The Summer Scoop for July 22, 2009

Volume 41, Number 2

News & Announcements

Highway 169 Construction... The city of St. Peter has joined the Minnesota Department of Transportation in planning for the reconstruction of Highway 169 from Union Street (in the north) to Jefferson Avenue (in the south), beginning on Thursday, July 9, and concluding by the Thanksgiving weekend. Since traffic may be re-routed differently during various phases of the reconstruction, visit the Discover Saint Peter website for current detour information. The College will issue specific routing instructions during special campus events, such as Move-in Days, Homecoming/Family Weekend, and the Nobel Conference. For Gustavus specific information related to this construction project, please visit the Gustavus Highway 169 Construction website.

Summer Parking... Summer parking rules are now in effect. Visitor parking is still closed to students and staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; however, vehicles may park in any red, green, or yellow parking space without regard to permits. Fire lanes, sidewalks, and spaces reserved by signs (e.g., 30-minute, Vendor/Maintenance, Head Resident) will still be enforced.

Vacation Donations Being Accepted... Employees who would like to donate vacation hours for a Gustavus employee who will be on an approved FMLA leave and will run out of paid-time benefits should complete and sign a request for transfer of vacation hours available at the Office of Human Resources (x7304).

Severe Weather Reminder... Community members and their guests are reminded to tune to the following media sources to be updated on local weather conditions:

  • Radio Stations: KRBI 105.5 FM / 1310 AM (St. Peter), KDOG 96.7 FM (Mankato), KEEZ 99.1 FM (Mankato), KYSM 103.5 FM (Mankato), WCCO 830 AM (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
  • Television Stations: Channel 4 (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Channel 5 (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Channel 11 (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Channel 12 (Mankato)

Severe weather shelters on campus include the following:

  • Anderson Social Science — basement, north end of building
  • Bernadotte Library — basement, AV classrooms
  • Jackson Campus Center — basement interior hallway
  • Carlson Admin. Bldg — basement, interior rooms without windows
  • Christ Chapel — basement hallway
  • Confer/Vickner — basement, rooms without windows
  • Schaefer Fine Arts — 1st floor-rooms without windows
  • Johnson Student Union — basement, bathrooms or go to Campus Center basement
  • Lund Arena — basement, locker rooms
  • Mattson Hall Fine Arts Building — basement
  • Nobel Hall — basement, interior hallways
  • Olin Hall — basement, interior hallways
  • Swanson Tennis Center — bathrooms

State Fair Booth... Gustavus is again planning a booth at the Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 27-Sept. 7, 2009. The booth, in the Education Building, will be "personed" by staff, faculty, alumni, and student volunteers. Four-hour shifts are available (9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-5 p.m., and 5-9 p.m.) each day of the 12-day fair. Two or three people are needed for each shift. To sign up, call or e-mail Bob Neuman (x7681 or bneuman@gustavus.edu). Times will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Training for staffing the booth will be offered on Monday, Aug. 24, at 1 p.m. or on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 3 p.m. They will be held in the Jackson Campus Center in the faculty/staff lounge.

Valleyfair Ticket Deals... Gustavus is participating in the “Good Any Day Discount Program” at Valleyfair. Employees may purchase tickets for the early/late season at $23.50 (savings of $14.49), regular admission (48 inches or taller) at $25.50 (savings of $12.49), and Junior (3 years & older but less than 48 inches tall) or Senior (ages 62 & older) at $16.99, to be used any day of the Valleyfair 2009 operating season. Tickets are available for purchase in the Office of Human Resources.

Reading in Common... Each summer, incoming Gustavus students are asked to read a "Reading in Common" book that will be discussed during New Student Orientation. The Reading in Common selection for 2009 is Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. In this astonishing true story, award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario recounts the unforgettable odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves unimaginable hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States. Nazario will give a lecture on Monday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

Craft donations... Time to clean out the craft cabinet! Cindy Johnson-Groh is looking for donations of embroidery thread, beads and Native American dream catchers. The thread and beads will be used to make friendship bracelets for Tanzanian children. The dream catchers are a way of sharing Native American culture with Tanzanians. If you have any of these supplies to donate, please put them in campus mail or call Cindy (507-934-0159).

Volunteers Needed... Volunteers are needed on July 25 to help with the St. Peter Water Fair. The Water Fair is an outdoor water conservation event for the whole family.  Volunteers would stand by a table with Nobel Conference information, promoting the conference. Someone may be able to do an interactive event such as a demo kit to present an aspect of water conservation. If you are interested in this opportunity, e-mail Dean Wolf '77 at deanwolf@hickorytech.net.

Campus Happenings

Courage and Light Workshops... The Center for Vocational Reflection invites you to be part of a special workshop opportunity this summer titled "Courage and Light: Exploring Passion, Renewal, and Creativity with Jim Brandenburg and Parker J. Palmer." The workshops provide teams and individuals with a powerful learning experience that ignites passion, reclaims mission and vision, enhances communication, and enriches creative thinking and problem solving. Sessions are scheduled for July 23, August 4, 5, and 6 from 2-4 p.m. in Linner Lounge. Everyone is welcome and registration is not required, but to help us get an accurate count for materials and refreshments, please R.S.V.P. for the sessions you plan to attend to Amy in the CVR (x7159 or apehrson@gustavus.edu).

Off-Campus Events of Interest

Gustie Night at the Fringe... For years, hundreds of Gustavus Theatre & Dance students, alumni and faculty have performed and participated in the Minnesota Fringe Festival. This year is no exception, with the department officially represented in Keiko Kasza's 'A Mother for Choco' (& Other Mother Stories), a Kid's Fringe piece developed by Amy Seham and Anne Sawyer-Aitch, in collaboration with a cast of student performers.

We will be celebrating our connections as students, alumni, and faculty with a reception at the Bedlam Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 9 p.m. Join us in the back fireplace room! For more information and to RSVP (not necessary but appreciated), please e-mail Andrea Gross at agross@gustavus.edu.

Information on this year's Fringe Festival Schedule can be found at 
www.fringefestival.org. The schedule of performances including Gustavus alumni on Saturday, Aug. 1, is as follows:

  • 1:00 p.m., The Three Bonnies by DA Dance, The Ritz Theater (345 13th Avenue NE, Mpls.)
  • 4:00 p.m., Keiko Kasza's 'A Mother for Choco' (& Other Mother Stories), by Gustavus Adolphus College Dept. of Theatre and Dance, The Rarig Center XPERIMENTAL SPACE (330 21st Avenue South, Mpls.)
  • 5:30 p.m., Maria, a contemporary tragedy by Christina Lein, The Theatre Garage (711 Franklin Avenue, Mpls.)
  • 5:30 p.m., The Red Tureen by Doolin & Dingle, The Rarig Center THRUST SPACE (330 21st Avenue South, Mpls.)
  • 7:00 p.m. Blue Ribbon Burlesque by Lili's Burlesque Review, The Rarig Center PROSCENIUM SPACE (330 21st Avenue South, Mpls.)

New Faces

The following people have recently joined the Gustavus community:

     New Administrators

  • Herbert Chilstrom, interim director (Linnaeus Arboretum)
  • Violeta Hernandez, counselor (admission)

Position Openings

  • Career Programs Assistant (Career Center)
  • Assistant Director (Financial Aid)
  • Certified nurse practitioner or physician assistant (Student Health Service)
  • Market Place Supervisor (Dining Service)
  • Archives Specialist (Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library)

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

In the Media

Here are some noteworthy Gustavus-related stories that recently appeared in print or broadcast media around the nation:

  • Gustavus was featured in a July 16 KEYC-TV story about construction on Highway 169. Ray Thrower (Campus Safety) was interviewed for the story.
  • Gustavus and GustieWare were mentioned in an Associated Press story about campus dining on Monday, July 13.
  • Gustavus was mentioned in a St. Paul Pioneer Press editorial about Teach For America on July 8.
  • Gustavus was mentioned in a July 8 Mankato Free Press article about a $1 million teaching history grant.
  • Gustavus was mentioned in a July 8 KEYC-TV story about a $1 million teaching history grant.
  • The St. Peter Herald printed a story on July 8 about the College’s future plans to erect a wind turbine on campus.
  • KEYC-TV ran a story on Tuesday, June 30, about Tennis and Life Camps at Gustavus.
  • The Mankato Free Press printed a story about the high number of Gustavus graduates who go on to serve in the Teach For America corps in its Thursday, July 1 edition.
  • The Gustavus softball team was featured on CBS’s NCAA Spring Championship Special on Saturday, July 4.
  • The Mankato Free Press editorial board gave Gustavus a thumbs up on its Saturday, July 4, editorial page for its high graduation rate in a study performed by the American Enterprise Institute.
  • The Mankato Free Press printed a front page story on Saturday, July 4 about the College’s future plans to install wind turbines on campus. Chuck Niederriter (physics) was quoted in the story.
  • Fox 9 News ran a feature story on retired men's tennis coach Steve Wilkinson on July 2.
  • KEYC-TV ran a story on Wednesday, June 24, about Minnesota Private College Week. Mark Anderson (admission) was interviewed for the story.
  • KEYC-TV ran a story on Thursday, June 25, about Gustavus being ranked in the top 10 by the American Enterprise Institute for its graduation rate.
  • The Star Tribune printed a story on Friday, June 26, about Gustavus being ranked in the top 10 by the American Enterprise Institute for its graduation rate. The story also appeared on Startribune.com on Thursday, June 25.
  • The Mankato Free Press printed a story on Friday, June 26, about Gustavus being ranked in the top 10 by the American Enterprise Institute for its graduation rate. President Jack R. Ohle and Mark Anderson (admission) were quoted in the story.
  • The St. Peter Herald printed a story about Ray Thrower returning to Gustavus in its Thursday, June 25 edition. President Ohle and Thrower were quoted in the story.
  • The St. Peter Herald printed a story about Gustavus placing 8th in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup in its Thursday, June 25 edition.

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

Part-Time Job... Do you know someone who loves young kids and is looking for a part-time job? We are looking for a responsible, caring individual to come to our home in New Ulm and care for our three children (Will - 4, Iris - 3, and June - 1). The position is for approximately 20 hours/week, and the schedule will be regular. We may have some flexibility regarding days and hours, but the ideal schedule will be Mondays and Wednesdays (8-5), and Friday mornings. Start date is late summer and runs through the school year. Previous childcare experience required. For more information, please call Eric or Betsy Elias at 507-382-3482 (cell) or 507-359-3331 (home).

For Rent... Available Aug. 1. 4-bedroom townhouse with 2.5-baths, includes a 2-car garage. Close to clinics, hospital, and a short distance to Gustavus. Great community. Newer appliances including stove, fridge, dishwasher, stacked washer and dryer, and garbage disposal. Association fees paid by landlord and include snow removal, lawn care, and garbage removal. $1,075.00 per month. Call Lois Peterson at 507-380-5251 or e-mail at lpeterso@gustavus.edu.

For Rent... A two-bedroom lakefront home available to a Gustavus staff member for the 09-10 school year. Rent negotiable. All utilities included and many amenities as well including a double insulated garage. E-mail mbiehn@comcast.net or call 507-243-4413 for more information.

For Rent... Spacious room in nice home. Beautiful, peaceful country setting. $350.00 per month; includes utilities, laundry, Internet, shared kitchen, and living room. Female only. Contact Diane at cmschool@hickorytech.net.

For Sale or Rent... 3-bedroom, 2-bath house built in 1890. All bedrooms are on second floor. Huge detached, heated, 2-car garage + workshop. Open floor plan includes large 30'x13' living room, which opens to four-season porch, and 18'x10' dining room. Kitchen has tons of cabinets and refrigerator with ice and water in the door. Partially finished basement makes a great office. Near St. Peter Library/Community Center. See http://tinyurl.com/320mulberry for pictures. E-mail sommere@gustavus.edu or call 469-8574 for more information. Available Aug. 1; $169,000 or $800/mo. to rent.

For Sale or Rent... 2 story townhouse. 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath, 1300 sq. ft., built in 2004, excellent condition. Both bedrooms are on second floor. Very open floor plan, including living room, dining room and kitchen. Sliding doors to exterior patio. Central air and gas forced air heat. Detached 2-car garage with electric garage door opener. Part of the Apple Tree Village community. Near River's Edge Hospital/Clinic. Just off of Dodd Rd. (MN-22) and Gault St. (1824 Haralson Ct.)  E-mail khartz@gustavus.edu or call 952-239-8402 for more information.

For Active Seniors 55+, Realife Cooperative... 1 & 2 bedroom units. Buy a small share of the master mortgage and retain your equity, interest, and tax benefits as in home ownership. Located at 500 West Jackson Street at the end of the street in a cul-de-sac, just 2 blocks off Jefferson, Realife is "Independent living in a Cooperative setting" and is member-owned and member-controlled. The building is secure and there is space available in a secure heated garage. For more information, please contact the office manager, Stacy, at sdwitte@myclearwave.net or at 507-934-2902.

"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 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.

 



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The Summer Scoop is published for the Gustavus Adolphus College community by the Office of Marketing and Communication. It is published monthly during the summer, on June 17, July 22, and Aug. 19, 2009. Anyone may submit items by sending them to waldo@gustavus.edu by 4:30 p.m. on the Monday before publication. Submissions may include news announcements, upcoming events, building or office hours, plugs (advertisements like for sale or rent items) or off-campus events. Please save "Extraordinary People" items (professional accomplishments or presentations) for The Yellow Sheet, published weekly during the academic year. For more information, call x6213.

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