Winter 2022 Quarterly

History H istory

Homecoming 2022 was a sunny fall day celebrating the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, Title IX and Gustavus Women’s Athletics (including a 3–0 Women’s Soccer win over Concordia), and packed stands at Hollingsworth Field as Gustavus Football beat St. Scholastica, 77–7. More photos on page 35.

For Alumni, Parents, and Friends

WINTER 2022 | VOL. LXXVIII | ISSUE 4

STAFF

Chair, Board of Trustees

Marcia Page ’82

President of the College Rebecca Bergman

Vice President, Marketing and Communication Tim Kennedy ’82

Vice President, Advancement Thomas Young ’88

Director, Alumni and Parent Engagement Angela Erickson ’01

Senior Director, Editorial Content Stephanie Wilbur Ash | sash@gustavus.edu

Alumni Editor Philomena Kau mann | pkau ma@gustavus.edu

Visual Editor, Production Coordinator Anna Deike | adeike@gustavus.edu

Adler | adlerdesignstudio.com

THE FOLKS IN THE ARCHIVES

From the third floor of the library, Adrianna Darden and Je Jenson diligently curate the Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives.

HISTORY IN OBJECTS

From the second-ugliest couch in America to the sculpture of fallen Navy pilot Joel Sandberg ’67, stories behind the Gustavus objects that make us who we are.

IN GOOD COMPANY

Alum Betsy Maloney Leaf ’97 on 70 years of the Gustavus Dance Program, beginning from when we could not dance at all.

LEARNING THROUGH INQUIRY

Student-faculty research results in meaningful— sometimes life-changing—paths of discovery.

Though Ruth Vikner ’37 received a C+ in Physical Education—among other so-so grades—she did attend several athletic contests and lecture courses.

THANKS TO TITLE IX Nicole LaVoi ’91, Gustavus President Rebecca Bergman, members of Gustavus Athletics, and Gustie women athletes past, present (and future!) gathered on the soccer field to celebrate 50 years of the landmark legislation.

Staying Wild

“There are so many great challenges of our time. This one is the challenge of conservation,” says Jon Grinnell, professor and Francis Uhler Chair in Biology. He’s talking about research on South Dakota’s Ordway Preserve, where he, Gustavus students, and others study the behaviors of the bison herd there. During the past two centuries, bison were rendered nearly extinct, their environment squeezed by agriculture. Today, bison are animals without a home. The research aims to learn “how bison can be bison in a limited space,” Grinnell says. The aim of bringing undergraduates along is to get them in the field to see science and research come to life and discern their passions. For Sam Heunisch ’25, who accompanied Grinnell this summer, his passion is definitely field work. “I like to go outside and see the world that’s untouched and uninfluenced by people,” he says. “I want to keep the world a more beautiful place to admire. But I know that admiring it isn’t enough. You have to work toward making the world a better place.”

Watch the short film “Being with the Bison,” about the research Grinnell and Heunisch conducted this summer on the Ordway Preserve. For more on faculty-student research, see page 28.

Välkommen

WORTH REMEMBERING

There are objects in my possession that I cherish. Some are from my family, like heirloom quilts made by my grandmother and great-grandmother, and a large copper kettle (big enough to climb into), which was used to make apple butter over an open fire at my grandmother’s farm. Some are from Gusties, like a set of eight Christmas in Christ Chapel pillar candles from Rev. Rod Anderson, a former Gustavus Trustee and senior chaplain. And some simply make me smile, like my grandmother’s glass candy dish, with a glass lid. My cousins and I routinely tried to “quietly” sneak candy out of the dish. These objects all tell a story about me.

The objects in this issue, many pulled from the archives, tell a story about Gustavus. That story includes the immigrant experience, American response to World War II, music and sports, and the growth of our college. It includes global perspective, a politically and intellectually active student body, college pride, and humor. It is the story of the liberal arts at work.

Of course, how history is conveyed depends on the teller, and there are stories we are still learning. For instance, Gustavus is located on the ancestral lands of the Dakota people. Today, our college is examining how our story intersects with the Dakota story. Last fall, I established the President’s Council on Indigenous Relations (PCIR), with representatives from across the college. This year, the PCIR is hosting speakers, artists, and elders from the Indigenous community to hear stories and generate dialogue. Our purpose is to build meaningful connections with the Indigenous People upon whose land this college stands. There is more history to learn and consider here, and a new future to create.

What will history remember of this current time—George Floyd and the changes his murder brought; a global pandemic that kept us physically distant while moving us digitally closer; a climate changing? What objects will define Gustavus to future generations? I hope such objects show Gusties at our best, as people who act with good will, concern for others, wry wit, and great pride.

Go Gusties, then and now.

RECENT HISTORY All students received masks, hand sanitizer, and this thermometer in the fall of 2020 to help curb COVID-19 cases on campus.

GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Marcia L. Page ’82 MBA (chair), Founding Partner, Värde Partners

Scott P. Anderson ’89, MBA, Head, Carlson Private Capital Industry Executive Council

Catherine Asta ’75, JD, Attorney at Law

Grayce Belvedere-Young, MBA, Founder and CEO, Lily Pad Consulting

Rebecca M. Bergman (ex o cio), President, Gustavus Adolphus College

Suzanne F. Boda ’82, Retired Senior Vice President, Los Angeles, American Airlines

Robert D. Brown, Jr. ’83, MA, MD, Sta Neurologist, Professor of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and John T. and Lillian Matthews Professor of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic

Kara K. Buckner ’97 (ex o cio), President/Chief Strategy O cer, Fallon Worldwide, and Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association

Michael D. Bussey ’69 (ex o cio), Senior Consultant, DBD Group and Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association

Janette F. Concepcion, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Concepcion Psychological Services

Tane T. Danger ’07, Director, Westminster Town Hall Forum

Edward J. Drenttel ’81, JD, Attorney/Partner, Winthrop & Weinstine

Bruce A. Edwards ’77, Retired CEO, DHL Global Supply Chain

John O. Hallberg ’79, MBA, Retired CEO, Children’s Cancer Research Fund

John M. Harris ’92, PhD, Associate Director, Protiviti Mary Dee J. Hicks ’75, PhD, Retired Senior Vice President, Personnel Decisions International

The Rev. Alicia A. Hilding ’08, (ex o cio) Co-pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church; President, Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations

John S. Himle ’77, CEO, Himle LLC

Keith N. Jackson ’89, JD, Assistant General Counsel, Aon

The Rev. Peter C. Johnson ’92, Pastor of Small Groups and Service, St. Andrew Lutheran Church

Paul R. Koch ’87, Retired Managing Director–Private Wealth Advisor, Senior Portfolio Manager, Koch Wealth Solutions, RBC Wealth Management

Nicole M. LaVoi ’91, Director, Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport, University of Minnesota

Dennis A. Lind ’72, Chairman, Midwest Bank Group, Inc.

Jan Lindman, MBA, Treasurer to the King, The Royal Court of Sweden

The Rev. Dr. David J. Lose

The Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, Senior Pastor, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Mikka S. McCracken ’09, Program Manager, WW CSPXT, Amazon

Mikka S. McCracken ’09 Amazon

Jan Ledin Michaletz ’74, Past President, Gustavus Alumni Association

Association

Thomas J. Mielke ’80, JD, Retired Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Bradley S. Nuss ’97, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial O cer, Nuss Truck & Equipment

The Rev. Dr. Dee Pederson (ex o cio), Bishop, Southwestern Minnesota Synod, ELCA

The Rev. Dr. Dan. S. Po enberger ’82, Senior Pastor, Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church

Karl D. Self ’81, MBA, DDS, Interim Associate Dean for Academic A airs, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Kent V. Stone ’80, MBA, Retired Vice Chairman, U.S. Bancorp

The Rev. Heather Teune Wigdahl ’95, Senior Pastor, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church

Yours in community, Rebecca M. Bergman President, Gustavus Adolphus College

It is what so much of Gustavus is about. After online classes, online student org meetings, even online choir practice, the full return of in-person, on-campus life feels celebratory. Students packed the Involvement Fair. Attendance is up at campus events such as a Mario Kart tournament, a roller skating rave, group whittling, lessons and stories about Dakota history, Coming Out Week, the Diversity Leadership Council carnival, and the multiple events put on by the Organization for Latin American and Spanish cultures.

Another case in point: a 120 percent increase in new Greek membership.

ON THE HILL

Delta Phi Omega member Amber Krahn ’22 went through Greek recruitment two years ago—online. Her chapter has since doubled. Why? “For those who were on campus when COVID first hit, it has been a lot harder to find community here,” she says. Fraternities and sororities provide sought-after, intentionally rich community. “People are looking to socialize as much as they can and meet as many people as they can.”

Kappa Sigma Chi member Ron Romero ’23, co-president of the InterGreek Council, agrees. “We were on it from day one,” he says. There’s been a shift in approach, too. “There’s a focus

on diversity, equity, and inclusion this year, to break stereotypes and stigmas about Greek life. We’re trying to get more people of di erent backgrounds involved.” To this aim, IGC has had guest speakers and critical dialogue sessions.

Romero himself was hesitant about Greek life at first. “But the guys made me feel like I belonged with them. They didn’t treat me any di erently because of my sexuality. I felt welcomed into their brotherhood.” And as this generation emerges from the distanced days of COVID, “It’s nice having guys I can count on while we work for the Gustavus community and the greater community.”

THE GREAT COMING TOGETHER

Abigail Eaton ’23, Theta Gamma Xi member and DEI chair, and her snowcone at this year’s Greek Carnival. The event was packed with students eager to make community after a college experience mitigated by global pandemic.

CHRISTMAS IN CHRIST CHAPEL 2022

A tradition since 1973, CinCC is the start of the Christmas season for many in the Gustavus community. More than 350 students bring a new program to life each year through music, dance, spoken word, and the visual arts. This year, it is a celebration in which heaven, earth, and all creation join Mary and Elizabeth, mothers of Jesus and John the Baptist, to proclaim with wonder, hope, and joy that the birth of Christ heralds into the world. It features the Gustavus Choir, Choir of Christ Chapel, Christ Chapel Ringers, Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, Lucia Singers, and dancers.

REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION

Gather your friends and loved ones and watch this year’s CinCC—as well as past programs—via archive at gustavus.edu/cincc

The 2023 celebration will feature Justice Alan Page. He is the first African American on the Minnesota Supreme Court and one of the few associate judges elected to the court, a Presidential Medal of Freedom Award recipient, and a former defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

Attend in person at Christ Chapel or watch the livestream on Mon. Jan. 16 at gustavus.edu/mlk

This summer, peace, justice, and conflict studies major Gabby Lavan ’23 was a Public Policy and International A airs Junior Summer Institute Fellow. The fully funded fellowship brought undergraduates from around the world to six participating schools in the United States for graduate-level study of major public policy issues, ranging from community safety to climate change. Lavan studied at the University of Washington.

Eight Gustie students conducted research through the Mayo Clinic’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF).

“It was great to see so many Gustavus students and have someone in my corner,” said Katie Lillemon ’24, a biochemistry and molecular biology major. Lillemon began her journey as an undergraduate researcher through the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) Program at Gustavus (see page 28). “Establishing connections makes a huge di erence,” said Ashley Ley ’23, a chemistry and biochemistry and molecular biology double major. The experience was made possible

through the Gilyard Peterson Scholarship, established by Tim Peterson ’83 in honor of his friend, Scott Gilyard ’83, who died of leukemia in 2021. The other Fellows were Tessa Bierbaum ’23, biology; Kade Copple ’24, biochemistry and molecular biology; Kimberly Hareland ’24, biochemistry and molecular biology and chemistry; Angel Obiorah ’24, chemistry; Blake Power ’23, biochemistry and molecular biology; and Annabel Smith ’24, biochemistry and molecular biology.

PRETTY GOOD NEWS

Ashley Ley ’23

Katie Lillemon ’24

Making Your Mark: Prints and Drawings from the Hechinger Collection

Nov. 21–Jan. 27 | Hillstrom Museum of Art

This exhibition brings together a rich array of works on paper and features prominent artists such as Claes Oldenberg (1929–2022) and Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021). Showcasing 52 superb prints and drawings, it samples the breadth and beauty of International Arts & Artists’ own Hechinger Collection, which has the unique theme of hand tools and hardware. Focusing on the creative process rather than subject matter, the exhibited works represent a variety of media and disciplines at an artist’s disposal. It also includes this piece from alum Pier Gustafson ’78

Pier Gustafson, Step Ladder with Can and Brushes, 1984, paper construction with pen and ink

JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOLY LAND

Twenty-one Gustavus alumni and friends studied as they toured the Holy Land of Israel and Palestine. They visited sacred sites and deepened their understanding of the complexity of the region from local Israeli and Palestinian friends. They connected with pastors Rev. Adam Miller-Stubbendick ’04 and his wife, Jordan, who are country coordinators of the Young Adults in Global Mission program for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They also connected with other ELCA ministry partners in the region, most significantly with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Among other activities, they walked and prayed along the Via Dolorosa— “The Way of the Cross”—and worshiped in the Garden of Gethsemane. The group was led by Ann Sponberg Peterson ’83, Rev. Grady St. Dennis ’92, and Gustavus professor emeritus in religion, Darrell Jodock. (Photo by Rev. Daryl Thul.)

$665,570

Amount raised on Give to Gustavus Day by a record 1,271 donors. The amount is 18 percent greater than that raised in 2021, and a record in Give to Gustavus Day history.

This Founders Day, Oct. 31, Gustavus recognized three employees for their outstanding service and dedication. (Left to right) Troy Banse, head athletic trainer and director of strength and conditioning, received the Erik Norelius Award for the Outstanding Administrative Employee. Laura Boomgaarden ’93, administrative assistant in the Departments of Physics and Math, Computer Science, and Statistics, received the Augusta Carlson Schultz Award, which recognizes outstanding support sta . And Brandon Dean, Jon and Anita Thomsen Young Distinguished Endowed Chair in Music and Conductor of the Gustavus Choir, received the Faculty Service Award, the College’s highest recognition for distinguished service activities across campus. Founder’s Day commemorates the dedication of Old Main.

CAMPUS SOCIAL

@gustavusadolphuscollege @gustavusalumni INSTAGRAM TWITTER

@gustavusadolphuscollege

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Dakota elder Joe Whitehawk came to campus to lead Gusties in conversation about the Dakota people, on whose homeland Gustavus Adolphus College was built. #whygustavus

@gustavusadolphuscollege

On #NationalComingOutDay, Gustavus celebrates all members of the LGBTQIA+ community on campus. Wherever you are on your journey, Gustavus remains committed to providing a safe, inclusive environment to explore and express sexual and gender identities.

@gustavus

Students from over 25 countries proudly carried their flags in Chapel today in celebration of the many nationalities and cultures that make up Gustavus. #gogusties #whygustavus

Have you ever painted the rock? This signature monument on campus has witnessed hundreds of holidays, celebrations, and eras at Gustavus. (The result? See page 14.)

@merylalper

Had a blast being given a real Midwestern welcome today by @NobelConference and @gustavus to talk about my research with an all-star panel of youth mental health researchers! #nobel58

Resilience is often described as being able to overcome adversity. We can go beyond this definition to imagine a way of living and being that gives hope, mutual aid, belonging, and connection.

—G. Nic Rider, assistant professor and Transgender Health Service Program Coordinator, Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, and Director, National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, speaking at this year’s Nobel Conference

/gustavusadolphuscollege /gustavusalumni FACEBOOK

SHINE : ALEX CHOU ’22

A Concerto of Connections

WHETHER THROUGH THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF MUSIC OR AS AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN JAPAN, CHOU CONNECTS WITH HIS STUDENTS, HIS HERITAGE, AND HIMSELF.

Growing up half Chinese and half Japanese in the United States, Chou learned to navigate multiple cultures and identities from an early age. Now, as an assistant language teacher through the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, he’s using his knowledge and experience to connect his home country with high school students in a remote Japanese town.

When Chou came to Gustavus, he didn’t expect to pursue Japanese studies, let alone a year-long post-graduate program in Japan. However, while studying general education classes outside his premed track, he found himself taking Premodern East Asia with history and Japanese studies professor David Tobaru Obermiller. The switch to a history major with a minor in Japanese studies soon followed. “History is so much di erent in college than in high school,” Chou says. “The discussions that you have, the critical thinking that goes on. And being able to unravel a lot of multiple perspectives opened a new world for me.”

Tobaru Obermiller became a close mentor who eventually wrote one of Chou’s recommendation letters for the JET Program. The other came from former Gustavus Symphony Orchestra conductor Ruth Lin. “They both challenged me—not just academically, but also as a person in terms of being able to transcend fear and go for opportunities into the unknown”

As a student, he became the orchestra’s concertmaster and performed for audiences in multiple countries. “Traveling across the world with the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra was pure joy,” Chou says. “We may not have spoken the same language, but music served as a universal bridge to communicate with each other.”

Participating in the JET Program has marked Chou’s first time living abroad for an extended time. Despite the challenges of conducting everyday tasks in his non-native language, he’s found support from his Japanese colleagues and his fellow JETs in neighboring prefectures. “In hard times, I always lean on people,” he says.

The same held true at Gustavus. “I was feeling homesick recently, so I looked back at some old Gustavus photos. They filled me with so much joy and nostalgia.”

For Chou, working as a high school English teacher in Japan has been a lesson in everyday courage. “You’ve just got to put yourself out there,” he says. “Muster up the courage to say hello and strike up a conversation; it goes a long way. For me, teachers don’t just teach. I get to learn from sta and students, too.”

SHINE : JEFF JENSON

Swedish Lutheran History in our Hands

UP THE LIBRARY STAIRS AND INTO THE STACKS, THIS GUSTAVUS AND LUTHERAN CHURCH ARCHIVIST CONNECTS US TO OUR COLLEGE’S ORIGINS

“Anything can be interesting to the right person. And certain collections are very interesting to people who are part of that history.”

Jenson, who got his masters in history at Minnesota State University, Mankato, had no connection to Gustavus other than a little Swedish ancestry when he took charge of the College’s connection with the Swedish Lutheran immigrants who founded it.

The Lutheran Church archives consist of records from the earliest Swedish Lutheran immigrants in Minnesota in the 1850s, including those who started Gustavus. It includes records of the former governing body of all Swedish Lutheran churches in Minnesota and the Dakotas through 1962, when various Swedish-American churches merged into the Lutheran Church in America. And it includes records of that governing body, up through 1988, when the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed. (ELCA archives are in Chicago.)

Jenson also makes an e ort to acquire documents from student organizations like sororities, fraternities, and honor societies so that these groups may see their mark on Gustavus. “We have a sorority that comes into the archives and has their members look at their organization’s history,” he says. “It’s always an amazing thing. It’s their history and they care a lot about it.”

Getting people’s own history into their hands is a passion for Jenson. He teaches Genealogy Research and Exploration as a January Interim Experience that helps Gustavus students connect with their family’s past. “It’s a popular class and the students are passionate about learning their own history.” He also relishes the opportunity to help students and visitors handle books that are more than 500 years old, and manuscripts that are 1,000 years old.

He always keeps a piece of his own history near him: an aerial photo of his hometown of La Crescent, taken in the 1950s, and framed by a 23-yearold Jenson. “You can really see how much things change over time.”

Part of what makes the Gustavus Archives so special is the people who have donated to create the collections. “We can have an amazing robust collection 50 years from now if we start acquiring materials today,” Jenson says. “I’d like people to know that they’re definitely a part of what Think you have something that the Gustavus Adolphus College and Lutheran Church Archives might want? Visit gustavus.edu/library/archives

SHINE : ADRIANNA DARDEN

History Is A Group Project

PRESERVING GUSTAVUS’S HISTORY IS NOT A ONE-PERSON SHOW; IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE THE PAST ACCESSIBLE.

Working in the Gustavus Adolphus College Archives means immersion in the campus’s long, evergrowing history. It means prioritizing organization and accessibility. “This is a career that has a calling; nobody settles to be in the archives,” Darden says. It is crucial that historical objects are well preserved, properly dated, and highly organized so that all members of the Gustavus community— who come for nostalgia, research, and celebration—can use and enjoy them.

To do her job, Darden must have the objects themselves. “Give me everything you don’t want,” she says, even the latest meeting minutes or alumni get-together swag. “The present will become history one day.” The belief that the archives will only accept or hold on to older materials is false. Darden encourages folks to take the initiative and donate any items that they would want to see in a museum one day. After all, history is a collective e ort and it cannot be secured by one person alone. Those who give are the keepers of the stories we will tell in the future. “Keep the College Archives in the loop,” she says. We can’t do this job without people.”

Darden first discovered the archives during her undergrad years at Luther College. She was a history major who was not interested in teaching. After taking a single archives course, she was hooked. Her passion—and career plans—became clear. “I love having a hand in preserving history.”

After answering the what of her life, Darden had to find her future where. Her journey to Gustavus came down to connections and an aggressive post-graduation job hunt (plus encouraging words from her family). She joined Gustavus in 2009 after completing her masters in library science from Simmons College.

Thirteen years later, she is glad she made the leap. Despite an aversion to teaching in the traditional sense, she loves working with students. “It’s so interesting and rewarding. The Archives are always here to help them.”

And everyone else. Even though Gustavus and Gusties dedicate ample time to care for the College’s present and future, they also deeply tend to its past. “Gustavus has a long and well-documented history. It’s clear that Gustavus cared about its history from a very early point. We really value the archives.”

The College’s 150th anniversary was a celebration of our rich history, so Darden’s work was in full swing. After countless hours of organizing and displaying the campus’s past for the public to see, Darden was taken aback by the support and praise that came from the Gustavus community. She was incredibly proud of her and her colleagues’ work. “I am happy to be one of those people that care about history.”

H istoryIN OBJECTS

Enjoy this journey through the wild and wonderful items found around campus and in the Gustavus Archives. These are the stories behind the unique items that make us who we were, and who we are.

By Stephanie Wilbur Ash,

Bruce Berglund, Luc Hatlestad, and Emma Myhre ’19

WHAT’S ANOTHER WORD FOR “Help! It makes my eyes burn!”?

Eleanor Guanella ’24, Andrew Escoto ’26, Corina Occhiato ’26, and Daniel Hendrickson ’26.

TTHE SECOND-UGLIEST COUCH IN AMERICA

On Sept. 15, 2004, Sarah Pedersen Byrnes ’07 appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly to discuss this couch from the Writing Center, one of three finalists in the 2004 Ugly Couch Contest. It came in second. For Writing Center director Eric Vrooman, the couch is fodder, if not for the landfill then for writing exercises. “How do you describe the yellow? How do you describe the green?” he is known to ask visitors. Its origin story is fuzzy, but English professor Becky Fremo believes a writing tutor rescued it from a campus dumpster twenty or so years ago. She has an unpublished fictional story by former English professor Eric Eliason called “Sofa So Good.” It’s a ghost story, though romance also surrounds the couch. “I like to think that since former Writing Center tutors Kara Barnette ’05 and Drew Grace ’04 got married, it’s a better predictor of romance than the Square Dance,” she says. Though it’s mostly been in Confer-Vickner, you’ll find it today at the Writing Center in Anderson Hall. You can’t miss it.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE According to a dictum to the Class of 1959 from the Class of 1955: “All freshmen will be privileged to wear their freshman green beanies at all times and at all places. This includes the active hours spent in class, the shower, and o campus, etc., and the immobile hours spent in the sack.”

CHIP OFF THE OLD ROCK

This is what one hundred years of layered paint looks like. The exact origins of The Rock are unknown; most likely it’s a remnant of a field of small boulders that were scattered at the bottom of Old Main Hill. How many times it’s been painted is also unknown. This fall, “Greeks have been painting it three to five times a week,” says campus activities director Andrea Junso. “It’s a rite of passage.”

In 1966, a group of students (allegedly) took that rite to the extreme. They removed The Rock and replaced it with a smaller rock, probably in response to the news that a new library was in the works. (A sign next to the new rock read Countess Folke Bernadotte Memorial Rock Substitute. Do Not Paint.) In the Oct. 14 issue of The Gustavian Weekly, a reporter identified only as Reporter 72 to protect their identity, called the crime, “the most daring coup in the history of Gustavus crime.” There is also an obituary in that issue for Reporter 72. They (allegedly) died while reporting the story.

SSTONE GROUND

In the fall of 1863, St. Ansgar Academy, the predecessor to Gustavus Adolphus College, moved from Red Wing to East Union, Minn. Times were tough for the college, and one solution to stay solvent was to open a flour mill in 1867. St. Angsar was known as a “Mission Mill Company” that allowed students to o set their education with work. The Gustavus Class of 1922 elevated the millstone to monument. According to The Gustavian Weekly in 1926, the millstone represents, “the first attempt to safeguard the financial outlook of Gustavus and therefore may justly be called the first endowment.”

Ironically, the flour mill put the school into even more financial disarray. Records of the time show St. Ansgar was more than $5,000 in debt, or $90,000 in today’s dollars. No o cial word on whether this stone was ever used to grind the rye to make Ma Young’s famous rye bread.

At some point the millstone, with a bronze plate bearing its history, made its way to a spot between Old Main and Rundstrom Hall. It has since been removed to preserve it.

STRIKES AGAINST DISCRIMINATION

In the winter of 2016, the Diversity Center and the Center for International and Cultural Education held a cathartic joint event at KingPins Bowling Center in Saint Peter. They bought the pins and students wrote examples of o ensive things that had been said to them. “Like, ‘Can I touch your hair?’ and ‘Wow, your English is so good,’” says Roger Adkins, former director of the CICE. Then they bowled them over. The idea was former Diversity Center assistant director Kenneth Reid’s. “It was a huge success and a lot of fun,” Reid says. Students took the pins home. Those who were there signed this one. It resides— upright—in the Center for Inclusive Excellence today.

VVÄLKOMMEN TO GUSTIE SWEDEN

At the corner of 7th and Pine stood an old Victorian called the Swedish House, a student residence beginning in 1974. Its kitchen door became covered with Swedish and Scandinavian stickers, evidence of students’ travels. When the house was destroyed during the tornado of 1998, then-Scandinavian Studies professor Roland Thorstensson and then-director of the Career Center Je Stocco quietly carried the door away during campus cleanup. “We must have looked very funny, but I don’t think there were too many people roaming around stealing doors,” Thorstensson says. It was stored in his garage until 2000. Today it is, well, right next door to the interior entrance of the Swedish House in the Carlson International Center. “I cleaned it up a little, touched it up with black paint,” Thorstensson says. “I even added one sticker. Only one!”

LLIONIZED

In the fall of 1960, a contest was held for a mascot that would perfectly represent Gustavus. A lion made sense, as the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus was known as “The Lion of the North.” That original costume was worn by any student ready to lead the pack. It disappeared. In 1983, his son was born. He was named Thor, like the Norse warrior God, after a student body vote. Gus the Lion, pictured here, arrived in the early 1990s. A Gustavian Weekly profile of this Gus, written by Betsy Langowski ’08, who apparently snagged an exclusive interview, describes the grandson of the original mascot as “an average Gustie in his interests and activities. He’s a big fan of movies, especially The Wizard of Oz. He likes alternative music (ironically, the band Guster tops his list), and he also secretly adores pop icons such as Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson, and Kelly Clarkson.” This Gus comfortably retired to the archives in 2012 when another new Gus was born, just in time for the College’s Sesquicentennial. You can reach the current Gus through his friends at the Campus Activities O ce. Though he’s not much for words, he’s got a lot of Gustavus pride.

SIGNATURES OF NOTE

When the Nobel Hall of Science was dedicated on May 4, 1963, the ceremony counted 26 Nobel laureates, as well as o cials from the Nobel Foundation. It was the third-largest gathering of laureates to date—and the largest outside Sweden. Ralph Bunche, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for brokering a 1948 cease fire between Israelis and Arabs and the first African American to be awarded the Peace Prize, delivered the address. Chemistry Laureate Linus Pauling stayed on after to lecture about his book, No More War. Many signed the pages of this guestbook, including laureates, dignitaries, college and government o cials, and folks from all over Minnesota, the country, and the world.

cease fire between Israelis and Arabs and the first African of this guestbook, including laureates, dignitaries, college and

SSHE WAS A BRICK HOUSE

Its namesake, Minnesota Governor John A. Johnson, secured $32,500 from Andrew Carnegie to expand the campus in 1908. The 1910 college catalog boasted a new fireproof brick women’s dormitory with electric heat and lights. In 1923, the Johnson women requested a curfew change from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Men had no curfew.) The request was denied. Women would have a curfew until at least 1968.

During World War II, Johnson housed men in the Navy V-12 program (page 20), otherwise it was women only until 1990. It was lost to the 1998 tornado. This sweatshirt is in the archives, the brick is in the o ce of Rich Aune ’81, associate vice president and dean of admission, who saved it before demolition.

Athe season, the players boarded a train in early December for the 700mile trip to Evansville, Indiana—home of the Refrigerator Bowl. A number of college football bowl games were launched in the years after World War II,

including such short-lived contests as the Raisin Bowl in Fresno and the Cigar Bowl in Tampa. The Refrigerator Bowl was fitting for Evansville. The city’s three factories produced 3,800 fridges per day.

The Gusties had a warm welcome in Evansville, with Coach Lloyd Hollingsworth receiving a three-foot key to the city. That was the highlight of the trip. Gustavus lost 14–7 to Abilene Christian in a rainstorm. “It poured,” recalled Dennis Raarup ’53, a member of the 1950 team and later coach of the Gusties. “It was a quagmire.” Adding insult to injury, the players’ wet, woolen jerseys turned moldy on the long trip back to Gustavus. But the key to the Refrigerator Capital of the World remained untarnished. You can find it locked in the trophy case in the Lund Center Hall of Champions.

ASPIRING TO A GREATER GUSTAVUS

Many campuses across the country have an “Old Main.” These 19th century buildings, with their stone facades and ornate clock towers, are reminders of the determination and hope that drove immigrants to found colleges for their communities.

When our Old Main was dedicated on October 31, 1876, hundreds of people came to gather at the newly built structure. Founder Eric Norelius declared that Gustavus Adolphus was “a name that shines like a star of the firmaments.” Old Main matched the soaring heights of the day’s speeches, at least on the outside. The building’s

interior was still unfinished. Without desks or lamps in classrooms, students sat on the floor near windows to do their coursework.

Like campus as a whole, Old Main has been in a constant process of renovation and updating over the decades. The wooden finial sheared o in the tornado (pictured here, currently located in the archives) was not the original. “There was a renovation of the clock tower in the 70s. The original finial was replaced then,” says former physical plant director Warren Wunderlich. “Somewhere on campus, there is a second damaged finial.” That one is hidden in the basement of Co-Ed, now called Norelius.

RRINGING ENDORSEMENTS

When alumni visit the Book Mark, “One of the first things they’ll show us is their class ring,” says manager Molly Yunkers. “They hold their hand up and the stories start to flow.” Like a yearbook and a letter jacket, a class ring is a piece of memorabilia infused with the meaning of place and individual accomplishment. Early designs were signet style, meant to dip into wax to seal a letter with your credentials. Class rings are an American trend for sure, and a local one at Gustavus. Jostens, a maker of class rings since 1906, began just 53 miles east of Saint Peter in Owatonna. Recently, there’s been a resurgence in class ring popularity, particularly the vintage-looking signet style. Don’t have one? You can aways get one in your class year, and customized in other ways too, at jostens.com. Remember: graduates wear the insignia facing outward.

FLORENCE TURNER PETERSON 1922, taught English and history at Gustavus, and worked in the College’s archives. The ring is a 10-karat gold signet engraved with her initials. Old Main is on the front.

EVA TEDERSTROM WICKLUND 1919, donated by her son, Edward Wicklund. Also a signet style, this silver ring has a GAC logo on its front. She was president of Alpha Phi sorority and vice president of the Young Women's Luther League.

JJ AKIN ’11 The contemporary “G” ring most of us are familiar with today. This one is white lustrium, with the class year on the side. He was an English major and a member of the Gustavus football team.

HHOT TOPICS

The ashes of great literature fill this unassuming holiday canister English professor Phil Bryant ’73 grabbed from his house en route to teach Book Burning 17 years ago. In his course, students read a selection of banned books—this year included Huckleberry Finn, Invisible Man, and 1984—and discuss. As a 100-level class, it’s a true liberal arts o ering, catching a variety of students. “I try to make it a safe space where we can have civil discussion about censorship and banning,” Bryant says. On the last day, students bring a favorite passage, read it out loud, and toss it into this “urn.” Then, evoking the final scene of François Tru aut’s movie Farenheit 451, Bryant lights it on fire. “It’s very moving,” he says, “but it’s not about the burning. The book is a physical manifestation of something spiritual. It’s about the books being embodied in us.”

GGOODNIGHT, ERIC NORELIUS

Tala i nattmössan. The Swedish phrase is translated as “talk in the nightcap.” It’s used when someone is speaking nonsense, like we do while talking in our sleep. Nightcaps were common bedtime attire for men and women in the 1800s, especially in northern Europe. Eric Norelius surely wore one in his home province of Hälsingland, Sweden, before emigrating to the U.S. . The nightcap served di erent purposes. It kept the head warm in the age before central heating. It also kept bed clothes clean at a time when hair washing was rare and pomades were popular. Norelius wasn’t known for talking nonsense—in his sleep or otherwise. He was a pastor known for service to others. Along with founding Gustavus, he started the children’s home that was the forerunner to Lutheran Social Service and edited a Swedish-language newspaper for immigrants. Two of his nightcaps are in the Gustavus Archives. The one pictured here is embroidered.

HIM IN HIS CAP It’s the great great great grandson of Eric Norelius, Aaron Norelius ’26.

TTO THE MOON, GUSTAVUS!

As certain uber-wealthy entrepreneurs strive to make a walk on the moon as achievable as a walk in the park, a treasured relic of lunar exploration lives right here at Gustavus. In 1967, the school awarded an honorary doctorate of science degree to astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin to celebrate his Gemini XII mission. When he was later chosen to be one of three astronauts on the Apollo XI mission, Jim Wennblom ’53, then the Gustavus director of public relations, conceived a way to establish the College as the first “universal” institution of higher learning by asking him to take a Gustavus pennant with him to outer space. Aldrin agreed, provided it was small, lightweight, and easily vacuum packed. When he and fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins became the first humans to walk on the moon on July 21, 1969, the Gustie pennant was along for the ride. Aldrin returned it to Gustavus with a small American flag from the mission and an o cial patch. This otherworldly bit of history can be found in Olin Hall, where it invites and inspires students to daydream about future study away programs in galaxies far, far away.

CCONGRATS TO COMPANY F

When the U.S. military underwent a massive expansion during World War II, enrollment at colleges plummeted as young men entered the armed services and military academies couldn’t provide o cers fast enough.

The V-12 Navy College Training Program solved both problems. O cer candidates completed their bachelor’s degrees, then they went to o cer-training school before being deployed.

The first V-12 cadets arrived at Gustavus in July 1943. The College adopted a year-round schedule to meet the needs of these 400 students, half in the Navy and half in the Marines. Dressed in uniform, they outnumbered civilian students by more than 4-to-1. By the time the V-12 program ended in 1945, some 1,000 o cers had studied at Gustavus.

This wooden plaque from the College Archives was likely given to “Company F” for winning a drills competition. The names of the 35 men under company commander Schreifer are on the back.

Jim Wennblom ’53, then the Gustavus director of public

GONE TOO SOON

Joel Sandberg ’67 spent his early years in Becker, where his father was a Lutheran minister. Rev. Ralph Sandberg ’39 and Eleanor Valberg Sandberg ’40 moved their children to Connecticut when Joel was in high school. He returned to Saint Peter, his mother’s hometown, to attend Gustavus. A math major who played tennis and trombone and was in the Kappa Sigma Chi Fraternity, he graduated in 1967 and enlisted in the Navy.

Lieutenant Sandberg was stationed in South Vietnam with a squadron known as the Black Ponies. He piloted an OV10 Bronco, an observation plane that provided support for patrol boats in the Mekong River delta. In late afternoon of Dec. 20, 1969, Sandberg was flying south of Saigon. Spotting a suspicious-looking boat, he radioed that he was descending to investigate. This was his last transmission. Burning wreckage was soon sighted, and a Navy unit was dispatched to search for the crew. Joel Sandberg’s remains were never found.

His mother donated his service medals to Gustavus. A bust of Joel— created by Don Gregory ’47 and cast in bronze by Paul Granlund ’52—is located in the northwest entry of the Art Wing of Schaefer Fine Arts.

BEFORE GOOGLE CALENDAR students handwrote their schedules and assignments. How analog!

FFASHION FROM THE HOUSE OF BJÖRLING

In 2002, then-fine arts director Al Behrends ’77 toured the Jussi Björling Museum in Borlänge, Sweden with the Gustavus Wind Orchestra. The museum director asked, “Why doesn’t Gustavus have a stronger connection with the Björling family?” After all, the Gustavus recital hall is named for the Swedish tenor, and Björling’s son, Anders ’58, was a longtime Comptroller of the College and owner of Saint Peter’s Swedish Kontur Imports (see page 41). It was a good question, and shortly after, Anders procured Jussi’s costume from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of played the starring role) as well as a musical score from the production with Jussi’s notes in German, Swedish, and English. They are displayed in Björling Recital Hall’s lobby.

(in which Jussi

As a child, Jussi visited Saint Peter with his parents as a member of the Björling Family Musicians. By the time he played Faust at The Met in 1950 and 1959, he was considered the most famous musician in the world. “Historically, the costume and score are valuable and fascinating pieces of music history,” Behrends says. As bargains go, their acquisition has not been Faustian in any way the makers of this magazine are aware of.

220 YEARS OF CINCC

That’s what these pins represent. Christmas in Christ Chapel itself has been a tradition since 1973. More than 5,000 audience members attend in person each year, and thousands more view the event online, live, and on replay, in emerging traditions of Gusties gathered in each other’s homes for watch parties. Almost from the beginning, “O Come All Ye Faithful” has been the closing hymn, and the current arrangement was commissioned specifically for Gustavus in 1976. In 1979, CinCC closed with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” instead. Ope. We have remained faithful to our original plan since.

2001: CELTIC PILGRIMAGE. The first pin was shaped like a Celtic cross. So were the invitations and the human-sized ice sculpture outside Christ Chapel.

2004: SEASONS OF PROMISE. It features art by He Qi, the first among Mainland Chinese to earn a PhD in religious art after the 1992 Revolution.

2014: TENDER ROSE, STARRY NIGHT. The first livestream beamed CinCC into homes, ushering in appearance on National Public Television.

TTHAT OLD LIBERAL ARTS SONG

This banjo belonged to Carl Towley ’28. According to his senior yearbook, he was “a goodnatured fellow with a resolute admiration for a tall violet that grows on Fourth Street.” That was Violet Mattson ’28, his future wife. The Gustavian Weekly was only three years old when Towley began working on it, and evidence of his passion are all over this banjo: the letters of Iota Chi Sigma, the journalism fraternity he helped found, and illustrations for his satirical Weekly column, “Old Mane.” There is no immediate evidence he pursued banjo picking after college. He was a newspaper editor, a secretary to the Minnesota Senate, and a high school journalism teacher and principal. (The national Journalism Educators Association still gives The Carl Towley Award, its highest honor, to a high school journalism teacher.) He was also dad to Carl Towley ’54, who was also a musician—a baritone and bass—and an The Weekly. He went on to become an Army chaplain, and to deliver the liturgy at the dedication of Christ Chapel in 1962. You can find the banjo in the archives. You can find The Weekly all over campus. You can find Christ Chapel right where the builders left it.

SMALL WONDERS It is fitting to end on Paul Grandlund ’52. The sculptor left a legacy of more than 650 figurative bronze sculptures in public installations and private collections nationally and internationally. Certainly you’ve seen the large outdoor sculptures in the College’s collection. The three pictured here are each small enough to hold in your hand. Together, they make up Floor Exercises (1984), inspired by the 1984 Summer Olympics. “Olga,” “Nadia,” and “Ludmilla,” as they are named, are tucked into the north end of the trophy case in Lund Center’s Hall of Champions, good reminders that history is around every corner, and always in motion.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR WOMEN IN ATHLETICS

On October 8, the Gustavus Athletics Department Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. Signed into the Education Amendments Act in June of 1972, the landmark legislation is best known for creating a more inclusive athletic environment, leveling the playing field for women from elementary school to varsity college sports.

To celebrate Title IX on Homecoming Saturday, the Department hosted an Open House in the Lund Center, made t-shirts celebrating a half-century of sports equity, and showcased historic images depicting the particularly rich tradition and accomplishments of

women’s athletics at Gustavus. There also was a special presentation prior to the women’s soccer game. Events culminated with former and current Gustavus female athletes gathering on the field to be recognized at halftime of the football game.

As a part of the women’s soccer Title IX presentation, the Department gave the 2022 Making A Di erence Award to Nicole LaVoi ’91. LaVoi, a former Gustie tennis player and 1990 national champion, is a leading scholar on women coaches as the director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota.

She’s also the founder and director of the annual Women Coaches Symposium and has advised numerous Gustavus students, graduates, and coaches. Her research focuses on Title IX and gender equity, physical activity and girls, media representation, and the women’s sports industry. On Homecoming Saturday, she was surrounded by fellow female Gustie athletes, past and present.

The department and women’s athletic teams will continue to celebrate Title IX throughout the year with stories and events that honor the rich tradition of women in athletics and the history and successes of Gustie female athletes.

Hall of Fame inductee Nicole LaVoi ’91 (front right) surrounded by Gustavus women athletes past and present on Homecoming. LaVoi, a leading scholar on women coaches and director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, received the 2022 Making a Di erence Award from the athletic department. She played on the 1990 Gustavus women’s tennis NCAA championship team.

2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

These illustrious Gustavus student-athletes and sports advocates were honored at a banquet in October.

Brian Amundson

’07 (Coon Rapids), is the men’s swimming & diving program record holder with 14 AllAmerica honors, and was a 12-time MIAC champion. The freestyle specialist helped lead the Gusties to three MIAC championships and three top-10 NCAA finishes. He earned seven All-America honorable mentions and 23 MIAC AllConference selections.

Tim Brown ’04 (Bloomington), earned All-America status and played an integral role in the men’s basketball team reaching the NCAA championship game in 2003. Brown holds the program record for career three-point percentage and single season three-pointers made. Brown was All-Region and All-Conference in both his seasons and helped the Gusties win the 2003–04 MIAC championship.

Scott Hagemeyer ’07 (Willmar), logged a record 20 MIAC championships and 28 All-Conference selections as a swimmer & diver. Hagemeyer earned 13 All-America selections and owns the program’s second-fastest times in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. He helped lead the Gusties to three MIAC championships and three top-10 NCAA finishes.

Hailey Harren

Hollenhorst ’07 (Cold Spring), won the 2005 NCAA cross country championship and was the 2006–07 College Sporting News Female Student-Athlete of the Year. The two-time All-American, two-time NCAA Central Region Runner of the Year, and two-time MIAC Runner of the Year, also earned two CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, received the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and was the 2005–06 Gustavus Female Athlete of the Year.

Joe Hartwell ’05 (Apple Valley), earned First Team All-America and MIAC Player of the Year honors while leading the men’s soccer team to a MIAC championship and the NCAA quarterfinals in 2004. A two-time All-Region and three-time All-Conference selection, he anchored a Gustie defense that allowed just four goals in 23 games while recording 19 shutouts.

Lauren Hom Oien ’07 (Stevens Point, Wisc.), is a five-time All-American tennis player, highlighted by her 2005 ITA

national doubles championship with partner Marla Menne. She posted a career singles record of 84-21 and went 96-13 in doubles. Oien never lost a MIAC match in singles or doubles, going 60-0, and helped the Gusties win four consecutive conference titles with a 40-0 team record.

Toney Konicek ’07 (Rochester), is a two-time First Team All-America selection as an outfielder and third baseman and holds program records in career batting average, hits, triples, RBIs, and runs. Konicek earned Midwest Region Position Player of the Year and MIAC Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Konicek was a three-time MIAC AllConference selection and the 2006–07 Gustavus Male Athlete of the Year.

Andrea Peterson ’07 (White Bear Lake), is a four-time All-American and was the 2006–07 Division III Player of the Year. Her 185 career points is the program record and the most by a defender in Division III women’s hockey history. She is the only four-time MIAC Player of the Year, has the secondmost assists in D-III history, and helped lead Gustavus to four NCAA tournament and two Frozen Four appearances.

A WALTZ THROUGH GUSTAVUS DANCE HISTORY

By Betsy Maloney Leaf ’97, PhD, special to the Gustavus Quarterly

It has been seventy years since Dean of Students Melva Lind cautiously lifted the longtime restriction on dancing at Gustavus. The decision to allow dance back on campus, while initially intended for recreation only, proved monumental for the artform at Gustavus.

Today, dance at the college currently includes a department, a major, a minor, two dance companies, three studio spaces, six faculty, many student-led dance organizations, multiple mainstage productions, and opportunities to study

dance around the world.

The list of historic milestones is long. In 1982 the first dance minor was o ered, and in 2001 the major o cially appeared in the catalog. (Since that time, 75 dance majors and minors have graduated from the program.) In 2020, the Rob and Judy Gardner Black Box Theatre opened as a new performance playground with full production support. Last spring, longtime professor Michele Rusinko retired after 34 years of weaving dance into the fabric of Gustavus life. During her

Leaf teaches in the Arts in Education program in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Minnesota. She also works with the interarts (dance, theatre, visual art) license program, and serves on the editorial board of the journal Dance Education in Practice

Maloney Leaf ’97, front

I am Sorry You Feel That Way:

Shiny Things for the Mind Christmas in

performers. They work in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, marketing, social work, education, academia, and human resources. Their time at Gustavus, whether as a student, instructor, guest artist, or designer, was, as one alum

Though I arrived as a first-year at Gustavus with fifteen years of dance experience, my career plans did not include a life in the arts. But one day on campus I spotted a Theatre & Dance department poster advertising its Anything Goes, and a call for student choreographers. I marvel at my decision to attend the meeting, given that I had never performed in a musical and could neither sing nor choreograph my own work. I could only tap dance. But by the end of the brief informational meeting, and after meeting new dance friends and Professor Rusinko, I had found my calling. At Gustavus, I

Gustavus dance. In speaking with alumni, faculty members, production designers, and guest artists about their time on the hill, a clear pattern emerged: dance has been meaningful, significant, and often transformative. Many spoke fondly of developing their artistic voices through classroom experiences uniquely curated by dance faculty, or by experiencing the entire performance arc, from rehearsals to

February 11 | Gustavus Choir: Home Concert, 7:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel

February 18 | Gustavus Wind Orchestra: Home Concert, 7:00 p.m. in Christ Chapel

February 13 to April 23 | Improvised Structures: Recent Sculptural Works by Nicolas Darcourt, Hillstrom Museum of Art

February 23 to 26 | Theatre Musical: Spring Awakening, Anderson Theatre

April 15 | Encore! Celebrating 70 Years of Dance at Gustavus, Schaefer Art Gallery

Learning Through

Student-faculty research at Gustavus results in meaningful discovery in a variety of disciplines and can even change the life paths of students.

STUDENT RESEARCH

for many years meant doing experiments in a science lab or writing a research paper with multiple citations for a history class. There was a correct answer, and appropriate sources, and our professors wanted to make sure we students knew how and where to find the answers.

The concept of student research has changed dramatically in the last two decades. In part, this transformation was spurred by a 1998 survey of undergraduate education, funded by the Carnegie Foundation. The final report called for undergrads to engage in open-ended, inquiry-based research––the kind of research previously reserved for graduate students and professors––in collaboration with faculty mentors. Students must have the opportunity “to learn through inquiry rather than simple transmission of knowledge,” the report concluded.

Schools of all types, including liberal arts colleges, have followed the report’s recommendations. At colleges and universities across the country, faculty members now routinely include undergrads in their research projects. Today, professors in all disciplines— from natural and social sciences to arts and humanities—recognize that undergraduates are valuable partners in their research projects.

Study after study has shown that conducting research is a transformative experience for students. In a 2013 article co-written with colleagues at Indiana

University and the University of Georgia, education scholar and Gustie Thomas Nelson Laird ’95 counted the many benefits that research experience provides undergraduates: development of analytical and critical thinking, improved academic achievement, increased likelihood of retention and graduation, and clarity in choosing a major. Above all, doing collaborative research with a faculty member introduces students to the vocation of investigation, discovery, and analysis. Students learn how to turn their curiosity into questions, and how to turn those questions into new knowledge. Many students who have had research experience as undergraduates decide to go on to graduate school and pursue a career in that field.

The experiences of student researchers at Gustavus reflect the results of national studies. When asked about their research experience on campus, Gustavus students have cited the skills they learned and the mentoring they received from professors.

HOW THEY SPENT THEIR SUMMERS

DOING PRETTY MEANINGFUL RESEARCH

Lauren Buss ’23 worked with James Patrick Miller, Douglas Nimmo Professor of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, to develop a textbook for music educators on teaching conducting.

Bryce Knutson ’22 collaborated with Physics professor Tom Huber to test how computers, using artificial intelligence methods, can extract ultrasound signals from noisy backgrounds.

Erik Small ’23 worked with Kyle Chambers, Professor of Psychological Science, on collecting data necessary for an institutional grant proposal to the National Science Alexandra , on creating a new composition.

Maddie Sandish ’22 researched depictions of fascism and current far-right nationalism in French literature. Their mentor was French professor Sharon Marquart

Taylor Pearson ’22 and geology professorJulie Bartley examined microscopic starfish fossils dating to the Mississippian Period, more than 330 million years ago.

Brendon Carlson Sather ’22 and Katie Leehy,Professor of Biology, investigated the plant Arabidopsis thaliana to understand how certain mutations a ect its resistance to drought.

Luke Haddor ’23 and physics professor Chuck Niederriter researched whether amorphous silicon hydrogenated thin films can be a viable alternative for the more commonly used crystalline solar cells.

Above all, they speak of gaining new confidence in their ability to to conduct advanced research. “The idea that I could contribute to science was so empowering for me,” wrote one student in a survey. Another student noted in a program evaluation that such hands-on experience demonstrated how open-ended research can be. “The paths of inquiry in any field are truly limitless, something my summer research experience showed me quite clearly.”

Nationwide studies show that collaborations between faculty and undergraduate students have significant influence in their disciplines. Gustavus professors see these research collaborations as similarly beneficial, and they have come to rely on students to make substantial contributions to their research projects. In the biology, chemistry, and geology departments alone, more than 90 students have been co-writers for faculty members’ published articles, and more than 180 Gustavus students overall have presented their research findings at national academic conferences. In education, management, physics, political science, and psychology, Gustavus students have co-authored scholarly articles in recent years.

Of course, these collaborations cost money. These projects often happen in summer, when most students need to earn money for the coming school year. This means student researchers have to be paid, as do the faculty members, because mentoring student researchers is intensive and time consuming. There also can be supplemental costs for lab equipment, specimens, data sets, or travel for field research.

Funding for undergraduate research

comes from various sources. Since 1988, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a nonprofit research and philanthropic organization, has awarded more than $870 million for projects to universities and colleges, including Gustavus, that emphasize undergraduate research. The College also received funding last year from the National Endowment for the Humanities to pilot a new Humanities Lab, an environment modeled on the hard sciences in which students contribute to faculty research projects. But this funding from foundations and agencies is often not enough.

Here at Gustavus, funding from a combination of resources is used to support student-faculty research. One source is research grants earned by individual faculty members or teams of professors. President Bergman and Provost Brenda Kelley also provide funds for summer research out of the school’s discretionary budget. As one would expect from a college led by an engineer and a chemist, each of them having spent much of their professional lives working in labs, Gustavus is fully committed

to promoting and supporting studentfaculty research.

The most consistent source of funding comes from Gustavus alumni and friends. Gifts to the endowment support research collaborations in various disciplines. The Johnson Peterson Research Fellowships, established by alumni gifts in 2019, fund student-faculty research across

campus. No matter which path Gustie students pursue, in graduate study or by diving right into a professional career, those with research experience carry the tools of critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Above all, they gain the tenacity needed to do a research project when there is no clear answer, and the agency to follow their curiosity and keep learning more.

Katya McDonald ’21 Laura Burrack, Professor of Biology, examined the drug resistance Brettanomyces bruxellensis and related species of yeast. Their analysis of how cells acquire mutations provides crucial information on drug resistance in yeast species.

—Boyer Commission, Reinventing Undergraduate Education (1998)

Number of student-faculty summer research collaborations at Gustavus

Amelia Wernsing ’23 and Yuta Kawarasaki, Professor of Biology, researched how fruit flies respond to cold temperatures, specifically the ways that the protein p38 MAPK helps fruit flies increase their tolerance of cold shock.

of nationally surveyed male students plan careers in STEM after undergraduate research experience 76%

of nationally surveyed female students plan careers in STEM after undergraduate research experience 92%

of nationally surveyed graduates said undergraduate research was “very” or “extremely important” to their overall education

Duong Pham ’22 and Vita Faychuk, Professor of Economics and Management, examined a dataset of municipal bond trades in 2019–2020 to understand the e ect of the COVID-19 pandemic on municipal bond trading.

INSTITUTIONS MUST FACILITATE INQUIRY IN SUCH CONTEXTS AS THE LIBRARY, THE LABORATORY, THE COMPUTER, AND THE STUDIO, WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT SENIOR LEARNERS—THAT IS, PROFESSORS—WILL BE STUDENTS’ COMPANIONS AND GUIDES.”

MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCOVER, AND DISCERN

Student-faculty research could grow at Gustavus—with help from donors. A word with Chemistry professor Scott Bur, who has mentored more than 30 student researchers, including several who have presented at national conferences.

What is it like working with first-year students in a chemistry lab?

SB: First-year students are interesting. They think they know what they want to do, but I always advise them to be open to new possibilities. During that first summer of research, a lot of what we do in the lab is career discernment. We talk about strengths and weaknesses, core values—all the stu we’re so good at here at Gustavus. Many of our students start out thinking they want to be doctors. Of course, we have had students go on to medical school, and students who have earned a PhD in chemistry. I’ve also had students go into intellectual property law and commodities trading. Even though they are doing things completely di erent from chemistry, they still tell me how valuable their research experience was. It doesn’t matter what they’re doing, the research skills and analytical thinking apply across the board.

What do you have students doing in your lab during the summer?

SB: I typically have one overarching project that has a lot of di erent parts to it. There will be some cell biology going on, small-molecule synthesis, peptide synthesis. And then there is a computational project to help us sort through the data. I have people working

talking to each other, and they know how their part fits into the bigger picture. These modular projects work really well with undergraduates. Each part requires a specific skill set. The student working in that area has a piece they can call their own. And if they don’t work on their piece, it won’t move forward, because there are not three or four other people working on that same thing. I’ve had as many as six students on one project.

That’s a good number of students in a lab. How many could you work with?

SB: It’s clear we have demand for more summer research positions. We are not at

capacity in terms of what we can handle in workload and physical space.

Of course, the big question is financial. My research aims at finding a new therapeutic for malaria. Because malaria a ects people in underdeveloped countries, where there is not potential for drug sales, pharmaceutical companies are not interested in funding research. I rely on funding from nonprofit organizations or government agencies like the National Science Foundation. NSF grants are very competitive; less than 30 percent of proposals are funded. In years when I haven’t had NSF support, I rely on student researchers funded by the FYRE program or the Presidential FacultyStudent Collaboration Grants. The Johnson-Peterson Summer Research Fellowships have also been helpful.

It’s also important to remember that in order to get external grants, you have to demonstrate some success in your research. Your initial results have to show that you know what you’re doing. Here at Gustavus, support for faculty-student research from the FYRE program, the Presidential grants, and the JohnsonPeterson Fellowships are all important in helping faculty get started with new projects, especially younger faculty who need this support as they begin building their own research programs.

REASON TO GIVE: Alison Agather ’13

MY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AT GUSTAVUS AND THE WORK I DO TODAY SEEK TO ANSWER THE SAME TWO QUESTIONS.”

In my first year at Gustavus, I picked a January Term course in the Geology Department with Professor Laura Triplett. I was drawn in by the field work. For the course, we went to Hallett’s Pond in Saint Peter. Even though it was frozen, we cored down to the lake bed to take sediment samples. We spent the rest of the month analyzing these samples, trying to figure out how the environment around the lake had changed over time. The project required an understanding of many di erent disciplines: geology, chemistry, biology, and history. While it was a challenge, it was also great because I got to meet and work with students from other departments. There were some junior and

Left: Agather at Gustavus as an undergrad with with professor Je Jeremiason. Below: Agather as PhD researcher at the North Pole.

senior science students in the course, and they used the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) to measure the sediment samples for metals such as iron and lead. I remember thinking the ICP-MS was really cool, and I wanted to learn how to use it.

This led me to work in Professor Je Jeremiason’s lab, where I researched mercury concentrations in lakes and wetlands in northern Minnesota. During my junior year, Je and our undergraduate lab team presented our work at a research conference. There I met my Wright State University graduate school advisor. Because of the work I did in Je ’s lab, when I got to Wright State, I already knew how to measure mercury. I just had to learn how to adapt my analytical skills and methods to measuring mercury in ocean water. This became the focus of my doctoral research: mercury levels in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, the western Arctic Ocean, and a small lake in Ohio. After completing my doctorate, I started a prestigious marine policy fellowship with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While my job today is very di erent from my first-year research experience, the basis remains the same. Ultimately, my undergraduate research at Gustavus and the work I do today seek to answer the same two questions: How does our environment change, and how does it a ect us as humans?

ON FYRE

The First Year Research Experience (FYRE) provides research fellowships for students in the summer between their first and second years. With the skills Agather gained in the lab student, she went on to earn a PhD in Environmental Sciences from Wright State University. (Her graduate research included a trip to the North Pole, where she measured mercury levels in the Arctic Ocean.) The FYRE program is unique among liberal arts colleges, let alone larger universities. Working with a faculty mentor, students gain the kind of intensive research experience usually reserved for upper-level undergraduates or graduate students. Launched in 2009 with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Gustavus has remained committed to the program since the initial grant ended. Today, costs are met in part by gifts to the endowment.

“ULTIMATELY,

G US TIES

Gusties Are Shining

Greetings from your Board of Directors!

As the pandemic has subsided, this last year has seen a rejuvenation of opportunities to reconnect with our fellow alumni. In June, many returned to campus for a memorable Reunion Weekend with more than 800 attendees. As a proud member of the class of 1982, I can attest that my only disappointment with the weekend was that there was not enough time to attend all the activities that the O ce of Alumni and Parent Engagement and reunion committees arranged for us! In August, more than 1500 members of the Gustavus family did us proud by recording the highest participation of any “college night” at Gustavus Night at the Minnesota Twins. More recently, we celebrated Homecoming on October 8 with hundreds of Gusties and their families returning to the hill, punctuated by a rainbow of Fall colors framing the day. Gustie alumni are vitally important to the continued success of the College and we are grateful for all you do. Here are just a few examples of how you support current students, fellow alums, and our home on the Hill:

• Gusties Care Packs A new initiative to provide a care package and personal note to each of the incoming first-years, all funded by alumni. What a wonderful way to welcome new Gusties into the family!

• Mentorship Program More than 400 pairs of mentors/mentees connect each year. What a fantastic way to pay it forward by helping to guide a student through the journey of career exploration.

• Class O cers These individuals are a key link between the College and alumni, helping us all

stay engaged with Gustavus and our classmates and making Reunion Weekend an event not to be missed.

our

• Chapter O cers For those who do not live in Minnesota and find it harder to get back to campus, chapters are a great way to reconnect with fellow alumni and friends!

• Advisory Boards and Committees These groups include advocates and supporters of music, athletics, the library, various academic departments, and more. The volunteers in these organizations serve the College, its students, and us as alumni.

Now, we have a special request for all of you. As the College continues to navigate a challenging environment for student recruitment, we alumni are a valuable resource to promote this place that is so dear to us. So, spread the word to all potential Gusties on the important impact Gustavus has had on your life, and encourage them to come to campus and take a tour!

Gustavus Adolphus College is a special place that changes lives by giving us the confidence and tools to go out into the world and act on our dreams. Thanks to all of you who stay engaged with Gustavus and support our continued success.

GUSTIES WILL SHINE!

JC Anderson ’82 President of the Gustavus Adolphus Alumni Board of Directors

should be sent to: ce of Alumni Engagement,

HOMECOMING 2022

Driving up College Avenue for Gustavus Homecoming 2022, Gusties revisited the magic of campus in the fall: vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges decorated the Hill and sounds of crunching leaves and curious squirrels filled the air.

Amidst this beauty, Gusties of all ages found their fit on campus from the 35+ events, games, and activities o ered throughout the day. Families learned together from Gustie science clubs, current student musicians, and alumni authors. Hundreds of alumni sang together in celebration of the Gustavus Choir’s 90th Anniversary at the Service of Remembrance, and current and former athletes proudly stood together to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.

As the sun set on the Homecoming tent, Gusties closed out this amazing day in community by raising a glass to another successful year and plenty more to come!

2022–23 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. C. Anderson ’82, (president) partner/ attorney, Lathrop GPM

Deb Johnson Rosenberg ’79, (vice president) retired, director of retirement plan consulting, Stiles Financial Services, Inc.

Amy Zenk James ’94, (secretary) sales and outreach director, Meadow Woods Assisted Living

Jessica Martinez ’15, (treasurer) Academic Dean for Grade 9, assistant to the principal, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

Rick Barbari ’91, head of IT economics, US Bank

Melinda Moen Batz ’86, business manager/ partner, Good Leadership Enterprises

Mark Bergman ’79, president and owner, Bercom International, LLC

Mary Booker ’91, executive director, student financial services, University of Delaware

Sarah Schue ner Borgendale ’06, managerrecruiting, inclusion and diversity, Fredrikson and Byron, P.A.

Jen Brandenburg ’02, clinical pharmacist, Pediatric Home Service

Jon Brunsberg ’79, vice president and CFO, MedASTUTE Consulting, LLC

Tim Donoughue ’91, product company counsel, Baker Hughes Incorporated

Torin Dougherty ’16, solution architect, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing

Bruce Ensrud ’90, senior financial consultant, Parable Wealth Partners

Rebecca Wold Freeman ’98, associate pastor, Mount Olivet Lutheran Church

Jillian Hiscock ’05, director of college and career success, Genesys Works Twin Cities

Bill Laumann ’66, retired schoolteacher/ librarian, Albert Lea ISD #241

Katherine Medbery-Oleson ’02, professor, speech communications, Bellevue Community College

Anne Miller ’90, principal legal counsel, Medtronic

John Moorhead ’68, retired co-owner, Lindskoog Florist

Jace Riggin ’16, assistant director of admissions, Macalester College

Alissa Fahrenz Rowley ’13, assosciate, Excelsior Energy Capital

Mary Anderson Rothfusz ’83, retired attorney

Mark Scharmer ’77, retired executive vice president, insurance operations, Federated Mutual Insurance Company

Marcia Stephens ’73, retired financial advisor

Matt Swenson ’06, director of CEO communications, Cargill, Inc.

April Valentine ’92, assistant director for immigration, Purdue University Northwest

Lucy Nelson Zanders ’77, executive director, Theresa Living Center

Joanna Olson Kroschel, Forest Lake, is the clinical data abstractor for the stroke program at United Hospital.

Rob Williams, Chanhassen, is an attorney and partner in the real estate department of Best & Flanagan.

Carolyn Carlson Zervas, Stillwater, is a clinical pharmacist at U of M Health Fairview.

RAN INTO A GUSTIE

At Preschool Gymnastics

03|

Kevin Quealy, Brooklyn, NY, has been named the editor of The Upshot, the New York Times’ statistical thinking and data visualization team.

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Adam Langenfeld, Champlin, completed his fellowship training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and is now a staff physician in developmental pediatrics at Children’s Minnesota. 07|

Brian Amundson, Eden Prairie, is the vice president of technology for ATEK Companies.

Ben Richter, Bloomington, works for Nice Guy Technology. 08|

Rachael Chaska, Allentown, PA, graduated from the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine in May and is working in emergency medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Cara Carlson Peterson, Franklin, WI, is vice president, event planning, conference services, and global investment banking at Baird.

Linda Wallenberg ’75 learned the grandson of her longtime friend Susie Bjorling Heim ’83 was in Linda’s preschool gymnastics class at TAGS Gymnastics Academy in Eden Prairie. Susie and Linda met in 1975 when Susie was a camper and Linda was a counselor at Sjölunden Swedish Language camp, founded by Gustavus Swedish professor emeritus Roland Thorstensson and his wife Edi Thorstensson, who worked at the Gustavus library. L to r: Peter Heim ’08 Susie, Linda, and Susie’s husband Steve Heim ’81, plus Linda’s granddaughter Layla and grandson Logan.

At a Youth Basketball Tournament

Five former Gustie athletes coached with and against each other at a local youth basketball tournament recently. They don’t have as many wins combined among them as retired coach Mark Hanson ’83, but they are passing on their love of athletics, competition, and sportsmanship to a new generation.

L to r: Ryan Barnick ’03, Hans Sviggum ’03, Cameron Scripture ’00, Brent Olson ’00, and Brock Peterson ’03

At a Chicagoland Band Practice

One day, Jack Sikora ’96 wore Gustie gear to band practice in Crystal Lake, IL. Vicki Rundquist ’82, a percussionist in the band, asked if he went to Gustavus and played in the Gustavus Band. Turns out they both had! The two had been making music together in the Crystal Lake Community Band for four years without realizing they were both alums.

GUSTAVUS NIGHT AT THE TWINS

More than 1500 Gustie alumni, families, friends, and current students attended Gustavus Night at the Twins in August. Pre-game began at Gustie-owned First Draft. Birgen Nelson ’23

Blake Theisen, Clear Lake, is the senior marketing manager at College of Saint Benedict + Saint John’s University in Collegeville. 09|

Christine Dornbusch, Waterloo, IA, is volunteer coordinator/ bereavement counselor for Care Initiatives Hospice.

Anthony Spain, Monticello, completed his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and is a senior manager, finance data analyst for Target.

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Katie Peterson, Boise, ID, was a visiting biology professor at Gustavus for three years and is now the education director at Idaho Botanical Garden.

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Annika Ferber, Brooklyn Center, was the team athletic trainer for USA IIHF U18 Women’s World Hockey Championships.

Anthony Mefford, Piedmont, CA, is an assistant clinical professor of neurology at University of California San Francisco and VA Medical Center in San Francisco.

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Suzanne Mundhenke Ross, Columbia, MO, graduated from anesthesiology and perioperative medicine residency from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Taylor Volk, Le Sueur, is the bed allocation management coordinator for Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Mankato.

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Scott Williams, Minneapolis, is the senior product manager for SPS Commerce.

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Alyssa Maxson Egersett, Shakopee, is a mental health professional for St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development.

Gavin L. Egersett, Shakopee, is an accounting supervisor for Optum.

Amie Goblirsch, Waunakee, WI, is a PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Emily Leslie, Minneapolis, is working as a designer/artist.

Danielle Kirchner Mauren, Sauk Rapids, is the owner and manager of a new event venue called Northern Oaks Events. She was the first to hold her own wedding there in May.

Bailey Volk Schwope, Arlington, is a third grade teacher at Saint Anne’s Catholic School in LeSueur.

manager, international division in London.

18|

Marissa Bogdansky, Carbondale, IL, is owner/ founder of Silver Iris Photography.

Jared Morningstar, Madison, WI, is working as the operations assistant for The Cobb Institute, social media manager for The Center for Process Studies, and content manager for Psychedelic Medicine Association.

McKenna Patrow, Eau Claire, WI, is a mental health therapist at Lakeville Behavioral Health.

19|

Hannah Armstrong, Stanton, is an assistant teacher at Step by Step Montessori.

McKenna Hoffman, Le Center, is an associate account executive for Lockton Companies.

17|

Karena Baldwin, Eden Prairie, is a technical writer for Optum.

David Brazel, Bloomington, is a captain in the U.S. Army and serves as the Battalion S2 for the 23rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.

Andrew Malo, Owatonna, who teaches Spanish and world languages at Owatonna High School, was named Teacher of the Year by the Owatonna Education Association.

Agustin Murillo, St. Paul, is an assistant manager for Sherwin Williams.

Lydia Kennedy Reis, England, works for ALDI, Inc. as a district

Jacob Larson, Omaha, NE, is the applications analyst for the City of Omaha.

Rachel Lund, Apple Valley, is a scientist for ARKRAY USA in Edina.

Hannah Nolte, Boston, MA, received her PhD in industrial engineering in May and is working in senior human-centered systems for MITRE Corporation.

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Mykaela Otto Thompson, Amery, WI, is a city council member for Amery. 21|

Daisy HernandezBarguiarena, Edina, is a communications associate for Unidos MN.

Cole Pengilly, Le Sueur, is a professional baseball player with the Sioux Falls Canaries.

22|

Andrew Dooley, Blaine, is a graduate assistant at Illinois State University.

Tyler Ebner, La Crosse, WI, is the assistant men’s hockey coach for Fredonia High School in Fredonia, WI.

Justyn Hermel, Saint Peter, is a style advisor for Suitsupply.

WEDDINGS

Danielle Kirchner ’16 and Andrew Mauren, on 05/21/22, Sauk Rapids

Bobby Rasmussen ’16 and Sabrina Smith ’19 on 9/3/22, Princeton

Andra Gulenchyn ’17 and Thomas Lindquist ’18 on 08/20/22, Minneapolis

Madeline Johnson ’17 and Michael Apolloni, on 06/04/22, Golden Valley Ryan Pfeifer ’19 and Courtney Wissbaum, on 9/24/22, Minneapolis

Calli Sizer ’19 and Joshua Palmquist on 7/31/22, Shakopee

BIRTHS

Jonah, to Nick Sonsteby ’04 and Kathryn Riggs Sonsteby ’05, in October 2020

Berit, to Eric Risland ’07 and Julia Gervais Risland, in July 2022

Piper, to Blake Theisen ’08 and Mariah Fouquette Theisen, in November 2021

Veyda, to Kaylee Munson Lundblad ’09 and Brady Lundblad, in February 2022 Harlow, to Mike May ’10 and Amy Anderson ’10, in March 2022

Logan, to Karl Boettcher ’11 and Anna Franke Boettcher ’16, in January 2022

George, to Julia LawantNelson ’12 and Lane Nelson ’10, in March 2022

Renee, to Cassandra Quam ’13 and Nathan Dexter ’13, in June 2022

Rebecca, to Suzanne Mundhenke Ross ’13 and Thomas Ross, in March 2022

Asher, to Megan Schroepfer Koenigs ’14 and Tyler Koenigs, in December 2021

Ella, to Alyssa Maxson Egersett ’16 and Gavin Egersett ’16, in September 2021

IN MEMORIAM

Elaine Johnson Matz ’45, Perham, on 6/24/22. She was a long-time high school teacher. She taught physical education, English, business, health occupations. and was the school paper advisor. Five children survive her.

Glen L. Larson ’49, Anoka, on 6/24/22. A Korean War veteran, he was a long-time educator, golf coach, and school principal. He is survived by two sons, including Jon Larson ’84.

Herbert Halverson ’50, Grand Rapids, on 6/15/22. He served in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot, then went on to become a veterinarian. He is survived by his wife, Jean, and six children.

Margaret “Peggy” Clubb Jagger ’50, on 2/21/22. A former registered nurse, she is survived by her husband, Earl, and five children.

John Zelgart ’50, Arlington Heights, IL, on 5/11/22. A World War II Navy veteran, he later had an extensive career as a sales manager with 3M. He is survived by three children.

Marlys Akerson Chase ’51, Minneapolis, on 6/24/22. A wife and mother, she is survived by four children and six stepchildren.

Wilfred Chong ’51, Honolulu, HI, on 11/19/21. After receiving his graduate degree, he worked as a chemist at Pearl Harbor. He is survived by his wife, Ethel Chong, and four sons.

Marion Myrland Johnson ’51, Minneapolis, on 5/28/22. A former elementary school teacher and apartment manager, she is survived by her husband, John, and three children including Nancy Johnson ’86.

Robert R. Johnson ’51, Duluth, on 6/28/22. A Korean War veteran, he worked as a controller for Duluth National Bank. He is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, and one stepdaughter.

Richard “Dick” P. Nelson ’51, Cloquet, on 7/8/22. A World War II Navy veteran and retired teacher for Cloquet Middle School, he is survived by the love of his life, Linda Bush, and two children.

Beverly Jensen Petersen ’51, Sioux Falls, SD, on 5/16/22. She worked as a preschool teacher and desk supervisor for the Sioux Falls YWCA and is survived by four children.

Arden Halk Sanstead ’51, Cottage Grove, on 5/21/22. She was a former substitute English teacher for Hastings School District and served as chair for the Hastings Housing and Redevelopment Authority. She is survived by two sons.

Tsugio “Tug” Ikeda ’52, Great Falls, MT, on 10/28/21. A World War

II veteran in counterintelligence, he later worked as an elementary educator and school principal. He is survived by his wife, Enid, and two children and two stepchildren.

John Renken ’52, Minneapolis, on 5/20/22. A World War II and Korean War veteran, he worked as a chartered property casualty underwriter. He is survived by his three children, their mother, and one stepchild.

Gordon L. Cook ’53, Laramie, WY, on 7/4/22. He had a long career teaching biology at Laramie High School and coaching tennis teams. He is survived by his wife, Marcella Cook, and four children.

Joan Ulrich McGroarty ’54, on 5/16/22. A former schoolteacher in the Minneapolis School District, she is survived by three sons.

Caryl Wold Wedes ’54, on 6/28/22. A wife, mother, and former nurse, she is survived by five children.

James Bristol ’55, Cottage Grove, on 7/25/22. He was a retired electronics teacher for the South St. Paul School District and is survived by his wife, Marie Snyder Bristol ’55, and five children.

Harris L. Johnson ’55, Hallock, on 4/18/22. An Army veteran, he had a lengthy career as manager for Agsco. He is survived by his wife, Maxine, and three children.

Eugene Nei ’55, Prior Lake, on 3/19/22. He was a former teacher for the Prior Lake High School for 30 years and is a member of the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame. He is survived by his five children.

Ronald Thureen ’55, Two Harbors, on 5/24/22. An Army

veteran, he had a professional career in management at various companies. Four children survive him.

Paul Vrudny ’55, Baxter, on 5/22/22. An Army veteran, he had a long career as a teacher and coach for Brainerd High School. He is survived by his wife, Myra, and four children.

Audree Anderson ’56, Cokato, on 6/1/22. She earned a doctoral degree in English and worked for the Department of Defense schools in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. She is survived by two brothers including Mark Anderson ’66.

Gary L. Erickson ’56, Minneapolis, on 11/25/21. An Army veteran, he became an engineer with a long career with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He is survived by his wife, Myrna, and two children.

Robert A. Villesvik ’56, Stillwater, on 6/20/22. A retired educator for the St. Paul School District, he is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Bette” Kocourek Villesvik ’57, and three children.

David W. Ahlgren ’57, Duluth, on 5/30/22. He worked in research and development for various companies, retiring from Luigino foods. He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and three sons.

Robert R. Berkner ’57, Cambridge, on 7/2/22. He was a former educator and middle school counselor for Cambridge School System and survived by his wife, Sharon, and four children.

Orville L. Lind ’57, Fernandina Beach, FL, on 6/5/22. A long-time

Lutheran pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Chelmsford, MA, he is survived by his wife, Donna, and two children.

B. Claudia Christianson Nimrichter ’57, Fort Walton Beach, FL, on 5/6/22. She worked in civil service for the Air Force at Scott AFB, IL, and Dover AFB, DE, and is survived by two sons and a brother, Gerald Christianson ’55.

Karin Erickson Gaskell ’61, Georgetown, TX, on 8/2/22. A wife and mother, she is survived by her husband, Alfred, and two daughters.

Gary S. Anderson ’62, Minneapolis, on 6/12/22. A former Lutheran minister for many years, then later a financial planner and advisor for American Express Financial Services, he is survived by his wife, Catherine, three children including Leslie Anderson ’89 and Nathan Anderson ’95, their mother, Karen, and three stepchildren.

Barbara Dahlin Johnson ’63, Minneapolis, on 6/26/22. She was the former assistant director for education for the Minnesota Board of Nursing and is survived by her husband, Ronald, five children, and a brother, Roger Dahlin ’57.

Suzann Peterson Gardin ’63, Grand Rapids, MI, on 6/9/22. A retired elementary school teacher, wife, and mother, she is survived by her former husband, Ronald Gardin ’63, and four children.

Todd R. Heimdahl ’64, St. Paul, on 1/8/22. An accomplished artist, he taught art and art history for 33 years at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He is

survived by his wife, Carole, and two sons.

Mary Kohlmeyer Tauer ’65, Rio Rancho, NM, on 4/28/22. She was a public health nurse working with the Indian Health Service on reservations in North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico. She is survived by her husband, James.

Carla Rudquist Tollefson ’67, Ames, IA, on 7/1/22. A freelance writer and retired editor for Iowa State University Press, she is survived by two daughters and two sisters, Kay Rudquist ’73, and Geraldine Rudquist Boman ’84.

Gregory Henderson ’68, Alexandria, on 6/7/22. He held various positions in the equipment industry, lastly as safety director for Rivard Construction, and is survived by his wife, MerriLee, and two sons.

John Bradley Ashford ’71, Omaha, NE, on 4/19/22. An attorney who worked in private practice and served one term in the U. S. House of Representatives for Nebraska, he is survived by his wife, Ann, and three children.

Kathy Jo Ray Huijbregts ’72, Boulder City, NV, on 7/26/22. A former middle school teacher for Los Angeles Unified School District and founder of LLP Communications, she is survived by a son.

Peggy Johnson Wagner ’75, Chocowinity, NC on 5/27/22. She was an elementary school teacher and reading specialist in the Oshkosh (WI) School District. She is survived by her husband, Gary Wagner ’73, and two children:

Jessica Wagner Stanwix ’01 and Peter Wagner ’04.

Michael Hecht ’77, Waseca, on 5/10/22. He worked for various companies, most recently for SOREP Technology in Houston, TX and is survived by three siblings including Miles Hecht ’78.

Karen Anderson Eastman ’77, Gilbert, AZ, on 4/3/22. She had a lengthy career in banking and as a claims specialist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. She is survived by her husband, Jerry, and a brother, Kevin Anderson ’81.

John McDonough ’78, St. Paul, on 5/3/22. He was chief operating officer for Health Prime International and is survived by his wife, Shelly, two sons, and four siblings.

Scott Morton ’81, Pearland, TX, on 8/2/22. He had a long career in research and development for the oil and gas industry and is survived by his wife, Cathleen, two children, his parents, and three brothers including Jeff Morton ’84.

Jay Englehart ’82, St. Louis, MO, on 6/11/22. He was a psychiatrist in private practice at Northwest Psychiatric Associates and later a staff psychiatrist with Southeast Missouri Mental Health, then as its medical director. Jay is survived by his wife, Cynthia, and two stepsons.

Becky Jo Groska ’82, Maple Grove, on 6/30/22. She was a senior product manager for Xcel Energy Foundation and is survived by three children, her parents, and a brother.

Thor M. Bolstad ’87, Eden Prairie, on 2/22/21. An avid rugby player and coach, he worked

as a school psychologist and is survived by three children.

Mark R. Hagen ’92, Chaska, on 7/14/22. A reinsurance broker for more than 30 years, most recently for Guy Carpenter. Mark is survived by his wife, Deanna, four children, his parents, Karen Hegland Hagen ’63 and Richard Hagen, and a brother, Daniel Hagen ’93.

Christopher A. Olney ’93, Minneapolis, on 6/20/22. He was a culinary chef and worked various locations. He is survived by his parents, a brother, and a sister.

REMEMBERING THOMAS WITTY

former softball coach, Saint Peter, on 6/22/21. A former Marine, rehabilitation consultant, and avid sportsman, Tom was the women’s softball coach at Gustavus from 1991–97. He is preceeded in death by his daughter, Krista Witty Amos ’87, and survived by his wife, Jeanne Sletterdahl Witty ’64, and daughter, Sara.

REMEMBERING ROGER W. CARLSON ’54

former Gustavus Board of Trustee, Minneapolis, on 7/27/22. A U.S. Army veteran, he was president/owner of Carlson Consulting Company. He served for 10 years on the Gustavus Board of Trustees and was inducted in the Gustavus Athletics Hall of Fame for his football prowess. He was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Citation from Gustavus in 1995. He is survived by his wife, Janet Christenson Carlson ’53, and four children including Kristin Carlson Vlasak ’79, Bradley Carlson ’81, and Douglas Carlson ’85.

REMEMBERING ANDERS JUSSI BJÖRLING ’58

St. Peter, on 6/6/22. The former longtime comptroller in the Gustavus Finance Office, and son of world-renowned tenor Jussi Björling and accomplished soprano Anna-Lisa Bjoörling, he grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. He came to America in 1956 to attend Gustavus and met and married his wife, Janet Neidt Björling ’58. They lived in Sweden for four years, then returned to Saint Peter and opened Swedish Kontur Imports in the basement of their home. Now, 60 years later, it is one of the longest-running private Scandinavian import stores in the U.S. Janet died in 2008. Anders is survived by his wife, Judie Ziemke, and three daughters including Susie Björling Heim ’83.

Jeffrey Salvevold ’94, Minneapolis, on 5/21/22. He was an accountant for Steven Scott Management and is survived by his wife, Katheryn, his parents, and three siblings.

Samuel P. Marten ’12, Lodi, WI, on 4/16/22. He was a math major who participated in curriculum II and club and junior varsity hockey while at Gustavus. He is survived by his father, his mother, Paula Nelson Marten ’69, and his grandparents.

David T. Roland ’16, St. Paul, on 2/1/22. A political science and environmental studies major, he liked to write and was an active participant in political campaigns. He is survived by his mother, Mary, and three sisters.

Marcella Mickelson , former support staff, Rochester, on 5/24/22. She was a clerical worker at various locations while her husband served as a sergeant in the Army during World War II. After the war, they relocated to Saint Peter, where Marcella worked at Gustavus in the Dean of Students

Office for 27 years, retiring in 1986. She is survived by two sons.

Stanley Sheie , former lacrosse coach, New Ulm, on 7/17/22. With a master’s degree in physical education, he taught and coached for 10 years, then made a second career for himself as a master plumber for Feder Plumbing & Heating. He continued his love for lacrosse by coaching at Gustavus and playing in a Twin Cities league. He is survived by his wife, Karen Sheie, and six children including Margaret Sheie Krull ’97 and Sigrid Sheie ’99.

GUSTIES GATHER WITH NEW GUSTIES

For first-years whose parents or grandparents studied on the hill, this academic year carries the joy and nostalgia of continuing the tradition. These are some of the members of the Class of 2026 who were born Gusties.

Todd Andrix ’96, Addison Andrix ’26 holding Soren Andrix, Kristen Andrix, Brynn Andrix and Makayla Andrix | 2. Gigi Wait Dobosenski ’98, Garek Dobosenski ’26, Matt Dobosenski ’99 and Gavin Dobosenski | 3. Jack Johnson ’65, Carl Eckert ’26, Katie Johnson Eckert ’97, Judith Jagusch Johnson ’69 | 4. Brent Newman, Bailey Newman ’26, and Michelle Baker Newman ’96 | 5. Walmy “Lise” Sveen, Erik Erling ’26 and Paul Erling (son, of Prof. Bernhard Erling ’43) | 6. Lori Schlaak Baertsch ’99, Ryan Baertsch, Andrew Baertsch ’26 and Eric Baertsch ’99 | 7. Carolee Hanks ’26 and (grandfather) Rollie Hanks ’60 | 8. (Siblings) Nathan Habben ’21, Eleanor Habben ’26 and Jonas Habben ’23 | 9. Stacy Gans Goltz ’98, Samara Goltz ’26, Emily Goltz, and Elliott Goltz | 10. Julie Heer Heno ’97, Kaylie Heno ’26, Ellie Heno, and Steve Heno | 11. Michelle Koch, Jimmy Koch ’26, and Paul Koch ’87 | 12. Katherine Scott Koch ’96, Carson Koch ’26, Nate Koch, Ben Koch, and Anna Koch | 13. Anna Lundeen-Detisch ’23, Elise LundeenDetisch ’91, and Henry Lundeen-Detisch ’26 | 14. JC McClelland ’94 and Eva McClelland ’26 | 15. Aunt Julie Dressel Goetll ’86, Jack Meiners ’26, and Uncle Je Goettl (mother-Michelle Dressel Meiners ’90 could not be there, she was moving Jack’s twin brother, Dylan to another college.) | 16. Julia Nelson ’26 and Sarah Beth Nelson ’97 | 17. Matt LaJoy, Angela Carlson LaJoy ’95, Madeline LaJoy ’26, Elsie Engman ’26, Heidi Engman ’24, Kristin Swanson ’95, and Jonathan Engman ’96. | 18. Jennifer Monge Nichols ’93, Halle Nichols, Hudson Nichols ’26 and Matt Nichols ’92 | 19. Melissa Matz Nungesser ’90, Sophie Nungesser ’26, and Glen Nungesser | 20. Rebecca Orn, Reese Orn ’26, Tommy Orn, and Bradley Orn ’95 | 21. Jason Rauk ’96, Andrew Rauk, Ellie Rauk ’26, Lindsey Rauk, Kate Rauk, and Kimberly Lacher Rauk ’96 | 22. Nick Chial, Veronica Chial, Andrew Rygwall ’26, Judy Rygwall, and Je Rygwall (parents-Jill Rokala Rygwall ’91 and Chad Rygwall are both deceased) | 23. Julie Altman Simacek ’81, Charlee Simacek ’26, Mark Simacek, and Jack Simacek | 24. Rolf Simonson ’97, Andrew Simonson ’26, and Megan Cronin Simonson ’97 | 25. Darren Strafelda ’95, Boden Strafelda ’26, and Stephanie Holman-Strafelda | 26. Amy Lindblom Vargo ’87, Oscar Vargo ’26, and Paul Vargo. | 27. Jim Williams ’95, Jane Williams ’26, and Susan Williams ’94 | 28. Chris Deschneau ’01, Cale Deschneau ’26, and Beth Deschneau | 29. Vera Laine Stephenson ’94 and Nate Stephenson ’26 | 30. Aleida George Zollman ’98, Adrienne Zollman ’26, and Jaiden Zollman | 31. Elizabeth Johnson Fridinger ’91, Luke Fridinger ’26, and Stephen Fridinger | 32. Lauren Vedeen ’26 and Wendy Gilland Vedeen ’93 | 33. Robert Maas ’97 and Will Maas ’26 | 34. Jennifer Roy McCormick ’95, Connor McCormick ’26, and Tom McCormick | 35 Becky Anderson Fahrenz ’87, Benjamin Fahrenz ’26, and Lee Fahrenz ’87

Vespers

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Sophia Hillman ’24, a Gustavus nursing major, is also Miss Rodeo Minnesota. All summer and fall she o cially represented the sport, greeting folks at rodeos across the state, including at the Hamel Rodeo and Bull Ridin’ Bonanza pictured here. “Some of the main values in the sport of rodeo are faith and community, and those are also some of the core values at Gustavus,” she says. As they’re also some of her own core values, “It’s been a super cool year for me.” She will compete for Miss Rodeo America in early December.