The Yellow Sheet for Feb. 9, 2006February 9, 2006 | Volume 38, Number 18

News & Announcements

Senior Day Feb. 20... The Office of Admission will host Senior Day Monday, Feb. 20. Between 150-175 students, along with their parents, will visit campus to take another look at Gustavus before making their final college choice. Admission has arranged for the visitors to sit in on classes, attend special interest sessions, tour residence halls, and have lunch in the Campus Center banquet rooms with faculty and other members of the Gustavus community. The visitors should have a campus map and schedule of events; however, anyone who sees them looking lost or confused is asked to help with directions. The Office of Admission thanks everyone in advance for their assistance and kindness.

Spring Schedule for Archives Office... The College Archives office will only be open on Wednesdays during spring semester, as Mike Haeuser is on sabbatical leave. Haeuser asks that anyone needing service should leave a voice message (x7572) or e-mail him and he will contact those individuals the following Wednesday.

President's Corner

The discussions have been summarized and are available at the Community Conversation website. If you have any comments or additional perspectives you wish to add (especially those who were not able to attend), please send them to conversation_feedback@gustavus.edu.

Other opportunities to offer feedback about the community conversation summary will be provided through open meetings (dates/times to be determined) with me and/or one or more of the deans and vice presidents. All of the original notes from each of the tables are available through Director of Institutional Research Dave Menk if you wish to review them.

The results of this conversation are being fed into our long-range planning process as we think about a “shared vision” for Gustavus. My hope is that we can weave this perspective on our future into all of our planning work from academic program planning, to thinking about our college/church relationship, to fundraising priorities, student life experiences, budget planning and other components of our strategic plan.

Special thanks to all those committed people who believed enough in the value of this exercise to plan and execute it so very well.

Jim

Edi Thorstensson (library) was awarded $5,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for a project titled "Overall General Collections Needs Assessment Survey for the Lutheran Church Archives." This 18-month award will enable the library to hire a consultant to conduct a general collections needs assessment survey for the referenced archives located in the College's library. The survey will address immediate conservation and preservation issues and provide guidelines for a long-term plan for the ongoing preservation of collections as a whole. The survey will also make recommendations as to how artifacts and rare books might be used for research, teaching, and exhibits without causing harm to fragile 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:

• Feb. 10 -- Hank Toutain, Psalm 147: 1-11
  
• Feb. 12 -- Chaplain Brian Johnson, Sixth Sunday in Epiphany
  
• Feb. 13 -- Peter Gomes, Chaplain at Harvard University, Isaiah 46: 1-13
  
• Feb. 14 -- Mary Toufar, Camp Fair Day, Psalm 6
  
• Feb. 15 -- Morning Praise
  
• Feb. 16 -- Bernice Johnson Reagon, Isaiah 54: 1-10
  
• Feb. 17-- Mariangela Maguire
• Feb. 19 -- Vicar Callista Isabelle, Seventh Sunday in Epiphany
  

• "Marvels of Maiolica" Opens... The Hillstrom Museum of Art is showing "Marvels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics from the Corcoran Gallery of Art Collection" through Sunday, March 19. "Marvels of Maiolica" is organized and circulated by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Maiolica is a tin-glazed form of ceramics which flourished in the 16th century.
• "Almost Home" Exhibition Extended... The museum has extended the showing of "Almost Home: The Return of Holocaust Survivors and Resisters to Postwar Vienna" through Sunday, March 12.

Talk Shop Friday... Chris Gilbert (political science) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2005-06 academic year. His talk, titled "The Political Influence of American Congregational Life," will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 in the Interpretive Center. Feel free to arrive any time after 4:15 p.m. Click here to view the abstract for this and future talks.

Guest 'Cello and Piano Recital Friday... Guest artists Regina Mushabac and Nancy Paddleford will perform a 'cello and piano recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10 in Jussi Björling Recital Hall. They will present Bach's Adagio from Toccata in C Major for Organ, works by Franz Schubert, David Popper, Justin Merritt, and Loris Chobanian, and Astor Piazzolla's Three Tangos for Violoncello and Piano. Mushabac is professor of 'cello at Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in Cleveland. She has studied with many influential 'cellists and plays the entire standard repertoire of concertos and recital material for 'cello. Paddleford is a member of the music department at St. Olaf College and is a recipient of the Pro Lingua Award for promoting cross-cultural understanding between the United States and Mexico. The recital is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception in the recital hall lobby.

Hip Hop Saturday... The second annual Hip Hop Festival starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 in Alumni Hall. The event will feature dance, rap (including performances by The CORE, Manifesters, Flipside Rockers, DJMV, and more), and a fashion show. Sponsored by the Pan Afrikan Student Organization, the event is free and open to the public.

Wind Orchestra and Choir Home Concerts Saturday... Returning to campus after concert tours that spanned central Europe and the Midwest, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and Gustavus Choir will present their annual home concerts Saturday, Feb. 11 in Christ Chapel.

• At 3 p.m., the Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Douglas Nimmo, will present Light of My Soul, a new work by composer David Gillingham and its opening fanfare by Steve Wright (music), works by Percy Grainger, John Williams, and Frank Ticheli, and Eric Ewazen's A Hymn for the Lost and the Living, a work portraying the days following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. This piece, and the band's encore Nearer My God To Thee, were among the most emotional and appreciated works on the orchestra's tour. The orchestra toured Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria.
• At 7:30 p.m., the Gustavus Choir, under the direction of Greg Aune, will perform Jacobus Gallus' Ascendit Deus, Henry Purcell's Hear My Prayer, O Lord, Pablo Casals' O Vos Omnes, Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque, Jaakko Mantyjarvi's El Hambo, and My Song in the Night, arranged by Paul Christiansen. During their tour of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the choir presented public concerts and high school clinics.

These home concerts are free and open to the public and will be followed by receptions.

Art Lecture Sunday... In conjunction with the "Marvels of Maiolica" exhibition in the Hillstrom Museum, Catherine Hess, associate curator in the Department of Sculpture and Works of Art at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, will discuss "Italian Renaissance Maiolica and the Corcoran Gallery of Art Collection" at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12 in Wallenberg Auditorium. Hess has researched and published extensively on maiolica, and she wrote the catalogue of the collection in the Getty Museum. Her lecture is supported by the College's Lecture Series and is free and open to the public.

Vocation Conference Starts Monday... How do stories, songs, and other art forms affect understanding of the world and one's place within it? And how can the power of all forms of narrative make the world a better place? These questions and others will be addressed during the College's fifth annual vocation conference, "The Meaning of it All: Narrative, Character, and the Common Good," which will be held Feb. 13-19. The conference invites participants to explore the power of stories to shape lives for and in the world; the ways that narrative can form and reform community; the relationship of memory and imagination, time, and place in working toward truth and reconciliation; and multiple forms of narrative and meaning-making across the liberal arts.

• Peter Gomes is Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in The Memorial Church at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Well-known in theological circles for his preaching, Gomes is a highly reputed and best-selling author, whose works include "Strength for the Journey: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living," "The Good Life: Truths that Last in Times of Need," and "The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart." Many of his sermons are also published and widely known, and his work is of special importance to Gustavus, which hopes to integrate a background in the Christian faith into its concern for holistic social justice.
• Bernice Johnson Reagon, composer, singer, scholar, music producer, author, historian, and activist, is known for tying music to important issues of social justice. She has dedicated her musical and intellectual talents to activism, using song and musical scholarship to explore culture in terms of religion, history, and the possibilities of democracy. Her distinguished career includes her work as curator at the Smithsonian Institution, distinguished professor of history at American University, and founder and long-time member of the a cappella gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock. Her books include If You Don't Go, Don't Hinder Me: The African American Sacred Song Tradition and, as editor, We'll Understand It Better By and By: Pioneering African American Gospel Composers.
  

The following events are open to the public:

• Monday, Feb. 13
  • 10 a.m. -- Daily Chapel homily by Peter Gomes in Christ Chapel
  • 11:30 a.m. -- Luncheon with Gomes in the St. Peter Room
  • 6 p.m. -- Keynote address by Gomes in the Heritage Room, with book signing and reception to follow
    
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
  • 6 p.m. -- Dinner with faculty panel discussion on "American Identities: Image, Expression, and Belief" with Linnea Wren (art and art history), Don Scheese (English), and Mark Granquist (religion) in the St. Peter Room
• Thursday, Feb. 16
  • 10 a.m. -- Daily Chapel homily by Bernice Johnson Reagon in Christ Chapel
  • 12:30 p.m. -- Luncheon with Johnson Reagon in the Heritage Room
  • 7 p.m. -- Keynote address by Johnson Reagon in the Heritage Room, with book signing and reception to follow
    

R.S.V.P. for the Monday and Thursday luncheons and the Wednesday dinner to Amy Pehrson (x7169 or apehrson@gustavus.edu). The conference is sponsored by the Center for Vocational Reflection

Bat Boy, The Musical opens Feb. 17... Tickets for Bat Boy: The Musical are now on sale at the SAO ticket center (x7590). The play will be presented at 8 p.m. Feb. 17-18 and 23-25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 19 and 26 in Anderson Theatre and is directed by Amy Seham (theatre and dance).

Found in the cave outside a small southern town and taken in by a local middle-class family, the bat boy is the object of wonder, as well as abuse and suspicion, as the news of his discovery spreads throughout the town. At the same time, the boy discovers what it means to be different. The story darkens with the mysterious deaths of local cattle and townspeople, providing the justification to point the finger of suspicion at the one who is "different." A mob assembles and forces him and the family to flee. With tuneful ballads and wacky humor, Bat Boy satirizes society's love/hate with anyone or anything seen as different or threatening. As the creature gains some local celebrity, others scheme to do away with him in their twisted vision of "Christian charity." The audience accompanies the bat boy's bizarre and emotional adventures of conflict and misunderstanding as he searches for acceptance, meaning ,and love in his life, and the community begins to struggle with its own little secrets, its bigotry and intolerance.

St. David's Day Celebration March 3... Gustavus Adolphus College will host the 33rd annual St. David's Day observance with a mini-Gymanfa Ganu (Welsh hymn sing), reception, presentation, and luncheon on Friday, March 3. The public is invited to this celebration, one of the largest such events in North America on or around March 1 (St. David's Day). The schedule is:

• 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel -- Mini-Gymanfa Ganu: Several hymns will be sung, led by a massed student choir of 200 voices. "Diadem" ("All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name"), "Deemster" ("O Listen To Our Wondrous Story"), and "Cwm Rhondda" ("Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah") will be directed by Greg Aune and Patricia Kazarow (both music). "Bro Aber" ("O Come To Be Our Saviour") will be sung to mark the 40th anniversary of the disaster in the tiny village of Aberfan, South Wales, where coal waste from nearby mines, loosened by heavy rainfall, slid down over Pantglas Junior School, killing 114 school children and six school staff members.
• 10:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall -- Reception
• 11 a.m. in Alumni Hall -- Presentation by Mark Bjelland (geography), who will speak on "Cardiff Today"
• Noon -- Welsh luncheon in the Campus Center

Cost is $13.50 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) Payment should be made payable to Gustavus Adolphus College. The reservation deadline is Monday, Feb. 27.

Save the Date -- March 10... Gustavus Student Outreach to Foster Care and Adoption (S.O.F.A.) invites the campus community to a reception for Minnesota's Heart Gallery Exhibit at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 10 in Linner Lounge. The Heart Gallery is a project that brings together volunteer professional photographers to help recruit families for children who need permanent homes. The photographers donate their time and talents to take the children's portraits which are displayed at exhibits. If questions, contact Callie Kunze (ckunze@gustavus.edu). Save the date!

Music Showcase Tickets on Sale... Following the success of its inaugural showcase concert in the Twin Cities last spring, the music department is taking its 2006 Music Showcase to Orchestra Hall at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 12. The showcase will feature the Gustavus Choir, the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, and the Gustavus Wind Orchestra. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for students 18 and under. Call the Orchestra Hall box office at 612/371-5656 or 800/292-4141 for ticket information and reservations. Handling fees may apply.

Off-campus Events of Interest

• Friday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. -- Parade along Third Street from Broadway to the Red Men Club
  
• Saturday, Feb. 11 -- Winterfest medallion hunt begins; the finder of the medallion will receive $1,000 if in possession of a Winterfest button
  
• Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. -- Miss St. Peter Pageant in Jussi Björling Recital Hall
• Sunday, Feb. 12 from 1 to 8 p.m. -- Super Snow Sunday at the Treaty Site History Center, features dog sled rides, sleigh rides, bonfire, s'mores, games, arts and crafts, snowshoeing, and more
  
• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. -- International Images at the Treaty Site History Center, where Gustavus students who were winners of the College's International Photo Contest will exhibit their photographs (free for Gustavus students and staff and those with a Winterfest button)
  
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. -- Dance to the big band sound of the Echos at Johnson Hall at the Nicollet County Fairgrounds (tickets are $10; $2 discount with a Winterfest button)

The St. Chamber of Commerce thanks the on-campus sponsors of Winterfest 2006 -- Student Senate, Inter-Greek Senate, GAC TV, Diversity Center, Peer Assistants, Dean of Students Office, Office of International Education, and Student Activities Office.

Extraordinary People

Students in the Media... Students from the January Interim Experience class "Introduction to Graphic Design with a Working Artist," taught by Kristin Higginbotham, designed the cover and feature layouts for the February issue of STATIC, a free Southern Minnesota arts and culture magazine. The students are Danielle Abel, Lindsey Beyer, Katie Bjorum, Amanda Brown, Nicole DuCane, Benjamin Eriksson, Laura Groenjes, Melissa Mills, Brianna Monahan, Erin Parker, Monica Ramirez, Brian Regan, Karen Schleper, Tania Schueller, Jerry Thao, and Patrick Young. Also, Karen Schleper designed the poster for the upcoming theatre and dance department's production of Bat Boy, The Musical.

Elizabeth Baer (English), Laura Behling (English), and Noreen Buhmann (community service) recently presented "Service Learning for Social Justice: A Pedagogy of Engagement" at the annual conference of the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Mark Granquist (religion) has his article, "Between Pietism, Revivalism, and Modernity: Samuel Simon Schmucker and American Lutheranism in the early Nineteenth Century," accepted for publication in the volume edited by Daniel Lindmark, "Pietism, Revivalism, and Modernity, 1650-1850," Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2006.

Steve Mellema (physics) presented a lecture, "Human Rights in Islam," Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the University of Minnesota's Osher Life-Long Learning Institute in the Twin Cities. On Sunday, Feb. 5, Mellema presented a talk, titled "Islam: A Personal Journey," at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Ray Thrower (safety and security) has been selected as president-elect of the International Association of College Law Enforcement Administrators. He is currently director of IACLEA's mid-America region.

CONGREGATIONAL OUTREACH:

Retreats... The Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Retreat Center, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, will host a retreat Feb. 10-11 for the church council from St. James Lutheran Church of Burnsville.

FUNDING OPPS:

• Research Opportunity Awards... The National Science Foundation offers Research Opportunity Awards (ROAs) through its Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program. ROAs enable faculty members to pursue research as visiting scientists with NSF-supported investigators at other institutions. ROAs are usually funded as a supplement to the NSF grant of the host researcher who submits the application. Most frequently, ROA activities are summer experiences, but partial support of sabbaticals is sometimes provided. Potential host researchers may be identified through the search of award abstracts on the NSF web site (the award search may be found at https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6Start.htm). Duration of support generally ranges from two to 12 months. ROAs are granted at the discretion of the program officer whose budget provides the funding. For further information about 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

• The Feb. 10 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education included "Rebuilding Balkan Bridges," in which Tom Emmert (history) is quoted several times. Emmert is associate director of Scholars' Initiative, an international effort to resolve lingering questions about the conflicts in former Yugoslavia.
• On Feb. 6, KEYC-TV (Ch. 12, Mankato) did a feature on Hillstrom Museum of Art's new exhibit, "Marvels of Maiolica: Italian Renaissance Ceramics," and quoted Don Myers (art and art history and museum director).
• The Feb. 5 New York Times Magazine cited Byron Nordstrom in an article, "Islam on the Outskirts of the Welfare State," about immigrants in Sweden.
  
• On Feb. 2, The Free Press of Mankato did a feature on the new exhibit in the Hillstrom Museum of Art on the front page of The Valley section. "Historic art: Hillstrom hosts centuries-old Italian ceramics" included several color photographs of the pieces on exhibit and quotes by Don Myers (art and art history and museum director).
• On Feb. 2, the St. Peter Herald published the following:
  • "Gustie gear gets on prime time TV," where one of the lead actors of "Love Monkey," Christopher Wiehl, was wearing a Gustavus sweatshirt. John Wirth ('75) is the show's executive producer and says "...I felt it would be great to have Chris's character be from Minnesota and a Gustavus alum."
  • "Winterfest including new events," which included mention of the Feb. 16 showing at the Treaty Site History Center of "International Images," an exhibit of Gustavus students' award-winning photographs from their studies abroad.
• Chris Gilbert was recently interviewed by the media regarding the president's State of the Union address as follows:
  
  • On Feb. 1 on WCCO-AM radio (830 AM) with Dave Lee
    
  • On Jan. 31 on Minnesota Public Radio's Midday program
    
• On Jan. 27, The Free Press of Mankato published a story on the wind orchestra's international tour. "Wind orchestra returns to site of memorable performance: Gustavus group touring Eastern Europe" appeared on the front page of The Valley section and included quotes by Al Behrends (fine arts).
  
• Larry Zelenz (men's soccer and intramurals and recreation) has been named the 2005 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Coach of the Year, and news of this has appeared in the following media:
  
  • On Jan. 26, the St. Peter Herald published "Zelenz named NCAA III soccer coach of the year" on the front page of the Sports section
    
  • On Jan. 25, The Free Press of Mankato published "GA's Zelenz earns D-III coaching honor"
    
• On Dec. 23, Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) aired a portion of the 1957 Gustavus KTCA concert on its Almanac holiday music special.

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:

Looking for Room to Rent: Individual interning in the Office of International Education this semester is searching for a room to rent until early June in St. Peter or Mankato. Contact April Valentine (x7545 or april.valentine@gmail.com).

For Rent: Two-bedroom, two bath home March 26-April 2 on the beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Accommodates up to six people. Rent is $960. Contact John Bungum (507/327-1278 or jbungum@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.