thiel happenings


Founders’ Day Convocation


Please join us for Founders’ Day on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center as Thiel College presents the A. Louis and Barbara Thiel Award and distinguished faculty and staff awards. A reception will follow in the Sawhill-Georgian Room.

Please RSVP to specialevents@thiel.edu or download the RSVP form and return to Sherrie Greenlee-Ogello by Jan. 27.


Moodle and Course Availability


Attention Faculty: Please remember that until you make each of your courses available to students, they are UNAVAILABLE. Students tend to worry when they cannot get to the syllabus or other postings.

For help with this, check the video tutorial found on the MIMC Technology Training web page. Or check the faculty lounge … there is both a video and a written tutorial. It is found there under Using Moodle > Administration. Contact Leslie Graul or Erika Jones with any questions.


Dome Available for Walkers/joggers and Golfers


The Rissell-Schreyer Dome is available to members of the College and greater Greenville communities interested in walking and jogging. The Dome is open to walkers and joggers most Monday-Friday mornings from 8-11 a.m. and most Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30-7 p.m. There is also a golf range available for use Tuesday and Thursday from 8-11 a.m. and many Saturdays. Buckets of golf balls (approx. 50) are available for $5. The golf range will be available on these Saturday mornings: Jan. 21 (8-10 a.m.), Feb. 11 (8-10 a.m.), Feb. 18 (8-10 a.m.), Feb. 25 (8-10 a.m.), March 3 (8-10 a.m.), March 10 (8-10 a.m.).

For the safety of community members and Thiel’s student-athletes, the community’s cooperation in recognizing the College’s wishes to keep its varsity athletic practices and private facility rentals closed to those outside of the Department of Athletics is very much appreciated.

You also can find out more about the Rissell-Schreyer Dome, including pricing and availability, online at the Thiel Athletics site.


Mac Miller Concert Volunteers Needed




Please contact Barbara Blue at ext. 2192 if you are willing to join the event staff for this event in Passavant Center on Saturday, Feb. 25.


Spring Semester Reading Group (a community building event)


One of the speakers for Thiel’s 2012 Earth Week Celebration is Wendy Farley of Emory University. You are invited to be part of a group of faculty, administrators and staff who will be reading her most recent book, Gathering Those Driven Away: A Theology of Incarnation (Westminster John Knox Press, 2011). Farley goes through the history of Christianity, identifies those who have been rejected and driven away by the church, and highlights the rich and creative contributions they were making. It’s an earthy book that should prompt good conversations.

Discussions of the book will take place on Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Library Classroom. Meeting dates are Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9, Feb. 23, March 15, Mar. 29, and April 12 we will have dinner with the author and speaker for that evening. Please express your interest in participating to Curt Thompson (ext. 2106) so that he can order a book for you.


Kiwanis Club Selling Dining Cards


The Kiwanis Club of Greenville is selling Dining Cards for $25 each that include deals for 30 area restaurants. Deals include buy one, get one free or buy one, get one half price. Even if you only use the card a couple of times, you will have made back your original donation. All proceeds are distributed locally to Kiwanis Club charities. Contact Mario Marini (Roth Hall, 2nd floor) at ext. 2022 if you have any questions or would like to purchase a card. Thank you for your donation!


Hawaii Raffle Tickets on Sale Now!


Tickets are $20 each. Enter for a chance to win a seven-night stay at a five-diamond resort on Waikiki Beach and round-trip airfare for two! Tickets can be purchased from Jack Leipheimer or Patti Leipheimer in the Student Life Office.


student news


Student-Athletes of the Week


Nic Jones, first year early childhood education major and indoor track & field team member from Franklin, Pa. - in his first career collegiate track meet–earned first place in the high jump competition at the Oberlin College Invitational last Friday.

His jump of 5 feet 11 and 3/4 inches earned him the victory over competitors from both Oberlin and Findlay University. Jones earned Dean’s List recognition for fall 2011.



Valerie White, sophomore business administration major and indoor track & field team member from Pittsburgh placed fifth in the mile run with a time of 6:21.60 at the Oberlin College Invitational Friday evening.

She was named to the Fall 2011 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Academic Honor Roll following the cross country season and also earned Dean’s List recognition for fall 2011.


special notes


Thank You!


“I’d like to thank those members of the Thiel community that assisted in Sunday’s youth wrestling tournament held at the Rissell-Schreyer Dome. We hosted an event (billed as the Trojan Thunder in The Dome Tourney) that had over 300 youth wrestlers participate and over 500 spectators on hand to watch their families and friends compete. A tremendous amount of effort was required to put on such a large-scale event and it certainly could not have been pulled off without the help of so many. These visitors were not just local folks from Sharon, Pittsburgh and Erie, but came from areas like New York, New Jersey, Ohio and West Virginia. Again, thank you for all your help!”
— Kevin Fenstermacher
Associate Director of Athletics


HR Notes


Employee Status Change:
Thomas Schwab, public safety,
became full-time.

Thiel Welcomes:
John Harakal, football
Jeffrey Hollidge, public safety




Contact Jennie Kather about donating to the United Way.


From the Wellness Committee


Make it a Healthy New Year (PDF)


campus events




A Good Half Hour —
Worship for All

Thursday, Jan. 19 from 12:30 - 12:55 p.m.
Johnson Memorial Chapel

“God Kneads Us To Be One”
Celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated and shared: all are welcome!

Thiel Campus Ministry: Welcoming One Another As Christ Welcomes Us


Farewell Reception
for Dave Grober

Friday, Jan. 20, from 3:30-5 p.m.
Sawhill-Georgian Room

Please join the college in thanking Dave Grober, former Vice President for College Advancement, for his more than 18 years of service to Thiel College at a farewell reception and tribute. Please plan to be present at 4 p.m. for special remarks.


All Greek Letter Day

Friday, Jan. 20

Were you Greek? Has a Thiel Greek organization honored you with letters? Support our Greeks this Friday for their upcoming recruitment week (Jan. 23 – Jan. 27) and sport your favorite Greek letter shirt or apparel.


Mark your calendars!


TNT dates for the spring semester will be:
Jan. 24, Feb. 15, March 20, April 17

All will be held at 8:30 a.m.
in the Sawhill-Georgian Room.


Spaghetti Dinner Fundraisers


Thiel Christian Fellowship will host Spaghetti Dinner Fundraisers on the following dates:

Friday, Feb. 3 at 6 p.m.
Bethel Life Fellowship Hall

Saturday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

Sunday, Feb. 12 at noon
First Baptist Church

Suggested donation is $5 (adults) and $2 (children) Proceeds will benefit the group’s attendance at a Christian conference called “jubilee” in Pittsburgh February 17 – 19. Tenth Avenue North and Reily CDs will also be on sale for $5 each.


contact us


If you’re interested in submitting a story or event to T-Notes, e-mail tnotes@thiel.edu. Our next issue will be Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Deadline for submissions: Monday, Jan. 23