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![[Pacific Lutheran Scene]](img/logo.gif)
In the News
2001
Commencement highlighted by Lois Capps ’59
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps ’59 of Santa
Barbara, Calif, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters,
and 605 PLU graduates earned their degrees at Spring Commencement
May 27. At this year’s ceremony, PLU awarded 570 un-dergraduate
degrees and 35 graduate degrees. PLU awards about 900 undergraduate
and graduate degrees every year.
Capps was the honored speaker. She
was elected in 1998 to succeed her husband, Walter, in the seat
representing California’s central coast after his death.
She earned her nursing degree from
PLU, her master of arts in religion from Yale University and a
master’s in education from the University of California at Santa
Barbara.
Capps is co-chair of the House Democratic
Task Force on Medicare Reform and founder and co-chair of the
bipartisan Congressional School Health and Safety Caucus, which
educates House members and staff on important issues such as playground
safety, school sports safety and nutrition in schools.
Also honored at commencement were
retiring faculty members Stewart Govig, religion; Jerry Kracht,
music; Jerome LeJeune, psychology; Jon Nordby, philosophy; Linda
Olson, nursing and Paul Webster, languages and literature.
Author,
award winner to give Koller Lecture
An award winning authority on the
sociology of religion, Robert N. Bellah, will deliver the Heather
Koller Memorial Lecture, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m. on campus.
Bellah’s scholarship, ranging from
American civic history and responsibility to East Asian religions,
has affected trends, methods and current research in the academic
study of religion.
Last year President Clinton awarded
Bellah the National Humanities Award. The award honors individuals
or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of
the humanities.
Bellah’s best-selling 1985 book,
“Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American
Life” won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It examines the tension
in contemporary American life between radical individualism and
the deep yearning for community.
Bellah is Elliott Professor of Sociology,
Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley.
PLU
becomes ROTC host institution
PLU will become a host institution
for its award-winning Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
The move will establish a military
science program at PLU and will provide cadets more scholarships
and better Army assignments when they graduate. Currently PLU’s
ROTC program is affiliated with the parent program at Seattle
University, even though PLU has 125 cadets, compared to Seattle
University’s 75.
The move to host status was controversial
on campus because of the military’s “don’t ask/don’t tell” policy.
Gay and lesbian individuals are banned from military service,
unless they keep their sexual orientation secret.
PLU has a non-discrimination policy
that promotes inclusiveness for sexual minorities. Some faculty
members and students opposed creating a department on campus that
conflicts with this policy.
A majority of faculty members voted
to approve the host status, and the Board of Regents followed
their recommendation.
PLU
alum to take over choral activities and the Choir of the West
Master conductor, inspirational teacher
and exceptional soloist Kathryn Lehmann Olson has been named conductor
of the Choir of the West and new director of choral activities.
Olson, a 1976 PLU music education
graduate who was a member of the Choir of the West, is the fifth
person to hold the position and the first woman. She is the first
woman to conduct a major choir at a Lutheran college. She will
succeed Richard Sparks, who is leaving PLU after 18 years to work
more closely with the professional choirs he conducts.
“Kathryn brings incredible energy,”
said Professor David Robbins, chairman of the music department.
“She is not only a superb choral conductor, she is deeply committed
to music education, and she’s a performer of professional caliber,
with an insider’s knowledge of the physics and psyche of singing.”
Olson most recently was an associate
professor of music at the University of Oregon and conductor of
the University Chamber Choir. She also has held positions at Oregon
State University, Westminster Conservatory in Princeton, N.J.,
and in the Clover Park School District. She regularly performs,
acts as a guest conductor and lectures on vocal performance. She
earned her master’s degree in vocal performance from Westminster
Choir College in Princeton, N.J., and is pursuing her doctorate
in musical arts at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Olson is dedicated to preparing students
to teach music in public schools and has an ability to work with
voices that are just forming and those of more mature, well-developed
singers, Robbins said.
She looks forward to returning to
campus: “I have extremely good memories of how I was treated as
a student at PLU,” Olson said. “Since I’ve been a teacher, I haven’t
found that kind of atmosphere, where students are the priority
and are so valued.”
She said she is honored to conduct
the choir in which she performed under Maurice Skones. She hopes
to continue the traditions he and Sparks have maintained, as well
as try some new things, such as introducing the choir to more
ethnic and European music.
Olson will join PLU as an associate
professor in the fall. The Choir of the West celebrates its 75
th anniversary this year. Sparks will take the choir on a tour
of Scandinavia in May and June, and a reunion concert with past
members will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at Lagerquist
Concert Hall.
Online…instead
of in line
 One
of the longest standing and most aggravating student traditions—waiting
at the bookstore to purchase textbooks—could be a thing of the
past. Soon, the tradition will become a short stroll to a computer,
as the PLU Bookstore makes online ordering available. Not only
will students be able to purchase books online, but alumni, parents
and other shoppers can order sweatshirts, CDs and other merchandise.
It will all be done through Luteworld,
the PLU Bookstore’s new Internet venture, scheduled to launch
Aug. 1. Find it at luteworld.plu.edu.
“We’re replicating most of the store
online, and in some ways, we’re going to expand the store,” said
Mark Mulder, BBA ’93, MBA ‘00 director of Auxiliary Services.
The electronic store will reduce
crowds in the bookstore and make items available to a much broader
audience.
Students will be able to order books
for their classes and have them delivered or ready for pickup.
The Lutes Team Store will offer athletic wear and PLU clothing,
and the “Uniquely PLU!” section hopes to showcase authors, artists
and musicians with ties to PLU. Luteworld also will offer a New
Lutes Center, with information for incoming students about how
to find the right books, how to order a computer and other tips.
Future plans include selling tickets to campus events online.
PLU MBA and marketing students helped
the bookstore prepare to enter the world of e-commerce.
“These are things that have been
researched by and for our students,” Mulder said. “We surveyed
our students and they even picked the name.”
Items will be offered at the same
price as in the store, and as with most online services, there
will be shipping charges for delivered items. Gift-wrapping will
be available.
“It is a huge service improvement,”
Mulder said. “And when you buy from Luteworld, all the money stays
on campus. We give every dollar we make back to the university.”
Encore!
off and running
Thanks to all of you who have visited
our new online supplement to Scene, Encore! (www.plu.edu/encore).
In this edition, we introduce a new design as well as expanded
content. As some who have visited already know, you can find exclusive
Web-only articles, links to various PLU Websites and information
related to the articles you are reading in this edition. Keep
your comments coming to encore@plu.edu.
They have been extremely helpful in making Encore! a great site.
Along with many supplements to Scene
stories, you will find these Encore! features:
NAICU president discusses changing
face of higher education
Higher education in America faces challenges in the next 10 years
exceeding any since the late 1940s, according to David Warren,
president of the National Association of Colleges and Universities,
who recently visited PLU. Only colleges that are prepared to meet
the expectations of these students— from the food they eat, to
the racial mix of the faculty and staff and the involvement of
institutions in the community—will succeed in attracting and retaining
these students.
Student filmmakers make movies,
spark PLU Film Society
While other students are trying to figure out what they want to
do for a career, Ben Dobyns ’02 is trying to figure out how to
finance his next film. Dobyns, along with screenwriter/actor Matt
Vancil ’01, have created two back-to-back comic horror films,
a PLU Film Society and their own production company, Dead Gentlemen
Productions.
Robot Building
His name is Morris, and he hopes to be a fully operational robot.
See how a group of computer science and computer engineering majors,
as a part of their Senior Capstone Project, built a robot using
the Lego® Mindstorms™ Robotic Invention System.
Dealing with a bearish market
Higher-education officials and experts around the country say
fund raising has slowed in the past few months, as the major stock
markets have looked more and more bearish. When the Chronicle
of Higher Education investigated the situation, they went to PLU
President Loren J. Anderson, among others. Kit Lively’s special
report investigates how President Anderson is planning instead
of panicking.
Q Club Banquet Photo Essay
Q Club held another successful spring banquet this May. This issue’s
photo essay, by Chris Tumbusch, consists of this year’s highlights.
You will also find associate provost Bill Teska’s speech on the
PLU study abroad experience and Mooring Mast coverage of the event.
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DR. LYNN STEIN CUTS THE RIBBON
AT THE CLASSROOM DEDICATION. (FROM THE LEFT) School of
Education Dean Lynn Beck, Diana Pederson '86 behind Stein,
Mr. Arne Pederson and David Aubrey, Vice President of Development
and University Relations.
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School
of Education dedicates technology classroom
Education students have access to
cutting-edge technology thanks to a generous gift from an alum
in honor of two retired faculty members, including her grandfather.
Diana Pederson ’86 contributed the
funds to equip a classroom in the Administration Building. She
made the donation to honor her grandfather, Arne Pederson, and
Dr. Lynn Stein. Both taught at PLU for nearly 30 years before
retiring in the late ‘80s.
“Long before care and service became
core values of the School of Education, these gentlemen embodied
those values,” Associate Dean Dr. Myra Baughman said at the dedication
of the Pederson-Stein Technology Enhanced Classroom.
In use since last fall, the room
was formally dedicated in April. Equipped with computers, digital
cameras, a video camera and other computer equipment, the TEC
enables students to put together digital reports and develop innovative
programs for use in the classroom.
President Loren J. Anderson thanked
both retired teachers for their years of service to the university
and Diana Pederson, who earned degrees in Norwegian and computer
science and works for Microsoft.
“Today we also celebrate the accomplishments
of one of our very young and successful graduates,” he said.
Student
Satisfaction Survey shows PLU’s continued excellence
Students ranked PLU high in most components
of campus life, academics and services on the USA Group Noel-Levitz
Student Satisfaction Inventory, administered last October to a
randomly selected group of 46 undergraduate classes. The survey
is a national poll, taken by more than 300,000 students attending
four-year private colleges.
The university has conducted the
SSI for several years, and plans to continue using it on a biannual
basis for monitoring student feelings and opinions.
“Student feedback is important to
us,” said Laura Majovski, vice president and dean for student
life. The SSI is widely distributed on campus and is used in planning
university initiatives, she said.
PLU ranked above the national mean
in the areas of campus climate, campus life, campus support services,
concern for the individual, instructional effectiveness, recruitment
and financial aid, service excellence and “student centeredness.”
It scored at the national mean in the area of registration effectiveness
and scored below the national mean in academic advising, responsiveness
to diverse populations and safety and security.
The registration effectiveness and
recruitment and financial aid rankings both represent marked improvements
over previous years—indicating that university officials have
taken the SSI seriously.
“We’ve gotten better over time, and
we’ve continued to excel where we are good,” Majovski said, mentioning
that the four factors students rate most highly in affecting their
decisions to come to PLU—academic reputation, financial aid, size
and cost—have remained stable throughout several years of survey
results.
When asked how their college experiences
have met their expectations, how satisfied they are overall with
their experience so far, and whether they would enroll at PLU
again, PLU students consistently rank the university significantly
higher than the national mean. Ninety-two percent of students
polled last October plan to graduate from PLU, and for 73 percent
of them, PLU was a first choice.
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Tim Vialpando
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Students
elect Vialpando, Holmes to hold ASPLU executive posts
New executive leaders of ASPLU for
2001-2002 were elected this spring. Junior Tim Vialpando, an English
education major from Westminster, Colo. was elected president
by a small margin over junior Sean Howell. Senior Cale Holmes,
a communication and political science major from Lacey, Wash.
won the vice presidential race over junior Tommy Gunston.
Vialpando has served in a variety
of student government positions, including Foss Hall president
and ASPLU programs director. Holmes has also held a number of
leadership roles, including Pflueger Hall president and Residence
Hall Association president.
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Cale Holmes
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Better communication between ASPLU
and the student body is a priority of the new officers. “I think
one of my greatest strengths is the fact that I am so approachable,”
Vialpando told the Mooring Mast. “Students can come to
me any time and share ideas or concerns that they may have."
The new executives also have plans
to rework the ASPLU budget, increase free programming on campus
and increase communication between students and administrators.
Vialpando and Holmes took office
April 1 and will serve through March 2002.
2001
Faculty Retirees
Stewart D. Govig
Professor of Religion
• At PLU from 1958 to 1960, 1961 to present
• Bachelor of Arts in History, St. Olaf College, 1948
• Master of Divinity, Luther Theological Seminary, 1952
• Master of Theology in Biblical Studies, Princeton Theological
Seminary, 1954
• Ph.D. in Religious Education, New York University, 1966
Jerry Kracht
Professor of Music
• At PLU from 1967 to 1968, 1969 to present
• Bachelor of Music, University of Iowa, 1963
• Master of Arts in Clarinet Performance, University of Iowa,
1965
• Master of Fine Arts in Orchestral Conducting, University of
Iowa, 1967
• Doctorate of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting, University
of Iowa, 1974
Jerome P. LeJeune
Associate Professor of Psychology
• At PLU since 1972
• Bachelor of Arts in Classics, Gonzaga University, 1964
• Master of Arts in Psychology, University of Victoria, 1970
• Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Victoria, 1974
Jon J. Nordby
Associate Professor of Philosophy
• At PLU since 1977
• Bachelor of Science in Philosophy and Art, St. Olaf College,
1970
• Master of Arts in Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, 1975
• Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Massachusetts, 1977
Linda N. Olson
Professor of Nursing
• At PLU since 1967
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing, University of Washington, 1959
• Master of Nursing, University of Washington, 1964
• Ph.D. in Education, University of Washington, 1986
Alexander Szabo
Assistant Professor of Social Work
• At PLU since 1994 Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy,
St. John's University, 1963
• Master of Social Work, Hunter College, City University of New
York, 1968
• Master of Education, Columbia University Teachers' College,
1989
• Doctorate in Education, Columbia University Teachers' College,
1990
Paul M. Webster
Associate Professor of German
• At PLU since 1969
• Bachelor of Arts in German, University of California at Los
Angeles, 1964
• Master of Arts in German, University of California at Los Angeles,
1967
Published Corner
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 LYNN
BECK, professor and dean of the School of Education,
co-authored a book titled “The Productive High School: Creating
Personalized Learning Communities” (Corwin Press, 2001).
Her co-authors included Joseph Murphy, Marilyn Crawford,
Amy Hodges and Charis McGaughy. The book provides a historical
overview of the development of the modern, comprehensive
high school, and makes recommendations for improvement of
the current system.
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 MEGAN
BENTON, associate professor of English, co-edited
a book titled “Illuminating Letters: Typography and Literary
Interpretation” (University of Massachusetts Press, 2001)
with Paul C. Gutjahr. The book is a collection of essays
that examine the role of book design in shaping the meanings
that readers derive from printed texts. Her own essay included
in the volume is titled “Re-Masculating the Modern Book:
Typography and Gender.”
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Faculty Newsmakers
 Hacker
awarded presidential citation
COLLEEN HACKER, Ph.D., PLU professor
and assistant dean in the Department of Physical Education, was
one of two members of the Washington State Psychological Association
to receive presidential citations from the American Psychological
Association. The award was presented by APA President Pat DeLeon
at an awards dinner earlier this year. The APA cited Hacker’s
approach to mental skills training from a practical, application-oriented
perspective, and noted “Colleen’s commitment to the diversity
between and among team members, team chemistry and dynamics in
concert with the coaching staff.”
History professor’s
innovative curriculum receives national notice
History professor BETH KRAIG’S innovative
teaching methods are receiving national notice. Kraig’s 20th Century
U.S. History course, profiled in the Spring
2001 issue of Scene, was the focus of a March 2 column in
The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle, a national trade
journal, devoted its weekly “Syllabus” column to a discussion
of Kraig’s plan for using service learning to make historical
connections. Kraig will teach the course each fall.
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