The Yellow Sheet for January 15January 15, 2009 | Volume 41, Number 17

Volume 41, Number 17

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

News & Announcements

'Recyclemania'... In response to heightened environmental awareness within the Gustavus community and across the country, the College has accepted the challenge to participate in a friendly recycling competition between colleges and universities around the world known as "Recyclemania." For a 10-week period beginning Jan. 18 and extending into March, data concerning recyclable materials and waste on campus will be collected and reported to Recyclemania officials. Each week Gustavus's results will be posted and compared to the results of other schools. Faculty, staff, and students are all encouraged to make their best efforts to recycle paper, bottles, cans, and cardboard while working to minimize trash and waste during the competition. Recycling takes little effort, and it has a huge positive impact on the environment. Look for Recyclemania posters around campus, and contact recyclemania09@gustavus.edu if you have any questions.

Evaluating the Department of Safety and Security... The mission of the Gustavus Adolphus College Safety and Security Department is to provide protection and service to the College community. In a continuing effort to provide a safe environment for the community, the Safety and Security Department is requesting your assistance as a team of outside assessors evaluates our department next week. Input from community members is essential in evaluating the success and failures of the department. An open meeting with faculty and staff is scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m. in Linner Lounge. A open meeting with students will follow Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m. in Linner Lounge. Please contact Lisa Octigan (eoctigan@gustavus.edu, x8809) if you have any questions. The department greatly appreciate your participation.

Health Screening 2009... All employees, retirees, and spouses are invited to participate in the 2009 Health Screening free of charge. The health screening will be at the River’s Edge Hospital and Clinic Lab in St. Peter on Feb. 2-6 and Feb. 9-13. Five-minute time increment appointments will be available during these dates between 6:30 and 9 a.m. on a first-call, first-serve basis. Thirty minutes of release time will be allowed for employees to participate in the screening. To sign up for a time, call the Human Resource Office at x7304 anytime Monday-Friday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. or 1:30-4:45 p.m.

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, Jan. 16 - Neal Hagberg, singer/songwriter
• Sunday, Jan. 18 - Vicar Peter Bauck
• Monday, Jan. 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day: the Hon. Tanya Bransford '80
• Tuesday, Jan. 20 - Amy Jo Burr, St. Peter United Methodist Fellowship
• Wednesday, Jan. 21 - Morning Praise
• Thursday, Jan. 22 - TBA
• Friday, Jan. 23 - TBA

Fireside Chat Features Songs, Stories, and Discussion... Join singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer, Gustavus alumnus and singer/songwriter Neal Hagberg, CVR director Chris Johnson, and students in the January Interim course “Changing the World: Justice, Action, and the Meaning of Life” for the January Fireside Chat on Friday, Jan. 16. Songs, stories, and discussion of what it can mean to live an undivided life of purpose and connection to our community will take place starting at 11:30 a.m. in the Interpretive Center. Lunch is provided courtesy of the CVR. RSVP by Wednesday, Jan. 14, to Amy in the CVR (phone 933-7169 or e-mail apehrson@gustavus.edu).

Songwriter/Activist Carrie Newcomer in Concert on Friday Night... CVR artist-in-residence Carrie Newcomer presents her "Geography of Light" concert in Alumni Hall on Friday, Jan. 16, beginning at 7 p.m. In a world that encourages us to move faster and think bigger, Newcomer invites the listener to slow down and reflect on the small things that make life worthwhile. Her style is straightforward and accessible; overall, she is not afraid to take on serious subjects, and does so with a healthy measure of good humor and self-awareness. For her, “songwriting is not about being clever, flashy or fancy—it is about telling a compelling story in language and music with elegance and clarity.” The result is a resonant soundtrack for a world that is both sacred and ordinary. Learn more at www.carrienewcomer.com. This concert is free and open to the public.

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration... Join the Peer Assistants as they honor Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 19. Birthday cake will be served outside the Evelyn Young Dining Room from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Nineteenth-Century History of St. Peter... What was St. Peter like during the 1800s? What was happening in St. Peter as Minnesota gained statehood and joined the Union? Who were the first citizens of St. Peter? Come learn about the early days of the town from Bob Sandeen of the Nicollet County Historical Society at a Continuing Education event held in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center Monday, Jan. 19, 7-8 p.m. Cost to the public is $9 (no charge for Gustavus faculty, staff, and students).

Mini Golf in Alumni Hall... On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Campus Activities Board will be bringing an indoor mini golf course to campus. Faculty and staff are invited to join students any time between noon and 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall to play a round or two. Bring your whole family!

Conference Addresses a Theology of Sustainability... The Office of Church Relations and the Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation are collaborating to bring Trinity Institute's 39th National Theological Conference to Gustavus on Jan. 21-23. Gustavus will serve as a regional partner site for the three-day conference, titled "Radical Abundance: A Theology of Sustainability." Through live webcasts of keynote speeches and panel discussions by leading theologians and grassroots activists, and in small-group reflection with local facilitators, radical ideas about abundance, sustainability, and well-being will be considered. The conference will explore sustainability through the lens of liberation theology, with a vision of Christians working together toward social justice by considering all people as full partners in healing our planet and our communities, regardless of their social or economic status. Conference pre-registration is required. The cost is $20 for the three-day event (no prorating for partial conference attendance), but is offered free to Gustavus students/faculty/staff. Call Marilyn in the Office of Church Relations to pre-register (507-933-7001 or mbeyer@gustavus.edu). Please register by Jan. 16. After that date, registrations will be accepted on a space-available basis only. The conference schedule follows:

• Wednesday, Jan. 21, 4 p.m. - Opening reception and registration
• Wednesday, Jan. 21, 4:30 p.m. - Welcome and introductions
• Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5 p.m. - Theological reflection groups
• Wednesday, Jan. 21, 6 p.m. - Opening worship: Sister Miriam MacGillis, preacher
• Thursday, Jan. 22, 8 a.m. - Opening
• Thursday, Jan. 22, 8:15 a.m. - Presentation: Timothy J. Gorringe, followed by Q&A session
• Thursday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m. - Theological reflection groups
• Thursday, Jan. 22, 1 p.m. - Presentation: Nestor O. Miguez, followed by Q&A session
• Thursday, Jan. 22, 2:45 p.m. - Theological reflection groups
• Friday, January 23, 8 a.m. - Presentation: David C. Korten, followed by Q&A session
• Friday, Jan. 23, 9:45 a.m. - Theological reflection group
• Friday, Jan. 23, noon - Presentation: Majora Carter, followed by Q&A session
• Friday, Jan. 23, 1:45 p.m. - Theological reflection group
• Friday, Jan. 23, 3:15 p.m. - Closing panel and discussion

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Hot Chili on a Cold Night!... The Kiwanis Club of St. Peter is sponsoring a chili supper Friday, Feb. 6, 5-8 p.m., at the St. Peter American Legion (Third and Nassau). Tickets ($6 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, under age 6 free) may be purchased at the door or from any Kiwanis Club member, including Randall Stuckey (alumni relations). Net proceeds go to Kiwanis-supported St. Peter youth activities.

Minnesota Novelist Is St. Peter Reads Guest... St. Peter Reads announces the selection of St. Paul author William Kent Krueger as its Winter Read author. Krueger, whose Cork O'Connor series has won several awards including the Anthony Award and the Minnesota Book Award, will visit St. Peter Tuesday, Feb. 10, in conjunction with the city's WinterFest. His schedule for the day includes an appearance at the Courtyard Café in the Jackson Campus Center at 2:30 p.m., a book signing at the St. Peter Public Library at 4:30 p.m., and a public talk at Trinity Lutheran Church at 7:30 p.m. His appearances are also sponsored by the Gustavus Writing Center and the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library.

Extraordinary People

Michael Hvidsten (MCS) participated in a panel presentation titled "Picture This! Geometry Software," sponsored by the MAA Committee on Technology in Mathematics Education. The panel was held at the Joint Meetings of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2009.

Kevin Birr (Dining Service) and three fellow curlers competing as the Todd Birr rink will represent the United States Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Bismarck, N.D., in a challenge between USA and Brazil for the final North American berth at the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, to be held in Moncton, New Brunswick, in April. Brazil issued the first-ever challenge from a South American nation this summer to the United States for the berth and will get the opportunity to earn it in a best-of-five competition spread over three days in Bismarck. Kevin and brother Todd, together with teammates Paul Pustovar (Hibbing, Minn.) and Greg Wilson (Vernon Hills, Ill.), qualified for the 2010 Olympic Team Trials at the East regional last Sunday, making them the top eligible team on the Order of Merit used to select the challenge team. The Birr brothers won bronze at the 2007 World Men's Championship in Edmonton, Alberta.

Births

• Tanner Dakota Case was born to Laura Triplett (geology) and her husband, Tony Case, at 8:40 a.m. on Dec. 20. He was 8 lbs at birth.

New Faces

The following people have recently joined the Gustavus community:

    New Administrators

• Ryan Galindo, assistant football coach (athletics)
• Peter Haugen, head football coach (athletics)

    New Support Staff

• Leslie Weber, administrative assistant (provost)

Position Openings

• Part-time, on-call officer (safety & security)

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

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Presenters scheduled for this week include Leila Brammer (communication studies) presenting "A Look at FaceBook and MySpace" at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague at 9:45 a.m. on Jan. 18; Grady St. Dennis (church relations) presenting "Observing the Speed Limit of Life" at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Roseville at 10 a.m. on Jan. 18; and Karl Larson (HES) on "The Basics of Stress Management" at St. John's Lutheran Church in Mound at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 21. Partners in Education is a program coordinated by the Office of Church Relations in which participating faculty and staff members prepare topical presentations for adult forums, workshops, and seminars in congregations of the ELCA.

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:

• Fellowships at the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress... The Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to conduct research in the John W. Kluge Center, using the Library of Congress collections and resources for a period of up to 11 months. The Center especially encourages humanistic and social science research that makes use of the Library's large and varied collections. Interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, or multi-lingual research is particularly welcome. Deep special collections of manuscripts, maps, music, films, recorded sound, prints, and photographs are available, as well as multilingual collections of books and periodicals. Scholars who have received a terminal advanced degree within the past seven years in the humanities or social sciences are eligible. Fellows are awarded a stipend of $4,200 per month for up to the maximum of 11 months. Fellows may be in residence at any time during the 14-month window between June 1 of the year in which the fellowship is awarded and August 1 of the following year. The deadline for the upcoming competition is July 15. For more information, please see http://www.loc.gov/loc/kluge/fellowships/kluge.html. For further information about the Library’s wide ranging collections, go to www.loc.gov/rr.

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 locally, regionally, or around the nation:

• KEYC-TV ran a story about 2003 graduate Semonti Mustaphi being named Michelle Obama’s deputy press secretary on its Tuesday, Jan. 6, newscasts.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a news brief on the front page of its Wednesday, Jan. 6, Valley section about Semonti Mustaphi being named Michelle Obama’s deputy press secretary.
• KEYC-TV ran a story on its Wednesday, Jan. 7, newscasts about the book drive associated with this year’s Building Bridges Conference. Seniors Rita Stevermer and Alli Linn were interviewed for 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 2008-09"

• Numa Ali, modern languages, phone: x7390, e-mail: nali (addition, J-Term only)
• Raoul Blackman, Safety & Security, phone: x8809 (deletion)
• Jerry Bohls, nondepartmental, phone: 7541 (addition, J-Term only)
• Durkhee Cha, art & art history, phone: x7019, e-mail: dcha (addition, J-Term only)
• Joan Easton, history, phone: x7414, e-mail: jeaston (addition, J-Term only)
• Peter Haugen, athletics, phone: x7660, e-mail: phaugen2 (addition)
• Kristin Higginbotham, art & art history, phone: x7019, e-mail: khigginb (addition, J-Term only)
• William Kastens, custodial, phone: x7655 (addition)
• Ben Leonard, history, phone: x7414, e-mail: bleonard (addition, J-Term only)
• Roger McKnight, Scandinavian studies, phone: x7423 (phone # change)
• Siri Mehus, communication studies, phone: x7346 (deletion)
• Sue Pope, Dining Service, phone: x7608 (deletion)
• Karen RosenFlantz, modern languages, phone: x7390 (deletion)
• Anne-Marie Sawyer-Aitch, theatre & dance, phone: x7353 (addition, J-Term only)
• Peter Shea, philosophy, phone: x7548, e-mail: pshea (addition, J-Term only)
• Karen Swenson, finance office, phone: x7501, e-mail: kswenso3 (addition)
• Jonathan Truitt, history, phone: x7414, e-mail: jtruitt (addition, J-Term only)
• Leslie Weber, provost's office, phone: x7675, e-mail: lweber2 (addition)

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

 



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 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 (waldo@gustavus.edu or x6413).

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