference; every dollar that alumni donate helps.

CAMPUS NEWS

Gustavus Forensics Team Continues to be National Leader

The Gustavus Adolphus College Forensics Team participated in the 30th American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) in April, earning a top 20 national ranking for the first time in school history. Fourteen of the top 20 schools are Division I institutions. The team has had a full schedule of tournaments this year, although the AFA-NIET is considered by many to be the most competitive collegiate forensics tournament in the country.

Refer a Gustie

Are there outstanding students in your church or neighborhood? Are there sophomores or juniors in high school who are related to you or are friends of your family and whom you think could be a good fit at Gustavus? Please send their names to the Office of Admission at Gustavus to help recruit the next generation of Gusties.

Gusties Gather! Hosts Needed

Gusties around the world are called to gather on Sunday, September 30^th. The Alumni Board is designating this day as a day to intentionally connect with other Gusties. In its inaugural year last August, 60 hosts planned events. Want to do more to be connected with Gustavus? Sign up to host a Gusties Gather! event for your neighborhood or with your friends. Sign up by contacting Alumni Board member Dick Swenson ’62 at: rcswenson64@comcast.net or 612/824-8052.

A Royal Affair — Razzle Dazzle

Save the date! Saturday, October 27, 2007 is Gustavus Library Associates’ biennial benefit for the Gustavus Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library. It will be held at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, MN.

If you have volunteer time to offer . . .

If you have an auction item to donate, or know someone who does . . .

If you know someone who should receive an invitation . . .

If you would like to contribute financially to defray expenses . . .

We’ll welcome your call today!

Co-chairs: Susan Engelsma Wilcox ’73, 952/944-5972 and Nacia Dahl ’92, 952/808-3212.

Rare Flower to Bloom at Gustavus

A Titan Arum or Amorphophallus titanum, otherwise known as a Corpse Flower, is nearing bloom in the Department of Biology’s greenhouse and is expected to flower sometime in the next few weeks. The first known Corpse Flower to bloom in Minnesota, this rare flowering plant is found only in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. The largest un-branched inflorescence in the world, the flower’s name comes from the repulsive scent it omits during and after its bloom period. The plant’s cluster of flowers can grow to almost 10 feet, although the plant at Gustavus is expected to bloom slightly smaller. “This plant is one of the wonders of the botanical world,” says Brian O’Brien, associate professor of chemistry who received and planted the seeds in 1993.

Upcoming Alumni Events

Class of 1962 - 45th Anniversary Reunion — May 25 and 26

Class of 1957 - 50th Anniversary Reunion — May 25 and 26

50 Year Club Reunion — May 25 and 26

Gusties Gather! — Sept. 30

Homecoming — Oct. 13

A Royal Affair — Oct. 27

I think that’s about it. Enjoy your summer and we’ll see you in the fall for Homecoming!

Best regards,

Anne Shipley

2005 Class Agent