Inside Gustavus October 3, 2013 | Volume 46, Number 5

From the President's Desk

I would like to thank the entire Gustavus community for yet another successful Nobel Conference! I have learned and come to appreciate over the past six years that it truly is a campus-wide effort to pull off an event like The Nobel Conference. This event is part of what makes Gustavus such a special place and we should all be very proud of the fact that our hard work reflects well not only on the Conference, but on the College as a whole.

I especially want to thank Dr. Chuck Niederriter and Dr. Steve Mellema for their leadership as Director and Chair of this year's conference. Dr. Niederriter has done an exceptional job in his position the past five years and has taken great care of the Conference as he now passes the torch on to our next Director, Dr. Scott Bur. I also want to thank all those who coordinated the logistics for the Conference and our faculty and students who hosted the presenters and helped coordinate the visits of our distinguished guests. Gusties Will Shine!

President's Cabinet Summary

The President's Cabinet met on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and discussed the following items:

• President Ohle breifly reviewed the agendas for the Sept. 25 Crown Council meeting and the Sept. 26-27 Board of Trustees meeting.
• A number of academic affairs issues were discussed, including the plans for the shared governance discussions among the Board of Trustees, faculty, and administrators; restricted fund proposal from the department chairs; updating and aligning Commission Gustavus 150 and the Academic Strategic Plan; faculty's willingness to collaborate with Institutional Advancement and Marketing and Communication in "telling the Gustavus story;" faculty grant-writing activity; and return on investment (ROI)/return on a Gustavus education (ROE) conversations.

News & Announcements

Employee Award Nominations...Nominations for the Augusta Carlson Schultz (outstanding support staff employee) and the Eric Norelius (outstanding administrative employee) awards should be turned in to the Office of Human Resources by Oct. 18.

Campus Happenings

Employee/Student Christian Fellowship Luncheon...Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 12-1 p.m. in Linner Lounge. The Gustavus Employee Fellowship group is hosting a lunch for leaders/reps from various Christian student organizations on campus. We are faculty, staff and administrators who gather monthly for fellowship and prayer. This lunch, provided by the Chaplains' Office, is an opportunity to connect with student groups.

LineUs Improv Comedy Show...The LineUs Improv Comedy Troupe is turning 10 years old and to celebrate they're putting on a special performance featuring current and former cast members going all the way back to the troupe's original players. The show is free and will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 in Alumni Hall.

African Studies Lecture...University of Minnesota professor Dr. Abdi Samatar will present a lecture titled "The Politics of Piracy in Somalia" at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 in Wallenberg Auditorium. Dr. Samatar's research focuses on the relationship between democracy and development in the Third World in general and Africa in particular. The event is free and open to the public.

October 8 Lecture...Dr. Toni Calasanti, Professor of Sociology at Virginia Tech University, will speak at Gustavus on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 4:30 p.m. in Room 101 of Beck Hall. Professor Calasanti's work challenges feminist thinking by highlighting age as a core site of social inequality. In her campus talk, she will show how taking age relationsinto account transforms what we know about gender. In particular, she will share some surprising findings from her research on spousal caregivers to make clear why age matters when we look at gender and care. Lecture is co-sponsored by the departments of economics and management and gender, women, and sexuality studies. The event is free and open to the public.

Gustie Breakfast...The St. Peter Gustie Breakfast will take place at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 in a Campus Center banquet room. This month's event features Pearl Leonard-Rock and Glen Lloyd from the Diversity Center. Cost is $8 for an individual or $15 per couple. RSVP to 507-933-6664 or gustiebreakfast@gustavus.edu.

LALACS Lecture...Francisco Cerezo, a founding member of Comite Cerezo, an organization committed to promoting and defending the human rights of victims of political repression in Mexico, will speak at Gustavus on Wednesday, Oct. 9. His lecture is titled "The U.S., Drugs, and Guns in Mexico: Lessons from the Mexican Human Rights Organization Comite Cerezo" and will take place at 7 p.m. in Room 127 of Confer Hall. His lecture is sponsored by LALACS, Peace Studies, Sociology/Anthropology, and Political Science.

Bards in the Arb Visiting Writers Series...Join the English and Scandinavian Studies departments for an evening filled with original poetry and folk music from Bart and Ross Sutter. Event is from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8 in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center.

Daily Sabbath...All are invited to the worship services at 10 a.m. weekdays. The upcoming schedule is as follows.

• Friday, Oct. 4 (Play): Commemoration of St. Francis with blessing of the animals. 
• Monday, Oct. 7 (Pray): Digital prayer wall, prayers of the heart, prayers for the world. Post your prayers online. Music and silent prayer in Christ Chapel. Silent prayer in the Interfaith Space in the Campus Center.
• Tuesday, Oct. 8 (Discuss): Associate Provost and Dean Darrin Good will provoke the question "How can we put more "co" in the Gustavus "COmmunity?"
• Wednesday, Oct. 9 (Celebrate): Morning praise with the Choir of Christ Chapel
• Thursday, Oct. 10 (Re:vive): Worship led by Re:vive, Chaplain Grady St. Dennis preaching
• Friday, Oct. 11 (Play): To receive mobile updates from the Chaplains, text @GACCHAPLAINS to 23559.

Shared Governance Discussion...All members of the college community are invited to attend this open meeting, hosted in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, in order to contirbute their viewpoints as we work toward a shared understanding of shared governance at Gustavus. This discussion will take place between 2:30 and 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 in the Board Room of the Jackson Campus Center.

Family Weekend...Family Weekend will take place Oct. 11-13 with a number of activities planned. Families are invited to attend classes throughout the day on Friday, Oct. 11. Pancake breakfasts will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Norelius, Pittman and Sohre Halls. Workshops and panel discussions will take place on Oct. 12 between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. in the Jackson Campus Center banquet rooms. Fall Fest in the Arb will take place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Linnaeus Arboretum on Oct. 12. A Family Weekend Worship Service will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 in Christ Chapel. The Family Weekend Music Showcase will take place between 2 and 4 p.m. on Oct. 13 in Christ Chapel. Visit the College Calendar for a full list of Family Weekend events and activities.

TIAA-CREF Individual Counseling Sessions…A TIAA-CREF representative will be on campus on October 29, 30, and 31, 2013 for individual counseling sessions. Go online to schedule an appointment, or contact (866) 843-5640, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Congregational Outreach

Retreats...Church Relations in the Center for Servant Leadership will host weekend confirmation retreats for First Lutheran Church of Le Sueur and Woodlake Lutheran Church of Richfield on Saturday, Oct. 5. The confirmation and retreat programs are a resource offered for youth of ELCA congregations who are members of the Gustavus Association of Congregations.

Exploring Religious Questions Series..."World Christianity: The Growth of Christianity in Contemporary Asia, Latin America, and Africa". This mini-course begins on Monday, Oct. 7 from 7-9 p.m. in Olin 103. The beginning session will be led by Marcia Bunge and will focus on introducing the subject of World Christianity by providing an overview of areas in which Christianity is rapidly growing today and by examining new theories about the reasons for and the significance of this growth. Exploring Religious Questions is sponsored by Church Relations in the Center for Servant Leadership.

Safety Snips

Campus Fire Safety Month...The Minnesota State Fire Marshall's Office was recently on campus to film a Campus Fire Safety video that will be used as a resource for all Minnesota colleges and universities. Assisting with the video were Gustie students Summer Boettcher, Audi Dickey, Paget Pengelly and McCartney Renn. A dormitory fire drill was also captured in the footage as all the dorms practiced their evacuation procedures as part of State-wide and National Campus Fire Safety Month activities.

Campus fire safety is a serious issue. According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 3,800 university housing fires occur each year in the United States, causing 5 deaths, 50 injuries and $26 million in property loss. There are various causes of campus fires, but the fundamental issue is general lack of knowledge about fire safety and prevention. Cooking is the leading cause of fires (over 83%), followed by arson, open flame, heating, and unintentional or careless behavior. Students can prepare for a safe new life away from home by following a few simple guidelines:

• When cooking, stay in the kitchen area and pay attention to the cooking process. Leaving food cooking unattended, for even a minute, can be deadly. If a pan starts on fire, cover it with a lid and turn off the stove. Never throw water on a grease fire as it will spread the fire.
• Never ignore fire alarms! Do not wait to see fire or smoke. If your keys and cell phone are close by, take them with as you evacuate and close your door behind you. Know the exit routes from your building and the designated evacuation area. Never go back into a building that is being evacuated. Your life is more important than your stuff!
• Campus housing is equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and fire suppression sprinklers that are inspected routinely. If you live off-campus, inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide detector and make sure the battery is changed at least once a year. This little alarm can save your life.
• Do not use candles or incense as they are a fire danger. Consider flameless candles that look and smell like real candles. Avoid overloading wall outlets and using extension cords. Consider use of a power strip.
• Smoking is the leading cause of fire fatalities and not allowed in Campus Housing. If off-campus, never smoke if too tired or impaired. Always put your cigarette out completely. Cigarettes can smolder for hours and start a fire long after you go to sleep.
• Alcohol consumption is often a factor in campus fire fatalities. Alcohol can impair judgment and hamper evacuation efforts. Assign an “event monitor” who stays unimpaired.



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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. For more information, contact Matt Thomas (mthomas@gustavus.edu or x7510).

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