The Yellow Sheet for October 25October 25, 2007 | Volume 40, Number 8

Volume 40, Number 8

• News & Announcements
• Campus Happenings
• Off-Campus Events
• Extraordinary People
• New Faces
• Position Openings
• Funding Opps
• In the Media
• Postal Pointers
• Plugs
• Calendar of Events
• Submit an Item Online

News & Announcements

Online GLA Auction Closes Tonight... A new feature this year of Gustavus Library Associates’ Razzle Dazzle* A Royal Affair fundraiser is an online auction. The online auction has been running since Thursday, Oct. 18, and closes tonight (Thursday, Oct. 25) at 10 p.m. All proceeds from the auction will be directed to the GLA library endowment fund benefiting Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library. To make your final bid(s), go to the GLA website and click on “online auction.”  The Royal Affair event on this coming Saturday evening, Oct. 27, is virtually sold-out with well over 1,000 guests attending. For information, contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at x7550.

Christmas in Christ Chapel Tickets Still Available... Ticket orders for this year’s 35th commemoration of Christmas in Christ Chapel, " The Word Becomes Flesh," are being received by the Office of Marketing and Communication on the second level of the Carlson Administration Building. Tickets will be sent to your campus address in early November. Musical and dance ensembles are busily preparing for the worship celebrations on the weekend of Nov. 30, and Dec. 1 and 2.  The Office of Marketing and Communication can also be reached by calling x7521.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Applications... Faculty members with senior students who are potential applicants for National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships should alert their students that the forms are now available online. Deadlines for applications are set during the period of Nov. 1-9 for various disciplines. The main link for the NSF-GRF program is http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201. Complete details, and guidelines for submission, can be accessed from the link. Applications must be submitted online via FastLane.

Community Invited to Web Conference on Sustainable Dining... A web conference titled "Understanding Sustainable Dining Options" will be broadcast on Wednesday, Nov. 14, in the Saint Peter Room of the Jackson Campus Center. The conference begins at noon and will run until 1:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Dining Service and its advisory Kitchen Cabinet, the webcast is open to the entire Gustavus community. For an overview, visit the conference website at: https://www.academicimpressions.com/web_conferences/1107-sustainable-dining.php. Reservations are not necessary but would be appreciated for planning purposes; send to skjellgr@gustavus.edu.

Campus Happenings

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:

• Friday, Oct. 26 - Todd Ruble (Dining Service)
  
• Sunday, Oct. 28 - Chaplain Rachel Larson
• Monday, Oct. 29 - Ralston Deffenbaugh, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
• Tuesday, Oct. 30 - Ellen Ruiters, GACAC Service Award presentation
• Wednesday, Oct. 31 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, Nov. 1 - Founders Day, President James Peterson
• Friday, Nov. 2 - International Day

Tragedy of Columbine High School Dramatized... The Department of Theatre and Dance will present columbinus in Anderson Theatre, Oct. 25-28. Written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli, and directed by Henry MacCarthy (theatre & dance), columbinus is based on the events leading up to, and including, the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., on April 20, 1999. Described as a "theatrical discussion" by the playwrights, columbinus presents a snapshot of American youth culture. Combining original interviews and conversations with teens across the country and transcripts of videos and journals from survivors and victims of the Columbine shootings, while dissecting the cultural pathologies that might have led to the tragedy, columbinus is a testament to the relevance of the contemporary theatre and an urgent call for self-reflectivity and dialogue. The playwrights force a discussion of how we treat each other and why we do so within the context of the statement that "no one should ever feel this alone again." (A cautionary note: columbinus is painful and traumatic. It is as emotionally powerful as it is exhausting and, as such, is not suitable for children.) Performances of columbinus will be held in Anderson Theatre at 8 p.m. on Oct. 25-27 and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 28. Tickets for the play are on sale through the Student Activities Office (507-933-7590). Prices are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and non-Gustavus students, and free for Gustavus students and employees.

Fireside Chat in the Interpretive Center... Provost Mary Morton will be on hand for a Fireside Chat in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center on Friday, Oct. 26, to discuss her role in the Gustavus community and answer any questions you might have. The Fireside Chats are meant to informal and informative; two presentations are scheduled, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Bring your lunch, or purchase one at the site. Contact Emily (ehoefs) with any questions.

Pumpkin Carving for Operation Smile... On Friday, Oct. 26, help "Carve a Smile for Children." Painting and carving of pumpkins will take place in Courtyard Cafe from 3 to 6 p.m. There is a $3 starting donation, with all proceeds going to Operation Smile. Snacks and cider will be available. All of the Gustavus community is invited, so bring your friends or children to have fun and support a great cause. This event is sponsored by Operation Smile and ILS. For more information about Operation Smile visit: http://www.operationsmile.org/.

Shop Talk... Paschal Kyoore (MLLC) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2007-08 academic year. His talk, titled "Speaking Wisdom, Listening to Wisdom: Proverbs among the Dagara People of West Africa," will be presented on Friday, Oct. 26, at 4:30 p.m. 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/.

Pianist to Perform Solo Recital in Campus... Mankato pianist David Viscoli will present a guest recital in Jussi Björling Recital Hall on Friday, Oct. 26, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Minnesota State University, Mankato, associate professor will present works by Fauré, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Schubert, and Liszt. His recital is free and open to the public.

Swedish Folk Singer to Present Wallenberg Lecture... The annual Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture takes place this year on Monday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wallenberg Auditorium in Nobel Hall. The presenter is Ben Olander, a well-known contemporary Swedish folk singer, who will not give a conventional lecture but instead will perform songs he has written inspired by the Nazi Resistance hero Raoul Wallenberg. He will speak in English and sing in Swedish and in English, accompanying himself on the guitar. The event, sponsored by the Peace Studies program, is open to the public without charge.

Land Management Expert Here Next Week... Steve J. Popovich, who is with the Forest Service in Ft. Collins, Colo., will be on campus on Oct. 29-30, presenting two lectures. His first talk, "Reflections on Environmental Humanitarian Aid: Developing Countries, Challenges and Dreams," will be presented through pictures on Monday, Oct. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. The second presentation, on Tuesday, Oct. 30, between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., is "Ways to Serve Environmental Humanitarian Issues: How Do I Start?" Both presentations will be held at Melva Lind Interpretive Center. Popovich has 23 years of experience in federal land management focusing on vegetation resources, ecology, and rare plants. He has also been involved with numerous international humanitarian aid assignments. His visit is sponsored by the Department of Biology, the Environmental Studies program, the First Term Seminar program, and the Center for Vociational Reflection.

GACAC to Present Service Awards in Chapel... On behalf of the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations (GACAC), President Peterson will present the 2007 Service Award during chapel at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, to Donn H. Escher '50 and Ellen Higginbotham Ruiters '97. The award recognizes alumni of Gustavus who have made distinctive commitments and contributions to the service of others through volunteer work, involvement in the church, and extraordinary professional accomplishments. Escher, who will receive the award posthumously, served in various organizations, committees, and church groups for many years and in many capacities, most recently on the Minneapolis Synod Candidacy Committee of the ELCA. Ruiters is the founder and executive director of Africa Jam, a Christian youth empowerment organization serving high school youth in Cape Town, South Africa. Today, Africa Jam serves more than 10,000 youth annually through after-school programs at 22 different high schools.

'Dancing with the Profs'... The second annual "Dancing with the Profs" event will be held on Friday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 pm in Alumni Hall. Six teams of professors and students teams will show off their dance skills. Teams receive lessons from the Gustavus Swing Club and perform live that night, with their performances taped by GAC TV. A winning couple is determined by a panel of judges and audience vote. The six teams, each consisting of one professor and one student, are John Clementson (education) and Katelyn Johnson (first-year), Patricia Kazarow (music) and John Bennetts (sophomore), Megan Ruble (student activities) and Luke Garrison (sophomore), Carolyn Dobler (MCS) and Jordan Hawkinson (junior), Aaron Banks (HES) and Carlie Mauss (junior), and Scott Moe (HES) and Justine Moses (junior). Last year's debut raised over $1,600 for the American Red Cross, benefiting victims of tornadoes that hit southern Minnesota last August. All proceeds are given to a charity that is making an impact in the St. Peter community. This year the goal is $2,000, which will go to the St. Peter United Way. The St. Peter United Way is involved in sponsoring the Big Partner, Little Partner program here at Gustavus and St. Peter's Habitat for Humanity group. Tickets can be purchased at the door or from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. outside the dining room. Tickets are $4 for the public or $2 for Gustavus community members with an ID. At the ticket table, a coin drive also will take place where you can donate money to your favorite couple and increase their chances of winning! Another great way to get involved is through an online service auction (see separate note below). If you have any questions, contact: mmarcott@gustavus.edu, ashrader@gustavus.edu, or mhansvic@gustavus.edu "Dancing with the Profs 2" is sponsored by Campus Activities Board with help from Gustavus Swing Club, GAC TV, St. Peter United Way, St. Peter Chapter of Thrivent Financial, and many local community sponsors.

Student-Led St. Peter United Way Campaign... Students have organized an online service auction in support of the St. Peter United Way, through which faculty and students can offer talents and services such as baking, knitting, music and sports lessons, homemade dinners, artwork, etc. for auction. The students are currently seeking members of Gustavus to offer talents or services to be included in the auction. Contact gtaylor@gustavus.edu by Thursday, Nov. 1, if you are interested in donating a service. All items will be up for bidding starting Friday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m., with bids closing Sunday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. Gustavus employees and students will be able to access the auction site online (site will be specified in next week's YS).

Campus Revival... Be inspired and renewed through the anointed ministry of Bishop Wayne R. Felton, senior pastor of the Holy Christian Church-Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn. Come to Christ Chapel on Friday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. and see the power of the Word of God move in demonstration of healing and the prophetic.

'Our Story' Conference Addresses Debt Forgiveness... "Debt Forgiveness for Underdeveloped Nations" is the theme of this year's student-run "Our Story" Conference, scheduled for Nov. 10, 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Guest speaker is John Ruach Jal Wang, former chairman of the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association in London and Paris who is being touted as a candidate for president of South Sudan in 2011 elections. The conference is jointly sponsored by the Pan Afrikan Student Organization (PASO) and CAB.

Holocaust Lecture Chronicles Ukranian Atrocities... On Monday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall, the Peace Studies program will sponsor a lecture on the Nazi Holocaust by Professor Omer Bartov, John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History at Brown University. Professor Bartov will give an illustrated lecture on his forthcoming book, Erased, Vanished Traces of Jewish Galicia in Present Day Ukraine. Bartov uncovers the rapidly disappearing vestiges of the Jews of western Ukraine, who were rounded up and murdered by the Nazis during World War II with help from the local populace. What begins as a deeply personal chronicle of the Holocaust in his mother's hometown of Buchach—in former Eastern Galicia—carries him on a journey across the region and back through history. This poignant travelogue reveals the complete erasure of the Jews and their removal from public memory, a blatant act of forgetting done in the service of a fiercely aggressive Ukrainian nationalism.

Off-Campus Events of Interest

As If You Needed to Be Reminded... Scandian Grove Lutheran Church, Norseland, Minn., will hold this year's edition of its annual Lutefisk & Swedish Meatball Supper on Saturday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Cost is $13.50 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. The event is co-sponsored by Thrivent. Scandian Grove Lutheran Church is located 10 miles west of St. Peter; take Hwy 22 to Co. Rd. 52, turn north and go about a half mile. Take-outs are available.

Food Justice Conference... "Changing the World One Bite at a Time" is the theme of a conference exploring the issue of food justice and how individuals can make a difference in the world. The conference, sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame at their conference center in Mankato (170 Good Counsel Drive) on Saturday, Nov. 3, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., features a keynote address by Lisa Heldke (philosophy) titled "Just FOOD or JUST Food?" Cost is $15 (student rate of $10), which includes a delicious, organic, local menu for lunch as well as organic fair-trade coffee and made-from-scratch muffins in the morning). Sessions include "Taking Action for Local and Regional Food Systems," "Myth: Fast Foods Are Faster," "Shaping Local Food Efforts," and "Digging Deeper, Growing Together." Registration is due by Oct. 31 to Lisa Coons (mail to the Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry, 170 Good Counsel Dr., Mankato, MN 56001; phone 507-389-4272; or e-mail lcoons@ssndmankato.org).

Meet the Author Event... The Night Birds, by Thomas Maltman, takes place in 1876 and is set in our region. The author will be present at two public events in St. Peter on Saturday, Nov. 3, both free and open to all. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., a writing workshop is scheduled at the St. Peter Public Library (hosted by the Friends of the Library). At 3 p.m., Maltman will be at the Melva Lind Interpretive Center on the Gustavus campus for a reading and book signing (sponsored by the Book Mark and the Treaty Site History Center). For more information, call x6017 or e-mail jdschult@gustavus.edu.

Music for Missions Season Begins... The 2007-08 season of Music for Missions concerts at First Lutheran Church, St. Peter (1114 W. Traverse Road), begins Sunday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. with a recital by soprano Naomi Karstad (Gustavus Class of 1983). In celebration of the 150th anniversary of First Lutheran Church, Karstad returns to the church of her youth with a program that features an “immigrant” theme. The program of art song will represent the many immigrant groups in Minnesota—Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Czechs, and Irish. Beth and Chad Winterfeldt will collaborate with Karstad on piano and organ. Music for Missions concerts are supported by the Agnes Holmberg Endowment. A free-will offering will benefit Lutheran Disaster Response flood relief in southeastern Minnesota. All are welcome!

Extraordinary People

Laurent Déchery is the author of a new book, Le premier regard, essai d’anatomie métaphysique (The First Gaze, Essay in Metaphysical Anatomy), just published by L’Harmattan (Paris).

Helen and Paul Baumgartner (music, emeriti) gave a four-hand piano duet recital at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton, Minn., on Oct. 7. This event was arranged through Partners in Education (Office of Church Relations) and not only served to dedicate a Steinway piano donated to the church, but also resulted in a very generous offering for the Global Mission Institute (GMI) of Luther Seminary. This recital is the most recent in a series of about 40 benefit recitals for GMI that the Baumgartners have performed over the past several decades.

A panel developed by John Cha and Mark Dennis (both religion), titled "Buddhist Commentarial Traditions: Transdiscursivity and Textual Production in Buddhist Intellectual History," has been accepted by the XVth Congress of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. The conference will be held at Emory University, Atlanta, Ga., June 23-28, 2008.

Doug Huff (philosophy), currently in India as leader of the India Semester Abroad Program, gave the keynote address at Suvidya College's Philosophy for Life Conference on Oct. 10 in Banglore, India. The title of Doug's talk was "Kierkegaard and the Existentialist Movement." The BLT (Bangalore's oldest and largest theatre) also surprised Doug with a staged reading of his comedy, Jean Paul Savage and the Reichenbach Fall, the night of Oct. 10. Contrary to rumor, Doug assures everyone that humor does travel across cultures extremely well.

Don Scheese (English) presented a paper, "Pursuing the Prehistoric Past: The Anasazi in Recent Works of Creative Nonfiction by Craig Childs & David Roberts," at the Western Literature Association meeting in Tacoma, WA, Oct. 17-20. His joint review of Childs's "House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization Across the American Southwest" and Roberts's "Sandstone Spine: Seeking the Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge" will appear in a future issue of ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature & Environment. This work is part of his ongoing book project tentatively titled "The Allure of the Anasazi: Representations of Ancestral Puebloans in Art & Literature." Scheese also contributed three articles to the forthcoming Encyclopedia of American Environmental History (Facts on File, 2008): "Edward Abbey," "Mary Austin," and "Literature in General."

New Faces

The following people have recently joined the Gustavus community:

New Administrators

• Jason Stratman, Manager of Environmental Health & Safety (Safety & Security)

New Support Staff

• Gary Oian Vust, On-Call Officer (Safety & Security)
• Paula Schmidthuber, P.M. Cook (Dining Service)

Position Openings

• Certified Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant (Student Health Service)
• Director of Advancement Services (Institutional Advancement)

For more information on the aforementioned position(s), call human resources (x7304).

Funding Opps

The Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations' weekly program or funding opportunity highlight:

• 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 high school teachers or 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, depending upon the length of the seminar or institute. The deadline for project directors to submit an application is tentatively March 1, 2008, for a project beginning in summer 2009. Guidelines for this spring’s competition will be posted early this winter; in the meantime, interested faculty can refer to last year’s program announcement at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/seminars.html.

For more information on grants or proposal preparation, contact Bob Weisenfeld in the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (x7049 or bweis@gustavus.edu).

In the Media

Here are some noteworthy Gustavus-related stories that recently appeared in print or broadcast media around the nation:

• The Metro Lutheran printed a full-page article about the Nobel Conference in its November edition.
• The Mankato Free Press previewed the College's theatre production, columbinus, in an Oct. 25 article. Henry MacCarthy (theatre & dance) was quoted.
• The Mankato Free Press printed an article on the front page of its Oct. 23 Currents section about efforts to reduce waste in the Market Place. Director of Dining Services Steve Kjellgren and students Breanna Draxler and Sam Grace were quoted.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a brief on the front of its Oct. 21 Valley section about the Nobel Conference lectures being available online.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story on the front page of its Oct. Oct. 21 edition about the collected longevity of the Gustavus football game "chain gang." Athletics Director Al Molde was quoted.

Anyone who has suggested additions for this list, suggestions for potential future media stories, or interest in being a media source should contact Marketing and Communication (x7520 or ga_news@gustavus.edu).

Postal Pointers

Holiday Stamps... Two holidays stamps will be released soon. The U.S. Postal Service will warm up for the holidays by issuing "Holiday Knits," four stamps featuring classic winter-time imagery designed and machine knitted by nationally known illustrator Nancy Stahl. Also, The USPS continues its custom of issuing traditional U.S. Christmas stamps. Since 1978, the theme of these stamps has been the Madonna and Child, and these holiday stamps have attracted a devoted following over the years. The 2007 Christmas stamp features an oil-on-panel titled The Madonna of the Carnation by Milanese painter Bernardino Luini. Dating from around 1515, the painting is now part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. If you would like any holiday stamps, please order them through the Gustavus Postal Services website. The stamps will be delivered to you and charged to your department or personal account.

Plugs

For Sale: Girl's bedroom set—two dressers with mirror and bookcase, desk, and headboard to fit double or queen bed. Call Barb at 507-387-5610 or x7505.

For Sale: Academic hood representing M.A. degree from Duke University (Yale blue with white chevron, with white velvet trim for arts/humanities degree; would also represent other colleges and universities registered with same colors and pattern), $45.00. Regular price about $130.00. If you or someone you know may be interested, contact Mary Everett, everettmary@hotmail.com or 934-0048.

"Plugs" is maintained as a forum by which members of the Gustavus community may offer goods and services to others in the community, or seek the same from them. It is not meant to accommodate ads or announcements from area businesses such as real estate agents and retailers, although from time to time such announcements may be published when deemed to be of particular interest to the community.

 



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

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The Yellow Sheet is a newsletter for Gustavus Adolphus College employees produced by the Office of Marketing and Communication. It is published weekly during the academic year (except during the week of Thanksgiving, the Christmas break, Touring Week, and the Spring and Easter breaks). Anyone may submit items by filling out an online submission form. While online, e-mail submissions are preferred, items may also be submitted typewritten on a letter-sized sheet of paper. Send "snail mail" items to: The Yellow Sheet, Office of Marketing and Communication. Items must reach the office no later than 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday before publication. The week of Nobel Conference the deadline is 4:30 p.m. Monday. For more information, contact Steve Waldhauser (ga_news@gustavus.edu or x6413).

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