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Commencement of Class of 2005 celebrated outdoors
MAY 30, 2005 — Commencement ceremonies for the St. Olaf Class of 2005 were held at Manitou Field on Sunday, May 29. The Class of 2005 witnessed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001, barely two weeks into their college career, as well as a presidential election and the war in Iraq.

Summer Lilly Grant recipients awarded to support three international projects
MAY 29, 2005 — The Lilly Program Committee has awarded funding to three faculty projects for the Summer 2005 Lilly International Service Learning program. These projects will involve close collaboration between students and faculty in a multi-disciplinary approach that will benefit the people of three different continents.

Jane Kramer photo exhibit portrays stories of refugee women
MAY 29, 2005 — "Photographs and Stories of Refugee Women: Perserverance, Dignity, Strength, Hope and Peace" will be on display in Buntrock Commons, lower level hallway through Commencement weekend. The photos were taken by Jane Kramer of Minneapolis as she worked as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor in a nursing assistant training program for new Americans in St. Paul, Minn. It was there that Kramer met the five women whom she photographed for this project. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Special concert to honor retiring Professor of Music Robert Scholz
MAY 28, 2005 — Professor of Music Robert Scholz '61, who is retiring after 37 years of service to the college, will be honored at a special concert Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Boe Memorial Chapel. Alumni of the Chapel Choir, Viking Chorus and the former Campus Choir will join the mass choir of singers under the direction of Robert Scholz.

St. Olaf Choir conductor featured in Lutheran magazine
MAY 28, 2005 — St. Olaf Choir Conductor Anton Armstrong, a 1978 graduate of St. Olaf College, talks about his musical training, the college's Norwegian heritage and his motivation -- "to produce a generation of amateurs" -- in the June 2005 issue of the Lutheran.

St. Olaf Bookstore announces spring 2005 author series
MAY 28, 2005 — The Spring 2005 Author Series at the St. Olaf Bookstore includes a visit by four authors on May 28: Neil Palmer Kittleson '54, Tom Porter '51, former St. Olaf staff member Bob Phelps and World War II veteran Bill Cupp.

Stop by the St. Olaf Bookstore today for author readings
MAY 28, 2005 — Five authors, each with a close connection to St. Olaf, will present their work today at the St. Olaf Bookstore. Everyone is invited to stop by to enjoy literary accounts of World War II adventure, small-town heritage and Ole football, or the fictional stylings of a critically acclaimed mystery writer.

Alumna Gretchen Morgenson caps off weekend of activities for St. Olaf Commencement
MAY 27, 2005 — St. Olaf welcomes alumni, parents, friends and families to campus beginning today for Celebration Weekend. Learning seminars, concerts and Commencement, featuring speaker Gretchen Morgenson '76, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, are among the highlights.

St. Olaf Commencement weekend to include Norway 'farewell' performance, tribute to Robert Scholz
MAY 27, 2005 — This year's Celebration Weekend at St. Olaf College includes two special concerts that are open to the public. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the St. Olaf Band, Choir and Orchestra will give their final performance before they leave for their joint tour of Norway. A special tribute concert to retiring Professor of Music Robert Scholz will be Saturday afternoon.

Full weekend of events planned for Celebration Weekend
MAY 27, 2005 — Celebration Weekend 2005 will be filled with concerts and recitals, lectures, artshows, reunion luncheons and banquets, a parade, and chapel services on May 27-28. The Baccalaureate service will be held on Sunday 29 at 9 a.m. in Skoglund Center and Commencment will be celebrated at 2:30 p.m. at Manitou Field with guest speaker Gretchen Morgenson, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times financial reporter. The public is welcome to attend the free join concert of the St. Olaf Band, Choir and Orchestra when they present the "Norway 2005 Farewell Concert" in Skoglund Center, May 27 at 7;30 p.m.

St. Olaf staff honor deceased faculty and staff
MAY 27, 2005 — Memorial Day is a time of remembrance at St. Olaf College with volunteers from the college community placing mums on the gravesites of deceased faculty and staff buried in Northfield cemetaries. Former Vice President David E. Johnson and Public Relations Director Jack Laugen started this tradition in the early 1950s and it continues to this day. This year staff will be placing the gold football mums with black ribbons on the gravesites on May 27 at Oaklawn, Northfield and Calvary Cemetaries.

Suspect arrested in attempted abductions of two female students
MAY 27, 2005 — Two men attempted to abduct two female St. Olaf students within blocks of each other near the St. Olaf campus on Sunday night. A suspect was arrested Thursday afternoon and, according to Northfield police, has confessed to the more severe of the two crimes.

Student statisticians present research on Capitol Hill
MAY 24, 2005 — Seven St. Olaf student statisticians presented two research projects to legislators at the Council on Undergraduate Research "Posters on the Hill" symposium in Washington D.C. The students, all research fellows with the St. Olaf Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CIR), were part of an undergraduate consortium for the advancement of funds for undergraduate research.

Syttende Mai to be celebrated with traditional Norwegian breakfast
MAY 17, 2005 — St. Olaf will host its annual Norwegian breakfast today in celebration of Syttende Mai. The menu will feature Norwegian breads, cheeses, meats, fish, waffles, pastries and fruit. A Hardanger fiddle group will serenade from 7 to 9 a.m. in Buntrock Commons. Call 507-646-3230 for reservations.

African drummer and dancer to perform
MAY 16, 2005 — In celebrating spring and the last day of classes, the St. Olaf Dance Department and Office of Community Life and Diversity will host a performance by African master drummer and dancer Christian Yao Adeti. The event will take place on the Buntrock Commons Plaza at 2 p.m. In case of inclement weather the gathering will take place in Dittmann Center, Dance Studio One. The public is welcome to attend.

St. Olaf Gospel Choir to welcome special guests at spring concert
MAY 15, 2005 — Moore by Four vocalist Ginger Commodore and Sounds of Blackness vocalist Patricia Lacy-Aiken will join the St. Olaf Gospel Choir this evening for "Gospel Meets Jazz." Conducted by renowned jazz pianist Keith McCutchen, the Gospel Choir is celebrating the release of its new CD. The event is free and open to the public.

St. Olaf partners with developer for education-focused senior housing
MAY 15, 2005 — St. Olaf already has a Center for Lifelong Learning on campus that offers alums and the general public "cultural immersion" Study Travel programs. Now, St. Olaf is helping to create another sort of "lifelong learning" through its partnership with Collegeville Development, which creates education-oriented senior housing.

Professor Harold Mok to give guest lecture on painting and poetry
MAY 14, 2005 — Professor Harold Mok of the Chinese University of Hong Kong will give a guest lecture "Poetry in Chinese Painting: the relationship of Chinese painting and poetry, a unique feature of Chinese literati art" at 4:30 p.m. in Dittmann Center, room 305. Professor Mok has organized the Arts in China course for the International and Off-Campus Studies Global semester for several years. The lecture is free and open to the public.

St. Olaf Orchestra concert to feature senior soloists
MAY 13, 2005 — The St. Olaf Orchestra Senior Soloists concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Skoglund Center Auditorium. The orchestra will perform Harald Saeverud's "Five Hop Dance" from Peer Gynt, Bernstein's "Overture to West Side Story" and G. Winston Cassler's arrangement of "The Turtle Dove." Also being performed will be "Christine's Lullaby" composed by senior Carl Schroeder, in remembrance of the youngest victim of the plane crashes into the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001. The concert is free and open to the public.

Student soloists to be featured tonight with St. Olaf Orchestra
MAY 13, 2005 — The Senior Soloists Concert will feature six seniors performing with the St. Olaf Orchestra tonight (Friday) at 7:30 p.m. at Skoglund Center Auditorium. The program will include a piece by student composer Carl Schroeder. The concert is free and open to the public.

Wells receives NEH funding for "Poetry Wars" project
MAY 13, 2005 — St. Olaf Associate Professor of English Colin Wells has received a National Endowment for the Humanities summer stipend to continue work on his project, "Poetry Wars in the Early Republic."

St. Olaf Choir performs for President Bush at White House
MAY 12, 2005 — The St. Olaf Choir, conducted by Dr. Anton Armstrong '78, sang at the White House Thursday, May 5 during the National Day of Prayer. The choir members were guests of President and Mrs. Bush and were the only group to perform during the event.

Prospective employees urged to bring their student research skills to work
MAY 12, 2005 — St. Olaf Career Connections Director Pat Smith and other career experts tell Star Tribune work-life columnist H.J. Cummins that prospective employees should 'check out' the companies or organizations they want to work for -- just as the employers are checking out them.

Community Time to feature Colonel Kevin Larson in talk about Kosovo
MAY 12, 2005 — Colonel Kevin Larson was the Deputy Commander for Civil Military Operations for one-fourth of Kosovo. Larson will talk about the training and deployment of U.S. soldiers, the duties of the U.S. and international forces during their peacekeeping mission in the Province of Kosovo at 11:30 a.m. in Buntrock Commons, Viking Theater. A slide presentation will help the audience understand the ongoing situation of ethnic tensions, unemployment and education. Larson, a maintenance mechanic at St. Olaf for 14 years, has a part-time career as a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard for over 29 years. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Works of faculty member Patrick Kelley displayed in Minnesota, Germany
MAY 11, 2005 — St. Olaf Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Patrick Kelley has several works on exhibit across the state and in Germany.

St. Olaf Philharmonia to perform spring concert
MAY 9, 2005 — The 80-member symphony orchestra, the St. Olaf Philharmonia, conducted by Jo Ann Polley, professor of music, will perform a spring concert at 7:30 p.m. in Skoglund Center Auditorium. The program will include "Morning, Noon and Night Overture" by Franz von Suppe; "Lonely House from Street Scene" by Kurt Weill, sung by senior tenor Matt Lohse; "Three Bavarian Dances" by Edward Elgar, and much more. The concert is free and open to the public.

St. Olaf Dance Department presents Companydance spring concert
MAY 7, 2005 — The Companydance spring concert will be presented May 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Kelsey Theater, Speech-Theater Building. The concerts will feature choreography by guest artist K.T. Niehoff, St. Olaf dance faculty Janice Roberts, Heather Klopchin and Sherry Saterstrom; alumna Kate Bronson, and Emily Wiedenhoeft '05 and Jacob Fitzpatrick '07. Tickets, $8, are available by calling 507-646-8987.

Nickle Creek to perform at "Lutefest"
MAY 7, 2005 — The annual outdoor spring concert and festival "Lutefest" will be held on Buntrock Plaza and grounds beginning at noon on May 7. The event is free and open to the public and will feature campus bands, food, a dunk tank, games and a petting zoo. The Grammy-Award winning "Nickle Creek" will perform at 6:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Pause and will be restricted to St Olaf students with IDs.

American Cancer Society's Relay for Life to be held today
MAY 6, 2005 — Plans are underway for the annual American Cancer Society's Relay for Life at St. Olaf today (May 6). Last year, 70-plus teams, mostly composed of St. Olaf students, raised over $65,000 and there were more than 1,700 luminaries lit throughout the evening (honoring survivors or in memory of loved ones who lost their battle with cancer). The Relay for Life also features music, entertainment, food and friendly competition amongst the walkers. To form a team, please contact the St. Olaf Cancer Connection Office at 507-646-8028. The event is open to the public.

Student's academic achievements recognized at annual Honors Day celebration
MAY 6, 2005 — The annual Honors Day celebration in Boe Memorial Chapel will feature James Cederberg, professor of physics, as guest speaker. Honors Day is one of only four occasions in the academic year when the faculty process in academic regalia. Honors Day recognizes St. Olaf students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.3 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). The convocation also cites students who have won scholarships and fellowships, including Rhodes, Goldwater and Fulbright scholars, senior members of leadership and academic honor societies, and students elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the national scholastic honor society. The chapel celebration is followed by a reception for students, parents, donors and faculty.

National scientists explore Infectious Disease at the sixth annual science symposium
MAY 6, 2005 — St. Olaf College is hosting the Sixth Annual Science Symposium, "Emerging Infectious Diseases: The Unseen Threat," on Friday, May 6. Featured speakers include Robin Bush, James Childress and Michael Osterholm. The symposium, a day-long event, is free and open to the public.

Relay for Life to be held at St. Olaf today
MAY 6, 2005 — Community members will gather Friday at Manitou Field for the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. The St. Olaf Cancer Connection student organization hopes to raise $80,000.

Students and scholarship donors to be recognized today during Honors Day
Cederberg
MAY 6, 2005 — Beginning with recognition of student academic achievement and ending with a "magical" meeting of scholarship donors and their student recipients, the annual Honors Day is one of the college's most exciting academic events. Also part of today's celebration will be "Getting it All Together," an address by Professor of Physics James Cederberg.

St. Olaf and Carleton to co-host Service Learning and Academic Civic Engagement Summit
MAY 6, 2005 — An opportunity to hear from practitioners about their experiences, and hear about the success stories will attract people to a summit being hosted by St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges May 5 through May 7. The summit features guest speakers, site visits and workshops focusing on partnerships in service learning and civic engagement. To register for the summit or find more information about the events, visit www.stolaf.edu/services/servantleader/.

Dr. Alan E. Guskin to present public lecture
MAY 5, 2005 — President Emeritus of Antioch University Dr. Alan E. Guskin, will give a public lecture in Buntrock Commons, Viking Theater at 3:45 p.m. Guskin is a frequent lecturer on leadership and reform in higher education and is especially interested in the question of how to sustain academic viability in the challenging fiscal, social and cultural climate of the next 10-15 years.

American Cancer Society's Relay for Life to be held at St. Olaf College
MAY 5, 2005 — The student group, St. Olaf Cancer Connection, will be hosting the 2006 American Cancer Society's Relay for Life on May 5. Last year the St. Olaf Relay raised more than $57,000 for cancer research. An informational meeting will be held Nov. 2, 6 p.m., in Buntrock Commons, Trollhaugen Room.

Author Broughton Coburn presents "Aama's Journey"
MAY 4, 2005 — The Student Government Association brings celebrated author Broughton Coburn to campus on Wednesday, May 4 for his presentation of "Aama's Journey: A Pilgrimage Between Continents and Cultures." It is a rollicking, poignant, entertaining, thought-provoking 50-minute illustrated presentation of Aama, an 84-year-old woman from Nepal who journeys to America.

All-Campus Student Writing Competition winners to be announced
MAY 4, 2005 — The St. Olaf English Department sponsors an all-campus student writing competition, asking students to submit their entries by April 21. Students may submit in any or all categories, but cannot submit the same piece in more than one of these categories: Paulson Poetry (one to eight poems), Rolvaag Fiction (five to 25 pages), Creative Nonfiction (five to 25 pages), Swanson Humor (five to 15 pages) and Best Sentence (up to three separate entries). Winners will be announced May 4, 7 p.m., in Rolvaag Memorial Library, room 525 by judges Leslie Adrienne Miller and Heid E. Erdrich, both authors and on the faculty at the University of St. Thomas. The public is invited to attend and meet the winners.

English professor deems latest 'grrrl' fiction 'excrutiating'
MAY 2, 2005 — Reading "The Bitch Posse," the latest "grrrl" fiction by Martha O'Connor," placed Professor of English Diana Postlethwaite firmly on one side of the generation gap, as she explained in a recent book review in the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune.

Performer, scholar Claudia Stevens brings her one-woman show to St. Olaf
MAY 2, 2005 — Claudia Stevens will perform part of her holocaust-related play, "An Evening with Madame F," in Boe Memorial Chapel today. A nationally known concert pianist, scholar and recording artist and playwright, Stevens adopts the persona of an elderly concentration camp musician who performed at Auschwitz.

Scientists to explore looming threat of infectious disease at sixth annual science symposium
MAY 1, 2005 — During this year's Honors Day Science Symposium, three renowned experts from different fields will discuss the current status of emerging infectious diseases and how the international community can cope with the unseen threat they represent.

Photo exhibit opens showcasing winners of Gimse International and Off-Campus Photo Contest
MAY 1, 2005 — The 22nd annual Gimse International and Off-Campus Photo Contest winners will have their photos displayed between the hallway of Buntrock Commons and the Rolvaag Memorial Library through May 1. Twenty-eight entries were chosen from 454 submissions; of those, three are Best of Show and four are Honorable Mention. The criteria for judging included: artistic and technical quality, reproducibility for the photo exhibit and cross-cultural content.