The Yellow Sheet for Oct. 16, 2003October 16, 2003 | Volume 36, Number 5

News & Announcements

Amended Weapons Policy... The College recently amended its weapons policy to the following:

"It is the College's intention to bar firearms from its property. Absent express written authorization -- from the President or a Vice President of the College -- students and employees are prohibited from using, storing, or possessing weapons, fireworks, or explosives on property owned or controlled by the College and/or in the course of any College program or employment responsibility during the term of enrollment or employment. Weapons may include, but are not limited to, firearms, pellet guns, bows and arrows, martial arts equipment, switchblade knives, swords, large knives, and clubs. Violators of this policy are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with College policy and procedures."

At this time, signs banning guns will not be posted at every entrance to every building on campus. But the following notice to campus guests and visitors will be posted at entrances to the College, in parking lots most frequently used by visitors:

Welcome to Gustavus. Campus visitors are asked to secure weapons in vehicles or with the Office of Safety and Security. Thank you.

Members of the campus community who become aware of firearms on campus should contact Safety and Security (x8888) immediately with details. Security personnel will follow up on these reports, seeking to enforce College policy applicable to students and employees and, with the assistance of the St. Peter Police Department, if necessary, the request made of all campus visitors. Visitors who fail to comply with the request regarding weapons will be asked to leave campus. Anyone who has questions or comments about these new measures should contact Vice President Hank Toutain (x7526 or htoutain@gustavus.edu) or President Jim Peterson (x7538 or jpete@gustavus.edu).

Theft from Automobiles... The St. Peter Police Department and Safety and Security are investigating several vehicle break-ins and related thefts across campus and the surrounding city streets over the past several weeks. Direct any information, concerns, or questions to Safety and Security (x8888) or the St. Peter Police Department (931-1550).

Alumni Award Nominations Sought... The alumni office is seeking help in identifying alumni nominees for the Greater Gustavus Award, Distinguished Alumni Citations, and First Decade Awards. Awards will be presented by the Gustavus Alumni Association in 2004. Past award recipients may be reviewed at http://gustavus.edu/alumni/alumni_assoc/awards.cfm. A description of each award follows:

• The Greater Gustavus Award is awarded to those "who by deed, have notably advanced and aided Gustavus Adolphus College." It is the highest award given by the alumni association. The alumni office requests that nominees not be made aware of their nomination.
• The Distinguished Alumni Citation "recognizes outstanding and exceptional professional achievement, such as to bring unusual honor to the individual in his or her field of endeavor. Criteria appropriate to selection shall include the difficulty of accomplishment; quality, creativity, and distinctiveness of performance; recognition by professional peers; and lasting contribution to the world of ideas and affairs. While the citation is a professional award, humanitarian achievements may also be weighed." The alumni office requests that nominees not be made aware of their nomination.
• The First Decade Award "recognizes early professional achievement" to one male and one female in the 10th anniversary class. Nominees this year will be from the Class of 1994. Ten men and ten women are selected by a selection committee made up of classmates and are notified and asked to provide a resume or curriculum vita.

Anyone wishing to make a nomination should contact Randy Stuckey (rstuckey@gustavus.edu). Information to substantiate each nominee would be appreciated. Nominations should be submitted by Nov. 1.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Chapel Schedule... All are invited to the worship services at 10 a.m. weekdays and 10:30 a.m. Sundays in Christ Chapel. The upcoming schedule is as follows:

• Oct. 17 -- Fall Break, No Chapel;
• Oct. 19 -- Fall Break, No Chapel;
• Oct. 20 -- Fall Break, No Chapel;
• Oct. 21 -- Joyce Sutphen;
• Oct. 22 -- Morning Praise;
• Oct. 23 -- Kari Lipke, Blessing of the Animals;
• Oct. 24 -- International Day; and
• Oct. 26 -- Reformation Sunday, Chaplain Rachel Larson.

Upcoming Administrator Meetings... Meetings for all administrators have been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17 in the Heritage Room (Banquet Room B). Submit suggestions for agenda items to Jolene Christensen (jolene@gustavus.edu).

Mark Twain Lecture Tuesday... Paleontologist and historian Stephen Rowland from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will present a lecture, titled "Geology and Paleontology in the Writings of Mark Twain," at 4 p.m. Oct. 21 in Nobel Hall, room 125. Rowland's presentation will examine Twain's musings on the fossil record and the scientists themselves. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Russell Shapiro (x7307).

Colombian Women Visit Tuesday... All are welcome to 1of 2 presentations by 3 Colombian women at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in Alumni Hall or 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in Linner Lounge. The women will speak about personal experiences with the conflict in Colombia, how communities are building peace every day, and how U.S. communities can support peace building in Colombia through prayer and advocacy. The women are touring the Midwest through the efforts of Lutheran World Relief. These presentations are sponsored by Women's Studies, Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies, the Chaplains Office, the Community Service Center, and the Center for Vocational Reflection.

Animal Blessing Oct. 23... The Blessing of the Animals will take place during Chapel at 10 a.m. Oct. 23. Animals that cannot be present will be blessed by name and recently departed animal companions will be remembered by name. To bring an animal, register the animal ahead of time and plan to leash, kennel or otherwise control the animal during the service. All names and registrations may be sent to Kari Lipke (klipke@gustavus.edu or x6077).

Theatrical Dance Concert Opens Oct. 23... Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project explore the death of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay college student, in "The Laramie Project," a theatrical dance concert showing at 8 p.m. Oct. 23-25 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26 in Anderson Theatre. Shepard was beaten and left to die near Laramie, WY. The presentation will explore the meanings of this tragedy and answer questions, like: Why did this happen? Why in Laramie? Talk-backs and panel discussions will follow most performances. Cost is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at the ticket center (x7590).

Talk Shop Oct. 24... Janine Wotton (psychology) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2003-04 academic year. Her talk, titled "A Mathematical Model of Auditory System Processing," will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. The abstract for this and future talks may be viewed at the Gustavus homepage under the Information for Faculty link/Faculty Resources or by going directly to http://gustavus.edu/events/shoptalks/.

Our Story Conference Oct. 24-25... The 4th annual Our Story Conference, titled "An American Dilemma: The Growing Gender Gap in the African American Community," will take place Oct. 24 and 25 on campus. Keynote speaker will be Alan Page, Associate Justice, Minnesota Supreme Court. Historical strides on campuses and in the workplace, along with professional progress, are making African Americans rethink old notions of race, class, and romance. The Pan Afrikan Student Organization has adopted this topic and is hopeful that through the various speakers, meetings, workshops, and celebrations, participants will walk away with a better understanding of this complex issue. Participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts and their stories. This conference is sponsored by the Office of Diversity.

Linnaeus Symposium Nov. 4... Wade Davis, noted anthropologist and botanical explorer, will be coming to campus as the first Linnaeus Symposium lecturer-in-residence. Davis will be on campus for 2 days meeting with students and participating in the classroom. He will also present a public lecture, titled "The Healing Forest: The Ethnobotanical Search for New Medicines." A book-signing and reception will follow the lecture. Davis is a well-known ethnobotanist, photographer, and best-selling author. His fieldwork has taken him to remote areas of Peru, Tibet, Kenya, and the high Arctic. He spent more than 3 years in the Amazon and Andes as a plant explorer and lived among 15 indigenous groups in 8 Latin America countries while gathering some 6,000 botanical collections. Samplings of his recent writings include One River (1996) and Shadows in the Sun (1998). Davis has published scientific and popular articles on subjects ranging from Haitian voodoo to the global biodiversity crisis. The Linnaeus Symposium is the final event this year in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Linnaeus Arboretum. This visit is sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Friends of Linnaeus Arboretum. For more information, contact: Dana Lamb or Dean Wahlund (x7520).

Off-campus Events of Interest

Farm History Presentation Oct. 26... Stephen Hoffbeck, author and associate professor of history at Minnesota State University, Moorhead, will present a program based on his book, titled The Haymakers: A Chronicle of Five Farm Families, at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Treaty Site History Center. A fascinating and moving story for anyone interested in agriculture, history, and farm family life on the land, Hoffbeck will describe the history of haymaking in Minnesota from the mid-1800s to the farm crisis in present times. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free for Nicollet County Historical Society members and children under 12; $4 for non-members.

Extraordinary People

Bob Douglas, geography, presented a talk, titled "Early Geographical Explorations of the Minnesota River Valley," Oct. 7 at the Le Sueur County Historical Society annual meeting. Also, Douglas presented "Joseph Nicollet's Map and GPS" Oct. 9 at the Minnesota Geographic Information Systems/Land Information Systems Consortium in St. Paul.

Dennis Henry, physics, presented an invited paper, titled "An Illustrated History of St. Paul Union Depot," to the annual meeting of the Lexington Group in Transportation History Oct. 8 in St. Paul.

New Faces

New Support Staff
Callie Benefield, Dining Service
Julie Gilbert, Book Mark
Timothy Swenson, Custodial

Gustavus Tidbits

• Arboretum Namesake... Linneaus Arboretum was named for Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who established the binomial genus/species system used today for naming flora and fauna. The arb is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

To submit items (questions or answers) for consideration in this section, contact Stacia Senne (x7510 or ssenne@gustavus.edu).

Funding Opps

• New Century Scholars... The New Century Scholars Program of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars brings together academics from a variety of disciplines to examine a major transnational theme and work collaboratively on an issue of global significance. Fellows conduct individual research, make an international exchange visit of 2-6 months, and participate in a program of seminars and exchanges to engage in collaborative thinking across cultures and issue communities. Support includes a $41,500 stipend and travel and per diem for the final plenary seminar and program orientation. This year's theme, titled "Toward Equality: The Global Empowerment of Women," will focus on the role of women in developing societies. The deadline is Dec. 15. For more information, see the September 2003 issue of Grant Information at http://gustavus.edu/cfrelations/fundingsources/BlueSheet/September2003.pdf. (Click on the Bookmarks tab on the left of the screen, then under Government.)

In the Media

• Following are several more Nobel Conference stories that have recently appeared in the news media:
  • On Oct. 9, the St. Peter Herald published the following:
    • A color photograph of lecturer Niles Eldredge that included a brief story, titled "'The Story of Life' at Nobel Conference."
    • Mention of Nobel under "The Good" on the Opinion page's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" column.
  • On Oct. 6, Bruce Davis, KRBI Radio (1310 AM, St. Peter) taped an interview with Lisa Westberg Peters, author of the children's book, titled "Our Family Tree. An Evolution Story," that President Peterson mentioned in his welcome during the Nobel opening ceremony. The interview ran later on Oct. 6 on KRBI's Cafe 1310. Judy Schultz (Book Mark) drove to Minneapolis to pick up an additional 50 books to sell in the store and then stopped at the illustrator's home to have them autographed.
  • On Oct. 5, The Free Press of Mankato published the following:
    • An opinion page piece, titled "Sculptures Remind us of Life's Meaning," written about the conference and the Granlund exhibit.
    • A story on retired English teacher William Harvey of St. Peter. The page B7 article was titled "Retiree will make it to his 39th Nobel Conference."
    • An article, titled "Starting an evolution," that included 2 black and white photographs.
  • On Oct. 2, The Free Press of Mankato featured an article on the conference and the Granlund exhibit. The story, which appeared on the front page of the Currents section, was titled "Nobel pursuits" and included 3 color photographs.
  • On Oct. 2, the St. Peter Herald ran 2 stories and 2 color photographs under the title of "Evolution or creationism?" The front-page stories were titled "Nobel Conference to explore 'Story of Life'" and "Retired St. Peter teacher attends all 38 conferences."
  • On Oct. 2, the Nordstjernan featured a story on the presenters. The page 7 article, titled "Nobel Conference takes on evolution," included black and white photographs of each of the presenters.
• On Oct. 14, the Fremont Tribune of Fremont, NE, ran a story, titled "Midland Rings in Titus Presidency," about Steven Titus' (former executive assistant to the president) inauguration as the 13th president of Midland Lutheran College and his previous connection to Gustavus.
• On Oct. 13, KRBI Radio's (1310 AM, St. Peter) Bruce Davis interviewed Roger MacDonald, author of A Country Doctor's Casebook. Tales from the Northwoods on the radio's Cafe 1310 program. MacDonald appeared at the St. Peter Community Center, in conjunction with the Book Mark, that same evening.
• On Oct. 10, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis ran a story, "A year later, Minnesota lawmakers have no second thoughts about Iraq votes," that included quotes from Chris Gilbert (political science).
• On Oct. 10, the St. Paul Pioneer Press also published an article with quotes by Gilbert. The page 8A article was titled "Rebuilding Iraq: The Iraq vote, one year later: Lawmakers have no regrets on decisions."
• On Oct. 9, The Free Press of Mankato featured an article on Kevin Kling's appearance on campus. The page C2 story, titled "Return of the Kling," included a black and white photograph of Kling.
• On Oct. 9, the St. Peter Herald published "Gustavus Briefs," including information on October continuing education lectures, Kevin Kling's appearance, and "The Twelve" art exhibit.
• On Oct. 9, the Star Tribune (via The Associated Press) ran a story, titled "News from around Minnesota," that included a section about Gustavus' installation of a 164-foot wind test tower.
• On Oct. 2, the Nordstjernan published the schedule for the Granlund exhibit on its "Coming Events" page.
• Horst Ludwig (modern foreign languages and literatures/German) was quoted in a major Japanese newspaper about composing haiku. View at http://www.asahi.com/english/haiku/030929.html .

Anyone who has suggested additions for this list, suggestions for potential future media stories, or interest in being a media source should contact News Director Stacia Senne (x7510 or ssenne@gustavus.edu).

Hours

Library Hours for fall break are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 16-17; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 18; noon-6 p.m. Oct. 19; and 8 a.m.-midnight Oct. 20.

Safety and Security Snips

PLUGS:

Wanted: Host family needed for German high school student during Fall Semester 2004. This offers an opportunity for exchange visit to lovely old farmhouse in scenic black forest area. Contact Max Hailperin (x7466 or max@gustavus.edu).

Calendar of Events

To add or change items on the calendar, please fill out and submit a College Calendar event form. View the entire College Calendar online.