The Yellow Sheet for April 3April 3, 2008 | Volume 40, Number 26

Volume 40, Number 26

• News & Announcements
• Campus Happenings
• Off-Campus Events
• Extraordinary People
• Student News
• Births
• Position Openings
• Congregational Outreach
• Funding Opps
• In the Media
• Telecommunications Updates
• Plugs
• Calendar of Events
• Submit an Item Online

News & Announcements

Esbj Memorial Service Scheduled... A memorial service and celebration of the life of Robert Esbjornson (religion, emeritus) will be held in Christ Chapel on Saturday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m.

Book Award Finalist... The Spirit of Service, a book edited by Chaplain Brian Johnson and Professor Carolyn O'Grady and containing essays written by Gustavus faculty, staff, and alumni, was a finalist in a nationally competitive book award program sponsored by the Lilly Fellows Program. The book, released in 2006, represents a conversation on how to help undergraduates integrate service and spirituality in their education for the purpose of social justice.

Philosophers' Guild... Are you considering a philosophy major? Do you have a question about which classes to take? Do you like to drink tea? Does nobody understand you? Come hang out, ask questions, and discuss things of importance with other philosophy students every Wednesday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Old Main 04 (the Philosophy Department office) for the rest of the semester. Come when you can and leave when you want. Also, tutors will be available if you would like to talk through a reading or a paper with a senior major. The faculty and the upperclass majors alike promise that they are really nice and not scary.

Nominations Sought for Guild of St. Lucia... The Guild of St. Lucia was established in 1958 to honor women who have achieved academic success, displayed leadership qualities, and provided service to the College and others. Fifteen juniors are elected in the spring of each year. Please send names of nominations with a brief explanation of your nomination to Barb Larson Taylor at btaylor@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, April 4 - Easter Hymn Sing
• Sunday, April 6 - The Rev. Mary Gaebler (religion)
• Monday, April 7 - John Churchill, national secretary, Phi Beta Kappa Society
• Tuesday, April 8 - Bhate Sathi, Health and Wellness
• Wednesday, April 9 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, April 10 - Taizé
• Friday, April 11 - Barbara Larson Taylor (alumni relations)

Rydell Professor to Present Two Public Lectures... Rydell Professor Frans B.M. de Waal, a zoologist and ethologist specializing in primate behavior and psychology who was a featured speaker at the 1996 Nobel Conference, will present a public lecture titled "On the Possibility of Animal Empathy," tonight (Thursday, April 3) at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. His lecture will be followed at 8 p.m. by a panel discussion featuring Matthew Chaffee, assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Minnesota and principal investigator for the U of M's Brain Science Center; Julie Neiworth, professor of psychology at Carleton College; Michael Wilson, assistant professor of anthropology and ecology, evolution, and behavior at the U of M and associate director of the Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies; and Karen Larson, professor of anthropology and interdisciplinary studies at Gustavus.
     De Waal, the C.H. Chandler Professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., and director of Living Links Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, is also scheduled to present a talk at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley on Tuesday evening, April 8, at 7 p.m. That presentation, titled "Our Inner Ape: Human Nature as Seen by a Primatologist," will take place in the Great Clips IMAX Theater at the zoo. Both lectures are open to the public without charge, although advance reservations are requested for the zoo lecture (www.mnzoo.org).
     The Rydell Professorship at Gustavus Adolphus College is a scholar-in-residence program designed to bring Nobel laureates, Nobel Conference presenters, and similarly distinguished scholars and scientists to the campus as catalysts for enhanced learning and teaching. It was established in 1993 by the late Dr. Robert Rydell and his wife, Dr. Susan Rydell, of Minnetonka, Minn., "to give students the opportunity to learn from and interact with leading scholars." De Waal is also co-teaching the neuroscience capstone course with Jan Wotton (psychology) during his two-week residency in April.

League of Women Voters Program on Campus... The public is invited to join the League of Women Voters for a program on "Unlocking the Secrets of the Minnesota River," Saturday, April 5, from 10:15 a.m. until noon at the Melva Lind Interpretive Center. Presenters are Art and Bart Straub of Le Sueur, with Scott Kudelka from the Water Resources Center, Minnesota State University, Mankato. For further information, contact Helen Baumgartner, 931-3051 or helenb2@hickorytech.net.

Wind Orchestra Presents Home Concert... The Gustavus Wind Orchestra, under the direction of Douglas Nimmo (music), will present its annual Home Concert in Christ Chapel on Saturday, April 5, beginning at 3 p.m. The performance by the ensemble caps its spring concert tour to Florida. The Gustavus Wind Orchestra's program ranges from the light-hearted percussion feature Dill Pickles to Morton Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium and David Gillingham's Be Thou My Vision, concluding with a performance of "The Death Tree" from composer David Holsinger's three-movement Easter Symphony; the finale features Michael Jorgensen (music) as baritone soloist. The concert is free and open to the public.

Guest Artists' Recital... Swedish 'cellist Thomas Schoenberg and St. Paul classical guitarist Chris Kachian will present a guest recital of contemporary works for guitar and 'cello in Jussi Björling Recital Hall on Sunday, April 6. The performance begins at 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Schoenberg, a founding member of Ars Nova Trio, has performed over 300 solo, chamber, and concerto performances in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Kachian is a professor of music at the University of St. Thomas, where he directs the guitar studies area.

Phi Beta Kappa Anniversary... On Monday, April 7, Gustavus Adolphus College celebrates a significant academic milestone—the 25th anniversary of the founding of its Eta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. On April 7, 1983, Gustavus officially joined the ranks of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society and inducted its first members. Gustavus is one of only about 300 institutions (out of a possible 5,000) in the country to house a chapter of the society.
     Two free, public activities are planned to commemorate the anniversary of the Eta chapter on April 7, 2008:

• A 10 a.m. talk in Christ Chapel featuring philosopher John Churchill. Churchill is secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, based in Washington, D.C.
• A 3:30 p.m. reception and "Teachers Talking" lecture by Churchill in the Heritage Room in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center (Note the site change from an earlier announcement indicating Alumni Hall).

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?... "Meals and Manners in Black and White" is the title of a lecture by Alice Julier, visiting scholar in women's studies at the University of Pittsburgh, to be held Monday, April 7, at 7 p.m. in Olin Hall, Room 103. Sociologist and food studies scholar Julier will discuss her research into historical and contemporary etiquette books written for white and Black audiences. She explores the similarities and differences between these books, in order to understand the significance of these "commensal relationships" for Euro-whites and African Americans. Julier's lecture, which is sponsored by the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program, the Sponberg Chair in Ethics, and the departments of Philosophy and Sociology & Anthropology, is open to the public without charge. Refreshments will be served!

Acclaimed Speaker Scheduled... Come hear speaker Ross Szabo reveal "What Happy Faces are Hiding" on Monday, April 7, at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. Ross has been named "Best Male Performer" and "America's Best Campus Artist 2007." The first 100 people through the door will receive a free T-shirt. This event is sponsored by CAB, the Peer Assistants, Health Services, Residential Life, the Counseling Center, Safety and Security, the Wellness Program, Phi Alpha fraternity, and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Faculty Shop Talk... Anne-Marie Gronhovd (MLLC) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2007-08 academic year. Her talk, titled "Morocco at the Crossroads of Muslim and Western Worlds," will be presented on Friday, April 11, 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 gustavus.edu/events/shoptalks/.

April Fireside Chat Announced... "Minnesota Spring through the Eyes of a Naturalist" is the theme of a presentation by Jim Gilbert (environmental studies) on Thursday, April 13, at 12:30 p.m. in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center. We know that our Minnesota weather changes each spring, but how have our recent springs been different from those of the past? Gilbert will introduce attendees to the concept of phenology and how to compare annual changes. As always, lunch is available for purchase, or bring your own. Questions: contact Emily (x7199).

Visiting Professor to Address Sustainability and Americans' Lifestyles... Juliet Schor, noted author and professor of sociology at Boston College, will be at Gustavus on Thursday, April 17, to present an address titled "Getting to Sustainability: Changes in Everyday Life." Schor is author of the national best-seller The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure (a book released in 1992 that is widely credited for influencing the national debate on work and family) and The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need. Her latest book is Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture (2004), both an account of marketing to children from inside the agencies and firms and an assessment of how these activities are affecting children. Schor is also the author of Do Americans Shop Too Much? (2000), co-editor of Consumer Society: A Reader (2000) and co-editor of Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the Twenty-first Century (2002). She is currently working on issues of environmental sustainability and their relation to Americans' lifestyles. Schor has served as a consultant to the United Nations, at the World Institute for Development Economics Research, and to the United Nations Development Program. Before joining Boston College, she taught at Harvard University for 17 years in the Department of Economics and the Committee on Degrees in Women's Studies. Her address on Thursday, April 17 is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room in the Campus Center and is open to all.

Making the Bible Live in the 21st Century... Can a book written between 1000 BCE and 135 CE still speak to our world? Or is its primary role in the 21st Century to undergird dying prejudices? Rev. The Right Rev. John Shelby Spong, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, N.J., for more than twenty years, will lecture on campus on Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. Bishop Spong, who has taught at Harvard and at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., has lectured at universities, conference centers, and churches in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. He is the author of 15 books, including Living in Sin? (1988), the best-selling Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism (1991), Liberating the Gospels (1996), Why Christianity Must Change or Die (1998), and most recently Jesus for the Non-Religious (2007). His lecture is open to the public without charge.

MAYDAY! Conference Focuses on Politics of Water... "Troubled Water" is the topic of Gustavus Adolphus College's 28th annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference, to be held Wednesday, April 30. Oregon State University geoscientist Aaron Wolf, a leading expert on international water politics, opens the daylong conference at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel. The featured afternoon speaker is Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food and Water Watch, a consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., who will speak in Alumni Hall. Conference organizers are planning several topic-related workshops, a resource center, the touring "Native Waters: Sharing the Source" exhibition at the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, a film series, and other social-action activities. The conference, an annual event designed to educate the campus community and beyond about issues related to peace, human rights, and social justice, is open to the public at no charge. For more information, contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at Gustavus (933-7520 or collegerelations@gustavus.edu). 

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Chamber Spring Social on April 12... The St. Peter Chamber of Commerce will host "An Evening in the Vineyards," its annual spring social event, at Gustavus on Saturday, April 12. The festive evening begins at 6 p.m. with a wine-tasting reception compliments of Morgan Creek Vineyards and Bellboy Corporation. A silent auction and three-course Tuscan-style dinner follow, with a live auction send-off to close the evening. Reservations, at $25 per person, may be made by calling the Chamber at 934-3400 by Thursday, April 10.

Boy Scout Turkey Dinner... St. Peter Boy Scout Troop 58 will hold its eighth annual turkey dinner on Saturday, April 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at First Lutheran Church (1114 Traverse Rd., St. Peter). Turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetable, cranberry sauce, and pie are on the menu. Tickets (adults $7.00, children 6-12 years $5.00, children 5 and under free) are available from any Boy Scout, or call Wayne Balbach (507-317-2017).

Arvonne Fraser Will Speak at GLA Event... Gustavus Library Associates proudly presents Minnesota political activist Arvonne Fraser as this spring’s Author Day speaker. She will discuss her recently published memoir, She’s No Lady: Politics, Family, and International Feminism, on Wednesday morning, May. 14, at the Edina County Club. Fraser was heavily involved in the growing movement of American women to gain political influence and secure rights for themselves and capped her dynamic career as U.S. ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Her story will inspire and encourage anyone—male or female—who seeks a full personal and professional life. Reservations for the brunch and presentation may be made by calling the Gustavus Office of Marketing and Communication at 933-7520 by Wednesday, May 7. Cost is $20. Registration begins at 9:45 a.m.    

Extraordinary People

Laura Behling (English) was the visiting scholar of the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program at Virginia Tech. She delivered a lecture on her work on the virtual patient used in medical practice, led a class of STS students, and also conducted a workshop for graduate students about becoming faculty at liberal arts colleges.

Eric Dugdale (classics) has won a Macgeorge Honorary Fellowship (a residential research fellowship) from the Macgeorge Bequest, and is spending February-April 2008 as an Academic Visitor in the School of Historical Studies, University of Melbourne. He is working on a project on empathy in Greek tragedy.

Joan Anderson (GTS), Lynn Boehne (admission), and Donna Hewitt (GTS) presented a session at the 26th annual Datatel Users' Group Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 12. Their standing-room-only session, "A Little Elf'n Magic," focused on the electronic file import of ACT scores into the Colleague database, which is a product of Datatel that Gustavus uses.

Barbara Fister (library) was a panelist on the subject of "Why I Teach and Why It Matters" at the joint NEA/AFT Higher Education Joint Conference in Washington, D.C. Fister is a liaison/blogger from the Association of College and Research Libraries to the Free Exchange on Campus blog. The panelists discussed the response to a blog meme that has prompted dozens of academics to explore the purpose of their teaching.

Student News

On Saturday, April 26, the Department of Philosophy will host the annual Minnesota Philosophical Society Student Conference. Students from around the state, including Gustavus philosophy honors students, will present their scholarship. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Deane Curtin (curtin@gustavus.edu).

Births

• Anthony Pasiak (advancement) and his wife, Katie Connell, welcomed a son, Jacob Anthony, on March 26.

Position Openings

• Associate Dean of Students (student affairs)

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

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Presenters scheduled for this week include Casey Elledge (religion), who will be giving his talk, "Apocalyptic Movements," on Sunday, April 6, at 9:30 a.m. at Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, Minn. Partners in Education is a program coordinated by the Office of Church Relations where participating faculty and staff members prepare topical presentations for adult forums, workshops, and seminars in congregations of the ELCA.

Pastor-to-Pastor... The Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Retreat Center, coordinated by the Office of Church Relations, will host a 24-hour retreat for Pastor to Pastor on Thursday, April 10, and Friday, April 11. The topic of this retreat is pastoral excellence in crisis. Chaplain Brian Johnson will participate in a panel discussion titled "Pastoral Ministry in the Midst and Aftermath of Crisis" on Friday. Pastor to Pastor is a supportive network of ministers in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod designed to provide sabbath and continuing education for involved pastors.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host confirmation retreats for Our Savior's Lutheran Church from Cleveland, Minn., and First Presbyterian Church from Mankato, Minn., on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5. Church Relations will also host a retreat for Zion Lutheran Church from Milaca, Minn., on April 4-6.

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:

• Research Publication Grants... The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers eight-week Summer/Short-term Research Publication Grants for women college faculty to prepare research for publication. Applicants must have received their doctorates by the application deadline of November 15, 2008, and may be tenure-track, part-time, or term-appointment faculty. This grant program is intended for faculty who have not yet established strong publishing records. For more information, please see the third bulleted item at http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships grants/american.cfm. The award is $6,000. Note that the website will have updated applications after August 1.

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:

• Mary Abbe wrote a lengthy article in Easter Sunday's Star Tribune (March 23) about the Hillstrom Museum of Art's Rodin exhibit. It may be found online at www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/16863031.html. 
• WCCO-TV ran a story on March 24 about the tornado anniversary.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a cover story on March 26 titled “A greater Gustavus.” Hank Toutain (student affairs), Ken Westphal (finance), Mitch Harris (English), and David Kogler (admission) were all quoted in the story.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story about the Christ Chapel spire on March 26.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a sidebar on March 26 with quotes about the tornado from Don Myers (Hillstrom Museum), John McKay (music, emeritus), and Steve Waldhauser (college relations) were quoted.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a cover story on March 27 about St. Peter’s recovery from the tornado. The story praised former president Axel Steuer and Gustavus for their roles in the community's swift recovery. Ken Westphal (finance) was quoted.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a full-page story in its March 27 edition titled “Teamwork was key in building greater Gustavus.” Ken Westphal (finance) was quoted.
• Minnesota Public Radio aired a story on March 28 titled "Ten years after devastating tornadoes, communities thriving." Brian Johnson (chaplains' office) and alumnus Kelvin Miller were interviewed.
• KEYC-TV ran a story on March 28 about Gustavus and the tornado. Cindy Johnson-Groh (biology) and Hank Toutain (student affairs) were interviewed.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a cover story on March 28 about Gustavus's emergency/crisis communication plans. Ray Thrower (safety and security) was quoted.
• The St. Paul Pioneer Press printed quotes and facts about the 1998 tornado on March 28. Gustavus was mentioned.
• Mankato Free Press photographer and reporter John Cross wrote a column on March 29 titled "Time heals, but trees take longer." Gustavus is featured in the article.
• The Mankato Free Press gave Gustavus a "thumbs up" on its March 29 editorial page for devising creative strategies to inform students quickly in the event of emergencies.
• WCCO, KSTP, KARE-11 and Fox 9 all mentioned the tornado anniversary and Gustavus on their March 29 newscasts.
• Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman wrote an article on March 30 about St. Peter's recovery from the tornado. Gustavus was featured in the article, and Mark Hanson (HES, athletics) was quoted in the story.

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).

Telecommunications Updates

The following are changes and additions for the "Personnel Phone Directory 2007-08"

• Kari Clark, Gift Planning, phone: x6512 (change)
• Stephen Hogberg, Gift Planning, phone: x6512 (change)
• Thomas Young, Gift Planning, phone: x6512 (change)

For further information or corrections, contact Laura McCabe in telecommunications (x6261 or lmccabe@gustavus.edu).

Plugs

For Sale: White (Techline style) computer desk and file cabinet. Fine condition (cabinet has yellowed slightly). Six 1950s blonde wood dining room chairs (there's an extra charge to hear the story about what happened to the dining room table that went with them). Contact Lisa Heldke (heldke@gustavus.edu, x7029) for photos or more information.

For Sale: Antique oak book shelf with two glass doors and 3 glass shelves; 50 inches high, 31 1/2 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. Call Gretchen Koehler at 934-5441 if interested.

For Sale: Oak veneer bookcase, great condition, heavy-duty construction; 30"x72". Asking $75. Contact Nicole Hoiland at nhoiland@gustavus.edu.

House for Sale: 315 N. 4th Street; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, in prime location near park and downtown. Approx. 2,300 sq. ft. home with large 24' x 40' garage and double-wide driveway. For information, call Brenda or Gary Reinholtz at 507-382-6433 or e-mail garydr@comcast.net.

"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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