Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo University Community
Vol. 14 No. 31 April 23, 2001
Professional Actor Offers Auditions Workshop
Professional stage and film actor Kip Niven is conducting a Music Theatre Audition Techniques Workshop at Viterbo University Thursday through Saturday, April 26-28.
Those who attend this free workshop will explore audition techniques through Niven’s analysis and critique of the “auditions” of 12 Viterbo music theatre students and through observation of one-on-one working sessions with the students. Niven will also give a general lecture/demonstration of music theatre audition techniques. The event will culminate in final presentations by the students and Niven’s final critique of each.
On Thursday, April 26, there will be a Question and Answer session from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a Lecture/ Demonstration from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and from 4:30-6 p.m. On Friday, April 27, a One-on-One Work Session will be held from 9 a.m.-12:50 p.m. and 2-5:50 p.m. Thursday’s and Friday’s events will be in the FAC Recital Hall. On Saturday, One-on-One Work Sessions continue from 9 a.m.-12:50 p.m. with the final presentations from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday’s events will be held in the Black Box Theatre.
Niven’s professional credits include Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theatres, summer stock, and numerous guest artist appearances. He has appeared in 10 feature films including In Cold Blood, and more than 100 television mini-series, movies of the week, episodic series, and daytime dramas, as well as national, regional, and local commercials. Some of his credits include: Return to Lonesome Dove; Walker, Texas Ranger; The Waltons; Law & Order; and recurring roles on One Life to Live, All My Children, Alice, and Days of Our Lives.
He is also a member of the company of The Imagination Workshop, a radio comedy show broadcast live from Lawrence, Kansas and syndicated on more than 100 National Public Radio stations throughout the country. Niven resides in Leawood, Kansas, with his wife and family.
For more information on the workshop, contact Susan Rush, Viterbo music theatre department chair, at ext. 3766 or email strush.
2001 Coretta Scott King Award Winner Visits Viterbo Friday
The 2001 Coretta Scott King Award winner for young adult literature, Jacqueline Woodson, will speak at Viterbo University on Friday, April 27.
Woodson won the prestigious award, bestowed on authors and illustrators of African descent whose books promote peace and world brotherhood, for her book Miracle’s Boys. Set in contemporary Harlem, the book explores the lives of three brothers coping with the death of their parents.
Woodson is also the author of Lena and Last Summer With Maizon. She received the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award in 1996 for her novel From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, and in 1995 for her novel I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This. She has been a Fellow at the MacDowell Colony and at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Mass. and has worked as a drama therapist in a New York City residence for runaway and homeless children. She lives in Brooklyn.
Woodson’s talk is the culmination of a free book talk series led by Viterbo University Professors Grant Smith and Phyllis Blackstone. The series allows middle school educators, student teachers, education students, and parents to explore how young adult literature might be used in the classroom to help resolve social problems.
The book talks are funded, in part, by the Wisconsin Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Wisconsin Humanities Council supports public programs that engage the people of Wisconsin in the exploration of human cultures, ideas, and values.
The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. in the FAC Recital Hall. For more information, contact Smith at ext. 3485 or by email at gtsmith.
Viterbo Honors Coulee Region Volunteers Tonight
Students representing six high schools and three institutions of higher learning in the Coulee Region are among the volunteers being honored at Viterbo University’s Volunteer Recognition Night tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the FAC Lobby.
Students recognized at the annual event are juniors and seniors nominated by instructors and administrators at their schools. They represent Aquinas, Central, Logan, La Crescent, West Salem, and Holmen high schools, and Viterbo University, UW-La Crosse, and WWTC.
Participating schools each nominated an average of six student volunteers.
Outstanding volunteers from Viterbo are seniors LeeAnn Bock, Jessica Gosh, Heidi Hartley, and Joel Spaulding, and juniors Jennifer Mettille and Sara Nau.
Hartley, Jeanine Holguin from Gundersen Lutheran Hospice, and Allan Saugstad from Franciscan Skemp Hospice, are the speakers for the evening, along with a representative from each school.
The President’s Award will also be presented at the event by Viterbo University President William J. Medland. This award is presented annually to honor a local group or organization that has demonstrated outstanding and selfless service to the community. The winner will be announced tonight.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Closes 2000-01 Bright Star Season
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is making a return visit to La Crosse on Tuesday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre.
This 33-member orchestra features standard orchestral classics and lesser-known works. The concert at Viterbo includes Siegfried Idyll by Wagner, Piano Concerto No. 23 by Mozart, and Chamber Symphony by Shostakovich.
Highlighting this season is critically acclaimed guest artist Lydia Artymiw. Philadelphia-born Artymiw is one of the most compelling pianists of her generation. She has performed with more than 95 orchestras worldwide with many of the leading conductors of our time. A recipient of top prizes in the 1976 Leventritt and the 1978 Leeds International Competitions, she studied with Freda Pastor Berkowitz of the Curtis Institute and with Cary Graffman for 12 years. Artymiw is currently professor of piano at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The evening’s conductor, Nobuyoshi Yasuda, is a native of Takarazuka, Japan. He began musical studies on the violin at the age of three and now holds degrees from Soai University, Japan, and Indiana University. He has been an active violin soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Japan. He was appointed the orchestra director at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1991 and music director of the Chippewa Valley Symphony (CVS) in 1993, and most recently associate conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival in 1999. His principal conducting mentor is Eiji Oue, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra.
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s appearance is supported, in part, by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.
Tickets are $24. To order, please contact the Box Office at ext. 3100.
SEAL Awards This Week
Find out who is the Outstanding Student of the Year, the Outstanding Organization of the Year, and the Outstanding Advisor of the Year, and hear about other honors at the 2nd Annual Students Excelling in Activities and Leadership (SEAL) Awards Ceremony Wednesday, April 25, at 6 p.m. in the FAC Lobby. Plan to attend!
Subs Rule!
Don’t forget the end-of-semester sub lunch to be held Friday, April 27, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the SAC. For only $2, you’ll receive a 4” sub, chips, a beverage and a sweet treat. Drop off your reservation and money with Barb Schroeder in the Learning Center by Wednesday, April 25.
This event is sponsored by members of the Viterbo Social Committee. “Lettuce” entertain you! Save the date and plan to join your friends for a spread that features fellowship and fun.
Come Celebrate a Life of Music
Please join us on Saturday, May 5, for lunch with Annarose Glum, FSPA, who chaired the Viterbo University music department for 38 years! Alumni, friends, faculty, and staff will be able to greet Sr. Glum (or “SARG” as her students affectionately nicknamed her) and hear performances from faculty, students, and alumni. The reception starts at 11 a.m. in the FAC lobby with lunch at noon and performances from 12:301:30 p.m. Cost for the luncheon is $10. Please make your payment to Chris Sanger in the Institutional Advancement office by April 27. Don’t miss this heartfelt salute!
New Members to be Inducted into STTI
Viterbo’s Pi Phi chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Nursing Honor Society will induct 23 students and four La Crosse community members on Wednesday, April 25.
The induction ceremony will be combined with an educational session in which graduating Masters of Science in Nursing students will present poster presentations of their master’s projects from 6-7:15 p.m. in the FAC Hospitality Suite. Then, at 7:30 p.m., the 27 members will be inducted into Pi Phi in the FAC Recital Hall.
The new members include: juniors Rebecca Lietzow, Jennifer Lince, Michael Rider, Kathryn Sachs, Maureen Kennedy, Sarah Holley, and Sarah Quayle; seniors Melissa Leis, Melissa Schendel, and Jennifer Myskewitz; R.R.N. students Rebecca Anderson, Donna Harris-Horton, and Allison Phillips; M.S.N. students Jane Mitley, Stacy Clement, Julie Fargen, Bette Pedretti, Pam Johnson, Cindy Glennie, Lorraine Zoromski, Mary Tschumper, Christine Dietrich, and Dianna Myhre; and community members Beverly Larson, Doris Doherty, Jeanne Rosendale, and Michelle Gavin.
Newly elected officers, who will be installed during the ceremony, include: Stephanie Genz, vice president; Teri Kunavich, treasurer; and Delayne Vogel, faculty counselor.
Membership in STTI is by invitation and is extended to undergraduate and graduate nursing students, faculty, and professional nurses who have demonstrated superior scholastic, leadership, and nursing achievements.
STTI has more than 260,000 members in 383 chapters in colleges and universities throughout the U.S., Canada, Korea, Taiwan, and Australia. The organization encourages and sponsors research, promotes the development of nursing leadership, and supports the development of nursing scholars.
For more information or membership information, contact Vogel at ext. 3692 or email dgvogel.
Three Viterbo Athletes Honored by Lynn Sirianni, Sports Information Coordinator
Sophomore Outfielder Cullen McDermott was named Mississippi Classic Conference (M.C.C.) Co-player of the Week for the week ending April 16.
McDermott batted .526 and collected eight R.B.I.s as the V-Hawks went four for five. He hit the game-winning home run against cross-town rival UW-La Crosse, then launched three more HRs in a four-game series with Iowa Wesleyan. The Viterbo Baseball team was 10-16-1 and 6-4 in the conference as of Monday, April 16.
Freshman Catcher/Pitcher Charlotte Koski and junior Pitcher Lisa Promersberger were also honored that week.
Koski earned M.C.C. Player of the Week while Promersberger was named Pitcher of the Week. Koski hit .529 last week, helping the V-Hawks pick up five of a possible six wins. She had two doubles and a home run while collecting nine R.B.I.s. She came up big in a victory over Grand View, knocking in the game-winning R.B.I. in the top of the 9th. Promersberger picked up three wins in three appearances last week, two of which were conference victories over Grand View and Marycrest. Her E.R.A. for the week was an impressive 1.67. The Viterbo softball team held a 9-14 overall record and a 4-3 record in the M.C.C. as of April 16.
Parking Updates
New parking permits for faculty and staff to use during the 2001-02 school year will be available Aug. 1Aug. 14. Employees may purchase only one permit by presenting their phone number, Viterbo ID, and information on the year, make, model, color, and license plate of their vehicle. The cost is $20, payable at the MC Reception Desk. Employees who do not purchase a permit will be required to park on city streets. A complete summary of the parking policies is available at Viterbo’s web site and on reserve in the library.
Viterbo Gallery Part of Gallery Walk
The Viterbo Art Department Gallery, located on the third floor of the FAC, is one of 17 La Crosse galleries participating in an evening Gallery Walk on Thursday, April 26, from 5-8:30 p.m.
Admission is free to all the galleries, and the MTU trolley will facilitate travel between the downtown galleries and those farther away with free service from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by a variety of downtown La Crosse businesses. For more information, call 784-1161 or 785-1434.
News You'll Notice by Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, Chair, Board of Directors
Board News
During the current academic year, the Board of Directors and President William J. Medland engaged in a comprehensive assessment process which included a Governing Board self-study survey and a presidential five-year review.
The self-study survey received a response from 71 percent of the Board. Medland presented a detailed review of the past five years with emphasis on Viterbo’s academic progress and potential for the future, requirements for mission viability, and next steps in the planning process. In addition, 24 additional persons participated in oral interviews with an external consultant. All constituencies were represented including a corporate member, representatives from the Board of Directors, the President’s Cabinet, the deans of the schools, faculty, administrative and staff assemblies, staff, alumni association, Viterbo Advisory Board, students, and inter-institutional entities.
With a unanimous vote of confidence and commendation at its April 9 meeting, the Board renewed Medland’s contract for another five years, noting his exceptional commitment to Viterbo’s mission and his excellence in leadership. A conclusion stated by the consultant indicated that “Dr. Medland is genuinely regarded as a true visionary, committed to the mission of Viterbo University and its Franciscan heritage.” Because of its view to the future, Medland’s assessment document will be used as the introduction and foundation for the next strategic planning process.
The Board noted Viterbo’s special strengths as the small and personal nature of the university, the commitment of the faculty and staff, and the value orientation of the institution including its Catholic and Franciscan identity, and its focus on ethics and Christian service. It viewed Viterbo’s greatest needs as financial resources and endowment growth, maintaining student recruitment and enrollment, and marketing and recognition. The Board gave numerous suggestions for strengthening its own performance. For example, it acknowledged that the Board needs to exercise a greater leadership role in financial support of the institution through personal philanthropy and securing gifts from others. It articulated means for information enhancement for all board members, and highlighted helpful actions by individual board members and the board as a collective entity.
The Executive Committee of the Board was highly complimentary of the entire process and its outcome. It proposed that the ecumenical composition of the Board be increased, that an annual report about human resources be provided to the Board, that continuing efforts be made to enhance faculty and administrative relationships as much as possible, and that the planning process be given continued attention.
Gratitude is expressed to all those who participated in the assessment process toward the objective of strengthening Board and presidential performance for the sake of the mission of the University. As a member of the Viterbo community, each person’s generous service is highly valued. Congratulations on the completion of another academic year with all its goals and achievements. As we look to the future, let us not be ambivalent about our vision and our expectations!
Campus Ministry by Fr. Tom O'Neill
• Earth Day: Whether or not you are participating in the official earth day events this year, we remind ourselves that we are the caretakers of the gift of the earth. It is not ours; we belong to it. St. Francis of Assisi was attuned to “Mother Earth.” In that spirit, this week’s column includes a Prayer for the Harvests:
“Creator of heaven and earth, who adorns the heaven with the choir of the stars and illuminates it with sparkling points of light, who loads the earth with fruits for the use of all; in your eternal kindness, you grant to the human race you created to rejoice in the brilliance and clarity of the stars and to be nourished on the fruits of the earth. We pray you, give us most abundant and fertilizing rains; grant also that the earth may produce fruits in great plenty, because of your love for humanity and because of your good will.”
• Rest in peace: Please commend to God the grandmother of Rebecca Stebnitz. May she rest in the peace of the Risen One.
Summer Sports Camps
Brochures are now available for summer basketball camps. Viterbo offers basketball camps for boys and girls entering grades 3-12. For more information or a brochure, contact Sandy Hotvedt at slhotvedt or call ext. 3811. Also watch for information on volleyball, soccer, and softball camps. Brochures should be ready soon.
Out & About
• There are many changes that take place for people entering mid-life. Find out how to stay healthy and strengthen your relationship with your partner at a workshop presented at the Gundersen Lutheran Health and Wellness Center (old Fauver Hill School) on April 28 from 8 a.m.-noon. Five workshops plus a keynote address will cover a variety of topics related to mid-life concerns, including renewing and strengthening intimacy for couples, what men ought to know about menopause, men’s health checks, and exercise. Participants may select three sessions. Register by April 25 at the cost of $8 per person or $15 per couple. The cost is $10 per person the day of the program. For more information or a registration form, call 791-6861 or 791-6870.
• You and a partner have a chance at winning $500! The Fortune 500 Pedometer Challenge asks you and a partner to walk 10,000 steps (or the equivalent) each day between May 6 and July 28. When you do this, you and your partner can enter the drawing. Contact Marge C. Johnson, Gundersen Lutheran, at 791-6870, for a registration packet. Pedometers may be purchased through Gundersen Lutheran Nutrition Services at 791-4343.
Kudos to...
The School of Nursing/MSN program which received $23,643 in Federal Traineeship monies from the Department of Health and Human Services. The money is awarded for student traineeships to offset tuition expenses. Bonnie Nesbitt, nursing, wrote the grant.
Sue Frauenkron, nursing, who will depart for Shisong, Cameroon April 23 to conduct a seven-week nursing certification course for the Tertiary Sisters. She will be accompanied by Irene Nieland, FSPA. They return June 11.
Jeans Day
Don’t forget to wear jeans this Friday and support the La Crosse Youth Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestra, the recipients of this month’s La Crosse Tribune Jeans Day fundraiser, by paying $1 to Marcia Brodt at the MC reception desk.
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