The Yellow Sheet for December 6December 6, 2007 | Volume 40, Number 13

Volume 40, Number 13

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

News & Announcements

Emergency Communication Testing—Phone Disruption Possible... The initial tests of the College’s new emergency communication system will occur on Friday (Dec. 7), Monday (Dec. 10), and Tuesday (Dec. 11).
     A test of the College’s telephone equipment (land lines) will be conducted on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m., and it’s possible that the test could temporarily interrupt the College’s phone service. On Dec. 10, the text messaging function of the system will be tested between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. 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. Then, on Dec. 11, between 4 and 7 p.m., the entire system—including cell/mobile phones, land lines, text message devices, and e-mail—will be tested. You will receive a test message via multiple communication channels. No action will be necessary; this is only a test. Again, it is possible that phone services will be temporarily interrupted. Students and staff are advised to alert family members regarding this test if they have included home phone numbers in the Gribly emergency contacts section (gustavus.edu/gribly, under the “Your Profile” and “Emergency” tabs).
     The system will only be used for emergencies or other unforeseen urgent communications, and campus community members will not receive unnecessary or frivolous communications. Testing will occur each semester. Questions can be directed to Vice President for Marketing and Communication Gwen Freed (x6355, gfreed@gustavus.edu).

Leadership Initiative... Co-chairs Steve Bennett (student affairs) and Leila Brammer (communication studies) invite interested Gustavus employees to join the working group charged by Provost Mary Morton with the leadership development strategic initiative. This working group will review the work of the last year's study groups, examine existing curricular elements and co-curricular programs, and identify best practices with the purpose of creating recommendations for leadership development at Gustavus. They plan to meet before the end of this semester and then regularly during the spring semester. If you are interested in participating in this process, contact Steve Bennett (sbennett@gustavus.edu) by noon on Friday, Dec. 7.

Kitchen Cabinet Survey... For one of its projects this fall, the Kitchen Cabinet, an advisory committee to the Dining Service comprising interested students, faculty, and staff, has been exploring solutions to the "To-Go Box" issue. In an effort to learn more about the way that community members use to-go containers, the Cabinet is conducting a short survey of the entire campus. You are urged to link to the following address by Thursday, Dec. 20, to fill out the 10-question online survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=QlJQ_2bdzLdZcPBZmMw4HQCw_3d_3d. If you would like to learn more about the work of the Kitchen Cabinet, contact Lisa Heldke (heldke@gustavus.edu) or Andi Twiton (atwiton@gustavus.edu). They welcome your interest and suggestions.

In the Event of a School Closing... When College facilities will be closed or classes delayed or canceled during a work day due to inclement weather conditions, announcements will be made by 6:30 a.m. on the following radio stations: KRBI (1310 AM, St. Peter), KYSM (103.5 FM/1230 AM, Mankato), KNUJ (860 AM, New Ulm), and WCCO radio, television, and Web (830 AM, Ch. 4, and wcco.com, Twin Cities). Announcements will also be made by 6:45 a.m. on campus via e-mail, Web, and voice mail. If the College makes the decision to close, employees will be paid for regularly scheduled hours for that day. If employees choose to leave early due to inclement weather, the time off should be taken as unpaid leave or vacation, with supervisor approval. Factors that influence the College's decision to delay or cancel classes include the following: expected precipitation, road conditions, visibility, and wind-chill factor. The College's decision to delay/cancel may differ from local area K-12 schools; Gustavus is responding to the needs and wellbeing of the more than 2,000 students who live in campus housing, while different factors and conditions influence closing decisions made for K-12 schools (e.g., busing, young children, etc.).

St. Lucia Named... During the 67th annual Festival of St. Lucia held this morning, Katelyn Johnson, a sophomore from Midlothian, Texas, was named St. Lucia. Members of the Lucia Court are fellow sophomores Amara Berthelsen, Chelsea Koepsell, Cathryn Nelson, and Hayley O'Connell. The selection of St. Lucia and her court is based upon academic achievement, spiritual leadership, and involvement in community service at Gustavus.

Donations for the St. Peter Area Food Shelf... Non-perishable food items, cash, and gift certificates will again be accepted at this year's Support Staff Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 21. Bring any items you wish to donate with you to the luncheon.

YS Publication Reminder... The last Yellow Sheet of the 2007 calendar year will be published next Thursday, Dec. 13. With the end of the fall semester and the holiday break, the next YS will not be published until Jan. 3, 2008. Those wishing to have the YS announce events or deadlines occurring between Dec. 14 and Jan. 3 need to submit those announcements by the end of the day on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Don't Get Towed... The City of St. Peter reminds the campus community about its snow emergency ordinance: Snow emergencies will be declared before 5 p.m. and announced on local radio. When a snow emergency is declared, there is NO PARKING on any of the posted SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTES for the entire 48-hour period. Beginning at midnight, for two days, there is NO PARKING on residential streets from midnight until 7 a.m. Vehicles parked in violation of the snow emergency ordinance will be ticketed (fined $15-50) AND towed at the owners' expense. For more information about this ordinance and which streets are considered snow emergency routes, click here to visit the City of St. Peter's website.

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, Dec. 7 - Julie Gilbert (library)
• Sunday, Dec. 9 - Chaplain Brian Johnson
• Monday, Dec. 10 - Chris Johnson (CVR)
  
• Tuesday, Dec. 11 - John Byrnes (senior student)
• Wednesday, Dec. 12 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, Dec. 13 - Ben Birks (senior student)
• Friday, Dec. 14 - Charlie Strey (residential life)

Yule Tide Breakfast... The American Scandinavian Yule Tide Breakfast 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, a former exchange student at Gustavus. 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).

'Decking the Halls' Fireside Chat... The December Fireside Chat at the Melva Lind Interpretive Center is slated for Thursday, Dec. 13. Cindy Johnson-Groh (arboretum/biology) will make a brief presentation on the folklore and traditions of Christmas plants at 11:30 a.m., to be repeated at 12:30 p.m. 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

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 holiday concert will be donated to the newly established scholarship fund of the Bennett Clayton Foundation for children with OI. The public is invited. Donations may be made at the door.

Extraordinary People

On Nov. 27-28, Darrell Jodock (religion) participated in a Jewish-Christian dialogue in Louisville, Ky. This is one of a series of such dialogues involving representatives from the Protestant and Orthodox churches that are affiliated with the National Council of Churches and representatives of the major Jewish organizations in the United States. The dialogue provides a forum for candid discussion about difficult issues. Its primary focus is the role these two religious communities can play in fostering peace in the Middle East, but the discussion also explores related religious differences and possible areas of cooperation.
     Then, on Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Jodock participated in an ELCA consultation on non-degree theological education convened by the director for Life-Long Learning and held in Chicago. The consultation brought together about 80 people representing eight colleges, five seminaries, a variety of adult education programs, a number of synods, the program unit on vocation and education, and the church publishing house. In addition to mutual learning, the purpose was to identify helpful patterns of coherence that would permit communication from one part of the ELCA to another while not undermining flexibility in programming.

The hand-dyed shibori of Patricia Freiert (classics, emerita) will be shown with the work of 450 American and Canadian artists, artisans, and designers in Chicago, Dec. 6-9 at the One of a Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart.

A photograph taken by Joe Lencioni (web services) will be featured in an episode of the award-winning, popular, and long-running Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary series The Nature of Things, which can be seen in syndication in more than 40 countries.

Obituaries

• Robert L. Styers, father-in-law of Garrett Paul (religion), died on Nov. 28, 2007, in Winston-Salem, N.C. Memorials may be directed to the Duke University Chapel Fund or to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.
• Mildred A. Johnson, 94, mother of Dennis Johnson (college relations, ret.), passed away on Nov. 29, 2007, at the Akron Care Center in Akron, Iowa. Funeral services were held on Dec. 1 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Akron. Memorials may be made in Mildred’s name to Immanuel Lutheran Church or the Akron Care Center.
• The funeral for Richard Insley '07, who died in an automobile accident on Nov. 25, was held Dec. 1 at Christ Lutheran Church in Lake Elmo, Minn. The Insley family has asked that any memorials be directed to either Gustavus Adolphus College or the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. A "Caring Bridge" website has been created for people to follow the condition of Richard's brother Aaron '08, who was injured in the accident. To view the website, go online to www.caringbridge.org/visit/insleyfamily. Visitors to the website are asked to sign the guestbook. People are also invited to share stories of the Insley brothers on this website. If you have questions or concerns, contact Vice President for Student Affairs Hank Toutain in the Office of the Dean of Students at x7526.
  

To inform the campus community of the death of a current student, employee, or trustee; an emeritus professor or trustee; or an immediate family member of a current employee, contact the Office of the President (x7538 or pleagjel@gustavus.edu). Death announcements and funeral notices for students, current and emeritus faculty and employees, and trustees will be sent to the community via written notice from the president, posted on community-l, the official campus-wide e-mail list, and published in the Yellow Sheet or Summer Scoop. Notices for immediate family members of current employees will be published in the Yellow Sheet or the Summer Scoop unless they occur during a publication break, in which case they will be posted on employee-l.

Position Openings

• Multi-cultural recruitment admission counselor/assistant director (admission)

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

New Faces

The following people have recently joined the Gustavus community:

New Support Staff

• Anna Barklow, part-time custodian (custodial)
• Shari Jacobson, Market Place supervisor (dining service)

Congregational Outreach

Preaching in Congregations... The Rev. Grady St. Dennis (church relations) will be preaching at Zion Lutheran Church in Milaca, Minn., on Sunday, Dec. 9, at both the 8 and 10:30 a.m. services. This program is coordinated by the Office of Church Relations.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church from New Prague, Minn., on Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8.

Koinonia Workshop... The Office of Church Relations announces that the second session of the 2007-08 Koinonia Lectionary Study, titled "God With Us: Living and Preaching Matthew," will be presented in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center on Monday, Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Rev. David Mesner is the presenter.

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:

• Travel Funding for Music, Theatre and Visual Arts... The Jerome Foundation’s Travel and Study Grant Program awards grants to emerging artists who create new work (music - composers and sound artists; theater - playwrights and creators of performance art and experimental theater; and visual artists). Support is available for periods of travel for such activities as research leading to the creation of new work, the development of collaborations, participation in specific training programs, time for reflection and individualized study, investigating artistic work outside of Minnesota, and dialogue on aesthetic issues. Awards range from up to $1,200 for travel of three to six days, to up to $5,000 for trips of one week or longer. Applicants must have lived in Minnesota for at least one year. The deadline is Feb. 13. For more information, please see www.jeromefdn.org/IV~Grant_Programs/C~Travel_and_Study/Default.aspx.

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

Postal Pointers

Postage Increase... Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Jim Miller has announced that the Postal Service's next postage rate adjustment (probably late May 2008) will be under the new rate making system. That means you can expect rate increases in 2008 that are capped at the rate of inflation. When developing your 2008-09 budget, you should plan on a 2-3 percent increase in postage.

Plugs

For Sale: Three oak swivel bar stools with backs. Like new, very comfortable, and they look great. Asking $25.00 each ($79.00 new). Call Pat at x7538.

Free: Moving boxes and packing materials. Contact Laurie at lmiller@gustavus.edu.

"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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