As the year draws to a close, I want to thank all of you for making this year an INCREDIBLE one here at Olaf. SGA prides itself in bringing a diverse range of speakers, events, concerts, and connections to the student body- and your input was critical to making this happen. It has been a whirlwind of a year, and I can't express my gratitude to this student body, my executive team, and all of the branches of SGA for an awesome year. While my gifts apparently were not keeping a consistent blog, it was my pleasure to be able to serve the Student Government this year in any way I could. Have a fantastic summer, and look forward to thoughts from your brand-new SGA President, Wade Hauser '09, very soon.

Peace and Love,
Tyler

The St. Olaf Honor Council will be having elections tomorrow, May 6th, from 8am-8pm. Simply visit http://fusion.stolaf.edu/formcreator/index.cfm to log on and vote.

Have you ever thought "wow, it's a Thursday night and I don't want to do homework but there is nothing else to do?" Well you won't be thinking that this Thursday! SGA has partnered with Carleton's Student Association to bring you "A Night on the Town" this Thursday, May 1st.

Spring Walk is an intercampus event in downtown Northfield. A Northfield Lines shuttle will run between both campuses and Bridge Square from 7pm-12am. At Bridge Square you can pick up a program of everything that is going on in Northfield while also picking up your "Northfield Passport". Once you get your Northfield Passport stamped by six different businesses it becomes an official raffle ticket. Just sign your name and drop it in the raffle box back in Bridge Square and you will be eligible to win a basket full of gift certificates to downtown businesses.

If raffle's aren't your thing you can look around for the hidden medallion. Clues will be given out starting at 8pm and the first person to find the medallion will walk away with not only gift certificates, but an X-Box 360!

Once you've gotten your fill of shopping and searching stop by some of the music venues that will be going on. The Contented Cow will be hosting a bluegrass jam. You can find the Piano Man at the Rueb and the Todd Thompson Trio will be playing at the Tavern Lounge. Not into music? The Northfield Arts Guild will be open until 8pm showing an exhibit by St. Olaf art apprentices and Carleton art interns.

So if you find yourself not knowing what to do on Thursday, hop on the shuttle and come experience what downtown Northfield has to offer. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at zumwalt@stolaf.edu.

Last Easter Sunday, I talked to Tim Fuller '10 about why he came on Ole Spring Relief this year.

"I was on the fence about coming," Fuller said. "But I heard registration was filling up fast and would be closing, so I just did it. I feel like I have this obligation to do something. We just had a break at the end of Interim. We're so separated from these things. It's incredible to be able to come down here and realize how blessed we are up there [in Minnesota]."

I asked Fuller what he was looking forward to about OSR3.

"I'm excited to get working, actually," he said. "We've been on the bus for 24 hours. We spent a day in New Orleans, a day here in Biloxi and at the beach. I love to travel, and for cheap. New Orleans and the South is a different culture and to be able to experience that is pretty cool. I'm looking forward to interacting with folks, seeing firsthand Southern hospitality, hearing stories. I'm anxious to get to work; that's what we came down here for."

* * *

We've now been back "home" on campus for over 24 hours. Fuller sent me a post-trip e-mail about his experience on OSR3. Here it is:


One of the biggest differences between this year and last was the type of
work we were doing. Last year I spent much of the time doing demolition work and building the foundation of a new soup kitchen in Slidell[, Lousiana]; this year most of my time at work was spent sweeping and cleaning up the streets of Moss Point[, Mississippi].

At first I was a little dissapointed because I thought there would be less opportunity to talk with locals and also because I felt as though sweeping the streets wasn't as meaningful as some of the other work we could have been doing. Despite my initial apprehensions, the work turned out to be more fulfilling than expected and we encountered many locals in the neighborhoods in which we worked. People driving by were always honking and waving and many stopped to thank us and ask if we needed water, several businesses even offered us free refreshments to show their appreciation. One man walked with us as we picked up trash along the street and told us about his Katrina story and of the destruction the storm left in its wake.

Overall, I think our work was an important step in the reconstruction and revitalization of this town and it really did make a difference. Despite the differing circumstances, this year was just as fulfilling as last and once again it was the people we met and their stories that made it that way.

SOMEWHERE IN IOWA - 11:35am

On the bus ride home, two First Year students (Morgan Harden and Signe Knutson) saved me a seat in front of them. I'm not sure if they realize how uncool I actually am yet, but while I had a captive audience, I used part of the time to convince them that this blog I'm working on is cool, too. I asked each of them to contribute their own post--a reflection on the work we've just completed on the Gulf Coast and the experience as a whole. Here's what they had to say:


Harden: I came on this trip to gain perspective. At St. Olaf, I live a life of luxury. Everything I want is within my reach—a roof over my head, food in my stomach, friends surrounding me. The people affected by hurricane Katrina didn’t have these luxuries after the hurricane hit, and some still don’t have them. I feel it my duty to help those in need because I have been so fortunate. I expected to see destruction. I expected to also see the beginning processes of rebuilding. I expected to see people sad and depressed. I did see destruction. I helped in the rebuilding. But I didn’t see sadness and depression. I saw people united and stronger than ever before because all they had were each other. My favorite part of the trip was while we were painting an elderly lady’s house. She was so grateful and so happy to see young people working so hard to help her, and knowing we were doing this out of respect and not for our gain. My least favorite part (considering there really wasn’t a part I didn’t like) was having to get up so early. My perception on the victims of Katrina changed to one of respect and admiration for their strength and commitment to themselves, each other, and the country. I don’t know if I can say that I’ve necessarily changed on this trip, but I definitely feel that I have done something good and for the right reasons. Without a doubt, I would go on this trip next year. And I would go for the same reasons I went this year—to give of my time to those who need it most.


Knutson: I came on this trip to give of my time. I wanted to help those in need and make a difference in the lives of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, if only for a short week. I wanted to give of my physical capabilities to those who have lost so much in order to speed up the process of getting their lives back on track. I expected to work hard. I expected to be tired for much of the time. And I expected to broaden my perspective on the effects of Katrina. In many ways my expectations came true, but there were also so many factors that made this trip more into an experience rather than just a service trip. My expectation of hard work was accurate, but I did not anticipate the kind of work we would do. My favorite day was when we had to gut a house. Basically, a group of about fifteen of us walked into what seemed like a completely finished, but empty, house and assumed that we would be possibly moving in furniture or doing some other odd house jobs. Instead we were given gloves, safety goggles, mouth covers, and hammers and were told to tear down the walls and ceiling because there was water damage within. It was amazing and liberating. There is something about smashing into a wall with a hammer that just frees you of any stress. Tearing down walls does come with downsides. The cleanup was labor intensive and meeting a group of cockroaches was not uncommon. However, nothing could take away the greatness of demolition. My favorite part of this trip [was meeting people]. Relationships were a huge part for me. Getting to know the victims, my fellow Oles, and the leaders, all combined to make every minute of this trip a worthwhile experience.

BILOXI, Miss. - 8:33am

Students are packing their bags and sweeping out their cabins. It's time to go home. The balmy 70-degree weather has given us all a taste of summer three months too soon. Most are not looking forward to going home to reports of a snow on the way, but after a week of hard work and waking up in a pool of our own sweat (did I mention the intense humidity?), I think we're ready to get back to our "normal" lives. But we will miss Camp Biloxi, and most definitely the culture of the Gulf Coast and Southern hospitality that we've grown to love.

Last night we did what locals do when Spring arrives--we built a bonfire on the beachfront. Three busloads of Oles covered the beach and we all roasted marshmallows, ate s'mores, and enjoyed one another's company. It was a wonderful and appropriate way to end our week working on the Gulf Coast.

Last night I asked my cabin-mates if they wanted to share anything on this web-log about their experience. One of them, Erin McHugh '10, had this to say:

This trip has given me the opportunity to see the true strength of people faced with tragedy. Before now, I was aware of the damage in both Biloxi and New Orleans to homes, roads, and entire towns. I saw the news and the pictures of concrete slabs where houses once stood.

However, being here and seeing it all firsthand two and a half years later has shown me that structures were not the only things destroyed. Memories, treasures, and whole lives were broken. But in spite of all the devastation, somehow, a sense of determination and hope has managed to perservere throughout the community. Everyone is willing to do what needs to be done to bounce back. They believe they can do it, and, because of that belief, they will.

The area has retained its culture and spirit. The buildings are just structures. They will be replaced.


My bunkmate, Kelsey Harr '10, also wanted to share about her experience - she kindly left out the part about my snoring:


I really feel I got much more out of this experience than I had ever imagined. Before the trip, I had only the pictures of devastation from books, newspapers, and TV. But when we took our tour of Biloxi, the images I had in my head didn't match in reality.

Yes, there was rubble in many places, but not everywhere. What I didn't expect to see was the brand new community in the process of being rebuilt. It wasn't just your average community, though. It was a place made on new hope and strength. What impressed me probably the most was the help of volunteers who put their time and effort into making the hopes and dreams realities.

As a volunteer myself, the appreciation and smiles on the faces of residents will stay with me forever. Helping people get back on their feet brought me so much satisfaction and I will definitely do it again.


* * *
I’m being summoned to the buses which have just arrived. We’re departing Biloxi for our first stop in Jackson, which should be about lunchtime. More to come…

Hello everyone!

This week the Intercampus Committee will be meeting to discuss possible events for second semester. We welcome any suggestions or ideas. Spring is a lively time on both the campuses of St. Olaf and Carleton so we hope to have some great programs. Feel free to e-mail me your thoughts at zumwalt@stolaf.edu. We look forward to seeing you at future events!

Thanks,

Brandon Zumwalt
Intercampus Liaison

Here's a fun trick: If you use Safari or Firefox, you should visit our RSS feed and add it to your bookmarks. It's a great way to stay connected to Senate, even if you only have time to read a few sentences from Senate Remixed.

The term "senate" comes from the Latin word senex, meaning "old man." According to Wikipeida, the term throughout history has carried a connotation of wisdom. Clearly, our view of a leader has changed a bit since ancient Roman times.

Bill Green, director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Outreach, gave a very informative presentation to Senate last week about inclusivity. The program was entitled "MOSAIC," or Maximizing Opportunities for Staff/students to Achieve an Inclusive Campus. As part of the training, senators learned to consider their own cultural experience, and how it has had both positive and negative impacts on their lives. In addition, they were encouraged to develop a personal action plan by listing ethnic groups they would like to learn more about, and specific ways they can increase inclusivity in their own areas.

Mr. Green's points touch on something that's very important to SGA. We view diversity as more than simply the number of students from various groups that are represented in our assembly (although such a figure can certainly help us judge how inclusive we are). Instead, we focus on developing an environment where students from all backgrounds are given the same opportunity to represent their Ole peers through multicultural events, forums, and of course, Student Senate.

I encourage you to check out the great work our Diversity Celebrations Committee is doing, under the strong leadership of Trisha Salkas. The committee organizes celebrations from cultures literally all around the world, such as Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, Hmong New Year, Latino Heritage Weeks and International Night. Right now, they're gearing up for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, which will happen in late January/early February.

So...it's been a while since my last post, but now I am back on the horse and ready to rock:

This weekend, the Minnesota Association of Private College Students (MAPCS) met at St. Olaf in the David Johnson Board Room to discuss various matters facing the 17 private schools in MN. This group consists of the Council of Presidents (the 17 Student Body Presidents) as well as a selected representative from each institution.

It was a really great experience to be able to host this group on our home turf- and we hit up many relevant and challenging topics such as:

- Rapidly rising tuition costs for private school students and lobbying for financial aid
- Very public race-related incidents at St. Thomas and Hamline, and what has been done since they occurred
- Safety and emergency-response initiatives each school has taken since the shootings at Virginia Tech
- Organizational structure of Student Governments and ways to make the best use of Student money

This was a great chance for me to get to know more closely the other Student Government Presidents from around the state. Our hope is that we can represent the voice of the private school student around the state, and join together to support this vast group.

If you have any questions or comments about ANY of these topics, feel free to drop me a line: hauger@stolaf.edu!

Peace out,
TyTy

Hi Oles,

We recently had occasion to report on some aspects of the sustainability program at St. Olaf. Because I know that many students (and parents, and alumni) find our sustainability efforts exciting, I thought you might be interested in what we reported.

1. St. Olaf has written unique Sustainable Design Guidelines and they are
incorporated into our architecture/engineering and our construction contracts, including those governing the current construction of the new Science Complex.

The Science Complex is designed to achieve LEED Gold designation, with the intent of using the project and completed building to teach about sustainable construction, and operations.

2) All st. Olaf diesel powered vehicles have been switched to B20 bio-diesel
fuel.

3) A wind turbine generates about one-third of the campus's
energy. Moreover, 720,000 gross square feet of new and extensively renovated buildings have been designed using our utility's Energy Design Assistance Program.

St. Olaf has completed carbon emissions work for the campus proper, and is
measuring the metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalencies (MTCDE) per
student FTE. Using this measure, along with Total BTUs per Square Foot per
Degree Day (BTU/SF/DD), we are continually evaluating our efforts and
comparing to others to judge the effectiveness of our programs.

As we re-roof older buildings damaged in a recent hail storm, we are bringing these buildings up to the current energy code.

We can measure our progress in this area. In 1988 our peak steam flow on the coldest day was about 75,000 pounds per hour with 1,350,000 gross square feet. In 2007 on the coldest days, peak flow was under 75,000 pounds per hour with 1,820,000 GSF.

4. Our residence hall recycling program is long-standing, and the work is
largely performed by work study students, with a student coordinator for the
entire effort. The custodial staff supplies and supplements the work.

3.5 tons of aggregated food waste is gathered each week for composting. All of the compost is in turn used on the campus in planting beds, on the student run organic vegetable farm that supplies the food service, and as top dressing.

For more information about the programs discussed here, or about sustainability at St. Olaf generally, you can visit the following websites:

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/science.html

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/turbine/index.html

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/report/status/7.html

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/composter/index.html

http://www.stolaf.edu/green/report/index.html

Now that week zero and week one are finally done, I can slow down a little and breathe. It's been a crazy last couple of weeks, for sure, but it is really great to be back and meeting so many great people.

I think the highlight of my last two weeks was definitely seeing Ole the Lion get down with his bad self at the "Party in the Pause" during Week One. That Lion can dance!

It's hard to believe that we are already in full swing into a new year. Yet, that is how things always seem to go around here. At first you are gearing up for something new, the next second you are gearing up for the next something new.

So, in the spirit of our calendar-driven-fun-lifestyles around here at Olaf, here are some great things to look forward to from the fine people at the Student Government Association in the next month:

The STUDENT ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE (SAC) is gearing up for Homecoming September 24-30th, all culminating with the Homecoming Football Game vs Gustavus on Saturday at 1 pm. Look forward to a comedian, a poker tournament, and more this packed week!

The BOARD OF REGENTS STUDENT COMMITTEE (BORSC) is busy writing reports from the student body to the Board of Regents for their meeting on campus October 4-5th. They will be gather student input in the next couple of weeks, and meeting with President Anderson as well as other officials.

The POLITICAL AWARENESS COMMITTEE (PAC) will co-sponsoring a panel on immigration and citizenship on October 3rd at 7 pm. Hear from a panel of experts in the field of immigration!

The PAUSE kitchen is officially open, yet the Pause crew is as busy as ever getting ready for the Fall Concert that will go down on October 6th in Skoglund. Curious who it is? Bwah ha ha. Find out next week!

The DIVERSITY CELEBRATIONS COMMITTEE (DCC) will be co-hosting the 2007 Latino Heritage Month Annual Banquet in the Gold Ballroom on October 7th as well as working closely on tons of great events for Latino Heritage Month!

STUDENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (SAA) will have a hospitality tent set up down at the Football game on Saturday, Sept 29th with free St. Olaf mugs and cider!

VOLUNTEER NETWORK (VN) just held their VN Fair to get people signed up for some great volunteer opportunities in the area and are co-sponsoring an Alumni-Student volunteer project with SAA for Saturday, Sept. 29th. Join alumni and others to held clean up Buckthorn in the Natural Lands from 8:30 - 11:30!

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE (SOC), after finishing up organizing the amazing Co-Curricular fair last week, is continuing their hard work of allocating SGA funds to all of the student organizations across campus! Make sure that you attend the student orgs financial training meeting this Wednesday, Sept. 19th at 6:30 in order to get access to SGA org funds!

SENATE will be meeting for the first time Tuesday, Sept. 25th at 6:30 pm in the Boardroom on the 3rd level of Buntrock. All students are welcome to attend!

ELECTIONS are Wednesday, Sept. 19th from 8 am to 8pm. Make sure you vote!

We'll continue to keep you posted on all the great things going on! Have a great week!

Peace,
Tyler

Hi Everybody, and welcome back!

Having a blog is like having a pet: you have to pay it constant attention and treat it well. At least, that the case with our dog, Troy. My goal this year is to treat my Oleville blog as well as we treat Troy by keeping it up to date and relevant to students. I'll try to keep you up to date on issues before the College, the activities of the Board of Regents, and other big news. Your comments are welcome at any time. My email is anderson@stolaf.edu.

The week before new students arrived there was an Opening Banquet for staff and faculty of the college, and it's traditional for the President to make a "State of the College" address at the banquet. I did, and I invite you to read it because it lays out the key planning challenges facing us this year and in the near term. You can read the speech on my website. The URL is http://www.stolaf.edu/president/. When you get there, just click on the picture of a podium and you can read the Opening Banquet speech and any other ones archived there that may interest you.

By clicking on the picture of a suitcase you can see where I am when I'm not on campus. The picture of me with headphones (should have gotten the more expensive Bose ones) shows some of the music on my IPod, and the picture of a bookshelf shows what I've been reading.

I hope you find the speech interesting and that your semester is off to a great start. See you on campus.

David Anderson '74

Dear Students,

We have now posted the web registration results to the SIS.
Note that there is a message on the SIS that explains that the results are subject to change. If we have not removed this when you check your results, check back at a later time.
Please read all of the registration instructions at the following link before you check your results.
http://www.stolaf.edu/offices/registrar/SemIwebregresults.html
Thank you for your cooperation, and have a great weekend!

Mary

Hi Oles,

I thought you would be interested in this email from Jim Fisher, St. Olaf's esteemed Grounds Manger. In it, he reports the progress we are making in repopulating the site of the Science Complex with native trees to replace those that were removed to make way for the building, many of them non-native species.

David Anderson

Here's Jim's email:

Small factoid regarding trees at New Science site. By the time I leave work today we will have replaced 81 of the 140 trees marked for removal on the original Barr drawing. This includes the Arborvitae I put in before the project began, the oaks, maples, elms and ironwoods spaded in last fall and the larches I am currently installing. Off the top of my head I cannot say how many of the 140 trees removed were "non-native" but all of the replacements fall in the native category. I have an additional 50 aspen coming in sometime next week so by the end of the month we should be closing the gap between loss of trees on the disturbed site and replacement. My count of new trees in the area does not include the arborvitae I installed in the Allens backyard to screen the road.

Ever wonder where you tuition dollars go? Download a fact sheet here
!

Stop by the BORSC table at the foot of the Caf stairs today, April 21, to vote and pick up some candy. We'll research and explain the issue that gets the most votes.

Or, click here and login to vote right now! The poll is open until we leave for Spring Break.

Wondering what BORSC does? Pick up a copy of our new fact sheet by the SGA message board (across from the post office boxes in Buntrock) or download it here.