Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo University Community
Vol. 14 No. 24 February 26, 2001
"All for One and One for All!" Sciences at Viterbo Restructured by Mary Hassinger, School of Letters and Sciences
The new Center for Ethics, Science, and Technology, coupled with changes in science curricula, pedagogy, and teaching facilities throughout the last decade, have prompted Viterbo University to restructure the sciences into a single division.
Effective August 2001, Chemistry Professor Michael Collins will serve as chair for the Viterbo University science department, which will be comprised of biology, chemistry, and physics. Kim Fredricks, current chair of the biology department, will serve as program coordinator for biology.
"A merging of separate departments into a single division structure is the best way to facilitate the vision of a coherent, thoughtful science program with common goals related to science teaching, research, and learning," said Mary Hassinger, dean of the School of Letters and Sciences.
Collins has been a member of the chemistry department at Viterbo since 1976. During his tenure, he has been active in research, publication, grant writing, and professional organizations. His leadership positions have included chairing the chemistry department for eight years and, more recently, chairing the National Chemistry Association’s Academic Program Committee for Viterbo’s 1998 self-study.
"Biology and chemistry students of the 21st century will increasingly benefit from experiencing a common core of science content, communication, and technical training, and ethics. Thus, it is important for science faculty to work together as planning takes place for the new building and new programming is developed," said Hassinger.
Volunteer Fair a Hit by Sue Ernster, FSPA, Campus Ministry
More than 60 students attended the first Volunteer Fair at Viterbo last Wednesday. The event was a success and the agencies appreciated being invited to campus and having the opportunity to meet our students. Special thanks to everyone for supporting this worthwhile event. We could not have done it without all of you and your support. Hats off to all of you!
FSPA National Day of Contemplation by Cristeen Custer, FSPA Communications
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration invite the public to join them in a national day of contemplation and fasting for the healing of broken relationships in the church and the world. Mary of the Angels Chapel will be open to the public on Friday, March 2 for a 7:30 a.m. liturgy and private contemplative prayer from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. An hour of planned prayer will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Please use the Winnebago Street entrance. Everyone is welcome.
RSB Gains Honors at State Conference by Jason Ramaker, Residence Life
The Wisconsin United Residence Hall Association (WURHA) statewide conference was held on Feb. 16-18 at Carthage College in Kenosha. Seven members of the Resident Student Board (RSB) attended including Duane Larson, Jamie Adler, Jason Bielke, Mark Conroy, Jay Schwabe, Kristina Leese, Megan Glann and advisor Jason Ramaker. For the second year in a row, Viterbo RSB won the "Best Small School Display." Also,congratulations to Duane Larson for being awarded a two-year (WURHA) Service Pin. Joe Pickar, Viterbo graduating class of 2001 (former RSB president and four-year RSB member) and Jason Ramaker, advisor, were nominated and awarded the "WURHA Alumni and Friends Lifetime Membership" for their service to Viterbo's Residence Hall Association.
Your Car Doesn't Like the Cold, Either
Leave the driving to the MTU bus driver. A monthly, unlimited-use bus pass is available for Viterbo employees for just $8. Purchase your March bus pass by bringing your payment to Rita in MC 228 no later than noon on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Passes will be delivered to employees via campus mail.
Mardi Gras Food Fest
Join your colleagues for fellowship, food, and fun on Fat Tuesday (tomorrow, that is!), Feb. 27 from 3-4 p.m. in the FAC Hospitality Suite. Enjoy hot and cool jazz performed by Nancy Allen and Tim Schorr. Contact Barb Schroeder, ext. 3190, in the Learning Center to indicate if you’d like to participate and what you’d like to bring. Beverages will be provided. Goodies may be delivered to the admission office prior to the event.
Seventh Day Talks
Mark your calendar for the next Seventh Day discussion on Wednesday, March 14, from noon-1 p.m. in MC 419C, when Ward Jones, biology, will discuss "Genetic Engineering: The Possibilities, the Implications."
Which Fork is Which?
Ever wonder which fork is for which dinner course? Which foods are best avoided when you dine with your interviewer? Answer these questions and more when you attend the "Etiquette Dinner for Job Seekers" sponsored by Viterbo Career Planning and Placement on Sunday, March 18 from 6-9 p.m. in the FAC Hospitality Suite. The cost is $10 for the workshop and meal, and reservations are due by this Friday, March 2 at Career Planning and Placement, MC 312.
Nominate a Colleague
Don’t forget to nominate a co-worker for an award to be bestowed during Honors Convocation, May 3.
Even if you nominated someone for an award last year and that person didn’t receive it, nominate them again. Only one person is chosen for each award except for the Servant Leader award, which up to five people may receive. Nomination forms and award descriptions are on the Viterbo web site under “academics,” subcategory “awards.” Nominations only take a moment. Forms can also be picked up in the Office of the President (Sr. Elsbernd, Fr. Finucan, Pax et Bonum, and Servant Leader awards) and the Academic Vice President (Teacher of the Year, Alec Chiu, and Outstanding Advisor awards). Deadline for submissions is Friday, March 16. Assembly presidents will select the recipients on April 12.
Shamrocks Against Dystrophy
Whether you’re Irish or not, you’re sure to want to buy a shamrock this year in support of area children with muscular dystrophy.
The Resident Assistants are having a shamrock competition to see who can spread the most green and gold about campus and, at the same time, raise money to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Currently, the MDA serves more than 30 families in La Crosse County.
Green shamrocks are available for $1 and gold shamrocks for a $5 donation. Shamrocks are available from any Viterbo RA. When purchasing a shamrock, be sure to leave your name, department, and extension number with the seller to register to win one of two free Shamrocks Against Dystrophy t-shirts. The floor that sells the most shamrocks receives a pizza party.
Shamrocks Against Dystrophy is an annual fundraiser for the MDA and is organized locally by the La Crosse Jaycees. For more information, contact Beth O’Erickson at ext. 3042 or email bmerickson.
From the Library
Information: The Todd Wehr Memorial Library has access to more than 70 commercial databases, many of which provide full text articles, which increase its access to about 3,000 periodicals. In addition, approximately 2,000 electronic books, both fiction and nonfiction, can be read?some of which date to early classical periods. All of these sources are available on computer connected to the Internet.
Need Assistance? Ask one of the many staff members at the library:
Lisa Autio: changes material call numbers and home shelves.
Jayne Baldwin: assists in evening at circulation desk with book check out and return, interlibrary loans, and work study supervision.
Jim Braxiel: orders the books, videos, CDs and other materials which people request and manages the financial aspects of ordering.
John Hempstead: director, reference librarian.
Jonathan Hinck: reference librarian; orders, receives, and arranges 800+ periodicals requested by faculty.
Christie Hintz: assists at circulation desk with book check out and returns and interlibrary loans.
Sr. Jeanine Luger: assigns call numbers for elementary and high school texts.
Rita Magno: reference librarian; catalogs newly arrived and gift books and governs system which holds the collection.
Sr. Frances Clare Mezera: has served the library for 40+ years and performed all functions during that time but now manages the archives.
Sue Spiker: assists in evening at circulation desk with book check out and return, interlibrary loans, and work study supervision.
Nancy Steinhoff: coordinator of reference services; explains library databases and reference collections to class tour groups.
David Wambold: reference librarian: assists at circulation desk with book check out and return and interlibrary loans.
Chris Lee Memorial Golf Open
The Christopher Michael Lee Scholarship helps continue the memory of this Viterbo alumnus and record-setting student athlete by providing eligible Viterbo baseball players with tuition assistance.
The Chris Lee Memorial Golf Open, which helps fund the scholarship, will be May 4 at the Forest Hills Golf Course. The cost is $100 for golf and dinner, which includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, a steak dinner with cash bar, and drawings with prizes. Raffle tickets cost $50 each with a chance to win a grand prize of $45,000 towards the purchase of a Corvette, Tahoe, or Suburban. Registration deadline is Friday, April 27. To register for the Chris Lee Memorial Golf Open, pick up one of the many flyers available around campus.
Chris graduated from Viterbo in 1999. On Oct. 23 of that year, he died from injuries suffered in a car accident. For more information on the Golf Open, call Chris Sanger at ext. 3070 or Gary, Gwen, or Derek Lee at (952) 890-9150.
News You'll Notice by Richard Kyte, D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership
Ethics Across the Curriculum
One of the suggestions that issued from the Ethics Across the Curriculum discussion group that met during the fall semester was that the D.B. Reinhart Institute should lead a series of discussions on a book that all of us in the Viterbo community could read together during the summer and then use as a basis for conversations about ethics over the next academic year.
The idea is to give us a way of developing a shared understanding of what we value as an institution and how we communicate those values to one another and to our students. We need to select a book that is interdisciplinary in its language and message, provides material for fruitful discussions, and helps us to become better teachers, citizens, and leaders.
At the moment, two possibilities come to mind:
• Robert Coles, Lives of Moral Leadership (Random House, 2000): In this book, Coles writes about role models such as Robert Kennedy, Dorothy Day, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Gandhi, and Erik Erikson and also fictional characters in Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Dickens in order to become more perceptive of moral qualities in the people with whom we interact on a daily basis.
• Jean Bethke Elshtain, Who Are We? Critical Reflections and Hopeful Possibilities (Eerdmans, 2000): Elshtain examines the Christian conception of the person in a book that responds with hope to many of the difficulties facing American society. Elshtain is particularly skilled at finding expressions of courage and truth-seeking in the messages of music, films, and events that constitute much of the contemporary youth culture.
If you would be interested in reading and discussing one of these books, or if you know of other books that you would like to suggest, please let me know. I can be reached at rlkyte or ext. 3704. Later this semester I’ll make an announcement about which book we’ll be reading and how to get a copy.
Campus Ministry by Fr. Tom O'Neill
• Lent Countdown. Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 28, (classes end at 11:40 a.m. and resume at 12:25 p.m.) with distribution of ashes during Mass at 11:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. in San Damiano Church.
• Other Ash Wednesday services: St. Rose Convent 7: 30 a.m.; Franciscan Skemp Hospital Chapel 3:15 p.m.; Our Savior’s Lutheran, 612 Division Street 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 420 West Ave.11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Wesley United Methodist, 721 King 6:45 p.m.; St. John’s UCC, 630 West Ave. (reconciliation, no ashes) 7 p.m.; Christ Episcopal, 111 North 9th Street 7:25 a.m., noon, 5:30 p.m.
• What Am I About for Lent this Year? Lent is a time of renewal that focuses on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Prayer: the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is the heart of spiritual life. Personal prayer is a way of knocking so that the door of awareness opens. Lent is a good time to renew your prayer and worship life.
Fasting means consuming less or sometimes nothing. Abstinence means avoiding a certain kind of thing. Fasting and abstinence discipline the body to rely less on the things of the world. They create a clear-headed dependence on God, whose love fulfills our every need. Almsgiving: Lent is a time to channel our time, talent, and treasure to those who have less.
Each of us makes our own decision about what we want to add and subtract during Lent. But we have only six weeks since Lent ends on Easter Sunday, April 15 so our resolutions, while challenging, should be realistic. Ways for you to pray, fast, and perform works of service for others are available through the Campus Ministry web site (enter from student button on the home page). May God, who has begun this good work in you, bring it to completion.
Operation Rice Bowl: Please support Catholic Relief Services and our Diocesan Orphanage in Peru by giving to this collection. Containers are available in San Damiano Chapel and should be returned by Easter.
• Busy Persons Retreat (BPR): The Franciscan Spirituality Center is offering a BPR from March 4-18. You will schedule daily prayer time and a regular meeting with a spiritual director into your daily routines. Registration information is available from Fr. Tom O’Neill. Registration deadline is Feb. 28.
• Please remember in prayer student Jacki Bennett and the father of Trevor Anderson. May the God of healing and compassion be with them. Please remember those who have gone to their eternal reward, especially the grandfather of Trevor Anderson. May he rest in peace.
Out & About
• Upcoming events at the Pump House Regional Arts Center include the Tony Award-winning comedy "Art" by Yasmina Reza, translation by Christopher Hampton, Feb. 23-25 and March 2-4. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. Call 785-1434 for more information.
• The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra presents its "Bejeweled Melodies" concert on March 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre. Featuring the photochoreography of guest artist James Westwater, the Symphony will present Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Tchaikowsky’s Symphony No. 5. Call 783-2121 for ticket information or email laxsymphony@centurytel.net.
Resume Workshops
Attention: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
It’s never too early or too late to start working on your resume! Career Planning and Placement is planning four workshops to help build your resume. Plan to attend the following free sessions:
Tuesday, Feb. 27 and
Thursday, March 29: Learn How to Write a Winning Resume & Cover Letter
Thursday, March 1: Develop Your Portfolio
Thursday, April 19: Learn How to Market Your Liberal Arts Skills.
All workshops will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the Library, Room 138.
Students: Want a Job? Visit Career Fest 2001
Where can you go to find gainful employment? Stop by Career Fest 2001 on Tuesday, March 6, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. to visit with more than 70 companies looking to hire. The fest will be held at the La Crosse Center.
Have your resume critiqued and learn how to put it on line. Or attend a seminar on "Guerilla Tactics for Today’s Tough Job Market" by Colleen Kay Watson, president of Career Professionals, Inc. She’ll discuss finding jobs, expectations of employers, skills for successful interviews, and questions you should ask potential employers. Admission to Career Fest is free.
Kudos to...
Timothy Schorr, music, who gave a guest artist piano master class and recital at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, on Feb. 16 and 17 respectively. The visit was part of a faculty exchange with pianist Lian Tan of Miami University, who came to Viterbo in January.
Correction
Last week’s News You'll Notice column about the SAC weight room incorrectly listed that some of the contributions for the room came from the SBA. It should have said that some came from SGA (Student Government Association) contributions.
No Connections Next Week
Due to Spring Break, there will be no Connections next week. The newsletter resumes with the Monday, March 12 issue. Submissions are due Thursday, March 8.
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