Connections
A Newsletter for the Viterbo University Community
Vol. 16, No. 7 October 07, 2002
Center Construction Features Heritage
Our Franciscan heritage has made its way into our new construction project—literally.
Last spring, two Viterbo art students, Kate Burgau and Susan Schaffer, created the designs for decorative panels that are now part of the architecture of the Center for Ethics, Science, and Technology. The panels, located on the south side of the building, are based on St. Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Sun” and are carved in stone.
How many of the figures referenced in the “Canticle” can you recognize?
“Brother Earth” is Tonight
Join Fr. Richard Woods for “Brother Earth: The Ethic of Franciscan Ecology,” a free lecture from the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership, tonight in the Viterbo FAC Recital Hall at 8 p.m.
“Brother Earth: The Ethic of Franciscan Ecology,” exploring our ecological responsibility in light of our Franciscan tradition, is a special talk in celebration of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Fr. Woods, a Dominican priest and associate professor of theology at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill., is the author of The Spirituality of Celtic Saints (2000), Mysticism and Prophecy: The Dominican Tradition (1998), and Christian Spirituality: God’s Presence through the Ages (1989).
For more information, contact Richard Kyte, ethics, at ext. 3704, email ethics@viterbo.edu.
A Trend That’s Good to Know
Officially, total enrollment is up seven percent. Often, as is the case with statistical compilations, certain trends go unnoticed unless pointed out.
In Viterbo’s case, much of the increase is attributable to growth in extended learning programs, which is up nearly 20 percent from a year ago and now claims 367 students. All areas in extended learning—RRN, MIT, OMGT, and BIS— registered increases.
In all, the trend reveals that Viterbo continues to expand its influence, serving students of all ages—from traditional to non-traditional.
The Case of the Mysterious Employee Campaign is Underway!
Detective Dawn Scott has uncovered two more prizes in another stolen file.
Gary Klein, vice president of institutional advancement has donated his reserved parking spot for one month and Jay McHenry, director of the physical plant, has agreed to personally wash some lucky individual’s vehicle.
The case will officially close on Oct. 17.
Fletcher Art Reception is Wednesday
Don’t miss the opening reception for Art Professor Peter Fletcher’s exhibit in the FAC Art Gallery.
The show opens this Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 7:30-9 p.m. Stop by, enjoy the artwork, sample refreshments, and talk with the artist. Admission is free. The show runs through Oct. 25.
Shirts a Success
There will be a lot of denim showing up throughout campus as a result of a recent promotion.
Over 56 Viterbo University denim shirts were ordered and have since been delivered. Thanks to all who participated.
Women’s Studies Movie Night is This Week
A League of Their Own is the movie of the week on Wednesday, Oct. 9 when the Women’s Studies Committee sponsors movie night in the Student Union.
Show time is at 7:30 p.m. and refreshments will be provided. Don’t miss this chance to kick back, unwind, and enjoy a good show.
Midnight Madness
Celebrate the first men’s and women’s basketball practice of the season and join in the crazy fun during the annual Midnight Madness on Friday, Oct. 11.
An opportunity for fans to meet the 2002-03 teams for the first time, the event also includes a performance by the Viterbo Dance Team, free pizza and pop, and chances to win cash.
So catch the action on Friday at 11 p.m. in the R.W. Beggs Gymnasium in the SAC.
Raising Funds for Non Profits
Many of us volunteer for worthwhile organizations. If you are interested in finding resources, writing proposals, and evaluating projects, plan to attend a free workshop sponsored by the Community Literacy Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Health Science Center, 9 a.m. to noon. To register, call 782-9710 or, if you have questions, contact our local representative, Phyllis Blackstone, education, at ext. 3386 or pablackstone@viterbo.edu.
Children Needed for AYA Auditions
The Missoula Children’s Theatre is holding auditions on Monday, Nov. 4, from 4?6 p.m. at the Viterbo FAC Main Theatre for its Viterbo University Arts for Young America production, Hansel and Gretel.
Approximately 50 roles are available for local students. All students (ages K?12) are encouraged to audition. No advance preparation is necessary. Those auditioning should arrive on time and plan to stay for the full two hours. Among the roles to be cast are Hansel and Gretel, crafty cooks (loyal servants of the Wildwood Witch), modern day campers somehow lost in time in the woods, lots of nasty critters, and a flock of cuddly Wallybirds. Missoula Children’s Theatre touring productions are complete with costumes, scenery, props, and makeup.
If selected, most students will participate in a week of rehearsals,
Nov. 4?8, typically between 4?8:30 p.m. in the FAC Main Theatre. Some of the cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the auditions. The final production, Hansel and Gretel, will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Viterbo University FAC Main Theatre.
Founded in 1970 by Jim Caron who still serves as executive director, the Missoula Children’s Theatre is a touring company that invites children in its host community to be the stars in the show. Its members teach children how to perfect the craft of professional theatre while building self-esteem through experience. Missoula Children’s Theatre’s mission is to provide quality educational, entertainment, and enrichment experiences through the performing arts.
Hansel and Gretel is part of Viterbo’s Arts for Young America program and is sponsored by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Wisconsin. It is supported, in part, by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.
Ticket prices are $9 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. For information, contact the Box Office at ext. 3100.
For more information on auditions, call Michael Ranscht or Jenny Roberdeau at 796-3741.
“Mr. Everest” to Talk at UW-L
If you caught “Everest Fever” last week after Julio Bird’s St. Francis Day talk at Viterbo, you might want to check out the anecdotes of Peter Athans on Oct. 16 at UW-L.
Often called, “Mr. Everest,” Athans has led 15 expeditions, attempted five different routes from the Tibetan and Nepalese sides of the mountain and, on seven occasions, has attained the summit.
A member of The North Face Design and Development team, Athans guides mountaineering adventures throughout the world and is a high altitude film-maker—earning him credits on films for NOVA, National Geographic Society, and in the feature film, Seven Years in Tibet. He is currently working on an autobiographical project to be released next spring entitled Nearly Sherpa: Seven Summits of Everest.
He will talk at 7 p.m. in the Main Hall Auditorium on the UW-L Campus. The cost is $3 for any university/college student and for children 6-18, as well as UW-L, Viterbo, and WWTC faculty/staff. A university ID card is required for this price. The price for all other community members is $5. Those under age of six get in free.
Viterbo Program Simulates American Idol
If you had the television on at all this summer, chances are you heard about the summer’s biggest hit, American Idol. Well, our very own version of that show is making its way to campus this fall.
The Marian Hall RA Staff is proud to sponsor VU Idol: The Search for Viterbo Star! on Monday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Marian Hall Dining Room. Admission is just $1 and all money raised supports VH-1’s Save the Music Foundation, an organization that helps fund music programs in public school systems.
The talent search is open to all Viterbo students and we encourage anyone that has any hidden talent to sign up. The program also features performances by special guests, Viterbo’s own Platinum Edition, clips of the Marian Hall CRIBS competition, and some surprises! There will be a panel of Viterbo celebrity judges, but audience members will be asked to help judge for the special “People’s Choice Award” and will determine the best Viterbo “CRIB.”
Viterbo students interested in competing in VU Idol: The Search for a Viterbo Star! should sign up at the Student Union Desk no later than noon on Friday, Oct. 11. A detailed list of rules can be picked up at the Student Union Desk. Auditions, if necessary, will be held on Monday, Oct. 14 from 7-9 p.m. in the FAC Dance Studio. For more information, contact Rob Anderson at rfanderson@viterbo.edu or ext. 3842.
Don’t miss this exciting and entertaining event. Come on out and see some of Viterbo’s most talented students and help a good cause! You won’t want to miss the crowning of the first ever VU Idol!
Protect Yourself with a Fall Flu Shot
Health services will once again offer flu shots this fall to the Viterbo community. There has been a price increase this year due to the rising cost of the vaccine. Flu shots are $8.50 this year.
Health services, assisted by the Viterbo senior community health nurses, will hold flu clinics on campus. Dates and sites will be published in Connections and posted later. However, vaccines for people with medical priorities will be available by Oct. 15. Call Marilyn Jaekel, health services, at ext. 3806 to sign up.
campus ministry
New Horizons will hold a Candlelight Vigil in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 8) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Riverside Park Amphitheater.
Busy Student Retreat (BSR): A retreat experience for students busy with school, work study, extra-curricular activities, jobs, families, etc. and who have little time for a whole weekend retreat. The BSR allows a student to schedule daily prayer time and a daily meeting with a retreat director in the midst of his/her regular schedule. One “goes on retreat” in the midst of a busy life.
• Annual BSR—informational meeting (30 minutes) on Sunday, Oct. 13, San Damiano Chapel, 6:30 pm.
• BSR, Oct. 20-24.
La Crosse Community Thanksgiving Dinner—we will collect food items to donate to the annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the La Crosse Center. We are asked to help with donations of Hawaiian Punch and Jellied Cranberries. If you would like to donate either or both, just drop them off at the MC Reception Desk or the vestibule of San Damiano Chapel and they will be taken to the La Crosse Center the day before Thanksgiving.
Additional “Student Prayer” cards, given out at the St. Francis Day Convocation, are available from campus ministry, MC 319.
Sign Up for October Computer Classes
The following computer classes will be offered this October:
Intro to PowerPoint XP—Tuesday, Oct. 15, 8:3010:30 a.m., MC 305. PowerPoint has undergone some changes since the last version. This session will benefit new users, and those who want to understand the changes in this updated version.
Graphics Workshop—Wednesday, Oct. 16, 12:30 p.m., MC 312. Using images properly can enhance learning. In this short workshop, learn to scan, get pictures from the digital camera and off the Internet, and learn what type of image works best for Word, PowerPoint, and Web use.
Introduction to Blackboard 5.5—Monday, Oct. 14, 911:30 a.m., MC 201/Thursday, Oct. 17, 9-11:30 a.m., MC 312. Blackboard is Viterbo’s course-management software. It allows instructors to post information to the World Wide Web in an environment that students can access at any time. This brief, introductory course is designed to get you online and using Blackboard’s basic features.
Intro to Microsoft Excel—Friday, Oct. 18, 911 a.m. MC 201. Excel is Microsoft’s spreadsheet program. It can be used for anything from a gradebook to statistical analysis. It also has convenient graphing functions. This workshop will introduce you to its basic features.
Please register for all classes in advance by contacting Jeff Nyseth at ext. 3285 or via email at jcnyseth@viterbo.edu.
Trick or Treat Finds Connection
Place of Grace will benefit from the work of the Connect Club on Halloween as members of the club will hit the neighborhood in search of non-perishable food items.
Students will set up routes north and east of campus. Connect is a Viterbo-sponsored club, which educates students about healthy lifestyles and low-risk choices.
According to Club Secretary Staci Arndt, Connect also wants to perform community service “as a way of making our club well rounded.” This will be the fourth year that Connect is coordinating Trick-or-Treat for Place of Grace. In the past, other groups have collaborated with Connect, including Global Education and Students In Free Enterprise.
“The response has been great,” Arndt said. “Neighbors know who we are and many already have bags ready when we arrive.”
kudos to…
• Eric Manchester who presented a paper, “Locke and Wesley on ‘Persons’: Implications for Trinity Deification, and Mariology,” at the Midwest Regional Society of Christian Philosophers’ conference at the University of Indiana—Bloomington on Sept. 14.
• The winners of the United Way door prize drawings. Barb Fularczyk, business office, won the Viterbo University sweatshirt donated by the bookstore, and Judy Casto, nursing, won the denim shirt donated by communications and marketing. For increasing his pledge by 20 percent this year, Rolf Samuels, English, was entered in a special drawing along with other employees who did the same. But, Samuels was the big winner and took home the grand prize—a DVD player donated by Wettstein’s.
Help with the Raking!
Hate raking your lawn? No problem. The Music Education Club is raking lawns on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 1?6 p.m. to raise money for attendance at the National Choral Convention to New York City.
A minimum donation of $10 to the club is requested. So give a call to Nancy Allen at ext. 3763 or email nlallen@viterbo.edu for an appointment to have your lawn raked.
focus on...
By Gretchen Kinney, Communications and Marketing
Name: Jennifer Sadowski
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: Biology
Family: Jennifer and her husband, Michael, just celebrated their first wedding anniversary on Sept. 29. Her family, which also includes her older sister and two nieces, is scattered all over the U.S.
Education: Jennifer received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. She then went on to get her Ph.D from the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
Hobbies/Interests/Enthusiasms: Jennifer enjoys reading mystery novels, gardening, and hiking. She also loves to cook, which she had to learn quickly while living in a small town in Canada with no nearby restaurants.
Adventures and Travels: Jennifer started her extensive travels by going to Lyon, France through a short-term student exchange program. Her graduate research projects took her to New Brunswick, Canada for three years and on summers in Venezuela and Panama. She also traveled to Newfoundland for her honeymoon.
Future Hopes and Plans: Exploring the La Crosse and surrounding areas are Jennifer’s immediate plans. In the future, she’d like to settle down, buy a house, and put down some roots in Wisconsin.
Little Known Facts: Jennifer grew up in the same town and went to the same high school as the band members of Guns ’N Roses. In fact, she missed them performing at a prom dance by one year.
$700 Raised for AIDS Fight by RAs
On Sunday, Sept. 29, the Marian Hall Resident Assistant (RA) staff participated in AIDS Walk Wisconsin 2002 in Madison. The day was beautiful for a walk, and spirits were high among the walkers. The RA staff would like to extend a thank you to all who contributed to its team, which was successful in collecting $700 for the cause, tripling the amounted raised last year. AIDS Walk Wisconsin 2002 collected over a half million dollars for AIDS-related funding in the state. The foundation will continue to accept donations until Oct. 15, 2002. If you would like to make a generous donation to AIDS Walk Wisconsin, please send your check to Rob Anderson, residence life, for submission. Once again, thank you to everyone who supported our team and made our walk this year a success.
Call for Student Papers
Student papers and participants are needed for the 17th annual Student Conference, “Conflict, Cooperation, Security, and Justice in a Globalizing World,” to be held Saturday, April 5 at the UW—Oshkosh.
Submissions, due by March 14, should center on any aspect of conflict, security, peace, justice, and the environment at the individual, national, and international level. Possible venues include:
Papers—between 5-15 pages and based on individual research and critical thinking. Those whose papers are chosen will be given 10-15 minutes to summarize their paper at the conference.
Round Table Discussions—A minimum of three participants are needed. Proposals should contain a one-page description and the names and addresses of participants.
Creative Writing—poems and short stories on conference themes.
Persuasive Speeches—submit a title and brief description of the speech, along with the name and address of speaker. Speeches must be 10-15 minutes, advocating a position of a relevant topic, and geared to an academic setting.
Students from all disciplines who are studying at Wisconsin colleges and universities can attend this conference, sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies—of which Viterbo is a member institution. Initial proposals can be made electronically (Bickford@uwosh.edu) but finished papers must be submitted in hard copy. Two copies of the written work should be submitted to: Dr. Thomas Bickford, Political Science, UW-Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI 54901.
For more information on the conference or the call for participants, see the material posted on the Faculty Development board by the mailboxes or contact Beth Erickson, communications and marketing, ext. 3042 or bmerickson@viterbo.edu.
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