The Yellow Sheet for Dec. 9, 2004December 9, 2004 | Volume 37, Number 14

News & Announcements

Share your Story, Share Gustavus... Before going home for the holidays, pick up a bag of Gustavus information to share with friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, and others. Whether you are a Gustavus student, faculty member, or staff member, stop by the Office of Admission in the Campus Center anytime before break to pick up one, two, or 12 bags. Then, this holiday, share your Gustavus story and the bag that includes a Gustavus CD-ROM, DVD or video, poster, and more. Let's share our extraordinary place with more people! For more information, contact the admission office (admission@gustavus.edu or x7676).

Mileage Rate Increase... Effective Jan. 1, 2005, the standard business mileage rate will increase to 40.5 cents per mile (from 37.5 cents). The rate, established by the IRS, is used to determine how much an employee's travel expenses (when using his or her own car) are deemed substantiated when the employer provides a mileage allowance under a reimbursement or other expense allowance arrangement.

St. Lucia Named... During the 63rd annual Festival of St. Lucia held this morning, one sophomore and four of her classmates were selected to serve as St. Lucia and the Lucia Court. They are:

• St. Lucia
  Megan Buckingham, Waverly, IA
  
  
• Lucia Court Members
  Tessa Carlsen, Stillwater, MN
  Michelle Clark, Eden Prairie, MN
  Emily Fremont, Woodbury, MN
  Megan Richards, Fargo, ND

St. Lucia and the court are selected based on academic achievement, spiritual leadership, and involvement in community service at Gustavus.

Christmas Break Vehicle Parking... Anyone wishing to leave a vehicle on campus over Christmas Break must park the vehicle in the lower gravel lot west of the football stadium (Campus Drive, Lot N). Any vehicle not moved to this location during break will be subject to towing at the owner's expense. Contact Safety and Security (x8809) with any questions.

No Newsletter Until Jan. 6... Due to the Christmas recess, The Yellow Sheet will not be published Dec. 16, Dec. 23, or Dec. 30. Publication will resume Thursday, Jan. 6.

Administration and Faculty Party RSVP due Friday... President Jim Peterson and Dean John Mosbo invite faculty, faculty emeriti, administrators, retired administrators, and their spouses/partners to the Faculty and Administrator Holiday Party from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21 in Alumni Hall. RSVP to the Dean of Faculty's Office by Friday, Dec. 10.

Christmas Holiday Schedule... The College will observe the following schedule for the remainder of 2004:

• Christmas Day Holiday -- Friday, Dec. 24
• Floating Holiday -- Monday, Dec. 27
• Floating Holiday -- Tuesday, Dec. 28
• Floating Holiday -- Wednesday, Dec. 29
• College open -- Thursday, Dec. 30*
• New Year's Day Holiday -- Friday, Dec. 31
  

*Employees may work or may request a PTO/vacation day.

Choosing a Book... The search has begun for the sixth annual Reading in Common text. All incoming, first-year students are asked to read the book, which is used during orientation and beyond. First Term Seminar instructors often find ways of referring to the book in class discussion. The author whose book is chosen will visit campus during the first month of classes. Additionally, the City of St. Peter has used the chosen book for its fall "St. Peter Reads" initiative for the past two years, creating a unique campus/community partnership. Selection criteria include:

• The author should be living and not so well known as to be unavailable or unaffordable. If in question, submit the title anyway.
• The book must be a manageable summer read for 18-year-old students.
• The book should present themes which can be tied to the first-year experience.

Past selections include:

• 2000 -- "The Samurai's Garden" by Gail Tsukiyama
• 2001 -- "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
• 2002 -- "The Legacy of Luna" by Julia Butterfly Hill
• 2003 -- "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
• 2004 -- "When the Emporer Was Divine" by Julie Otsuka
  

Suggestions should be sent to Megan Ruble (mruble@gustavus.edu) as soon as possible. The committee hopes to meet and choose five finalists before the holiday break.

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:

• Dec. 10 -- Leah Jarvis, Luke 1: 46-56
  
• Dec. 12 -- Third Sunday in Advent, Chaplain Rachel Larson
  
• Dec. 13 -- Andy Leider, Isaiah 40: 2-11
  
• Dec. 14 -- Heather Meyers, Romans 15: 4-13
  
• Dec. 15 -- Morning Praise, Luke 1: 47-55
  
• Dec. 16 -- Taizé
  
• Dec. 17 -- Brenda Moore, Isaiah 35: 1-4
  
• Dec. 19 -- Fourth Sunday in Advent, Vicar Brian Beckstrom
  
• Dec. 20 -- Chaplain Rachel Larson, Matthew 1: 18-25
  
• Dec. 21 -- David Fienen, Litany for Travelers
  
• Dec. 22-Jan. 2 -- Christmas Recess
  

Senior Art Opening Friday... Senior art majors will host an opening reception of their exhibition from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 in the Schaefer Gallery. The gallery, located in the art wing of the Schaefer Fine Arts Center, is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays.

Biology Research Presentations Monday... The public is invited to a student poster session from 4-5:20 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13 in the Nobel Hall lobby. Biology majors will discuss the results of their research on "Age Structure and Genetic Diversity of Bur Oak Woodlands" and "Bison and Lion Bioacoustics."

Nutcracker to be Performed Dec. 17-19... The Mankato Ballet Company will perform "The Nutcracker" Dec. 17-19 in Bjorling Recital Hall. The schedule is:

• 7:30-9 p.m. -- Friday, Dec. 17
• 1:30-3 p.m. -- Saturday, Dec. 18
• 7:30-9 p.m. -- Saturday, Dec. 18
• 1:30-3 p.m. -- Sunday, Dec. 19

Tickets are available by calling the Mankato Ballet Company at 625-7716.

Support Staff Christmas Party Dec. 22... The Christmas Luncheon for the College's support staff will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22 in Alumni Hall. In addition to a special meal, service awards will be presented and there will be drawings for prizes (must be present to win). Donations will be accepted for the St. Peter Area Foodshelf. Non-perishable food items, cash, checks, or food vouchers can be donated. If questions, contact Jane Confer (x6165).

Off-campus Events of Interest

Cox House Christmas This Weekend... The annual E. St. Julien Cox House Christmas in St. Peter continues this weekend, from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 and Sunday, Dec. 12. Dolls, antique to modern, will be on display. In addition to the special holiday decorations, musical groups and soloists will perform. Admission is $3 for adults and 50 cents for students. Nicollet County Historical Society members and children 12 and under are free. The schedule for the performers is:

• Saturday, Dec. 11
  1-2:30 p.m. -- Rebekah Richards, piano, and Sarah Hvidsten, violin
  2:30-4 p.m. -- Folky Dokey, including Bruce Davis, and Don and Joni Myers
  
• Sunday, Dec. 12
  1-2:30 p.m. -- Jim and Donna Bakken, piano, flute, and reed organ
  2:30- 4 p.m. -- Katy Young, vocal
  

Holiday Harmony Sunday... The Minnesota Valley Sweet Adelines and the Mankato Area Riverblenders will present two concerts Sunday, Dec. 12 -- 3 p.m. at the Church of St. Peter (1801 W. Broadway, St. Peter) and 7 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (720 S. Second St., Mankato). Tickets can be purchased in advance and are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, and $5 for students. To purchase tickets, contact Ellis Jones (934-4184) or Dale Mowbray (934-3170). Tickets can also be purchased at the door and are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $5 for students. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be used to support VINE Faith in Action in Mankato and St. Peter.

Live Nativity Dec. 17... First Lutheran Church of St. Peter invites the public to the "Live Nativity" from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 surrounding the church at the corner of Traverse Road and Sunrise Drive. This is a free event, but donations to the St. Peter Area Food Shelf are welcome.

Extraordinary People

Bob Douglas, geography, presented a talk, "The Swedes and Sudanese: Geographical Commonalities of Old and New Immigrants," Friday, Nov. 12 at a Minnesota State University, Mankato Department of Geography Colloquium.

Brian O'Brien, chemistry, has been elected secretary and vice-chair of the Division of Fluorine Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. This is a five-year commitment, with O'Brien becoming division chair in the fourth year.

Obituaries

• Charles H. Johnson, father of Bruce Johnson, (economics and management), died Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the age of 99. The visitation is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 at the Woodland Hills Memorial Chapel (1605 Woodland Ave., Mankato). His funeral service is at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11 at Centenary United Methodist Church (501 S. Second St., Mankato). Memorials are preferred to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
  
• Richard (Dick) Seely (formerly psychology) passed away at his home early Tuesday morning, Dec. 7, after a long illness. His funeral service was Thursday morning, Dec. 9 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Cleveland.
  

Congregational Outreach

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

Funding Opps

• Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship... The National Institute of Standards and Technology offers the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (NIST-SURF) for students majoring in science, mathematics, and engineering. Students participate in one of seven laboratories and receive a $4,000 stipend for 12 weeks. The program is anticipated to run May 23 through Aug. 12, 2005. There are a limited number of nine-week (June 13 through Aug. 12, 2005) slots available. The deadline is Feb. 15, 2005. This proposal includes a portion completed by an institutional representative and a set of materials provided by each student applicant. For more information, refer to http://www.surf.nist.gov/surf2.htm.

In the Media

• On Dec. 8, The Free Press of Mankato published a story on the Thursday, Dec. 9 Phi Beta Kappa lecture on campus.
• On Dec. 7, The Free Press of Mankato did a feature on an exhibit at the Arts Center of Saint Peter. The article included quotes by Elizabeth Baer (English) and Jean Lavigne (geography). Others mentioned in the article included Priscilla Briggs (art) and Nancy Hanway (modern languages, literatures, and cultures/Spanish). The feature also included a color photograph of Jon Grinnell (biology) and two color photographs taken by faculty members Lavigne and Pam Kittelson (biology). The feature ran on the front page of the Currents section and was titled "Capturing Cuba: Cuba Libre display reveals social justice issues."
• On Dec. 5, The Free Press of Mankato published an article titled "Michael Johnson to perform at Gustavus."
• On Dec. 2, the Apple Valley Sun Current ran a story mentioning student Lisa Johnson, who recently received the Girl Scout Gold Award, and her brother, who received the Eagle Scout rank. The story was titled "Scouting siblings work together for ranking honor."
• On Dec. 2, the St. Peter Herald published the following:
  • a color photograph of Helen and Paul Baumgartner (professors emeriti of music), holding an issue of the Herald, on a visit to Japan
  • a story on a presentation by Jim Gilbert (Linnaeus Arboretum and environmental studies) at the annual meeting of the Ney Environmental Learning Center, which also included quotes by Gilbert

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).

Hours

Telecommunications Updates

• Thad Ehlenfeldt, Dining Service, x7608 (addition)

PLUGS:

Babysitter Needed: Babysitter needed from 3-6 p.m. Mondays during January Term and Spring Semester in home near campus. Baby will be 6 months old in January. Pay is $20 per day. If interested, contact Aimee or Brian (507/394-6776 or 507/382-3657 or aimee.dubois@normandale.edu).

For Sale: 1998 Chevy Blazer LT. Four-door, four wheel-drive, leather interior, CD, cassette, air conditioning, cruise control, power everything. Asking $7,500. Contact Mik Gusenius (mguseniu@gustavus.edu or x6513).

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.