February 26, 2016 QuickNotes: Montana's Finest

February 26, 2016

A Fair Trade First

After three years of working towards fair trade certification, Carroll is proud to announce its official designation as a Fair Trade College. Fair Trade is an economic system that ensures consumers that the products they buy were grown, harvested, crafted and traded in ways that improve lives and protect the environment. As a Fair Trade College, Carroll is committed to educating students about the issues of fair trade and sourcing fair trade products in campus outlets, such as the dining hall and bookstore. Carroll is the first Fair Trade College in Montana. 

Carroll senior, Melanie Vert, has been instrumental in helping establish the college’s fair trade designation. “For me, becoming a Fair Trade College means closer ties with the Helena community and the fair trade movement as a whole,” said Vert. “By working towards this certification, we have already become more connected with businesses and churches who promote fair trade in Helena. We have also become involved with a network of fair trade advocates across the country and globe. I am excited for these relationships to grow further now that we've received this declaration.”

In addition to providing fair trade products, Carroll sponsors "Fair Trade Fridays" on campus, hosts fair trade markets for Helena vendors, and sells fair trade chocolates during the holidays. A number of Carroll faculty also teach about fair trade in their classes in an effort to engage students in issues of global poverty and environmental concerns. The final step towards designation was drafting a fair trade resolution which reflects Carroll College’s commitment to fair trade, which was signed by both Carroll President Tom Evans and the Faculty Assembly. 

Some of the fair trade products offered at Carroll include coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, ice cream, cards, and jewelry.

“We are proud to be the first fair trade institution of higher learning in Montana. We see this designation as a manifestation of Carroll College’s mission to serve the poor and marginalized as well as its work with Catholic Relief Services,” said Dr. Chris Fuller, Director of the Hunthausen Center for Peace and Justice at Carroll College.

Learn more about fair trade at Carroll and read the full release here.

Carroll hosted a "Free Trade Friday" event, with free coffee, chocolate and raffle prizes, in celebration of our designation as a Free Trade College. Senior Melanie Vert, pictured here, has been instrumental in the efforts to certify the college.

Forbes Fabulous

Forbes Magazine recently released their list of the Best College in Every State.  Guess who was awarded the top spot for Montana?  None other than Carroll College. The list was selected based on the Forbes America’s Top Colleges 2015 ranking which was released last summer.

“We are always pleased when we are formally recognized as a top tier college, whether it be nationally, regionally or in Montana,” said President Tom Evans. 

“Carroll’s success is a reflection of the hard work and accomplishments of all those that make up our campus community. From our talented and devoted faculty and staff, to our bright, industrious students, Carroll is the sum of these parts. We are extremely proud of the educational experience we provide and the quality and character of not just the student, but also the person, who graduates from Carroll,” he continued.

Read about it in the Helena IR.

Faculty/Staff News

A Birthday Like None Other

Professor Brent Northup, coach of the Talking Saints, served as a judge in the Irish Times national debate championship held February 19 at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. The topic of the debate was the 100th anniversary of Easter Rising, the armed revolution in Dublin in 1916 that accelerated the movement towards Irish independence from Britain.

Northup coordinates the Irish Tour of America for the three Irish champions, which begins at the St. Patty’s Day parade in New York, continues to Los Angeles and includes a stop in Helena for a debate at Carroll on immigration on March 30. 

At the banquet after the debate Northup was honored for organizing the Irish Tour for the past 16 years and was presented with a painting of Easter Rising by a former Irish champion debater. Since the championship fell on Northup’s 70th birthday, the crowd sang happy birthday and presented Northup with a cake.

“The whole country is commemorating the Easter Rising culminating in special events around Easter,” said Northup. “It was very special to be in Ireland during this historic time.”

“It was quite a wonderful evening,” said Northup. “A birthday like none other.”

Read more about the debate and Professor Northup’s experience.

The Irish Times covered the debate final - Pro-1916 event competitors win Irish Times Debate grand final.

At The Irish Times Debate final, Professor Brent Northup joins individual winner Clíodhna Ní Chéileachair and team winners Ross O’Mahony and Aaron Vickery. Photo courtesy of Nick Bradshaw

Saints in the News

The Northwest Inland News likes to keep a close eye on former resident, coach and player Carson Cunningham.

In this latest piece on Dr. Cunningham, head coach of Carroll's men's basketball team, they discuss how in just three years he has turned around a program with back to back winning seasons plus raised the team gpa from the 2’s to 3.44.

Read it here: Cunningham polishing a hidden 'gem'

Student News

Saints in the News 

For the last three years, Carroll College junior Zach Taylor, a pre-physical therapy major from Duvall, Wash., has been the cornerstone in a rebuilding process that saw Carroll win nine games his freshman season, in which he was named Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year, 18 games his sophomore year, to a program that’s been ranked in the NAIA Top 25 most of his junior season.

Here is the rest of the story, as told in the Helena IR: 

Central to Carroll's success, junior Zach Taylor defies easy definition

Alumni News

 Saints in the News

N. Stephanie Spika ‘88 is the youngest candidate to be on the ballot for the National Rifle Association Board of Directors, in a number of years. In addition, she is the only Montana candidate.

The Great Falls Tribune recently ran this story:

Spika now on ballot for NRA board

Career News

Former Carroll classmates and football teammates, Jeff Shirley ‘06 and Kyle Cicero ‘06, along with Anna Larson, have opened up a new physical therapy clinic in Helena, MT. Ascension Physical Therapy is now accepting patients in their new facility. Read announcement here.  

Gettin' Hitched

Brenda Stephenson '07 - read announcement here.

IN MEMORIAM

John Burbank '93 - read more about his life here.

Raymond William Granger '02 - read more about his life here.

Dr. James Vincent "Vince" Shannon '57 - read more about his life here.

Upcoming Events

Carroll College Theatre Presents "Noises Off" by Michael Frayn, Feb. 26-28, Old North Performing Arts Center, Carroll College

Called the funniest farce ever written, Noises Off presents a manic menagerie as a cast of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing's On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.

Shows will be 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays in the Carroll College Theatre. Tickets are available at the door and online at the Carroll Theatre Season webpage. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $2 with a Carroll ID. 

Saints Athletic Association (SAA) Shindig, Feb. 26, 6 p.m., Campus Center, Carroll College 

This is a casual fundraising event for Saints athletics and is open to the public. Come mingle with the coaches in this fun and informal setting. Gret food, 50/50 drawing, Blackout Bingo and silent auction items will also be available. The theme is "Saints Tailgate" so attend wearing your favorite Carroll College Saints gear!

Social hour with no-host bar begins at 6 p.m. with dinner and the reverse raffle starting at 7 p.m. $20 for dinner, $100 for a raffle ball. RSVP at 447-4480. Lots of prizes, last ball standing wins $2,500 cash.

For more information or to purchase a ball, please call 447-4480 or email Associate Athletic Director Bennett MacIntyre, bmacintyre@carroll.edu.

Great Books and Constitutional Government Colloquium, Feb. 28 – 29, Carroll College

This is an interdisciplinary colloquium that seeks to foster a discussion among scholars who teach and write about the great books and their bearing on the tradition of constitutional government, broadly understood. This invitational event features approximately ten scholars with diverse expertise. This program is made possible by a generous grant from the Apgar Foundation, which has supported Carroll’s yearlong program, entitled “Constitutionalism, Ancient and Modern.”  

Sunday, Feb. 28:

Great Books Panel Discussions, 8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m., Maronick Board Room

Five scholars from North America, along with four Carroll professors (Drs. Glowienka, Parsons, Ries, and Roncalli), will deliver papers on a variety of topics related to the great books.  For a list of panels and to learn more about the participants and their diverse expertise, visit the Great Books Colloquium webpage. 

This event is open to faculty, staff and students.

Monday, Feb. 29:

“Why Study Classical Political Thought?” 12:00-12:50 p.m., Maronick Board Room

Dr. Laura Rabinowitz (University of Toronto) and Dr. Carly Herold (College of the Holy Cross) will serve on a panel that explores this question. Each is a scholar of classical political thought. Students and faculty are invited to join Drs. Rabinowitz and Herold in the Maronick Board Room for a light luncheon.  They will discuss their engagement in the discipline and take questions from students. 

This event is open to faculty, staff and students.

Keynote Lecture – “The Dangers of Liberal Education,” 6:30 p.m., Trinity Lounge

Dr. Michael Palmer is a scholar who has published on a diverse range of thinkers, including Thucydides, Machiavelli, and Rousseau, teaches political philosophy at the University of Maine. Noted for his ability as a lecturer, he has taught in a great books program for over 30 years.

This event is open to the general public.

  

The Carroll College Annual Lecture on Faith and Reason: “Laudato Si’, Integral Ecology, and the Moral Case regarding Climate Change,” Mar. 3, 7 p.m., Lower Campus Center, Carroll College 

Sponsored by the Hunthausen Center for Peace and Justice and the Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen Professor of Peace and Justice, the guest lecturer  will be Dr. Brian Treanor, Charles S. Casassa Chair and Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Academy for Catholic Thought and Imagination at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Dr. Treanor will use Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, to discuss the scientifically verified causes of climate change, some of its likely effects, the Pope’s use of the term “integral ecology” to emphasize that climate change is a scientific, economic, political, moral, and spiritual problem, and the Pope’s more specific suggestion that we cannot tackle climate change without simultaneously addressing problems associated with economic inequality, social justice, and spiritual disorder.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

Quaker Artists: An Exhibition of the Quiet Faith, Through Mar. 3, Carroll Art Gallery, St. Charles Hall, Carroll College

Gathering the works of Quaker artists from the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, the exhibition provides a glimpse of the creativity that often grows from quiet contemplation. Inspired by the images of the Earth, its people, and of life, these works often convey a sense of the peace and the inner life of the artists who have created them.  Quakers are a people whose faith often informs their creations, and in these works, we hope the viewer will be able to discern a sense of the peace and harmony, which are hallmarks of the Quiet Faith.  The exhibition includes fabric art, drawings, sculpture, oil paintings, ceramics, and photography.

The gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and is closed weekends and college holidays. For more information, visit the Visual Arts Current Gallery webpage or call 447-4302. 

Philosophy Now Speaker Series – Guest Lecturer Dr. John Gleaves ‘06, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Cal State, Fullerton, Mar. 16 & 17, 7 p.m., Lower Campus Center, Carroll College

As part of its Philosophy Now Speaker Series, Carroll College’s Philosophy Department is hosting John Gleaves, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Health & Human Development at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Gleaves, Carroll College class of 2006, will be giving two lectures on March 16 & 17.

Dr. Gleaves specializes in the philosophy and history of sport with particular emphasis on the study of performance-enhancing drugs and doping in sport including its ethical, historical, legal and scientific perspectives. Dr. Gleaves’ research interests also include the cultural study of areas related to gender, medicalization, and scientization of sport and physical culture.

Debating the Ethics of Performance Enhancement in Sport, Mar. 16, 7 p.m., Lower Campus Center

Though most people agree that athletes should not use performance enhancing drugs, the moral argument for banning them is much less clear. In a public lecture, Dr. Gleaves  illustrates the flaws in many of the oft-cited arguments for banning athletes from using performance-enhancing drugs. In fact, Gleaves will argue, we have been having the wrong conversation when it comes to doping. Instead, the right conversation involves not only the essence of sport but the larger philosophical question about what it means to be human.

Red, White, and Gold: The Olympic Games in American Culture, Mar. 17, 7 p.m., Lower Campus Center

The Olympic Games are a powerful symbol of American identity but what does that symbol represent? Dr. Gleaves will show how the Olympic Games are a “story we tell ourselves about ourselves.” Not only is this story meaningful, but investigating its cultural meaning in American society provides a useful avenue for examining larger social issues that extend beyond the most significant global sporting event. 

Free Tax Preparation Courtesy of Carroll’s Veteran Services and Montana’s Credit Unions, Mar. 17, 4 – 8 p.m., Borromeo Hall – Computer Lab, Carroll College

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, www.montanafreefile.org, is a collaborative project between Carroll College Campus Veteran Services and Montana’s Credit Unions. Get your tax return prepared for free by an IRS certified volunteer. If you have household income around $56,000 and a simple return, you likely qualify. For a list of what to bring and to determine whether you are eligbile for free tax prep, visit www.montanafreefile.org.

NASA’s Dawn Mission:  Exploring the Asteroid Belt, Mar. 24, 7 p.m., Simperman/Wiegand Amphitheatre 101-202, Carroll College

Dr. Kelly Cline will present a public lecture about the exciting new discoveries from NASA’s Dawn mission. This innovative spacecraft is the first exploratory mission to be powered by a ion propulsion engine. This amazing new technology allowed Dawn to orbit the asteroid Vesta for over a year, than break orbit and travel to the dwarf planet Ceres, where it is still sending back fascinating new data. Dawn’s explorations have revealed a battered world, covered with craters and mountains. On approach, Dawn discovered strange bright spots on Ceres, which astronomers think may be deposits of ice or chemical salts. Join us for a discussion of the surprising new discoveries from NASA’s Dawn Mission!

This event is free and open to the public.

Mark your calendars – Upcoming Alumni Events: 

Carroll Day at the Ballpark, Mar. 13, 12 p.m., Surprise Stadium, 15850 N. Bullard Avenue, Surprise, Arizona

Join Carroll College President Dr. Tom Evans as well as alumni, parents and friends in Arizona for a spring training game with World Series Champions the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians.

Carroll event starts at noon in the hospitality tent with the game starting at 1:05 pm. $30 per person includes game ticket, lunch and drink ticket. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are expected to sell out fast so purchase your tickets today online or contact the Carroll alumni office at 406-447-5169 or alumni@carroll.edu.

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