The Yellow Sheet for February 19February 19, 2009 | Volume 41, Number 21

Volume 41, Number 21

News & Announcements

Commission Gustavus 150 Update... During January, all of the Commission Gustavus 150 Task Forces had at least one meeting. Task Forces are currently generating ideas around defined topics focused primarily on aspirations and transformational opportunities for Gustavus. Four National Summit meetings also occurred in January in Naples, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Ill.; and Denver, Colo.  In February three more Summit meetings will occur, in Tucson and Phoenix, Ariz., and Los Angeles.
     Recently posted to the Commission website (www.CommissionGustavus150.org) is a summary of the common issues and "big ideas" discussed at the first nine National Summit meetings regarding the College’s five core values (Community, Excellence, Faith, Justice, Service). Participants were asked how the College might ensure that the core values would be lived out in the lives of alumni, faculty, staff, and students. The summary is being shared with all members of the eight Task Forces of Commission Gustavus 150. The common issues and big ideas will help shape the recommendations made by the Task Forces to the Gustavus Board of Trustees and ultimately form the basis for the College's long-range strategic plan.
     Meetings scheduled through the remainder of February are listed here:

• February 19 - Tucson Summit Meeting
• February 20 - Phoenix Summit Meeting
• February 21 - Community Engagement Task Force Meeting
• February 26 - Facilities and Finance Task Force Meeting
• February 27 - Academic Programs and New Initiatives Task Force Meeting
• February 28 - Interdisciplinary Programs Task Force Meeting
• February 28 - Stewardship Task Force Meeting
• February 28 - Student Life Task Force Meeting
• February 28 - Los Angeles Summit Meeting

     If you have questions about the Commission, please review the website at www.CommissionGustavus150.org or contact Barb Larson Taylor at x7515 or btaylor@gustavus.edu.

Letters Due for Promotion Candidates... The following members of the faculty are currently being considered for promotion to the rank of professor: Laura Behling (English), Tom Huber (physics), John Lammert (biology), Tom LoFaro (MCS), Brian O'Brien (chemistry), and Joyce Sutphen (English). Letters written on behalf of these candidates should be sent to Provost Mary E. Morton and should address the criteria for promotion as stated in the Faculty Manual. (A fourth criterion, "continuing evidence of sympathy with the aims and purposes of Gustavus Adolphus College as stated in the Mission Statement of the College," while not explicitly stated in this section of the Faculty Manual, is implied in the first sentence.) Letters are due by Monday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. All members of the Gustavus community are invited to submit letters; tenured members of the candidates' departments are expected to submit letters. Candidates will have access to their letters.

TIAA-CREF Individual Counseling Sessions... A TIAA-CREF representative will be on campus on April 7, 8, and 9 for individual counseling sessions. There are a limited number of openings. To schedule an appointment, go to the TIAA-CREF website at www.tiaa-cref.org/moc or call 1-800-732-8353.

Strategic Plan Drafts Online... A draft recommendation from the Cultural and Global Competence Working Group is now available to the campus community through a password-protected website. You may follow the link to access the site: https://gustavus.edu/provost/strategicdirections/workinggroupreports.php.
     The Technology Services Planning Core Committee Working Group draft report has also been posted online and is viewable, along with draft strategic plans from College academic departments, programs, offices, and centers at the Web address below:https://gustavus.edu/provost/strategicdirections/academicplandrafts.php.
     Many thanks to the hundreds of members of the Gustavus community for the hard work on these draft plans and for the dedication and continued support of our students and colleagues.

Seeking a Piano Student... The Gustavus Piano Lab School is looking for one more piano student for this semester. If you have a child who would like to begin piano lessons under the tutelage of a Gustavus college student, please contact Rebekah Richards at rrichard@gustavus.edu. We are especially looking for children in 2nd, 3rd, or 5th grades. You must have a piano at home for daily practice.

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, Feb. 20 - Transfiguration Series: "Greater China: The Scene Today," Pastor Ted Zimmerman '69
  
• Sunday, Feb. 22 - Transfiguration Series: "Transfiguration: Mountaintop and Valley," Pastor Ted Zimmerman
• Monday,Feb. 23 - Transfiguration Series: "Hong Kong Today: Crossroads of East and West," Pastor Ted Zimmerman
• Tuesday, Feb. 24 - Transfiguration Series: "The Call: God's Mission in All Directions," Pastor Ted Zimmerman
• Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Ash Wednesday Service
• Thursday, Feb. 26 - Chaplain Rachel Larson
• Friday, Feb. 27 - St. David's Day: Gymanfa Ganu (hymn festival)

'The Other Shore' Opens Tonight... The Department of Theatre and Dance's contribution to this year's Global Insight on China will be performed on campus Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 19-22. The Other Shore, written in 1986 by Nobel prize-winner Gao Xingjian (and immediately banned by the Chinese government) is an expressionist exploration of conflict between society and the individual. The Gustavus production features impressive ensemble acting, lively dance movement, and amazing shadow puppetry. Take advantage—and encourage students to take advantage—of this rare opportunity to see a contemporary Chinese play. Performances are scheduled for Feb. 19, 20, and 21 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at Anderson Theatre. Tickets are available at the SAO. For more information e-mail aseham@gustavus.edu.

Forum on the Arts in Saint Peter... Al Behrends (fine arts programs) and David Goldstein '08, executive director of the Arts Center of Saint Peter, are featured guests at a Continuing Education event scheduled tonight (Thursday, Feb. 19), 7-8 p.m. in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center. Behrends will discuss the College’s fine arts program, while Goldstein will shed light on what the Arts Center of Saint Peter is doing in stormy economic times and the impact a thriving arts center can have on small communities like St. Peter. Cost is $9 for the public; however, Gustavus faculty, staff, and students are admitted without charge.

Faculty Shop Talk... Elizabeth Baer (English) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2008-09 academic year. Her talk, titled "Who is the golem and why is he looming in post-Holocaust fiction?" will be presented tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 20) 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/.

St. David's Day Hymn Sing on Feb. 27... The 36th annual St. David's Day observance at Gustavus will be held on Friday, Feb. 27. The day opens with a mini-gymanfa ganu (Welsh hymn sing) in Christ Chapel at 10 a.m., followed by a reception and talk in Alumni Hall starting at 10:30 a.m. and a noon luncheon in the Dining Center. At the service—the final one to be organized by Ellis Jones (E/M, emeritus)—a massed choir of 200+ students from all of the College's choirs will lead the congregation in singing four great Welsh hymns (in English). Reservations for the "Welsh Foods" luncheon ($15 per person) should be made by Monday, Feb. 23, through the Office of Marketing and Communication (x7520).

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Flapjack Fundraiser... South Elementary School will be holding a Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar (1900 Adams Street in Mankato) Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8 to 10 a.m. There will also be a silent auction along with the breakfast. All the funds raised at the event will be used by the school to purchase playground equipment.

Mardi Gras in Minnesota... First Lutheran Church of St. Peter (1114 W. Traverse Rd.) will host a Mardi Gras Festival on Saturday, Feb. 21. Festivities include a meal featuring gumbo, red beans and rice, corn, and bread pudding. Entertainment will be provided by the Rick Orpen Jazz Trio, Elaine Aune, and Chad Winterfeldt. Come anytime between 5 and 8 p.m. to enjoy the meal, entertainment, and Mardi Gras party favors! All proceeds benefit senior high youth from First Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, and Scandia Grove who will be attending the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans in July. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at the door. For more information, contact Dana Lamb at x7550 or dlamb@gustavus.edu.

Extraordinary People

Current Gustavus softball coach Jeff Annis (athletics) was inducted into the Minnesota Softball Coaches Hall of Fame on Thursday, Feb. 5, in St. Cloud, Minn. Annis was honored for his long and successful tenure as the softball coach at Maple River High School, where in 22 years, he compiled a record of 463-84 with 21 Valley Conference titles and 15 state tournament appearances. Annis has been the head coach at Gustavus since the 2006 season, directing the Gusties to a mark of 93-27 and three consecutive MIAC playoff appearances in three years. He has coached six players who have garnered 11 all-conference honors, one two-time Academic All-American, and one overseas professional player, Joyce DeWitz.

Chris Johnson (CVR), Steve Bennett (student affairs), Ben Hilding (senior student), and Dan Jackson (junior student), presented at the 6th annual Conference on the College Male at St. John's University, Feb. 13-14. Their presentation, "Deep M-Pact: Mentoring Gustavus Men for Masculinities of Meaning and Making a Difference," was a report on pilot projects being developed here in conjunction with Gustavus having been selected as one of 15 colleges in the nation to participate in an initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., to increase college men's engagement in vocational reflection, service, spiritual life, and leadership. The Gustavus presentation also featured Larry Parks Daloz, who has been working with us on this initiative throughout the year. Daloz is senior fellow at the Whidbey Institute and co-author with his spouse, Sharon Daloz Parks, of the book "Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World."

Steve Mellema and Chuck Niederriter (both physics) attended the joint meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Association of Physics Teachers in Chicago last weekend. Chuck presented an invited talk, "Renewable Energy Projects for Students at a Liberal Arts College," co-authored with physics alumni Carl Ferkinhoff '05, Jared Lee '05, and Jared Sieling '08.

Kevin Birr (Dining Service) has qualified for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in curling. The Todd Birr Rink, skipped by Kevin's brother,Todd, and also including teammates Paul Pustovar and Greg Wilson, qualified for the trials by earning one of three spots available at the East Regional in Brookline, Mass., on Jan. 10. The foursome will compete against nine other teams at the U.S. Olympic Trials Feb. 21-28 in Denver, Colo. The winner of the trials will represent the United States at both the 2009 World Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Presenters scheduled for this week include Garrett Paul (religion) on "The Emphatic Christian Center—A Call to Political Responsibility" on Feb. 22, 9:40 a.m., at Hope Lutheran Church in Jordan, Minn.; and Elizabeth Baer (English) on "Little Red Riding Hood: What Has Happened to Fairy Tales?" on Feb. 22, at 9:45 a.m., Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, Minn. 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.

Speaking in Congregations... Grady St. Dennis (church relations) will preach during morning worship at Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Peter on Feb. 22 at 8, 9:30, and 10:45 a.m. Sarah Dille (religion) will preach for the Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. on Feb. 25 at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter. This program is coordinated by the Office of Church Relations.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat for Highview Christiania Lutheran Church from Farmington, Minn., this Friday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21. Church Relations will host a retreat for Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church from Robbinsdale, Minn., this Saturday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 22. Faith Lutheran Church, from Winona, Minn., will also be hosted on campus by Church Relations this Saturday and Sunday.

Gustavus Youth Outreach... GYO is a youth outreach program sponsored by the Office of Church Relations in which student groups from campus work with junior high and high school students in a Christian retreat setting. Congregations with retreats this weekend led by a GYO team include Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Auburn, Minn.; Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran in Robbinsdale, Minn.; St. John's Lutheran Church in Springfield. Minn.; and Faith Lutheran Church in Winona, Minn.

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:

• New National Science Foundation Early-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)... The EAGER funding opportunity may be used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This work may be considered especially high risk with the opportunity for high payoff in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. Requests may be for up to $300,000 for a maximum of two years. EAGER proposals are only required to be reviewed internally at NSF; therefore, principal investigators must contact the NSF program officer(s) whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic prior to submission of an EAGER proposal. This will aid in determining the appropriateness of the work for consideration for EAGER funding. The program is ongoing and has no set deadlines. For more information, including special submission instructions, click on http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf09_1/gpg091print.pdf. Then scroll down to Chapter II-Proposal Preparation Instructions to Section D.2.

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:

• InsideHigherEd.com posted a story about the seven newly tenured faculty members on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
• The St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a story on Thursday, Feb. 12, about Darwin Day activities around the state. Gustavus was mentioned and Barbara Fister (library) was quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about the two new exhibitions in the Hillstrom Museum of Art in its Thursday, Feb. 12, edition.
• KEYC-TV ran a story about the women’s basketball team raising awareness of breast cancer through its "Pink Zone" event on Saturday, Feb. 13. Head coach Mickey Haller was interviewed for the story.
• The Mankato Free Press gave the Building Bridges Conference committee a “thumbs up” on its Saturday, Feb. 14, editorial page for collecting 25,850 books to be donated to Invisible Children.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a front page story on Sunday, Feb. 15, about the Gustavus education department’s new student teaching program. Deb Sandquist and Daniel Moos (education) were pictured. Sandquist and student Riley Hoffman were quoted in the story.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story about the Gustavus endowment on Sunday, Feb. 15. Ken Westphal (finance) was quoted in the story.
• KEYC-TV ran a story on Monday, Feb. 16, about the new exhibitions opening at the Hillstrom Museum of Art. Don Myers (art & art history) was 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).

Plugs

Education Fund Started: An account has been set up by Wells Fargo Bank in response to the death of Sudanese immigrant Gatbel Lul Koch of Mankato, who left behind his wife, Nyanchiew Kuany, and their five children when he was killed in a car accident in January. Donations may be made to the "Sudanese Children's Education Fund" at any Wells Fargo branch.

"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 regularly 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 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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