Scandinavian Cultural Center

November-December 2008

Award-Winning Documentary—Back by Popular Demand

“THROUGH HELL AND HIGH WATER”

The Nancy Kelly Story

Friday, November 21, 7:00 pm

Free Admission

The most daring rescue carried out by the British Navy at the end of World War II changed Nancy Eide’s life forever. Nancy, a young and beautiful Norwegian girl in hiding from the Nazis, and Archie Kelly, a charming Scottish seaman, would not have met on the storm-tossed seas of the Atlantic Ocean had it not been for this unprecedented and compassionate event.

This award-winning documentary tells the story of a most extraordinary rescue that resulted in saving the lives of 500 souls. It is also the touching love story of an 18-year-old Norwegian girl living in Hammerfest, Norway, fleeing from Nazi occupation when she met her Scottish love, Archie Kelly. Archie was one of the sailors who took part in the British Navy’s famous World War II rescue. At times frightening, this is the story of undeniable courage in the face of adversity and the determination of the human spirit to fight for freedom at all costs.

“Through Hell and High Water” won the Silver World Medal at the 48^th Annual Film and Video Competition in New York (January 2005), and the Silver Screen Medal at the U.S. International Film Festival in Los Angeles (June 2005).

Nancy Kelly will be present at the event and will be available to answer questions after the showing. Admission is free. Reservations are not required. Refreshments will be available. For more information contact Lisa Ottoson by phone at 253.847.7148 or by email <lottoson@hotmail.com>.

News from the SCC President

Smuler fra den SCC Presidenten . . .

I offer festive greetings to all friends of the Scandinavian Cultural Center (SCC) at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU). As the holiday season approaches, I think of the wonderful Scandinavian traditions that accompany the season. If ever there was a time to be a member of the SCC, it is now. 

It is with great concern that I feel I must address the challenges that are occurring presently in Iceland. While we, as Greenspan just declared, are facing our own ‘financial tsunami’ I suspect that the issues are magnified for this small nation. As I write this, Norwegian delegates and central bank representatives arrive in Reykjavik to discuss options of how to assist the nation in reestablishing economic stability. The International Monetary Fund may be the ultimate hope for real stability in the country. Just last year, when I was fortunate enough to visit, Iceland won the U.N.'s "best country to live in" poll, with its residents rated the most contented in the world. As CNN reports, the stock market was booming, cash-rich companies were on an acquisition spree across Europe, and Icelanders enjoyed one of the globe's highest per capita incomes. The global financial crisis has washed up hard on the shores of this volcanic island of 320,000 people, its decision to swap fishing for a complex debt-laden economy is exacting a heavy toll. For reasons unknown to me, Iceland is not yet a member of the United Nations and does not therefore have that stage to make a global plea for support. Let’s hope and pray that discussions prove successful in devising a strategy to coordinate a lasting economic solution.

I extend a special welcome to the newest members of the SCC Council: Clarene and Allen Johnson, Karen Bell, Karen Kunkle and Karin Huelsbeck. We have an amazing year planned with learning events presenting Nordic art, food, culture, film, literature, crafts and language. Indeed, there is something for everyone so please check out the events calendar. Here’s to a very Merry Christmas in your home and a peaceful new year on this planet that we share!  Hilsen, Lisa Marie

Nancy White Wins Round Trip Tickets to Scandinavia

Compliments of Scandinavian Airlines

The drawing we were all waiting for took place at our Annual Meeting on September 27. Everyone waited anxiously until the end of the program when SCC Director Susan Young stepped up to the podium to conduct the drawing. Rev. Norma Borgford drew the winning ticket belonging to Nancy Jean White. Nancy has been a member of the Scandinavian Cultural Center for many years and is counted among those known as the Center’s “silent heroes.” Typical of her Nordic heritage, Nancy prefers to volunteer quietly behind the scenes rather than step into the spotlight.

Nancy lives on her family’s 40-acre farm in Graham, Washington, purchased by her Swedish parents in 1933. Nancy grew up on the farm along with three brothers and a sister. After high school, she went on to earn a nursing degree, studying for a time in Denmark. Later she opened her own medical clinic in Orting, which she operated for 13 years. “Nursing must run in our genes,” quips Nancy, “because two of my brothers married nurses and three of my nieces chose the nursing profession. Pursuing higher education was vitally important in those days, but it was often not financially feasible nor attainable. My grandparents, Edward E. Johnson and Anna Marie Aaberg, helped with our education and were great influences on our lives,” says Nancy.

Nancy says she still can’t believe she actual won! She is making plans for a trip to Denmark to reunite with her nursing colleagues still living there. One of her nieces will join her on the trip.

The Majestic Wilderness:

Jonas Olof Grafström and the Pacific Northwest

Presented by Dr. Brian B. Magnusson

Sunday, November 9, 6:30 pm—Admission: $7 (General), $5 (SCC Members)

Reservations not required. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

About the Artist

Jonas Olof Grafström (1855-1933), born in Attmar, Sweden, made a name for himself as a landscape painter in the Pacific Northwest in the 1880s, living first in Portland, Oregon (1886), and then in Spokane, Washington. In 1893 he left the Pacific Northwest after accepting a teaching position at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Several years later he moved to Rock Island, Illinois, where he taught at Augustana College until 1920.

 In 1899, First Lutheran Church in Lake City, Minnesota, commissioned Grafström to create a painting for the sanctuary, where it still hangs today. His altarpieces were hung in about 200 Swedish-American Lutheran churches stretching from Pennsylvania to California. Some of his work is found in his home country, and a large selection is in the art gallery collection of Augustana College. Grafström was recently featured in a five-part documentary on the work of Swedish-American artists for public television in Sweden.

About the Speaker

Brian Magnusson was born and raised in Tacoma. He holds an M.A. in Scandinavian Studies with supporting areas in Art History from University of Washington and a Ph.D. in “A Cross-Cultural, Interdisciplinary Study of North European Prehistory (and Art)” from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently serving as Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Culture (Nordic and American Art and Culture) at Jyväskylä University in Jyväskylä, Finland.

In 1980, he presented a paper on Jonas Olof Grafström at a symposium at Pacific Lutheran University. It was at this time that Dr. Magnusson “realized ... that virtually no research had been done in these areas in the Pacific Northwest. For that reason I decided to focus on both Nordic-American painting and early Nordic-American building traditions in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.” He is currently working on an exhibition catalogue, titled, “From Parlour, Boarding House, and Atelier: 150 Years of Swedish Art in Tacoma, Washington.”

News and Notes

Welcome to Our Newest Members: Karen and Randal Kunkle (Tacoma), Penelope and David Magelssen (Lakewood), and Cpt. Egil Sortland (Tacoma). A very special welcome to our newest PLU students: Collin Brown, Erica Ellersick, Kelsey Hodge, and Loren Liden.

 Senior Helpers Needed—$10-$11/Hour With Benefits: Senior Helpers specializes in personal and companion in-home care. Individuals of Scandinavian decent often request a caregiver who understands their culture and in some instances speaks their native language. Contact Cindy Harrison-King, President/Client Service Manager, 1-888-591-0882; <cking@seniorhelpers.com>

 37th Annual Yule Boutique—November 22, 9am-5pm: Come do your Christmas shopping—quality arts and crafts by Puget Sound artists and a variety of food vendors. Pacific Lutheran University, Olson Auditorium. Info: Lynette Cubbage, 253-531-7481.

 Scandinavian Dance Instruction—January 16: (7-8 pm—Dance Instruction) (8-11 pm—Public Dancing) Location: TBA next issue. The Band: Hale Bill and the Bopps. Dance Instructors: Milt and Bev Anderson. Co-Sponsored by the Dept. of Anthropology and the SCC, in conjunction with Steven Thomson’s J-Term class: Performance, Politics, Preservation: Themes in the Study of Folklore. (Info after January 1: <thomson@plu.edu>).

Festive Annual Nordic Events Bring Christmas in Scandinavia to PLU Campus

PLU Students Play Significant Roles

Christmas is just around the corner and plans are underway for our annual Nordic events. For many years, the Christmas in Scandinavia exhibit has served as the first sign of the holiday season at PLU, and we will continue that tradition again this year. The exhibit features a festival of trees, each decorated with traditional Scandinavian ornaments made of wood, paper, or straw. In the center of Taft Great Hall, a floor-to-ceiling evergreen is decorated with ornaments from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. It is the perfect centerpiece for numerous holiday celebrations that take place in the Scandinavian Cultural Center. Christmas in Scandinavia will be on display from November 18 through January 11, 2009.

The Sankta Lucia Fest is a time-honored tradition in Sweden and an annual event at Pacific Lutheran University since 1950 when the Rev. E. Arthur Larson introduced it as part of his Swedish language class. This year’s festival will take place on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 pm, in Lagerquist Hall. Adding their voices to the 2008 celebration will be the Swedish choir from Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola (People’s High School) located in Jönköping, Sweden.

 A reception follows in the SCC complete with refreshments, dancing around the Christmas tree, and a special visit from Jultomten (Swedish Santa Claus) who will bring his bag filled with candy treats for all the “good little children.”

 Members of the Lucia Planning Committee have already begun working with seventeen dedicated PLU students who  will take part in the program—Robin Dickson, Janessa Gramson Jungwirth, Punky Hartsell, Kelsey Hodge, Cori Jo Jahnsen, Lovisa Jensen, Jennifer Jepsen, Emma Kane, Sarah Kehoe, Kirsten McNamara, Andrea Nelson, Caroline Olsen, Megan Oost, Rebecca Richardson, Sarah Rodriguez, Stephanie Stout, and Emma Struss. At weekly rehearsals, the students are learning the words to several Swedish Christmas songs and practicing the lyrics in Swedish. They will also participate in a night of crafts to learn how to make traditional Swedish decorations. After a one-on-one interview with each student, the planning committee will face the difficult task of selecting just one student to be Lucia and receive a $500 scholarship. Lucia’s identity is kept secret until just moments before the program begins.

On Saturday, December 6, Sankta Lucia and her attendants will travel to the IKEA store in Renton where they will perform at 9:30 am. And, on Sunday, the students will visit the residents of the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community. The Scandinavian Cultural Council is grateful to IKEA  for co-sponsoring this magnificent and memorable event. Admission: $8 (General), $7 (Seniors/PLU Faculty/Staff/Administrators), $5 (SCC Members/Students), and $3 (Children 10 and Under). Reservations are recommended: Call 253.535.7411 or Email <cbo@plu.edu>. Tickets may also be purchased on line at <www.luteworld.plu.edu>. All major credit cards accepted. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

 The tradition of Norsk Julegudstjeneste (Norwegian Christmas Service) began at PLU in 1976 and continues to be a favorite family event. Be sure to mark your calendar for Wednesday, December 10, 7:00 pm. The service features a local pastor who delivers the holiday message in English and Norwegian. Students in the Scandinavian Area Studies Program take an active part in the service, forming small class choirs and reading scriptures. Midway through the service, the lights are dimmed, candles are lit, and the congregation joins together in the singing of traditional Norwegian Christmas hymns. The Scandinavian Cultural Council is proud to partner with the Scandinavian Area Studies Program in presenting this very special event. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free. For more information:  253.535.7512 or 253.535.8514.

The holiday season would be incomplete without our annual Nordic Christmasfest on Saturday, December 20, at 6:00 pm. The Nordic Christmasfest, now in its sixteenth year, is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family. A mouth-watering holiday buffet dinner will feature some of our favorite Nordic dishes such as pickled herring, gravlax (salmon) with dill sauce, lever postej (liver paté), medisterpølse (Norwegian sausage) with red cabbage, frikadeller (Danish meatballs), lanttulaatikko (Finnish rutabaga casserole), kötbullar (Swedish meatballs), and much, much more! Ríscrem (rice cream pudding) will be served as dessert and the one who finds the hidden almond will receive the traditional Marzipan Pig! Following the meal, our guests will enjoy outstanding musical entertainment. Plan now to attend this unforgettable evening of fun, food, and fellowship, and make it a part of your annual holiday celebrations.

Admission: $40 (General) and $35 (SCC members and their guests). Reservations are required. Invitations will be in the mail soon.

Scandinavian Cultural Center

Pacific Lutheran University