The Yellow Sheet for Oct. 28, 2004October 28, 2004 | Volume 37, Number 9

News & Announcements

• Delpha Passon -- Augusta Carlson Schultz Award for the Outstanding Support Staff Employee
• Margi Willmert -- Eric Norelius Award for the Outstanding Administrative Employee
• David Fienen -- Faculty Service Award

The award ceremony will take place during the celebration of Founders Day at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29 in Christ Chapel. The campus community is encouraged to attend the ceremony and the reception immediately following in Alumni Hall.

Vote on Tuesday... The College encourages its employees to vote by allowing registered voters a reasonable period of time off to vote without loss of pay. Employees are allowed time off during the morning of an election for any regularly scheduled state primary, presidential primary, general election, or congressional election.

Gribly for 2004-05... The Gribly is being distributed to administration and faculty offices. Administrators and faculty who have not received the Gribly should check with their support staff . Distribution to students will begin next week.

High Ranking in Physics Bachelor's Degrees... The American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center has released the annual Roster of Physics Departments with Enrollment and Degree Data for 2003. The survey was conducted in the fall of the 2003-04 academic year and consists of all degree-granting physics departments in the United States. Gustavus ranks third in the state, with 16 graduates in physics and is one of three MIAC schools that awarded nearly one percent of all the B.A. and B.S. degrees in physics in the United States in the most recent year tabulated in the roster.

Flu Vaccine Shortage and Flu Prevention Measures... Due to the nation-wide shortage of influenza (flu) vaccine this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending the flu vaccine be given only to those people at greatest risk of flu complications. The vaccine is recommended only for those in the following high-risk groups:

• people 65 years of age or older
• people living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• people with chronic health problems, such as diabetes, heart conditions, asthma requiring daily medication, kidney disease, immune deficiency, or other respiratory conditions
• pregnant women
• children and teenagers who take aspirin on a regular basis
• cnfants 6 to 23 months of age
• people who live in the same household with children under 6 months of age or who provide care to children under 6 months of age outside the home

Those people who are in a high-risk group should see their primary healthcare provider to obtain a flu immunization.

There are preventative measures that everyone can follow to protect themselves and others from the flu, even if the flu shot is not available. These recommendations are encouraged at all times to prevent communicable illnesses:

• wash hands often
• cover mouth and nose with a tissue or the sleeve of clothing when coughing or sneezing
• put used tissues in the wastebasket
• clean hands after coughing or sneezing, using soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner
• avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth
• do not smoke, as smoking makes the respiratory tract more prone to infections and puts germs near the mouth
• avoid sharing drinking glasses, pop cans, or eating utensils
• on a regular basis, clean surfaces that are touched frequently (such as doorknobs, water faucets, and telephones) with a household cleaner as these can spread the flu virus
• stay healthy, get plenty of rest, eat well, and exercise regularly to help fight infection
• those who get any respiratory illness, including the ful, should avoid exposing others, so stay home from work or school.

Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and may include a sore throat, cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, weakness, and fatigue. Visit a healthcare provider if symptoms are severe. For more information about influenza or the vaccine, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ or the Minnesota Department of Health website at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/index.html, or contact the Health Service or one's primary healthcare provider.

Administrator Meeting Nov. 8... A meeting for all administrators is scheduled from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8 in the Heritage Room in the Campus Center. Proposed agenda items include updates from the board of trustees meeting, GTS integration review, fundraising, and the 2005-06 budget planning process. Also, be prepared for on the spot updates of current projects. Contact Jolene (jolene@gustavus.edu) to suggest additional items.

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. 29 -- Daily Celebration, Founders Day, Jim Peterson
• Oct. 31 -- Holy Communion, Reformation Sunday
• Nov. 1 -- Daily Celebration, Revelation 7: 9-17 All Saints Day, Peter Marshall
• Nov. 2 -- Daily Celebration, Romans 13:1-7, Chris Gilbert
• Nov. 3 -- Daily Celebration, Psalm 46
• Nov. 4 -- Daily Celebration, Psalm 139: 1-12, Lisa Moriarty
• Nov. 5 -- Daily Celebration, 2 Corinthians 4: 5-12, Day of the Dead, Lillie Hollingsworth
• Nov. 7 -- Holy Communion

Olive Fremstad Music to be Performed Saturday... At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 in Bjorling Recital Hall, Nicollet native Naomi Karstad, with pianist Jocelyn Dueck, will bring to life the music of a Metropolitan Opera soprano whose career began in St. Peter 100 years ago. The "rags-to-riches" story of the life of Olive Fremstad is one that has long fascinated Karstad. Fremstad, born in 1871 in Sweden and adopted by the Fremstad family in St. Peter, considered St. Peter her home throughout her life. After working and studying in Berlin, Fremstad returned to the United States and presented her debut performance at the Metropolitan Opera in November 1903. Her success was immediate and she quickly became one of the most acclaimed Wagnerian dramatic sopranos of her day. Even in the "Golden Age of Opera," she was dubbed "Olive the Immortal" by her friends and critics. Karstad will perform excerpts from the opera performances for which Fremstad is best known, including Carmen, Tosca, and Tristan and Isolde, as well as some of her favorite non-operatic songs. The performance is free and open to the public.

All Saints Day Mass Monday... The campus community is invited to celebrate the Feast of all Saints at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1 in Christ Chapel, followed by food and fellowship. Father Phil Schotzko from the Church of St. Peter will preside. This event is sponsored by the Newman Center.

American Studies Meeting Wednesday... Faculty interested in an American Studies program at Gustavus will meet from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3 in Vickner Hall 304. Anyone interested in joining this effort should contact Don Scheese (dscheese@gustavus.edu) for further details and a copy of the first meeting's agenda.

Wallenberg Lecture Nov. 8... The 2004 Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture, titled "Saddam on Trial," will be presented by Diane Orentlicher of American University at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8 in Nobel Hall's Wallenberg Auditorium. Orentlicher, international law professor, will share imperatives and formidable challenges for justice in cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, particularly in the context of Iraq. She is an expert on international criminal justice and serves as the director of the War Crimes Research Office at American University. Orentlicher has appeared several times on "The News Hour" on Public Broadcast Service to speak about the ongoing war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia and possibilities of prosecution for Saddam Hussein and Iraqi war criminals. She was recently appointed as the United Nations' independent expert on combating impunity for war criminals and in 1998 served as a delegate to the Diplomatic Conference on the Establishment of a Permanent International Criminal Court. The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Mimi Gerstbauer (x7421 or mgerstba@gustavus.edu).

November Continuing Education Events... The public is invited to the following continuing education lectures:

• Chris Gilbert (political science) will present "Explaining the 2004 Elections." He will offer an analysis of the results, the reasons behind the results, and the road ahead for the successful candidate for state and national offices. This event will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9 in the Interpretive Center. Coffee and dessert will be served; the cost is $5.
  
• The St. Peter Choral Society and Orchestra will celebrate its 25th anniversary with two dinner-and-concert performances featuring Coleridge-Taylor's "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast," directed by Sara McKay. Cost is $19 per person for the harvest-themed dinner and concert and $8 per person for the concert only. Performances will take place in Alumni Hall as follows:
  
  • Saturday, Nov. 13 -- 6 p.m. dinner and 7 p.m. concert
    
  • Sunday, Nov. 14 -- 4:30 p.m. dinner and 5:30 p.m. concert
    
• Rick Snyder (theatre and dance), director of the play "The Miss Firecracker Contest," will share his insights into the play's production at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20 in the Three Crowns Room, preceding its performance in Anderson Theatre. Dinner will be served; the cost is $19.
  

Register for any of these events at the office of St. Peter Community and Family Education, Suite 207, 600 S. Fifth St., St. Peter. Office hours are 8 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 934-3048 and press zero for an operator. These are Gustavus continuing education events done in cooperation with the St. Peter Community and Family Education program.

Off-campus Events of Interest

Cookery Class Wednesday... Enjoy exotic cuisine with "Calypso Craze!" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3 in the kitchen of the International Center. The class will be taught by Hayden Duncan (modern languages, literatures, and cultures/Spanish). To register for the class, contact St. Peter Community and Family Education (934-3048) or Natasha Hawkins (nhawkins@gustavus.edu). The class is free and open to the public.

Extraordinary People

Debra Pitton, education, has been selected as a Fellow in the Minnesota Site of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) at the University of Minnesota. EPFP has 13 Fellows this year who represent diverse educational and human services agencies and organizations. The Fellows will participate in weekly seminars to study and discuss educational policy and will meet with political and educational leaders and participate in policy forums at both the state and national levels. Support for Pitton's fellowship has been provided by the Center for Vocational Reflection, as well as through a Bush mid-career grant from the Faculty Development Center.

Obituaries

• Donald Gushee, father of Donita Clifton (human resources), died Wednesday, Oct. 20. His funeral service was Monday, Oct. 25 in Oelwein, Iowa.

New Faces

New Support Staff
Sharon Gaalswyk, Dining Service
Sue Pope, Dining Service
Linda Reuben, Custodial

Congregational Outreach

Retreats... The Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Retreat Center, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, will host a retreat Saturday, Oct. 30 for a women's group from Nokomis Heights Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Gustavus Youth Outreach... Upcoming GYO trips include: Friday, Oct. 29-Saturday, Oct. 30 in Prairie Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm, and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul; Saturday, Oct. 30-Sunday, Oct. 31 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Dunnell and New Richland for a joint program with Le Sueur River Lutheran Church and Vista Lutheran Church. This program, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, consists of student team members who develop relational youth ministry programs in congregations, including church services, family night programs, and leading lock-ins.

Music in Worship... Any Gustavus music ensemble or soloist is welcome to perform in congregations. For more information, contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).

Funding Opps

• Support for Host Institutions for NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes... The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) provides grants to colleges, universities, and other institutions to support national faculty development programs in the humanities for school teachers and for college and university faculty. These summer seminars and institutes provide the opportunity to deepen knowledge and understanding of the humanities through intensive study of significant topics, texts, and issues. Awards for seminars range from $45,000 to $120,000, and awards for institutes range from $80,000 to $200,000. The deadline for project directors to submit an application is March 1, 2005 for a project beginning no earlier than May 2006. Guidelines for this spring's competition will be posted later this fall; in the meantime, interested faculty can refer to last year's program announcement at http://www.neh.fed.us/grants/guidelines/seminars.html.
  

In the Media

• Chris Gilbert (political science) has recently been interviewed by the following media:
  • On Oct. 25, the Duluth News Tribune he talked about the "other" presidential candidates; to view, go to http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/10008963.htm
  • On Oct. 22, Minnesota Public Radio's (MPR) "All Things Considered" where he talked about Minnesota's swing state status and evaluated whether all the candidate visits were making a difference
  • On Oct. 21, KEYC-TV's (Ch. 12, North Mankato) 6 p.m. news story on "voter fatigue" -- whether voters are tired of elections by now
  • On Oct. 20, MPR's "Midday" where he discussed President Bush's visit to Rochester
• On Oct. 21, the St. Peter Herald published an opinion page article, "Disaster drill will pay off," on the emergency response exercises that took place on campus Saturday, Oct. 16.
• On Oct. 14, The Free Press of Mankato did a feature on "Mr. Bundy," the play that ran Oct. 15-17 on campus, that included interviews with Rob Gardner (theatre and dance) and students Kate Klippen and Elisabeth Troung.

Anyone who has suggested additions for this list, suggestions for potential future media stories, or interest in being a media source should contact Director of News and Information Jonathan Kraatz (x7510 or jkraatz@gustavus.edu).

Telecommunications Updates

• Sharon Gaalswyk, Dining Service, x7608 (addition)
  
• Sue Pope, Dining Service, x7608 (addition)
  
• Linda Reuben, Custodial, x7655 (addition)

Book Mark Bits

• The public is invited to a book signing of the recently published book by Judy Biederman, titled "Bushy Tail Squirrel's First Day Out," at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28 in the hallway outside the Book Mark. The story of Bushy Tail is delightfully told and informational with facts simply put for sharing with a young child.
  
  

PLUGS:

For Rent: Three-bedroom townhome in St. Peter available Nov. 15; 1,600 square feet on three levels. Rent is $850 per month. Contact Jean Lavigne (jlavigne@gustavus.edu or x6072).

For Sale: Four-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian house in Eagle Lake; with a sauna, whirlpool tub, modernized kitchen, vinyl siding, large deck, large fenced-in yard, and mature trees. Call 507/257-3491.

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.