A sampling of media clippings about Lawrence University, its faculty, students, and alumni from Fall 2006 and Winter 2007. For more clippings, see the Lawrence in the News index page.
New York Times, New York, New York
February 28, 2007
Headline: A fighter for colleges that have everything but status
Byline: Alan Finder
Excerpt: Loren Pope has been bucking convention nearly all of his life, which is to say for a long, long time. So
naturally, when he opened shop as an independent college counselor in Washington in 1965, Mr. Pope quickly developed a
maverick's view of college admissions. He helped some clients get into the country's most selective colleges and
universities, but that was not where his passions lay. Instead, he began vigorously promoting to high school students
and their parents the virtues of small, little-known liberal arts colleges. His last two books -- "Looking Beyond the
Ivy League" (Penguin Books, 1990) and "Colleges That Change Lives" (Penguin Books, 1996) -- are required reading in
many high school guidance offices. "Colleges That Change Lives" has sold more than 100,000 copies, and a revised edition
was published last summer. The book has spawned group tours by many of the 40 colleges Mr. Pope identified as
less-than-well-known institutions that provide memorable educations. "What a major, major impact it has had for most of
these colleges," Steve Syverson, dean of admissions and financial aid at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.,
said of the book. Lawrence is one of Mr. Pope's 40 colleges. "The real underlying message is that there are lots of very
good and interesting places that can serve a lot of students in good ways," Mr. Syverson said. "It's not one size fits
all, and we should be celebrating the diversity of opportunities."
Christian Science Monitor
February 21, 2007
Headline: A new prejudice in American politics
Byline: Jerald Podair, professor of history and American studies at Lawrence University
Excerpt: In 1928, a national atmosphere rife with nativism, Protestant fundamentalism, and Ku Klux Klan activity doomed
Catholic Al Smith's bid to be president. In 2004, despite some media-hyped controversies over tensions between his
religion and his politics, John Kerry's Catholicism was a non-issue for most voters. Has America transcended identity
politics when it comes to picking presidents? Perhaps, but in so doing, it has replaced the politics of identity with
the equally shallow and coarse politics of personality. This new politics encourages voters to make judgments about
candidates based on visceral reactions to surface attributes. Consider the last two presidential elections. Hanging
chads did not cost Al Gore victory in 2000. That condescending sigh during his first debate with George W. Bush did.
The 2004 election was even worse. It was almost feral in its fixation upon personal weakness. Kerry supporters seemed
less attracted to their man than nauseated by his opponent's persona. Bush voters appeared to be revolted by Kerry as
a human being -- preferable, perhaps, to repudiating him for being a Catholic, but not by much. The journalistic flurry
over the Mormon faith of Mr. Romney is thus misplaced. Romney can dispel concerns about the independence of his
political judgments with one well-placed speech reminiscent of Kennedy's address to the ministers of Houston in 1960.
What he cannot dispel will be voter perceptions based on matters as trivial as his posture or jawline.
Cosmopolitan magazine, New York, New York
February 2007
Headline: How sexy is too sexy at work?
Byline: Michelle Stacey
Excerpt: A funny thing has been happening on the way to the office recently: A lot of young women have been shedding their
clothes ... or sexing up the clothes they do wear. There is indeed a hefty downside to dressing so alluringly at work, and it
was starkly confirmed in a study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly in 2005. And yes, there is a double standard
here. "Men don't have a lot of choices in how they dress for work," points out Peter Glick, professor of psychology at
Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, and the lead author on the study. "But because women do make deliberate
choices, people make a lot of inferences from how they present themselves." "The problem," says Glick, "is that in media
and on television, we're seeing the sexualization of professional women, but in the true-life workplace, it can be a real
trap."
Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison
and Public Radio International
February 4, 2007
Program: To The Best of Our Knowledge
Host: Jim Fleming
Excerpt: Sometimes an educated eye can see too much. Marcia Björnerud is a good example. She's a geologist and
she can't look anywhere without seeing a story etched into the surface of the earth. "Almost
everywhere does has a story, sometimes they are very subtle and you have to tease information out, but there is a
story everywhere, if you just know where to look," says Björnerud. Geologist Marcia Björnerud calls her book
Reading the Rocks: The Autobiolography of the Earth. She can read rocks anywhere, from a backyard to a beach.
Give her a roadcut or an actual fault line and she will be entranced for hours. Today, we will go with Marica Björnerud to
Wisconsin's Cave of the Mounds, a national natural landmark located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. It is a huge natural cave,
discovered in 1937. What could be better, if you're going to read the rocks?
[Marsha Björnerud is Associate Professor of Geology at Lawrence University]
The Business Journal, Milwaukee
January 26, 2007
Headline: Lawrence University receives $1 million donation
Excerpt: Lawrence University in Appleton has received a $1 million gift from the S&R Pieper
Family Foundation in Mequon to establish an endowed professorship that will foster and promote the
concept of altruistic leadership at the college. The goal of the professorship is to support and
expand existing courses as well as aid in the development of new courses with an integrated
academic and community approach to learning. Alan Parks, the school's professor of mathematics,
has been appointed as the holder of the first Pieper Family Servant-Leader Professorship. Parks
will be responsible for enhancing Lawrence's involvement in courses that feature community-engagement
learning.
The Business Journal, Milwaukee
January 12, 2007
Headline: College admission factors stir debate. Lawrence U. decides SAT, ACT test scores shouldn't matter
Byline: Julie Sneider
Excerpt: As universities and colleges across the nation debate the best way to evaluate a student's qualifications for
college, one private liberal arts school in Wisconsin has decided that standardized ACT and SAT tests aren't necessary
to determine a student's potential for academic success. The 2006 freshman class at Lawrence University in Appleton is
the first to be enrolled without being judged by ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process. Lawrence, included
in U.S. News & World Report's annual list of the nation's best small, private liberal arts schools, announced two years
ago that it would make the ACT or SAT voluntary starting with freshmen in fall 2006. It's a controversial step that
other U.S. liberal arts colleges have taken in recent years; Lawrence is the first to do so in Wisconsin.
Lawrence officials have said the policy change was made to drive home the point that a student's overall success in
high school -- not just one test score -- is what should be used to determine whether he or she is fit to be admitted
to Lawrence. "We're not saying these tests are bad or have no value in predicting success in college," said Steve
Syverson, dean of admissions and financial aid at Lawrence. "We're saying that too many people are preoccupied with
these tests and far beyond their actual value" in determining whether a student will be successful in his or her
freshman year of college.
The Guardian, London, England
January 6, 2007
Headline: Up to Earth. According to Marcia Bjornerud's Reading the Rocks, we could all be doomed
Byline: Nicholas Lezard
Excerpt: The idea of an exciting book about geology may be stretching the imagination to its limit, but we should be prepared to
listen to anyone who is a master of their subject -- any subject. And the subject of geology is one that concerns every single one of
us: for geology is the story of our planet. Bjornerud has a gift for the striking phrase and, elsewhere, for the telling analogy.
These are handy when getting the science across, but sometimes what she has to say is so mind-blowing no embellishment is necessary.
The idea of oceans so saturated with carbon dioxide that they were almost fizzy, or of magnetic poles flipping over at unpredictable
intervals, or of Venus being hit by an object so large that it reversed its direction of rotation, make the head spin. You may also
get a little alarmed. The wonder of this book is how, in a scant 200 pages, it covers so much ground. (So to speak.) Extinctions,
mineralogy, mitochondrial DNA, the linguistic roots of geological terms, volcanoes, earthquakes ("earthquakes don't kill people," joke
seismologists, "buildings do") -- it's all here, and much more, delivered in prose that can often be ringing or, when occasion
demands, amusing. Bjornerud has a great eye for both the big and small pictures; not only about geology at the levels of both molecules
and mountains, but how the biosphere is affected by it. She is also very good on the history of geology, and how our attitudes to the
planet have changed. For a scientist, she has a very welcome wariness about the dangerous limits of science.
[Marcia Bjornerud is professor of geology at Lawrence University. Her book, Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth, was recently issued by Basic Books.]
Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
January 10, 2007
Headline: Chicago's “big apple.” Chicagoans really go for this fruit-filled German pancake.
But can you make one at home?
Byline: Steven L. Katz
Excerpt: Chicago's love of the apple pancake is a tradition that goes back more than a century. Its popularity rose along with the
growing appeal of German cooking here, according to Bruce Kraig, president of the Culinary Historians of Chicago. If you were living
in Chicago between the 1890s and the first half of the 1900s, it was not uncommon to find an apple pancake recipe in suggested menus
in newspapers of the time. The 1931 book, "Dining in Chicago," by former Chicago Daily News reporter and writer John Drury, describes
apple pancakes at several restaurants, including Joseph Schlogl's in the Loop, which dated to 1879, and Carl Gallauer's Red Star Inn,
which opened in 1899 on North Clark Street, then the heart of the German district. Both restaurants operated for decades. The Red Star
Inn, a free-standing Bavarian-style inn with leaded-glass windows, was torn down in 1970 to create access to Sandburg Village. News of
that restaurant's closing in 1970 inspired laments on the loss of the apple pancake. Chicago Tribune columnist Will Leonard's ode,
"Gourmet Memories of the Red Star Inn," was apparently the last word: "We bought our souvenir when the Inn closed, that sad Ash
Wednesday night four months ago. We purchased the very last apple pancake ever served in the Red Star. It was rushed to a coed at
Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., who reported that a Red Star apple pancake, even 24 hours late and at room temperature,
is better than no Red Star apple pancake at all."
Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois
January 7, 2007
Headline: Baxter's ex-CEO teaches students: Do the right thing
Byline: Susan Chandler
Excerpt: Surrounded by four giant blackboards, Harry Kraemer has a roomful of MBA students at the Kellogg School of Management hanging
on his every word. Nearly three years after he lost the top job at health-care giant Baxter International Inc., Kraemer is trying to
convert the next generation of corporate leaders to his do-the-right-thing management style. His evangelism comes at a time when
hundreds of major companies are mired in stock option scandals and shareholder outrage over CEO compensation--and enormous golden
parachutes -- continues to grow. At Baxter, Kraemer practiced what he preached. He championed flexible working hours and promised
to return messages from any of his 50,000 employees within a day. When he wasn't traveling, Kraemer made a point of leaving the office
by 6 p.m. to be home in time for dinner with his wife and five children. Self-confidence has always been something that others
noticed about Kraemer. When he showed up at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., in 1973, he made a big impression on his fellow
freshman. Kraemer majored in math and economics and excelled at both. He also met his future wife, Julie Jansen. After he graduated
from Lawrence, Kraemer landed a full-ride scholarship at Kellogg, where he worked with professor Alfred Rappaport, who was working
on a then-innovative concept of valuing companies based on cash flows rather than profits. On the weekends, Kraemer would hitchhike
back to Appleton to date Jansen. As Kraemer moved up the corporate food chain, he and his wife were determined not to get caught up
in the trappings of wealth. They stayed in the same house in Wilmette as their family expanded to five kids. The Kraemer children
didn't receive new bikes. They were allowed to pick out used bikes at church sales. Kraemer continued to drive old Toyotas even when
he became Baxter's chief financial officer in 1993, president in 1997 and CEO in early 1999.
Viewpoints, Des Plaines, Illinois
[Viewpoints is a nationally syndicated 30-minute radio program produced by Media Tracks Communications and aired by 320 stations]
December 24, 2006
Program: Dealing with Family Stress at the Holidays
Hosts: Christopher Michael and Sandy Housman
Excerpt: It's the holidays and like the songs and advertisements say it's the most wonderful time of the year. We are inundated with
sounds of laughter and images of happy families gathered around the table, smiling, toasting, and having a really good time in each
other's company. It makes a great greeting card; however, the holidays can be the most stressful days of the year…
Metalsky: "It's a concentrated time where family members are together for long stretches and they aren't used to that, especially if they are visiting from out of town. It's a long stretch of time to go without much of a break. When there is so much concentrated time together that people aren't used to, it sets the stage for a potentially explosive kind of situation."
Host: That's Gerald Metalsky, clinical psychologist at Lawrence University and practicing clinician at the Anxiety, Stress, and Depression Center in Appleton, WI. So how can families solve these problems or prevent them all together? He says that first it's important to approach the season and the family with a positive attitude.
Metalsky: "Dreading the visit, in and of itself, doesn't bode very well, because a lot of this is about how you approach the situation. If you have this negative dread, then you are going to be looking for problems and you are probably going to find them. So what I advise people is to really take a look at what kinds of expectations they have and to start shifting those negative ones to what they can do to create a positive climate for the holidays."
Host: Despite all the careful planning and the good intentions, arguments and bad feelings can arise during family gatherings. What's the best way to smooth things over? Metalsky says just bite the bullet and apologize.
Metalsky: "The best thing you can do, that's one of the most difficult things for people to do, is to own up to one's own contribution to the argument and say it out loud and apologize for it. I see it a lot with couples and families -- there is a lot of blame going back and forth. The quickest way that one can change that around is to focus not on what the other person did wrong but focus on what you did to contribute to the problem and take ownership of it."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee
December 23, 2006
Headline: She carried a tune across the sea. Milwaukee professor brought 'Twelve Days of Christmas' from
England
Byline: Meg Jones
Excerpt: Whatever you think of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," you can thank, or blame, a Milwaukee college
professor for bringing the holiday carol across the Atlantic Ocean. Emily Frances Brown had no idea the song
celebrating partridges, pear trees, French hens and lords a-leaping would one day become so popular. Brown,
an English professor at Milwaukee-Downer College, found the song while browsing in a bookstore in Oxford,
England, in 1910. She bought the sheet music, tucked it into her luggage and brought it back to Milwaukee.
"We told anybody who would listen -- of course, we didn't have a big audience then -- that it was first
performed at Milwaukee Downer College," said Marjory Irvin, who taught music at Downer from 1948 to 1964.
Downer merged with Lawrence University in Appleton, where Irvin taught until 1987. The Downer campus
became home to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Brown's students first sang "The Twelve Days of
Christmas" in 1910, and the song quickly became a staple on the Milwaukee campus. The origin of "The Twelve
Days of Christmas" is uncertain, but many music scholars agree the melody was French and the lyrics probably
came from 18th-century England.
[The story, which went out on the Associated Press Wire, also ran in the December 23 Contra Costa (California) Times.]
OnMilwaukee.com magazine, Milwaukee
December 7, 2006
Headline: Milwaukee's export to the opera world
Byline: Bob Brainerd
Excerpt: Steve Miller. Woody Herman, Al Jarreau. But here's a name you can dispense that will stump the
panel -- Dale Duesing. Never heard of him? That's highly possible, but opera fans worldwide know this
Milwaukee native. Duesing probably can walk unrecognized down the street in his hometown today, but someone
sipping coffee at a café in Paris is very likely to pause in mid-gulp when they lay eyes on a Grammy-winning
singer who has performed at some of the greatest opera houses worldwide. Duesing, 61, has an impressive opera
resume. He has performed at New York's Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, La
Scala, Vienna State Opera, Parios Opera, Hamburg Opera, Munich State Opera, Berlin Opera and others. He has
appeared at music festivals of the world, including Salzburg, Edinburgh, Glyndebourne, Santa Fe and Blossom.
Duesing didn't begin as a musical child prodigy. In fact, his most vivid memories don't involve music at all.
A high school counselor recommended Lawrence University in Appleton, known even today for its fine
liberal arts and music departments. "I enrolled in piano and history, because my father didn't want me to
be a gypsy, he wanted me to be able to get a job," said Duesing, who graduated from Lawrence in 1967. "My
freshman year there, I was playing piano for the choir, and one of the voice teachers noticed me. So I
switched to a voice major my second year. I was put in these contests, and I kept winning them. And then I
knew I had to really pursue this and really work it out." "I came out of this little family where no one
left Milwaukee, and when I graduated from Lawrence I was heading out to Europe as a 21-year-old," he said.
The Star-Ledger, Newark, New Jersey
November 28, 2006
Headline: Soldier enlists voice to serve his nation
Byline: Wayne Woolley
Excerpt: There were a lot of things Alec Maly wanted to be when he graduated from Ridge High School in 1989. In no particular
order, they were: a singer, a soldier, a biologist and a cop. The music and the military ultimately won out, launching Maly on
a decade-long journey that's allowed him to perform everywhere from Avery Fisher Hall to White House state dinners and nearly
every event of any national significance along the way -- from Ronald Reagan's funeral to the dedication of the National World
War II Memorial. The 35-year-old Army sergeant first class says he's still waiting for his chance to entertain fellow soldiers
in Iraq, but in the meantime he is enjoying every minute as a bass section leader with the 28-man U.S. Army Chorus. Maly was a
featured soloist at President Bush's 2001 inauguration. Alec Maly's path to an Army outfit that has
sent a few soldiers on to Broadway careers was paved by inspiration from his high school chorus teacher, Barbara Retzko, as
well as a college degree from the highly regarded music conservatory at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. He majored
in his love, music, and took a second major in biology, a longtime interest. He figured the easiest path to a job after
graduation would be biology. But he still couldn't shake the idea of joining the Army. Maly figures he'll stay in the Army --
and in the chorus -- for the full 30 years. He wants to perform in Iraq long before he retires. He's volunteered repeatedly to
join a traveling USO show. So far, no slots for a bass vocalist have opened.
St. Paul Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minnesota
November 27, 2006
Headline: Colleges woo peers for high marks in rankings.School officials question surveys, but few are willing to be left out
Byline: Paul Tosto
Excerpt: Steve Syverson got a tree in the mail recently, along with a message from one of his competitors: Vote for me. It
didn't say that exactly, but Syverson, admissions dean at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., understood. He draws
lots of attention from other schools because he holds a vote in the "liberal arts college" category for the U.S. News & World
Report college rankings. Peer votes account for one-quarter of a school's ranking on the popular U.S. News list. It's the
biggest single factor in gauging where a school lands, and schools are doing more than ever to woo favorable views from each
other. Syverson said he receives glossy portfolios from colleges on their research, notes about faculty awards and the
occasional oddity -- such as the tree, which was tied to a message about a college's plans for future growth. He and other
admissions officers wish the rankings mania would stop, but it has become a kind of beauty contest in which
the contestants do a big part of the judging -- so, few are willing to walk away. "You're wanting to do right by your college,"
Syverson said. "I'm sure there's all kinds of game-playing that people do. So, many of us are morally torn."
"Few college officials publicly credit the peer assessment, as currently constructed, with any legitimacy," Syverson wrote in
a recent essay. "Yet, to consider not submitting the rating sheet is to know that there will be one less 'vote' rating one's
own institution as 'distinguished' -- so the ratings continue to be submitted."
Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
November 18, 2006
Headline: To ease college admission, some say stick with the flute (or physics team)
Byline: Valerie Strauss
Excerpt: "Passion" is the buzzword among some admissions directors. Students should pick one thing -- two are okay, too -- that
they are truly passionate about as well, of course, as getting good grades and test scores, the directors advise. Select schools
want the hyper-focused, the expert oboist or mathematician. "I think most of us tend to gravitate toward the student who has
pursued a strong passion in a particular area or areas," said Steven T. Syverson, admissions director at
Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. "A serious focus on one area often gives us a glimpse of other traits --
discipline, focus, intensity, tenacity, intellectual depth," Syverson said.
The New York Times, New York, New York
November 11, 2006
Headline: As older students return to classrooms an industry develops
Byline: Abby Ellin
Excerpt: Continuing education -- that is, noncredit courses or classes taken after formal education -- is a $6 billion business. That
number is up from $4 billion two years ago. About 47 percent of 50- to 54-year-olds took some kind of course; 40 percent of 55- to
64-year- olds; and 23 percent of those 65 and older. Continuing education for the older set came of age in 1962, when the Institute for
Retired Professionals was created at the New School in Manhattan. By 1988, there were 50 such institutes around the country; today,
there are about 400, said its director, Michael Markowitz. The concept quickly caught on across the country in various incarnations. "The
baby boomers are turning 60 with the realization that they have skills, capabilities, energy, 25 years of good health in front of them
and they're wondering what they want to do," Mr. Markowitz said. "They're starting to realize that you build a retirement the way you
build a career." The Osher institute began in 2001 at the University of Southern Maine. At the time, there were only two Osher
institutes; today, there are 93 on various college campuses, serving over 40,000 people, said its executive director, Kali Lightfoot.
"The boomers are the best-educated generation in the history of the universe," she said. "If early in life you learn to value
education, that stays with you through life." Other programs have updated their offerings to stay competitive. Lawrence
University in Appleton, Wis., has been offering weeklong noncredit adult seminars on its 425-acre estate every summer since 1980.
But on Oct. 6, in an effort to meet the ever-increasing student demand, they broke ground on a $4 million, 20,000-square-foot addition
to the 17,190-square-foot lodge.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
November 9, 2006
Headline: Artists' urban landscapes on display
Byline: Candy Williams
Excerpt: Different people see Pittsburgh from different perspectives. Nowhere is that more apparent than the "Urban Water"
exhibit at St. Vincent Gallery, where three area artists have captured their views of the city in watercolor. To O'Hara
Township artist Cynthia F. Cooley, the city is any one of the steel mills that forged the region's past. Cooley started
painting the industrial valleys of Pittsburgh in the 1960s. Just as the industry of the city has changed, so has Cooley's
direction in her subject matter. These days, she has turned her attention to cityscapes and intricate details such as long
flights of steps or the geometric shapes formed by bridges and barges. Her steel-mill scenes and cityscapes are included in
the St. Vincent show. Cooley was the 1989 Artist of the Year in Pittsburgh and was named a Master Artist in 1998. She received
the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from Lawrence University in 1997 and has had 45 individual exhibitions in
eight states, with more than 1,700 works in collections throughout the world.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee
November 8, 2006
Headline: Election 2006: Kagen defeats Gard in hard-fought race. Democrat to take 8th District seat now held by Green
Byline: Steve Schultze
Excerpt: Democrat Steve Kagen defeated Republican John Gard on Tuesday in the intensely fought 8th Congressional District race
in northeastern Wisconsin. The nearly $7 million spent on the Kagen-Gard matchup made it by far the most expensive House race in
state history, far surpassing the previous record of $2.8 million set in 1994. Each candidate spent about $2.2 million, and
outside groups added at least another $1.5 million, with much of that going to largely negative TV ads. The tough tone was set
early, with Gard calling Kagen "Dr. Millionaire" and faulting him for taking some patients of his allergy clinics to small
claims court for failing to pay their bills. The Republican Party even linked Kagen to a lawyer who defended a notorious sex
criminal -- the lawyer was actually hired by a collection agency Kagen's clinics used. Kagen dished dirt, as well, labeling Gard
an "extremist," a "rubber stamp" of Bush and "one of the most corrupt politicians in Madison" because he served in the
Legislature when others were caught up in the Capitol caucus scandal. "When you see lots and lots of negative ads, it's usually
a sign of weakness," said Arnold Schober, an assistant professor of political science at Lawrence University.
CNNMoney.com, New York, New York
November 8 2006
Headline: What's wrong with dressing sexy at work?
Byline: Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer
Excerpt: A strong sense of individual style is a wonderful thing, but there is such a thing as taking "business casual" a bit too far.
The trouble with dressing provocatively at work is that it could distract people from her other assets. But don't take my word for it.
An article published about a year ago in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, a scholarly journal put out by the American Psychological
Association, said that -- although physical attractiveness is generally an advantage in the workplace --"a sexy self-presentation harms
businesswomen" who are in, or who aspire to, managerial jobs. The article was based on a study by Peter Glick, a professor of psychology
at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. Glick found that sexy clothing and high heels "were viewed as inappropriate for both
managers and receptionists, but a female manager who emphasized her sexiness elicited more negative emotions" and was seen as less
competent and less intelligent than more conservatively dressed peers. Says Glick, "Although various media directed toward women
encourage them to emphasize their sex appeal, our results suggest that women in high-status occupations may have to resist this siren
call if they want to earn the respect of their co-workers."
Star Tribune.com, Minneapolis, Minnesota
November 5, 2006
Excerpt: Long before radio, television and the Internet connected the world, the Minneapolis Tribune's “sporting department” constructed
an ingenious device to give football fans live updates of college games. An “electric football score board” affixed to the front of the
Tribune building made its debut on Saturday, Oct. 3, 1908, for the University of Minnesota's game against plucky Lawrence
University of Appleton, Wis. A photograph in the paper the next morning showed more than 100 people gathered outside the building,
watching the screen, which appears to have been about 15 feet wide and 10 feet high. Lights were used to indicate an injury, a drop kick,
a place kick, a punt, a penalty and a fumble (but not an interception). The live updates probably arrived at the Tribune by phone, but
it's not clear who operated the board - or how. The scoreboard's oddest feature: Roman numerals were used for “yards to gain,” penalty
yards and scores. Roman numerals were probably easier to manage than Arabic numerals with the limited technology of the time. The Gophers
ruled the X's, O's, I's and V's that first afternoon, beating Lawrence VI-0.
The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
November 1, 2006
Headline: Is Studio 60 tainted by the Sting curse?
Byline: Misty Harris, CanWest News Service
Excerpt: Halloween may be over and Friday the 13th long past, but the black cat of popular culture remains on the prowl.
According to one industry pundit, his name is Sting. Entertainment commentator Brian Raftery says the former Police
bassist has the dubious reputation of being a one-man jinx who brings catastrophe upon any project with which he's
involved. This week, he's associating the rocker-cum-lute-strummer's name with the reported "imminent cancellation" of
NBC's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip -- a show on which Sting was a recent guest star. But Edmund M. Kern, a noted
researcher in the field of magic and superstition, isn't convinced there's anything to the seeming string of bad luck.
"People have selectively chosen to focus on those projects with which (Sting has) been associated that have failed,
choosing to ignore the overwhelming number of his successful projects," says Kern, associate professor of history at
Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He likens the phenomenon to the Sports Illustrated "cover curse," in which
athletes were found by the magazine to have "a demonstrable misfortune or decline in performance following a cover
appearance" nearly 40 per cent of the time.
Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri
October 19, 2006
Headline: Eugene O'Neill need not apply
Byline: Archie Ingersoll, Associated Press
Excerpt: You can study an oil painting in a minute. Or read a haiku. But see an entire play? They may not be theatrical masterworks, but the world now has a slew of plays made for the short-attention-span set. Credit the One Minute Play Contest, a scriptwriting sweepstakes in which competitors have just that long to tell their stories. About 90 people submitted scripts last summer for the contest, dreamed up by the Minneapolis-based Playwrights' Center as a way to connect the public with American theater. The two winning plays were performed last month at the Ivey Awards, which honor theater in the Twin Cities. Amy Thorstenson, a senior at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., won the adult division by taking the comedic route. In her punchy vignette, “From Russia, With Love,” a 300-pound Russian dubbed “Dostoy-hefty” shows up after a bachelor named David orders an Internet bride. Happily for David, he eventually learns that the Russian is just a messenger and that his bride will arrive the next day.
[The story also ran in the Fort Wayne, Indiana Journal-Gazette under the headline “Act Fast: Contest Spawns Dozens of 1-Minute Plays” and The Bergen County, New Jersey Record.]
Toronto Sun, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
October 13, 2006
Headline: Paraskavedekatriaphobia ... the fear of Friday the 13th
Byline: Alex Hebert, Sun Media
Excerpt: Perhaps the most irrational aspect of fearing Friday the 13th is that most people don't know why it's considered unlucky. Edmund Kern, a professor of history at Lawrence University and a superstition researcher, says there is religious significance to both Friday and the number 13. "Friday is the day associated with the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth," he says. "As such, Fridays are considered days of ill omen." And the number 13 also has religious implications. "Not unrelated to Jesus' crucifixion is the fact that there were 13 present at the table of the last supper," says Kern. "Judas, the 13th guest, was the apostle who betrayed Jesus. That's one reason why the number 13 is considered unlucky." But it wasn't until recently that a link was made between Friday and the number 13. "The first mention (of Friday the 13th) ... comes from the early 20th century," Kern says. "I would speculate the combination of the two had to do with increasing awareness of the superstitions out there." Kern says Friday was not always associated with evil. "It wasn't until the late 19th century that Friday was an ill omen associated with the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth."
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online, Milwaukee
October 12, 2006
Headline: Takes Five: Takakazu Kuriyama. N. Korea's bomb was seen as a matter of when, not whether
Byline: Meg Jones
Excerpt: Takakazu Kuriyama, the former Japanese ambassador to the United States, is no stranger to Wisconsin. He attended Lawrence University in Appleton during the '50s and returns at 7:30 tonight to speak at the university's Japan in Transition conference at the Wriston Art Center. Kuriyama, who was ambassador from 1992-'96, spoke to Journal Sentinel reporter Meg Jones.
Q. Were you surprised by North Korea's decision to test a nuclear bomb?
A. Surprisingly, no. This was something which we expected to come sometime. We, of course, didn't know the exact date when they would undertake this testing. . . . Unless we successfully negotiated with Pyongyang to dissuade North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons, one day they would have to test it.
Q.Does it change the balance of power in Asia?
A. I think it does change what people would call the strategic equation in northeast Asia quite a bit. . . . They have the missiles which have a range long enough to hit Japan. If they have the capability to mount the nuclear weapons on those missiles, they can pose a major threat to Japan's security.
Q. Do you think sanctions against North Korea by Japan and other nations will have any effect?
A. I hope so. I think the important thing is that the international community be united in imposing some kind of sanctions on North Korea. It's important that the United Nations acts united since that is the only way to convince the North Koreans that they just cannot acquire nuclear weapons without paying a certain price.
Toronto Sun, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
October 12, 2006
Headline: 44 Bummer numbers
Byline: Alex Hebert, Sun Media
Excerpt: Thirteen is a lucky number. No, really it is. Just ask anyone living in Greece. Different cultures have different ideas of what's unlucky. While most of us believe Friday the 13th is unlucky, Tuesday is bad luck for Greeks. As for numbers, four is considered unlucky in China, while eight is okay. "Superstitions are related to geography for at least two reasons," says Edmund Kern, professor of history at Lawrence University in Wisconsin and an authority on superstitions. "Geography determines lifestyle and a society's lifestyle often forms their superstitions and beliefs. The second reason is that, despite increasing globalization and better and quicker communication, we still are creatures of our local culture. Superstitions have to be communicated from one generation to the next." We also adopt superstitions when we move. While Greeks consider Tuesday unlucky, many who have immigrated to North America now consider both Friday the 13th and Tuesdays unlucky.
Ottawa Sun, Ottawa, Canada
October 9, 2006
Headline: Wedding day jitters
Byline: Alex Hebert, Sun Media
Excerpt: Carry your new wife over the threshold, throw rice at the couple, keep the top layer of your wedding cake and never let the groom see the bride on the day of the wedding. These are just a few superstitions associated with marriage. Rice throwing has a few meanings. Some say it feeds and distracts evil spirits so the couple can have a clean getaway. Dr. Edmund Kern, professor of history at Lawrence University and an expert on superstitions, says rice became linked to fertility when the grain was introduced as a staple in western diets during a time when fewer people believed in evil spirits. Another way to ward off evil spirits is to make sure you have lots of bridesmaids. They act as decoys so that the evil spirit doesn't go after the bride. (Maybe that's why most bridesmaids' dresses are hideous). And brides used to wear veils to shield their faces from these same evil spirits.
Ottawa Sun, Ottawa, Canada
October 8, 2006
Headline: Superstitions: Even in a world ruled by science, many people still hang on to age-old fears and beliefs
Byline: Alex Hebert, Sun Media
Excerpt: While many of us cross our fingers, knock on wood and throw salt over our shoulders, most don't even know the meaning of the action. "Knocking on wood quite likely has to do with the pagan belief in wood and wooden objects," says Dr. Edmund Kern, a professor of history at Lawrence University who has studied superstitions throughout the ages. "Another possibility is that one (who knocks on wood) is symbolically indicating the solidity of the hoped outcome ... Nonetheless, knocking on wood is a belief that has been around for quite some time." Tracking the history of superstitions is not easy. "Anyone who tells you they know the origin of a superstition is lying to you," says Kern. "The only thing we can do is find the earliest appearance in historical records and try to figure out where it came from." This is especially difficult because historians did not document superstitions until the 1800s. "That's one of the interesting things about studying superstitions," says Kern. "No one bothered to explain them until the 19th century. I think nostalgia and romanticism brought an interest in recuperating traditional practices." But the origins of some superstitions are a little more obvious than others. For instance, the belief that walking under a ladder is bad luck is really just a safety precaution. If you walk under a ladder, your chances of getting something dropped on your head increases. Likewise, it's considered bad luck to light more than two cigarettes with one match. This superstition is traced back to the two World Wars when soldiers were in foxholes and trenches. "The first cigarette would allow the sniper to locate the enemy," says Kern. "The second cigarette would allow the sniper to zero-in. And the third cigarette would allow the sniper to take the shot."
Capital Times, Madison
October 5, 2006
Headline: Envoy says U.S. errs as Brits did with IRA
Byline: Matthew Blake
Excerpt: A high-ranking British diplomat this week likened U.S. detainee policy to Britain's fight against the Irish Republican Army in the 1970s and 1980s. He called both episodes counterproductive and in opposition to British and American law. High-ranking German government officials have also publicly rebuked the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency for operating beyond the rule of U.S. and international law, hampering their own government's effort to effectively and legally deal with suspected terrorists. Claudena Skran, associate professor of government at Appleton's Lawrence University, said that the inquiry into CIA activities adds to Germany's skeptical view of U.S. intelligence. Skran said that post-World War II German culture "feels strongly that the state should not be given the tools to act without recourse by detaining prisoners without answering to national and international law." "The British and Germans see the war as primarily an ideological battle, not a military one," Skran said. "Yes, it's important to have the captured terrorist, but you have to win the ideological battles" to uphold democratic values.
The Times, London, England
October 5, 2006
Headline: Cleavage
Byline: John Naish
Excerpt: In the 1980s, a leading female journalist revealed how she used her considerable decolletage as a professional asset. “As soon as I see a man staring at my chest, I know I've got him,” she said, bringing fire and ire from a sisterhood weaned on Sixties feminism. But things have quickly changed. Nowadays, men working in offices often find themselves short of anywhere not to look. There's more heaving cleavage than a BBC costume drama. We can blame shows such as Ally McBeal for promoting the idea that skimpy costumes equal career success. But does dressing for distraction really provide women with a career boost? No, says Peter Glick, a psychology professor at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. His study concludes that women in high-status positions who dress provocatively are rated as less competent and elicit negative reactions from colleagues. The same is not true for women in lower-status positions, such as receptionists: “For young women starting out, it's a temptation to be sexy. You get more attention, but . . . eventually, it undermines perceptions of your competence.”
Viewpoints, Des Plaines, Illinois
[Viewpoints is a nationally syndicated 30-minute radio program produced by Media Tracks Communications and
aired by 320 stations]
October 1, 2006
Program: Good books. Writers talk about writing
Host: Sandy Housman
Excerpt: It's not difficult to find something to read these days with about 65,000 books published every year. How
many of these are worthwhile though? What makes a volume a good book and does it require the skills of a William
Faulkner or a Tony Morrison to capture and hold our attention through 200 plus pages. Mark Dintenfass, professor
emeritus of English at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. says that for him a good book has a lot to do
with the music of the words.
Dintenfass: Most language consists of old metaphors and it seems to me good writers make the metaphors work together and bad writers have no ear for that, so that's one of the things. The second thing is that words have sounds and the way language sounds is something that good writers pay attention to.
Host: Many books grab you right at the outset while others can take you on a tedious journey for several chapters before the story actually starts. How long should you give a book before you throw in the towel? Dintenfass says he doesn't give it much time if it's badly written.
Dintenfass: I really don't have a lot of patience for bad writing. I don't mean that it has to be literary.
Host: Dintenfass agrees that content is often a problem for young writers who just don't have enough experience to come up with an interesting story that will engage the reader for more than a few pages.
Dintenfass: They think that the only interesting subject is themselves and so everything is very highly autobiographical, even if their lives haven't been very interesting. They try and take their reasonably uninteresting lives, often as students, and make fiction out of that. The other tendency is to imitate a genre, to have been in love with some genre when they were teenagers and try to write just like that. You end up with young people trying to write just like Tolkien.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee
September 29, 2006
Headline: Doctor fees higher here. Milwaukee specialists charge more, study finds
Byline: Guy Boulton
Excerpt: It can cost hundreds of dollars more to have a doctor read the results of an MRI, perform arthroscopic
knee surgery or do a colonoscopy in Milwaukee than in other Midwest cities, according to a study on physician fees
released Thursday. The latest study which looked at fees for cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists and
gastroenterologists suggests that physician fees contribute to the Milwaukee area having higher health care costs
than other Midwest cities. The study found that physician fees for 13 procedures done by specialists can be 30% to
40% higher in the Milwaukee area than in Cincinnati, St. Louis and Kansas City. The study looked at fees for only
four of the highest-paid medical specialties. But its findings support a study done last year by the Government
Accountability Office that found that physician fees in Wisconsin were higher than in other states. The GAO also
has found that hospital costs in the Milwaukee area were among the highest in the nation. "They are not all equally
valid studies," said Merton D. Finkler, an economics professor at Lawrence University in Appleton who did the study
on physician fees. "But every way that somebody has gone at it has come to the same conclusion." The study did not
find that the Milwaukee market was more concentrated than other Midwest cities, which would give specialists more
bargaining power when negotiating with health plans. But Finkler said the market is geographically segmented.
"Within each area of the Milwaukee market, there's not much competition," he said. "That to me is a credible
conjecture. But there's no evidence here that would support it."
Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago, Illinois
September 25, 2006
Headline: Breasts are one thing, nipples another
Byline: Laura Berman
Excerpt: Nipples are a big deal in our society. They seem to be the point, so to speak, upon which
decent vs. indecent nudity hinges. Janet Jackson's Super Bowl snafu was a big deal because it exposed
the whole breast, nipple and all. The nipple represents something that is sacred and taboo. In fact,
the mere suggestion of a nipple is enough to ruffle the feathers of both sexes. Breasts are the turf
upon which many a feminist battle has been fought. To flaunt what you've got or cover it up for
equality's sake? Then there is the matter of nipple etiquette at work. A recent study from Lawrence
University found that sexiness worked against women who wished to climb the corporate ladder. A
woman in provocative clothing triggered hostile reactions and doubts about her intelligence from the
study participants -- though this effect melted away when participants were told she was a receptionist.
I'm not sure how much nipples played into the study's findings, but they are a concern for professional
women. Female co-workers may look at you with sympathy --- or contempt, if they think you're using your
anatomy to your advantage. Ultimately, headlights are not good for the office if you wish to be taken
seriously. Embrace your anatomy and what's natural, but be realistic about its effect on others and
their perceptions of you.
Tulsa Free Press/Greater Tulsa Reporter Newspapers, Tulsa, Oklaholma
September 19, 2006
Headline: Norman Corwin remembered for radio greatness
Byline: Charles Cantrell
Excerpt: Tim Troy loves to talk about his hero, Norman Corwin. Troy is an associate professor of
theatre and arts at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. This summer he was Light Opera
Oklahoma's guest director for the company's first foreign language operetta, The Little Barber of
Lavapies. His resume reflects many honors and a wide array of courses. But his great love is exploring
the early days of American radio programming, and in particular the historic and social impact of one
of America's greatest wordsmiths. According to Troy, Corwin is often overlooked for recognition in part
because it is hard to understand the significance of his works without some knowledge of the times in
which it was created. “As with all great works, Corwin's art gains meaning through time. This moment in
our history begs us to learn from him. His broadcast on V-E Day so captured the nation with the power of
its poetry, the skill with which music interlaced with the spoken word, and the sense of citizenship
and civic responsibility he espoused, that we continue to sense his ability to speak through time from
his day to ours. Corwin's unwavering vision of democracy is one based on principle, not partisanship.
He is a 20th-century Walt Whitman.”
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
September 17, 2006
Headline: OU's system for spotting plagiarism fails to pick up key clues in theses
Byline: Bill Sloat
Excerpt: Copycat work turned up by accident two years ago has morphed into a full-blown plagiarism
scandal at this 20,000-student school in Ohio's Appalachian hills. Nearly two dozen theses are under
scrutiny. And it has grown clearer that some of the theses held clues to the academic dishonesty, clues
that somehow evaded the system that is supposed to spot plagiarism, where professors read and sign off
on every paper. "We need to set high standards. We thought we were. We've found out we weren't for a
long period of time in one department," said Kathy Krendl, the school's provost, or chief academic
officer. Krendl plans to convene a campus wide summit on Sept. 28 about tactics to curtail cheating.
She said an honor code might be adopted to clean things up. While a student at Lawrence
University in Appleton, Wis., Krendl said she had to sign every paper with the phrase "pledge no
unauthorized aid," a routine that every student at the private college followed. "Everything you
submitted, you wrote that pledge out and you signed it. A professor wouldn't take a paper without it,"
Krendl said. "I think if you sign something, you own it." As things stand now, the scandal could
jeopardize 23 advanced degrees, many awarded to international students from Asian nations who wrote in
English but seem to have borrowed their words from others.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee
September 15, 2006
Headline: Transfer happy he's back in running
Byline: Mark Stewart
Excerpt: A dominant player and one who truly makes an impact aren't always one and the same. Aljay Wren
can be both. In 2002 and '03, Wren rushed for 1,774 yards and helped St. Norbert College win two Midwest
Conference titles. At Lawrence University, Wren's new home after a two-year absence, the junior
has a chance to make an impact. "He's a high-level Division III player and obviously he's already
accomplished it at St. Norbert," Lawrence coach Chris Howard said. "He's proven himself to be very
explosive on the field." The Vikings have a long and rich history but none of it is recent. Their last
winning season was in 1987 the program won its last title in 1986 and their 4-5 mark in the league last
season is the closest they've been to .500 since 1997. With Wren's help, maybe that can change. "I don't
think we're that far off from any team in this conference if we play up to our potential," said the
5-foot-8, 200- pound junior, who will face his former team Saturday afternoon in Appleton.
San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas
September 7, 2006
Headline: For some, the truth about 9-11 is still out there
Byline: Roy Bragg
Excerpt: For the Americans active in what's been dubbed the 9-11 Truth movement, there are hundreds of suspicious
events, questionable coincidences and unanswered questions that make the official story impossible. Instead, they see
an insidious attempt to manipulate foreign and domestic policy for as-yet-unconfirmed reasons. The weapon of choice
for the 9-11 Truth movement is the Internet. Experts who study the origins and dynamics of conspiracy theory say the
Web is exacerbating a general mistrust of government. In many ways, the Web's ability to move information is making
that information less trustworthy. "People tend to be irrational," said Jerald Podair of Lawrence University.
"Incapable of comprehending an event, they draw a conclusion and find facts to support it. The Internet is going to
make us more medieval in the future, as more and more inaccurate theories and stories spread like a global virus. In
a way, the Internet is going to make us more backward. That's ironic." The 9-11 Truth movement is a product of our
times, Podair says. Beginning with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963 and the Warren
Commission investigation, there's been a mistrust of government. The official investigation, Podair says, was done
quickly, was sloppy and rubbed people the wrong way. That lack of transparency, he says, created a cult of JFK
conspiracy theory buffs. "And that," Podair says, "is where it begins." The JFK conspiracy was followed, in the
American consciousness, by the Vietnam War, where numbers were cooked to give the public a false impression of American
success, and the Watergate affair, where top officials conspired to silence enemies and then covered up those actions.
"Now, people don't trust the government and automatically assume the government is lying," Podair says.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, Washington
September 5, 2006
Headline: Shanghai pension scandal could spread
Byline: Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press Business Writer
Excerpt: Shanghai's skyscrapers and expressways attest to its status as China's commercial capital, but some may
prove to be liabilities as the city faces its biggest scandal in years. China's leaders, gearing up for a major
Communist Party congress next year, have sent investigators to check on allegations that a third of a $1.2 billion
public pension fund was illicitly invested in potentially risky real estate and road projects. The accusations of
mismanagement of the country's biggest pension funds are also raising questions about China's progress toward a
welfare system to replace the cradle-to-grave benefits of Mao Zedong's era. Set up only in the mid-1990s, the
country's $226 billion in social insurance funds are a crucial part of China's social safety net, but are prey to
mismanagement and abuse that China can ill-afford for its rapidly aging population. Meanwhile, the amount paid in
is falling short of needs by some $12 billion a year. "This is not a simple case of someone embezzling pension funds
under his management. It's rather the predictable result of China's partial pension reforms and the highly secretive
manner in which local officials manage these funds," says Mark Frazier, a professor of government at Lawrence
University in Appleton, Wis.
[The AP story also ran in the San Diego Union Tribune on September 5]