APRIL/MAY 2008 communityA newsletter for the faculty and staff of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University Caritas Award Recognizes Commitment to Service and Justice CSB and SJU presented the Caritas Award to Maya Main, CSB class of 2008; Ben DeMarais, SJU class of 2008; Christine Kustelski, CSB class of 1996; and Paul Conroy, SJU class of 2005, on April 14 at SJU. The award recognizes their commitment to service and justice. Bernie Evans, a CSB/SJU faculty member in the theology department, gave remarks. The Caritas Award was established in 1995 with support from an anonymous donor. Two students (one from each campus) each receive $500, and the alumna and alumnus each receive $1,500 to donate in support of an organization’s service. Main, a CSB peace studies and psychology double major, pledged her donation to the Southside Boys and Girls Club in St. Cloud. Throughout her college experience, Main has worked with the youth at the Southside Club. While studying abroad in Guatemala as a junior, she facilitated a women’s self-esteem group in Cantel, a Mayan pueblo. In her final year at CSB, Main has volunteered with Casa Guadalupe, Fast Forward Youth Program and the St. Cloud Correctional Facility. DeMarais, an SJU physics major, pledged his donation to the Winona Catholic Worker. He has been involved in various campus ministry activities throughout his college years. He plans to volunteer internationally through the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps in the coming year. Kustelski directed her donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota. Kustelski is currently the unit director for the Boys and Girls Club of Central Minnesota at its Southside location in St. Cloud. Kustelski has been particularly effective at guiding the children of Somali immigrant families to be successful in school and in their many adjust- ments to life in the United States. Conroy has pledged his donation to Hanga Abbey in Tanzania. Conroy traveled to Tanza- nia, in east Africa, as the first volunteer with the Saint John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps (BVC) to serve in the remote Benedictine Abbey of Hanga. Community 1 March 2008 280600_CommunityMay.indd 1 5/8/08 1:41:01 PM CSB Commencement anatomy, drawing bone structures by Saint John’s Commencement Set for May 10 hand. Her mother, Kathy, is a ceramicist Activities May 11 and art educator who teaches high school Ahna Skop, assistant professor of William Green, superintendent of art classes. genetics and medical genetics at the Minneapolis Public Schools, delivered Skop has designed magazine cov- University of Wisconsin-Madison, the commencement address at SJU at 2 ers and conference logos for her field, delivered the commencement address p.m. Sunday, May 11, in the Saint John’s and curates an art show at the biannual during the 93rd annual commencement Abbey Church. meetings of C. Elegan scientists (a group ceremony at CSB at 2 p.m., Saturday, Green received an honorary Doctor of of researchers who study this common May 10, in the Clemens Field House, Laws degree, and Eric Jolly, president of experimental organism). Haehn Campus Center. the Science Museum of Minnesota, also Ehlen, the President’s Medal honoree, Skop also received an Honorary Doc- received an honorary Doctor of Laws has captured the wonders of the natural torate of Science degree from CSB. degree. world. Her photography has graced the During the commencement ceremony, Also during the commencement CSB campus through art exhibitions and CSB presented its President’s Medal ceremony, Saint John’s Abbey and Uni- donations of framed artwork for Renner to Nancy Judd Ehlen, an artist, nature versity presented its Pax Christi Award House, the residence of CSB President enthusiast and philanthropist who resides to the Most Reverend Elias Chacour, MaryAnn Baenninger. She has strength- in Peoria, Ariz., and formerly lived in the archbishop of Akka, Haifa, Nazareth and ened the fine arts experience at CSB with St. Cloud area. Natalia Calderon, a com- All of Galilee. generous gifts for annual scholarships, munication and Spanish double-major Tom Connelly, an environmental programming and facilities enhance- from Mahtomedi, Minn., was the stu- studies and Spanish double-major from ment. And, for more than a decade, she dent commencement speaker, as selected Omaha, Neb., was be the student com- has been a strong voice for the impor- by this year’s CSB senior class. mencement speaker, as selected by the tance of art education and the value of The 2008 CSB graduation class Saint John’s senior class. public engagement in fine arts. included 446 women, which is the 10th The 2008 Saint John’s graduating class The President’s Medal is awarded to largest in school history. When com- included 458 undergraduate men, the those members of the CSB community bined with SJU’s 458 undergraduate second-largest in school history, and 45 who have demonstrated extraordinary men, this year’s combined graduating School of Theology•Seminary graduates. loyalty, dedication and service to the class was 904. When combined with CSB’s 446 gradu- college and its mission of liberal arts Skop received the National Science ates, this year’s combined undergraduate education in the Benedictine tradition. Foundation (NSF) Presidential Early graduating class was 904. Recipients receive a symbolic representa- Career Award for Scientists and Engi- Green, as superintendent of Minneap- tion of the President’s Medal that exhibits neers (PECASE) November 1, 2007 olis Public Schools, is directly responsible the seal of the college. — the nation’s highest honor bestowed for overseeing the district’s business func- Past winners of the award have includ- upon scientists in the early stages of their tions and academic achievement for all ed Dorothy Gorecki, who, along with careers. She was one of 58 scientists hon- students. Green served on the Minneap- her husband, Benedict, founded Gorecki ored at a ceremony at the White House olis Board of Education from 1993-2001 Manufacturing in Milaca, Minn., and in Washington, D.C. and was board chair from 1996-1998. contributed the lead financial gift to the “These are the ‘Golden Globe Awards’ Green has taught at Augsburg College, Gorecki Dining and Conference Center, for the Albert Einsteins and Marie CSB and SJU, and Vanderbilt University. their second major gift to CSB; and Bar- Curies of tomorrow — our nation’s most A native of New Orleans, Green is the bara Koch, a business, community and promising scientist and engineering author of A Peculiar Imbalance/The Rise philanthropic leader. educators,” said Rita Colwell, director of and Fall of Racial Equality in Early Min- Last year, the medal was presented to the NSF. nesota, and has contributed more than the Sisters of Saint Benedict’s Monastery, Skop is recognized for her innovative 30 articles to scholarly and popular press who were celebrating their sesquicen- research defining the mechanisms re- publications. tennial in 2007, and Jacquelynn and quired for cytokinesis in animal cells, and Jolly is president of the Science Sylvester “Shorty” Haehn, long-time sup- for identifying molecular links between Museum of Minnesota, which is among porters and benefactors of CSB. The S.L. the ways in which animal and plant cells the nation’s largest and most-esteemed Haehn Campus Center was named in his divide. science museums. Prior to joining the honor after they made a generous gift to Art also plays an important part in Science Museum in March 2004, Jolly help with the center’s construction. Skop’s life. Her father, Michael, is a was senior scientist and vice president classically trained artist who also taught for Education Development Center in Newton, Mass. He is known for his con- Community 2 March 2008 280600_CommunityMay.indd 2 5/8/08 1:41:02 PM tributions to mathematics and science the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minne- education, frequently working with such Chicago Archdiocese. apolis. groups as the American Association for Through The Heritage Program, the Advancement of Science, National Sharing The Saint John’s individuals and artistic, religious and Action Council for Minorities in En- Bible Worldwide cultural institutions can experience and gineering, National Council for Teach- share the only full size, limited edition, A Saint John’s delegation presented ers of Mathematics, and the National signed and numbered reproductions of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI with a Science Teachers Association. He is a life The Saint John’s Bible. Each set is available rare, full size, fine art reproduction of the member of the Society for Advancement for subscription in pre-publication for St. Peter Apostles Edition of The Saint of Chicanos and Native Americans in $115,000. John’s Bible on April 4. The Pope called it Science. Proceeds from the sales of The Saint “a work for eternity.” Chacour, of the Melkite Greek Catho- John’s Bible Heritage Program will help Members of the delegation included lic Church, is a Palestinian Israeli and fund the continuing preservation of Abbot John Klassen, Saint John’s Abbey; an Arab-Christian. Chacour is the first endangered medieval manuscripts world- SJU President Dietrich Reinhart; Fr. Israeli to be ordained a Catholic bishop wide, a permanent home for The Saint Columba Stewart, executive director, and the first Hebrew-speaking Archbish- John’s Bible and scholarly work related to HMML, and vice president of religion op of Galilee. He has devoted his life to this monumental masterpiece. and culture; and Donald Jackson, artistic education and peace, particularly peace director of The Saint John’s Bible. between Israelis and Palestinians, and is Environmental Historian Receives For video coverage of this historic mo- known worldwide for his work on behalf Colman Barry Award from SJU ment as well as more about the Apostles of nonviolent social change.