Campus Life

VIDEO NEWS: Music ensembles compete for softball glory
MAY 28, 2009 — "The 'Broken Bat' is the most important thing in the life of the St. Olaf Band ... other than the making of the music," stated St. Olaf Band Conductor Timothy Mahr '78 during this year's storied softball game between the band and the St. Olaf Orchestra.

Classics Department announces award winners
MAY 20, 2009 — In addition to announcing that several students won national and regional contests in classical studies, the Classics Department announced the winners of the annual Loomis Endowed Academic Award in Latin, the Groton Endowed Academic Award in Greek, and the Groomis Grant.

Two decades later, they're still going strong
MAY 19, 2009 — The music of the Limestones, a student-led male a cappella ensemble, remains a presence on campus 20 years after Oles founded the group. "The support of our fans is one of the things that has held the group together," says Charlie Stuckey '10.

OASIS facilitates social innovation at St. Olaf
MAY 18, 2009 — Oles Advancing Social Innovation and Sustainability strengthens "the capacity ... to develop innovative solutions to social problems for a more just, sustainable world." The new student-led group is making plans for their second year of operation.

Students follow through on 'green' music tours
MAY 14, 2009 — Members of the St. Olaf Band pooled enough money to purchase the carbon credits from local farmers needed to offset the energy used on their annual tour. The St. Olaf Cantorei also took steps to make their recent tour more sustainable.

St. Olaf honors its heritage
MAY 8, 2009 — As St. Olaf celebrates Norwegian Heritage Day May 8 and Syttende Mai May 17, it's worth noting a few of the ways the college honors its Norwegian roots all year long.

Students create Northfield Arts Guild documentary
APRIL 29, 2009 — Stephen Anderson '09 and Rachel Woldum '09 teamed up with the Northfield Historical Society to produce a documentary titled The Northfield Arts Guild: 50 Years in the Making that will be shown on campus Thursday, April 30.

Student researchers partner with Minneapolis parenting program
APRIL 22, 2009 — St. Olaf seniors Eva Pesch and Betsy Volkman gained hands-on research experience through a partnership with the Minneapolis Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program while also providing young mothers with a digital parenting tool.

The game of (Ole) life
APRIL 22, 2009 — Life at St. Olaf has been photographed, videoed and written about, but can it be played? Aaron Heidgerken '09 thinks so.

German students videoconference with award-winning filmmakers
APRIL 17, 2009 — St. Olaf Professor of German Karen Achberger and Carleton professor Julie Klassen are breaking ground by using technology that allows their classes to speak directly with such people as an Oscar-winning Austrian film director.

Great Con announces recipients of Johnson Award
APRIL 14, 2009 — Great Conversation faculty members honored Elizabeth Kerstein '11 and Stina Attebery '11 with the Johnson Award, a scholarship bestowed annually upon the students who best exemplify the ideals of the Great Conversation.

One college, four siblings
APRIL 7, 2009 — Sandy '09, Betty '10, Nou '11 and Kong '12 Yang were each drawn to St. Olaf College for different reasons, but together the four siblings have created a home away from home. "We see each other a lot," Sandy says. "I feel like we can never have enough family time."

Video News: Students score with intramurals
APRIL 6, 2009 — Intramural sports are an important part of student life at St. Olaf. And with such choices as inner-tube water polo, dodgeball, kickball and broomball being offered alongside the more traditional soccer, volleyball and softball, there's something for just about everyone.

Alumni to discuss global careers
APRIL 3, 2009 — A group of alumni with careers that have taken them around the world will visit campus Monday, April 6, for a panel discussion and informational sessions on international careers. The "Oles Gone Global" event will feature alumni with careers ranging from medicine to global diplomacy to environmental policy.

St. Olaf students win math competition
MARCH 26, 2009 — Nathan Clement '10, Thomas McConville '09, and Charles McEachern '09 won the annual Konhauser Problemfest, bringing the math competition's traveling trophy -- which illustrates the "pizza theorem" -- back to campus.

Students go 'green' on music tours
MARCH 11, 2009 — During the St. Olaf Band's tour through California, a new "Eco Crew" helped the ensemble create a carbon-neutral tour and encouraged members to find ways to make everything from snacks to showers more eco-friendly.

Bin Laden interviewer, terrorism expert to speak at St. Olaf
MARCH 9, 2009 — Peter Bergen, a print and television journalist who produced Osama bin Laden's first televised interview, will speak on campus Wednesday, March 11. A national security analyst for CNN, Bergen is also the author of the best-selling book The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader.

Take the energy challenge
FEBRUARY 18, 2009 — St. Olaf is competing against 10 other Minnesota colleges and universities this month to see which school can reduce its energy usage the most. There's still time to help St. Olaf compete in the Minnesota Campus Energy Challenge while becoming a more sustainable Ole.

Six faculty members to present panel discussion on Lincoln legacy
FEBRUARY 13, 2009 — In commemoration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, six St. Olaf faculty members will present a panel discussion on "The Many Faces of Lincoln" Thursday.

Video News: Art exhibit showcases St. Olaf ties to Asia
FEBRUARY 9, 2009 — A new art show in Flaten Art Museum features some 100 Asian works of art -- about half of the college's permanent collection. "Asian art collectors give to St. Olaf because ... we use [the works] very frequently in the classroom," says Karil Kucera, associate professor of Asian studies and art history.

'Civic Engagement Week' to highlight ties between St. Olaf, area nonprofits
FEBRUARY 8, 2009 — Engaging with local organizations is exciting and challenging for St. Olaf students, and research shows that community-based learning enhances student learning. St. Olaf's "civic engagement" ties with area organizations will be highlighted during Civic Engagement Week Feb. 12-19.

Conserving through computing
JANUARY 30, 2009 — In the last year St. Olaf College's office of Information and Instructional Technologies (IIT) has reduced the number of servers on campus -- and the power used for these systems -- by 50 percent through a process called virtualization.

Playwright, screenwriter to speak at St. Olaf Monday
JANUARY 16, 2009 — Playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher -- whose works include the major motion pictures The Duchess, Casanova and Stage Beauty -- will speak at St. Olaf Monday, Jan. 19.

From the Desk of the Dean of Students
JANUARY 15, 2009 — The students at St. Olaf are smart, which is why many of them leave the frigid temperatures of Minnesota and use Interim as a time to study Spanish in Costa Rica or socioeconomic development in Bangladesh. But those who stay have something to look forward to as well when they're not studying: sledding.

Four artists make 'Four Corners'
JANUARY 5, 2009 — "Four Corners" is the title of the art show created by four St. Olaf graduates who are participating in the art apprentice program. "In a diverse range of ways we are reflecting on the experiences that make us who we are today," says artist Anya Galli.

St. Olaf math minds place first at competition
DECEMBER 15, 2008 — A nearly perfect score earned Nate Clement '10 and Thomas McConville '09 a first-place finish at the Mathematical Association of America's team competition this fall. The duo beat more than 70 other teams, many of which had three members.

St. Olaf Video News: In the Christmas Festival kitchen
DECEMBER 10, 2008 — For many campus visitors, lutefisk, lefse and meatballs have become as much a part of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival tradition as the music. St. Olaf Video News takes a look behind the scenes to see what it takes to feed nearly 3,500 people over four nights.

Gov. Al Quie '50 to discuss new book at St. Olaf
DECEMBER 9, 2008 — On Friday St. Olaf will host former Minnesota Gov. Al Quie '50 and his biographer for a conversation about their book, Al Quie Riding Into the Sunrise: A Life of Faith, Service, and Civility.

New internship program to foster social innovation
DECEMBER 2, 2008 — Mark Johnson '82 will be on campus this Thursday, Dec. 4 to speak with students about the new internship program he and his wife, Laura Estenson Johnson '82, are sponsoring. The program will give students the chance to design and implement innovative new approaches to tackle social problems.

Lefse, books, tubas and other public Christmas Festival offerings
DECEMBER 1, 2008 — From Scandinavian buffets to book signings, there are a number of events that everyone -- even those without tickets to one of the concerts -- can enjoy during the St. Olaf Christmas Festival Dec. 4-7.

Science Museum president to speak on campus Thursday
NOVEMBER 20, 2008 — Eric Jolly, president of the Science Museum of Minnesota, will deliver a lecture on campus Nov. 20 titled "STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as an Essential Literacy for a Healthy Society."

Students tackle crises in Horn of Africa, gain global perspective
NOVEMBER 19, 2008 — St. Olaf students in Assistant Professor Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak's international relations class took on the roles of leaders from the Horn of Africa and held a three-day summit where they discussed issues ranging from border disputes to drought and worked to foster peace and stability in the region.

Student initiative, tenacity bring mock trial to St. Olaf
NOVEMBER 18, 2008 — In just its second year of existence, the St. Olaf Mock Trial Team is proving it can hold its own against colleges with established programs. After a solid finish at the Macalester Invitational, team members have their eyes set on the national competition.

Julia Watkin Memorial Kierkegaard Lecture to be held Tuesday
NOVEMBER 14, 2008 — Connecticut College Professor Emeritus of History Bruce H. Kirmmse will deliver the third annual Julia Watkin Memorial Kierkegaard Lecture Tuesday. His address is titled "Poetry, History, Humanity: A Historian Reads Kierkegaard."

From the Desk of the Dean of Students
NOVEMBER 13, 2008 — When I watched a video clip recently that showed the number of hours students spend each day doing everything from sleeping to surfing the Web to studying, I wasn't surprised that it added up to 26.5 hours a day. St. Olaf students pack each day with a full schedule of studying, working and volunteering.

St. Olaf introduces single-stream recycling
NOVEMBER 12, 2008 — Recycling is now even easier at St. Olaf, which recently implemented a new all-in-one or "single-stream" model that largely eliminates the need to separate different types of recyclable materials. One of the goals of the new system is to increase the number of people who recycle.

'Spring Awakening' play opens
NOVEMBER 11, 2008 — Performances of Spring Awakening, a play that tells the story of four young adults struggling to understand their sexuality in 19th century Wilhelmine Germany, will be held Nov. 14-16 and 20-22 in St. Olaf's Kelsey Theater.

Filmmaker Ali Selim settles in at St. Olaf
NOVEMBER 10, 2008 — Ali Selim, the writer, director and producer of the critically acclaimed independent film Sweet Land, has been sharing his filmmaking expertise with St. Olaf students this semester. He shares what brought him to campus, how teaching compares with filmmaking and his two best pieces of advice for aspiring filmmakers.

A discussion on making a deal
NOVEMBER 7, 2008 — Science writer Brian Hayes -- who sparked a discussion among mathematicians recently when a book review he wrote referenced the Monty Hall dilemma, a probability puzzle generated by the old game show "Let's Make a Deal" -- will speak at St. Olaf Tuesday.

St. Olaf to celebrate Founders' Day Thursday
NOVEMBER 5, 2008 — In honor of the Norwegian Lutheran immigrants who founded St. Olaf 134 years ago, a number of special events are planned Nov. 6 to celebrate Founders' Day.

Annual Ole Artisan Bazaar to be held Nov. 13
NOVEMBER 5, 2008 — The handiwork of St. Olaf College students, faculty and staff will be on display Thursday, Nov. 13, during the annual Ole Artisan Bazaar. The event will feature more than 20 vendors selling products ranging from jewelry to baskets to candles.

'The Power of 2' opens in Flaten
NOVEMBER 4, 2008 — "The Power of 2: Drawing and Dialogue," will open this week at the Flaten Art Museum in Dittmann Center at St. Olaf College. The exhibit features the work of Connecticut artists Joseph Byrne and John Willis, whose work emerged from a six-year dialogue.

Analyzing the election
NOVEMBER 3, 2008 — Two St. Olaf College classes will host a panel discussion Sunday, Nov. 9 to digest the results and meaning of this year's election. MinnPost blogger and former Star Tribune reporter Eric Black will be on hand to offer his analysis.

New building honors old wood
OCTOBER 30, 2008 — The trees that were removed during the construction of college's new science building have been turned into conference room tables and benches that line the new building's corridors. St. Olaf Cabinetmaker Gregg Menning made the pieces, which feature a beautiful, knotty grain.

Greetings from the Hill
OCTOBER 29, 2008 — "Last week, I had the pleasure of spending two days with the St. Olaf Alumni Board, a group of 18 alumni from across the nation who serve in an advisory role to the Advancement and College Relations Division of the college," says Alumni and Parent Relations Director Nathan Soland '04. "These are amazing people."

American Brass Quintet to perform at St. Olaf
OCTOBER 28, 2008 — An internationally renowned ensemble that has been hailed as the "high priest of brass" by Newsweek magazine, the American Brass Quintet will perform at St. Olaf Nov. 7 and take part in the college's Band Day Nov. 8.

St. Olaf to host Festival of Bands
OCTOBER 28, 2008 — Students from nearly 75 area high schools will gather on campus Nov. 8 for the annual St. Olaf Band Day. The day will end with a concert featuring the St. Olaf Band, Norseman Band and Festival Band.

Alumnus to deliver haunting organ performance
OCTOBER 20, 2008 — Organist John Schwandt '94 will accompany the 1929 silent movie version of Phantom of the Opera in a late-night performance this Friday.

St. Olaf Lyric Theatre to present Cosi Fan Tutte
OCTOBER 14, 2008 — The St. Olaf Music Department's Lyric Theatre will present its first show of the season Oct. 23-25 -- an opera rife with temptation, deception, a devious friend and a saucy maid.

Author, mathematician to present lecture, book signing
OCTOBER 9, 2008 — Manil Suri will visit St. Olaf Oct. 21 to discuss his new book, The Age of Shiva, and talk about how the fundamental ideas from mathematics can be used to compose a symphony, create an image or even write a piece of fiction.

Stop stealing the sheets!
OCTOBER 9, 2008 — University of Minnesota Professor of Family Social Science Paul Rosenblatt will visit campus Oct. 24 to discuss his research and book examining the complexities of couple bed sharing -- from sheet stealing to spooning to tossing and turning. Audience members will be able to ask questions throughout his presentation.

American Boychoir to perform with St. Olaf Choir
OCTOBER 9, 2008 — St. Olaf will host two world-renowned choirs Oct. 30, when the American Boychoir joins the St. Olaf Choir in concert. The American Boychoir will also sing during chapel Oct. 31.

St. Olaf gets 'Serious'
OCTOBER 9, 2008 — Later this month filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen will spend a day at St. Olaf filming scenes for their new movie, A Serious Man.

Seeking social innovation
OCTOBER 8, 2008 — A new program at St. Olaf encourages students to find creative ways to address social problems. "We desperately need innovative solutions to social problems, and programs like this plant the seeds for entrepreneurship," says Duke University Professor Greg Dees, who visited campus to help kick off the program.

St. Olaf to host 'Making it in the Arts' conference Oct. 18
OCTOBER 8, 2008 — "Young people from all fields need to understand something about entrepreneurship," says keynote speaker Philip Brunelle. "Developing something comes with risk, and this isn't a topic that's taught in the classroom." The day-long conference will take place Saturday, Oct. 18.

Software provides new way to prepare for job, grad school interviews
OCTOBER 6, 2008 — A new software program called InterviewStream enables students to record themselves responding to interview questions and review their answers to find areas that need improvement. "The program is great for relieving that initial anxiety that comes with a formal interview," says Betsy Volkman '09.

Student coach achieves national success with speech team
OCTOBER 6, 2008 — James Doyle '10 is one of the youngest people ever to coach high school students to first-place finishes in a national speech competition. He accomplished this feat by leading the same team he was a member of just a few years ago.

New program pairs Oles with local nonprofits
SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 — The students completed academic internships with local nonprofit organizations while participating in weekly seminars on civic engagement. "What we do ... does affect the Northfield Community and vice versa," says one student.