Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo College Community Vol. 12 No 35 May 10, 1999
1999 ‘Teacher of the Year’ named
Dr. Kim T. Fredricks, described by fellow instructors and students as an exemplary teacher, mentor, and role model, was named the Viterbo College 1999 Teacher of the Year at the annual Honors Convocation.
Fredricks, assistant professor of biology, has been at Viterbo since 1996. She received a B.A. in biology from Coe College in 1984, a M.S. in biology from UW-La Crosse in 1988 and a Ph.D. in physiology in 1992 from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Prior to her work at Viterbo, Fredricks was in research physiology for the U.S. Department of Interior from 1992-96.
"Kim Fredricks has the highest respect for students and they find her approachable, affirming, and always helpful," said Dr. Mary Hassinger, dean of the School of Letters and Sciences. "She is a positive role model and mentor for our students, and an asset to Viterbo College on a wide range of levels."
"Dr. Fredricks treats students as people who are very important and have the potential to use all of the information exposed to them to achieve greatness," said Angelica Wendt, a sophomore who is enrolled in a biochemistry course taught by Fredricks.
Other individuals honored with Viterbo’s highest awards:
Dr. Ron Amel, chemistry, received the J. Thomas Finucan Award, for exceptional contributions to furthering the mission of Viterbo College;
Marv Friedewald, business, received the Sister Helen Elsbernd Award for significant contributions and excellence in more than one area of college service;
Lisa Schoenfielder, art, received the Outstanding Academic Advisor Award, conferred for the first time to a faculty member dedicated and committed to the academic advising of students;
Outstanding Leadership Award recipients:
• Wayne Wojciechowski, the assistant academic vice president;
• Earl Madary, assistant professor of religious studies
• Beth Vacek, a senior student from Holmen;
• Michelle Wolfram, a senior student from Tacoma, Wash.;
• Renee Heuss, a senior student from Antigo;
• Sam Hinton, a senior student from Holmen.
The following were honored with awards for Outstanding Service:
• Terry Norman, director of Financial Aid;
• Dana Pukrop, a senior student from Rosholt;
• Derek Jackson, a senior student from La Crosse;
• Amy Rorvick, a senior student from Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Spring Commencement
The spring commencement ceremony is at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 16, at the La Crosse Center.
The Senior Address will be given by Derek Jackson, class of 1999; musical selection, "For the Beauty of the Earth" by the Ninth Street Singers.
A reception will follow.
The Baccalaureate Mass will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sat. May 15 at the Maria Angelorum Chapel.
Bits and pieces
If you returned your reservation by last Friday, May 7, come to the SAC between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tues., May 11 for Subway Subs, chips, soda and dessert. Please come early. See you there!
Retirement get together for Tim Crane from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thurs., May 13 in the MC Conference Room. Tim has been at Viterbo for 35 years!
Casual Dress Friday, May 14, Employee Day. Please pay your $1 at MC Reception Desk if you are participating in Casual Dress Day.
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.
From the Copy Center
During your end of the semester clean-up, please route any in-house envelopes to the copy center for future circulation. Thank you!
Viterbo people
Melissa Geertsma, Jodi Schulz, Alison Stugelmayer, Heidi Paalman, Joni Capouch, Kim Trulson, Karrie Steinhart, Kelly Casey, Missy Hoague, Christi Graber, Jamie Germanson, Joy Oellerich, Karn Ofte, Jamie Barrett, and Nini Borrelli, education majors, completed a year-long project of Family Reading Nights at Jefferson School directed by Education professor, Phyllis Blackstone and Jefferson principal, Dr. Harvey Witzenburg. The seven evening events provided opportunities for parents and students to engage in literature-based activities promoting selections of quality children’s literature.
Carol Klitzke, nutrition and dietetics, will be attending the National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) Research Agenda Conference, in Biloxi, Mississippi, June 4-6. The invitational conference will bring together Child Nutrition Program (CNP) professionals and leaders with the objective of identifying areas for research on CNP operational issues and to establish an applied research agenda for the next three-to-five years.
Pam Maykut, psychology, together with students Lisa Buley, Katie Downs, Tammi Greenshields, and Donna Smith gave a presentation at the University of Wisconsin/ WAICU conference, Teaching for Learning: From Theory to Practice, on April 9. The title of their presentation was Using Theories of Learning and Development to Help Students Become Reflective Learners.
Two seniors in psychology presented research papers at the Undergraduate Research in Psychology Conference at UW-Stevens Point on May 15. Ben Ekelund examined young adults coping strategies prior to the loss of a terminally ill loved one. Jessica Kuehn studied bereavement and coping among adults who, during childhood, had lost a parent.
Joy Ollerich, Christie Graber, Missy Hoague, Bobbi Jo Wachter, Krista Hamus and Karrie Steinhart, education majors, recently represented the Viterbo College Education Club at the State Representative Assembly of the Student Wisconsin Education Association. This association is made up of 2000 college and university students with 24 chapters on public and private campuses. They participated with 90 volunteers in painting, decorating, organizing and cleaning schools in the Norwalk-Ontario School District.
Sash Bobrov, Peter Falk, Chad Hrdina, Angela Mahairas, Aaron Tyznik, biology majors, and Linda Malick, biology, were judges at the Gundersen Medical Foundation Science Expo for middle schools and senior high schools in the La Crosse area on April 28.
Bonnie Nesbitt, nursing, has been selected as one of 15 Hartford Institute Geriatric Nursing Research Scholars for Summer 1999. She will participate in an intense research seminar at New York University. She has received a Faculty Development Grant to support this effort.
Vicki Moss, nursing, has been selected by the Minnesota Department of Public Health as one of 45 experts to examine best practice interventions used by Public Health Nurses. This task force will critique published research on 17 interventions identified as pertinent for public health nursing practice. This information will be used to develop a training manual for professional nurses.
Jessica Nita Kuehn has been accepted into the University of York in England. She is taking courses to obtain her MA in Women’s Studies.
Kudos to…
Congratulations to Marla Stello, ADVANCE Program student, who recently had an article published in The Trane Company employee newsletter about her research project. Marla's project was designed to standardize the computer usage by The Trane Company's Graduate Training Program. By moving to the standardization procedures she was able to document a savings in staff time by 81.2 percent and reduction of problems for the support/technical staff from 72.3 percent to 49.2 percent.
Anyone interested in learning more about Marla's project please contact the ADVANCE Program Office.
Have news about your department or students’ accomplishments? Share your achievements with the campus community by sending us a note via "Connections."
For 1999-00 academic year:
Lumen, founded in 1954 by Sister Celestine Cepress, staff: Carney Lentz, Editor; Susan Fisher, Assistant Editor; Nicoleen Rhoomes, Business Manager
Touchstone, founded in 1949 by Sister Celestine Cepress, staff: James Hobbs, Art Editor; Tony Pecus, Graphic Design; Adam Schroeder, Writing Editor; Jenny Premo, Assistant Writing Editor.
Student Activities Board (SAB) announces members and officers:
• President Karen La Motte,
• Vice-President: Angela Gundacker,
• Secretary: Lori Smetana;
• Reps: Michelle Ecklor, Sarah Holley, Angela Holty, Paul Klitzke, Maria Langer, Matt Ida, Chris Cook, Nikki Koenig.
Campus Ministry News
by Father Tom O’Neill
Dates to note for May:
11 Tues?no noon Mass
13 Thurs?Ascension Thursday, Holy Day, Mass at noon, College Church
15 Sat?Baccalaureate Mass, 5:30 p.m. St. Rose Convent, Maria Angelorum Chapel
16 Sun?no 11 a.m. Mass at the College Church (graduation at 10 a.m.)
24 Mon?no noon Mass
Mass schedule will remain the same in the summer: weekdays (Mon ? Fri) at 12 noon and Sunday at 11 a.m.
Rest In Peace: Please remember the grandfathers of Tami Stillwell and Sarah Bratz who died recently. May they rest in peace.
The Diocese of La Crosse Office of Youth Ministry is offering two summer service opportunities: Appalachia July 2?9 and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation July 10?16. These are designed for students who have completed their junior or senior year of high school. Contact Fr. Tom for further information.
WAFER food for the month of May is spaghetti sauce and spaghetti and food pantry note: A gift of $20 will help purchase a bag of groceries for the Viterbo Food Pantry.
Check out our Web pages for announcements and calendar information @ www.viterbo.edu.
V-Hawk sports update
by Jerry Smith
Eisner’s resignation ignites campus debate
If you don’t read the newspaper, watch television or listen to the radio, I have a news flash for you…Viterbo Men’s Basketball Coach Todd Eisner resigned last week to pursue a sales job in Alabama.
There! We’re all up to date on the latest sports news at Viterbo College.
It doesn’t end there, however. Eisner’s resignation, and particularly his reasons for doing so, has led to a number of debates on campus, and I would like to address the one that seems to be at the forefront—athletic scholarships. Here’s how I see it…
o I respect Todd Eisner for leaving a career he has devoted much of his life to, solely on principle. What I mean by that is Eisner didn’t think the basketball program at Viterbo could stay at the level it is now, or even possibly go to the next level, without certain changes, so he decided it was time to move on.
• I also respect Todd Eisner for fighting for the program he has helped bring to its current level of competitiveness by publicly saying that athletics at Viterbo need more financial help from the college. On the surface, it is true that athletic scholarships at Viterbo aren’t equal to those of other colleges of this size, and certainly not even close to schools in our conference like St. Ambrose University or Grand View College or Mount St. Clare College. But with that statement, one has to ask if the total financial aid package offered to student-athletes is equal or close to that being offered student-athletes at these other institutions.
Viterbo President Bill Medland and others in the administration seem to think so, and I respect them for standing by what they believe is best for the college and not just athletics in terms of what help is offered.
• I also respect Dr. Medland for his willingness to talk to Eisner and others in the athletic department about the reasons why more scholarship money isn’t available to help bring more quality student-athletes to Viterbo. Communication by both sides is the only way to resolve any debate, and I think the main players on both side of the street are willing to talk.
While I think both Todd Eisner and Dr. Medland have good points, I think it is time to look into this situation more closely and back up all the talk with numbers. Then, both sides can sit down and have a meaningful and productive discussion.
I agree with Todd Eisner, and I’m sure you would hear no arguments from Dr. Medland, that athletics at Viterbo could benefit from more scholarship money. That’s not the argument. What is at stake here is a fairness issue. It’s an age-old question: Do we take away from Peter to feed Paul?
Hopefully, we will have that answer in the near future.
La Crosse Area Day with Milwaukee Brewers
The United Coulee Region is sponsoring La Crosse Area Day with the Milwaukee Brewers, on Wed., June 16. Watch the Brewers take on the Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee County Stadium. For only $25 per person, you get bus transportation to and from the game, a tailgate party with Brewer players in attendance, and lower grandstand game tickets! The buses will depart from several area locations at 7 a.m. Game time is 1 p.m. Get your tickets early and spend a day enjoying America’s favorite pastime with your family. For more information, contact Jim Geissner, 789-7595.
Graduate commencement date set
Commencement activities for graduate students receiving their Master of Arts in Education Degree are set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 16, in the La Crosse Center main auditorium. The Viterbo College community is cordially invited to attend this event. Diplomas will be presented to 310 gradutes from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan.
8th annual ‘S. Dr. (Dean) Jean golf outing’
Four-person Team Best Ball at the Valley High Country Club Hokah, Minn., tee off at 4 p.m on Tues., May 18, with dinner: $19.95; Steak, grilled chicken breast or vegetarian entrée with baked potato and salad bar.
Club rental & Cart rental available at the course for an additional fee:mplease arrange on your own.
For more information contact S. Jean Moore, x3801.
New or improved on the Viterbo web page
The student section of Viterbo’s website has been overhauled and improved.
The same useful information is included in the site, but in a more attractive and organized format.
General information; Clubs, Organizations, and Publications; the Student Activity Center; and the Student Union information have been added or updated. The page also contains links to Campus Ministry, Student E-mail, Student Government, Career Services, Counseling Services, Food Service, Residence Life and Housing, and the Connect Program.
The Viterbo Alumni main page has also been updated with a new look.
Be sure to check out our Viterbo College home page for information on events and activities coming up in our community. If you are interested in having your event in the "news" spot on our home page, contact Pat Kerrigan, x3041. If you or your department have an interest in creating a new web page or updating the page you have, contact Loretta in the PR office, x3040.
Polly Steffes awarded Liberace Scholarship for second consecutive year
Pauline (Polly) Steffes has been awarded the Liberace Scholarship, one of the most coveted fine arts scholarships in the country, for the second consecutive year. Only 37 colleges and universities in the U.S. received funds from the Liberace Foundation this year. According to the Foundation staff, this was the most competitive field in the 20 years of their granting process.
Polly was nominated for the $3,000 award by the music faculty who noted her academic excellence and her commitment to pursuing a career in the arts. She is majoring in vocal and flute studies and pedagogy at Viterbo College and will graduate in December. Miss Oktoberfest in 1997, Polly is now teaching part-time in the Preparatory School of the Arts which meshes well with her goal to bring the arts to youth.
New books in the library
American Feminist Playwrights: a critical history by Sally Burke (PDS 338.F45 B 87 1997) is an overview of U.S. drama by women from 1636 to the present, including 19th-century suffrage plays of the early women's movement, social protest dramas of the '20s and '30s, plays advocating equal rights from the late 1960s and early '70s, and contemporary drama with intentional feminist content.
• Handbook on Women and Aging by Jean Coyle, ed. (HQ1059.5 U5 H36 1997), an eclectic collection of information on women's issues, contends that older women suffer from ageism, sexism and racism (for minorities).
• Feminist Ideal by Marianne Thesander (HQ1216 .T447 1998) examines how women in the western world of the last 200 years alter their bodies to appeal to the prevailing cultural norm. Lots of photos. Topics: corsets, Barbie dolls, scarification and foot-binding.
• Proclaim Jubilee! A Spirituality for the twenty-first century by Maria Harris (BV 4501.2 .H37 1996) describes the Jubilee tradition including care for the stranger, fallow land, forgiveness, freedom, justice and jubilation, and how it forms a spirituality. It can also be a source of reflection on both ancient and contemporary biblical sources.
• Life by the numbers by Keith Devlin (QA 93 .D48 1998) Learn the power and beauty of mathematics in health, art, athletics and science. Using beautiful illustrations, Devlin presents real-world problems and shows how mathematics is used to solve them.
Quote
The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder.
—Ralph W. Sockman, Now to Live!