This change was the initiative of alumnus Taryn Arbeiter ’12, who began composting while living in an honor house. Enthusiastic about her results and eager to turn composting into a campus-wide endeavor, Arbeiter met with representatives of St. Olaf’s Environmental Coalition (EC) to discuss her idea.

The EC reps – Lauren Kramer ’13, Rachel Pain ’13, Roz Anderson ’13 and Andrew Kaul ’13 – were inspired by Arbeiter to create Oles Composting, an EC subcommittee focused on implementing the process of composting into daily campus life.

Seeing an opportunity to establish good habits early in students’ careers at St. Olaf, the subcommittee chose the first–year dorms as the locations for the composters and began the process of implementing the Green Cone composting system.

“Green Cones, which are partially inserted into the ground, use solar energy to decompose pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste,” Kramer said. “This [waste] includes produce, prepared foods, meats and dairy products.”

Although every floor has a large compost receptacle, each dorm room is also allotted its own Caf-supplied yogurt container in which students are meant to throw all of their compostable waste. Once full, the yogurt containers are emptied first into the floor receptacle and subsequently into a Green Cone where the solar-powered composting process occurs.

The subcommittee’s hard work has brought in a total of $3,150 in funding for this project, with $500 coming from a (temporary) Social Innovation Grant and $2,650 from SGA Senate funding. Oles Composting used the funds to buy several Green Cones, planted outside of the dorms, and a number of indoor composting receptacles. Notably, the Green Cones would never have been planted without support from the St. Olaf community.

“Residence life has been very supportive throughout this process,” Kramer said.

EC is understandably enthusiastic about the numerous benefits incurred through composting, namely the ability to turn food waste into soil rather than allowing it to pile up exponentially in landfills. By integrating this process into campus life, EC hopes to help develop a more environmentally–conscious student body.

This brings us to the challenge faced by EC (as well as SustainAbilities, a group working on educating students about composting): the sheer amount of food waste on campus from both Stav Hall and the residence halls. In order to reach the eventual goal of placing composting bins and Green Cones all around campus, the amount of food waste must begin to decrease to a workable amount; specifically, Oles Composting would like to see a 30 percent reduction in food waste.

Due to the large amount of food waste coming from the cafeteria, the campus’ main composting bins are exceeding their maximum capacity and are therefore unable to process additional food coming from the dorms. This is due in part to improper use of the dorm composting receptacles – another issue EC hopes to address with their campaign.

Lacey Etzkorn ’15 is leading an initiative to help with food waste reduction. The Clean Plate Campaign, a program Etzkorn hopes to implement this semester with the help of Real Food St. Olaf and EC, hopes to reduce food waste in the cafeteria. The campaign will begin by alerting students to the waste created by uneaten food.

“We are going to have students sign clean plate pledges and provide a number of incentives for keeping their food waste down,” said Etzkorn. “We would like the students to simply be aware of how much they waste and realize that wasting all of this food is resulting in spending cuts in the cafeteria. Students are wasting their own money.”

Etzkorn also hopes that students will be open-minded about possible solutions such as going trayless.

“If we can significantly reduce the food waste on campus, dorms will be able to compost again. If we fail to do this, composting will be a lost cause,” Etzkorn said.

Annie Stewart ’15, a junior counselor in Ellingson Hall, echoed EC’s cautious optimism about the endeavor.

“There are people who are really into it, and then there are people who just don’t care. There’s really no gray area,” Stewart said. “At the beginning of the year, we told people what should go into [the bins], but a lot of people throw in whole pieces of food like sandwiches and uneaten fruit … when they’re not meant for that.”

However, Stewart hopes that with proper training and increased awareness among the student body, composting can have a successful and lasting role on the campus.

In addition to educating students about the proper use of composting bins, SustainAbilities representatives have personally emptied the large compost receptacles into the Green Cones and hope to train new workers to take on this responsibility.

“The SustainAbilities representatives have played an invaluable role in making the program a success and will continue to provide guidance and feedback to the compost student workers throughout the year,” Kramer said. “I believe the SustainAbilities representatives [also] plan to focus on food waste education this spring in conjunction with EC’s Clean Plate Campaign.”

Next year, EC hopes to change the current composting system in order to match what they have found to be the needs of the campus.

“We’re going to dig up the cones and move them to the honor houses,” Kramer said. “Green Cones are really meant for the use of a single house, not a residence hall.”

The group has realized that purchasing industrial composters could be crucial in order to accommodate dorm and Stav Hall food waste. However, if Etzkorn’s campaign is a success, students should become more aware of what they are eating and how much they throw away. In theory, this would make such large composters unnecessary.

With some students, the composting campaign has already made an impact.

“People would go on breaks and say that it’s weird not to be able to compost,” Anderson said.

When it comes down to it, the driving force behind the composting campaign is its ability to make St. Olaf community members more aware of their actions.

Feline frenzy

Rebecca Rempel/Manitou Messenger
Students, faculty and staff demonstrated in Buntrock Crossroads against the marriage amendment and the voter ID amendment.

Causing mayhem on the Hill, the St. Olaf community received a warning email about a potentially ravaging feral kitten scouring campus. After two Oles attempted to pet the creature, the feline took a bite at one of her hands, breaking skin and causing fear campus-wide. Receiving the most traction of any online Manitou Messenger story, the feline drama held students’ attention in the weeks that followed. From chasing kittens through the parking lot late at night to taking tip-calls from students, many attempts were made to catch this potentially rabid feline. One day, after off-roading a public safety vehicle onto the quad, one brave officer tried to cage the kitten as the student body watched the action from the safety of Stav Hall. After capturing four different kittens, none was identified by the victims to be the said attacker. Students were relieved once notified that the perpetrator of this madness had been captured, and campus was free of uncontrollable feline frenzy.

Student favorites vanish from Stav

courtesy of st. olaf public safety
On Oct. 20, Public Safety caught a kitten believed to have bitten two students in a live trap near Holland Hall. Three days later, the victims alerted the police that the wrong cat was in captivity.

Due to rising food prices, many Oles were disappointed to discover Cracklin’ Oat Bran and crunchy peanut butter were no longer options in the Caf.  “Food inflation is a huge problem … and we have to look carefully at everything we purchase so we are not asking students to pay more money …” Board Manager Randy Clay said. “There will be a few things that affect students on a personal level, but we will try to take out more expensive options and leave the cheaper options, where applicable.”  Although Cracklin’ Oat Bran and crunchy peanut butter will be missed, Stav still offers smooth and natural peanut butter, as well as a great variety of cereals for students to choose from.

Panini press

We’d all heard the rumors, and thankfully they were true. Upon returning to Stav Hall after a long summer of Caf deprivation, Oles were delighted to find four new panini presses. This addition allowed students to express their culinary creativity. From “Veggie-burginis” to “PB&Janinis” to “Quesadillinis,” many new and exciting Caf creations continue to abound.

2012 election

Students joined to stand in solidarity in opposition of the two proposed amendments on the 2012 MN ballot.

The 2012 election season sparked the enthusiasm of Oles from all ends of the political spectrum. In addition to rallying support for candidates, there were powerful movements around campus regarding the two proposed amendments on the Minnesota ballot. One of the most visible demonstrations involved students gathering in Crossroads to stand (literally) in solidarity to spell out the word “NO” in opposition to both amendments.

Speakers

From Bob Woodward to Zach Wahls, the Political Awareness Committee brought many speakers to campus to foster discussion about issues relevant to the lives of students. Speakers drew large crowds of Oles eager to hear about different issues and to ask questions for the speakers to answer with their unique perspectives.

Making it in the Arts Conference

With so many artistically-inclined Oles wanting to pursue their passions, the Making it in the Arts Conference proved to be inspirational, as well as constructive. Offering advice about everything from entrepreneurship to the creative process, the St. Olaf alumni speaking at the conference helped Oles understand how to chase their dreams effectively post-graduation. Although it was made clear that the road to success is never an easy one, the speakers stressed that learning to take whatever opportunities come your way will inevitably lead you in the right direction. There were many distinguished alumni in attendance, including featured speaker Shelly Gossman  ’99 – a theater-major-turned-Saturday-Night-Live-Writer.

“I’m a triple major in German, computer science and math – that’s all for now, I think. What about you?”

“I’m going pre-med.”

About 60 to 70 Oles apply to medical school every year, although the numbers may vary slightly depending on how one defines the pre-med. Kevin Crisp, an associate professor of biology at St. Olaf, hazards a conservative guess that there are 250 pre-med students currently at St. Olaf.

Each year, numerous first years come in dedicated to the pre-med track, determined to live up to its high academic expectations.

“Each fall, close to 100 incoming first-year students attend the pre-health (medical, dental) information session . . .” Crisp said.

However, the path is hardly an easy one. St. Olaf’s pre-med track is unique from other colleges’ in that there is not a specific pre-med major. Although the track has many forms, most individuals major in some form of the sciences: chemistry, biology or physics.

“To be honest, I am okay with biology and chemistry but they’re not my passions,” Brendan Johnson ’15 said. “I chose math and Norwegian because I want to major in something I am passionate about that also shows I have the ability to think in a scientific, technical way.”

Due to the large number of courses necessary for the track, most students begin the process their first year, though with careful planning, starting as late as sophomore year is possible.

“I have always loved the idea of helping people and I really enjoy being in the hospital,” Olivia Manfield ’15 said. “So, I thought, what the heck! I might as well still try, even though I’m a sophomore. I love the idea of medicine and what it can do for people.”

Preparation proves particularly essential if students wish to double major, study abroad or take certain classes outside of the track. Many of the courses students take sophomore or junior year – for example, organic chemistry and physics – are year-long courses, making it especially difficult to find time to study abroad.

“I looked at doing Global, but it would force me to take organic chemistry sophomore year and physics senior year, meaning I would need to take the MCAT after I graduate, instead of junior/senior year as most pre-med students do,” Johnson said. “So, I’ve had to keep my study abroad options limited to summer and interim.”

If a semester of study abroad doesn’t fit into a pre-med student’s schedule, other options exist. The St. Olaf Global Medical Brigade – a student-led global health and sustainable development organization – will be traveling to Honduras this winter to implement medical clinics in rural communities, as well as educate locals on how to operate the clinics.

The upcoming trip takes place over interim break, providing an alternate opportunity for pre-med students to travel abroad while also gaining valuable medical experience for their futures.

“The thing I am most excited for is the opportunity to travel to a foreign place, see firsthand the medical problems the area is dealing with and be able to provide help,” Moriah Novacinski ’14 said.

In addition to a vigorous academic workload, going pre-med also consists of many extracurricular activities. Novacinski completed internships in the summers after her first and sophomore years – a common trajectory for pre-med students hoping to gain experience in the lab.

“Pre-med students have to take a heavy homework load immediately, be an active volunteer, gain research experiences, take MCAT classes and so on,” Novacinski said.

Between volunteering at the hospital to gain real-life medical experience and studying, Johnson realized he needed to make sacrifices in terms of his free time.

“I have had to choose certain clubs to put more effort into and not join lots of clubs I want to,” Johnson said. “I have also had to not try for leadership positions in clubs I want to. So, it’s possible to stay involved; you just need to be deliberate about what you really want to be doing, and prioritize accordingly.”

The rigid pre-health scheduling can also sow doubt in students’ minds. Intensive workloads and constant concerns about life after St. Olaf can be overwhelming.

“I definitely have questioned whether this path is for me,” Novacinski said. “I worry about the costs, about what to do if I don’t get the MCAT score [I need] or get into the medical school that I want.”

Only one physics class away from completing the necessary pre-med classes, Stephen Sweeney ’15 experienced a change of heart.

“I decided I didn’t want to be a doctor anymore,” Sweeney said. “Now, I am determined to be a music teacher, so I immediately changed my course load for my last two and half years at St. Olaf in order to get my bachelor of music education degree.

Despite the strenuous nature of the pre-med track, for Novacinski – as well as many other pre-med students – the desire to make a difference in the world through medicine fuels the journey.

stetsec@stolaf.edu

If you accidentally crank a bookshelf into the boy from choir, the only open spot in the reference room will be the one next to him. If you and the girl from biology share a Pause dance you’d like to forget, you’re sure to see her when you’re the only two walking across the quad. If you trip walking up the stairs to Stav in front of your secret crush, you are guaranteed to see him or her at breakfast next week – probably the one day you don’t bother to blow dry your hair or forget to wear deodorant.

It’s just our luck.

Maybe it’s the stress of organic chemistry, delirium from staring at a philosophy paper for six straight hours or years of ridicule as a high school choir kid, but this unfortunate reality affects us all.

As a person who experiences awkward situations more often than most, I’m proud to say I’ve learned to handle them with grace – or at least I try. Here, I take you through an embarrassing yet painfully average day for me, proving laughter is the best medicine.

I arrived at the cafeteria around 11:30 a.m. I decided to reward myself for resisting the tater tots by dousing my salad in French dressing and Goldfish (YOLO). However, I encountered more than a few difficulties while pouring the Goldfish, and experienced a momentary – and involuntary – breakdown.

“These, ah … these things, they’re, ah, uh … ah, I don’t know,” I said to the person I thought I knew (but did not) behind me in line.

Apparently unable to formulate coherent English, my breath grew heavy as sweat dribbled down my back – it was gross. Ready to give up,  I gave the dispenser one last shake. The Goldfish came rushing out, landing on the floor, on the person behind me and between the buttons on my shirt.

“Sorry,” I said to the poor person witnessing my struggle.

We both looked at each other, looked at the excessive Goldfish and laughed.

“No problem,” she said, picking a Goldfish off of my scarf.

Clearly not mentally equipped to handle the Caf,  I ordered a cheese cup at the Cage – apparently, it was one of those days. I handed the cashier what I thought was my ID card.

“You can’t pay with this,” she said, holding up my Lifetime Fitness card.

Oops.

“Sorry,” I said, handing her a crumpled five-dollar bill, “I’m really tired.”

“You want some coffee?” she asked jokingly.

“Please,” I said, chuckling along with her.

Later that day, as I walked up the staircase with my friend, I tripped a little bit. In other words, I completely ate it.

“Wow, drunk at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday?” I heard the person behind us mutter.

1.) I was 100 percent sober.

2.) I took precautions by holding the handrail.

3.) Yes, it happened regardless.

My friend tried to console me, but failed to contain her laughter, as did I.

By embracing the moments that make me cringe – by laughing at myself – I get through those I-can’t-believe-that-really-just-happened-I’m-never-coming-out-of-my-dorm-room-again moments. And you know what they say: As the following Oles confirm, the worst moments make the best stories.

cron@stolaf.edu

Andrew Lindvall ’14

“I’ll meet you upstairs,” I said to my cute Caf date (score).

So focused on keeping my plate steady, I unknowingly walked into the railing as I rounded the corner. Fortunately, because I possess such acute reflexes, I avoided spilling my food – using only one hand. Impressive, I know.

However, I lost track of the rest of my body in the process. Tripping, I attempted to catch myself by grabbing the railing, but overestimated my reach. My entire arm got stuck between the railing at the wall, keeping me captive in a kneeling position in the stairwell.

I watched numerous Oles walking by me – it was the 5:30 p.m. dinner rush, of course – either laughing, clapping or pretending not to notice. Frantic, I tried to free myself, but because the railing had jammed my elbow, I remained helpless.

After struggling for nearly 15 minutes, a Stav worker finally rescued me.

“This wasn’t in the job description,” he said as he lifted my arm over the railing.

Wincing with pain, I thanked him and continued up the stairs – plate of food still in hand.

My date was still waiting for me. Nice.

Eric Crees ’15

As if navigating the cafeteria as naive, over-eager first years isn’t awkward enough, my roommate and I could not locate our friends. We walked aimlessly around the first level, scanning the cafeteria – what I like to call the “creep sweep” – and avoiding eye contact at all costs. But, I mean, I played it cool.

As we ventured up the stairs we felt a fine mist hit us. We briefly acknowledged our concern, but ultimately chose to shrug it off, and continued walking up the stairs.

As we turned the corner to head up the second set, we looked up and saw the source of the mist: an Ole lunging towards the railing with puke violently flying out of his open mouth.

Speechless, we stood in utter disbelief for a few moments before fully realizing that chunks of puke landed in our food, clothes and hair.

Whimpering, we went to get a fresh plate.

Amanda Tveite ’15

Exhausted after a long day of class, I trudged through the snow back to Larson for a pre-dinner nap. I thought about taking the stairs for about seven seconds, but considering I live on the 11th floor, I opted for the elevator. Although I was in a daze, it was hard to miss what happened next.

Waiting for the elevator with a somewhat anxious, extremely sweaty first year, I sensed him looking at me. I looked over to acknowledge him, but he spontaneously started coughing.

“It really is flu season, huh?” I said.

I waited for a response, but obviously, due to his uncontrollable cough, he could not speak. I pretended to fix my hair and turned away. When the elevator arrived, the awkwardness increased exponentially.

Clearly in the middle of making out, a couple in the elevator paused briefly when the doors opened. I walked in standing as far away from the lovers as possible, and the sickly first year bolted towards the stairs.

As soon as the doors closed they went right back to their PG-13 canoodling.

Awesome.

And by that, I mean, gross. I understand your need for affection, but it’s Tuesday afternoon. You need to learn to contain your passion.

Kristine Kroker ’15

“Hey, you!” I said to the boy making a panino.

I stood there waiting for him to respond, but after a minute or two of standing by the salad bar smiling to myself, I concluded that he did not hear me. My voice doesn’t tend to carry well in noisy settings, so naturally, I decided to yell louder. And wave. With both hands.

“Hey! Hey! Look, I remembered who you are!”

I’d met this boy the previous week, and he didn’t think I would say hi to him after our initial meeting.

“Oh . . . yeah,” he said, looking confused.

There was a tense pause. The only sound I could hear was the panini maker sizzling. I let out a lingering giggle to fill the silence.

“Yeah, I remember you too?” he muttered.

He did not remember me because as I later found out, this person was not the boy from the previous week. Two months have passed, and he continues to say hi to me. I’m not sure if this is a sign of blossoming friendship or pity, but either way, I see him everywhere. Constantly. 

Sadly, my laziness has stayed with me this year, so radio has not become a part of my life. However, this week I had the opportunity to talk with some of the students involved with KSTO. They were each more than happy to impart their knowledge on the nature of radio, their respective shows and general information on KSTO itself.

The station was first brought to life in the 1950s when student workers at WCAL-AM (a listener-supported radio station) expressed their desire to have a radio show catered to student interests. In the 1970s, WCAL began to grow and needed the space accorded to KSTO by St. Olaf. This expansion eventually lead to

KSTO’s relocation to its current location in the basement of Buntrock.

Incidentally, FM 89.3 The Current was launched at St. Olaf as a sister station to WCAL-AM in the late 1960s. The station was operated at St. Olaf for almost 40 years with programming that focused more on classical music and religion-based shows. In 2004, St. Olaf sold the station to Minnesota Public Radio, and the Current we know today came to life.

As issues with funding and radio reception seemed to continuously pop up, the ’80s and ’90s saw a good deal of fluctuation for KSTO. The AM frequency KSTO operated on became nearly impossible to receive in most residence halls.

It was not until the 1996-1997 academic year that KSTO found its savior: technical director Christian Green ’98. As KSTO had not been able to appropriate the funds necessary for making a full-scale FM conversion, Green proposed an FM alternative that would broadcast only to the residence halls on campus. The decision was made to keep KSTO an “on-campus” radio station, and Green began working to complete the conversion.

Unfortunately, Green was forced to cut his work short and return home for medical reasons. After only a few months of treatment, Green died of cancer in Iowa City, Iowa. Green was a junior at St. Olaf at the time of his death. Though his story is short and heartbreaking, Green’s hard work contributed to KSTO’s standing as a thriving FM campus radio station, and for that, his legacy lives on.

Carolyn Bernhardt ’14, the current manager of KSTO, has been working this year to ensure that Green’s progress was not in vain. The station recently purchased a variety of new equipment, in addition to refurbishing the studio. Instead of using iTunes as a music library, KSTO is now operating with Simian: a system that allows bands and DJs to record and store material in addition to organizing music files.

KSTO also has a new set of microphones, monitors and furniture in the on-air studio. Additionally, Bernhardt has been working to increase the usage of CDs and vinyls on-air, providing an alternative to the much-used music storage software.

Bernhardt hopes that by the new year all of the DJs will have a complete understanding of the new technology. Bernhardt also plans to expand talk radio with an up-and-running news section as early as next semester.

“Modeling the station after NPR has always been the goal”, Bernhardt said.

Though the role of radio as a media outlet is not what it used to be, Bernhardt sees a very bright future for KSTO. Its influence seems to be increasing, due largely in part to an incredibly driven and enthusiastic first-year class.

“The new first-year DJs paired with returning DJs have allowed for a very diverse, varied and knowledgeable station,” Bernhardt said.

Madeline Burbank ’15 – the voice behind a news and politics segment on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. – covers everything from events on campus to political relations internationally. Her goal is to keep St. Olaf students from becoming too “stuck in the campus bubble” and to inform us of what is affecting the ever-changing world we live in. For those eager for their daily fill of political commentary, Burbank’s show can be followed on Twitter @STOBuzz.

Andrew Parr ’15 runs a show devoted to classical music, airing Tuesdays from 3-4 p.m. For Parr – a possible music education major – this experience is everything he could have hoped for. His delight comes from the opportunity to expose students to music they may not otherwise listen to.

“What I get to do is everything I’ve always wanted to do. Hopefully I’m giving people the chance to really understand what they’re listening to,” Parr said.

Parr also expressed his appreciation for the radio, admitting his hope that its decline is not permanent. Parr added that it is not as relevant as it was 30 years ago, but argues that there is a great benefit to listening to radio.

“It’s nice because when you’re listening to music by yourself, you don’t have anyone to tell you something about the music,” Parr said. “But DJs on the radio can have something valuable to say.”

Unfortunately, the fact remains that today music is easily accessible through Spotify, Pandora and hundreds upon hundreds of other websites, sweeping the discovery of new music from under radio’s feet. So is there really anything to gain from listening to the radio when we can just as easily open up a few tabs on Firefox?

Zaq Baker ’15, Top 100/Alternative Director and DJ at KSTO, highlights the personal side of radio.

“There’s a very human-to-human component that you just can’t replicate with music software, which lacks a lot of the power that radio has,” Baker said.

If nothing else, KSTO is the epitome of individual expression. Though on-air personalities do have to adhere to Federal Communications Comission’s guidelines, there is no other form of censorship regarding music played or topics discussed.

“If you want to know what Oles are really about, listen to KSTO. The monoculture at St. Olaf does not have a radio show, but the truly interesting Oles who make St. Olaf what it is are the ones that do have shows,” Kevin Jackson ’15 said. “At KSTO, you can get to know the real side of students – the unfiltered side.”

In short, dear Oles, KSTO is not something to be disregarded. Why should radio take a backseat to your iPods? Can your iPods make jokes, provide insight or offer opinions? No.

And Siri doesn’t count.

senm@stolaf.edu

Things You May Not Know About KSTO

1.) The Great Fire: In the 1970s, a fire started in the KSTO section of the WCAL building and caused damages costing upwards of $3,000. The fire destroyed the printer and all of the broadcasting equipment.

2.) The New Production Studio: This year, KSTO is working with new equipment in a nicely renovated studio.

3.) Live On-Air Shows: KSTO now has a designated space for musicians to perform on-air. This opportunity is extended to all campus bands and musicians.

4.) Recording: The studio now has a space where campus musicians and bands can record their material. Additionally, DJs can pre-record shows they would be unavailable to do live.

5.) Hope Country: Brent Johnson, the leader of Hope Country – a folk group from Duluth – will be coming later this year into perform on-air before the band’s show at Hogan Brothers.

6.) Variety: This year’s lineup houses a large amount of diversity in show type. According to Zaq Baker ’15, there are many different types of DJs with diverse tastes and kinds of shows. “No two shows are quite alike, and that’s really only something college radio can give you,” Baker said.

7.) They See You. . .: DJs can actually see how many listeners they have at one time. This can either make them feel really good, or really bad. So, listen up and give these wonderful people some warm and fuzzies.

They were students, just like us.

Before they died, they might have played on the basketball team or sung in the choir. Maybe they ordered pizza every Saturday night. They lived in the same residence halls we do. Like us, they studied abroad, and occasionally they did not finish their reading.

“At 21, most people are so, kind of, future-oriented and self-oriented that they just don’t think about death,” Pastor Matt Marohl said, but the 30-foot Wind Chime Memorial Tower in the center of the quad calls us to reflect on our peers who have gone before us.

The memorial was conceived by Vice President Greg Kneser and built by 11 faculty and staff members over the summer of 2003. The tower was dedicated on Sept. 28, 2003.

Currently, 116 chimes ring to the tune of “Beautiful Savior.” Each chime is engraved with the name of a student who died while enrolled at St. Olaf or who would have been enrolled at St. Olaf had he or she not dropped out to enlist in the military, according to Jeff Suave, associate college archivist.

The very first chime commemorates Jens Muus, son of St. Olaf founder Bernt Julius Muus. Jens died on Nov. 6, 1878, of typhus.

Most recently, in 2007, a chime was added for Ruth Leona Norvold, who expected to graduate in 1925, but died the summer after her first year at St. Olaf. She drowned in Lake Oakwood, near Volga, S.D., trying to save two younger girls. Norvold’s family brought her story to the attention of the college, which immediately set to work in order to right this omission. This is not the first instance that the college has retroactively added chimes.

Since the memorial service took place 85 years after Norvold’s death, Suave was not sure what the turnout would be like, but Oles filled the chapel to commemorate this woman.

“It showed . . . the St. Olaf community at its best,” Suave said. “I was almost in tears because they had the women’s swim team walk out with her chime.”

“The chimes are a constant reminder that these students will always – will always – be a part of the St. Olaf community,” Martin Raabe ’14 said during a daily chapel service on Oct. 31, the day before All Saints Day. Raabe, Aleece DeWald ’14 and Marohl asked those assembled in Boe Memorial Chapel to reflect not only on these students’ deaths, but also on their lives.

Here are four of their stories:

Kelly Marjanen ’85

Marjanen died in a car accident over Thanksgiving break in 1981. According to the archives, Marjanen was returning from a ski trip in northern Minnesota with her boyfriend when the accident occurred. She was a first year living in Ellingson Hall, and her entire corridor drove up to Duluth, where Marjanen lived, for the funeral.

Christin Mead ’94

In January 1992, Mead traveled to China over interim to take the course “Shanghai: A City Between Two Worlds.” During a weekend excursion, on Jan. 18, Mead complained to Professor Robert Entenmann of a cough and slight fever, but her symptoms quickly worsened. She was hospitalized the following Tuesday and her parents were notified. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The International Studies Office assisted her family in obtaining passports so Mead’s father, mother and sister, a junior in high school, were able to join Mead in Shanghai. Before her family arrived, students from Mead’s program took turns staying in the hospital with her. After a 10-day hospitalization, Mead was set to be transported via a plane equipped with life support to the United States. Four doctors and her mother joined Mead on the plane, but her heart stopped before the plane landed in the United States. A sophomore Asian studies major, Mead intended to spend a semester in China the following year. She taught swimming and played piano.

Sgt. Donald Nelson ’42, Cpl. George Anderson ’44

These two friends left St. Olaf to enlist in the army at the same time, in 1941. Nelson completed his junior year, playing the trombone in both the St. Olaf Band and Orchestra. Anderson played on the tennis team. The men were stationed together on Corregidor, an island in the Philippines, when it fell to the Japanese and they became prisoners of war. Together they formed an Army-Navy choir. In October of 1944, the men were put on separate Japanese ships, the Arisan Maru and Hokusen Maru, respectively, along with nearly 3,000 other prisoners of war. As the ships were unmarked, U.S. submarines torpedoed these ships, killing nearly everyone onboard, including Nelson and Anderson.

koester@stolaf.edu

With a mission to provide the student body with an unbiased source for political information, PAC has put on a variety of events to increase the level of the political conversation at St. Olaf.

“In regard to the election, PAC has prompted us to put on events like Candidate Town Hall: an opportunity for undecided voters or anyone that wanted to come and ask questions about the positions of each of the four most prominent candidates,” PAC Coordinator Kevin George ’13 said.

Additionally, PAC brought in political speakers such as Zach Wahls and Bob Woodward – both well-attended events – but most importantly, worked to register as many students to vote as possible.

“Easily the most important thing we’ve done so far is our drive to register students to vote,” George said. “It is a fundamental goal of our organization.”

PAC successfully pre-registered between 200-250 students, and in combination with the efforts of Students for Barack Obama (STObama), students are well-informed about the formalities of the voting process.

“So many students wanted to register to vote on campus or had questions about how they could request an absentee ballot from their home state,” STObama Volunteer Coordinator Olivia Slack ’15 said. “Voting is your civic duty as American. Our democratic system as we know it today wouldn’t function without people participating in the political process by voting.”

For first-time voter Ben Swenson-Klatt ’16, excitement about voting extends beyond civic duty.

“To me, voting in this election is more than just believing in a political party,” Swenson-Klatt said. “Basic human rights are being voted for which I think shouldn’t even be an issue in the first place. I have friends that will be affected if certain amendments pass. I believe very strongly in equality for everyone – the chance to love someone or the ability to vote, so I’m trying to do everything I can to stop them.”

With so much buzz about the election coming at students from different directions, PAC remains one of the few organizations – on or off campus – that transmits political information without an agenda.

“We don’t exist to convince you how you should feel about a specific policy or candidate, we exist only to give you the best information possible for you to make your own decision about, which is an invaluable resource,” said George.

Zach Westermeyer ’15 appreciates PAC’s unbiased approach, noting that the media does not always present the truth about politics, especially around election time.

“All the partisanship prevents the government working for the good of the people like it was created to do, and instead turns into a giant campaign to make the other side look worse, Westermeyer said. “On the bright side, election season is a reminder of the fact that we live under a free, democratic government. Educated voting is important because you are exercising your right to an opinion from your perspective on who should lead this country.”

Although election season can be a long, tiring process, the excitement on campus about the election remains evident.

“I do think students are excited to vote this year,” said George. “There has been a lot of energy on campus the past few months, and I expect that to carry through to Election Day next week. We have a fairly politically aware campus, and students do show interest, as they are involved in a wide variety of political causes and organizations.”

cron@stolaf.edu

College Greens

A new political organization on campus, College Greens focuses on informing students about the Green Party’s presence in the upcoming election, as well as promoting the party’s key values.

“Ecological wisdom is really important to us, focusing on environment problems and environmental justice,” College Green’s President Lauren Kramer ’13 said. “We are also going to focus on environmental justice issues happening in Northfield community, and we might host local environmental activists just to get out the word for environmental justice.”

As far as other events, College Greens took part in PAC’s candidate panel and hopes to table in front of the Caf and host speakers to discuss non-violence and their involvement with peace movements.

College Democrats

With a focus on student involvement. College Democrats has been and will continue to organize phone-banking, door knocking and tabling outside the Caf.

“The purpose and goal of the College Democrats is to help St. Olaf students become informed about local candidates, as well as giving people the chance to become politically active and volunteer [at] events, as well as for candidates,” Greta Johnson ’14 said.

The organization is working to spread the word about the importance of voting for candidates running for office as well as amendments. “Although we focus on the Democratic platform as a whole, the proposed Marriage and Voter ID amendments on the ballot this year in Minnesota are important to us,” Johnson said.

Students For Liberty

Also a new student organization this year, Students for Liberty is a non-partisan libertarian organization on campus.

“Students for Liberty is a new organization and our main focus is discussing issues that pertain to liberty,” Treasurer Kristen Stenehjem ’15 said. “We will mainly be discussing topics that are relevant to the election between now and Nov. 6 to give our members better insight into how to form their opinions to maximize liberty and freedom.”

The group understands that there is still work to be done following the elections.

“We are planning on continuing the conversation of liberty and how it will change in our country after the outcome of the elections,” Stenehjem said.

Students For Barack Obama

As the name indicates, Students for Barack Obama (STObama) is working towards the goal of re-electing President Obama.

“STObama has been working hard to register and contact voters and recruit volunteers for Get Out The Vote,” Volunteer Coordinator Olivia Slack ’15 said. “STObama’s goal is to contact 3,000 voters during the Get Out The Vote four-day period.”

Between tabling, phone banking, hosting debate-watching parties and dorm canvassing, STObama has been quite active on campus.

“We table outside the Caf every Wednesday during lunch. During tabling, we register people to vote, have them sign ‘Pledge to Vote’ cards and just generally inform people about the upcoming election and answer any questions students might have,” Slack said.

College Republicans

Hoping to share Republican values with the St. Olaf Community, College Republicans has been in contact with several of the candidates that are representing this district, including Mike Dudley, Kurt Bills and John Klein.

“Two weeks ago Brian Wermerskirchen – a local candidate currently running for the Minnesota House of Representatives – came in and chatted with us about his campaign, his platform and what he has been doing in the community,” College Republicans’ Chair Matt Mittelsteadt ’15 said.

College Republicans plans on tabling in order to support the Republican Party’s candidates on both a local and national level, while also publicizing their organization.

“Last year the organization wasn’t too big, but we are really trying to make it well-organized this year so we have a bigger impact,” Mittelsteadt said. “After the election we are hoping to meet with some of winners of the local elections, asking them to come in and speak at St. Olaf.”

jacobsoe@stolaf.edu

The trip helped students expand their networks by introducing them to St. Olaf alumni working in New York. More importantly, it pushed participants to think about how liberal arts degrees can translate into real-world careers.

According to Kris Estenson, a Piper Center associate director, the program allowed students to explore a variety of vocational fields by introducing them to numerous alumni living and working in New York City. More than simply connecting students with potential job opportunities, she explained, the trip allowed students a chance to think more critically about their vocational paths.

“We met young alumni that explained to the students how to get their feet in the door and gave other practical advice like how to build a network of friends,” Estenson said. “We also met older alumni that spoke about the path they took to get where they are.”

The trip’s itinerary provided students a glimpse into the lives and careers of alumni and people with connections to the St. Olaf community. Saturday started with students meeting Brenda Berkman ’73, who led them on a tour of the World Trade Center’s tribute museum and memorial. After graduating from St. Olaf, Berkman fought for gender equality within the New York City Fire Department and became one of the department’s first female firefighters.

Sunday emphasized fine arts and provided students interested in the arts with the opportunity to meet with alumni Maren Lankford ’09 and Vanessa Trouble ’91. The alumni explained to students the struggles and triumphs of “making it” in the arts.

On Monday morning, the journalism group met ABC Studios Senior Producer Cat McKenzie ’92 and spoke with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gretchen Morgenson ’76 of The New York Times in the afternoon.

Students on the business track met with Dean Maki ’87, Mark Hanson ’89 and Robert Thrash ’94 at Barclays Capital. The alumni, who graduated from St. Olaf with a wide range of majors, stressed the value of a liberal arts degree in the world of business.

Cuitlahuac Turrent ’97, a vice president at Goldman Sachs, echoed their comments when students met with him in a private conference that afternoon. These and other alumni demonstrated the advantage of a liberal arts education and helped participants discern a vocational field.

Art students met with Ward Sutton ’89, a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, at his apartment, which doubles as his studio.

Oles with a taste for theater and music had the opportunity to meet with Charles Barker ’75, the principal conductor of the American Ballet Orchestra and other alumni in the business.

Liza Mussato ’14, an economics major with a management emphasis and a concentration in biomedical studies, heard about the trip through one of the numerous emails the Piper Center sends students about opportunities to explore vocation. Once arriving in the city, she was admittedly a bit nervous before meeting the alumni. However, she explained that her apprehensions quickly disappeared.

“They really opened up to us and told us how St. Olaf helped them and how we could further our own careers,” Mussato said. “It was really cool to hear their stories. I mostly gained inspiration and insight about my own career. I thought the people we met were going to be cutthroat, but that wasn’t the case at all.”

Along with the opportunity to meet high-powered alumni in New York City and explore the possible career options with a St. Olaf degree, Mussato said that the trip bridged gaps between social groups at St. Olaf and broadened her network of friends when she returned to the Hill.

“The experience was one of my best experiences at St. Olaf,” Mussato said. “I didn’t know a lot of the people going into the trip, but after a few days, we all felt like we had been in the city together for weeks. When we got back to campus we were all very close. On campus, the economics majors and the art majors don’t always interact that much, but this trip helped me meet new people.”

Students interested in participating in a Piper Center Connections trip will have the opportunity to apply for the Houston trip in the next few weeks and the Washington, D.C. trip later this year. The Houston trip will focus on the sciences and the Washington, D.C. trip will be slightly less specific, emphasizing law, government, nonprofits and entrepreneurship.

Regardless of which trip students choose, Estenson asserts that the Connections trips inspire students, allowing them to realize the possibilities for their future.

“It was inspiring to see that Oles can make it in New York,” Estenson said. “Students on the trip saw the network of encouragement in the Ole family. They left with a sense of being a part of the community with supportive, talented young people that are doing great things.”

slater@stolaf.edu

St. Olaf is only the second institution of faith to host MOCC – the first being Augsburg College. By offering its campus, St. Olaf made a statement.

“Being an ally or being GLBTA and being a person of faith are not mutually exclusive,” said Katherine Barnes ’13, St. Olaf’s MOCC Committee chair. “I think it’s important for those who are religiously  progressive to have a platform for their beliefs as well.”

This year’s theme, “Creating Cohesive Communities: Sharing Perspectives and Celebrating Diversity,” explores issues involving faith, as well as many other topics. MOCC offers speakers, performances and discussion-based workshops.

“The point of the theme is to [encourage] attendees to consider the viewpoints and experiences of others, and then using those stories to bring more cohesion to their communities,” Barnes said.

Friday’s keynote speaker, Kye Allums, will speak on transgender issues as part of his Transition Tour. Allums is a graduate of George Washington University and made history last year when he came out as transgender male on the GWU women’s basketball team, making him the first openly transgender person to play NCAA basketball.

Saturday’s keynote, Coya White Hat-Artichoker, will discuss issues prevalent  in Minnesota, including marriage, sovereignty and liberation. Coya is a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe and writes for The Huffington Post.

Natalie Clark, Sunday’s keynote, will address how we construct the queer identity, and how it affects the LGBTQ movement. Natalie hails from Duluth and recently started her own company: Thrive.

“Collectively, these speakers were chosen to provide a variety of commentary on both the history of the movement, but also the contemporary issues,” Barnes said.

Punctuated with six workshop sessions, this year’s MOCC will encourage session leaders to discuss issues in a diverse dialogue. The sessions will broach a variety of topics ranging from “Effective Allyship,” to “Sports in the LGBTQ Community,” to “Making a Worship Space a Safe Space,” featuring leaders from all over Minnesota.

“Our selection of 30 workshops will offer attendees a chance to learn about different facets of the queer community while providing a safe atmosphere for poignant conversations,” MOCC Logistics Coordinator Michelle Wheeler ’14 said.

While the speakers mainly focus on personal experiences, workshops will hone in on specific issues, fostering discussion among attendees.

“The workshops will provide an opportunity for more specialized discussions ranging from politics to religion to health and wellness to media,” Barnes said. “We chose workshops to reflect a diversity of interests. They are important because this is where the bulk of the learning and idea sharing occurs at the conference.”

Additionally, Saturday’s lineup features various caucuses, including “Ally Think Tank, Faith,” “Working Professionally for Queer Issues,” “Building a Student Presence” and “Volunteering for the Minnesota Campus Alliance.”

“The caucuses are an opportunity for more conversational based interaction. At some conferences, they are identity based, meaning lesbian, transgender or people of color, etcetera, but for MOCC 2012, we wanted to take more of a topical approach,” Barnes said. “Students will be bouncing between these conversations, and the point of them is not only to share perspectives, but also to formulate solutions for themselves.”

Aside from chances to engage in discussions, activities such as dance breaks, a cabaret and a drag ball provide conferencegoers with a chance to have fun and meet new people in a queer & ally-filled environment.

“A big part of this conference is having fun and meeting new people. What better way to do so than dancing in the Pause and interacting with drag queens?” Barnes said.

There Will Be Light – a documentary theatre-based cabaret – hits the Pause Mane stage on Friday night. The cabaret presents testimonies against the Marriage Amendment through videos, songs and speakers.

“The show sheds light – pun intended – on this important issue in an artistic way,” Co-Director Tucker Moore said. “The passion of the cast is apparent in performance, and I believe the audience will leave feeling empowered and ready to vote no on Nov. 6.”

Wheeler believes that providing a safe space to converse and develop viewpoints is an important step toward a more accepting future.

“This event is important because it invites dialogue surrounding some of the most crucial social justice issues of our time,” Wheeler said. “MOCC 2012 will be a wonderful opportunity for all St. Olaf students to broaden their horizons and challenge their preconceived notions of the queer community.”

ellingss@stolaf.edu

cron@stolaf.edu

“So you didn’t want to go far from home, then?”

“Is it some kind of requirement in your family to go to Olaf?”

Aware of all the assumptions like these that come with being a townie, I was not happy when I realized I was destined for St. Olaf. I panicked a week before Decision Day and felt that my anxiety merited a five-hour drive to Lawrence University that very weekend. The moment I stepped onto the campus at Lawrence, I knew I was going to St. Olaf.

Instead of feeling the relief I expected upon reaching my college decision, frustration and anger descended. My numerous cousins and siblings who attended or do attend St. Olaf would be considered “double legacy” students, with a long and glorious tradition that dates back through my mother’s side of the family. Needless to say, my family is intimately connected with St. Olaf, a relationship that my siblings and I wished to sever. All three of us were determined to find an equivalent of St. Olaf elsewhere – away from our family members that live in Northfield and make their way to campus often.

But our motivation to attend a college other than St. Olaf did not come only from family history. The atmosphere at Northfield High School surrounding “townies” is profoundly negative. Parents and students alike seem to look down on future Oles, thinking they “settle” for St. Olaf because of its proximity to their comfortable lives.

According to St. Olaf alumna Ruthie Neuger, admissions interviewer and head softball coach, the Admissions office receives about 60 applications from Northfield High School students per year, of which they accept about one third (though this varies by year). Come Decision Day, anywhere between 15 and 30 townies will deposit. Currently, about 60 students on the Hill are townies.

All in all, I can wholeheartedly echo the sentiments of Stina Nesbit ’15, Rachel Dahlen ’13, Evan Quinnell ’14 and many other townies at St. Olaf. Others may think your college search was incomplete, that you want to stay close to home, that you aren’t independent enough to live outside the safety net of your hometown and so on. Despite these stereotypes, it’s important to keep the big picture in mind: Don’t choose St. Olaf because it’s in your town, but at the same time, don’t reject it simply because it’s in your town.

stetsec@stolaf.edu

Evan Quinnell

Class year: 2014

Relationship with St. Olaf: Both parents are alumni, as is his sister Emily Quinnell ’11. Evan Quinnell came to football games as a kid.

Major: Political science with a management studies concentration

Details of college search: Was never set on St. Olaf, but didn’t write it off. Wanted a small school with a strong sense of community and toured schools in the MIAC, always comparing schools to St. Olaf, for better or for worse.

A large portion of your high school class went to St. Olaf. What is it like when you see them? “Well, for example, when I see Adam Hadro ’14 (also a townie) around campus, I see him as an individual. I don’t define him by who he was in high school. It’s like he has matured into a more sophisticated version of himself. I also played football in my first year, so I had a whole network of people before the first week even began. It was a new environment because no one else from Northfield played football.”

Stina Nesbit

Class year: 2015

Relationship with St. Olaf: Father coaches women’s tennis, sister Kate ’12 is an alumna, grew up in and on campus

Major: Psychology with a neuroscience concentration.

Details of college search: Deferred attendance after acceptance to St. Olaf to spend a year in Italy through Rotary International Youth Exchange

Were there any deterrents to attending St. Olaf? “You can make Olaf as close or far away as you want. I happen to live fairly close to school, but you do have a choice about how often you contact your parents or when you go home. Even with my dad working on campus, I don’t always see him around. Also, my core group of friends from Northfield High School – six of us – all went to St. Olaf, with three studying abroad on Rotary after high school. I don’t think that was a disadvantage because we all ended up developing into different people, despite having known each other since elementary school.”

Rachel Dahlen

Class year: 2013

Relationship with St. Olaf: Mother, father and grandmother are alumni. Mother is a professor of social work and family studies.

Major: Economics, interested in attending graduate school for hospital administration

Details of college search: Looked everywhere she could in order to not choose Olaf. She applied to difficult schools out of state, wanted to find St. Olaf somewhere else; compared schools she visited to St. Olaf and finally realized where she wanted to be.

How do your parents handle having you at school in town? “I think we both realized that I needed separation from them when I first left. In the first months that I was here, I didn’t contact them at all, except to say, ‘I’m alive and I’m having fun!’ I stayed on campus all the time and didn’t venture into Northfield very much. My parents wanted me to leave Northfield in the summer since I was here all year. I went to the International Summer School at the University of Oslo after my first year, interned at Mayo Clinic in Rochester after my sophomore year and lived in Minneapolis after my junior year. Now I’m more comfortable coming home for dinner and chatting with my parents because I know what it is like to live on my own.”