The Scroll

Every now and then I get an email message, a note or a phone call from a stranger about a good deed or thoughtful act done by someone at St. Thomas, and I think to myself, “That’s one of the reasons I love working at this university.”

The latest example came out of the blue last week from Jean Stack of St. Cloud, who, with her children, had a chance encounter on Oct. 17 with four St. Thomas students at the China Star Buffet in St. Cloud. She didn’t know who they were, but believed they had been at the St. Thomas-St. John’s football game that afternoon in nearby Collegeville. They were wearing St. Thomas t-shirts.

“Everyone of them bowed their heads and prayed before eating,” she wrote. “I was so impressed by that I had to blink away the tears from my eyes. To see four young men do this on their own, with no prodding from a parent or other adult led me to realize what true Christians these young men were.

“I wanted to go up to them and let them know how impressed I was by them, but I didn’t want to risk embarrassing them. I still can’t help but think about them today and felt it was necessary to somehow let them know what an awesome impression they left on me. Their manners with their waiter also were very polite.”

Stack said she hopes that her own teen-aged sons behave appropriately in such situations, “but you often don’t know what they do when ‘mom’ isn’t around.”

She concluded: “I would like for them and their parents to know what great guys I think they are! Also let them know that they are now included in my prayers.”

Mine, too.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In less than two weeks, St. Thomas will play host to a very big deal: the Opus Prize Foundation and the awarding of $1.2 million to three social entrepreneurs from Brazil, Colombia and Morocco. The winner will get $1 million in a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.

Other schools that have hosted the foundation include Marquette, the University of San Francisco, Notre Dame and Catholic University. So it’s an honor for St. Thomas to be chosen by Opus as a partner in recognizing unsung heroes who deal with society’s most persistent social problems.

What I don’t want you to forget is a campus organization that also is dealing with a persistent social problem: the lack of people of color working in newsrooms, public relations and ad agencies across the country. Trying to raise those numbers is the goal of ThreeSixty, the fledgling non-profit that’s been at St. Thomas since 2001. Its annual fundraiser comes two days after the Opus event – Friday evening, Nov. 6, in Binz Refectory.

In the last seven years, more than 400 teenagers, mostly students of color, have participated in ThreeSixty’s summer camp at St. Thomas or in one of its off-campus, weekend or website programs. They learned to report, write, shoot and edit stories – stories that often don’t get told in the mainstream media. One recent piece profiled a 17-year-old Minneapolis boy, Nico, who dropped out of school because of drinking but came back, thanks to help from friends and a caring counselor.

Thirteen of those students are attending St. Thomas, part of the 14-percent undergraduate student of color enrollment. That’s an eye-popping figure, consistent with President Dennis Dease’s goal to be a university reflecting the fabric of the metro area that is its home.

Six of the ThreeSixty grads since 2001 are working in newsrooms. Dhomonique Ricks is a reporter and weekend anchor at a television station in Lynchburg, Va., where she got her start this summer after graduating from the University of Missouri’s broadcast program.

She sent a videotape to Lynda McDonnell, executive director of ThreeSixty, to show at the Nov. 6 fundraiser. Watching it, I couldn’t help but feel the pride and passion she has as a reporter, taking the viewer on a tour of her newsroom. In six months, she’s covered fires and floods, features and festivals, murders and mishaps. She looks into the camera and says, “I absolutely love what I do.”

Chandler Sentell, a COJO senior at St. Thomas, shares the feeling – albeit with more limited experience. Sentell, who attended the ThreeSixty journalism camp in 2005, spent last summer as an intern in the KARE television newsroom.

“I feel I learned a lot and got some experience,” he said. “They let me write some short stories and I was able to watch how people did their jobs. I loved it.”

One of his mentors at KARE was Matt Lechner, a St. Thomas grad and the morning news producer. He’s a news veteran and a good writer. The news vice president at KARE is a fan of Lechner’s and also took note of the enthusiasm that Sentell had for his internship.

What made that remarkable is that Chandler had to be at KARE every Monday and Tuesday for his shift at 4 a.m. Yep, 4 in the morning. And he still wants to be a broadcast news reporter.

Now that’s a testimonial to ThreeSixty – and the kind of young men and women it helps down the road.

P.S. Want tickets to the ThreeSixty fundraiser on Nov. 6 – 6-8:30 p.m. in the Binz Refectory? Get tickets here

Posted by Doug Hennes at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It took only one step inside the lobby doors of OEC and I could literally sense the goodness. Was it the seven-dozen cookies, 10-dozen donuts, countless slices of banana bread or puffy muffins neatly lined up on large tables welcoming Tommie Days visitors? Was it the delightful bouquets of purple flowers on the tables, a sunny sight on a dark and rainy fall morning? Was it the warm aroma of fresh coffee and juice greeting the gaggle of guests?

“Tommie Days” unfolded right outside my office on the first floor of OEC last Thursday and Friday. The sounds of our helpful Admissions counselors answering similar if not identical questions over and over again, each time with an authentic smile in their voice, filled the halls. As I eavesdropped in between meeting current students and – I’ll admit – snacking on a cookie or two, I experienced a real source of sweetness on our campus. Yes, define the term “sweet” however you will: “awesome,” “delightful,” “pleasing to the senses” or “gratifying.” I think the work of our Admissions staff is all that, and more.

Indeed, we each play an important role on campus, carrying out the mission of St. Thomas. What struck me about Tommie Days was the tireless yet upbeat and relentless yet sunny work of the Admissions staff. They are, as a team, quite remarkable to watch in action. How do they continue to greet every new prospective student and parent with the same positivity as the hundred (thousand) before? How do they maintain a genuine smile, offer helpful advice and provide smart, accurate and insightful information about all of St. Thomas’ academic, residential, co-curricular, spiritual, recreational and athletic … I’m sure I’m missing many others here … programs?

I have no clue. But what I do know is that our Admissions team is one well-run and energy-filled group doing some really important and hard work: representing the work of the rest of us! It isn’t easy work (I can make that claim with a bit of expertise, being married to a guy who works with Admissions at a nearby university). It sure is important work. And it’s hard work, especially in these tough economic times. Yet they make it look easy.

Great work, Admissions! We appreciate what you do.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What do you expect – from your family? Your friends? Your employer?

For some reason, I had a number of conversations recently with St. Thomas employees about their feelings regarding the university. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the high unemployment rate. Maybe it’s the overall economic uncertainty. Maybe it’s just that stage in people’s lives and employment.

Attitudes varied.

One administrator who had worked for several different companies found her feelings for St. Thomas unique. The attachment was incredibly strong and positive.

Another administrator and a faculty member told similar stories of considering employment elsewhere but rejecting the move because of the sense of community and shared mission here.

I heard both a faculty member and a staff member express concerns about being asked increasingly to do more and more. I asked why they thought that happened. The answer was that they didn’t think anyone knew quite how much they do. Perhaps there’s a lesson there: we need to make a better effort to realize what other people’s responsibilities are before we ask for more or for different.

A staff member was grateful that in troubled times St. Thomas has not laid anyone off, reduced pay or resorted to involuntary furloughs. Survey data indicate that we all have a similar hierarchy of issues that we complain about in the job. When salary is adequate, we complain about benefits, work conditions, the boss. When the pay is too low, fewer people mention the lesser irritations. Everything pales in comparison with having no job at all.

Another told me that the caring and supportive members of his unit made all the difference to him in his consideration of his employer. I’ve read studies that show the No. 1 factor in how much we enjoy our job is the people with whom we work closely.

A long-time faculty member noted how the sense of commitment has changed over time, observing that newer faculty are less involved. When I suggested that might be because they didn’t have the half-century here that she and I shared, she said the new faculty just didn’t feel appreciated enough; that the evaluation process has created a wedge. I’ve heard similar complaints about the pay-for-performance standards on the staff side. Sometimes it is hard to say how much we appreciate someone for fear of sounding sappy. (Veronica, you do a terrific job and I am grateful.)

I remember in the old days, then-president Terrence Murphy would compare St. Thomas to a family. The implication was that we all pulled together no matter what. When disaster struck one of us, we all pitched in. If we had a fight, we still loved each other.

That may have been true when the institution was smaller and more homogenous. I’m not sure. But by the time I arrived, I don’t think family was an accurate comparison. Most of the time I’ve been here, I’d say the better comparison would be to a small town. Especially with tenure, faculty are unlikely to move out. Young people do move on. When disputes arise, we have to figure out how to live with each other after the storm passes. No one is moving down the road, but there isn’t the tie of love or blood that keeps us together. Fairness is important. When one suffers, others suffer. We know a lot of each other’s business. Okay, we gossip.

Contemplating my employer, I recalled the reasons I came here 28 years ago. The landscaping – it indicated a financially solid institution. The other economists – their interactions told me that St. Thomas is a community of caring and respect. The purple trash cans – I love purple.

The trash cans are gone, but I am still here. Those other two reasons count for a lot.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I have a conflicting relationship with the month of September, and now that it is behind me for another year, it’s time to talk about it.

Who doesn’t love the fall colors, or getting hopelessly lost in a corn maze, and you can’t beat the feeling of sleeping with the windows wide open, allowing the cold, crisp air to force you under a mound of blankets you haven’t seen since last winter. There is also excitement and energy as campus comes back to life, and that’s why I love the month and all the promises of the new academic year.

The part of September that made me melancholy ever since I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College back in 2007 (I know, I’m getting old, almost 25 now . . .), is that I could not seem to shake the jealousy I have for all the undergraduate students getting to live their college years. As I directed more than 1,000 cars through the upper quad during move-in weekend and welcomed first-year students to campus, I could not help being envious of the excitement that was sure to follow as they met Tommie for the first time.

Also, let’s be real: walking to work through campus on a nice, sunny September afternoon can be cruel. I wanted to be with students sitting on the grass, chatting about weekend plans, playing Frisbee or procrastinating over homework. I miss the days of shuffling between classes, being on the tennis team, study parties in the library and decking out in my Gustie gear to cheer on the fall sport teams; yes, I am aware St. Thomas may have beat us at almost every sport, but I still have my Gustie pride. September served as a reminder that I was no longer an undergraduate student. Graduate school is great and all, but it’s all academics minus the fun.

Lucky for me, I was able to find a career path that allows me to be part of the college community. As I enter my second year working as a graduate assistant in the Office of Campus Life, my concerns with being a college graduate have faded, and I have come to love working with college students even more than being one.

The students at St. Thomas never cease to impress me with the dedication and professionalism in their everyday activities. Working next door to the student leadership offices, I get to see firsthand all the hard work and passion the students put into their roles to help make St. Thomas great and to serve others, along with developing their own character.

In the book No Neutral Ground, Robert B. Young states, “Higher education does not make people equal. That goal is too low. Instead, the aim is to increase the development of individuality.”

The opportunities St. Thomas gives to students are doing just that: developing individuality. What they are doing outside of the classroom, paired with their academics, is developing as a whole. I cannot help but be excited to come into work every day to hear new ideas from students and guide them through the process of making their ideas a reality. Fishing Club? Entrepreneurial Society? Colleges Against Cancer? Women’s Water Polo? Let’s do it! Here’s how.

As I reflect further, I realize I may have more love for September than sorrow. Working with students and watching them grow, along with my own growth, has proven to be an even greater experience than my days in college. I can honestly say the spirit and sense of community I feel at St. Thomas has loosened my Gustie pride and made me proud to put on my purple every Tuesday.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I still would rather be outside playing catch on a warm September afternoon than sitting in front of my lonely office computer. Thankfully, the colder October weather is bringing students back into the buildings, keeping me company.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As someone who lives “in the neighborhood,” I reap many benefits: a two-minute (on foot) commute, the pleasant serenade of bells atop the library and daily conversations in my front yard with current, former and future students who stroll, bike and scurry to and fro (each providing a youthful energy and enthusiasm to living, as we call it, “in the zone”).

Although we’ve always adored living adjacent to campus, last weekend proved to be an exciting opportunity to fully embrace the richness and to witness the extent to which we really do live in – to borrow Father Dease’s recent words – the best place. Our newfound appreciation of life in the neighborhood was all thanks to our dying “Big Old Tree.”

The fateful red ring of paint seemed to appear out of nowhere. Like many old trees that fill the boulevards and yards surrounding campus, the one that has loyally provided shade to our yard and to our neighbors was marked last week with the fateful ring of red. “What?” “How?” “Why?” A disease, of course. But an opportunity, as well!

Being the glass-half-full types, my neighbors and I quickly organized a party to bid farewell to our “Big Old Tree.” We gathered last weekend around her mighty trunk. We lifted our glasses in her honor and, well, we stayed up way past our bedtimes. It was a night none of us will soon forget. Why? What? Do tell!

It was, quite simply, one of those magical evenings “in the neighborhood,” a blending of young and old, early and late, musical and lyrical, chit and chat, alive and (nearly) dead (the tree, that is). Our hearts were warmed by students who added words of adoration (“We’ll miss you, Big Old Tree” and “Thanks for being here so long”) to the notes we already had lovingly attached to her massive trunk. We enjoyed the folksy, fabulous music provided by two English professors. Yes, have you heard? Professors Andy Scheiber and Liz Wilkinson are not only smart academics, but talented musicians and songwriters, too! They have a CD and might be willing to play at your parties. A huge thank you to them for making our neighbor party most dreamy. Your debut of “Big Old Tree,” written just for the occasion, brought deep gladness and stirred many emotions. (You can listen and download a free MP3 of “Big Old Tree” at www.tinyurl.com/wilkyjames. Just click on “Additional songs” and then into Andy’s song annex.)

Long after the notes were hung, songs were sung, food devoured and lights strung around the mighty trunk, our neighborhood proceeded to come alive, right before our very eyes. Students enjoying the warm fall air strolled to and from gatherings with friends. Many of them stopped to inquire about our Big Old Tree, taught us “older folks” some of their hip slang and reported about their entrepreneurship majors and journalism minors. We reminded those getting in cars never to drink and drive. Our laughter wafted onto Ashland and Summit. We enjoyed their youthful energy even though it was well past midnight and way past the older folks’ bedtime.

What do you get when you add neighbors + students + live music + a dying tree + lights + markers + love notes + tasty snacks and drinks? A really great reason to live where we do, just a few steps from campus.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am trying to be a modern media consumer: reading blogs, checking e-mails, browsing websites, seeking links and checking “tommiemedia.com” – daily. The student website looks good, particularly when student journalists climb on a story quickly and smartly.

They did exactly that on a couple of breaking stories recently. The first was a lockdown at St. Paul College after a student reported seeing a man with a gun. It happened late in the morning, and at 12:55 p.m., tommiemedia.com posted the story. The other example of perseverance and awareness is the updating of the cases of H1N1 flu on campus; Brent Fischer reported that the number doubled in a week. The 90-second video updates look crisp and clean, but they’ll be more interesting when the students roll in video to go with the pictures.

So, I am trying to get with the new media flow. But this past week also has been an opportunity to revel in slow-and-old television – with Ken Burns’ documentary, “The National Parks: American’s Best Idea.”

The six-part doc is exquisitely photographed, smartly written and spiritually focused. Again and again, Burns comes back to the relationship we have – or ought to have – with the majesty around us, especially when it has been preserved for all the people, not a favored few.

“Today’s national parks,” says Burns, “had a profound and often spiritual impact on the first settlers who saw them and on the visionaries who fought tirelessly to preserve them as the common property of the American people.”

From the field of wildflowers in a meadow near the crest of Crater Lake to the mud pots of Yellowstone, Burns lets the camera linger. I can almost feel my heart rate slow and my mind ease. I pay attention to the words and the talking heads, especially Shelton Johnson, a U.S. Park Service ranger. Here he is, one of those much-derided “government workers,” with a passion for his job that few could even imagine, much less imitate.

“I remember the first time I arrived at Yellowstone and I got off the bus,” he says to the camera, “. . . and I was stepping down onto the ground and there was a bison walking by – just strolling by.

“And I said to the driver, ‘Does this happen all the time?’ He looked at me and said, ‘All the time.’ And I said to myself, ‘I have arrived. I can’t imagine any other place.’ ”

I was envious – truly envious – of his passion. I had just a fleeting thought: maybe I ought to have been that “forest ranger” I always talked of wanting to be when I was 10.

That’s how it is with slow-and-old media, including that anachronism called a daily newspaper: They make you stop and think.

Posted by Doug Hennes at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)