Publications

Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo College Community
Vol 12 No. 27
March 15, 1999

Connect news
The Connect Program will be sponsoring Alcohol Awareness Week during the final week of April. The goal of the week is to enhance awareness of alcohol issues affecting college students and promote low-risk choices. Because campus involvement is crucial to achieving this goal, Connect members will be encouraging other social and academic groups on campus to become involved and coordinate an awareness activity for the Viterbo community. Activities may involve providing an alternative recreational activity, displaying informational posters or brochures, coordinating an educational or service activity, or hosting a speaker to address a related topic.
Groups may develop their own activities or call the campus alcohol and other drug prevention worker for a listing of ideas. Sample projects:

• Sponsor a move night, incorporating a related film and follow-up  discussion.
• Coordinate student music or theater activities in the courtyard, offering a keg of root beer for attendees.
• Stage a mock trial for a drink/drive or sexual assault involving alcohol.
• Develop an informational handout and distribute to campus community.
• Coordinate a sports event for students, such as midnight volleyball or a "take a shot" basketball free-throw contest.
• Develop and conduct a survey to gather data related to alcohol issues.
• Sponsor a "get trashed" clean-up event where student volunteers clean up a local park or designated area.
• Organize a wall space where students and staff can write and post anonymous comments related to alcohol and other drug losses, problems, and tragedies that have affected them in some way.

Students and staff groups may call Anne Ellefson, x3807, for additional ideas or to let her know projects they would be interested in coordinating. Students will be contacting a number of groups to encourage participation. Issues related to alcohol and drugs affect us all; such issues are also relevant to a number of major fields of student study, as well as future work issues. There’s room for (and need for) everyone in Alcohol Awareness Week. Take a moment to consider how your group or department can work to enhance awareness efforts; it matters.
 

Memos only
From: Jack Havertape
To: College community
Re: Class schedule
On Tues., Mar 16, classes will be adjusted. The 12:10 classes will finish at 12:45 p.m. and the 1:10 classes will begin at 1:30 p.m. This will be a recognition celebration for the basketball team. It will be held in the SAC. Coach Todd Eisner and his team will be recognized for their achievement in going to the NIAA Basketball Championship in Idaho.

Bits and pieces
Casual Dress Fri. Mar. 19 Food Pantry Day, support purchases items for the Viterbo College food pantry located in the FAC. Please pay your $1 at MC Reception Desk if you are participating in Casual Dress Day.

Social Committee upcoming events: St. Patrick’s Day Party from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fri., Mar. 19, at the Recovery Room.

Viterbo Employee Night at the Rivoli. Watch for details!
Lost and found: MC Reception Desk.

24 hour security: call x3911.

Employee Assistance Center (EAC) is for all Viterbo employees and their families. Contact Franciscan-Skemp (608) 791-9530, (800) 493-3960.

Class cancellations: Teacher class cancellation line: 796-3080 or 796-3190. Students call for class cancellations: 796-3200.
 

Arts & Entertainment
College Gallery, third floor Fine Arts Center. Viterbo College Graphic Design Senior show will open today, Mon., Mar. 15 and show through Wed., Mar. 31. Everyone is invited to the opening on Wed. Mar. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. For more  information contact Ed Rushton, x3752.

As part of the "Senior Showcase Series" the classic American play, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on March 25-28 in the La Croix Black Box Theatre.

Directed by Jake Dunham, this Pulitzer Prize winner is considered to be one of the most deeply human, spiritually engaging, and universal theatrical expressions of life in small-town America. The play uses humor, pathos, and metaphoric staging to reveal centuries of social history in small town America.

Tickets are $4 and may be purchased at the Box Office, x3100.

Porgy and Bess will make its Bright Star Season and La Crosse debut at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 in the FAC Main Theatre.
For ticket information call the Box Office, x3100.
 

Women’s clothing drive
Support the efforts of the Sociology/Social Work Club in collecting work-appropriate clothing for The Women’s Clothes Closet: for women coming off of welfare and entering the work force.
Donations may be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., March 22-26 in the Murphy Center Lobby. Racks and a table will be set up.

The women’s clothing should be appropriate for work, spring and summer-weight (No fall or winter clothes, please), uniforms, purses, shoes, scarves and jewelry; clean, wearable, and preferably on hangers.

• Donations of hangers also needed.
• All sizes needed—small through XXL.

You are invited…
The Viterbo College Community is invited to attend the Teacher Education Admission Ceremony honoring students admitted to the Teacher Education Program and to student teaching for fall 1999 at 3:10 p.m. on Thurs., Mar. 18 in the FAC Lobby. Refreshments will be served.
 

Flexible Spending Plan-Section 125
Benefits Design Group meeting Representative Sue Sieger will be on campus Tues. and Wed., Mar. 23 and Mar. 24. All new employees hired after May 1, 1998 must meet with Sue for an explanation of the Section 125 plan.

An appointment sheet is located by the MC mailboxes. Please sign up for an appointment.
 

Kiwanis Radio Day, Thur. April 1
Your donation to the La Crosse Kiwanis Foundation will entitle your business free advertising on WKTY Radio on Kiwanis Radio Day, between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Thurs., April 1.
La Crosse Kiwanis Club and WKTY Radio are working together to raise money for youth programs in our community including Viterbo Circle K.

Make checks payable to La Crosse Kiwanis Foundation and are due no later than noon on Tues., March 30.

For more information contact Pat Kerrigan, x3041.

Campus Ministry News
by Father Tom O’Neill
 
Place of Grace Dinner: Campus Ministry and the College Church will host the evening meal on Thurs., Mar. 18. People are needed to serve the meal, do dishes, make dessert bars. There are sign-up sheets at the College Church entrance. All are invited to help in the Lenten project.

Lent 1999: Operation Rice Bowl: sponsored by Catholic Relief Services to help the less fortunate. Operation Rice Bowl helps us during Lent to Pray, Fast, Learn and Give in solidarity with those in need. Contribution containers are available at the Church entrance.
 
Soup and bread lunch, sponsored by Social Justice Group, will be held each Wed. in the Cafeteria. Free will offerings will go to Operation Rice Bowl.
 
Wednesdays in Lent: Interdenominational (ecumenical) Evening Vespers each Wed. night at 5:30 p.m. in the College Church with Pastor Reese; 10 p.m. Lenten Taize Prayer in the College Church.
 

Second annual joint dinner auction
A dinner auction to benefit the American Red Cross and Coulee Council on Alcohol and Other Chemical Abuse will be held on Mar. 20 at the Radisson Hotel Ballroom.

Interested parties can secure tickets by mailing a check or taking a check or cash for $40 per ticket to the offices of the Coulee Council on Alcohol and Other Chemical Abuse, 921 West Ave. South, La Crosse, WI  54601.
 

RAs selected for 1999-00 academic year
The Residence Life Center would like to extend a huge thank you to all of you who helped with RA Selection nominations, recommendations and the interview process. With 30 final qualified candidates for only 10 available openings, we had a very difficult time electing only 10 outstanding candidates. I think this is a credit to the quality of student leaders we have on our campus.

A special thank you to the RA Selection Committee Members for their hard work throughout the entire process—Vanessa Lipke, Jason King, Melissa Geertsma, Lynda Palen, Sarah Rahn, and Hillary Laurent.

We are proud to announce the 1999-2000 Resident Assistant Staff: Christopher Cook, Nikkole Koening*, Sabrina Kent, Juan Jimenez*, Adam Schroeder*, Theresa Hoeger, LeeAnn Bock*, Hillary Laurent, Ritika Patel*, Karen LaMotte*, Peggy Knetter*,   Shelia McDonnel*, Scott Hendricks, Chad Rohloff, Michelle Decker* (*denotes new RAs) and Senior Resident Assistant (SRA): Jess Luebker.
  —Brent Brigson, Kim Piasecki, Jason Ramaker

Open-mike jam sessions
Wissing and King will be performing and offering open-mike jam sessions for student and staff performers from 8 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, Mar. 18, 25 and April 15, in the Student Union. Viterbo students and staff are invited to perform their own music, share poetry or other dramatize readings, or stop by and listen during the evening.

Wissing and King perform acoustic guitar, folk and pop music; they have recorded a couple of CDs and been featured at a number of regional festivals. Both musicians are La  Crosse residents; Jenny King is a Viterbo graduate. The Wissing and King performances are sponsored by the Student Activities Board. The Connect Program Coffeehouse will be offering beverages during the event.

In addition to offering the audience some good music, the duo will coordinate the recording of a CD featuring campus performers. The initial Thursday session will offer campus performers a chance to become familiar with material, equipment, and performance needs. Recording is planned for the final session on April 15. Performers are asked to attend one of the initial sessions to rehearse and to register for the CD recording; plans are to record approximately 10 performances. A free CD of those performances will be available for each individual or group performance.

Plan to stop by the Union on Thursdays to create some music, enjoy the showcase of local talent, or rehearse for your first recording.
 

Senior Salute 1999 reminder
Graduating Seniors: Take care of all your graduation needs from 3 to 6 p.m, Thurs., Mar. 18, in the SAC!

For more information, call the Alumni Office, x3072.

Sponsored by the Graduation Committee.
 

Finding God in the workplace
Is it possible for your work to be holy? How do you live out your values in the workplace? Do you struggle with the relevance of your faith to your work?

Explore these and other questions in a group discussion series facilitated by Tom Thibodeau of Viterbo and Rick Erickson of FSH Pastoral Care from 7 to 8 a.m. on three consecutive Wednesdays, March 17, 24 and 31 in the St. Francis Chapel on the second floor of the the Medical Center.

The discussions are open to staff at no cost. Make reservations by calling Pastoral Care, 782-9760, x2218.
 

News you’ll notice
Roland "Buzz" Nelson, Director of Admission
What do they say
What do they hear

The staff in the Admission Office has been talking almost non-stop since 1993. That’s when we started to direct market (largely by telephone) to the contiguous four-state area.

I calculate that on average we have begun each year since 1993 with 144,500 new names and addresses of prospective students. So, if you multiply seven years times 144,500 you come up with over one million (1,011,500) households contacted by Viterbo College.

Certainly one of the most commonly asked questions of me by Viterbo colleagues is, "What do you talk about?"

The other day I asked the obverse question of the Admission staff, "What do you hear most often when you call?"

Veteran caller Joe Fisher replied first: "Like the others, I suppose the most common thing I hear is ‘What’s the name of that college?’ My reply is, of course, ‘V-as in Victor-i-t-e-r-b-o.’"

According to Joe the funniest thing he was ever asked came an interrogative from a young man in northern Wisconsin who said, "Is the Director still a man named Nelson?" To which Joe readily replied, "Yes." At which time the young man retorted, "You know, he once dated my mother."
Joe claims that he was caught speechless (for the first time ever), since he wasn’t certain how that ancient relationship had ended, and the young prospective student was carrying a high ACT and would be nice fit here.

Admission newcomer Paul Roelke chimed in: "Speaking of prospects with high ACT scores, I once called a rural Wisconsin home in search of a high-scored lad and a cow answered the phone!"

When Paul was asked how it is that cows have learned to use phones, he elaborated, "The cow didn’t really answer the phone, a man in a barn with 50 cows in the background answered the phone."

Buzz calls prospects too: When a parent or student gets too difficult to deal with, I tell each staffer to end the conversation by saying, "Could I have my boss call you sometime and         explain?"

Those "call backs" are fun! I called a father once who had earlier insisted with near belligerence that, given his income, his daughter could not afford a private college. My job was to convince him otherwise. During that conversation I heard a "beep" and the dad noted that he had another incoming call and wanted to take it. I stayed on the line. When the father came back on the line he explained, "Oh, just one of those (expletive deleted) telemarketers."

Alisa Rapp also shares a story: "As Joe mentioned, Viterbo is not yet household terminology, so when you introduce the college name, you have to spell it. I remember once a call in which I did not spell the name and apparently my pronunciation sounded like the work ‘terrible.’ The mother replied, ‘I’m sorry to hear that you work at a terrible college; so why are you calling me?’"

Cindy Kothbauer talks too: "I explain that we have a fine arts program (not culinary), as well as 36 other programs of study. I think, from what I hear, that Viterbo is locally known for the fine arts and regionally known for nursing. If you’re calling within a 50 mile radius you’ll hear student and parents say, ‘Oh, you’re the school with all those plays and things.’
"If you are calling anywhere in Wisconsin or eastern Minnesota you will learn that a registered nurse works in the local hospital and probably attended to someone in the household."

In fact we are becoming more of a household word.

Each year more students write down the name of Viterbo College on their ACT and SAT application forms, meaning that there is a visible market that know who we are and what we do.