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< July 2006
September 2006 >


Week One welcomes new students
AUGUST 31, 2006 — Each year, during the last week of August, first-year students and their parents drive onto campus with packed vehicles and high anxiety. Their meticulous search for just the right college has ended as a new and important part of their lives begins.

Hailstorm hits St. Olaf campus
AUGUST 30, 2006 — A hailstorm hit the St. Olaf campus the morning of Aug. 24, leaving in its wake hundreds of damaged cars and damage to some college facilities.

College eager to welcome Class of 2010
AUGUST 29, 2006 — Picking up after the hailstorm that hit St. Olaf Aug. 24 has added to the preparations to get the campus ready for school. But everything will be ready for new students who arrive Sept. 2 for Week One orientation, says Michael Kyle, vice president and dean of enrollment at St. Olaf.

College eager to welcome Class of 2010
AUGUST 29, 2006 — Picking up after the hailstorm that hit St. Olaf Aug. 24 has added to the preparations to get the campus ready for school. But everything will be ready for new students who arrive Sept. 2 for Week One orientation, says Michael Kyle, vice president and dean of enrollment at St. Olaf.

Tough work for parents
AUGUST 29, 2006 — A commentary piece that appeared recently in the Kansas City Star looks at how new St. Olaf parent Patty Smith, mother of Bobby Smith '10, is dealing with her son's approaching departure to college. "He is a great kid, we are friends, and I really enjoy his company," says Patty. "I think the thing that makes this move easier is the joy in watching him. His excitement has made me excited."

Lowell Johnson '52 plays role in Star Tribune story
AUGUST 29, 2006 — Lowell Johnson '52, St. Olaf professor emeritus of English, was included in a recent Star Tribune article about Patient Partners, a group of retired doctors and nurses who volunteer to visit patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Patient Partners member Barbara Wangstad visited Johnson as he recovered from heart bypass surgery. "Today's better than yesterday," replied Johnson when she asked how he was feeling.

Late alumnus honored with musical tribute
AUGUST 28, 2006 — A musical tribute recently was held at Andrew's Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi in remembrance of Burnett "Bud" Engen '42, who died Aug. 8.

Faculty member's poem featured on poetry web site
Wilson
AUGUST 24, 2006 — Eliot Khalil Wilson, associate professor of English at St. Olaf, recently had his poem, ?White Slip on the Paris Metro,? featured on the web site Poetry Daily.

Students use Finstad grant to start knitting venture
AUGUST 22, 2006 — Mel Stone '64, a reporter and photographer for KVLY-TV in Fargo, N.D., Recently did a story about Jenna Wagner '09 and Rueben Alvarez '08, two St. Olaf students who used the Finstad Grant Program to start their own business.

Do college rankings really matter?
AUGUST 22, 2006 — "The late-summer barrage of college rankings is out, and Minnesota colleges and universities find themselves all over the map for all kinds of reasons," writes Star Tribune reporter Norm Draper, who hit the road last week to visit St. Olaf and chat with Minnesota college administrators about what the rankings mean.

Wee's Puckett poem published in baseball quarterly
Wee
AUGUST 22, 2006 — Baseball enthusiast and St. Olaf College Professor Emeritus of English David L. Wee '61 has had his poem, "The Glove Song of Our Kirby Puckett," published in the premier baseball periodical Elysian Fields Quarterly.

St. Olaf one of 40 schools included in influential guide
AUGUST 22, 2006 — "Aesthetically and academically, it is Camelot," writes author and former New York Times education editor Loren Pope about St. Olaf in the latest version of his popular book, Colleges That Change Lives. The college's Student Support Services program earns special recognition for the way it changes the lives of many students.

St. Olaf holds its place in U.S. News rankings
AUGUST 21, 2006 — St. Olaf College placed 55th overall in U.S. News & World Report magazine's 2006 annual rankings of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation, which were announced today. The college's ranking is the same as in 2005, which was seven places higher than the previous year.

'Presidential spouse' is one of many roles for Paton
Paton
AUGUST 16, 2006 — Author, professor and scholar Priscilla Paton is moving to Northfield this summer with the full intention of continuing her career, as well as embracing her duties as wife of the incoming president.

Enrollment VP comments on Minnesota ACT scores
Michael Kyle
AUGUST 16, 2006 — Michael Kyle, St. Olaf's vice president and dean of enrollment, recently was quoted in the Star Tribune regarding Minnesotan students' stellar performances on the ACT college-entrance exam.

St. Olaf political science honor society earns top honors
AUGUST 16, 2006 — The college's political science honor society has earned a "best chapter" award from the national parent body, its fourth in five years. "Our students are energetic and they're able to make connections between current events and deeper questions," says faculty adviser Katherine Tegtmayer Pak.

Alumna blends parenting skills with photography
AUGUST 14, 2006 — St. Olaf alumna Juli Hanssen '84 is putting her photography skills to the test, aiming to make photo studio visits fun for both kids and their parents.

Hofrenning talks to MPR about war on terror
Hofrenning
AUGUST 11, 2006 — In light of the recent terrorist plot in London, Minnesota Public Radio asked St. Olaf Associate Professor of Political Science Dan Hofrenning to comment on the attention the war on terror is getting from U.S. Senate candidates.

Alumnus to chair national accounting board
AUGUST 10, 2006 — Mark Olson ?65 recently gave up his Fed seat to chair the accounting board, where he will oversee more than 1,500 accounting firms and adopt auditing standards.

Thrivent Financial St. Olaf Golf Classic
AUGUST 7, 2006 — Entering its 14th year, the Classic on August 7, 2006 will generate more than revenue for St. Olaf's 27 intercollegiate athletic programs.

Finger earns Class A membership in PGA
Finger
AUGUST 3, 2006 — Le Ann Finger, men's and women's golf coach at St. Olaf, has graduated from the Professional Golfers' Association of America Professional Golf Management Program, earning her Class A membership in the PGA.