As of Friday, Nov. 6, 11 candidates had confirmed that they will participate in Monday evening’s forum including Margaret Anderson-Kelliher (DFL), Tom Bakk (DFL), Leslie Davis (RPM), Susan Gaertner (DFL), Mike Jungbauer (RPM), Steve Kelley (DFL), John Marty (DFL), Peter Roess (Green Party of Minnesota), Tom Rukavina (DFL), R.T. Rybak (DFL), and Chris Wright (Grassroots Party of Minnesota).

Candidates have been asked to arrive between 6:00-6:15 p.m. at which point they will set up campaign literature at tables in Alumni Hall. The forum will begin at 7 p.m. when candidates will be asked to give a five-minute opening statement highlighting higher education policy.

During this time, audience members may write and submit questions on index cards that may be asked of the candidates. The questions must be general rather than directed to any particular candidate. After the opening statements, moderator and Assistant Professor of Political Science Kate Knutson will ask each candidate one question from the audience. 

Parking is open to the public. Alumni Hall doors will open at 6 p.m. and candidates will be available to speak with the media and constituents at this time.

In keeping with the educational nature of this event, the College will encourage audience members to respect all candidates by remaining silent while candidates are speaking. The College reserves the right to remove disruptive individuals at any point during the event.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Kiplinger’s describes the list as “the top schools that provide a top-quality education at an affordable price.” Kiplinger’s also states on its website that “our rankings measure academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total.” The rankings also took into account things such as admission rate, ACT scores, students per faculty, graduation rate, and several financial aid figures.

“We are proud of our outstanding faculty and the excellent academic programs that we offer,” Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle said. “We also work with families to make a Gustavus education as affordable as possible.”

Gustavus was one of five Minnesota private colleges to make Kiplinger’s top 50. Carleton College was ranked No. 13 to lead all Minnesota colleges. Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., topped the list.

Founded in 1947 as Kiplinger Magazine, the publication claims to be the first magazine to offer money management advice to the American people. Today, the monthly publication advises its readers on managing their money by covering investing, retirement planning, taxes, insurance, real estate, buying and leasing a car, health care, travel, and financing college. The magazine has a paid monthly circulation of 800,000 copies per month.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Sacred Steps on the Camino will be on display at Gustavus through Nov. 18.

An opening exhibition service to mark the beginning of the Sacred Steps on the Camino exhibit will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 in Christ Chapel at Gustavus Adolphus College. The exhibit will be on campus Nov. 4-18.

Sacred Steps on the Camino is an exhibit of 39 photographs, paintings, and sketches reflecting on the experience of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This exhibit celebrates the experience of modern pilgrims from the United States and Canada who set out to complete the El Camino de Santiago, or in English “The Way of Saint James.”

This is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where legend has it, the remains or relics of Jesus’ apostle, Saint James the Elder or the Greater, lie. The Camino has existed as a Christian pilgrimage route for well over 1,000 years and there is evidence that there was a pre-Christian route as well. Throughout the Medieval period it was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages undertaken.

Sacred Steps on the Camino first opened two years ago at the College of William and Mary. The exhibit has now been shows in at least eight U.S. cities as well as in Montreal and Toronto.

Events including an opening devotional service, daily Chapel homilies, and a labyrinth walk have been scheduled to compliment the presence of Sacred Steps.  For a full schedule of events and more information on the exhibit, please visit gustavus.edu/go/sacredsteps.

The exhibit’s display is made possible by support of the Xunta de Galicia, Spain’s Office of Tourism, and the Chaplains’ Office and the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Gustavus.   

For more information about Sacred Steps on the Camino, contact Assistant Professor of Spanish Ana Adams at aadams3@gac.edu or 507-933-6079. 

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Toriano Sanzone

Toriano Sanzone, a 1996 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, will return to his alma mater for a weeklong residency Nov. 9-12. Sanzone will give a public reading from his recently published book, Wolfkeeper, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10 in the International Center Lounge.

Sanzone is an author, dog behaviorist, motivational speaker, hip-hop musician, and entrepreneur originally from Chicago, Ill. After graduating from Gustavus, Sanzone owned and operated several dog training facilities in the Chicago area for four years. After a serious car accident, Sanzone decided to write Wolfkeeper – a book about the spiritual connection between dogs and humans. The book also serves as starting point for dog owners seeking to learn how to train their dogs.

During his stay at Gustavus, Sanzone will visit with several classes and academic departments. He will also meet with the Pan Afrikan Student Association and will be the keynote speaker at the Diversity Leadership Council banquet. The public reading event on Nov. 10 is free and open to the public.

Along with owning several dog training facilities, Sanzone volunteered training services for the Chicago Animal Care and Control and other animal shelters. He also created training programs for various other dog facilities including Camp Bow Wow, Petland, and Bark Chicago. Sanzone was named Dog Trainer of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by the Personal Protection Dog Association. He was also nominated for Dog Trainer of the Year by Tails magazine.

For more information about Sanzone and his residency at Gustavus, contact Professor of English Elizabeth Baer at ebaer@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7324.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Left to Right: Asst. Coach Josh Forsythe, Lucas Youngvorst, Sam Hemmerich, Mary Cunningham, Christopher Hunt, Phil Helt

The Gustavus Adolphus College forensics team continued to assert itself as one of the top collegiate forensics programs in the country on Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Match Made in Heaven Tournament at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.

Gustavus placed second in the team sweepstakes on both day one and day two of the tournament, finishing ahead of teams from George Mason University and California State University, Long Beach, which are both ranked in the top 10 nationally. Bradley University won the team sweepstakes on both days of the tournament.

Gustavus senior Mary Cunningham placed in three events on day one and four events in day two of the tournament. On day one, Cunningham placed second in Communication Analysis, Impromptu Speaking, and Persuasion.

Senior Christopher Hunt placed in a total of five events over the two day tournament. Hunt placed second in After Dinner Speaking on day one and second in Program Oral Interpretation on day two.

Junior Phil Helt placed in five events including a first place finish in Communication Analysis on day one and a second place finish in the same event on day two.

Sophomore Lucas Youngvorst placed in four events including a second place finish in Persuasion on day two of the tournament.

Sophomore Sam Hemmerich placed in two events including a fifth place finish in Prose on day one of the tournament.

The forensics team will continue its busy tournament schedule on Nov. 7-8 when it competes at the L.E. Norton Memorial Tournament at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.

For more information about the Gustavus forensics program, contact head coach Kristopher Kracht at kkracht@gustavus.edu or 507-933-7486.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

A Royal Affair is a gala event, which includes a formal dinner, live and silent auctions with approximately 600 items, and the joy of sharing a very special evening with friends of the Gustavus community. An online auction will take place between Nov. 5-12.

A Royal Affair is open to the public and reservations are required. For more information, or to make reservations, go online to gustavus.edu/gla or contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at 507-933-7550.

Since organizing in 1977, GLA has raised more than $2.5 million for the library endowment fund, acquisitions, and non-budgeted special collections.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Kevin Kling is a 1979 graduate of Gustavus

Kevin Kling, a nationally known playwright, storyteller, and author will make an appearance at Gustavus Adolphus College Friday, Nov. 20. Kling, a 1979 graduate of Gustavus, will read from his latest book, Holiday Inn.

Kling’s appearance will take place at 7 p.m. in Jussi Bjorling Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Kling’s books including Holiday Inn will be available for purchase.

Kling is perhaps best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” His storytelling stage shows like Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, deliver hilarious, often tender stories.

His first book, The Dog Says How, brought readers into his wonderful world of the skewed and significant mundane. Holiday Inn is described as a romp through a year of holidays. A wiener dog with an amazing capacity for destruction impresses the whole family and contributes to their collection of favorite disastrous Christmas stories. A Choctaw and a nun go trick-or-treating on Halloween. A boy makes a frightening decision every year when he chooses which classmate gets the “Be Mine” Valentine. Kevin takes his mom to a Fourth of July demolition derby and then he takes an epic trip around the bases at a ball game on Memorial Day.

Kling’s appearance at Gustavus is sponsored by the Book Mark, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, St. Peter Reads, and Friends of the St. Peter Public Library.

For more information about this event, contact Judy Schultz in the Book Mark at 507-933-6017 or jdschult@gustavus.edu.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Janet DeMars, Chris Blaschko, and Carolyn Dobler

Three members of the Gustavus Adolphus College community were honored during the Friday, Oct. 30 daily chapel service as recipients of the College’s annual outstanding employee awards.

Chris Blaschko, set-up operation coordinator for the Physical Plant, received the 2009 Augusta Carlson Schultz Award, which is presented annually to a support staff employee who exemplifies outstanding dedication and spirit of service. Blaschko is in charge of set up and tear down of numerous events at the College throughout the year, including the Nobel Conference, Christmas in Christ Chapel, and Commencement  – all of which bring thousands of people to campus each year. Blaschko has worked at the College for ten years.

Janet DeMars, director of the Swanson Tennis Center, received the 2009 Eric Norelius Award, given annually to an outstanding administrative employee who has demonstrated exceptional service and dedication to the College. DeMars has served in her current position for 15 years. She has also served on the Gustavus Benefits Advisory Committee since 2003, as well as an adjunct instructor for both the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Program and the Health and Exercise Science Department.

Carolyn Dobler, professor of mathematics and computer science, earned the 2009 Faculty Service Award, given annually to a faculty member whose service has improved the College. Dobler came to Gustavus in 1992 and has since taught classes on topics such as introductory statistics, applied statistics, mathematical statistics, and probability.

She has served on a wide range of committees including terms on the Instructional Infrastructure Advisory Committee, the Personnel Committee, and multiple terms on the Program Assessment and Development Committee. Because of her expertise in statistics, Dobler has been called on to do data analysis of important College surveys like the Campus Conversation Survey for the College and the Shared Governance Survey for the Faculty Senate. In addition, Dobler was selected by the administration for the Blue Ribbon Task Force for Curriculum Review and the Steering Committee for the last North Central Accreditation review. She is also currently serving on the Compensation Committee  and is also currently the faculty representative on the Budget Committee.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Commission Gustavus 150 is an effort to envision the College’s future and was developed by the Gustavus Board of Trustees. Hundreds of faculty, staff, students, and friends joined together to generate recommendations to manifest the College’s Strategic Plan through the Commission Gustavus 150 process. 

The first document, “Report of Commission Gustavus 150,” explains the Commission process and includes all the recommendations made by the Commission’s eight task forces to carry forward the College’s Strategic Plan. The second document, “Strategic Framework,” presents the recommendations – approved, consolidated, categorized, and prioritized by the Gustavus Board of Trustees.

“Commission Gustavus 150 is an exciting, dynamic process,” said Gustavus President Jack R. Ohle. “We will see substantial progress regarding the specific recommendations in both the short term and, as importantly, over the next ten years.”

While all of the Commission work was being done, the College also embarked on an extensive market research initiative to identify a new branding position and develop messages and images in response to the research findings. Today, the College releases a short video presentation on the new brand, “Make Your Life Count.”

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

The 37,000 participants of the National Youth Gathering were left with a charge to change the world in a positive way and to fight world hunger. The Jesus Justice Jazz tour is a chance for youth to come together at a regional gathering to be re-inspired and to tackle the challenge of fighting world hunger.

A service project will be held between 1-2:20 p.m., in which youth will go door-to-door to homes in St. Peter to ask for donations of spare change as part of a “change for change” project. All donations will in turn be donated to ELCA World Hunger. Youth will wear name badges identifying them as part of this project.

Due to the limited time frame, youth may not be able to visit every home in St. Peter. If your home is not visited, and if you would like to donate to this cause to help raise $1 million for world hunger, please bring your donation to Christ Chapel on Saturday, Nov. 7 between 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Dave Scherer a.k.a Agape

A concert will take place from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Christ Chapel and will feature musical acts LOST AND FOUND, Rachel Kurtz, and Gustavus graduate, Agape. Agape, whose real name is David Scherer, graduated from Gustavus in 1999 and has worked for justice both locally and globally through his ministry Hip Hop Outreach. Gustavus students can attend the concert for no charge by showing their three crowns card at the door.

Registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. Events will begin at 11 a.m. including a keynote address focused on world hunger and reflection groups led by Gustavus students.

If you have questions or need more information about this event, contact Marilyn Beyer in the Gustavus Office of Church Relations at 507-933-7001 or mbeyer@gustavus.edu.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510