The Yellow Sheet for April 23April 23, 2009 | Volume 41, Number 29

Volume 41, Number 29

News & Announcements

Looking for Dancers... Attention faculty and staff: The Campus Activities Board is seeking dancers for the fourth annual "Dancing with the Profs" (DWTP) event. Formatted after the TV series Dancing with the Stars, DWTP is a fundraiser that has raised $9,000 for the Saint Peter United Way over the last three years. A week of fundraising proceeds a Friday night show at which five couples of one student and one faculty or staff member compete for the prize of Best Dance Couple at Gustavus. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, contact Erin Watt (ewatt@gustavus.edu) or Carleen Crouse (crouse@gustavus.edu), Special Events executives of the Campus Activities Board.

Meet Two New Gift Planners... Vice President Thomas Young (institutional advancement) is pleased to announce the addition of two new gift planners to his staff:  Jim Rothschiller and Jackie (Neeck ’77) Peterson.  Jim comes to Gustavus from Chaska, Minn., where he most recently worked with the Center for Spiritual and Physical Healing and was senior pastor at Crown of Glory Lutheran Church.  Jackie has worked in the field of communications and public relations in the Twin Cities for 13 years, the past six as owner of Communications Results based in Plymouth, Minn. 

Tenure Recognition... On Friday, April 24, during the Service of Recognition for Tenured Faculty in Christ Chapel at 10 a.m., the College will honor eight faculty members recently granted tenure. The eight—Margaret C. Bloch Qazi (biology), Priscilla Briggs (art & art history), Scott Bur (chemistry), Casey Elledge (religion), Elizabeth Jenner (sociology & anthropology), Sujay Rao (history), Michelle Twait (library), and Esther Wang (music)—will all be promoted to associate professor effective for the fall 2009 semester.

Gustavus Represented on ACE Institute in June... An institutional team from Gustavus has been selected to participate in the American Council on Education's June 2009 Institute, "At Home in the World: Educating for Global Connections and Local Commitments," to be held in Washington, D.C. The selection process was highly competitive and institutions were selected based on demonstrated institutional commitment to diversity/multicultural education and internationalization. For more information, contact Carolyn O'Grady (x7545).

Parking Lot Closed... The Lund Parking Lot will be closed from 11 p.m. Friday, April 24, through noon on Saturday, April 25, due to the second annual Gustavus Triathlon. Contact Campus Safety at x8809 with any questions.

Service Awards Dinner Set for May 21... The annual Faculty and Administrator Service Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday, May 21, in Alumni Hall, beginning with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Gustavus Adolphus College and the Gustavus Alumni Association wish to recognize 2009 retirees and the commitment of faculty and administrators who have served the College 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.  The cost for the dinner is $10 per person.  All are welcome to attend. Watch your campus mailbox for an invitation and response card, and reply to the Office of Alumni Relations by Friday, May 15. Contact Alumni Relations (x7511) for more information.

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 24 - Recognition of Tenured Faculty
• Sunday, April 26 - TBA
• Monday, April 27 - Christine Grotjohn (senior student)
• Tuesday, April 28 - TBA
• Wednesday, April 29 - MAYDAY!
• Thursday, April 30 - Maria Siegle (senior student)
• Friday, May 1 - Garret Paul (religion)

'The Simple Way'... Shane Claiborne, author, activist, and founder of the Philadelphia-based faith community The Simple Way, will speak in Alumni Hall tonight (Thursday, April 23) beginning at 7:30 p.m. His address is titled "Another World Is Possible." His visit is sponsored and coordinated by the Center for Vocational Reflection and the Chaplains' Office and is made possible in part by a grant Gustavus received from the Philip N. Knutson Endowment in Lutheran Campus Ministry.

Choir of Christ Chapel Presents Home Concert... Recently returned from a four-day swing through southeastern Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, the Choir of Christ Chapel will perform its home concert on Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel. Conducted by Patricia Kazarow (music), the choir draws its repertoire primarily from the fine sacred literature of the mid-18th to 21st centuries. As part of its mission, the Choir of Christ Chapel annually tours with a program of the sacred music that has shaped the worship celebrations, festivals, and other special events occurring at the College during the academic year. The home concert is open to the public without charge.

Pow-wow... Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University, Mankato, will co-host their second annual Traditional Pow-wow on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, in the Swanson Tennis Center. The event features Native American drumming, dancing, and singing. Crafts and other gift items will be available from vendors. The Grand Entry of indigenous peoples will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. and will be repeated on Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m. The event is open to the public without charge.

Linnaeus Arboretum Bird Hike... On Saturday, April 25, 9-10:30 a.m., join Gustavus naturalist Bob “the Birdman” Dunlap for a bird hike in the arboretum. Bob will teach you how to identify birds not only by sight but by sound as well. Bring your binoculars and meet at the Lind Interpretive Center. As with other Continuing Education events, there is a fee ($9) for the general public; however, Gustavus faculty, staff, and students may participate without charge.

'Tank Man'... A 90-minute documentary titled The Tank Man will be shown Tuesday, April 28, starting at 7 p.m. in Olin 103. The film focuses on the solitary, unarmed protester who, on June 5, 1989, one day after Chinese troops expelled thousands of demonstrators from Tiananmen Square in Beijing, was captured on film as he stood his ground before a column of tanks advancing down the Avenue of Eternal Peace.

MAYDAY!... “Tiananmen + 20 Years” is the topic of the College's 29th annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference, to be held Wednesday, April 29. Andrew Nathan, a professor of political science at Columbia University and a leading expert on Chinese affairs and politics, opens the daylong conference at 10 a.m. in Christ Chapel. The afternoon keynote speaker is Yang Jianli, a human rights activist and participant in the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations. 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 (call 507-933-7520 or e-mail marketing@gustavus.edu).

Announcing a United Way Auction... Gustavus is partnering with the United Way of St. Peter by sponsoring a student-led online auction.  Acknowledging the importance of Big Partners, Little Partners to the Gustavus community, Gustavus students are organizing an online auction to begin Thursday, April 30, at noon and run until Sunday, May 3, at 5 p.m.  You can support this auction by donating a service (e.g., "I'll provide six hours of math tutoring"), a talent (e.g., "I'll knit a scarf in the colors of your choosing"), or an item (e.g., a Gustavus sweatshirt from the Book Mark) to be auctioned off during the three-day event.  Or, you can go online at gustavus.edu/groups/unitedway/ and support the event by bidding on your favorite item beginning Thursday, April 30. The United Way of St. Peter helps to support 17 local non-profit agencies and is the sole funding agency of the Gustavus Big Partners, Little Partners. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Alex Hachiya at ahachiya@gustavus.edu.

Author Tea... The Book Mark will host its annual Gustavus Author Tea on Thursday, April 30, starting at 4:15 p.m. in the Courtyard Café. This year's event honors nine faculty members who have published books in the past 12 months: Laura Behling (English), Philip Bryant (English), Eric Dugdale (classics; two books), Chris Gilbert (political science), Jim Gilbert (environmental studies), Jill Locke (political science), Roger McKnight (Scandinavian studies, emeritus), and Peg O'Connor (philosophy). All are invited to stop in as their schedules allow.

'Impresario' Opens Next Week... Tickets for the Department of Theatre and Dance's production of Carlo Goldoni's comedy/farce The Impresario from Smyrna are now on sale at the Ticket Center in the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center (x7590). The play, directed by Henry MacCarthy (theatre & dance), will be performed in Anderson Theatre at 8 p.m. on May 1, 2, and 8, with 2 p.m. matinees scheduled for Sunday, May 3, and Saturday, May 9. Adult tickets are $7, with student and senior citizen tickets at $5 and Gustavus students and staff admitted free of charge. The play follows the antics of a group of self-absorbed, avaricious, naive, and manipulative musicians, players, agents, and benefactors, parodying opera and theater life in Venice in the mid-18th century. The script is a version specially adapted by MacCarthy from an English translation by Clifford Bax, a Spanish translation by Orlando Arocha, and the original text by Goldoni.

Tree Identification Classes... Can you tell a mountain ash from a green ash or a balsam fir from a white spruce? Cindy Johnson-Groh, executive director of Linnaeus Arboretum, will lead Continuing Education classes that will help you learn to identify the common trees in southern Minnesota. No prior experience with plant identification is necessary. You will learn some of the tricks of identifying trees and learn how to use identification keys to identify other trees. Two classes are offered: "Tree Identification: Conifers," Thursday, May 7, 6-9 p.m., and "Tree Identification: Deciduous Trees," Thursday, May 13, 6-9 p.m. You can sign up for both classes at a discounted rate ($25) or individually ($15/class; no charge for Gustavus faculty, staff, and students). Call 507-933-6181 to reserve a place. Each class will meet in the Linnaeus Arboretum, and participants should be dressed to be outside.

Bill Holm Tribute... Friends of acclaimed writer and 1965 graduate Bill Holm, who died unexpectedly in February, have organized a tribute to be held Thursday, May 7, 7-9 p.m. in Alumni Hall. A dozen or so presenters, including Phil Bryant (English), Joyce Sutphen (English), Doug Huff (philosophy), Larry Owen (English, emeritus), and Athena Kildegaard, will give brief tributes/readings, and John Rezmerski (English, emeritus) will emcee the event. There will be an open mic period during which those in attendance may make comments. Music will be provided by Paul and Helen Baumgartner (music, emeriti), and refreshments will be provided. Copies of Holm's books will be available for purchase. Donations to the Bill Holm Fund will be gratefully accepted. (This fund is helping to develop a public library in Holm's hometown of Minneota, Minn.) For more information, contact John Rezmerski at rez@gustavus.edu.

Arb Volunteer Day... Come enjoy a sunny afternoon in May by volunteering at the Linnaeus Arboretum's Volunteer Day on Friday, May 8, 2-5 p.m. Possible activities will include raking, pulling invasive species, pruning, and trash cleanup. We need your help! For more information please contact Shirley at arboretum@gustavus.edu or 507-933-6181.

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Play Bingo for Breast Cancer Research... From 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, the St. Peter Red Men Club (412 So. 3rd St.) will host a bingo benefit with proceeds donated to the Susan G. Komen Mother's Day Race for the Cure. $1 per card (must be 18 to play). $1 for munchies. The event is sponsored by Candy Witte (Dining Service), friends, and family.

Medical Expense Benefit... A benefit hog roast and silent auction will be held at the Morson-Ario VFW Post 9713 in Mankato (1900 Riverfront Dr.) on Saturday, April 25, noon-4 p.m., to assist with medical expenses for Carter Klause, son of Leon and Angie Klause, who was diagnosed with AML leukemia in November 2008. Tickets are $10 each; matching funds will be provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Cash donations may be mailed to First National Bank of St. Peter (226 Nassau), in care of Carter Klause.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour... The Continuing Education program invites you to join Bob Douglas (geography) for a walk through historic downtown St. Peter on Tuesday, April 28, 5-7:30 p.m. Visit some of Saint Peter’s oldest buildings and learn the stories behind them. The tour will begin at the old steamboat landing (at the "Pearly Gates" near the Minnesota Hwy. 99 bridge and Chamber of Commerce building). Wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring rain gear as needed. Cost is $10, but there is no charge to Gustavus faculty, staff, and students.

Celebrate the Life of Paul Manz... The Sioux Trails Chapter of the American Guild of Organists presents an all-members’ recital featuring music for organ, choir, and brass composed by Dr. Manz, Lutheran musician extraordinaire. The recital begins at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, May 3, at Grace Lutheran Church in Mankato (4th & Main). Come listen to great music, or come early to participate in the festival choir, directed by Dr. David Dickau. For more information, contact Chad Winterfeldt (music) at 507-934-3060 or cwinterfeldt@flcstp.org.

Wildflower Walk... Jim Gilbert (environmental studies) and Bob Dunlap (Linnaeus Arboretum) will lead a wildflower walk at Seven-Mile Creek County Park on Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. as part of the 2008-09 Continuing Education series. Seven-Mile Creek is located seven miles south of Saint Peter and seven miles north of Mankato on US 169. The group should meet in the westernmost parking lot of Seven-Mile Creek County Park; they will walk the trails to look at spring woodland wildflowers and other signs of spring happenings. Call 507-933-6181 for directions. The fee is $10, but there is no charge for Gustavus faculty, staff, and students.

Extraordinary People

Lisa Heldke (philosophy) gave an invited lecture for the philosophy department at Middle Tennessee State University, titled "Food Security: Three Conceptions of Access—Charity, Rights, and Coresponsibility."

Mary Solberg (religion) gave the keynote address at the 4th ELCA Congregation-Based Strategic Summit, held April 18-20 near Chicago. She also led two workshops for participants focused on possible Lutheran theological resources useful to practitioners of congregation-based community organizing for justice.

Births

• Maxine Ruth Vrooman-Locke was born to Jill Locke (political science) and her husband, Eric Vrooman, at 3:44 a.m. on April 15. She was a healthy 7 lbs., 3 oz. at birth.

New Faces

The following people have recently joined the Gustavus community:

    New Administrators

• Jackie Peterson, gift planner (institutional advancement)
• James Rothschiller, gift planner (institutional advancement)

    New Support Staff

• Norma Witter, on-call officer (Campus Safety)

Position Openings

• Assistant athletic trainer (HES & athletics)

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

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Presenters scheduled for this week include Mary Solberg (religion), who will be giving her talk, "From Jesus to Christology: The Early Development of Christian Doctrine," at Hope Lutheran Church in Jordan, Minn., Sunday, April 26, at 9:40 a.m.; and Leila Brammer (communication studies), who will give her talk, "Telling the Truth in a Lying Culture," at Our Saviours Lutheran Church of Lake Crystal, Minn., Wednesday, April 29, at 6:58 p.m. 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 at Local Church Forum... First Lutheran Church has invited Mark Bjelland (geography) to be its Earth Day Forum speaker on Sunday morning, April 26. His topic will be "Eco-Communities and Sustainability."

Partners in Music... The Gustavus Trombone Choir, under the direction of Scott Moore (music), will be playing during worship at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in North St. Paul, Minn., on Sunday, April 26. They will play at the 8:45 a.m. traditional worship service and also at the 10:15 contemporary service. Partners in Music is a program in which music ensembles and soloists are invited to perform in Gustavus Association member congregations.

Music in Worship... A Gustavus student woodwind group will be sharing their music with First Lutheran Church in Hector, Minn., this Sunday, April 26, at the 9 a.m. service. Any Gustavus music ensemble or soloist is welcome to perform in congregations; for more information, contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).

Special Events... The 22nd annual convention of the Association of Congregations will take place on campus this Saturday, April 25. The day will start with morning worship at 9:30 a.m. in Christ Chapel, which will be followed by the annual business meeting to elect new board members for the Association. The keynote speaker, Dr. Terence E. Fretheim, the Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, will give his talk, "Implications of a God in Relationship," at 11 a.m. in the chapel. Dinner will follow at noon, during which time the Rev. Gary F. Anderson, current member of the College's Board of Trustees, will receive the Covenant Award. This award recognizes individuals who make distinctive contributions to strengthen the partnership between Gustavus Adolphus College and member congregations of the Association. The afternoon will be spent in breakout sessions focusing on faith topics. If you are interested in more information about this convention, go to the Church Relations website, gustavus.edu/churchrelations/, or contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).

Funding Opps

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

• National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipends... The National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipends program provides individuals with an opportunity to pursue research in the humanities that contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the public's understanding of the humanities. Each stipend provides $6,000 for two consecutive months of full-time independent research and writing. Summer Stipends support projects that can be completed during the tenure of an award or those that are part of a long-term endeavor. Applicants must be nominated by their institutions; only two faculty members may be nominated each year. The online application deadline is October 1. See http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/stipends.html for more information.
       Faculty interested in submitting an application should send an e-mail so indicating to Bob Weisenfeld (bweis@gustavus.edu) by July 1. In the event that more than two faculty wish to be nominated, Bob will follow up in July with those interested regarding the nomination process.

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:

• College Planning & Management magazine printed an article about environmentally conscious changes on the Gustavus campus in its latest edition. The article focused on the Gustie Ware program. Steve Kjellgren (Dining Service), Megan Coe (admission), Jim Dontje (Johnson Center), Warren Wunderlich (physical plant), and students Audrey Neal, Kate Ibberson, and Jack Albrecht were all quoted in the story.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story about the Gustavus Relay for Life in its Tuesday, April 14, edition.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story on Wednesday, April 15, about the community partnership program started out of the Community Service Center. Jeffrey Rathlef (CSC) and students Hannah Nordell and Tesia Kubat were quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about the state speech tournament being held at Gustavus in its Thursday, April 16, edition. Kristofer Kracht (communication studies) was quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about the Gustavus Relay for Life event in its Thursday, April 16, edition. Student Catherine Osterhaus was quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about the forensics team being ranked ranked 18th in the nation in its Thursday, April 16, edition. Kristofer Kracht (communication studies) was quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about two Gustavus students who face felony charges after a drinking and driving incident in its Thursday, April 16, edition.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a feature story about softball player Molly Weber in its Thursday, April 16, edition. Weber was quoted in the story.
• The St. Peter Herald printed a story about the current exhibitions at the Hillstrom Museum of Art in its Thursday, April 16, edition.
• Jim Gilbert (environmental studies) had a letter to the editor about global warming printed in the Waconia Patriot on Thursday, April 16.
• KEYC-TV ran a story about the Gustavus and Minnesota State Mankato Relay for Life events on its Friday, April 17, newscasts.
• MinnPost.com posted a story on Friday, April 17, about the Bill Holm tribute being broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio.
• The Mankato Free Press ran a news brief about the Bill Holm tribute being broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio on the front page of its Saturday, April 18, Currents section.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a news brief about student-athlete Lisa Brown in its Saturday, April 18, Sports section.
• The Star Tribune mentioned Gustavus in a story about the state speech tournament in a Saturday, April 18, story.
• KEYC-TV ran a story about the softball team extending its winning streak to 18 games on its Sunday, April 19 newscasts.
• Cynthia Favre (Career Center) was quoted in the Sunday, April 19, Career Builder section of the Centre Daily Times (State College, Penn.) about how college graduates can improve their job prospects by attending alumni events.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story about the Gustavus Author Tea on the front page of its Monday, April 20, Currents section.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a story about men’s tennis coach Steve Wilkinson becoming the winningest coach in NCAA men’s tennis history in its Monday, April 20, Sports section.
• Stephanie Otto (HES) was quoted in a Babble.com article about recession nutrition on Monday, April 20.
• The Mankato Free Press printed a news brief on Monday, April 20 about the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Lecture.

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"

• Jackie Peterson, Institutional Advancement, phone: x6512, e-mail: jpeters9 (addition)
• James Rothschiller, Institutional Advancement, phone: x6517, e-mail: jrothsch (addition)

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

Safety Snippets

Pedestrian Safety... As the weather warms and you enjoy more outdoor activities, please use caution when approaching and crossing roadways. Watch for traffic, use sidewalks and crosswalks where available, and avoid excessive distractions (texting, listening to music, etc.) while crossing roadways. While driving, pay attention and watch out for pedestrians—be aware of your surroundings.

 



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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