The Yellow Sheet for November 29November 29, 2007 | Volume 40, Number 12

Volume 40, Number 12

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

News & Announcements

Lund Parking Lot Closed... The Lund parking lot is closed starting from 11 p.m. today (Thursday, Nov. 29) through Saturday, Dec. 1, due to Christmas in Christ Chapel. With the exception of the visitor lots, all parking lots will be considered "open parking" through the weekend; vehicles may be parked in any red, yellow, or green parking space without regard to permit color from Friday, Nov. 30, until Sunday, Dec. 2. If questions, contact Safety and Security (x8809).

Emergency Communication Tests... As part of its ongoing and proactive emergency preparedness planning, Gustavus Adolphus College is enhancing its layered emergency communication program toinclude a new service called Connect-ED. Connect-ED enables campus administrators and security professionals to reach out to all members of the Gustavus community within minutes—through phone calls, e-mails, and text messages—with information and updates during unforeseen events or emergencies.
     School officials ask that all students, faculty, and staff enter and regularly update their emergency contact data online to make sure they are ready to receive important information at all times. Members of the campus community can update this information by going to the online campus directory at gustavus.edu/gribly. (After logging in, click the “Your Profile” tab and proceed to the “Emergency” tab to fill out or correct your contact information.)
     All contact information will remain secure and confidential. The system will only be used for emergencies or other unforeseen urgent communications, and campus community members will not receive unnecessary or frivolous communications via Connect-ED.
     The college plans to administer a systemwide test of the Connect-ED service each semester. The initial tests will occur on Monday, Dec. 10, and Tuesday, Dec. 11. On Dec. 10, the text message function of the system will be tested. Recipients of the test text message will be prompted to respond immediately to the message in order to opt in for future emergency text messages from the Connect-ED system. On Dec. 11, the entire system—including cell/mobile phones, land lines, text message devices, and e-mail—will be tested. Students and staff are advised to alert family members regarding this test if they have included home phone numbers in the system as emergency contacts.
     Questions regarding the Connect-ED service can be directed to Vice President for Marketing and Communication Gwen Freed at x6355 or gfreed@gustavus.edu.

Advancement Search Committee Appointed... President Peterson has appointed a committee to lead the search for the College's next vice president for institutional advancement. The committee comprises the following members: Vice President for Marketing and Communication Gwen Freed, Gustavus Trustee George Hicks, Alumni Board Chair Jan Michaletz, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary E. Morton, Associate Professor of Communication Studies Phil Voight, and Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Ken Westphal. Gwen Freed will chair.

Vote for St. Lucia Candidates... Voting for the 2007 Lucia queen remains open at tables outside the Evelyn Young Dining Room through Friday, Nov. 30. The five nominees are sophomores Amara Berthelson, Katelyn E. Johnson, Chelsea Koepsell, Cathryn Nelson, and Hayley O'Connell. The Festival of St. Lucia will be celebrated in Chapel on December 6, followed by the GLA-sponsored luncheon in Alumni Hall, this year featuring fiddler Brian Wicklund (and family).

Holiday Luncheon Reminder... The College will again be accepting donations for the St. Peter Area Foodshelf at the Support Staff Christmas Luncheon on Friday, Dec. 21. If you wish to contribute, bring any nonperishable items with you to the luncheon. Gift certificates and cash will also be accepted, and any contribution you make is sincerely appreciated.

Holiday Schedule... The College will observe the following holidays at the end of the 2007 calendar year:

• Monday, Dec. 24 - Floating Holiday
• Tuesday, Dec. 25 - Christmas Day
• Wednesday, Dec. 26 - Floating Holiday
• (Thursday, Dec. 27 - College OPEN; employees may work or request a PTO/vacation day)
• (Friday, Dec. 28 - College OPEN; employees may work or request a PTO/vacation day)
• Monday, Dec. 31 - Floating Holiday
• Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 - New Year's Day

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, Nov. 30 - Sarah Johnson (religion)
• Sunday, Dec. 2 - Luke Royer (senior student)
  
• Monday, Dec. 3 - Sarah Dille (religion)
• Tuesday, Dec. 4 - "Winds of Christmas": Gustavus and Vasa Wind Orchestras, Douglas Nimmo conducting
• Wednesday, Dec. 5 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, Dec. 6 - Festival of St. Lucia
• Friday, Dec. 7 - Julie Gilbert (library)
  

Two National Exhibitions Featured in Hillstrom Museum of Art... The Hillstrom Museum of Art is currently showing two nationally acclaimed exhibitions: Night Visions: The Secret Designs of Moths (Digital Prints by Joseph Scheer) and Destination Anywhere: A Juried Exhibit of 15 Award-Winning Young Artists with Disabilities. Both exhibits will remain on view through Jan. 13, 2008.
     Scheer, a professor of Print Media at Alfred University in New York, is the co-founder of the Institute for Electronic Arts there. His beautiful and astonishing digital prints based on highly-magnified scans of moths have been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Regional Museum of Kristianstad (Sweden), and the Field Museum in Chicago. In conjunction with the Night Visions exhibition, the Museum is sponsoring a public lecture by the artist tonight (Thursday, Nov. 29) at 7:30 p.m. in Wallenberg Auditorium. Scheer’s lecture, campus visit, and exhibition are supported by the Edgar F. and Ethel Johnson Endowment for the Arts.
     The Destination Anywhere exhibit was designed to recognize and showcase young American artists with disabilities, ages 16-25. The 15 finalists selected for exhibition were given awards totaling $60,000, generously provided by sponsor Volkswagen of America, Inc. The appearance of Destination Anywhere at the Hillstrom Museum of Art is supported by funds from the Diversity Center of Gustavus Adolphus College. Special programming by the Museum in collaboration with VSA arts of Minnesota provides assistance to area schools wishing to bring students to the exhibition, and is made possible by a grant provided by the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council from funds appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature.

Tickets Still Available for the Christmas in Christ Chapel Sunday Evening Finale... A limited number of tickets are available for the final 2007 Christmas in Christ Chapel worship experience on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. This evening celebration is always special, as it is the final performance for the 350 student musicians, readers, and dancers, who have come together this year to present "The Word Becomes Flesh" on the 35th anniversary of Christmas in Christ Chapel. You are invited to pick up your complimentary ticket at the Office of Marketing and Communication (x7520), upper level of the Carlson Administration Building.

Farewell Party... Come to Linner Lounge on Tuesday, Dec. 4, between 10:30 and noon to celebrate Patti Kelly's tenure at Gustavus.  Patti will be leaving the assistant dean of students position at the end of December, and her colleagues and friends invite you to help celebrate her 10+ years of service to the students and staff of Gustavus.

Thai Tourism Rep to Visit... Jaranya Daengnoy will be visiting Gustavus on Tuesday, Dec. 4, as a representative of the Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I). Please join her for an informal information session at 4 p.m. in the Carlson Center Community Room if you are interested in learning about community-based tourism, or if you are interested in conducting a January IEX course in Thailand. Also, you may contact Priscilla Briggs (x7018) if you are interested in having Ms. Daengnoy visit your class.

Religion Majors Theses Poster Happening... Senior religion majors will present their research work at the Fall Semester Poster Event, Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the St. Peter Room, 6:30-8:00 p.m. There are four seniors in this fall’s seminar, and their topics range from Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus and Luther’s theology of the cross to the role of Christian women in post-Apartheid South Africa, and from discipleship in a post-Christendom society to faith, reason, and myth. The senior presenters will show and discuss the poster representing their research papers. Refreshments will be served.

Awared-Winning Biopic to Be Screened... As part of The 6ix Alternative Film Festival, Something The Lord Made will be screened on campus on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 7-9 p.m. in the Heritage Room. The film is a 2004 Emmy and 2005 Peabody Award-winning HBO biopic starring Alan Rickman and Mos Def, about the legendary black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock, who pioneered modern heart surgery. For more information, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386792/. The event is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board and the Diversity Center.

A Second Farewell Reception... On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the Community Service Center is hosting an informal farewell reception for Noreen Buhmann, director of service and service-learning. Stop by the "square table," just outside the Community Service Center in the Johnson Student Union, between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Noreen's final work day is Thursday, Dec. 6.

'More than Light': The Yule Tide Breakfast... Reservations are now being taken for this year's American Scandinavian Yule Tide Breakfast, which will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 12, beginning at 8 a.m. in the Jackson Campus Center Banquet Rooms. Featured speaker is author Eva Apelqvist, who grew up in Stockholm but lived in Wisconsin as an high school exchange student, returned as an exchange student at Gustavus in 1985-86, and now lives in the United States, where she writes for a wide audience and conducts writing workshops. Cost of the Yule Tide Breakfast is $8.50; reservations may be secured by sending a check made out to Gustavus Adolphus College to Edi Thorstensson (library) by Friday, Dec. 7.

Climate Change and Higher Education Webcast... The Gustavus community is invited view a webcast titled "Climate Change and Higher Education: Leadership to Achieve Climate Neutrality" on Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Interpretive Center. Sponsored by the New York Times and the Society for College and University Planning, the webcast will focus on what higher education institutions are doing about climate change, with particular reference to the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, which President Peterson signed earlier this fall. For more information about the webcast, go to http://www.nytimes.whsites.net/knowledgenetwork/learning/scup-climatechange.html. Specific information about the Presidents' Climate Commitment can be found at http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/. This webcast is open to the entire Gustavus community with the support of the Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation. For more information, contact James Dontje (jdontje@gustavus.edu).

New Date for Fireside Chat... The December Fireside Chat at the Melva Lind Interpretive Center has been rescheduled from Thursday, Dec. 6, to Thursday, Dec. 13. A brief presentation on he folklore and traditions of Christmas plants will be repeated at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. by Cindy Johnson-Groh (arboretum/biology). As usual, sandwiches, pop, chips, and fruit are available for purchase, or bring your own lunch. Call Emily (x7199) with any questions.

Benefit Social... All are invited to a benefit evening for Bob and Dana Lamb on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Red Men's Club (now nonsmoking and newly remodeled). There will be bingo from 4 to 7 p.m. at $1 per game (16 games), a social in the back room from 7 to 10 p.m., $5 hot pork sandwiches and bowls of chili, and a silent auction. Come and help Bob and Dana celebrate life, health, and good friends. They would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this challenging year of cancer treatment and heart surgery.

Faculty and Administrator Invitation... President Jim Peterson, Provost Mary Morton, and Academic Deans Eric Eliason and Mariangela Maguire invite faculty, faculty emeriti, administrators, and retired administrators and their spouses/partners to a holiday party on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall. RSVP to Jennifer Schmidt by Friday, Dec. 7, at x7675 or jschmid4@gustavus.edu.

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Annual Riverlights Holiday Concert... The Riverlights, St. Peter's vocal jazz group, will present a holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7 p. m. at Union Presbyterian Church (730 South Third St. in St. Peter). Many of the ensemble's performances have been benefits for area organizations and charities, and proceeds from this year's performance will be donated to the newly established scholarship fund of the Bennett Clayton Foundation for children with OI. This concert will include vocal and instrumental music for the Christmas season. The public is invited. Donations may be made at the door.

Extraordinary People

Yumiko Oshima-Ryan (music) presented a lecture-recital titled "Tapiola Visions for piano (left hand) by Takashi Yoshimatsu (b. 1953)—a glimpse of recent musical trends in Japan" at the College Music Society's 50th national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Nov. 16. Her proposal to present this work was selected last June.

Terry Morrow (communication studies) published an article titled "A Free Speech Siberia: Drawing Property Lines to Limit Dissent" in the Free Speech Yearbook.

For the third consecutive year, the art furniture of Douglas Nimmo (music), North Light Art Furniture, has been selected by jury to be included in the "Arts of the Holidays" art show at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. The show opened on Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 22; it is free and open to the public.

"Joseph Nicollet’s Map and GPS,” an article written by Bob Douglas (geography), has been published in Past Place, the newsletter of the Historical Geography Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers, Fall/Winter 2007. Volume XVI, Number 1.

During the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, held in San Diego, Nov. 17-20, Darrell Jodock (religion) presented a paper on "Albrecht Ritschl's Portrait of the New Testament and the Early Church" and served on a panel regarding "Late Nineteenth-Century Constructions of Christian Origins."

In a haiku contest sponsored by Seinan Jo Gakuin University (Fukuoka, Japan), the International Exchange Foundation (FIEF), and the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) this fall, a haiku by Horst Ludwig (MLLC) was ranked among the "honourably mentioned."

Steve Wilkinson (HES), now in his 38th year as the men's tennis coach at Gustavus, has been named the national winner of the United States Tennis Association (USTA)/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Campus Recreation Award. Wilkinson will be honored on Dec. 15 at the ITA Coaches Convention at the Naples Grande Resort and Spa in Naples, Fla. The USTA/ITA Campus Recreation Award honors an ITA coach who has done an outstanding job implementing the USTA's "Tennis on Campus" program or similar recreational tennis programs in an effort to grow tennis participation within the campus community. In addition to creating and maintaining one of the most successful Division III men's tennis programs in the nation, Wilkinson has taken great steps to promote the game on the campus. He runs three tennis leagues that play in the fall and spring, including an intermediate league with six teams and advanced singles and doubles leagues. During January, he provides free indoor recreational tennis for all Gustavus students three days a week.

Doug Huff (philosophy) is still in India and recently gave a talk, "The Nature of Religious Belief," to the Department of Philosophy at Banaris Hindu University in Varanasi, India.

Congregational Outreach

Afterglow Reception... The Office of Church Relations and the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations will host a reception in the Retreat Center on Friday, Nov. 30, following opening night of Christmas in Christ Chapel. This social event is an opportunity for the Association board to thank the directors and personnel associated with coordinating the Christmas in Christ Chapel services.

Preaching in Congregations... The Rev. Grady St. Dennis (church relations) will speak at Scandian Grove Lutheran Church in rural Nicollet County on Sunday, Dec. 2, at the 10 a.m. service. This program is coordinated by the Office of Church Relations.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat for St. James Lutheran Church from Burnsville, Minn., on Saturday, Dec. 1.

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

Funding Opps

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

• Smithsonian Research Training Program for Undergraduate Students... The Smithsonian Research Training Program is a 10-week, museum-based, in-residence program for undergraduate students interested in a career in the biological, geological, or anthropological sciences. Approximately 20 students are selected each year to partner with a Smithsonian scientist to investigate a natural history research topic as well as participate in a series of lectures, workshops, demonstrations, behind-the-scenes tours, and field trips. Students, in collaboration with their Smithsonian research adviser, develop and test a scientific hypothesis and communicate the results through written manuscripts in addition to oral and poster presentations. All research is conducted in-residence at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Participants are provided a stipend of $3,000 plus housing and travel. The deadline for applications is Feb. 1. Bob Weisenfeld is available to assist students in proposal preparation. Detailed information and application materials are available electronically at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/.

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 Eden Prairie Sun Current printed a story on Nov. 14 that featured two Gustavus graduates who are among only 84 male kindergarten teachers in the state of Minnesota. Education instructor Mary O’Brien was quoted in the story.
• The Lutheran magazine printed a story on the Nobel Conference in its December issue.
• The Metro Lutheran printed a review of the book Esbj! The Heart and Mind of a Professor by professor emeritus Robert Esbjornson and retired VP for Marketing and Communication and Interim President Dennis Johnson in its December issue.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story on Nov. 25 about the 70-acre addition to the Linnaeus Arboretum. Cindy Johnson-Groh was quoted in the story.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story on Nov. 20 about quirky college landmarks. Steve Waldhauser and Matt Thomas of Marketing and Communication were quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed stories about St. Lucia and the new Hillstrom Museum exhibits in its Nov. 22 edition.

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

Personalize the Return Address on College Envelopes... Did you know that Postal Services will add your department or individual name to the return address on College envelopes? The personalization ensures a prompt return to the sender of undeliverable mail. When the return address is generic, Postal Services staff must open the mail piece to determine the sender. If you want to order envelopes, please e-mail mailroom@gustavus.edu and specify the information in the return address and the number of envelopes you need. When the envelopes are processed, they will be sent to you through the College Post Office.

Plugs

For Sale: Solid slate chalk boards from Old Main have been salvaged and are now available for sale. The slate has been cut to a more manageable 24"x28" size and a wood frame made from the original wood for a border. They're ready to hang on the wall and, as a keepsake from the original Old Main, would make a great Christmas gift for a graduate or an employee. Price is $39 each. A limited number are available, and they'll be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Rick Dahn at 612-756-0209.

For Sale: Fischer stereo system w/ 3-disc CD, cassette, radio, two regular speakers, two surround speakers, and remote control. Call or e-mail Gretchen Koehler (HES, emerita) at 934-5441 or gkoehler.

"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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