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In the News

• Student-run survey helps create new connections
• Paul Porter remembered through art exhibit
• South Hall project wins architectural honors
• New pictorial history of PLU debuts in Archives
• Global issues dominate Fall Lecture Series
• PLU ranks sixth in latest U.S. News "America's Best Colleges"
• LuteWorld launches with great success
• Nance, Choral Union will head to Geneva
• PLU People

Student-run survey helps create new connections
Current PLU students are helping the university develop its relationship with alumni. A random survey of PLU alumni, developed and implemented by members of the PLU student club of the American Marketing Association, was conducted this fall to learn more about the relationship between PLU and its graduates.

"The AMA is a group of students who are interested in marketing, advertising, community service and networking, while having fun doing it," said Chelsea Goode '02, club president.
"We have a vested interest in doing the survey, as we will all soon be alumni ourselves," Goode said. "I hope that our analysis will help PLU nurture its relations with graduates and will result in improved services and new connections for everyone."

Of the 26,000 PLU alumni of record, 5,000 were asked to complete the survey. The marketing students will compile survey responses, prepare a database and then write a formal report on their findings. The project will be completed early next year.

The research is designed to determine the effectiveness of alumni communication methods, to assess satisfaction with alumni programming, to identify what factors affect alumni donation patterns, and to determine factors that influence alumni commitment to the university.

The students are conducting the research for University Communications, the Office of the President and the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations.

"This project will give us new insights into the overall relationship between alumni and the university," said Lauralee Hagen '75, director of Alumni and Parent Relations. "It will be key in helping us develope action plans, and continuing to develop the bond between PLU and their alumni."

Paul Porter remembered through art exhibit
At a special exhibit this fall, the University Gallery honored the life and art of the late Paul Porter, PLU's longtime graphic designer and publications director. Porter, who died of cancer in 1999, left behind a legacy of artwork, created for PLU projects and his own personal expressions.

"Living in Art: Paul Porter Remembered" was an especially meaningful show to many people who worked with and appreciated Porter's keen eye and great talent. The exhibit included black and white prints, artwork from programs he designed for choir concerts, as well as posters and newsletters he created for university departments and events.

Kathryn Sparks, curator of visual resources for the Art Department, said the pieces she hung were only a small part of Porter's extensive collection.

"It was just so amazing going through all these things Paul had done and choosing which to hang," she said. "This was a really special show. It's one that I'd like to keep up all the time."

South Hall project wins architectural honors
PLU's newest residence hall is more than just a great place to live on campus. South Hall is an architectural award winner. The university broke the mold when it created this building, the first new residential facility on the PLU campus in nearly 35 years.

South Hall was selected to appear in the 2001 American School & University Magazine Architectural Portfolio, "the ultimate tribute to educational design excellence." The hall was selected as an Outstanding Building from a breadth of submitted building projects from around the country.

Landscape Architect magazine also featured a large spread on South Hall in Vol.17, No. 6. The article, "Out With the Old- In With the New," shows a timeline of photos from the demolition of Delta and Evergreen Court to the beautifully finished new home for students. The magazine spoke directly to the smart use of sidewalks, lawns and a variety of trees.
South Hall accommodates up to 230 students, including married students in the one-bedroom lofts. The other configurations allow up-to five students to share in each apartment-style unit.

New pictorial history of PLU debuts in Archives
Pacific Lutheran University has a new way to look into the past. A pictorial history of PLU was created by Danielle Koenig '02 with content provided by Kerstin Ringdahl '82, university archivist. Another PLU alum, Gavin Jensen '01, designed the layout.

Images for the University Timeline were chosen from the more than 500,000 images preserved in the university archives-the selected pictures provide a creative, colorful and informative glimpse at PLU, from as early as 1890 to present day. See treasures of PLU's history including Louis Armstrong's 1966 visit for the Homecoming concert, groundbreakings for campus buildings and even a program from the original dedication of the school.

Historical content was selected from the many primary sources in the archives and from PLU's two published histories, including "Educating for Service" by campus historian and history professor Philip A. Nordquist '56. The Timeline will be continually updated. People can visit the archives located in Mortvedt Library for additional information or photographs, and comments and suggestions are welcome at archives@plu.edu or at 253-535-7586.

Global issues dominate Fall Lecture Series
Distinguished speakers at this year's PLU Fall Lecture Series discussed issues ranging from the massacre in Rwanda to the search for God in science and the unusual bond between chimps and people. "This was an outstanding lineup of amazing speakers," Provost Paul Menzel said. "The variety of backgrounds, perspectives and topics created a compelling series that had something to teach everyone."

Dr. Robert Bellah, eminent professor of sociology emeritus from the University of California-Berkeley and the recipient of the 2000 National Humanities Medal, started the series with his lecture about the role of a Christian university in a globalized world. He touched on the societal reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the responsibility of individuals and society as a whole.

Sir John Polkinghorne, a renowned scientist and an Anglican priest, delved into issues behind religion and science. His lecture was part of the 2001 Conference on Religion and Science, held jointly via video by PLU and Princeton Theological Seminary. Polkinghorne, author of several books, also spoke at chapel and met with faculty and students during his campus visit.

Dr. Mahmood Mamdani, a native of Uganda and professor of anthropology and political science at Columbia University, detailed his theories about the Rwandan massacre of one million Tutsi by the Hutu. Author of a controversial book, "When Victims Become Killers: Colonialism, Nativism and the Genocide in Rwanda," he presented his theory that a kind of colonial apartheid in Rwanda led to postcolonial racial hatred and ultimately, mass violence that took one million lives. That counters the more prevalent view that the genocide was orchestrated by elites who used propaganda and political maneuvering to recruit ordinary Hutus into violence.

Dr. Kathleen Woodward, director of the Walter Simpson Center for the Humanities and professor of English at the University of Washington-Seattle, spoke on "The Faces of Shame." She is the author of numerous books, including "Aging and Its Discontents: Freud and Other Fiction" and the forthcoming "Circulating Anger and Other Feelings."
Dr. Roger Fouts, professor of psychology and director of the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute at Central Washington University, presented his research about interaction between chimps and humans. His book, "Next of Kin," was named one of The 100 Best Books of 1997 by both the Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly.
A lineup of equally impressive speakers will be announced for the Spring Lecture Series.

A large full-time faculty provides PLU with a student-faculty ratio of 13-1. PLU is also among the best on the magazine's list of "Best Values," which rates the amount of debt students have after graduation. Sixty-two percent of PLU's students receive grants based on need.

PLU remains the only Northwest university to be listed in all of the U.S. News best college surveys since they began in 1983. The rankings are available in the magazine, and at www.usnews.com.

"It was spectacular," said Mark Mulder '93, director of auxiliary services. The students loved the convenience, and the bookstore staff really rose to the occasion to make this happen." One of the unique features for students is LuteWorld's QuickSearch. Students can log in using their PLU ID and password, and their course information and textbook information is immediately displayed.

"That's really convenient-we are one of only a handful of schools in the nation to offer this," says Angela Zurcher, Bookstore Director.

LuteWorld is owned and operated by PLU, and all of the store's proceeds benefit the campus. Many customers cited this as a great benefit to shopping online -direct support of PLU and convenient service.

There are many ways to purchase items from LuteWorld, and some of the 12 specialty sections include graduation gifts & supplies, music from PLU, Scandinavian gifts, the Lutes Team Store, Alumni/Family Center and a "Uniquely PLU" section showcasing PLU musicians, authors, and artists.

PLU music professor Richard Nance and the PLU Choral Union (which he directs) have been invited to perform his Mass for a New Millennium at the 8th World Harp Congress in Geneva in 2002. The work, scored for oboe, harp, percussion, organ and mixed chorus, was premiered by the Choir of the West on May 13, 2000.

The composition of Mass was the focus of Nance's sabbatical during the1999-2000 school year. The Credo of the Mass was a preexisting work that Nance wrote for the Lakes High School Concert Choir, which was first performed in 1996. He decided to write a concert mass that would be built around the Credo. The result was his largest work to date.

The World Harp Congress is a private nonprofit organization, founded in 1981 as an outgrowth of the International Harp Weeks, held in the Netherlands for 20 years. Past congresses have been held in various locations around the world, the two most recent being Tacoma in 1996, and Prague, Czech Republic, in 1999. Concerts, workshops and seminars concerning all aspects of harp musicology and performance are offered at these triennial eight-day music festivals.

"This was truly a pleasant surprise," said Nance, when asked about his reaction to the invitation. "It is always gratifying to be recognized for what you do, but doubly so when the recognition is from a group of international, professional musicians."

"The choir is recognized as one of the nation's finest community choruses," Nance said "Performing at this type of international event is a logical next step for the Choral Union."

PLU People

Greg Youtz, professor of music, is the recipient of a 2001-02 ASCAPLU$ Standard Award. The award, made by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is granted by an independent panel and based upon the unique prestige value of each writers catalog of original compositions and the recent performances of those works.

Pam George, instructor, and Patsy Maloney, associate professor in the School of Nursing, presented concurrent sessions at Nurse Odyssey: The National Conference on Professional Nursing Education and Development. Lynn Okita, clinical assistant professor, and Susan Toyama, graduate student, presented posters.

Karen Olson, retiree from the PLU library, received first place
from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association for "The Path Between." Her novel was among 1,400 entries in a variety of categories from across the U.S. and abroad. More information is available at http://www.pnwa.org

Shannon Ledesma-Jones and Dana Myers, Counseling and Testing, both passed the Washington State Licensing Exam and are now licensed psychologists. Luckily for PLU, they both are still hard at work in PLU's Counseling and Testing Office.