The Yellow Sheet for Feb. 10, 2005February 10, 2005 | Volume 37, Number 19

News & Announcements

• Laurent Dechery, modern languages, literatures, and cultures/French
• Carolyn Dobler, mathematics and computer science
• Max Hailperin, mathematics and computer science
• Lois Peterson, art and art history
• Michele Rusinko, theater and dance
• Don Scheese, English
  

Letters written on behalf of these candidates should be sent to Dean Mosbo and should address the criteria for promotion as stated in the Faculty Manual. Letters are due by 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21. As a reminder, tenured faculty members in a candidate's department are expected to submit letters.

MATHCOUNTS Competition on Campus... On Friday, Feb. 11, Gustavus will welcome nearly 200 of the area's top math students for the local MATHCOUNTS competition. MATHCOUNTS is a national math enrichment program and competition that promotes middle school mathematics achievement. Students will be competing in Alumni Hall and dining in the Evelyn Young Dining Room. Please welcome the "mathletes" -- they may be future Gustavus math majors!

Study Buddies Program Begins... A new drop-in homework help program starts Tuesday, Feb. 22 at the St. Peter Public Library in the Community Center. The Library Study Buddies program is available to students in grades 4-8, including those attending John Ireland School. The program will run from 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 12. Registration is not required. Any student in grades 4-8 is welcome to drop by, sign in, and receive helpful assistance with school work or special projects. North Intermediate students should take Palmer Bus #12 from North to the library after school, and middle school students will have to walk or find their own transportation to the library after school. Families are responsible for arranging transportation home after study buddies sessions. This program is a collaboration between the City Recreation and Leisure Office and the college's Community Service Center. For further information, contact Jane Timmerman at the City Recreation and Leisure Office (934-0667) or Kari Lipke (x6077).

Staff in Old Main Moves On... The entire staff in Old Main has now been relocated to new and/or temporary locations to make way for renovations to Old Main.

• Professors from the following departments have been moved to temporary locations as follows:
  
  • Classics -- library
  • Philosophy -- library
  • Political Science -- library
  • Religion -- Confer/Vickner, library, Olin, social science center
• Chaplains -- library
• Education, including Sandi Francis -- P.A. Mattson Hall, the newly constructed building to the west of Prairie View
• Nursing, including Linda Elvee -- P.A. Mattson Hall

All telephone extension numbers remain the same. It may be wise to call or e-mail anyone in this group instead of attempting to find them!

President's Corner

Tomorrow I'll be hosting the first meeting of the President's Advisory Committee on Diversity. I'm very much looking forward to working with this group, listed below, on matters that will move Gustavus forward with this important initiative. The formation of this task force was one of the recommendations flowing from a plan prepared last spring by a group of faculty, staff, and students. Other key recommendations relate to recruitment and retention, programming, and student support.

Everyone on campus here should know that diversity concerns and actions are not new to Gustavus. Many members of this community have been active with this issue for a long time. Some of our efforts have been more successful than others – some more sustained than others. But the current diversity initiative is backed by strong resolve and informed by an aggressive plan. Certain elements of the plan are already experiencing some success. Others are just underway.

Since Community is of real value at Gustavus, we must be living and learning in the reality of our changing local, regional, and global communities. Diversity isn't the "right" thing to do. It's the "only" thing to do if we are to fulfill our mission and allow Gustavus to truly thrive as we move into the future.

Jim

Advisory Committee on Diversity:

Jackie Alvarez, Eric Carlson, John Cha, Sandy Francis, Debra Goodwin, Eva Landeros, Raj Sethuraju, Hank Toutain, Marie Walker, Bob Weisenfeld, Kelly Chatman, Veronica Alba, Phil Bryant, Virgil Jones, Yumiko Oshima-Ryan, Brian Fahey

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:

• Feb. 11 -- Horst Ludwig, Acts 9: 1-21
• Feb. 13 -- First Sunday in Lent, Kari Lipke
  
• Feb. 14 -- Steve Haggmark, Matthew 6:1, 5-8
  
• Feb. 15 -- Taize Morning Prayer
  
• Feb. 16 -- Lenten Liturgy
  
• Feb. 17 -- Jeff Rohr, Outdoor Ministry, Luke 11: 1-4, 9-13
  
• Feb. 18 -- Mark Granquist, Martin Luther Renewer of the Church, Mark 1: 35-39
  
• Feb. 20 -- Second Sunday in Lent, Chaplain Rachel Larson
  

Comedy Troupe Show Friday... LineUs, the Gustavus Improv Comedy Troupe, will hold a pre-Valentine's Day Show at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 in the Heritage Banquet Room. Cost is $2 per person. Improv comedy is a unique form of theatre that many students may not have the chance to experience in other places. Faculty are invited to attend and are asked to urge their students to take up this entertaining and culturally explosive opportunity.

Nguyen Screening Sunday... The Hillstrom Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Diversity Center, will present a screening of some of the film roles of Long Nguyen at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13 in Wallenberg Auditorium in Nobel Hall. Nguyen, whose exhibition "Tales of Yellow Skin: The Art of Long Nguyen" will open Monday, Feb. 14 at the museum, will attend the screening. In addition to being an artist, Nguyen has appeared in numerous films, shorts and feature length, including Timothy Linh Bui's "Green Dragon." The program is free and all are welcome.

Opening Art Exhibit Reception Monday... An opening reception for the Hillstrom Museum of Art's new exhibitions -- "Vietnam Drawings" by Gene Basset and "Tales of Yellow Skin: The Art of Long Nguyen" -- will be held from 7-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 14 at the museum. Both artists will be present at the reception, to which all are invited. The exhibitions will run through Sunday, April 10. Museum hours are 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. weekdays and 1-5 p.m. weekends.

Faculty Forum Tuesday... Jim Welsh (geology) will present the first Faculty Forum of the semester on the "Geology of Wine" from 5:30 to 6:55 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15 in the banquet rooms in the Campus Center. Until relatively recently, especially in this country, wines were considered to be the products of the winemakers. Soil was considered secondary, a mere medium in which the grapes grow. The French, however, have long attributed a sense of place, or terroir, to their fine wines, recognizing that wines made in adjoining properties from the same grapes can have distinctly different qualities. Because factors such as topography and climate are similar in these instances, it is becoming increasingly recognized that these differences must arise from differences in their soils and ultimately their underlying geology. In this talk, this notion of terroir will be explored, with emphasis on its geological underpinnings, and focus on the classic French wine growing regions of Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire. There will be a buffet dinner, including vegetarian fare; cost is $5 per person. All faculty and staff, as well as retirees, are invited to come with a guest. R.S.V.P. with payment to Jean Heidcamp (heidcamp@gustavus.edu or x7541) by Thursday, Feb. 10.

Law School Visit Wednesday... The Gustavus Pre-Law Program will host a talk on law school preparation and application by University of St. Thomas School of Law professor Jerry Organ from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16 in room 327 of the Schaefer Fine Arts Center -- Speech and Theatre Wing. Organ will be joined by a Gustavus graduate now attending the St. Thomas law program and the program's director of admissions.

Talk Shop Feb. 18... Jenifer Ward (modern languages, literatures, and cultures/French) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk. Her talk, "Working in the Hyphen," will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 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 http://gustavus.edu/events/shoptalks/.

"The Vagina Monologues" Feb. 18-19... The Womyn's Awareness Center will present a student-run production of "The Vagina Monologues," part of the national V-Day College Campaign, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 and 1 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 in Bjorling Recital Hall. Tickets are $5 each and are available at the SAO ticket center. Proceeds will benefit the Nicollet/Sibley County Sexual Assault Services and CADA House. Contact Jessica Jacobs (jjacobs@gustavus.edu or x7583) for more information.

Martin Luther King Lecture Feb. 24... Major Brent Beardsley will deliver the 2005 Martin Luther King Lecture, "Lessons from the 1994 Rwandan Genocide," at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24 in Wallenberg Auditorium in Nobel Hall. Beardsley, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, was a witness to the Rwandan genocide and served as second in command to General Romeo Dallaire, head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in 1994 in Rwanda. Beardsley testified for the prosecution in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, and has collaborated in a number of documentaries, articles, and commemorative events about the Rwandan genocide. The event is sponsored by Peace Studies and is free and open to the public.

St. David's Day Celebration March 4... Gustavus will host its 32nd annual St. David's Day observance with a mini-Gymanfa Ganu (hymn sing), reception, presentation, and luncheon on Friday, March 4. The public is invited to this annual celebration honoring St. David, the patron saint of Wales, which is one of the largest such events in North America on or around March 1 (St. David's Day). The mini-Gymanfa Ganu will be held at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel. A massed choir of more than 200 students will assist the congregation in singing four well-known Welsh hymns. A reception, featuring Welsh cakes and fruit, will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall, and at 11 a.m. in Alumni Hall the Rev. Neal Lloyd from First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, will give a talk, titled "Who was St. David." The St. David's Day observance will conclude with a Welsh luncheon at noon in a banquet room in the Campus Center. Cost is $13.25 per person for the reception and luncheon. Reservations should be made with the Office of Marketing and Public Relations, c/o Dana Lamb (x7520 or dlamb@gustavus.edu). Checks should be made payable to Gustavus Adolphus College.

Building Bridges Conference March 12... The tenth annual Building Bridges Conference, a student-initiated, student-led conference, will be held Saturday, March 12 on campus. The conference will consist of a keynote speaker, several workshop sessions, a panel discussion, and a theatrical performance. The conference is open to the public.

Off-campus Events of Interest

Extraordinary People

Laura Behling (English) gave an invited lecture on the connection between her scholarship and teaching, titled "Anatomy and American Literature," on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, Calif.

Mark Hanson (head basketball coach) picked up his 300th career victory in front of 2,134 faithful Gustie fans at Gus Young Court on Monday, Feb. 7. Hanson, who is in his 15th season at Gustavus, has compiled a career record of 300-109 for a winning percentage of .732. He becomes the fifth coach in MIAC men's basketball history to reach the 300-win plateau. Hanson is the only active coach in Division III with less than 15 full years of coaching to have posted 300 wins. His winning percentage of .732 ranks 10th all-time in Division III. Hanson is in the midst of one of the finest coaching efforts in his career as he has directed a team with only one returning starter to a record of 16-5 overall. Hanson became the winningest coach in Gustavus men's basketball history on Monday, Jan. 17 when he recorded his 293rd career victory. (Records are as of Tuesday, Feb. 8.)

Pamela Kittelson (biology) was invited to give a seminar at Donana Biological Station in Seville, Spain, titled "Genetic differentiation of life-history traits in the perennial shrub Lupinus arboreus: influence of gene flow and selection." She also consulted with scientists from the Spanish Council of Scientific Research, the Universities of Huelva and Seville about her research on the invasive grass, Spartina densiflora, which is threatening Spanish salt marsh systems.

Births

Obituaries

• Steve Radloff (custodial services) died Monday, Feb. 7. He worked at Gustavus for five years in Norelius, Uhler, and Nobel Halls. Funeral services were today, Thursday, Feb. 10. Cards and notes to the family may be sent to 633 Watkins in Kasota, Minn. 56050.

New Faces

New Faculty
Brian Bjorklund, Theatre and Dance
Carol Chase, Art and Art History
Alexandra Gould, Theatre and Dance
Peter McGuire, Music
Paul Norlen, Scandinavian Studies
Cathy Peters, Art and Art History
Anna Rudek, Psychology
Lauren Studt-Shoemaker, Music
Glen Wasicuna, Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures


Support Staff Transfer
Amy Brown to Physical Plant

Position Openings

• Assistant Director of Residential Life/Coordinator of Residence Life and Staffing
• Cashier, Finance Office

Congregational Outreach

Retreats... The Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Retreat Center, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, will host the following retreats: Thursday, Feb.10-Friday, Feb. 11 for Advent Lutheran Church, and Friday, Feb. 11-Saturday, Feb. 12 for St. James Lutheran Church. The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat Friday, Feb. 11-Saturday, Feb. 12 for Calvary Lutheran Church from Willmar.

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

Funding Opps

• Research Opportunity Awards... The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers Faculty Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) through its Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program. ROAs enable faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions such as Gustavus to pursue research as visiting scientists with NSF-supported investigators at other institutions, who request an ROA supplement on a current award or when submitting a new or renewal proposal. Most frequently, ROA activities are summer experiences, but partial support of sabbaticals may also be provided. ROA supplements are usually about $25,000. For information about suggested Principal Investigator contact with the NSF and other details of the ROA program, please see Section II D of the RUI announcement at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf00144.

In the Media

• On Feb. 7, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis published a story, titled "'U' grads fill up ranks of Peace Corps," that included mention of Gustavus being tied for 16th with St. Olaf in the number of alumni who have joined the Peace Corps.
• On Feb. 4, The Free Press of Mankato featured Kevin Kling ('79) in an article that appeared on the front page of the Currents section. The feature was titled "Best of Kling: Kevin Kling to make Mankato a 'Freezing Paradise.'"
• On Feb. 3, The Free Press of Mankato did a feature titled "Untrained eye: Anders Bjorling presents first solo photography exhibit in St. Peter" on the front page of the Currents section. The article included mention of photographs that Bjorling (retired controller) took in the arboretum.
• On Feb. 3, the Marco Island Sun Times published a story titled "Marco Lutheran presents Gustavus Adolphus Choir," that included a file photograph of Gustavus Choir director Greg Aune conducting the choir.
• On Feb. 1, The Free Press of Mankato ran a story on "Hidden gems: Area Colleges Have Secrets." The story ran on the front page of the Currents section and included mention of the arboretum and the Hillstrom Museum of Art.
• The February 2005 issue of "Upsize" magazine featured Phil Hotchkiss ('91) on its cover and in a six-page story.
• On Jan. 27, the St. Peter Herald published an article titled "Artists' work displayed at Hillstrom" which included a color photograph and a black and white photograph of some of the artwork.
• On Jan. 27, the Des Moines Register published a story on the Gustavus String Orchestra's upcoming (Jan. 29) performance with the Iowa Youth Chorus in Des Moines.
• On Jan. 7, The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a story, titled "Personnel: Pay Gap Widens Between Public and Private Universities," that included an interview with Kirk Beyer (human resources).
• The January 2005 issue of "Foundation & Endowment Money Management" magazine included an interview in an article titled "Minnesota Fund Boosts Alternatives."

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).

PLUGS:

For Rent: House with two or three bedrooms; new appliances and carpet; large living room, dining room, and kitchen; deck with grill. Five-minute walk to campus; rent is $875 per month. Call Mark at 934-5119.

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.