Welcome to Clare Apartments

Service Learning for Residence Life

Shane Reinbold and Molly Backman

Each fall, Viterbo RAs gain valuable experience in diversity and service.

“One of my goals has been to help the staff become more aware of La Crosse, especially the area close to Viterbo,” said Vickie Unferth, director of residence life. “Several commented on how much they learned about poverty right here in La Crosse. I want our RAs to not only contribute to Viterbo but also learn ways in which they and their residents might contribute to society in the future.”

This year, the RAs, peer advisors, and three residence life staff spent the night at the Salvation Army, where they helped serve dinner and breakfast and cleaned up after both meals. They also attended a presentation on poverty education by the Salvation Army’s Jerilyn Dinsmoor, who is also a Viterbo adjunct faculty member. Later in the day, four groups of RAs went to four different Festival Foods locations to collect donations while a fifth group went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store to sort, clean, and paint the windows with a “Back to School” theme.

Viterbo’s residence life department consists of Unferth, Gretchen Johnson, assistant director of residence life, John Race, community coordinator, Dodie Marriott, administrative assistant, 18 RAs, and two peer advisors in Clare Apartments. RAs receive extensive training to prepare them for their important job in working with and assisting other students.

“RAs are the leaders for their floors,” Unferth said. “They welcome, set the tone, educate, and link students to resources.”

Volleyball Team Returns from Great Trip to West Coast

The West Coast turned out to be a very welcoming region for the Viterbo volleyball team.

“The team had a great time and we had plenty of success on and off the court,” said Eric Kunick, assistant athletic director and assistant volleyball coach.

The volleyball team went 3–1 against top flight NAIA competition at a tournament hosted by Southern Oregon University. They also had time for hiking at Crater Lake and in Redwood Forest, visiting the beaches of the Pacific Ocean, attending a dinner theatre for a production of Life is a Dream, and a day of sight-seeing in San Francisco.

“The student-athletes love these trips because it gives them the opportunity to experience so many different activities that help enrich their experience at Viterbo,” Kunick said.

Each Viterbo athletics team takes a trip each or approximately every other year. The reasons are many, but the activities are always a big win for both the participants and the athletics program in general.

“Team trips are a great recruitment and retention tool, an opportunity to play great competition, they enhance team bonding and chemistry, provide cultural opportunities, and are a reward for the student-athlete’s hard work and dedication to the program,” Kunick said.

Athletic team trips are completely financed through fundraised money.

“Our coaches and athletes spend a lot of time raising money and working in the La Crosse community,” Kunick said. “The students are grateful to see their hard work pay off with these experiences.”

For more information about the volleyball team’s time on the West Coast, or to read the athletes’ daily blog, visit www.viterboathletics.com/article/740.php.

From the Library

By Jennifer Nelson 
 

Fall 2012 Learning and Fellowship Series 
 

The library is pleased to announce the return of the Learning and Fellowship series. All sessions will be held at noon in the Learning Commons (Murphy Center 248) and participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch. The first session, “Welcome to VitCat: One-stop Searching for Academic Resources” with Jennifer Nelson will be held Thursday, Sept. 13.

Participants will investigate VitCat’s power-searching tools, which allow users to find books, ebooks, articles, and audiovisual materials all from one convenient tool. Contact Jennifer at jnnelson@viterbo.edu to RSVP or if you have any questions. The library looks forward to another year of connecting with faculty members in learning and fellowship.

New Quieter Study Areas in the Library 

Due to the student feedback we received during last year’s library survey, the library is going to be experimenting with quiet study spaces in the upcoming academic year. Quiet zones will be located in the children’s collection and the library art gallery. Students working in the quiet zones will be asked to whisper only, have no audible music playing, and to silence their cell phones. Robers Conference Room will be available to students as a silent study space when not otherwise occupied.

Health Corner

By Sue Danielson, health services
 

CDC Recommends Hepatitis C Test for All Baby Boomers  
 

If you’re 47–67 years old, you need to be tested for hepatitis C, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All U.S. baby boomers should get a one-time test for the hepatitis C virus, according to final recommendations published recently. One in 30 baby boomers—the generation born from 1945 through 1965—has been infected with hepatitis C, and most don’t know it. Hepatitis C causes serious liver diseases, including liver cancer (the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related deaths) and is the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S.

“A one-time blood test for hepatitis C should be on every baby boomer’s medical checklist,” said Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. “The new recommendations can protect the health of an entire generation of Americans and save thousands of lives.”

Everyone is Now Considered at Risk 

CDC’s previous recommendations called for testing only individuals with certain known risk factors for the hepatitis C infection. Risk-based screening will continue to be important, but is not sufficient alone. More than two million U.S. baby boomers are infected with hepatitis C, accounting for more than 75 percent of all American adults living with the virus. Studies show that many baby boomers were infected with the virus decades ago, do not perceive themselves to be at risk, and have never been screened.

More than 15,000 Die Each Year 

More than 15,000 Americans, most of them baby boomers, die each year from hepatitis C-related illness, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, and deaths have been increasing steadily for over a decade and are projected to grow significantly in coming years.

CDC estimates one-time hepatitis C could identify more than 800,000 additional people with hepatitis C. And with newly available therapies that can cure up to 75 percent of infections, expanded testing—including links to appropriate care and treatment—would prevent the costly consequences of liver cancer and other chronic liver diseases and save more than 120,000 lives.

For more information, contact Sue Danielson, health services, at ext. 3806 or visit www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/GuidelinesC.htm.

Recognized for Service

 
Apryl Denny (20 years) and Vickie Schaefer, Amy Gleason, Marlene Fisher, Deb Daehn-Zellmer, Drew Crawford and Ward Jones (15 years) were some of the employees recognized for their years of service to Viterbo during the university forum Aug. 21.

Welcome Back Bash Thursday

The Viterbo community is invited to attend the second annual Welcome Back Bash Thursday, Aug. 30 from 2–4 p.m. in the Mathy Center.

More than 70 area businesses, non-profit organizations, campus departments, and Viterbo clubs and organizations will participate. The event will include free food, coupons, discounts, and door prizes.

If you have any questions, contact Dodie Marriott at ext. 3060 or ddmarriott@viterbo.edu.

Welcome New Employees

Parking Policies Now in Effect

Viterbo parking policies go into effect today. Some leniency will be given the first week of school in commuter/employee lots A, C, G, H, I, J and M as everyone re-acquaints themselves with the parking locations and policies.

Resident parking lots D, F, L, N, O and P will be monitored beginning this evening. The policies will be strictly enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A designated motorcycle and scooter parking only area is located on the south side of Viterbo Drive across from the FSPA apartments. Parking is permitted between the signs without a permit.

Vehicle parking is not allowed on the FSPA side of Franciscan Way from         7 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday or anytime in front of the FSPA apartments on the north side of Viterbo Drive without the proper FSPA permit.

Additional parking policy information is available at www.viterbo.edu/visit.aspx?id=2678.

Contact Dennis Kolb at ext. 3923 with any questions or comments.
 

Bill Reese to Present Program at FSC

Bill Reese, religious studies and philosophy, will present the four-part ecumenical program, “Unity and Diversity in the Family of God” at the Franciscan Spirituality Center beginning Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The program will examine what unites and separates Christians today. The series will be held from 7–8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings through Oct. 2. Cost is $35 for all four sessions or $10 per session.

For more information, including the titles of each presentation, or to register, visit www.FSCenter.org.