01 Winter 07 masters.3 11/8/06 1:00 PM Page 1 THE GustavusGustavus Adolphus College Winter 2006–2007 QUARTERLY 01 Winter 07 masters.3bak 11/8/06 12:07 PM Page 2 G THE GUSTAVUS QUARTERLY Winter 2006–2007 • Vol. LXIII, No. 1 Managing Editor Steven L. Waldhauser ’70 [email protected] Alumni Editors Randall M. Stuckey ’83 [email protected] Barbara Larson Taylor ’93 [email protected] Design Sharon Stevenson [email protected] Contributing Writers Elizabeth Baer, Laura Behling, Teresa Harland ’94, Tim Kennedy ’82, Jonathan Kraatz, Donald Myers ’83 Contributing Photographers Anders Björling ’58, Ashley Henningsgaard ’07, Jonathan Kraatz, Bonnie Reimann, Tom Roster, Stan Waldhauser ’71 The Gustavus Quarterly (USPS 227-580) is published four times annually, in February, May, August, and November, by Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn. Periodicals postage is paid at St. Peter, MN 56082, and additional mailing offices. It is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the College. Circulation is approximately 34,300. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Gustavus Quarterly Office of Alumni Relations Gustavus Adolphus College 800 W. College Ave. St. Peter, MN 56082-1498 Saint Peter, Minnesota 507/933-8000 I www.gustavus.edu Chair, Board of Trustees Russ Michaletz ’74 President of the College James L. Peterson ’64 Vice President for Institutional Advancement Brenda Moore Director of Alumni Relations Randall M. Stuckey ’83 The Gustavus Quarterly is printed on Domtar Earthchoice paper (30% PCR and sustainable source certified by SmartWood) using soy-based inks and alternative solvents and wetting agents by the John Roberts Company, Minneapolis, an EPA Green Power Partner. 01 Winter 07 masters.3 11/8/06 12:54 PM Page 3 Contents 4 From the President 5 On the Hill 14 Calendar: What’s happening on campus 16 Coming to understand Namibia Faculty share the effects of their Service Learning for Social Justice faculty development trip 26 The Wanderer A FOCUS IN/ON collaborative essay considering William Gropper’s drawing 28 Sports New Athletics Hall of Fame inductees 30 Legacy Celebrating Ruth Hanson Westlund Haberman ’56 I Marguerite Posley Hauberg’s shared gift I Gift annuities explained I Meet the gift planning staff 33 Alumni News Reunions schedule I First Decade Awards I Second-generation Gusties ON THE COVER THE Gustavus Adolphus College Winter 2006–2007 Gustavus Students at Hage QUARTERLY Geingob school in Katatura, Windhoek, Namibia. Many school facilities are protected by electrified fences to deter thieves. Photo by Bonnie Reimann On these pages . Old Man Winter visits the Prairie Overlook in Linnaeus Arboretum. Photo by Anders Björling ’58 01 Winter 07 masters.4 11/10/06 10:51 AM Page 4 From the President Engaging the world S t a n W Visitors to campus sometimes have an idea ate and nurture a community where respectful discourse and dialog can a l d h about this place. They see our small-town occur with all sides of an issue being given a voice. While many of a u s e setting, the impressive view of the these issues can be explosively divisive, our mission as an educational r ’ 7 1 Minnesota River Valley, the beautiful gar- institution directs us to conduct our consideration of these issues in dens and well-maintained buildings, and ways that ensure that understanding, new awareness, and toleration they imagine the possibility of a slower, prevail. This, too, is something of which we need more. saner, more harmonious mode of living. While there are any number of examples of how our commitment to The people who inhabit the campus discussion and debate is evident throughout the campus and a tremen- convey the same impression. Visitors to dous value to our world at large, let me use religion to make my point. campus discover engaged faculty and stu- While our Lutheran traditions continue to ground religious life here on dents who are serious about their teaching and learning. They en- campus, those traditions also welcome students from other faiths, fur- counter smiling greetings on the sidewalks, the daily pause for chapel, ther informing and enriching our own understandings and lives of faith. the sounds of first-rate music wafting from the fine arts building, win- Gustavus continues to stand strong as an ELCA-related college and ning athletic teams practicing in the forum and on athletic fields, and a little over half of the student body are Lutherans. But our students bulletin boards filled with announcements of fascinating lectures, also now come from many denominations and faith traditions. And, meetings, and social events. Gustavus can seem like a place whose yes, there is a growing diversity of traditions among our Lutheran stu- main virtue is that it is so different from the rest of the world. It’s easy dents too. Inter-religious conflict is one of the world’s deepest wounds, to imagine that Gustavus is an extraordinary place because it preserves but our college has the resources to ensure that the voice of the a mode of living that seems to have been lost almost everywhere else. Church remains clear and respectful and to assist other traditions in This idyllic perspective misses something important about what joining the conversation about how to listen effectively to each other. sort of place this is. There is no trend, issue, debate, problem, or co- In this era of terrorism and significant schisms in faiths around the nundrum that I read about in the newspaper that doesn’t also show up world, never has it been more vital that we send graduates out in the in some form in our campus life. What makes Gustavus an extraordinary world with a broad understanding of multiple global perspectives. And place is not its separation from the world and its challenges, but the we need more of this. way we engage the world and our reasons for not hiding from it. Let Every day, the people who make up this college bring with them me give you two examples of what I mean. their different interests, economic and social statuses, cultural heritages, Recently in chapel, we celebrated the presence and contributions of and faith traditions. Together, we try to figure out what it means to ad- our international students here at Gustavus. I was touched by the pro- dress these as part of a residential, church-related, liberal arts college. cession of many of these students carrying the flags of their countries, Sometimes our differences are in direct conflict. For example, some of from Vietnam, China, India, Israel, Morocco, Ghana, Somalia, Sweden, us will go hunting next week, and some of us will be appalled at that. Spain, Bolivia, and others. We know that our educational programs are More often, the differences simply reflect the diversity of our gifts and enriched and challenged by those who come to study here from other interests. Some people will make music; some will play soccer or ex- countries and cultures. We also know that our students studying abroad treme Frisbee; some will read for pure pleasure; and some will watch will return from their time away with a keener understanding of the television. But all will be studying at some point, and it is our quest world they will serve and lead. The time in chapel was a very engaging for understanding, our capacity for wonder, and our vision for a trans- reminder of what we gain from the diversity of places, people, and cul- formed world that motivates our inquiry, our teaching and our learning. tures present here. We need more of it on this campus. We seek to create an extraordinary learning environment as varied, Leaving the chapel, I felt the energy of political diversity here on as interesting, as dynamic and challenging as the world our students campus. At this writing, elections around the nation have just been will enter when they leave this hill. We’ll struggle with how to do that concluded and pundits of all sorts are lamenting the state of political in the very best way we know how. We cannot do less for our students, debate in our country. Our students actively campaigned for for the church, and for society. We appreciate your participation in the Republican, Democratic, and Independent candidates. Many candi- conversation. dates, from a multitude of political persuasions, have been on campus. The conflict in political viewpoints is played out here as in the rest of the world, but we have the resources and commitment to ask how this debate can be expressed in civil discourse and in student commitment to action. We need more of this too. We are keenly aware that there are emotionally charged issues fac- James L. Peterson ’64 ing our society on all fronts. Whether these issues revolve around faith President or sexuality or the environment or more, it is our responsibility to cre- 4 I The Gustavus Quarterly 01 Winter 07 masters.3bak 11/8/06 12:07 PM Page 5 On thehill Noted physicist in residence as Rydell Professor heoretical physicist Sylvester T James Gates Jr., a string the- ory expert from the University of Maryland who was one of the featured speakers at the 2005 Nobel Conference, will return to the campus this spring as the Drs. Robert E. and Susan T. Rydell Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College. During his res- idency of two- and three-day visits between February and April 2007, culminating in a seven-day stay in early May, he will present public lectures, visit with classes and informal groups, and team up with Professor Steve Mellema to teach a special-topics course in physics intended for non-majors and titled “Superstring Theory/M-Theory: The DNA of Reality?” Gates, who earned under- graduate degrees and a Ph.D.