Inside Gustavus October 1, 2009 | Volume 42, Number 5

President's Cabinet Summary

The President's Cabinet met on Friday, Sept. 25, to review progress on Gustavus's website redesign. Vice President Freed opened with a reminder that the project's goal is to extend the College's new brand messages and graphic elements to the College's institutional Web interface. Given the aesthetic focus of the project, structural enhancements are limited only to consolidation of some redundant links and the addition of several minor new features including social networking links from our homepage. Site navigation is outside the scope of the project. Gustavus Technology Services Director Bruce Aarsvold and Web Communications Coordinator Jerry Nowell made an in-depth presentation of the redesign work in progress. The Cabinet responded very favorably to the work, giving its approval to continued efforts. Aarsvold and Nowell explained that by Oct. 10, Gustavus will go live with a redesigned home page and several landing pages. Complete website redesign will be a yearlong project as the Web team works to update tens of thousands of pages overall.

News & Announcements

More 'Gustavus After Hours' Events Scheduled... On Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 5 p.m. in the lobby area of Confer/Vickner, employees are invited to visit with President Ohle over refreshments at the close of the workday. This will be a casual social gathering; all are encouraged to come and enjoy one another's company. The next Gustavus After Hours gathering is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 30, in the atrium area of the Nobel Hall of Science.

Faculty Lunches with the President... President Ohle is pleased to invite faculty members to join him for luncheon forums this fall. These events will provide opportunities for regular interaction and a time for sharing ideas. The first forum is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12. The second luncheon will be held on Friday, Nov. 13. Both lunches will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room. RSVP at least one week ahead to the President's Office by calling Pat Leagjeld at x7538 or e-mailing her at pleagjel@gustavus.edu.

City Seeks Commission Volunteers... The City of St. Peter is seeking volunteers to serve on the Human Rights Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission. Volunteers must be St. Peter residents. Contact Todd Prafke, city administrator, at 934-0663 for more information.

New Arb Membership Benefits... Membership at the Linnaeus Arboretum now brings new benefits. Thanks to the generosity of area floral shops and garden centers in St. Peter and Mankato you can get these discounts:

• In St. Peter:
  Mary's Flowers - 10% on all purchases with cash or check.
  St. Peter Greenhouse & Floral - 20% on all purchases with cash or check.
  Traverse des Sioux Garden Center - 20% on all purchases with cash or check.
  
• In Mankato:
  Drummer's Garden Center & Floral - an annual $5.00 gift certificate.
  Edenvale Nursery - 15% on all purchases with cash check or credit card.
  Green Thumb Garden Center - 20% on all purchases with cash or check.
  Hilltop Florist and Greenhouse - a $5.00 coupon on some purchases.
  Kober's Nursery - 15% on all nursery & floral items with cash or check.

And that’s not all. If you're a member of the St. Peter Food Co-op & Deli, you get a $5.00 reduction on your membership fee here at the Arb. For full information and a membership application form, go to the Arb website: www.gustavus.edu/arboretum. Or, if you wish to participate in a payroll deduction plan, contact the Gustavus Annual Fund for a form. And, of course, be sure to enjoy free of charge the changing beauty of the Arb in these coming weeks.

Retirement Counseling... A TIAA-CREF representative will be on campus on Nov. 3, 4, and 5 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.

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, Oct. 2 - Commemoration of St. Francis: Blessing of the Animals
• Sunday, Oct. 4 - Chaplain Rachel Larson
  
• Monday, Oct. 5 - Nobel Preview: Mark Bjelland (geography)
• Tuesday, Oct. 6 - Nobel Conference (no chapel)
• Wednesday, Oct. 7 - Nobel Conference (no chapel)
• Thursday, Oct. 8 - Coming Out Day
• Friday, Oct. 9 - Commission Gustavus 150 Celebration: Barb Larson Taylor (president's office)

Comedy Tonight!... Roman comedy fills Alumni Hall tonight (Thursday, Oct. 1) beginning at 8 p.m. St Olaf students present Plautus's Aulularia ("The Pot o' Gold"), a situation comedy with lots of slapstick humor, musical numbers, and uproarious coincidences, performed in English with some Latin thrown in for good measure. Everyone, from Shakespeare and Moliere to Goldoni and Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, draws on the Roman comedian Plautus. Admission is free for an hour of entertainment by Oles. Venite omnes! For more information or questions, contact Eric Dugdale at edugdale@gustavus.edu.

Arb's Fireside Chat Features Alumna Artist... Enjoy a lunch with watercolor artist Gail Speckmann '73 for the Linnaeus Arboretum's first Fireside Chat of the fall on Friday, Oct. 2, at 11:30 a.m. Gail's "Watercolor Trees" have been on display inside the Interpretive Center since April of this year, and the exhibit continues to attract many visitors. Gail will talk about her time as a Gustavus student and how it directed her to the level of a professional artist. Lunch will be available for purchase at the Interpretive Center, or bring your own.

Arb Volunteer Day Rescheduled... Due to last Friday's rains, the Arboretum Volunteer Day has been rescheduled to this Friday, Oct. 2, 2-5 p.m. Help keep the arboretum looking its best by volunteering! All you need to do is show up at the shelter outside the Interpretive Center and we'll go from there. The focus of this day will be the removal of non-native Siberian elms, but we will also need help in weeding, pruning, and trash removal.

Faculty Shop Talk Tomorrow... Sarah Johnson (religion) will present the next Faculty Shop Talk of the 2009-10 academic year. Her talk, titled "Stygian Darkness No More: American Missionaries? Post-War Portrayals of Christians Abroad," will be presented on Friday, Oct. 2, 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/.

Riverlights to Present Special Concert... The Riverlights, a vocal jazz ensemble from the St. Peter area, present a special concert Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in Björling Recital Hall, to celebrate 20 years of music-making in southern Minnesota. The program of favorite songs taken from the group's 20-year repertoire includes a cappella vocal jazz, early rock and roll, show tunes, and popular tunes from past decades. The performers are Cary Albers, Marci Elofson, Annette Meeks, Brenda DeBlieck, Andy Johnson, Rod Urtel (music), David Haglin, Ron Rietz (MCS), and Doug Kvidera, with accompanist Bonnie Jorgensen and Al Behrends (fine arts programs) on double bass. The program will be narrated by Nadine Haglin. Tickets will be available at the door for $10, with students admitted free.  

CD Release Concert... St. Peter musicians Michael (music) and Bonnie Jorgensen will present a recital of voice and piano Sunday, Oct. 4, to celebrate the release of their new recording on compact disc, All The Old, Familiar Places. Sunday’s concert begins at 3:30 p.m. in Jussi Björling Recital Hall. Guest artists David Klee, flute, and David Jorgensen, guitar, will join the Jorgensens for the performance. A number of the CD's selections will be performed on Sunday’s recital, including works from Aaron Copland’s Old American Songs, Cole Porter’s "Night and Day," and "Ol' Man River" from Jerome Kern’s Show Boat. A reception for the performers will be held in the recital hall lobby following Sunday’s performance. Copies of the CD will be available for purchase at that time. Sunday’s recital and the CD release celebration are free and open to the public.

Special Events Enhance Nobel Conference Experience... In addition to the featured lectures held in Lund Arena, next week's Nobel Conference 45 also includes a busy schedule of related events. Tickets are not required for any of the events listed below.

• On Friday, Oct. 2, more than 300 Southern Minnesota-area elementary students and their teachers will come to campus for a day of science centered on this year's conference theme. Nearly 100 Gustavus students from the Department of Education will be involved in teaching the elementary students (grades 4, 5, and 6) lessons in science and/or literacy. The event is part of a Nobel Conference outreach initiative.
• On Tuesday and Wednesday during the conference, a Nobel Conference Exhibition featuring at least 10 exhibitors—including the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Freshwater Society—will be set up in the Lund Center Forum.
• the Hillstrom Museum of Art will host a special reception on Tuesday evening, Oct. 6, 6-8 p.m. Dry Spells, a dance piece choreographed by Michele Rusinko (theatre/dance), will be performed twice during the reception—at 6:15 and 6:45 p.m.
• "Minnesota Water Connections" will be presented concurrently in Lund Arena and Alumni Hall on Tuesday evening: At 6:15 p.m. in Lund Arena, Lucinda Johnson, of the Natural Resources Research Institute in Duluth, will speak on "Minnesota's Aquatic Ecosystems: What Can We Expect under a Changing Climate?" while in Alumni Hall Steve Colman, director of the Large Lakes Observatory at UMD, addresses "The Superior Sea—What about All That Water?" At 7 p.m. in Lund, Edward Swain, of the MPCA, will discuss "Climate Change Impacts on Lakes—The Mercury Example," while in Alumni Hall Fred Rose and Erin Binder, of the Acara Instutute in Minneapolis, present "The Acara Challenge: Applying Corporate Best Practices to Local, Sustainable Water Solutions."
• "An Evening with Derek Walcott" begins at 8:15 p.m. in Lund. The Gustavus Choir, conducted by Gregory Aune (music), will sing, and poet/playwright Walcott, who was named the 1992 Nobel laureate in literature, will address "Water Words."

Build a Scarecrow... You're invited to participate in the Linnaeus Arboretum's annual Scarecrow Building Contest. This year's contest will be held during the Arb's Fall Fest 2009, Oct. 7-9, at the Borgeson Cabin site. Gather your department, organization, or friends and start brainstorming a creative scarecrow idea. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams on the basis of originality and execution. Last year's awards included "Most Recyclable," "Most Informative," "Best Use of Nylon Stockings," "Best Use of One's Own Personal Sweater," and "Most Likely to Cause Nightmares." Straw will be available at the Borgeson Cabin beginning at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and scarecrows must be completed by 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, for judging. Parties interested in participating should contact Bob Dunlap (Arb) at 507-933-7199 or rdunlap@gustavus.edu no later than Monday, Oct. 5, so that enough straw can be provided. For more information on the Arboretum's Fall Fest 2009, visit gustavus.edu/arboretum/fallfest.

Off-Campus Events of Interest

'Girls Night Out'... The Retail Promotion Committee of the St. Peter Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Girls Night Out" on Thursday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. Over 40 participating businesses will offer discounts, giveaways, storewide specials, prize drawings, and refreshments. Get your GNO brochure (available at businesses and the Chamber) punched at 10 different places of business to be eligible for a $200 grand prize and forty $25 gift certificates. For more information, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 934-3400.

'Art Fair in Motion'... The fourth annual "River Crossings Art Fair in Motion" is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 and 4, in the St. Peter/Mankato/North Mankato area. Fourteen area artists will be opening their studios or homes, or hosting public showings of their work at galleries, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and between noon and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit rivercrossingsart.org for a detailed schedule of activities and participants.

'Stompin' Live... Join Philip S. Bryant (English) and Carolyn Wilkins for an evening of poetry and jazz as they perform A Stompin' Suite live at the Arts Center of Saint Peter (315 S Minnesota Ave.—use the back door), Oct. 7, 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults ($5 for Arts Center members) and $3 for students. A book & CD signing follows the show.

Choral Concert at First Lutheran... From Age to Age, a professional choral ensemble comprising members from throughout Minnesota, will present a concert of a cappella music at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter (1114 W. Traverse Road). A free-will offering will be collected to defray concert expenses and to support two humanitarian causes—The One Acre Fund and The Central Asia Institute (Three Cups of Tea). For more information, visit www.fromagetoage.org.

Congregational Outreach

Partners in Education... Presenters for this week include Richard Leitch (political science), who will be giving his talk, "Politics of Homelessness," at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. Lisa Heldke (philosophy) will be giving her talk, "Radical Listening: A Tool for Social Change," at 9:15 a.m. at Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church on Sunday, Oct. 4. The Rev. Grady St. Dennis (church relations) will be giving a Gustavus Update to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hector, Minn., Sunday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.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.

Retreats... The Office of Church Relations will host a confirmation retreat for Prairie Lutheran Church from Eden Prairie, Minn., Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3. Church Relations will also host a retreat for Central Lutheran Church from Minneapolis, Minn., from Friday, Oct. 2, until Sunday, Oct. 4. Day retreats this Saturday, Oct. 3, include First Lutheran Church from Le Sueur, Minn., St. John's and Cross of Peace Lutheran from Shakopee, Minn., and Woodlake Lutheran Church from Richfield, Minn. These day retreats are also hosted by the Office of Church Relations.

Music in Worship... Any Gustavus music ensemble of soloist is welcome to perform in congregations. For more information, contact Marilyn Beyer (x7001).

Telecommunications Updates

Following are changes and additions for the "Personnel Phone Directory 2009-10."

• Cynthia Ahlquist, nursing, phone: x7317, e-mail: cahlqui2 (addition)

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

Plugs

For Sale... Drawing table with 3' x 5' top and steel base. Height and table angle adjustable with one lever. Includes vinyl board cover and adjustable swing arm lamp. $125. Delivery help available. Contact Clifford Marx (Lund Center) by e-mail at cmarx@gustavus.edu or phone 507-304-5600 before 9 p.m.

Condo Available for Rent in January 2010... Fully furnished 2-bedroom townhome near Vanderbilt Beach in Naples, Fla. 2-4 week rental, $600/week. Call Mimi or John Braun (comm. studies, emeritus) at 507-931-2838 or e-mail jbraun@gustavus.edu.

For Sale... 15-inch Magnavox LCD TV with converter box. Call Gretchen Koehler (HES, emerita) at 934-5441 or e-mail gkoehler@gustavus.edu.

House for Rent... In Longfellow neighborhood, Minneapolis. Available immediately. 2+ bedrooms, lots of light, fenced back yard, patio, garden, screened-in porch, 2 off-street parking spaces plus single garage, pet-friendly, laundry & storage in basement, $1,200/month includes utilities, basic cable, and Internet. Contact lilly.zumberge@gmail.com.

"Plugs" is maintained as a forum by which members of the Gustavus community may offer goods and/or 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 or retailers, although from time to time such announcements may be published when deemed to be of particular interest to the community.

 



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Inside Gustavus 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: Inside Gustavus, 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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