Macalester College DigitalCommons@Macalester College Macalester Today Communications and Public Relations 10-1-2005 Macalester Today Fall 2005 Macalester College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/macalestertoday Recommended Citation Macalester College, "Macalester Today Fall 2005" (2005). Macalester Today. Paper 80. http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/macalestertoday/80 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Communications and Public Relations at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Macalester Today by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kyra Ostendorf '95 and Peter Munene '89 with Nelson. See page 24. Graduation caps go sailing as the Class of 2005 celebrates at Macalester's 116th Commencement. See pages 18-23. ABOUT THIS ISSUE Features Departments 16 Walt Mink Rocks Again 2 Letters Drawing fans from as far away as London, 4 Around Old Main the Macalester band reunites for two Americans and philanthropy; sold-out shows and a documentary women in math and the natural sciences; Jim Laine's "unthinkable thoughts"; 18 Commencement and other campus news. 2005 Minnesota's fickle weather page 6 13 Household Words forced graduation indoors, but 460 seniors President Rosenberg reflects and their families didn't miss a beat on "Citizenship and Community at Macalester." 30 Alumni & Faculty Books 32 Class Notes 49 Giving Back page 18 %> •' '• I page 16 Cover story: page 24 Balancing Acts Young Macalester parents are wrestling with age-old questions of balancing work, life and child-rearing. Greg Helgeson photographed Kyra Ostendorf '95 and Peter Munene '89 with their son Nelson at their home in Minneapolis. FALL 2005 1 LETTERS Please send letters intended for publication Mac has taken a hard turn to the left since to Letters to the Editor, MacalesterToday, I graduated. Although my husband and 1 MacalesterToday College Relations, Macalester College, (both Mac '53) happily supported the Fall 2005 J 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105-1899. Alumni Fund for a Or by e-mail: [email protected]. number of years after Dr. Mitau always Director of College Relations We reserve the right to edit letters our graduation, our encouraged Doug Stone for conciseness and clarity. financial contribu- discussion from Executive Editor tions for education the entire political Nancy A. Peterson no longer go to Mac, spectrum. Left, right and Dr. Mitau but to other institu- Managing Editor IN RESPONSE to Tom Dynnesons letter in tions which are more reflective of the views Jon Halvorsen the Summer issue: It is a frightening world and values we learned at Macalester and Art Director indeed if a rumor spoken twice becomes which have been deepened and broadened by our years of experience. Elizabeth Edwards truth. Are we all now convinced that Macal- ester is captive to Dorie Gathercoal Clark '53 Class Notes Editor dangerous Left- Are we all now Spokane, Wash. Robert Kerr '92 wingers—you convinced that know, of the sin- Macalester is captive Contributing Writer Sports, life and Macalester Jan Shaw-Flamm '76 isterTed Mitau to dangerous left- type? And now wingers—you know, I ENJOYED President Rosenbergs column we are told of the sinister Ted about the role of athletics at Macalester Macalester College Classical Studies Mitau type? [Spring issue]. Unfortunately, the value of sports in college is often defined by won-loss Chair, Board of Trustees prove that Socrates couldn't get a job there? records rather than the important role that Mark A. Vander Ploeg '74 Come on, folks, this craziness is not sports play, win or lose, in so many peoples President worthy of people educated at Macalester. lives, including my own. Brian Rosenberg Dick Rautio '55 I have always enjoyed sports, tennis in particular. I started playing tennis at age 10, Vice President for College Advancement Aurora, Colo. and played on Macs tennis team all four Thomas P. Bonner HERE'S ONE LETTER in support of Roger S. years. Back in those days (mid-^Os), tennis Alumni Director Peterson '67s letter on "political correctness" was not widely popular, and I was just glad Gabrielle Lawrence '73 in the Spring Macalester Today. that Macalester had a tennis program! His letter closely expresses my belief that I am truly grateful that Mac gave me the Associate Alumni Directors Mac has decided to travel down the wrong opportunity to participate in collegiate Carol Polk and Dameun Strange '95 path, while many Mac alums have watched sports. Our tennis team won the MI AC in disbelief and astonishment. A Dean for championship three of my four years, if Macalester Today (Volume 93, Number 4) the Study of Race and Ethnicity? memory serves me correctly, but the is published by Macalester College. I, too, belonged to the Y-DFL while importance of tennis in my life has far tran- It is mailed free of charge to alumni and attending Mac, and graduated with a politi- scended this winning record. As I look back, friends of the college four times a year. cal science major and a philosophy major, Circulation is 25,000. due in large part to Dr. Mitau, who always encouraged discussion from the entire politi- For change of address, please write: cal spectrum. Alumni Office, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105-1899. Or call (651) 696-6295. G.Theodore Mitau was a legendary, passionate teacher. Toll-free: 1-888-242-9351. He left Nazi Germany in 1937 and earned his B.A. E-mail: [email protected] from Macalester in 1940. He taught political science at Macalester from 1940 to 1968. To submit comments or ideas, write: Macalester Today, College Relations, at the above address. Phone: (651) 696-6452. Fax: (651) 696-6192. E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.macalester.edu/alumni MACALESTER TODAY tinue to support athletics. Perhaps that old Unsung heroes? Here are two. Tell us about others! cliche should be modified to read "it's not whether you win or lose, but if 'you play ELL US about a Mac alum—someone to help those in need. I am honored to have the game." T you know personally — who deserves such a caring person in my life — indeed, he Sports have been an important part of recognition in the pages t>/Macalester brings hope everywhere he goes. Please visit my life. Macalester played a significant role Today for what they do, quietly, in their www.projectvictoria.org to see what Chris in developing this aspect of my life, and I daily lives. What you would like our has been up to. Jessje KnoM -02 sincerely hope that subsequent generations of readers to know about this person? Berkeley, Calif. Macites will be afforded the same opportuni- Tell us—in 200 words or less—and we ties I enjoyed. will publish as many replies as we can. Richard P. Shipman'66 Write: mactoday @macalester. edit. A wide circle Concord, N.C. Or Macalester Today, College Relations Jane Wilson Ritter '76 is one of the Office, Macalester College, 1600 Grand world's kindest, most multi-effective citizens. Disability rights Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105. When I first met her, she was managing I BECAME a disability rights activist just Here are two responses to our 1 editor of the Mac Weekly, the rare person after the Americans with Disabilities Act was query in the previous issue: who could do everything in a newspaper passed in 1990. For the last 15 years I have office. After graduation, she worked as a struggled to get the supports people need journalist and joined the Peace Corps, and — to live in their own homes regardless of hard to believe—became even kinder and what barriers they face. I now work for the Awareness and compassion more focused. Now as wife to Malcolm Colorado Cross Disability Coalition as the I WOULD like to sing a song for my unsung (AP science writer) and mother to Matt and coordinator for southeastern Colorado. hero, Christopher Curran '03. Scottie in New York City, she is a not-at-all- In September 2004, I watched a woman My friend Christopher worked in stressed-out urbanite. For years, Jane has die because no neurologist would treat her Guatemala the year after he graduated from been quietly, steadily taking care of a wide and she had Medicaid. The very people who Mac, and he has set up a scholarship pro- circle of family and friends, while finding pioneered the independent living movement gram to help some of the students he met time to also make a big difference at church when I was studying at Macalester, many of during his stay. Using the global education, and school. Every time I see her, she is as them my childhood friends, are being threat- political awareness and compassion he calm and organized as ever. A sure sign of ened with re-institutionalization because of learned at Macalester and elsewhere, he is good character: On an overnight bus trip drastic cuts in bringing the gift of education into the lives from New York City to Detroit, Jane stepped literally every The very people of these Guatemalan youth. Chris puts off the Greyhound with her sons looking program people who pioneered the countless hours of his own time into creat- refreshed and ready to take on the world. depend on for independent living ing the scholarship Web site, raising funds, She's amazing. assistance, movement when educating U.S. students about Latin Ameri- Anne Valentine Martino '75 whether they are I was Studying at can history and politics, and rallying people Ann Arbor, Mich. capable of work- Macalester are being ing or not.