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Six St. Olaf students attended Oslo International Summer School

David Gonnerman '90
July 5, 2005

The 514 students from more than 90 countries who attended the 2005 session of the Oslo International Summer School (ISS) in Norway included 108 Americans representing 24 states. Six St. Olaf College students participated this year: Matthew Fedde '06, Jenna Landsom '07, Nicole Pettersen '07, Brooke Smars '06, Sara Perelli-Minetti '07 and Justin Swenson '07.

Since 1948 -- one year after the ISS was founded -- St. Olaf has hosted the only ISS office outside of Norway. "The ISS presence at St. Olaf epitomizes not only the strong ties that exist between St. Olaf and Norway, but between the college and the University of Oslo," says Torild Homstad, the St. Olaf administrator for the ISS since 1996.

Tigerlily
The Norwegian band Tigerlily provided music for the opening of the 2005 session of the Oslo International Summer School. The popular group fuses folk, rock and jazz into a unique sound. Photo by Sissel Drevsjo.
ISS Rector Arild Underdal opened the 59th session of the ISS on June 27 in Oslo at the Aula, the University of Oslo's festival hall. Underdal praised the ISS, calling the program "an exercise in mutual understanding." He encouraged the students to combine their academic studies with exploring Oslo and learning from each other.

Maria Veie Sandvik, president of the student parliament at the University of Oslo, also welcomed the ISS students. "I hope you will learn from each other, learn something new about yourselves and about Norwegian culture," she said.

Elisabet Vatn and the group Tigerlily provided music for the event, playing a combination of modern and traditional instruments from around the world, including the banjo, Nordic bagpipe, Chinese Moon Guitar and the konting, an ancient Senegalese harp lute.

"Tigerlily's unique sound is an expression of the ideals of the summer school as a meeting place for different traditions where a new harmony is born," said Einar Vannebo, director of the ISS. Vannebo also expressed gratitude to all the scholarship donors who are so vital to helping students participate in the ISS each year.

Following the opening ceremony, ISS students and faculty were officially welcomed by the city at a reception held at Oslo City Hall.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.