“I feel little weird because I expect I’ll be the oldest person there,” Garber said. “But it’ll be fun.”

Garber will receive an individualized major in philosophy and classic civilizations. It’s a degree 56 years in making since Garber started as a student at St. Thomas in 1953.

However, that doesn’t mean Garber has been slacking the last half century. This major will be added to a long list of degrees, including two bachelor’s, two master’s, a doctorate and a medical doctorate. Not to mention Garber is currently completing a master’s in theology.

When Garber was a student at St. Thomas, only three years of pre-med courses were required for medical school. So when Garber left St. Thomas to attend medical school at the University of Minnesota, he left without a degree.

Motivated by a interest in philosophy and an urge to receive his degree, Garber continued to take classes over the years.

Garber attended his 50th class reunion at St. Thomas four years ago and decided to start inquiring about receiving his degree.

“I think they were a little hesitant at first,” Garber said. “They were willing to look at it, though. They were friendly enough.”

After talking to the counseling department, Garber was in touch with Michael Jordan, director of undergraduate academic affairs.

Jordan said after he learned that Garber continued to undergraduate courses over the years at other schools, he saw that many of the course were in the area of philosophy and classics.

“I asked the committee on studies if they would approve an individualized major in philosophy and classics for Jim, drawing upon his St. Thomas courses and his UST courses,” Jordan said. “The committee agreed that the courses he had taken fit together well to form an individualized major and approved the request.”

Garber said after his degree was finalized, with encouragement from his children and grandchildren, he decided to walk with this year’s graduating class.

Garber said the biggest change to St. Thomas since he attended in 1956 is the size.

“It was a smallish kind of campus,” Garber said. “Friendships were easy to come by, especially being on campus.”

As a freshman, Garber lived in Ireland Hall, and he said he still keeps in touch with some of the friends he made. Two will watch Garber graduate Saturday.

“I really enjoyed my time at St. Thomas,” Garber said. “It was the time when I was sort of beginning to become adult and feeling a little bit more as if I was moving in to the real world.”

As a Tommie, Garber said he has fond memories of cheering on the sports teams. He said the first year he was in medical school, he made it back to St. Thomas to watch the undefeated football team play.

Garber said he and his classmates also went to dances at St. Catherine’s

“I dated a lot of the Katie’s,” Garber said. “Back then it was an all males school, so we dated the women that were at St. Catherine’s. It was fun. It was a fun time.”

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthoms.edu.

Director of Campus Life and Undergraduate Student Government adviser Margaret Cahill and senior class president Thomas Engrav have been receiving complaints from students who graduated in December 2009 because they were not invited to the riverboat cruise.

This decision was based on a couple of reasons, according to Cahill.

The main factor is the alcohol license that St. Thomas received is for current students only.

“The alcohol policy at St. Thomas is that events that involve students need to involve current students,” Cahill said. “There is sometimes an opportunity to have guests, but it increases the logistics of it.”

Kushal Doshi graduated in December, a semester earlier than most of his classmates. He said he was very disappointed when he found out he wouldn’t be able to attend.

“I thought it would be a great way to see my classmates one last time and a fun way to celebrate graduation,” Doshi said. “It seemed that I was being penalized because I worked hard and graduated a semester early.”

Doshi said he understands the school’s alcohol policy for non-current students, but he still thinks there were other options.

“I would have gladly signed a waiver that would not hold St. Thomas liable,” Doshi said.

Cahill said 500 seniors can attend the event, even though the boat capacity is a little larger.

“It’s a St. Thomas sponsored event, and so Public Safety determines the number that’s appropriate,” Cahill said. “So my guess is that if we took the alcohol out of the equation, we might be able to increase it a little bit.”

Even at its full capacity, the boat doesn’t hold the entire senior class, Cahill said.

The question then becomes whether students are willing to give up the alcohol on the cruise in order to include more of their class in the event. Cahill said the idea of an alcohol-free event or a different event all together is proposed to the senior class each year.

“But when you’re a senior that’s been thinking about it for the last couple years and you know about it, nobody ever wants to be the first year to do something different,” Cahill said. “Nobody wants to give up that tradition.”

Senior class president Thomas Engrav said he’s received e-mails from former students who were hoping to attend the event.

“I’m friends with some of them that can’t go, and it sucks,” Engrav said. “It’s just the policy, I guess.”

Cahill said that with the large number of complaints this year, future senior classes may consider other options for a final event that would be more inclusive.

“Because of the amount of feed back that we’ve gotten, we’ve been able to take it all and share it with next senior class president, Marcy Warren,” Cahill said. “And then it’s for them to decide whether or not they want to have the alcohol.”

Engrav said he understands people’s disappointment about not being able to attend, as does Cahill.

“We certainly understand that people are disappointed,” Cahill said. “Last year somebody called in tears, and I was in tears by the time I got off the phone. I felt so bad.”

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu

Kristen Winchell, a development officer at St. Thomas and head of the senior class gift committee, said the scholarship will award one student with $1,000 for a January VISION service trip.

Winchell said like every year, all seniors are invited to be on the committee. It’s the members of the committee who ultimately vote on the designation of the senior class gift.

“Someone’s always not going to be happy with the designation of the gift,” Winchell said. “But really, that would happen if everybody voted. So the reason to be on the committee, and why we stress that in the Bulletin, is so you get to help decide what your senior class gift will be. And that’s why we welcome anyone.”

Senior John Gummerson wrote a letter to TommieMedia expressing his concern about the lack of student input in deciding the senior class gift.

“It’s just when I saw that it was going to VISION, and I didn’t know anything about the process,” Gummerson said. “I just felt like it didn’t include everybody. I think that’s important, that it should include everybody.”

One thing Winchell and senior class president Thomas Engrav made clear is that the class gift committee and the Undergraduate Student Government are two separate entities.

“Every year we ask the senior class president and the president of USG to be on the committee,” Winchell said. “So that’s the only way it has anything to do with a student club. And then otherwise, it’s all through development.”

Winchell said this restricts the committee’s ability to reach students and encourage them to participate in the committee.

“Our only way to get to students is to put articles in the Bulletin,” Winchell said. “And that’s what we’ve done every year in the past.”

Gummerson said it was poor communication from the senior class representatives that was the cause of his concern.

“The committee needs to be communicated properly,” Gummerson said. “Because even if they did put more than one article in the Bulletin I don’t think that one source is enough. Why not put some posters up or send an email to everybody?”

Gummerson said the numerous comments left on his letter demonstrates that the senior class is disgruntled about a lot of things this year.

“I realize we have to be flexible,” Gummerson said. “But with something like with the gift that is so easy to do and involve everyone, I don’t see why they couldn’t.”

In the past five years, all but one designated money to fund a scholarship. These included residence hall scholarships, assistance to students whose program requires more than four years of undergraduate work, and a study abroad scholarship.

The class of 2009 designated money to fund a Leadership Room in the new Anderson Student Center.

The senior class of 2001 decided to raise money for a scholarship as well as the flagpole in the quad.

“I thought about maybe doing a statue of the Tommie mascot,” Engrav said. “And maybe place that near the student center. It seemed too expensive and take too long to actually get it.”

In the letter to TommieMedia, Gummerson said he supported VISION but would not participate in the class gift because of the lack of student input.

Both Winchell and Engrav said it’s each individual’s choice to participate, but they encourage people to give back to the school.

“It’s their choice if they want to participate or not,” Engrav said. “We thought it’s a great gift, something that most students would be behind, and if they don’t want to, that’s their choice.”

Winchell agreed and said most students on the committee had been on a VISION trip, or knew someone who had.

“We hope people give back because they’ve had a great experience at St. Thomas, and want other students to have that great experience,” Winchell said. “So maybe if they personally didn’t go on a VISION trip but they know someone who did, or they know it’s a great program, they’ll want other people to participate in that program.”

The committee’s goal is 65 percent participation from the senior class, and Winchell said so far they have had great support.

“We have over 45 percent of the class who have already participated and given a gift,” Winchell said. “And that’s what we’ve stressed, just a gift of any dollar amount. So the whole goal is participation.”

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.

This is News in :90 for Wednesday, May 5, 2010.

The message from Comcast scrolls across the top of an on-campus TV. (Zach Pagano/TommieMedia)

The scrolling message on the top of campus televisions will continue for the next two to three weeks, said Nate Shuff, digital video integration coordinator for IRT.

Shuff said Comcast needs to install a box that can convert the signal to correct the problem.

“It was supposed to be done over J-Term, and then spring break, and now we’re pushing May,” Shuff said. “We’re essentially at their mercy.”

He said there’s nothing the university can do to speed up the process.

“The scrolling bar on the TVs in the dorms is really annoying,” junior Breana Lucius said. “Because it’s the whole top inch of your TV. It’s just repeats the same thing over, and you’d think after awhile it’d stop.”

The message appeared on televisions April 21 and has continued to scroll on different channels periodically throughout the day.

“It’s been this entire week at least, so that’s like, what, a month,” Lucius said.

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.

This appears to be a common scenario among college students, who inevitably have an abundance of media and technology, and an unofficial TommieMedia poll proved that Luedtke isn’t alone. Eighty percent of respondents said they were able to multitask.

“I’m always multitasking,” junior Sam Zastrow said. “I think I would get bored if I wasn’t doing more than one thing at a time.”

However, a recent study found only 2.5 percent of people can multitask without a decrease in performance in either task.

The study, conducted by professors at the University of Utah psychology department, tested 200 students in a driving simulator. To imitate talking on a phone while driving, the students were asked to memorize simple series of words and solve simple math problems. Then, both tasks were tested individually.

Out of all the participants, 97.5 percent saw their driving performance drop 20 to 30 percent.

The 2.5 percent of participants who were able to perform at the same level when conducting multiple tasks and single task were “supertaskers.”

“Some readers may also be wondering if they too are supertaskers,” authors David Strayer and Jason Watson said in the paper. “We suggest the odds of this are against them.”

This low percentage statistic comes at a time when several states are making laws to prevent distracted driving. In 21 states, including Minnesota, it is illegal to text while driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Six states prohibit the use of handheld phones while driving. No state has made all types of phones illegal while driving, but many states have banned novice drivers and school bus drivers from using cell phones behind the wheel.

Of the 48 students polled at St. Thomas, 20 percent said they knew they couldn’t multitask.

“If I’m doing something with the TV on, something is not getting my complete attention,” freshman Michael Becker said.

Most student agreed that the term “multitasking” was vague and said they could multitask depending on what the tasks are.

When TommieMedia asked whether students thought only 2.5 percent of people could successfully multitask, most agreed.

The researchers in the University of Utah study will continue to test “supertaskers” in other situations beyond driving and talking on the phone, according to the paper. They said they hope to find other scenarios in which this select group will excel in preforming multiple tasks and hopefully gain insight on how the brain works in these situations.

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.

Many St. Thomas students sported their Twins gear this week and shared their opinions about the new Target Field.

Most students agreed that it was a nice change to finally be able to watch baseball outside. Rain, snow or shine, one student said Twins fans will support their team no matter what.

Although some miss the Dome Dog, fans are happy about the new food choices. According to students, it’s just one of the many things the new stadium has to offer.

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.

If you haven’t stepped foot inside the library recently, you may have missed last week’s events hosted by the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library.

Julie Kimlingler, administrative assistant in the library, said the idea behind library week was basically like an open house.

“We want to let students know, as best we can, what we have here,” Kimlinger said. “We want to make you feel welcome here because every year things change, and we have new, better ways of searching for research materials.”

To show off what the library has to offer, Kimlinger and other library staff put together fun ways to get students involved and interested. The events included a book sale, online trivia questions and a “Who Wants to be a Librarian?” game show.

“It’s a beautiful building,” Kimlinger said about the library. “We love to have people come in and see what we have. A lot of people don’t know all the things the library can give them, as far as a place to get away.”

Students were also able to pay off overdue library fines by donating canned food items. The “Food for Fines” program allowed students to waive a total of $50, with each canned item equivalent to $2. The food is donated to the Franciscan Brothers of Peace food bank.

In celebration of library week, Kimlinger shared some little-known facts about the St. Thomas libraries.

What is the oldest book in the library?

“De Legibus” by Cicero, published in 1496. There are also pages from a couple of late 15th century medieval manuscripts.

What is the most requested book through interlibrary loan?

“Pray for Us Sinners” by Patrick Taylor. Over the past five and a half years it has been requested more than 110 times and sent out to various libraries around the country.

How many books are checked out every week?

About 2,000. Between April 1-13, the UST libraries have circulated 4,154 materials.

What are the most checked out materials?

Here are the top 9:

1. “Motorcycle Diaries” (Motion picture)
2. “Romero” (Motion picture)
3. “Master the GMAT”
4. “The Gospel According to John: A Theological Commentary” by Herman N. Ridderbos
5. “Thank You For Smoking” (Motion picture)
6. “A Short Guide to Writing About Art” by Sylvan Barnet
7. “The Sources of Christian Ethics” by Servais Pinckaers
8. “The Meaning of Man” translated by A. H. G. Downes
9. “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (Motion picture)

What books have an interesting history?

“Luxembourg” by Martin Hürlimann. Most of the copies of this book were confiscated and destroyed by the Nazis during World War II because the work promoted Luxembourg nationalism. This volume was saved only because it was hidden in the basement under the coal bin of the Dominique Bach family home in Esch-sur-Alette, Luxembourg, during the war. The book came to St. Thomas as part of the founding gift for the Bach-Dunn Collection of Luxembourgiana now held by the Department of Special Collections.

What is the most valuable book in the library?

Currently, it is the Book of Kells. Once the St. John’s Bible is completed, it will be the most valuable.

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.

This is News in :90 for Wednesday, April 7, 2010.

Coffee Bené's library location is drawing more coffee-craving students to stay on campus. (John Kruger/TommieMedia)

Since opening in February, Coffee Bené has attracted students who take advantage of having a private vendor on campus.

“We thought it was an interesting idea to have an independent, local operator who was already in the business of making premium coffee,” said Dan Gjelten, director of libraries. “It was important to us that we have really the highest quality coffee available.”

Mark Vangsgard, vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer, said they could have used campus food services to start up a coffee shop in the library, but didn’t for a couple reasons.

“Our students were already going to Coffee Bené,” Vangsgard said. “It was a recognized name. It was a recognized brand. It was something that was already acting like a magnet to our students. So that seemed to be kind of natural.”

The ability to draw students to the library is what both Gjelten and Vangsgard said was the intention behind bringing a coffee shop to the library. They both said the new addition was meant to bring more of an academic energy to the library.

“I think our food service people can certainly use the same equipment and make the same stuff,” Vangsgard said. “But there’s something about the appeal of Coffee Bené that is interesting to students, and therefore, more of a magnet then it would if it were our own food service. And again, the objective isn’t necessarily to sell coffee, it’s to get people to use the library more, and be comfortable.”

Impact on other campus coffee destinations

As of now, Coffee Bené has no impact on the coffee sales at the Grill or Scooters, according to Gayle Lamb, cash operations manager for dining services. She said when it comes to coffee, students are looking for convenience, so they’ll most likely buy it from the closest location.

Lorna Rockey owns the Rockey Grounds Coffee stand in Brady Educational Center. She also said the new shop in the library has not affected her business. Because she serves customers on South Campus, she said the business at Rockey Grounds Coffee won’t change.

Vangsgard said if Coffee Bené ever does start to impact sales of food services vendors, like Beakers and the Grill, it may not be much of a problem.

“I suppose it depends on the magnitude, maybe,” Vangsgard said. “But if the usage of the library, the energy of the library, and whatever else are at the levels of what we want it to be, and hope that it can be, then maybe it’s worth it.”

Students appreciate outside vendor’s presence in library

Students are taking advantage of Coffee Bené’s convenient location, and some say they’re glad it’s Coffee Bené instead of a food services coffee shop.

Sophomore Nicole Pilarski said she hardly ever bought coffee on campus until Coffee Bené opened.

“I like Bené better than I like Beakers because they know how to make coffee better, I think,” Pilarski said. “The quality itself is just better than Beakers. I have a preference for Bené. I can’t even put my finger on it, but it just tastes different.”

She also finds herself in the library more often.

“I used to come to the library like on Sunday nights because I needed to get all my homework done,” Pilarski said. “I’m here pretty much every Monday, Wednesday, Friday now.”

Pilarski is not alone in thinking that choosing Coffee Bené over food services was a good decision.

Freshman Eric Weber said he probably wouldn’t have come as much if there was an on campus vendor coffee shop. But since Coffee Bené has opened, he has been a frequent customer.

“I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to get coffee before,” Weber said. “But now that it’s here, it’s accessible, it’s easy to get, and it’s good.”

Sophomore Jen Davis said the coffee shop provides a convenient break for students who have been at the library for a long time. But she doesn’t think the fact that it’s Coffee Bené is necessarily important.

“I don’t think it matters if it was Coffee Bené or Beakers, or what,” Davis said. “Any type of coffee or food here, people would go for it.”

Vangsgard said he doesn’t think the coffee shop sets a precedent for other private vendors on campus, meaning students won’t be seeing any other private vendors around campus.

He said coffee has become a specialty item, and having a brand-name vendor in the library is adhering to a social change in academics.

“As students in high school, now, do a lot of their studying at Starbucks and Caribou and Dunn Brothers, and whatever else, those things kind of transition to the collegiate environment,” Vangsgard said. “All of sudden you have the biggest reading forum around — the library–and there’s just a natural gravitation to say, ‘Where’s my cup of coffee, my specialty coffee?’”

Kelly Trussell can be reached at kmtrussell@stthomas.edu.