Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo University Community
Vol. 14 No. 28 April 2, 2001
Pope John Activities, Benefit This Week
Don’t forget these faces! Larry Long, singer and songwriter; Tom Rand, best known for his work at Bethany-St. Joseph (BSJ); and Sheila Garrity of the La Crosse Community Foundation will be on campus this week to receive Viterbo’s most prestigious honor: the Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service.
The ceremony and banquet, to be held in the FAC, is set for 6:30 p.m. this Tuesday.
Plus, mark your calendars for the Larry Long concert benefiting Place of Grace, a Catholic Worker House on Monday, April 2, at 7 p.m. in San Damiano Chapel. The concert also features George Parrish, a guitarist from the Twin Cities; Carolyn Nelson, a vocalist from La Crosse; Earl Madary, vocalist, and religious studies professor from Viterbo; Larry Dalton, an acoustic bass musician; and Viterbo’s St. Francis Choir. Long, who is no stranger to Viterbo, has a profound voice in music. He has celebrated the lives of working people in the almost 1,000 ballads he has written. His songs champion the bravery of the family farmer, Lakota warriors, civil rights workers, and school cooks. The organization Community Celebration emerged from his work throughout rural Alabama, bringing elders into classrooms through an intergenerational process that mixes oral history, songwriting, and education to help children learn the history of their town.
Education Central to Alcohol Awareness Message
Despite the stereotypes and perceptions, the majority of college and university students make reasonably low-risk alcohol-related choices.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a significant number of students making very high-risk choices related to chemicalsas is reflected on campuses across the United States.
During last year’s Alcohol Awareness Week, the Connect Club, Viterbo’s substance abuse prevention organization, conducted a survey among Viterbo students to determine their alcohol-related habits. While this survey of 193 students was not a scientific study, the results may be of interest.
While alcohol use is common, as it is nationally among college students, the majority of respondents reported making quantity and frequency choices that are fairly low-risk. Among the respondents:
• 73% had consumed alcohol during the past month
• 52% reported they had not consumed alcohol during the past week
• 74% reported drinking fewer than four drinks during the past week
• 28% reported abstaining from alcohol at the last party they attended
• 66% reported drinking four or fewer drinks at the last party they attended.
Not surprisingly, students making high-risk alcohol and drug choices experience more consequences than do their peers making lower-risk choices:
• 6% of the respondents having a GPA of 3.0 or higher reported smoking marijuana during the past month; 33% of the respondents with a GPA of 2.0 or lower indicated they had smoked marijuana during the past month.
• 33% of those with a GPA of 3.0 or higher reported drinking five or more drinks at the last party attended; 67% of those with a GPA of 2.0 or lower indicated they had consumed five more drinks at the last party attended.
• 16% reported having missed a class during the past semester due to drinking.
• 4% of those with a GPA of 3.0 or above reported having been charged with a legal violation during the past year related to their drinking; 17% of those with a GPA of 2.0 or below reported having been charged with a legal violation during the same period related to their drinking.
“Unfortunately, as is the case in most populations, the majority of students perceive that college drinking rates are higher than they actually are,” said Anne Ellefson, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) counselor. Ellefson was referring to the 75% of respondents who believed that the “typical” college student drinks more than five drinks at a party.
“Since behavior is often shaped by perceived norms, this overrating can lead to unhealthy behaviors. Efforts to change these perceptions remain very important,” she added.
The Connect Club at Viterbo educates and promotes healthy alternatives to the student body. In 1999, the Club was one of 35 such groups throughout the United States to be named as a character-building program by the Templeton Foundation. It was cited for its creative methods of reinforcing the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
Activities Added to Alcohol Awareness Week
Not surprisingly, students making high-risk alcohol and drug choices experience more consequences than do their peers making lower-risk choices:
• 6% of the respondents having a GPA of 3.0 or higher reported smoking marijuana during the past month; 33% of the respondents with a GPA of 2.0 or lower indicated they had smoked marijuana during the past month.
• 33% of those with a GPA of 3.0 or higher reported drinking five or more drinks at the last party attended; 67% of those with a GPA of 2.0 or lower indicated they had consumed five more drinks at the last party attended.
• 16% reported having missed a class during the past semester due to drinking.
• 4% of those with a GPA of 3.0 or above reported having been charged with a legal violation during the past year related to their drinking; 17% of those with a GPA of 2.0 or below reported having been charged with a legal violation during the same period related to their drinking.
“Unfortunately, as is the case in most populations, the majority of students perceive that college drinking rates are higher than they actually are,” said Anne Ellefson, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) counselor. Ellefson was referring to the 75% of respondents who believed that the “typical” college student drinks more than five drinks at a party.
“Since behavior is often shaped by perceived norms, this overrating can lead to unhealthy behaviors. Efforts to change these perceptions remain very important,” she added.
The Connect Club at Viterbo educates and promotes healthy alternatives to the student body. In 1999, the Club was one of 35 such groups throughout the United States to be named as a character-building program by the Templeton Foundation. It was cited for its creative methods of reinforcing the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
Gundersen Lutheran's Gift to Viterbo is a Lifesaver
Gundersen Lutheran’s gift of a new, automatic external defibrillator to Viterbo University may someday save the life of a guest, student, or staff member in the University’s Fine Arts Center.
Gundersen Lutheran presented the defibrillator to Viterbo at a ceremony last Tuesday, March 27, in the Fine Arts Center.
Viterbo President William Medland accepted the defibrillator from cardiologist Julio J. Bird, MD, and cardiology nurse clinician Jo Lenarz, RN, Gundersen Lutheran Heart Institute; and David Houge, Gundersen Lutheran Clinical Engineering.
“I want to thank you for the donation. If it saves just one life, it’s worth having on hand. Hopefully, we’ll never have to use it,” Medland said.
Emergency personnel use automatic external defibrillators to deliver an electrical shock through the chest wall to the heart in persons who have suffered sudden cardiac arrest. The electrical shock stuns the heart’s electrical activity momentarily, allowing it a chance to resume effective beating.
Several members of the Viterbo community will receive four hours of training on use of the new unit.
Experience the Complete Works of Shakespeare in One Fun Evening
Those who either love or loathe the works of bard William Shakespeare will equally enjoy the hilarious Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre, Wednesday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Known for their fast, funny, and physical condensations of things serious, the Reduced Shakespeare Company takes audiences on an irreverent, fast-paced romp through all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in one hysterical evening. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), is London’s longest-running comedy, now in its fifth year at the Criterion Theatre. The show has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “wildly funny” and by the Montreal Gazette as “the funniest show you are likely to see in your entire lifetime.”
The Reduced Shakespeare Company developed its unique style as a pass-the-hat act at Renaissance Fairs in California during the 1980s. Since then, the group has tickled funny bones at the White House, the Kennedy Center, and countless civic and university venues throughout the U.S. and world. Other productions include The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged) and The Complete History of America (abridged). The Reduced Shakespeare Company has been a frequent contributor to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” and part of TV and radio productions around the globe.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s performance is part of the Viterbo NexStar Season and is sponsored by Charter Communications. It is supported, in part, by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.
Tickets are $21 and $15. To order, contact the Box Office at ext. 3100.
Upcoming Career Fairs
• Thursday, April 5, there will be a Leadership Management Panel for nurses in BNC 122 from 10-12 p.m.
• Saturday, April 7, is Wisconsin Teacher Interview Day. More than 200 teachers will be on hand for this fair at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 24, there will be a “How to Find the Right Career” workshop at 3:30 p.m. in the Library, Room 138.
Seventh Day Talks
What are you doing for lunch today? Join Rolf Samuels, English, as he discusses “At Spring, Thoughts Turn to…Fantasy Baseball!” This discussion will be held in MC 406 from 12-1 p.m.
The next Seventh Day talk will be Tuesday, April 17, when Dick Ruppel, English, talks about “Plagiarism: Definitions, Links, Strategies” from 12-1 p.m. in MC 406.
Easter Food Drive Needs Your Help
Your nonperishable food item will be most welcome at Place of Grace. The Student Dietetics Association, which is organizing this food drive, promises to make delivery of your gift of much-needed food in time for the Easter holiday. Please bring your item to any of the clearly marked collection boxes located throughout our campus buildings by April 6.
April Jeans Days:
April 6 Spirit Day
April 12 Employee Day
April 20 Food Pantry Day
April 27 Tribune Jeans Day
(La Crosse Youth Symphony &
Philharmonic Orchestra)
Dems to meet
A new Viterbo chapter of the Democratic Party will meet this Tuesday, April 3, from 3:304:30 p.m. in MC 415. For more information call Laurel Fletcher at 786-0018 or e-mail lffletcher.
Get Ready to Raise the Roof
Platinum Edition is getting ready to “Raise the Roof” in the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre at its annual pops concert on Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m.
This 36-member song and dance group will be joined by a variety of guest artists including the Riverfront Singers, Erin Schokmel (Miss La Crosse Oktoberfest), the Arcadia Catholic School Choir, La Crosse Boy Choir, Apple Annies, Wilma Scheffner Productions, a Viterbo faculty duet by Susan Rush and Jean Saladino, and the Viterbo 9th Street Singers and Women’s Chorale.
The wide range of musical selections offers something for everyone and includes:
• medleys from West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, and Jesus Christ Superstar
• selections from Crazy for You, Miss Saigon, Sister Act, and Mame
• pop selections like “It’s Gotta Be You” as recorded by the Backstreet Boys, “Eli’s Comin’” as recorded by Three Dog Night, and a Beatles medley
• songs celebrating faith like, “Shout to the Lord” and “Joyful, Joyful”
• jazz favorites such as “Operator,” “Come Sunday,” and “Mood Indigo.”
Tickets, $11 for adults and $7 for students, are available in the Viterbo Box Office. For more information, contact Nancy Allen at ext. 3763 or by email at nlallen.
Lend a Hand!
Reminder: April 4 is the deadline to volunteer for Neighbors Day. Register by contacting Sue Ernster, FSPA; returning the sign-up form sent to your club or organization; or signing-up at the Union desk. All volunteers must be available to help their neighbors on the morning of Saturday, April 28. Volunteers will be assigned to help elderly or disabled residents who have requested assistance with yardwork, window washing, and other outdoor clean-up jobs.
Wellness Fair Offers Variety, Screenings
The Viterbo University Wellness Fair will be held as part of Alcohol Awareness Week on Friday, April 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Lobby.
Displays and booths include: blood pressure screening, STD information, body fat composition, Computer Wellness Resources, smoking cessation and tobacco awareness materials, dietary analysis, healthy snacks, and other health information. Plus, karate, tai chi, and massage demonstrations will be scheduled every 20 minutes.
Also as part of the Fair, blood sugar and cholesterol screenings will be available from 9:15 a.m. to noon that day in MC 221 by senior nursing majors. Only a limited amount of people will be able to test in the short period of time, so appointments must be made with Carol Strigun, nursing, at ext. 3670. Please indicate if you are interested in taking a cholesterol or blood sugar test, or both. There will be a small fee for the completion of the test. It is recommended that those taking the test should not eat that day prior to taking the test. For further information, contact Rose Kreutz, nursing, at ext. 3676 or email rekreutz.
Campus Ministry by Fr. Tom O'Neill
Lent 2001: Almsgiving, the third call of the Lord (with prayer and fasting) is to give alms. Jesus was always concerned about those who were poor and in need. He was impressed by the widow who, though having so little, shared her resources with others. To be a disciple of Christ means to live a life of charity. To be a disciple of Jesus is to live a life of stewardship, generously giving of our time, talent, and treasure.
The threefold call to pray, to fast, and to give alms is richly interconnected. In prayer the Holy Spirit, always active in our lives, shows us those areas where we are not free—areas that call for penance—as well as those where people who are in need of our care. Through fasting, our spirit becomes more open to hearing God’s call, and we receive new energies for performing works of charity. Almsgiving puts us in contact with the needy whom we then bring back to God in prayer. Next week: Holy Week and Paschal Triduum
Rest in Peace. Please remember those who have died: the grandmother of Sonja Schumann. May God welcome her into everlasting glory.
Holy Week and Easter Schedules:
• April 8, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion; Mass and distribution of Palms at the 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Masses.
• April 9, Monday of Holy Week. Mass at noon; We will celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) at 6 p.m. Through the sacrament of penance, we, the faithful, acknowledge the sins we have committed, express our sorrow for them, and, intending to reform our lives, receive God’s forgiveness and become reconciled with God and with the Church.
• April 10, Tuesday of Holy Week. Mass at noon.
• April 11, Wednesday of Holy Week. Mass at noon.
• April 12, Holy Thursday; Lent ends at sundown. The Paschal Triduum of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Lord; no classes; no liturgy at San Damiano Chapel.
• April 13, Good Friday: Celebration of the Lord’s Passion; first day of the paschal fast; no classes; no liturgical service at San Damiano Chapel.
• April 14, the Easter Vigil, nightwatch of the Resurrection of the Lord.
• April 15, Easter Sunday. Mass at 11 a.m. in San Damiano Chapel.
Out & About
The La Crosse Symphony Orchestra will perform Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 at the “Precious Notes” concerts April 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre. The concert features a guest conductor and a guest artist who is the winner of the Concerto Competition. Call 783-2121 for ticket availability.
Kudos to...
Maribel Bird, Spanish, who recently completed the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), a world-renowned, standardized method of measuring how well a person speaks a language by comparing his or her performance of specific language tasks with the criteria outlined in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and assigning one of 10 ratings. Maribel was rated “Superior Spanish,” the highest rating. She took the test after participating in a four-day OPI Tester Training Workshop last November in Boston. Maribel’s training and rating qualify her to test and rate Spanish-speaking students for oral proficiency as described by the ACTFL guidelines.
DNR Rep to Talk about "Old Man River"
Gretchen Benjamin, environmental engineer with the Wisconsin DNR, will be the guest speaker in Bill Reese’s Environmental Spirituality class on Wednesday, April 4, from 9:30-11 a.m. in BNC 203. Benjamin will discuss land trust along the Mississippi River, the planned draw-down of the river this summer, future projects by the Corps of Engineers, and the general health of “Old Man River.” All students and faculty are invited to hear her presentation.
Get the Lead Out!
One lead pencil, that is! Please consider donating to our pencil drive to benefit elementary school pupils in Cameroon, Africa. Your one pencil for one African child will be a huge gift. One can make a difference!
Pencils will be collected in the Learning Center, MC 312, and by Bernyne Stark, FSPA, through campus mail.
Basketball Camps Set
Camp dates for boys’ and girls’ basketball have been set. Check out the athletics department web page for camp details. Brochures will be available in the near future. If you would like a brochure sent to you, email your request to slhotvedt or call Sandy Hotvedt at ext. 3811 (indicate whether you’d like information on boys’ or girls’ basketball camp).
Classifieds
For sale: 1970’s couchvery retro! Colonial-style with print of orange and brown bunches of flowers. Very clean and in good condition. $50. Also for sale, set of off-white machine-washable beige JC Penney pleated drapes. Classic style. Floor length, four panels, each about 40" wide, $30. Call Carol Klitzke at ext. 3661 or e-mail cjklitzke.
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